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consTRucTION VE_cdbeeruce inpusTey INSTITUTE ad » (CONSTRUCTABILITY ‘A PRIMER =D 2 » —e ° eering Research Publication 3-1 ad ity of Texas at Austin July 1986 »> ))))))919100VVDDVVVVIIIIIIIDDDDYIIIIIIIIPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVDDIIIIN: » deation Notes: » Character (s) preceded & followed by these symbole (. -] or (+ .) > faze super- or subscripted, respectively. EXAMPLES: 42m.3- = 42 Cubic meters co+2, = carbon dioxide All degree symbols have been replaced with the word deg. All plus or minus symbols have been replaced with the symbol +/- All table note letters and numbers have been enclosed in square brackete in both the table and below the table. +5, whenever possible, mathematical symbols have been replaced with their proper name and enclosed in square brackets DDDDDDDDDDIIVIIIIIIIINIDIIIININIINIIININIININIINIINIIIIIIINIDD SESS euees 2 2 2» » 2 2 2 ~ 2 2 2 3 > == 2 = > 2 2 3 > 2 a = 2 2 > 2 2 ° 2 2 2 - °° 2 ~ ~~ constructability ‘A Primer Prepared by The Construction Industry Institute Constructability Task Fo © 1986 Construction Industry Insttue™ ‘The University of Tens st Aus yn any medium at no costo inter recipients Cit members are (C morbers may reproduce se " se provides infationsl copy i fumished 0 Cl permites to revise ans ics may be made or disribted and no modieations made without pre onuracton inate ergcatlog kim io pacha opis Volume cans Availabe to non-menbe may dewalt ancn Fasaty 2 college or university ae eligible parchas Cl products at member pices ‘ reprodace and detbute this work without modication for eeaiceal ue First Printing July 1986 Second Printing March 1987 ‘Third Printing April 1990 PCr reed cece eee eeeeeeewesseeseeeededdddadees jd TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page Preface A. What 18 Constructability? .oeeeeeeeee : .4 6 7 8 Facility Restoration eal mil. 10 Facility .... eee a Station cscaun z 2 % Jement A Constructability Program? a ‘ ity Concepts File ..... seit 44 4 as PVs rede de ese deere eee seeds eeu a ed e See Ue U kU wees Pedi deedececccceeen é PREFACE constructabil earlier project o: oa ts - lower costs, better produetivity, owners, de: Institute (c who belong to the Construction Industry to the executives who really cause things to ill be aware of how they too can benefit how they can realize che cost savings will produce. Paybacks range up to fifteen hat construction considerations are 1ase of a project - feasibility studies, conceptual ement, as well as construction." 1. WHAT 18 constRUCTABILTTY? Jay tability is the optimum use of construction knowledge and in planning, design, procurement, and field operations to achieve oject objectives. Maxinum benefits occur when people with tion knowledge and experience become involved at the very beginning ject. Thie is illustrated by the following chart (Figure 1) |_| CONCEPTUAL PLANNING iE 8 8 8 é 3 2 7 9 2 > z 5 z < ow COMPLETE Figure 1. Ability To Influence Final Cost Over Project Life Seeded edad aadddddddddddddddddddddddad ‘$l 3 Le =e = =e =e =e =< Constructability is not © determining more field forces n after mobilization of © allowing con! iodically during the ¢: ce during og! activities are a part of constructability, they are Only through the effective and timely integration of into planning and design as well aa field operations will of constructability be achieved. Industry tends to separate the individual functions involved in capital Projects. Design tends to place emphasis on minimizing its costs Construction focuses on minimizing field costs. Fine-tuning the individual parts, however, does not yield the most successful project . Constructability integrates these parts and is one of the most powerful tools owners can use on their projects. 2. CURRENT PRACTICES Projects that emphasize constructability have four common chara: | 2. owner and contractor (design and construction) managers committed to the cost effectiveness of the whole project. | mey recognize the high cost influence of early project & 2. These managers use constructability as a major tool in meeting project objectives ning cost and ¢: s finding e with a Rot just nity. They think n input freely, and evaluate cabiliey, reques Wl that input objectively js Six basic constructability concepta are generally applicable to the = conceptual planning phase of any project 1. Constructability programs are made an integral part of project execution plans. 2. Project planning actively involves construction knowledge and experience 3. Early construction involvement is considered in development of contracting strategy. 4. Overall project schedules are construction-driven. 5. Basic design approaches consider major construction methods. 6. Site layouts promote efficient construction as well as efficient operation and maintenance. 2 ‘ 5 ‘ 2 = 7 = =e = ° 2 2 ° = 3 - a a 2 ° a. Design and procurement schedules are construction-driven Designs are configured to enable efficient construction. Design elements are standardized. transport, and installation Similarly, seven basic concepts are generally applicable to the design and procurement phases of any project - Construction efficiency is considered in specification development. + Module/preassenbly designs are prepared to facilitate fabrication, Designs promote construction accessibility of personnel, material, and equipment . Designs facilitate construction under adveree weather conditions. The synopses on the following pages illustrate the benefits of constructability efforts on these projects: Fertilizer Plant Refinery Expansion Residence Community Jet Engine Overhaul Facility Restoration Bleached Market Pulp Mill arctic 011 production Electric Generating station A discussion of how to implement a constructability program follows project sumaries. these oo Odededdcdedodede indonesian Fertilizer Plant A 1,500-ton per day fertilizer complex in Indonesia was completed two months ahead of schedule. The site's remote location required special constructability efforts in order to meet the schedule. Construction involvenent in the project began in the proposal phase and included a site survey. ‘The following are sone of the constructability inputs A fast-track construction-driven schedule was developed Temporary facilities including power, onsite bulk material storage areas, and mess halls were located for easy accece to the work area All underground materials were scheduled to ar installation during the dry season. ve onsite for Barly design of permanent concrete roads, drainage ayatems, and area concrete paving permitted their installation in the dry season and Provided the best working area possible during the wet season Anchor bolts were standardized. Sections of the reformer furnaces were medularized including tubes and refractory. The prill tower (a concrete structure), 64 feet in diameter and 270 feet tall, was slipforned. The movable interior work platform that was used to place the wall concrete during the slip-forming was also used later as a form for the concrete roof of the tower. This work platform was lowered as an elevator and used ae a work deck to paint the intericr tower lining. Constructability resulted in significant schedule improvement, with major savings to the owner and the realization of a §1 million early completion bonus to the contra CSCS SSSSEEMPEMOHEEHAEAAAAEAGAANAAANDOOHADDANAHHOOES Befinery Expansion A major oil company recently completed a refinery expansion under budget ahead of schedule in the Gulf Coast area. This was the first project in which the owner utilized an aggressive constructability ‘The program focused on preassenbly techniques which permitted parallel field activities. The owner arranged for early assignvent of key construction personnel to the engineering office to assist in developing the strategies to be utilized. Constructability efforts included the following: © Specifications were reviewed jointly by the owner, desi constructor in order to simplify and standardize des © The project schedule was construction-driven © Equipment and vessels were fitted with piping, instrumentation Platforms, and insulation in an adjacent laydown area prior t. setting. Major savings resulted from reduced scaffolding, material management, and improved worker productivity. © Process piperacks were preassembled in 100-foot modules concurrent with onsite civil and underground work. Seventeen piperack modules enabled significant schedule gains © Pipe spools were preassenbled onsite and adjacent to the workareas ‘This resulted in excellent productivity and quality control ‘The ewner learned many lessons, the most important being that constructability does pay. This particular re: expansion project was completed i4 months early with a 23 percent ($253 million) savings from the original estimate. constructability played a significant role in achieving these benefirs. e000 TY de COCCO KSEE MECEEEMEMEEEMEMEEdH a Residence Community A retirement comunity of 152 townhomes, a 13-story building with 265 partments, a 60-bed health care facility, and a 43,000 square foot central facilities building was constructed on a 40-acre eite in San Antonio, Texas. e contractor and designer worked as a team beginning in the early conceptual stages of the project on an initial guaranteed maximum cost basia. The final cost was $500,000 lower than the initial guaranteed naximum cost estimate During design development, the construction team assisted the design team with cost estimates for alternate designs and wade more than 28 separate cost saving suggestions including the followin¢ Locate a11 apartment units in one building instead of in the two separate structures originally planned. This reduced the cost of foundations and structures, the exterior walls, the windows and roofing, and the mechanical and electrical systems. Align structural columns at the apartment building to allow for the use of flying forms. This reduced the cost of concrete formwork and saved time on the construction schedule Change the health care facility from a two-story to a one-story building. This eliminated the need for a drilled pier foundation system, reduced structural system costs, and eliminated the need for an elevator. Use concrete post-tensioned flat slab construction at the apartment tower instead of structural steel or other types of concrete flooring systens. Use a pre-engineered stair system rather than the built-in-place stairs originally specified in the plans: Use carton forms for pier-supported slab and beams on grade instead of imported, select £111 material Modified the mechanical systems to eliminate long horizontal runs The resulting savings reduced project coats by approximately 10 percent ($3.5 million) and enabled the project to be completed on schedule Jet Engine Overhaul Facility Restoration A critical 48-acre government building that houses jet ens: 12 overhaul facilities was partially destroyed by a fire in the roof. A $60 million restoration project enabled the replacement of 17 acres of root and the dule and associated mechanical and electrical systems in 10 months on sci within budget. ‘The owner organized an integrated team of design and constructs and used a cost-reinbursable contracting mathod to permit a approach. The following constructability actions resulted = © ‘The project schedule was construct ion-driven. 7 @ © ‘The contractor and the designer agreed on construction methods materials, and techniques. The design reflected the site constraints and accessibility. da Le Feo cea ee vcr ee gr ae for cranes that would life maceriale and equipment Le © Rubber-tired scooters moved materials and equipment into place on ene Le © Helicopter skycranee Lifted large, preassenbled air-handling units = pom Lae This emergency restoration project denonotrates that conetructebility can fe _—=smenetit"urgent projects ee well as sore conventions! exes 2 Le rrr Codd deddecdocdur oe 6 ead Cabaad a. i COCCO KCC CK OEM EdEEdS Bleached Market Pulp Mill A 780-ton per day bleached market pulp mill was constructed in the northern United States. The construction contractor was onboard early to conduct an extensive constructability review with the following results: © Redesigned the roof drainage system, which reduced the number of drains to almost one third of the original design and resulted in a savings of $225,000 © Revised the power house layout, which shortened the 30-inch steam piping by 55 feet, provided a more constructable system, and saved $50,000 ‘at was the site's natural material through the ons for backfill material, thue eliminating the need washed sand specified for cross-country piping and saved $750,000 in sand and screening coste. © steam generating facilities into a single structure, structural, piping, and electrical costs. ipment on the basis of installation cost ae well as ase price, which resulted in lover total installed nt modified Proctor soil Compaction with lifts of two ill in areas that were away from structures and not under roadways instead of applying the 95 percent 6-inch lifts specified che entire site. This gained considerable savings ‘This owner committed to early construction involvement by, selecting the constructor before selecting the engineer. The savings resulting from this constructability progran were approximately 6 percent of construction cost, with a payback of ten to one of the costs of the constructability program ao Arctic O11 Production Facility ‘The Endicott oil field development project is located in shallow waters of che Beaufort Sea about 10 miles northeast of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The Endicott project is of particular interest because it is a marginal field that has been developed economically only as a result of intensive efforts by the owner to trim the high costs of arctic construction and drilling. ‘The need for a constructability program was recognized early, and a coordinated engineering/construction team was established with each having an equal voice in shaping the final project design. This "team approach" fostered innovation and commonality of purpose. The following cost-saving actions resulted: © Use of 4,000-ton jumbo modules that are twice the size and weight of those previously used at Prudhoe Bay. © Placing much of the non-rotating equipment outeide rather than enclosing in modules. © Use of concrete spread footings under modules in lieu of the past practice of using steel piling embedded in the permafrost © Building a 150-person base operations center in Alaska using wood construction in truckable, container-sized modules. Past practice dictated steel modular construction shipped on sealife barges © Layout of the site to facilitate placement of jumbo modules and to provide for easy construction access. © Use of an offshore gravel causeway to support an above-ground production pipeline rather than a eubsea pipeline. dd ddddddddddddddddddddddbdd © Use of a hybrid system of gravel bags and concrete blocks for slope protection. © Use of sacrificial beaches along portions of the causeway and islands, where risk from storm danage is low. © Excavation of frozen seawater ice and placement of gravel "in the ary," which permitted the completion of the causeway and island gravel haul in one season, thus avoiding the conflicts and added costs of @ second conatruction season © Developed cantilevered drilling rigs to permit one-time construction of well pipelines without interfering with later well drilling Project costs were reduced from §3.8 billion to $1.4 billion, While the savings attributable solely to constructability actions are difficult to determine, it is clear that constructability was a major factor in reducing n woeddddececedcddddd edddddddddadd Trek OU ae SOOdseeeeeadddndodea ee ectric Generating station an electric generating station unit with a capacity of 720,000 kilowatt went into commercial operation four months ahead of schedule and $200 millien under budget Starting in the conceptual planning phase, a highly qualified group of construction personnel participated in pre-construction planning and provided constructability inputs, such as the following: © Project construction schedule established engineering required dates and material delivery dates © Plant orientation was revised for better construction access. © layout and design of temporary facilities for multiple contractors avoided double-handling of materials, enabled ready access to work areas, and provided prefabrication areas adjacent to the work site © Special construction studies covered rigging of heavy lifte, construction equipment access and utilization, sequencing of steel erection, and major equipment installation and offsite prefabricat ion/modularization © Contractor work packages were designed to minimize field inte: © Changes to drawings and specifications were recommended to shorten the construction schedule and reduce costs ‘The benefits attained on this project clearly demonstrate that an effective constructability program was a major factor in achieving the completion ahead of schedule and under budget . 12 » as 3. HOW CAN YOU IMPLEMENT ‘A CONSTRUCTABILITY PROGRAM? A constructability program must be specific to the user. Different programs may emphasize different constructability concepts depending on the user's role in a project Before developing a program, self-examination is required. Do barriers or resistance to a constructability program exist? Does the owner have qualified conseructability personnel or will outside resources be required? What current practices should be incorporated into the program? These are only a few of the questions to be asked An owner may have in-house construction resources, or may hire a consultant to provide constructability input. ‘The owner also may rely on a design/build contractor, an architect/engineer, a construction manager, oF @ construction contractor to provide construction knowledge and experience Im any of these cases, the contractual relationships must specify the constructability objectives of the project and the roles of the participants ddddd While programs and contractual arrangements vary from company te company, certain critical ingredients must be included in all programs. A constructability program mist: ae © clearly communicate senior management's commitment to constructability and generate similar commitment from all project participante © encourage teamwork, creativity, new ideas, and new approaches. © assign one individual as program director who possesses leadership, communication sRills, and a knowledge of the organization's operation. © start constructability as early as possible © emphasize total project integration, not optimization of individual parts © establieh a constructability procedure for inclusion in project execution plans. © evaluate progress and results aa SCCOOHOOOANAEAAAdAdAdAAE | SSCS CCC ECCKCEC EE 4. constRucrasrurty conceprs PILE ‘The Constructability Concepts File, a forthe: contains elenenta of a typical constructability program with conprenensive Giscussions and examples of the concepts presented in this publicacion as a working tool to implement constructability, it will be continuously updated to include future research result: for release in the summer of 1987 ‘oming CII publication, ‘The publication is scheduled 5. conciuszoN Constructability works - frequently with dramatic results The Projects described in this publication demonstrate that inplenentation of (a constructability program with early construction involvement wii? result in better projects - lower costs, better productivity. and earlier Project complet ion. Who can afford to pass up constructability benefits: aa REPERENCES 2. O'Connor, J.7., Rusch, 8-8., and Schulz, M.J., Constructability Improvement During sngineering and Procurement, The University of Texas at Austin, A Report to The Construction Industry Institute, may 1986. 2. Tatum, C.B., Vanegas, J.A., and Williame, J.M., Constructability Improvement During Conceptual Planning, Stanford University, R Report to ‘The Construction Industry Institute, March 1986. HOMOHMHOHCOOKOHOOOOEYE . L : : b : ® OOOOOe OOCCKEMECOOOOEEHOOEEOG fr ‘ COOMOERHOHEY COCHHOHHOHHEHOHHHOHHOOHONAAOAAdOdAdd a a a he hr UC CUCU CUCU UCU OOO Constructability Ta: Force Membership Bill Brooks, Blount Roy Cline, MK-Ferguson Dick Corry, Turner Warren Dean, CRS Sirrine Gene Ferguson, Houston Lighting & Power Ken Fonte, Texaco Bob Jortberg, Lumms Crest, Chairman Dave Nelson, Sohio Petroleum Loural Nelson, Department of Defense Jim O'Connor, University of Texas cal Perkins, Bechtel Steve Reistetter, M.W. Kellogg 1 Roy, Amoco Bob Tatum, Stanford University Dick zinmerman, shell Board of Advisors Liaison Pete Forster, Blount Bob Mass, Exxon, past liaison Past Members Jim Bagley, Shell Joe Link, Department of Defense Dave Weber, Union carbide Ken Williams, Davy McKee Bditor: Rusty Haggard 16

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