MANAGEMENT By Tim Heston
Asking the Right Detailing Questions Why Communication Problems in Construction Increase the Price Tag
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ears ago, David Deem worked as a project manager at a structural fabricator that did its detailing in-house. If he had a question about sequencing, connections, or any other, well, detail on the details, he’d walk over to the detailing manager’s office. Today, Deem is President of Deem Structural Services, Longview, Texas, and President of SEAA. Today he brings an erector’s perspective. A beam leaving the fab shop doesn’t have much value on its own, at least not until the steel erector does its job. So how can that beam have the most value—to make the most money for everyone involved? “It’s all about good communication,” Deem said, “and asking the right questions.” Challenging elements of the job site can Tim Heston is the senior editor of The Fabricator magazine. He has covered the metal fabrication industry for 25 years. This article is excerpted with permission from his original article “Best communication practices in structural steel fabrication.” Read the full article here.
cause small problems to snowball into large ones in a hurry, which can make communication problems in construction especially costly. Today’s software can track beams from the time they’re drawn to the time they arrive on-site, flagging problems far ahead of time. But things happen and beams sometimes don’t arrive when they’re needed. This is why no software can replace good communication practices. “It’s always good practice to get on-site to see what the erector is dealing with,” Deem said. He described a snow-covered job site at a university campus. The erectors had just two days, from early Saturday morning to late Sunday afternoon, to build a pedestrian bridge. That particular job was completed on schedule because everyone was on the same page, and all drawings and other documents had exactly what the erector needed to know.
Sequence matters Picture a crane picking a beam between two buildings with no extra room for maneuvering. The structural beams needed to be delivered in just the right sequence at just the right times. This calls for close collaboration
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among the detailer, erector, and fabricator. But if a fabricator and detailer move ahead before an erector is chosen, it can lead to greater costs and extended schedules. When the erector is finally chosen, they are told to start with Building A. But it’s abundantly clear from looking at the drawings and the job site that it would be so much easier to start with Building B. But the ball’s already rolling, and the erector makes do, though expenses and delays keep mounting. Good communication could have avoided all these headaches, and much of it could have been covered during the site-specific erection and safety plan. “We love to have the detailers involved, when possible,” Deem said. “Regardless, though, there are things detailers can ask fabricators from the get-go. These involve the sequence and schedule, as well as shipping requirements.” Say a detailer sees a girder in the plans that’s 100 feet long, but the site won’t allow for a 100-ft. girder, be it because of space constraints, limited crane capacity, or a combination of both. “If that’s the case, what splices do we need? Where are they? Are