VA hires the best A/E firms in the country and yet we experience repeated
errors and omissions on every project. These are not new or unusual
items, but they consistently get past A/E and VA quality assurance reviews
and result in construction change orders. Please review your project
documents and make sure you do not make these mistakes.
Plumbing, Design Development Phase :
o Overlay drawings to reduce utility and plumbing fixture interference with beams and
other utilities;
o Do not locate plumbing fixtures directly above electrical or telephone rooms, pharmacy
vaults, etc.;
o Avoid placing water and waste piping above rooms housing electrical, electronic, or
telephone equipment, and if another route is not possible, provide encasement of pipe
with a larger pipe with no joints over these rooms;
o Provide adequate isolation water and medical gas valves with input from VAMC
engineering and maintenance staff;
o Ensure dental oral surgery rooms are provided nitrous oxide, nitrogen, and oral
evacuation systems;
o Coordinate with the architect to ensure an adequate number of floor and roof drains are
shown, floor drains are especially missed in mechanical rooms, fume hood areas, and
for control air dryers;
o Indicate modifications required to existing fire sprinkler system that are necessary for
proposed construction; and
o Provide gas supply to incinerators.
AEQA 10-95
Facilities Management Office
Department of Veterans Affairs
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