Once the design is completed and before the construction has started, there is a process that is done before the actual job. This is known as preconstruction, which is an essential component of a successful construction project.
Understanding preconstruction
The term preconstruction is the process that will lead up to the actual work on any construction job. This is actually the initial planning phase in which stakeholders set the expectations, scope out the work, and schedule the project from beginning to end.
As an important phase in a successful construction project, serious issues can happen without careful and proper consideration and planning. So, each participant in the preconstruction phase must be thorough enough to make the whole project smoother, while completing the project in time and on budget.
Stages of preconstruction
• Request for proposal phase
In partnership with a general contractor or building management team, the property owner will estimate and send out a request for proposal from architectural firms.
• Design phase
Before designing the project, the owner or general contractor will select an architectural firm, building architects, engineers, and landscape architects, among members of the team.
A number of options will be presented by the architects through sketches along with the rough estimates that owners can choose from. For secure results, architects now refer to measured building survey and 3D laser scanning companies to obtain accurate as-built 2D drawings or 3D BIM models. The selection process will determine the final design and the agreed upon preliminary budget.
• Construction document phase
A number of options will be presented by the architects through sketches along with the rough estimates that owners can choose from. For secure results, architects now refer to measured building survey and 3D laser scanning companies to obtain accurate as-built 2D drawings or 3D BIM models. The selection process will determine the final design and the agreed upon preliminary budget.
• Bidding phase
This stage will obtain and review estimates from different specialty contractors from the different trades needed for the project. Bids are submitted after the general contractor conducts their own estimates for each trade.
Thus, a reasonable bid will be determined at this stage in which the general contractor reviews them and picks the subcontractor on the basis of the price, including the experience, reputation, and specialisation, among other factors.
The actual construction will start only in accordance with the agreed upon timeline and after subcontractors are chosen and contracts are finalised.
Importance of preconstruction
Planning measured building survey
The preconstruction phase is considered as essential as field work. This is where the work is won and the money is made. Builders also benefit from this in making their margins and profits.
• Provides efficiency to the project
• Pre-empts problems
• Helps the team to stay on track
• Keeps the projects within budget
• Helps in solving the productivity problem in construction
The productivity problem of the industry is actually an issue of coordination and information that begins in preconstruction.
Most of the time, this is due to the lack of information or incorrect data that results to rework. Since rework causes delays in schedule, it can lead to a costly outcome.
Preconstruction best practices
It is the job of the contractors to take necessary steps in making the preconstruction process even more efficient and intelligent. Thus, planning for contingencies can aid in the management of customer expectations.
• The use of BIM software
Having access to BIM data is arguably the most effective tool for planning success. By integrating it to solutions, the outcomes will add a dynamic layer to preconstruction.
Integrated BIM software can help in coordinating things like equipment loads, assessing the impact of transport on scheduling, creating real-time budget information, and detailing requirements and regulations that will affect project delivery. Technology in construction is present more than ever with finding methods on how we can continue to reinvent and ameliorate the industry.
• Prequalification of subcontractors
This process will help in mitigating risks during the process of bidding and hiring. Thus, potential trade partners will be asked to organize and submit their certification financial health, and safety history making it faster to find and hire the proper trade partners.
The integration of AutoCAD and BIM software in addition to 3D laser scanning technology can provide accurate information and can save time and cost overall when initialising building works.
Measured building surveys aid in the development of reliable as-built 2D drawings and 3D BIM models. This is quite essential in the design-build phase where accurate measurements are required in an upcoming construction or development project.
