When to use it, a subject line, a body you can paste and fill, what to attach, how to word impact, and what not to say.
When to use: MEP needs a hole through a beam web or an opening isn't shown on structural but appears on trade drawings.
Subject: RFI [no.] — Web penetration request at [member], [size] opening
Body:
Mechanical drawing [M-xxx] requires a [size/shape] penetration through [member] at [location along span]. No penetration or reinforcement detail appears on [S-xxx]. Please confirm whether the penetration is acceptable as located, and provide reinforcement requirements if any. Proposed location and dimensions are on the attached sketch.
Attach: dimensioned sketch — distance from support, depth location in the web, opening size. Never make the reviewer guess geometry. Impact wording: none on first issue; this is a routine coordination RFI. Don't say: "we assume no reinforcement is required." Never assume on section loss. Escalation: copy the GC's MEP coordinator — the mechanical contractor's schedule usually drives the urgency, and they should carry part of it.
Log every one of these. Submission date, needed-by date, response date, what was held, what it cost. That trail is where steel money leaks — and where it’s recovered.
Drafting aid only — not legal advice. Adapt to your contract's notice requirements; your EOR and contract documents govern. Impact/rights wording is a starting point, not a determination.
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