A submittal is not complete because it contains a data sheet, sample and certificates. It is complete when the package index maps every specification requirement to a controlled item, the exact product and intended use are fixed, deviations are declared, review responsibilities are assigned, comments are closed through revisions, and the final response states what procurement or work action is released.
Use project-defined status codes. “Approved” should never be allowed to mean colour approval, product acceptance, drawing coordination and production release at the same time.
The Sintered Stone Submittal Index
| Section | Controlled items | Review gate |
|---|---|---|
| 00 — Cover and transmittal | Package number, revision, date, sender/recipient, specification section, purpose, attachments and response due date. | Can the package and revision be traced? |
| 01 — Compliance matrix | Each specification clause, required submittal, submitted item, document/page reference, status and deviation. | Has every requirement been answered or declared open? |
| 02 — Product identity | Manufacturer, product family/code, design, finish, thickness, dimensions, supplied form, intended use and country/site. | Is the proposed product unambiguous? |
| 03 — Product data | Current TDS, dimensions, properties, limitations, maintenance and applicable instructions. | Do declared properties match the specification questions? |
| 04 — Samples and appearance | Sample IDs, labels, finish/edge references, full-slab images or mock-up links and approval purpose. | What exact visual decision does each object support? |
| 05 — Tests and certificates | Full reports, certificate scope/status, declarations and directory references where applicable. | Does each item cover the proposed product/use and required property? |
| 06 — Drawings and interfaces | Layouts, piece/panel IDs, dimensions, joints, cutouts, edges, supports/fixings, substrates and adjacent-work interfaces. | Are geometry and responsibilities coordinated? |
| 07 — Fabrication/installation | Applicable manuals, method statements, handling, sequencing, tolerances/criteria and hold points. | Is the proposed execution basis current and project-specific? |
| 08 — Quality and inspection | Inspection/test plan, acceptance criteria, checklists, nonconformance process and evidence format. | How will supplied work be verified? |
| 09 — Logistics and protection | Packing/label scheme, piece/slab traceability, delivery sequence, storage and protection plan. | Can accepted material remain identifiable and protected? |
| 10 — Deviations and responses | Deviation log, RFI references, comment-response matrix, superseded documents and closeout evidence. | Are changes and unresolved risks visible? |
| 11 — Release record | Final status, approver, date, conditions, exclusions and exact action released. | What may happen next? |
The Compliance Matrix Replaces the “PDF Dump”
The matrix is the package spine. Give each requirement one row. Record the specification clause, required object/property, proposed response, exact document and page, product/use scope, deviation and reviewer disposition. A reviewer should not have to search 200 pages to learn whether one clause was answered.
SPEC CLAUSE | REQUIREMENT | SUBMITTED ITEM | DOC/PAGE | SCOPE | DEVIATION | STATUS
___________ | ___________ | ______________ | ________ | _____ | _________ | ______
Decision note: ________________________________________________
Next required action / owner / due date: _______________________For a test requirement, link to the full report page and a short review record. For a finish requirement, link to the labeled sample or mock-up. For a detail requirement, link to the drawing sheet and revision. Do not paste the same generic “complies” text into every row.
Fix the Slab Configuration and Intended Use
The product block should state manufacturer, product family, design/code, body/type or composition group if relevant, nominal slab and usable size, thickness, finish, factory edge condition, backing/mesh, supplied form and intended application. If the project uses more than one thickness, finish, face sequence or zone, list each as a separate configuration. Attach evidence to the configuration it covers.
Appearance objects need their own identity. A 100 mm sample, full-slab image, physical slab/face and installed mock-up answer different questions. Label each with product code, finish, thickness, batch/lot, face or sequence ID, vein direction, date, purpose and relationship to production. The image below illustrates sample dispatch, but the controlling record is the label and approval purpose, not the photograph alone.
Keep Material, Fabricated Piece and Assembly Approvals Separate
| Approval object | What it can establish | What stays outside |
|---|---|---|
| Material / slab approval | Named design, body, size, thickness, finish, sample/full-slab appearance, declared properties and accepted evidence scope. | Cut piece geometry, cutouts, edge build-up, supports, anchors, substrate, joints and installation. |
| Fabricated piece approval | Piece ID, drawing revision, dimensions, face orientation, edges, cutouts, holes, QC disposition and packing identity. | Performance of the complete countertop, floor, wall or facade assembly. |
| Assembly / system approval | Named components, substrate/support/fixing/adhesive/joint details, interfaces, calculations or tests and responsible design review. | Other zones, systems or substitutions not included in the reviewed configuration. |
A product test report can support material approval. It does not, by itself, release a cut countertop piece or approve a facade, floor or wall assembly.
Review Reports and Certificates Inside the Package
| Evidence item | Submittal check | Result status |
|---|---|---|
| TDS | Exact proposed product/revision; declared value source visible; limitations included. | Matched / scope gap / superseded. |
| Full test report | Complete pages; sample/method/units/results/authorization; acceptance source recorded. | Applicable / criterion missing / clarification. |
| Product certificate/listing | Issuer, holder, exact product/use scope, validity, exclusions and directory status. | Current / expired / outside scope. |
| Management-system certificate | Certified entity, site, system scope and dates. | Organizational evidence only; not product performance. |
| DoP/DoPC/CE documents where applicable | Current legal route, product type/use, technical specification/ETA, AVS and declared characteristics. | Route confirmed / authority check / not applicable. |
Use the document-family guide to select the right object and the 12-field report review for test evidence. The submittal should link to those records rather than repeating unverified conclusions.
Shop Drawings Must Coordinate the Sintered Stone Interfaces
Drawings should show the product configuration and the interfaces that can change performance or appearance: dimensions, piece/panel IDs, joints and seams, edge profiles, cutouts, openings, supports or anchors, substrates, adjacent finishes, movement provisions, sealants/adhesives where specified, tolerances, access and installation sequence.
Assign responsibility at each interface. The supplier can provide product information; the fabricator controls cutting details within its scope; the installer controls site execution; the designer/engineer owns design decisions assigned by contract; the contractor coordinates trades and site conditions. Avoid a responsibility gap disguised as a note saying “by others.”
Declare Every Product, Finish and System Deviation
A deviation log should state the specification requirement, proposed departure, reason, technical/commercial effect, supporting evidence, responsible proposer, reviewer and disposition. An unmarked substitution is not an approved deviation. Changes in product code, thickness, finish, dimensions, test scope, fabrication detail, support/fixing, site or certificate validity should trigger review of affected rows.
| Deviation field | Required content |
|---|---|
| Reference | Specification clause, drawing/detail and affected submittal item. |
| Proposed difference | Exact original requirement and exact proposed condition. |
| Reason and effect | Availability/design/coordination reason plus technical, visual, schedule and cost effect. |
| Evidence | Calculations, reports, samples, drawings or authority correspondence at the relevant scope. |
| Disposition | Accepted / rejected / revise / authority decision required, with name/date and conditions. |
| Downstream updates | Documents, orders, drawings, samples, inspections and releases that must be revised. |
Review Status Codes and Their Release Effect
Use the project’s contract codes where defined. If a team needs an internal working model, keep the wording explicit and map it to the contract system before issue:
| Working status | Meaning | Next action allowed |
|---|---|---|
| A — Accepted | No listed technical correction for the reviewed scope. | Only the action expressly named in the release. |
| B — Accepted as noted | Proceed only with incorporated comments/conditions. | Named action after conditions are acknowledged and documents updated as required. |
| C — Revise and resubmit | Material gaps or corrections require a new revision. | No affected procurement/production/work release. |
| D — Rejected / not acceptable | Proposed item does not meet the reviewed requirement or route. | Submit an alternative; do not proceed on the rejected item. |
| E — For information / record | No approval decision requested or granted. | No release created by receipt. |
A review stamp is not self-executing. The transmittal or release record must state whether the response releases procurement, sample production, full production, fabrication, shipment or installation.
Revisions, Transmittals and Comment Closure
- RegisterAssign submittal number, item number, specification paragraph, preparer, reviewer and required-by date.
- TransmitIssue a package revision with a complete attachment index and explicit purpose.
- ReviewRecord each comment against item/page/detail, responsible owner and required response.
- CloseRevise affected items, respond line by line, supersede old versions and issue a bounded release.
USACE’s construction quality management materials provide a concrete public example of this control logic: a submittal register identifies required items and approval authority, while a transmittal form carries the reviewed package. Commercial projects may use different forms and status names, but the need for a register, routing, timing and explicit approval authority is transferable.
Source boundary: Public record-control example: USACE Construction Quality Management Study Guide and sample submittal register fields. These are examples, not mandatory forms for every project.
Connect the Submittal Schedule to Slab Procurement and Fabrication
Work backward from the required on-site date. The register should include time for supplier evidence, sample dispatch, report clarification, consultant review, revision, final approval, material reservation, production, inspection, packing, shipping, customs and site delivery. Review time is not the only lead time, and an “approved” file does not create physical availability.
| Milestone | Required predecessor | Evidence at gate |
|---|---|---|
| Submit product package | Specification review and exact proposed configuration. | Indexed package, compliance matrix and deviation log. |
| Approve sample / mock-up | Labeled object tied to product and approval purpose. | Signed status with limits and production relationship. |
| Release purchase / reserve material | Commercial terms plus accepted product configuration and conditions. | PO/release referencing approved submittal revision. |
| Release production | Closed product/report/declaration gaps and approved configuration. | Production release with quantities, codes, finish/thickness and batch controls. |
| Release fabrication | Approved current drawings, interfaces, samples and material identity. | Fabrication release naming pieces/zones and revision. |
| Release shipment | Inspection/QC disposition, packing/label plan and document completion. | Shipment release linked to approved order and package. |
| Release installation | Delivered material verified; site/substrate/support and method conditions ready. | Installation release/permit under project procedure. |
Record the earliest irreversible commitment at each gate. For imported material, production or shipment may occur months before installation; a late report clarification can therefore create commercial exposure even if the site schedule appears distant.
Responsibility Matrix for the Submittal
| Work item | Supplier/manufacturer | Fabricator/installer | Contractor/document control | Designer/engineer/client |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product identity/data | Prepare current product records and scope. | Confirm selected configuration. | Register and route. | Review against specification/use. |
| Samples/appearance | Provide labeled product sample/full-slab inputs. | Prepare edge/mock-up as scoped. | Track physical/digital approval. | Approve stated visual decision. |
| Tests/certificates | Provide available controlled evidence. | Identify application-specific gaps. | Map to requirements and dates. | Determine acceptability within assigned authority. |
| Shop drawings | Supply product constraints/details. | Prepare coordinated fabrication/installation drawings. | Coordinate trades/revisions. | Review design intent and assigned technical decisions. |
| Inspection/quality | Supply product criteria/records as scoped. | Execute fabrication/installation checks. | Witness/collect/close records. | Review hold points and deviations as assigned. |
| Release | Acknowledge released product/order scope. | Acknowledge released work scope. | Issue controlled transmittal/release. | Authorize the decision assigned by contract. |
The Final Release Record Must Name the Action
SUBMITTAL / ITEM / REVISION: ___________________
PRODUCT CONFIGURATION REVIEWED: _______________
SPECIFICATION / DRAWING REFERENCES: ___________
RESPONSE STATUS: ______________________________
COMMENTS INCORPORATED IN: document + revision
OPEN CONDITIONS / EXCLUSIONS: _________________
ACTION RELEASED: quote / procure / sample / produce / fabricate / ship / install
AFFECTED ZONES / QUANTITIES: ___________________
APPROVER / ROLE / DATE: _______________________
ACKNOWLEDGED BY RESPONSIBLE EXECUTOR: _________The release record closes the loop between review and action. A packing list may later prove what shipped, but it does not replace the approved product/submittal basis. Keep shipment identity linked back to the released configuration and register entry. Use the standards and documents hub when a review comment must be routed back to product data, safety, testing, certification or appearance evidence.
Build the Package Around the Decision to Be Released
Send the specification section, product code, thickness, finish, application, quantities, destination, drawing status, required tests/certificates, sample requirements and review schedule. Funtek can assemble its available product and project inputs at their stated scope.