As-built drawings are a type of drawing that reflects the actual conditions of a building or structure as it was built, rather than how it was designed to be built. They are created by revising the original construction drawings to reflect any changes that were made during construction.
As-builts are detailed records or plans that depict the final, constructed state of a building or structure. They document any changes, modifications, or deviations from the original design plans that occurred during the construction process. As-built drawings typically include precise measurements, locations of structural elements, utilities, and other essential features of the completed project. These drawings serve as a reference for future maintenance, renovations, or alterations, providing an accurate representation of how the building was constructed. As such, they are essential for ensuring compliance with building codes, regulations, and safety standards, as well as for facilitating effective communication among construction teams and stakeholders.
As-built drawings are important for many reasons, including:
Accuracy and Documentation: As-builts provide an accurate record of the final state of a construction project, documenting any deviations or changes made during the building process. This ensures that there is a reliable reference for future work or inspections.
Compliance and Regulations: As built drawings help to ensure that the completed building structure complies with building codes, regulations, and safety standards. They provide evidence of adherence to legal aspects, which is essential for getting permits and certifications.
Maintenance and Repairs: As-built drawings are invaluable for maintenance purposes. They accurately depict the layout and specifications of the building. Maintenance teams can refer to them to identify the location of utilities, structural components, and other critical elements which helps in a more efficient repairing process and reducing downtime.
Renovations and Expansion: When planning renovations or expansions, architects and engineers rely on as-built drawings to understand the layout and design of the existing structures. This information helps them develop renovation plans that integrate seamlessly with the original construction. This helps in minimizing disruptions and ensuring structural integrity.
Communication and Collaboration: As-built drawings serve as a common reference point for all stakeholders involved in a construction project. They facilitate effective communication and collaboration among architects, engineers, contractors, and clients, ensuring everyone is on the same page regarding the completed structure's specifications.
Risk Management: By providing a comprehensive record of the building construction process, as-builts help mitigate risks associated with disputes, liability claims, or unforeseen issues that may arise in the future. These documents offer clarity and transparency, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings or conflicts.
Overall, as-built drawings play a vital role in the construction industry by ensuring accuracy, compliance, efficiency, and risk management throughout the project lifecycle.
As-built drawings are typically created by a contractor or architect by taking the original construction drawings and marking up all of the changes that were made during construction. These changes can be made by hand, or they can be made using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
As built drawings are typically created through a systematic process that involves several steps:
Field Verification: Construction professionals visit the completed site to verify and document the actual layout, dimensions, and details of the building or structure. They use measuring tools such as laser distance meters, tape measures, and surveying equipment to gather accurate data.
Documentation of Changes: During the field verification process, any alterations or changes made during construction are carefully documented. This includes modifications to the original plans, adjustments in dimensions, or additions/removals of features.
Drafting: Using the collected field data and documentation of changes, drafters or CAD technicians create the initial drafts of the as-built drawings. They utilize CAD software to accurately represent the building layout, incorporating all relevant details and annotations.
Review and Revision: The initial drafts of the as-built drawings undergo a thorough review process. This may involve cross-referencing the drawings with the original design plans, conducting on-site inspections, and seeking input from various stakeholders, including architects, engineers, contractors, and clients. Any discrepancies or inaccuracies are identified and corrected during this stage.
Finalization: Once all necessary revisions and adjustments have been made, the asbuilts are finalized. They are typically stamped or certified by a licensed professional such as a civil engineer of record (EOR) or Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) to attest to their accuracy and compliance with relevant regulations.
Distribution: The final as-built drawings are distributed to all relevant parties involved in the construction project, including the client, architects, engineers, contractors, and subcontractors. These drawings serve as an essential reference for future maintenance, renovations, or expansions of the building.
Overall, creating as-built drawings requires meticulous attention to detail, accurate documentation, and collaboration among various stakeholders to ensure that the final drawings correctly represent the completed construction project.
As-built drawings rely heavily on clear communication to effectively represent the final, constructed state of a building. Color coding plays a vital role in this process, acting as a visual language to highlight modifications made during construction.
Here is how color coding is typically used in asbuilt drawings:
🔴 Red - Deletions and Deviations: This is the universally recognized color for indicating elements that were removed or deviated from the original plans. This could include walls, doors, windows, or plumbing lines that were not built as specified.
🟢 Green - Additions and New Installations: Anything that was added during construction is typically marked in green. This might include new walls, relocated electrical outlets, or additional support beams not present in the original design.
🔵 Blue - Notes and Important Information: Blue is often used to highlight critical notes, clarifications, or dimensions that require special attention. This could be the designation of a specific material substitution or the revised location of a hidden utility line.
As-built drawings act as a bridge between the planned design and the constructed reality of a building project. They typically include the following information:
Final wall, floor, and ceiling measurements: These reflect any alteration from the original plans due to unforeseen circumstances or on-site adjustments.
Door and window locations: The exact placement of doors and windows as built, including any changes in size or type.
Location of building elements: This includes walls, partitions, columns, beams, and other structural components, depicting their final positions.
Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) Systems: The As-built drawing will show the layout of pipes, electrical conduits, ductwork, and other MEP elements, reflecting their actual installation as built.
Marked-up Modifications: Deviations from the original design are typically highlighted. Red is commonly used for deletions or relocations, while green indicates additions.
Annotations and Notes: These provide explanations for the changes made, including dates, justifications, and any relevant details.
Material substitutions: If any materials were substituted during construction, the as-built drawings should reflect this change.
As-built conditions: Details about unforeseen conditions encountered during construction, like foundation variations, are to be documented.
Overall, As-built drawings provide a comprehensive record of the building's final configuration, including dimensions, component locations, and any modifications made during construction. This information is crucial for future maintenance, renovations, and ensuring the building adheres to safety and building code requirements.
While talking about as-builts you must hear about as-built models. An As-built model is a 3D digital replica of a building in its final, "as-built" state, reflecting any changes made during construction. It is like a super detailed blueprint in 3 dimensions that captures the reality of the building, not only the original design.
Traditional as-built drawings are valuable, but have limitations. A 2D drawing might not effectively capture the intricate details of a building with complex MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) systems hidden behind walls. Here is where as-built models take place.
Therefore, as-built drawings and models play a critical role in ensuring the success and longevity of every construction project. As-built documentation is crucial because it accurately represents the final built environment, encompassing all modifications, deviations, and actual conditions encountered during the construction process.
As-builts help with asset management and compliance, offer valuable insights, and enable digital collaboration. Accurate, comprehensive as-built documentation is essential for ensuring the success, sustainability, and resilience of construction projects. Therefore, it is crucial to embrace the practice of creating such documentation to deliver high-quality, enduring built environments that meet the needs of stakeholders and communities for years to come.