Prominence of construction detailing
Planning a new project for construction or renovation is a critical exercise. On one side it is very exhilarating and other hand it can be nerve-wracking, more so when we proceed ahead without proper planning and a haphazard pre-construction phase. Hence, experience says that it is important to allocate a good time frame for planning. Time invested in planning never goes unused. It will ultimately save both time and cost during the project execution. Construction Detailing is extremely important for any project and how we plan it will take the project ahead.
It is important to have a unique approach for each construction project depending on the building type. The level of detailing for a home building cannot be similar to a high rise apartment or commercial building. An industrial building requires a specific kind of detailing hence the planning needs to be done accordingly. Precise planning, Engineering and Architectural know-how is what will put you in the league of a good service provider. Let us talk about why is planning and applying proper detailing so important.
The building construction process should have a cohesive design and detailing approach throughout the project. With modern construction processes ruling the roost, it is important to have a healthy collaboration between Architect, Engineers, BIM Coordination specialist, Contractors and Owners. With the help of BIM Modelling and other advanced level construction technology it has become easier to incorporate high level of detailing and integration of design with the development stage.
Developing the design into actual intricate detailed drawings is extremely important for accurate construction. Construction Schedules, detail sheets, Clash detection and BIM coordinated drawings offer high quality and intricate details that aid the onsite construction very efficiently. When onsite construction is efficiently managed there will be overall cost efficiency, accurate results, properly managed, there will be overall cost savings and quick turnaround time too.
With the advent of BIM Services, the collaborative approach with the design and construction teams begin right at the design stage. Hence the same model can be used for collaboration in future too during the design and development stage.
What are the different design and development stages in total
- Schematic Design: This design is essentially a conceptual sketch that presents the overall layout of the areas such as room, the component placement etc. The overall planning of how a space is going to be utilized is presented through the schematic layout.
- Design and Development stage: The development stage consists of the detailed plans along with specification of each component. The design and development stage comprises of the virtual design construction modelling as well along with other pre-construction exercises like 4D construction scheduling, 5D cost estimation, 3D Rendering Services etc.
- Construction and Installation Drawings —These drawings are extremely detailed in nature and consist of every miniscule detail to implement onsite construction. The Architectural Construction Drawings are entirely detailed keeping in mind construction requirements, where the wall sizes, penetrations, thicknesses of doors, window details etc. The same goes with the MEP installation Drawings as well.
The kind of specifications that is required in the Architectural Construction Drawings needs to be according to the standards and building design codes. Getting to perfection and following the standards needs experience as well as expertise in the construction field. Many design changes, updations etc. will need to be done during the onsite construction too. Utilizing BIM Modelling, BIM Coordination Services etc. will resolve a lot of issues before the construction takes on to floor. Ultimately design efficiency can be evaluated only based on how seamless onsite construction takes place. In many instances, it has been observed that companies proceed ahead with onsite construction when during the design and development stage. This means the schematic drawings act as a base for construction process. The drawings are so basic that the missing information will create issues during onsite construction. Also there may be a lot of interferences between two disciplines as the clash detection process is not completed in the schematic stage. Interferences cause maximum issues during construction to such an extent that the construction process is halted till further resolution.
Ideally BIM Service providers should be experienced and skilled to work through the entire process right from the schematic to construction projects. The higher the level of detailing is better it is for construction. These details also help a company bid accurately and results in a profitable proposition in return. Based on the detailing, the clients can identify the complexity and the effect of the designs on the overall construction process. Based on this they can modify the design if needed and revisit the budget.
It is very important that during the designing and development stage the project items need to be kept track off. As we talk about efficient planning, keeping a track of pending design items, examples of design, prototypes of detailing etc. that helps in making precise decisions. When we are working through the finalization these records help in assisting in making choices.
Conclusion: Ultimately if we want to experience a seamless and profitable construction project, it is important to use tools and technologies like Building Information Modelling, BIM Coordination etc. to ensure what goes on site is validated beforehand by experts. Construction Detailing continues to be one of the prominent element and is much easier to work with using BIM Modelling.
