What are As-Built Drawings and why it is important for the construction industry? (Part-2)

Posted on: September 20, 2019, By: Dhvani Badheka

Click here to read: What are As-Built Drawings and why it is important for the construction industry? (Part-1)…

In the first part of this article, we could understand how as-built drawings are vital for the construction industry. The Architects and Designers use this drawing for updating and modifying changes and keep a track record of those changes, which then will be managed by the contractors. In the context to the first part of this article, we have looked upon who gets benefited from as-built drawings and why they are vital for the construction industry and its uses.

This article will moreover speak about how as-built can be useful for the future of the construction industry and how the environmental impact of it can change the layout of construction projects.

How to handle As-Built Drawings?

As-built drawings contain information which is essential for the construction projects. The as-built drawing must be available on the construction sites at every time one needs valid information. It is also known to be part of the commissioning process and knows how it can be handled:-

• Document and record the details of changes or additions to previous data or information that includes materials, measurements, etc. made in the drawings.
• All the changes made throughout the construction process made are documented in the as-built drawings.

Changes made in the drawings must be updated, and the older information should be crossed-out, which would help to create a trail of changes, their details and reasons. As-built drawing includes brief description of changes made, date when it was modified, correction and its updation, if something needs to be deleted or is important needs have coding or color marked which becomes easy to understand, maintain the same scale if changes are made or recreating the as-built drawings, changes track in the final inspection and attachment with the drawings with context to changes track record.

 As-built drawings must be accurate which can be created through reviewing manual as-built drawing with actual installations:-

• Once the construction of a building is completed, a walkthrough the building is important to assure accuracy in an inspection of ceilings and other non-accessible elements.
• Objects are concealed, coordinate installers and reviewers to make sure that inspectors can review completed installations before concealing systems without any delay in the construction process which is before building systems. It must have multiple reviews at various phases of the construction.
• Reviews must be worked on monthly, quarterly or as schedule requires during the construction process. Regular reviews are more effective in ensuring systems are documented without any risk of schedule.

As-Built Make Building Projects Sustainable

As-Built drawing’s project measurement for sustainability is checked by social, economic and environmental elements.

Social

As-built drawing and MEP BIM Services can work on improving the sustainability on the social aspect of the project by giving better-facilitated design which focuses on the comforts of building users. Owners can review the design model and have a virtual tour of the model before it is constructed. With BIM Services, it allows the working model to be collaborative, which helps in accurate communication of information flow between stakeholders for accumulating better decision making on models.

Economic

As-built drawings allow exact estimation of materials required and keep track of changes throughout the construction process which boosts economic sustainability. Cost estimates and bill are automated with the whole construction process through BIM-based cost-estimation software.

Environmental Impact

With the advent of BIM Workflow and As-built drawings, it can boost the building’s performance to enhance energy consumption and how its impact on the environment. As-Built data can be used for collaborative design with BIM to optimize and check the progress of the model. It also adds précised information which helps in the decision-making process.

As-Built drawing in the digital era

Earlier, the construction processes were done through the use of pen and paper method, but with the advent of digital documentation, it is improving the delay and costs. Mobile devices are widely used to view the as-built drawings that build more efficient construction processes. Few software has ready as-built set up for creating and editing drawings on any mobile device. It allows accurate and efficient in the building process.

As-built drawings require a lot of time in work and drive accuracy and preciseness. With mobile technology and as-built software, tasks can now be standardized, digitalized and automated for easier review and record process. It can help to produce better as-builts and construction projects.

With digital construction technology and as-built software, it can aid in producing high-quality as-builts. It can document any changes made on-site directly. All the new information can be reviewed and apply to as-built drawings.

Future hold of creating effective as-built drawings

As-Built drawings can document any changes made from the original drawings and record them. It must record as-built drawings as follow:-

• All the changes need to be accurately documented, and adjustments are made, which include the date they were made. In the documentation, you need to specify all the information about material usage, equipment used, design changes, location changes, etc.
• Changes which contain details such as coding, color, scaling and log formatting that might get confusing for the owner to understand the as-built drawing.
• Earlier the as-built drawings required manual pen and paper inspections and workflows. Current technology has simplified the as-built drawings and its construction. The software has in-built templates of as-built which can be used at an initial stage of construction projects to check inspection template for any changes to make work faster and get updated in real-time.

As-Built drawing software has made work simplified, more accurate, data-centred and produces qualitative as-built drawings.

Conclusion

As-Built drawings in both the article state it can be used by facility managers, owners, surveyors and contractors for accumulating any changes in the constructed model of the building and keep track of revised changes into the documentation. It is prepared by the architects and the designers that are used by contractors to build the model and use the as-built drawing of it for future reconstruction or new construction projects.

With construction management software, mobile technology and BIM workflow, the as-built drawings are more précised, accurate and cost-effective for the owners to understand and keep track of any changes made by anyone in the construction process.

Written By:
Dhvani Badheka

Dhvani is an irreverent writer who has over 4 years of experience under her belt. She is a life-long learner and a quick study which provides her articles a unique insight. She is always reading, researching new materials and trying to expand her knowledge of the AEC industry so that she can create interesting and valuable content.