8 Mistakes Made in the Building Design Phase
No two construction projects are alike, but for those who have been working a long time in the industry, there are a handful of issues that just keep popping up. Commissioning managers must attempt to anticipate and resolve these issues, as often their salaries can be rapidly recouped by the cost-savings. Here are 8 of the most common design issues:
- Sequences of operation in mechanical equipment. Mechanical design documents often have incomplete sequences of operation or are sometimes completely missing.
- Lighting fixture mistakes. Lighting fixtures are often missing, leaving areas insufficiently lit and creating design headaches.
- Electrical equipment. From panel boards to transformers, sizing and specifications are often incomplete.
- Electrical distribution. Completely missing, serving the wrong device, and otherwise being unclear to contractors, circuits are a problem area in many ways.
- Designs missing life-safety systems. Ordering replacements for these essential systems creates costly delays and additional inspections.
- No plumbing shown. Designs regularly don’t include plumbing design, making for construction complications and potential delays.
- Moisture. Incorrect barriers and sealants can allow heat and moisture to intrude, allowing for costly degradation that is easy to miss.
- Mis-sized circuits. Commissioning managers must pay special attention to circuit capacity and ensure they’re the appropriate size, reducing or increasing them as needed.
