In recent years, the construction industry has faced constant challenges, including skilled labour shortages and high material costs, which have often reduced profitability.
One of the most frequent costly oversights is treating equipment screens as an addition rather than a critical part of construction, potentially leading to expensive construction change orders, delays and poor design integrity.
It has become crucial to add screen specification during the commercial building planning phase to safeguard the budget and avoid risky and surprise price increases. The screen’s structure and aesthetic become much more seamless with the rest of the structure.
The Ripple Effect of Late-Stage Design Changes
In Victoria, domestic building contracts valued at over $10,000 are automatically considered major domestic building contracts and should be signed with legal and technical advice. Adding in the costs of delay can be hugely detrimental. After all, late-stage changes result in compounding costs.
Examples of costs include architectural and engineering revisions fees, admin labour costs for processing construction change orders and rush pricing of materials needed. Hiring skilled labour at the last minute also becomes increasingly expensive.
Indirect costs are also detrimental. Project timelines can be delayed for weeks or months as teams wait for new plans, materials and labour availability. Unexpected standstills affect the workflow of other on-site construction, possibly leading to more delays and contractual penalties.
Even small changes can erode team confidence and can negatively impact relationships between builder, architect and client. That is why construction project planning should be thorough and include preconstruction services.
Construction Project Planning Workflow
A late-stage screen installation results in expensive redesigns, construction change orders and void warranties. As such, preconstruction services are designed to optimise costs and scheduling. Here is the best workflow to prepare for construction.
- From Concept to Construction
This is the first and most critical part of the building design planning process. At this stage, everyone on the team must identify all major equipment, space and budget needed. The structural capacity of the screening system should comply with AS/NZ 1170.1 or structural design actions and AS 1664.1 or aluminium structures.
- Schematic Design Stage
In this stage of the commercial building planning, the screen becomes a concrete and defined element instead of an abstract requirement. The architect will incorporate the screen’s pattern, form and material into the overall facade as part of its design language.
On the other hand, engineers will handle airflow data and calculate preliminary wind and dead loads. This is also the stage where the base material should be selected. Choose from aluminium, weathered steel and other types of screen materials based on the project’s performance needs, design intent and current industry supply.
- Design Development Stage
Preconstruction Services help remove ambiguity. For this stage, detailed drawings of the screen system, its mounting points and interface with other elements are reviewed. Material finishes and colour are also added. With firm quotes for the screen, it becomes a predictable item in the construction budget rather than an object that can lead to multiple delays and higher costs.
- Construction Documentation
This is the final stage before proceeding to construction. The equipment screen system is fully detailed and integrated in the official drawing set. Its panels, brackets and access gates are fully specified as well. This level of detail is critical to ensure a smooth procurement process.
Commercial building planning and early payment are crucial in creating certainty in supply and delivery, especially with the rising cost of construction materials.
The Multi-Disciplinary Approach is Non-negotiable
Around 69 per cent of contractors claim quality assurance makes it difficult to completely close a project. To prevent this situation, everyone on the team should be highly collaborative instead of working in a silo.
There are four key considerations each professional brings during the building design planning phase:
- The architect: Ensures that the screen is integrated as a visually pleasing architectural feature instead of purely utilitarian design choices
- The mechanical engineer: Provides technical data, such as airflow, static pressure loss and thermal output, which are used to find screens with matching performance specifications
- The structural engineer: Assesses the loads that the screen will exert on the structure and designs the support and connection to handle the load
- The builder or project manager: Provides current market intelligence of material lead times and labour costs
Redefining the Role of Equipment Screens
Adding the equipment screen during the building design planning agenda is a great way to avoid unexpected costs from change orders. Every dollar and every second should be accounted for during construction project planning. A well-integrated equipment screen blends with the architectural elements and meets airflow requirements. Additionally, early planning transforms these equipment screens from volatile future variables into fixed costs. Architects, builders and engineers can all work together for a more seamless structure.
