Why As-built Drawings are Essential in Construction?

If a picture is worth a thousand words, in a construction project, as-built drawings can speak a thousand processes. Usually, with hundreds and thousands of steps and documents involved to complete just one project, as-builts get overlooked for their importance. As-built drawings are an essential component in every construction project. It helps maintain the project lifecycle after construction takes place. This article provides a brief look at as-built drawings, who creates them and their importance.

As-built drawings contain a revised set of construction drawings submitted by the contractor after a project or a particular job is completed. They reflect every change the building has undergone. It includes significant modifications made in the specifications such as design changes, drawing changes, component relocation and more.

As-built drawings show exact dimensions, geometry, location, and other related measurements of all elements completed under the contract. They provide a clear comparison between the initial design and the final structure with a detailed plan of the actual completed structure.

As-built drawings are often referred to as "As-Builts"," Record Drawings," or "Red-Line Drawings," even though these documents have technical differences.

How to make as-built drawings?It is essential to make sure you know who is responsible for creating as-built and following to develop them. Nowadays, as-built drawings are often created with construction technology and software such as AutoCAD, enabling stakeholders to build the building's accurate plans.

So, who is responsible for creating as-built? Architects and designers usually design construction projects. The contractor adds/changes markups to the final construction drawings. These changes are made on-site to record them correctly. The creation of as-built drawings becomes much easier when the contractor keeps detailed track of all the changes, including every phase of the construction process.

It is suggested to have as much information as possible. Leaving one small detail can eventually make a difference to the outcome. So, including every small detail can help owners go back anytime and retrieve the data effortlessly.

Importance of preparing as-built drawingsAs-built drawings provide a clear record of all the modifications performed within the various stages of construction. It helps the owner to renovate the building in the future, considering the detailed set of as-built drawings. It is a valuable component that provides insights into what was built beyond the original blueprints.

Impact of TechnologyKeeping detailed records of all changes during the construction phase is a time-consuming and tedious process if done manually. This frequently happens during construction projects. Replacing documentation and drawings with a digital platform can help overcome these challenges. It also helps to improve the efficiency of project completion.

Choosing the right technology and tools enables the contractors to record all the initial design changes in real-time. It assists them in creating as-built drawings accurately with more ease.

ConclusionGood construction software enables the contractor to track adjustments and variations closely and instantly. It helps ensure that no changes remain unnoticed and that errors are minimized in recording them. You can consult an experienced engineering company for accurate as-built documentation services. It would help you enhance the project efficiency and reduce time, efforts & costs in the long run.

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