You hear contractors casually mention as-built drawings all the time. You're familiar with the idea of revised drawings, but do we really know the essence of as-built? In this article, we will discuss the basic concept of as-built drawings and why they are essential for your construction projects.
What do as-built drawings really mean?
As-built drawings show the components of a project, including location, dimensions, and all other related measurements. Other details are also included, such as specifications for walls, doors, windows, plumbing and electrical installations. As-built drawings are completed and submitted by a contractor upon completion of the construction project.
A great definition of as-built drawings is captured well by Rebecca Ellis in her article published in Engineered Systems in June 2001. According to this article, “As-built drawings are generally the original design drawings revised to reflect any changes made in the field, i.e. design changes issued by change order, component relocations required for coordination, rerouting of distribution systems, etc.”
Why are as-built drawings important?
Construction projects are often not as accurate and precise as they are planned. As changes are made in the field and contractors install items and components differently than the original design, contractors need to record the changes directly on the drawings or plans. As-built drawings have two main purposes, which makes them extremely important documentation in construction projects.
- As-built drawings are records of drawings on which future changes are based. For example, future building renovations or additions will be easier, more efficient, and less problematic for future contractors because they can retrieve as-built documents for crucial information such as piping, duct routing, electrical circuits and systems, etc.
- As-built drawings serve as valuable tools for facilities management staff to accurately locate critical items and objects, especially for emergency-related preparedness.
Who makes the as-built drawings?
As-built drawings are generally prepared by architects and designers, as they are the ones who usually draw the projects and are most familiar with the original specifications. But with modern construction practice, the person responsible for as-built can be internal or external. It is usually the contractor who adds the change markings to the final construction drawings while on site, traditionally with a red ink pen.
The final construction drawings marked with problems are then used by the consultant team to produce completed project record drawings (as-built drawings). These construction or recording drawings are generally used for health and safety documentation or archived for operation and maintenance manual for the client after project completion.
For in-depth reading on this topic, follow the link to our article that explores who does as-built drawings and who should I hire to do them.
Handling as-built drawings
As-built drawings contain very important information. Therefore, it is important that a complete set of your construction drawings is always available on your construction sites. Since as-built documents are also a big part of the commissioning process, here are some important things to consider when dealing with as-builts:
- Always document and record the details of any type of change or if there are additions to previous data or information (including materials, measurements, sizing, installation, etc.).
- For any of these changes throughout the construction period, be sure to maintain them in the as-built documentation.
It is important to write up-to-date information and cross out and write down old details when changes are made to create a transparent trail of the history of your changes, their details and reasons, if available. You may also want to include the following in your as-built drawings:
- Description of modifications made
- Dates of changes made
- Clear and concise correction
- Color-coding items of added, deleted, or important changes
- Similar scale when adding or modifying as-built drawings or recreating as-built drawings in different documents
- Changes made after final inspection
- Attachments of related drawings and other references for better contextualization of the changes made
Accuracy is important when it comes to as-built drawings. To ensure the accuracy of your construction manual, consider the following when performing your revisions against actual installations:
- Once construction is complete, be sure to do a complete review of the building design, including inspections of ceilings and other hidden, non-accessible elements.
- Before concealing building system objects, coordinate your installers and reviewers appropriately to ensure inspectors can review completed installations before concealing systems without causing delays in the construction process. The hidden systems, before their completion, should have undergone multiple revisions at various stages of construction.
- During the work, reviews must be carried out periodically, which may be monthly, fortnightly or whatever the agreed schedule. Although intensive, regular reviews are the most effective in ensuring that system components are documented without risking the construction schedule.
As-built designs in the digital age
As construction processes move away from the pen and paper method of documentation, digital documentation platforms are beginning to dominate the workplace and the field. As-built software on mobile devices is now being used more widely for more efficient as-built construction.
Some software with as-built creation capabilities has started to be released to facilitate the creation and editing of as-built drawings on any mobile device. In addition to more efficient as-built construction, this as-built software allows for greater precision in the construction process.
Historically, as-builts are labor-intensive and especially focused on ensuring accuracy and precision. With mobile technology and integrated software, all daunting tasks can now be standardized, digitized and even automated for an easier review and recording process. The use of construction technology and as-built software produces better as-built designs and resulting construction projects.
Construction technology and as-built software can produce the highest quality as-builts. The right mobile solution for your as-built projects will allow you to document all changes made in the field in real time, directly from the job site. This allows you to review all new information and apply the relevant information to your as-built drawings.
Choosing which as-built technology to use
When choosing which as-built software to use for your company, remember to choose the construction technology that will allow you to stay up to date on all of your as-built documentation. Be sure to choose the application that offers a full set of markup tools that gives you the ability to create comprehensive drawings of your plans rather than complete drawings of what you built. Our advice is that you look for the following important attributes:
- Make sure you choose software that generates accurate drawings. This may also mean that the built app must have a full set of tagging tools, including photo, video, and non-capture.
- Select the construction technology that can speed up your handover procedure, i.e., get only the software that allows you to export the details of the actual construction so that operations and maintenance teams know exactly what was built and what was not.
- Opt for a ready-made app with a searchable historical record. Mitigate and reduce risks through a detailed record of the exact work carried out and with transparency as to who did what.
As-builts don't necessarily have to be a pain in the ass. With the right software tools, you can use digital constructions to your advantage and capture an accurate picture of your entire project. Discover how you can integrate as-builts into your construction project management today.
