Are digital documents submitted in PDF format using 'Adobe' or 'Bluebeam' acceptable? Are PDF records generated from AutoCAD documents with an embedded image of a seal and hand signature valid? Is there any software that manages the certification of other types of document formats such as MS Word, AutoCAD or BIM? Can digital signatures/seals be applied to a digital record by multiple professionals of record? Can an authority having jurisdiction also apply its own digital signature to electronic records? Where are the AAA practice policies for the authentication of digital records located?

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These are very important questions and part of an ongoing education and outreach effort by the AAA to improve the understanding amongst both its members and building authorities having jurisdiction about what constitutes a valid, digitally authenticated record. The AAA greatly appreciates the important role that authorities having jurisdiction play in helping to ensure that only entities registered with the AAA in good standing are sealing design documents on projects that require professional involvement.

Notarius is currently the only digital certifying authority recognized by the AAA. Notarius is also the exclusive digital certifying authority recognized by several other professional design regulators across Canada including the Association of Geoscience and Engineering Professionals of Alberta (APEGA). The AAA regularly synchronizes its membership and firm registry with Notarius so that only active authorized entities in good standing with the AAA are able to create validly authenticated digital records using the Notarius authentication tools. Digital records not carrying the Notarius certificate are considered by the AAA to be invalid regardless of whatever individual or firm stamp images or hand signature images are included as part of the electronic records.

The AAA has observed several common misapplications of the seal within digital records that embed images of a stamps and hand signatures within the digital record and/or that include digital certificates other than Notarius such as Adobe Acrobat and Bluebeam Revu certificates. The main point the AAA was attempting to highlight during this webinar was that the recipient of a digital record cannot determine whether a document has been validly authenticated by looking at the file type alone. The certificate details must be reviewed by the document recipient to confirm whether the digital record has been validly authenticated in accordance with AAA bylaws and policies. AAA members that submit unsealed digital records or documents not properly authenticated through Notarius may become the subject of unprofessional conduct complaint hearings and disciplinary action.

When using the Notrius system, it is possible for design professionals to seal/authenticate any type of document or package of documents, including those originating in PDF, Word, BIM and/or CAD formats. It is not possible to confirm whether a digital record has been properly authenticated through an observation of the file type alone. Recipients of a digital records must view the electronic certificate information to determine whether the document has been properly authenticated. Within a validly authenticated digital record, the "Signature Validation Status" must report that the signature/seal and the signer's identity are valid rather than unknown and that the record to which the digital signature/seal has been applied has not been modified. In addition, recipients of digital records must also drill down to view the signer's signature properties and  certificate information under the "Certificate Viewer" to confirm the root and individual certificates are respectively reported as "Notarius Root Certificate Authority by Notarius Inc." and "Notarius Certificate Authority by Notarius Inc."

Separate signature/seals can be applied by multiple design professionals of record to the same digital record or collection of digital records using the available Notarius tools. A coordinating professional of record can also create and sign/seal/authenticate a collection of document sets that have been created and authenticated by separate design professionals of record. Authorities having jurisdiction may also apply their own signature/seal through certifying authorities of their choice. The certificate details for each signature/seal included as part of the digital record must be viewed independently to confirm the certifying authority details. While there are a wide variety of methods in which digital records can be packaged and authenticated, there is only one way for determining whether the documents have been validly-authenticated - that is, by viewing the digitally signature/seal and certificate details.

Please refer to Practice Bulletin 15 - Documents Authentication and the accompanying Guide to Notarius and Its Use - A Companion Document to PB-15 for more information. Notarius may also be contacted directly to assist members in obtaining, setting up and the proper use of Notarius digital authentication tools or to assist authorities having jurisdiction to determine whether a digital signature/seal includes a valid Notarius certificate.

I have a patented system for retaining walls. Is it sufficient with the stamped drawings, or should I fill a special application?

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The AAA attempted to contact the individual that raised this question to obtain more information, but no clarifications were provided. It is assumed this question relates to the roles and responsibilities of a sub-surface structural systems product supplier in relation to those of the design professionals identified in the Architects Act, Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act and the Safety Codes Act/National Building Code - Alberta Edition (NBC-AE).

Building suppliers are responsible to demonstrate their products have been tested and comply with the applicable product standards identified in the NBC-AE. The ability for a design professional in Alberta to seal design documents is contingent upon their ability to confirm that all aspects of the NBC-AE have been fulfilled. Verifying that products being used as part of the design comply with the applicable product standards is only one aspect of the design. For example, below grade precast concrete retaining wall products must not only comply with and/or be certified through "CSA A23.3 - Design of Concrete Structures” but must also consider all aspects of "Part 4 - Structural Design" which considers subsurface soil conditions and the design of the associated excavations, backfilling, loads and subsurface forces. The design of such systems as part of the overall building design would typically involve one of more registered structural engineering and geotechnical engineering professionals and a coordinating registered professional. In some instances, portions of the building design may be sealed by a registered professional contracted directly by the product supplier.

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office describes a patented product as a new and useful invention that improves upon existing products, compositions or processes and which may only be used or authorized for use through licensing by the patent holder for a specific period of time. In no way should the process for obtaining a patent be confused with the process for having that product certified for use under the applicable NBC-AE product standards nor does it imply that any other aspects of the building design have been fulfilled. In summary, a patent has no relationship to the process that design professionals must undertake in the preparation of their designs and upon which their seals are applied.

Revised building permit drawings submitted to authorities having jurisdiction by design professionals do not always include the revised drawing date or are not sealed. Please advise.

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Architects and licensed interior designers have a responsibility for meeting all of the drawing and information submission requirements noted in section 2.2 of the National Building Code - Alberta Edition, including drawing dates, and authorities having jurisdiction maintain the right to obtain and review all original and changed design documents prior to issuing development, building and/or occupancy permits. Because the AAA considers documents that change a design as “documents of a professional nature,” they should also be sealed in accordance with Practice Bulletin 15 - Documents Authentication.

Can AAA and APEGA coordinate so that drawings authentication is the same to make the submission less complicated?

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The documents authentication policies for the AAA and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) are already nearly identical. Both the AAA and APEGA require all 'documents of a professional nature,' including those submitted at the development and building permit stages, to be sealed using the methods prescribed by each professional association.

The AAA considers it to be good practice for the Coordinating Registered Professional to organize the compilation of authenticated documents used to support the application for development and building permits regardless of whether they are manually or digitally authenticated. Recognizing that both the AAA and APEGA currently allow documents to be manually and digitally sealed, which may result in complied design sets that might include a combination of manual and digital records, the AAA believes it is reasonable for municipal planning and building code authorities to implement their own policies for receiving documents from all design professionals involved on a project in a coordinated manner.

Please also refer to the responses to the questions in this report titled "Authentication of Digital Records" and "Sealing of Hard Copy Documents." The adoption of an exclusively digital authentication process clearly enables the least complicated submissions process.

Does each page of a drawing set required to be signed and sealed when being submitted as part of a permit application?

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Yes. Should a design professional decide to submit hard copy documents for either development and building permitting purposes, each sheet must be signed and sealed in accordance with the AAA, Practice Bulletin 15 - Documents Authentication and in a quantity prescribed by the permitting authority.  In accordance with the Architects Act Bylaws, all "documents of a professional nature" are required to be sealed. Documents of a professional nature include any design record that may only be legally prepared by a design professional/authorized entity as registered in good standing with the AAA, is a document upon which others rely and which is final for its intended purpose. In all instances, it is appropriate and AAA members are encouraged to qualify the extent to which the sealed documents may be relied upon. For example, it is advisable for development permit application documents to include a qualification note similar to: "These Documents are Submitted to Demonstrate Compliance with Local Zoning Bylaws. Not for Construction."

Because the AAA allows the authenticated of either hard copy or digital documents, it is strongly encouraged that authorities having jurisdiction accept documents in either format. The AAA appreciates the important role that authorities having jurisdiction play in helping to ensure that only entities registered with the AAA in good standing are sealing records on projects requiring professional involvement.

Some jurisdictions prescribe that building design specifications should be submitted as part of building permit applications. Must the specifications be submitted in a separate book format from the drawings?

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Administrative and technical specifications are a regular part of any building design whether they be included in short form as part of the drawing records or within a separate book document. Regardless of the format of the design specifications, they are considered to form an essential part of the design requirements therefore are considered to be "documents of a professional nature" as described by the Architects Act Bylaws and must be signed and sealed just like any other design records in support of a building permit application. It is acceptable for only the cover page of a hard copy bound specifications book to be sealed. Please refer to the AAA Practice Bulletin 15 - Documents Authentication for more information.

Are architects and licensed interior designers required to submit signed and sealed Schedules of Professional Involvement as provided by the National Building Code - Alberta Edition on building projects that are exempted from professional involvement under the Architects Act?

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AAA authorized entities must maintain an involved in all aspects of the building projects in which they provide professional design and construction review services through all stages of the project as required by the Architects Act. The Architects Act Bylaws requires authorized entities to sign and seal all "documents of a professional nature" regardless of the size of project. Please refer to the AAA Practice Bulletin 15 - Documents Authentication for more information on the type of records that shall be sealed. While the Architects Act does not necessarily prescribe that the building code schedules need to be sealed, the documents typically prepared by AAA authorized entities at the milestones noted within the building code Schedules program are considered to be documents of a professional nature. Therefore, architects and licensed interior designers maintain the authority to decide which documents are sealed to demonstrate they have fulfilled their professional obligations at the stages noted in the Schedules program. So, while the sealing of the specific building code schedules is not obligated for exempted projects, they are appropriate certificates for design professionals to utilize.