Architects and engineers have been sealing their design documents for nearly as long as their professions have existed. Yet over time, there’s been relatively little change in the sealing technology. The embossed seal was an improvement, as was the digital-signature technology that came along in the 1990s. But until recently, A/Es haven’t had the means to turn their plans into “living documents,” giving their project partners the confidence that they’re working with the most up-to-date plans.
Now there’s a new technology for sealing documents that lets the project team know they’re using the latest approved plans and proactively alerts them whenever a document has been invalidated or otherwise changed. This is known as dynamic-seal technology and is offered to 九色视频Design Professional policyholders through the .
Paul Cianci, P.E., co-founder and CEO of SealPact, the firm that developed the new technology, regards dynamic-seal technology as a significant step forward for A/Es. “Several design professionals got together to build a digital signature platform that was user-friendly,” he says. “We wanted a way to immediately invalidate a file we’ve amended and inform others working on the project that a change has occurred, all while still protecting seals from tampering.”
To understand how SealPact’s dynamic-seal technology works, consider this example regarding the installation of a carport canopy in New Jersey. As construction is about to begin, the owner tells the project engineer to increase the dimension between the two columns to 12 feet from 10 feet. The engineer, with the plans open on their screen, pushes a button that instantly invalidates everyone’s copy of the latest set of plans. The engineer can also choose to notify specific parties of the change through a built-in email feature.
But what if a builder in the field is working with a printed set of plans—how will they know? The engineer will have incorporated a QR code in the plans (generally, near their seal) that the builder can scan as often as they want to make sure the plans they’re working from are the latest and still valid. The dynamic seal also lets the A/E see which parties have accessed the files, providing the A/E with the knowledge that the right parties are informed.
Another valuable aspect of the dynamic seal is the design professional’s ability to attach project scope information to a set of plans via the seal. “This enables an architect or engineer to specifically limit their liability and makes their contracted responsibilities clear to all project stakeholders,” Cianci says. “It adds a new level of transparency to every project.”
One problem with seals, whether manual or digital, is that they can still be tampered with, which can lead to project errors and delays, and occasionally even fraud. The dynamic-seal method incorporates blockchain technology and encryption so the A/E’s seal cannot be tampered with by others without invalidating the digital signature.
Dynamic-seal technology could be a win-win for everyone involved in a project. It has the potential to exponentially improve communication—which we’ve found to be the primary non-technical factor driving claims against design professionals—as well as reduce costly errors and rework. Ultimately, it should help design professionals achieve successful projects more often.
To learn more about this new technology, policyholders can view the latest in our Speakers Series 2024, “Dynamic Sealing: How Technology Can Solve Common Pitfalls and Misuse,” presented by Paul Cianci and Donald Doeg. The webinar is available on the . Policyholders can find out more about SealPact and its product by visiting the .
