Problems with As-built drawings and How to solve them

During the construction of a building project, it is typical for alterations to be made due to situations that arise on the job site. These modifications might range from small to major. As a result, it's typical for the customer to demand that as-built drawings be made, either during the construction process or after it's finished, to reflect what's been done. The contractor will typically use red ink on-site to mark changes to the final construction issue drawings that the as-built services consulting team can subsequently utilize to record drawings depicting the completed project. as-built surveys may be used to complement this information. The client's facilities management staff must keep all record drawings up to date, including future building modifications. If they do not do so, surveys may be required in the future to recreate precise measured drawings.

The creation of as-built and record drawings must be included in the tender paperwork and should not be taken for granted as standard services. This is because of the time-consuming nature of this process the project teams at times want to move this to the next project while sufficient retention can be maintained to assure the completion of as-built and recorded drawings.

Suppose a building information model has been created. In that case, it must be updated to reflect any design modifications and then delivered to the customer so that the facilities management team can enhance it further.

With this article, I aim to cover the major problems associated with as-built designing, drawing & the ways to solve those issues.

Major Problems Associated With As-Built Designing and Drawing

If we want to improve as-builts, we need to figure out where they are lacking. Otherwise, it will be unable to address the real issue. So, what exactly is the problem? In the end, it all boils down to a lack of paperwork. Missing information is a common cause of project delays or cancellations.

Too many as-builts include missing information and mistakes, partly due to a lack of dedication on the side of the construction team. As-builts today:

• Frequent absence of appropriate documentation.
• Failure to substantiate claims with photographic or drawing evidence
• Data isn't being captured at a deep enough level.
• Not enough adequate provisions for future updates and documentation.
• Frequently jumbled data, making it difficult to sort through the data.

Some other reasons include:

• Not Inspired Enough: Since some contractors are not motivated to accomplish the required job, they are unwilling to do excellent work. This might be due to various factors, including a lack of staff, time, budget, dedication, or simply a lack of appreciation for the need, despite the contract's mandate that they are provided. The as-built task is frequently assigned to the members of the team, such as the least experienced engineer, summer intern, or lowest-ranking staff member. At the bottom of the pay scale, these folks are usually too inexperienced to grasp the contracting procedure, contract divisions, materials, and all construction jargon.
• Not Enough Money: Collecting and analyzing data, producing marked-up drawings, and participating in the monthly review all take time from a contractor's staff. Because the duty is considered peripheral to the work and hence must be absorbed by his project overhead, he receives no direct compensation for his time and effort. There is no financial incentive to put up a tremendous effort because there is no contract allowance or bid item. The more effort you put in, the more money you'll make. The demand is dismissed as standard contract language that appears to apply to other contractors working on similar projects.
• Brokered Work: It's not uncommon for a general contractor to conduct less than half of the work with his crews. He'll have to handle the rest. Construction work scopes can necessitate numerous specialist activities for As-builts - Problems and Proposed Solutions, necessitating a general contractor's use of specialty subcontractors of various tiers. Consider the ever-changing security system technology, as well as the skills required in geotechnical foundation work, code-driven fire protection installations, and specialist coating and concrete repair in this case.

Solid Methods for Improving As-Builts

Now that you know why they're vital and where they usually fall short today, it's time to step up your as-builts game. Here are six next-level tactics to assist you in achieving your goals.

• Before construction begins, set As-Builts up for success

One of the reasons why teams fail to produce complete and precise as-builts is that no system was designed for success to begin. After construction, the worst thing a team can do is develop a complete set of as-built drawings.

Nothing beats the cloud for storing project plans and changes to improve as-builts and increase efficiency. You can ensure that any modifications are documented and recorded by having quick digital access to as-builts from anywhere.

• Make As-Builts of High-Quality a Project Culture

If management isn't on board, there's no way to improve as-builts. That's why it's critical to establish a data-capture culture, which will ensure that you not only keep track of your as-builts as you go but that they are of the best possible quality.

Teams should understand why the data is needed and enter it into the primary document system. A project administrator should put up certain routines and protocols to standardize this.

• Include images

We could quickly improve the detail and efficacy of as-builts if we remembered that a picture is worth a thousand words.

While drawings are important in construction and aren't going away anytime soon, they can't always convey everything that a photograph can. Construction images are the best way to get an accurate idea of a project's existing facilities.

• Presentation Is Everything

Appearances are everything. We intuitively understand this, which is why we dress up for interviews. However, too few construction teams present this natural human focus on presenting as-builts, which needs to change.

Exporting a disorderly turnover package with unordered as-built drawings reflects poorly on contractors. As-builts must be organized and searchable across time, trade, and file formats. With the right building software platform, this is possible.

As-Built services software, such as Autodesk Build, may assist teams in assembling and exporting organized as-builts that facility managers and owners can simply access and use.

Final Words

When selecting building technology to assist with the fabrication of as-builts, one thing to bear in mind is to select a system that prioritizes data portability. Data portability means that the facility maintenance staff will have access to all data collected throughout the building phase, both physically and digitally. In other words, this precisely ensures that there is only one source of truth.

So don't be afraid of as-builts any longer-with the correct information and tools, you can capture an exact snapshot of your complete building project effectively.

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