Reasons why as-built drawings are Important?

Are you into the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry?

If yes, then you might be aware of the importance of As-built drawings for any construction project. The primary purpose of as-built drawings or record drawings is to serve as recreations of how the contractor constructed the project. It helps identify all the iterations or changes that were made during the construction process.

Irrespective of the size of the construction projects, it goes through multiple modifications, changes, and adjustments before reaching the completion process. It does not matter how minor these modifications are,

As-built drawings visualize the modifications being made and enable anticipate and forecast its effect to the final building result. The principal purpose of as-built drawing is to record any changes made during the building process that differs from the original design.

The as-built renderings emphasize every small detail (changes made after the initials drawings). It must detail the design, shape, dimensions, and exact locations of all the components within the scope of the project. Moreover, it includes information such as drawing changes, approved and disapproved changes record throughout the construction project. Generally, record drawings of 2D floor plans include details such as walls, doors, windows, and plumbing fixtures. The contractor needs to submit as-built drawings that are the revised version incorporating every single change made in the specifications.

Who is responsible for the creation of as-built drawings?

As architects and designers work on the creation of the original plans of the building and are familiar with the specifications, they are the most qualified to record the changes in the as-built drawings. However, contractors and subcontractors also contribute to the creation of as-built rendering. They are responsible for the accuracy of the as-built renderings, as they are aware of most of the changes undertaken throughout the completion of the project.

Importance of As-built drawings

As-built drawings are beneficial for different reasons:

• For contractors: As-built representations provide a record of all the changes made in the interim process of construction projects and aid to visualize the next steps to be performed. Moreover, it makes it easier by notifying problems presented by the changes and solve the complication in advance.
• For building owners and clients: It is crucial to have a complete and detailed document of as-built drawings. It contains essential records of all the installations. If the owner decides to expand or modify the structure in the future, record drawings prove to be helpful if the problem arises that needs to troubleshoot. Similarly, as-built designs are also valuable to future buyers of the property.

Now that we’ve covered what they’re and its importance let’s dive in deeper to understand ways to record as-built drawings.

List of factors to keep in mind while preparing as-built drawings:

• Consider writing clear descriptions avoiding vague phrases
• Written explanations of all the modifications made during the construction phase
• Mention all the deviations dates in the corner of all as-built drawing sheets
• Chronicle all changes that differ from the original design during the construction phase, including design, materials used, location, and more.
• Consider using the same scale when adding to as-built drawings and details of color code to maintain consistency.
• Mention all the modifications that were made after final inspection

Conclusion

It is recommended that contractors must include as much information as possible in as-built drawings. So, leaving or ignoring a small detail may adversely affect the entire project. Hence, by adding everything in as-built renderings and keeping it up to date helps owners to go back and retrieve the valuable data effortlessly. Toward this, consider hiring a leading as-built drawings company that provides digital solutions by removing hassles of paper documentation and drawings to increase overall construction productivity.

Judith Morrison is an expert in the field of industrial engineering and writes articles related to piping, civil, equipment engineering related articles.