DSA 101
July 2010
Plan Approval Process for theCareer Technical Education Facilities Program
(CTE)
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DSA Organization
DSA Headquarters located in Sacramento
Four DSA Regional Offices serve the State
San Francisco Bay Area Sacramento Los Angeles San Diego
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DSA Offices and the Regions They Serve
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DSA Headquarters Statewide programs
- Inspector Certification- Academy (code and plan review training classes)- Material Test Laboratory Approval
Code Development- accessibility, structural safety, green/sustainability
Policies and Code Interpretations- Interpretations of Regulations (IR)- Policies (PL), Bulletins (BU), Procedures
DSA Organization – Roles & Responsibilities
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DSA Regional Offices
Project plan review and approval Construction oversight
- project inspector approval Project close-out and certification Pre-submittal (design phase) meetings
- review access, fire, structural and project schedule
DSA Organization – Roles & Responsibilities
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Construction of any new school building
Construction of any addition to a school building
Alterations to existing school buildings and facilities if the project cost exceeds $35,623 (amount adjusted annually per IR A-10)
See “publications” page at www.dsa.dgs.ca.gov- DSA IR A-10 Projects Exempt from DSA Approval
Projects Required to be DSA Approved
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Applicable Laws and Regulations
Statutes – Ed. Code Sec. 17280 (Field Act – K-12)
Govt. Code Sec. 4450 (Accessibility)
Regulations – Title 24 Parts 1-12 Part 1 – Administrative Code Part 2 - Building Code Parts 3, 4, 5, 6 – Electrical, Mechanical,
Plumbing & Energy Efficiency Codes Part 9 - Fire Code
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Scope of DSA Review
DSA reviews construction documents for compliance with building regulations for:
Structural Safety (SS) Fire & Life Safety (FLS) Accessibility (AC) Energy Efficiency
(High Performance Incentive Grant Program)
Construction documents must show ALL work (including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design)
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DSA’s Website — www.dsa.dgs.ca.gov
Project Status – “TRACKER”- see “Tools & Applications” webpage
Project Submittal Guidelines- see “Submit Plans” webpage
DSA Publications (policies, IRs, procedures, bulletins) - see “Publications” webpage
Forms (DSA-1 Application, DSA-3 submittal checklist) - see “Forms” webpage
Headquarters and Regional Office Contact information- see “Contact Us” on the “About DSA” webpage
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Highly Recommended (not required)
Contact Regional Office early in schematic design to schedule preliminary review mtg.- contact Regional Manager or Supervising Engineer- School district representative should attend
Identify design problems prior to completion of plans (i.e. geohazard report requirements)
Establish project schedule and timeframe goals for plan review and approval- See webpage “DSA Tools & Applications”- Plan Review Time Estimate Information
Plan Approval Process STEP 1 Preliminary Review for CTE Projects
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Complete plans & specifications (3 sets)
Geologic Hazards Report & Soils Report- CGS approval of the report is required prior to DSA stamp-out- Refer to DSA IR A-4
Structural Calculations
Site drawing signed by local fire authority approving fire access, gates, fire flow, and hydrants
Site plan to show “Path of Travel” for site and building accessibility
Plan Approval Process STEP 2 Submitting Plans to DSA
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Energy compliance documentation (2008 efficiency stds)
Fire sprinkler design documents (if bldg has fire sprinklers)- Refer to DSA Policy 10-01, no deferred submittals effective 7-1-10
DSA Application Form (DSA-1)
DSA-3 Submittal Checklist
DSA-10 Project Funding Status Inquiry
Fees - based on estimated construction cost - refer to “Fees” on the “Submit Plans” webpage
Intake Meeting with DSA can be arranged at client’s request
Plan Approval Process STEP 2 Submitting Plans to DSA (continued)
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DSA intake architect verifies that the submittal is complete
DSA Application number assigned by DSA
District and Architect notified by email “Notice of Progress” indicating:1. Project’s Application number2. Anticipated date review will start 3. Referral to TRACKER (on website) for monitoring project status
Plan Approval Process STEP 3 DSA Intake Review
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Plans are reviewed in order received, based on priority rating from DSA-10 formSee Bulletin 09-04 Plan Review Assignment Priority Categories
3 concurrent reviews are conducted:(4 reviews if high performance energy review is reqd.)
1. Structural - Structural Engineer2. Fire & Life Safety - FLS Officer3. Accessibility - Access Architect
Plans reviewed by first available plan reviewer (for all three disciplines)
Plan Approval Process STEP 4 Plan Review
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Each of three “checksets” (SS, FLS, AC) returned to Architect when completed
“TRACKER” indicates status of each review (SS, FLS, AC) including when review is complete and returned to the Architect
Plan Approval Process STEP 5 Reviewed Plans Returned to Architect
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Architect coordinates Design Professional Team review of DSA comments
Design Professional Team makes needed revisions to plans and supporting documents
Architect schedules a “backcheck” appointment at DSA Regional Office
Plan Approval Process STEP 6Design Team Review of Checkset
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Architect and consultants bring corrected drawings, specifications, and checksets to backcheck appointment
Architect and engineers must provide experienced staff at the backcheck appointment
DSA staff reviews corrected drawings & specs with 3 checksets with the architect & engineers
Plan Approval Process STEP 7 Backcheck / Stamp-out of Plans & Specs
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When backcheck is done, SS, FLS, AC initial & date DSA Identification Stamp
Plan Approval Process STEP 8 Stamping Plans & Specs
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DSA scans a record set of plans and specifications and returns original documents to the architect
DSA issues an Approval Letter to the School District via email
The date of the Approval Letter is the official DSA plan approval date.
Plan Approval Process STEP 9 Approving Plans & Specs
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Contact DSA early in the design process to discuss project schedule and approval date goals
Use preliminary review meetings during the design phase to verify technical and DSA process requirements
Submit and obtain CGS approval of the geohazards report early in the design process
Maintain scheduled milestone date for intake (submittal of complete plans for review) to maintain schedule for return of checksets and stamp-out
Recommendations for CTE Projects