The Perils of Renovations & Retrofits
There's an old saying: "What you don't know can't hurt you." But in construction, this saying couldn't be less true. Construction projects already
contain more than their fair share of unknowns and risks to manage. When those projects involve renovating or retrofitting, the potential pitfalls are even
greater, particularly when you don't have access to as-built conditions for the current structure. Without that visibility, you could be setting yourself up for
costly mistakes and rework.
No Map to Guide You
Many existing structures, especially older or historic buildings, lack original or
current documentation. This lack of as-builts makes estimating, planning, and
construction a risky proposition. Without a clear picture of the current space,
it's challenging to know what the project will really entail.
Depending upon the changes you're making, you need to understand
structural conditions and limitations. You also need to know the location,
condition, and capacity of current mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP)
components. For example, if you're changing a previous retail clothing space
into a restaurant, you need to be sure that you can support the additional
weight of the equipment, change the buildout as desired, and add any
necessary MEP components to support the addition of a commercial kitchen.
You also need to make sure the existing structure can comply with today's
codes and regulations. A commercial renovation of a historic building may
require compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), for
example. Or if you're planning to earn "green" building status, you need to
adhere to codes like the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy
and Design (LEED).
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Without complete building documentation, it's anyone's guess what obstacles
you or the owner might run into—and what the costs of not knowing might be.
More Risks to Manage
Among the risks of construction projects, rework is particularly detrimental
to a project's budget and schedule. Rework is generally defined as any activity
that has to be done more than once and isn't the result of a change order
or change in scope. In construction, rework typically requires removing and
redoing previously installed work due to unanticipated conditions, poor
communication, and missing or inaccurate project information.
Rework is already all too common in construction—and expensive, accounting
for 12-15% of total costs.
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And on remodeling projects, the potential for rework
looms even larger. If you're lacking original or current as-built information, the
likelihood that you'll end up having to rip and replace already completed work
is high.
When you must essentially duplicate your efforts, it doesn't just hurt the cost
performance of your renovation projects, it hurts the schedule. The project
could be delayed by days or even weeks, putting a strain on your relationship
with the owner, not to mention adding to the wave of productivity problems
that already plague the construction industry.
But rework doesn't have to be inevitable. You can keep your renovation and
remodeling projects on course with the help of 3D scanning.
22% of rework is due to poor project information.
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