AIC AO case studies
AIC AO · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Associate Constructor (AC) credential, administered by the American Institute of Constructors (AIC), is an entry-level certification for people preparing to work as construction professionals - typically students in accredited construction programs, recent graduates, and early-career site or project staff. It signals that a candidate has grasped the foundational body of knowledge expected of a constructor before they take on independent project responsibility, and it is often treated as a stepping stone toward the Certified Professional Constructor (CPC) designation, which requires documented professional experience. The AIC AO case studies are 5 cases and about 5,490 words.
1The Verbal Direction in the Level 3 Corridor
On a $34 million, six-story medical office building delivered by CM at risk, the owner's facilities director stopped the drywall foreman in a Level 3 corridor and told him to shift the corridor partition 2 ft toward the exam rooms so a future chiller could be moved down the hall. The foreman moved the layout the same afternoon.
1,029 words, about 5 min2Coring a Post-Tensioned Band Beam
During rough-in on a 10-story cast-in-place office building, the mechanical subcontractor submits a field request to core three openings through a 16 in (400 mm) post-tensioned band beam: two 6 in (150 mm) holes for condensate drains at the quarter points and one 8 in (200 mm) hole for the fire-protection main at midspan. The beam is 24 in wide with unbonded tendons, and the structural general notes state that no cutting, notching, or coring is permitted without the engineer of record's written approval.
1,106 words, about 6 min3The Bid Error and the Unbalanced Schedule of Values
Five general contractors bid a lump-sum elementary school for a public school district. The engineer's estimate is 8,850,000; the apparent low bid is 8,412,000 and the second low is 8,690,000.
1,091 words, about 5 min4The 21-Day Extension Request
An $82 million hotel project has a contract substantial completion date of November 15. The accepted baseline CPM schedule shows completion on October 24, and its longest path carries no activity float.
1,093 words, about 5 min5The Rooftop Unit Pick at the Unprotected Edge
On a 48 ft high low-slope roof with no parapet (gutter edge only), a six-person crew is setting three rooftop units and pulling conduit for a warehouse tenant fit-out. The site-specific safety plan calls for a warning line and a designated safety monitor, relying on the low-slope roof provisions.
1,171 words, about 6 min