Building "Constructability" into the Design

Have you ever seen “As Built” drawings that barely resemble those that were issued by the engineer for construction? Various reasons cause these field changes. Nevertheless, in nearly every case, field changes to the design adversely impact the project budget and schedule. While these changes cannot always be totally eliminated, they can be reduced by ensuring the design can be efficiently built. Even an experienced design team will not always have the knowledge and insight of the construction/installation process to produce a design that minimizes the total installed cost— especially if the component being designed is an integral part of a complex system such as an electrical substation. This paper provides an overview of the design process spanning the life-cycle of a project and describes some key steps that need to be integrated into the process. These key steps enable the “constructability” of the facility and its components to be fully reflected into the design before it reaches the field.