The following is authored by Tim Bayes, MPP, PMP, who serves as Kleinfelder’s East Division Federal Market Lead and U.S. Air Force Program Lead. Bringing more than 26 years of experience leading infrastructure, engineering, construction, and mission support programs in complex federal environments, Tim is a retired U.S. Air Force Command Chief who oversaw organizations of more than 4,200 personnel, 31 aircraft, and a $311 million budget before joining Kleinfelder. He now leads federal business development and program delivery efforts, helping clients address infrastructure, environmental, facilities, resilience, and mission readiness challenges.
Drawings, surveys, utility records, and facility information are essential to planning and design. However, they do not always tell the complete story.
This is especially true regarding federal facilities that have been operating for decades. Buildings and infrastructure may have gone through renovations, repairs, emergency modifications, changes in use, and utility upgrades that were never fully documented. As a result, the conditions shown in the records may differ from what the project team encounters in the field.
Verify Critical Conditions Early
When drawings and field conditions do not align, the goal is not to determine who is right. The goal is to identify the discrepancy, communicate it clearly, and resolve it. Early verification is one of the most effective ways to reduce uncertainty. Surveys, utility investigations, geotechnical exploration, facility assessments, environmental evaluations, and field inspections can provide a more complete understanding of existing conditions before design decisions are finalized or construction begins.
Record drawings, GIS information, utility maps, and previous studies are valuable resources, but they should be treated as a starting point rather than a guarantee. At an active federal installation, undocumented conditions may exist behind walls, beneath slabs, below roadways, or within secure and occupied areas. Years of maintenance and operational changes can create differences between the documented condition and what is present.
Match the Investigation to the Risk
The level of investigation should reflect the decisions the project team needs to make. If a proposed improvement depends on the location of an existing utility, the capacity of a structure, or the condition of an underground system, that information should be verified before the design progresses too far. The earlier a discrepancy is identified, the more options the team has to address it efficiently.
A focused review of available records can help identify gaps and conflicts. Field verification can then, as necessary, be directed toward the areas that present the greatest risk to design, construction, or ongoing operations.
Establish a Reliable Field-Discovery Process
Why is it important to do this work ahead of time? A differing site condition identified during planning or design can often be addressed through coordination and design adjustments. The same condition discovered during construction may lead to requests for information, work stoppages, redesign, change orders, temporary services, or schedule delays.
Federal projects can add another level of complexity. An unexpected condition may affect secure access, occupied facilities, utility continuity, environmental compliance, training schedules, or mission-critical operations.A consistent field-discovery process is essential. The team should be prepared to document the condition, confirm the available information, assess the potential impacts, evaluate alternatives, assign responsibility, and communicate the decision.
Our environmental, engineering, design, construction management, materials testing, and inspection capabilities help federal clients manage these risks throughout the project lifecycle.
Turn Unknowns into Manageable Decisions
Not every discrepancy can be prevented. However, proactive verification, clear communication, and disciplined project controls can turn unexpected conditions into manageable decisions rather than costly project setbacks.
Kleinfelder Can Help
Unexpected conditions are common on federal projects. The key is identifying them early enough to make informed decisions. If you’re planning a project and need to better understand existing conditions, utility conflicts, facility constraints, or project risks, we’d welcome the opportunity to discuss strategies for reducing uncertainty before construction begins.