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Construction

Roles

Advice

A bracing plan is important, and has a large effect on installation. Establish a bracing plan early and integrate it into the connection details. A good bracing plan allows the connections to assist with temporary stability and requires over-designing, but saves time, money, headaches, and patching.

Advice

Plan sequencing for fast placements. Connections often don’t work as a result of placement sequence. For example, more expensive connections can be used (eg Megant-style) where the assembly order doesn’t matter, but if cost is saved on the connections, time is wasted on site with necessary last minute adjustments.

Image c/o: StructureCraft

Advice

Understand all aspects of the process, starting with the design, detailed design, and the fabrication model, all the way through to installation. If there are any parts not fully understood or covered by you or your team, hire expertise to fill the gaps as early as possible.

Advice

Have detailed conversations with concrete subcontractors to stress how important tolerance is. This is the most efficient method of achieving tighter tolerances, as concrete can't share models like steel can, for instance. An as-built survey helps, but adds time.

Advice

Develop and share a water protection plan together with the general contractor. Work with the GC: they care because they have to install. Suppliers may or may not care, and also may not have the necessary facilities (eg. membrane applying station)