Dennis Stanley wrote:I have been told that 61G1-16.003 of the F.A.C allows an architect to sign and seal an index or title sheet without having to sign and seal every page.
I have also been told that 61G15-23.002 F.A.C. requires that an engineer must sign every page.
It seems to me that the language is very similar, so why can't an engineer simply sign an index sheet. I have looked for the definition of specification index sheet as used in 61G1-16.003, and cover or index sheet for engineering specifications as used in 61G15-23.002. Can anyone shed more light on this?
61G15-23.002 Seal, Signature and Date Shall Be Affixed.
(1) A professional engineer shall sign his name and affix his seal to all plans, specifications, reports, final bid documents provided to the owner or the owner’s representative, or other documents prepared or issued by said registrant and being filed for public record. The date that the signature and seal is affixed as provided herein shall be entered on said plans, specifications, reports, or other documents immediately under the signature of the professional engineer.
(2) Each sheet of plans and prints which must be sealed under the provisions of Chapter 471, F.S., shall be sealed, signed and dated by the professional engineer in responsible charge. A title block shall be used on each sheet containing the printed name, address, and license number of the engineer or if applicable, the name and license number of the engineer, and if practicing through a duly authorized engineering business, the name, address and certificate of authorization number of the engineering business. Engineers working for local, State or Federal Government agencies shall legibly indicate their name and license number, and may indicate the name and address of the agency. A cover or index sheet for engineering specifications may be used and that sheet must be signed, sealed and dated by those professional engineers in responsible charge of the production and preparation of each section of the engineering specification, and if practicing through a duly authorized engineering business, the name, address and certificate of authorization number of the engineering business, with sufficient information on the cover sheet or index so that the user will be aware of each portion of the specifications for which each professional engineer is responsible. Engineering reports must be signed, sealed and dated on a signature page or cover letter by each professional engineer who is in responsible charge of any portion of the report, and if practicing through a duly authorized engineering business, the name, address and certificate of authorization number of the engineering business. A professional engineer may only seal an engineering report, plan, print or specification if that professional engineer was in responsible charge of the preparation and production of the engineering document and the professional engineer has the expertise in the engineering discipline used in producing the engineering document in question.
61G1-16.003 Use of Seal.
The personal seal, signature and date of the architect or interior designer shall appear on all architectural or interior design documents to be filed for public record and shall be construed to obligate his partners or his corporation. A corporate seal alone is insufficient. Documents shall be signed personally and sealed by the responsible architect or interior designer. Final official record documents (not tracings, etc.) shall be so signed. The signing and sealing of the specification index sheets shall be considered adequate. All drawing sheets and pages shall be so signed and sealed. An architect or interior designer shall not affix, or permit to be affixed, his seal or name to any plan, specifications, drawings, or other related document which was not prepared by him or under his responsible supervising control as provided in Rule Chapter 61G1-23, F.A.C. An architect or interior designer shall not use his seal or do any other act as an architect or interior designer unless holding at the time a certificate of registration and all required renewals thereof.
I don't think that either rule allows the professional to sign only an index sheet for a set of drawings.
The engineering board rules permit specifications and reports to be signed on an index sheet.
The documents which must be signed, sealed, and dated under Florida Statute 471.025(1) are all final drawings, specifications, plans, reports or documents prepared or issued by the engineer for public record or for delivery to the owner.
The provision in FAC 61G15-23.002 is an exception and permits the engineer to certify only the index sheet of reports and specifications due to the fact that reports and specs are routinely hundreds of pages long.
Although the statutes and rules refer only to "plans" and not "pages of plans" the board has interpreted the statutory language to mean that all pages of plans must be signed and sealed under the circumstances described above. Also, there is no language for plans similar to the language for reports and specs describing how only an index or cover sheet of a set of plans might be certified.
The primary intent of the statute is stated in 471.025(1),
...Such signature, date, and seal shall be evidence of the authenticity of that to which they are affixed...
In my opinion, plans sets are too easily and too often disassembled and reassembled without the engineer's knowledge and the bindings are not typically permanent or tamper evident. In that case I don't think I could trust a cover letter or index sheet to properly describe a set of plans that I had certified.
_________________
Christopher Banbury, PE
President
Ark Engineering, Incorporated
PO Box 10129, Brooksville, FL 34603-0129
22 North Broad ST, Brooksville, FL 34601
352.754.2424 (o)
352.754.2412 (f)
cbanbury@arkengineering.net
http://www.arkengineering.net