Kaplan question

[anonymous283]

There is a kaplan practice question that says the following: "You are the architect for an auditorium facility, which contains an underground concrete utility trench. The contractor asks you to provide him with shoring details for the earth excavation required to construct the trench. What should be your response?"

The correct answer is to inform the contractor that he is solely responsible for construction methods. Now this is the correct answer because the detail pertains to a construction method but what if it pertains to an ambiguous architectural detail which the contractor only discovers during construction? The architect would have to provide a sketch right? And if that sketch requires additional cost or time, would it require a change order which the owner is responsible for paying or is it the contractors responsibility since he didn't notice the ambiguity during the bidding process?

[Coach]

what if it pertains to an ambiguous architectural detail which the contractor only discovers during construction? The architect would have to provide a sketch right?

"Ambiguous" is pretty ambiguous.
Generally, yes. It's called an RFI.


And if that sketch requires additional cost or time, would it require a change order which the owner is responsible for paying or is it the contractors responsibility since he didn't notice the ambiguity during the bidding process?

There's no simple answer. Architect makes determination.