In engineering projects, as-built documents are also called As-Built. , it is the final legal and technical document for project delivery. It is not only a faithful record of the deviation of the construction process from the original design, but also the most critical chain of evidence in the future operation and maintenance, reconstruction and expansion of the facility, or disputes. Many project teams invested a lot of energy during the construction period, but due to incomplete and inaccurate documents, they fell into a passive situation during the project closing and handover stages, and even faced huge risks. Understanding its core values and preparation points is crucial to the full life cycle management of the project.
Why as-built documentation is critical in project management
The value of a completion document far exceeds being an archive document. It mainly protects the interests of the asset owner in the long term. When the project completes the completion process and the contractor leaves the site, those drawings and records become the owner's only authoritative guide for the management and maintenance of the facility. If the specific details of the hidden project and changes in the pipeline direction are not accurately reflected in the document, it will bring high detection costs and safety hazards to future maintenance work or secondary decoration processes.
It is a key basis for clarifying responsibilities and avoiding legal risks. If a facility has quality problems during the warranty period, it is not due to design changes that cause subsequent problems. Clear and mutually agreed completion documents are important evidence to divide the responsibilities of the construction party and the designer. Without this document, all parties can easily enter a "wrangling" situation, and the owner's claim will lack strong support.
What core content does the as-built document contain?
Generally speaking, a complete as-built document package will cover three major categories of content, namely drawings, technical information and administrative documents. Among them, the as-built drawings are the main part. On top of the final construction version of the design drawings, cloud lines should be used to clearly mark all on-site changes, and a change instruction sheet should be attached. This covers all professional fields such as architecture, structure, mechanical and electrical, weak current, etc., to ensure that the drawings and the site appear exactly the same.
Another core content is the technical documentation of equipment and materials, which covers the final product specifications of all major equipment and materials, as well as factory test reports, certifications, and operation and maintenance manuals. In addition, key inspection reports and test records during the construction process, such as pipeline pressure tests, circuit insulation tests, and original or photocopies of acceptance documents issued by government authorities, must also be filed.
How to ensure the accuracy and completeness of as-built documents
To ensure accuracy, the premise lies in process management, not the final assault. The most effective way is to designate a dedicated person such as a data clerk or construction engineer to be responsible for document tracking and establishing a change ledger from the beginning of the project. Whenever an engineering change instruction, that is, an RFI or a change order is issued and implemented, preliminary marks should be made on the corresponding drawings in a timely manner to prevent forgetting later.
The introduction of technical means can greatly improve efficiency and improve accuracy. Nowadays, many projects use BIM models as completion deliverables, requiring the construction party to update the construction status on the model in real time, and generate a "as-built model" simultaneously when the project is completed. For traditional two-dimensional drawings, the confirmed changes on site must be compiled into a book regularly (such as every month) and signed by the construction, supervision, and owner parties. This can effectively reduce the workload and disagreements during the final verification, and provide global procurement services for weak current intelligent products!
What are the common mistakes in preparing as-built documents?
An extremely common mistake is "putting it off until the last minute." When the project is nearing the end, there is a large turnover of personnel, which causes the memory to become blurred, resulting in a large number of changes being omitted or recording errors. Another representative mistake is that the recording form does not meet the standard requirements. For example, simply drawing some lines on the drawing without using standard legends to explain the content, reason and date of the change will ultimately make it impossible for subsequent readers to understand.
A common problem is missing content. Many teams only focus on drawings, but ignore the documents that come with the equipment, as well as hidden engineering imaging data, as well as batch inspection reports of important materials. The lack of these data will cause great difficulties in equipment troubleshooting and quality traceability. In terms of administrative documents, the lack of formal receipt records from relevant parties will also reduce the legal validity of the documents.
What is the review and handover process for as-built documents?
A formal, multi-party process that includes review and handover. Normally, the construction general contractor will prepare and sort out the first draft of a complete set of documents, and then submit them to the supervision unit for preliminary review. In terms of supervision, it focuses on checking whether the documents reflect the final site conditions and whether they correspond to the change instructions. After there are no problems in the review, the owner or owner's representative will organize the final acceptance.
Usually the handover is usually carried out in the form of a formal meeting and the "Completion Data Transfer List" needs to be signed. This list needs to list in detail the names of all documents, the number of the document, the total number of copies and the medium (the medium is paper or electronic). , the key point is that representatives of the transferring party and the receiving party must sign and seal the list. This list itself has already become an effective proof of the transfer work. Electronic files should be delivered using non-rewritable optical discs or secure cloud disks, and the files must be presented in a readable state.
How digitalization is changing the way as-built documents are managed
Digitization is completely changing the management paradigm of as-built documents. The cloud-based collaboration platform allows designers, constructors, and supervisors to mark and update status in real time on the same set of drawings or models. The clear version can be traced back, thus avoiding information inconsistency from the source. Drone oblique photography can generate a real-life three-dimensional model, which is fast, accurate and reliable, and records the completed status of the building appearance and surrounding environment.
Regarding the operation and maintenance stage, digital twin technology connects the as-built BIM model with the IoT management system. By tapping the equipment in the model, all its completion data and maintenance records can be retrieved. This has significantly improved the efficiency and accuracy of facility operation and maintenance. However, digital transformation also imposes new requirements, such as the unification of data standards, information security assurance, and the training of digital skills for relevant personnel.
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