Constructability Concepts and Principles

Abstract

Better value for money, improved quality of service and quite significant savings in both project cost and time are clearly possible through the detailed analysis not only of the individual phases of the total construction process but also of the interaction between those phases. In any building or engineering project, seeking improvement through the careful consideration of procurement, design, construction techniques and management approach should make implementation easier, quicker and cheaper. ‘Constructability’, in the broadest sense, embodies a conscious attempt to recognise in each constituent phase of a construction project that those facets can promote improvement both to that phase and also to the total construction process. Constructability identifies the opportunities for maximising the route of procurement, design input, design-construction collaboration and use and upkeep of the finished product. However, it must be emphasised that constructability is not a concept that should be invoked as an imposition; rather, it must become an implicit and accepted characteristic of the construction process, to which all the various construction professionals contribute. Furthermore, the use of constructability to reduce costs and simplify construction implies neither lower quality nor compromise in design.