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Mediation
and Arbitration
When disputes arise and parties can’t agree, the fastest and least expensive solution may be mediation or arbitration. IMA, which has more than 15 years of experience in this arena, provides alternative dispute resolution services that help produce outcomes that are in the best interests of all concerned. IMA is affiliated with the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation. ![]() | ![]() |
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Overview ![]() | ![]() |
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Peer Review/Quality Assurance
Our peer review and quality assurance services help clients avoid costly
errors, conflicts, and omissions in project documents as well as eliminate
unnecessary costs.
While peer review of architectural documents has not been a common practice, it’s increasingly clear that most projects would benefit greatly from this service. Climbing construction costs, accelerated schedules, the increasing complexity of technical and regulatory requirements, and pressures to reduce design fees all substantially increase the risk of errors. And these errors can have serious consequences, including safety problems and the need for multimillion-dollar corrective measures. It's much easier, less expensive, and faster to make needed changes on paper than it is to correct problems in the field—or worse, after construction is completed.
IMA’s experienced staff helps institutional owners, private developers, architects, and contractors reduce the risks by reviewing project documents at critical milestones. Working from a fresh perspective, a seasoned architect can objectively evaluate a set of documents for accuracy, code compliance, completeness, and coordination of building systems and physical components.
IMA also conducts value engineering reviews, which methodically identify and eliminate unnecessary costs. Simple cost-reduction efforts often backfire because of inaccurate analysis, forcing expenditures later in the project or resulting in long-term building maintenance costs. IMA’s professionals—who are highly skilled in the technical issues that typically come into play here—perform a true value engineering analysis, helping to ensure that projected savings are real. IMA often pairs this work with constructability analysis, assessing the feasibility of constructing a project based on the construction documents and local industry limitations.
In addition, IMA provides specialized review services for snow and cold country projects. Learn more . . .
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Problems of Moisture and Mold in Buildings
Moisture in buildings is the single greatest cause of construction litigation—including
the highly publicized mold cases of recent years.
As longtime experts in tropical as well as snow and cold country architecture, IMA’s senior staff members have dealt with the problems of moisture in buildings for more than 20 years on hundreds of projects. In the past eight years these have included numerous mold remediation projects: The only way to control the growth of mold in a building is to control moisture. IMA’s moisture-related consulting services include review of project documents, water testing and investigation of existing conditions, and laboratory simulations. We also conduct intrusive investigations to identify sources of moisture, develop repair recommendations, and test repairs.
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Overview | |
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Alternative Dispute Resolution | |
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Mediation and Arbitration | |
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Neutral Architect | |
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Document Review | |
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Peer Review/Quality Assurance | |
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Specifications and Technical Reports | |
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Project Coordination | |
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Customer Service Repair Facilitation | |
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Project Coordination/Owner Representation | |
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Code and Regulatory Consulting | |
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Code and Regulatory Analysis and Strategies | |
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ADA and California Title 24 Compliance | |
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Technical Analysis | |
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Problems of Moisture and Mold in Buildings | |
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Remedial Design and Reconstruction | |
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Curtain Wall Investigation | |
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Specifications and Technical Reports |
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Building Component Product and Systems Research | |
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Roof, Wall, and Foundation Waterproofing Systems |
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Roof, Wall, and Foundation Waterproofing Systems
Nothing is more likely to cause a dispute than a water leak and the damage
that can stem from water intrusion. IMA has repeatedly provided effective
solutions that are less disruptive and easier to implement than demolition
and replacement. We also consult with owners and architects to ensure
that new building designs incorporate the appropriate waterproofing systems.
Our services include drawing and detail review and consulting, damage
assessment, and mitigation recommendations. Not only do we understand
the failure process, we also know that waterproofing products and systems
are constantly evolving—and not every new idea is an improvement.
To provide the best solutions for our clients, IMA maintains working relationships
with top roofing and waterproofing experts.
Learn more about IMA’s water intrusion expertise from this case study.
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Building Component Product and Systems Research
IMA’s understanding of materials—along with our ability to
develop code-equivalent building systems, identify building products for
those systems, and develop testing methodologies to demonstrate code compliance—has
saved our clients time, business disruptions, and substantial expense.
For example, in 2001 IMA developed and tested a method to raise the fire
rating of gypsum-board ceilings to meet both our client’s needs
and testing agency criteria. This system received International Conference
of Building Officials approval and was published as the ICBO report, ER-5857—Forty-Minute
Finish-Rated Ceiling Assembly.
In addition, IMA verifies building product claims through testing that establishes the products’ serviceability and performance characteristics.
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