What is Design Assist?
Design Assist is a project delivery approach that involves collaboration between the design team and the construction team. It is a process that helps to optimize project outcomes by engaging key stakeholders in the design process from the early stages of the project. In the traditional project delivery method, the design team completes the design, and the construction team executes the project based on that design. However, this approach can sometimes result in inefficiencies, errors, and change orders during construction due to the lack of input from the construction team during the design phase.
In contrast, Design Assist engages the construction team in the design process, allowing for collaboration, communication, and feedback from the construction team. The construction team's input helps to ensure that the design is optimized for construction, cost, and schedule and that any potential issues are identified and addressed early on in the process. This collaboration also enables the construction team to provide their expertise, insights, and experience to help streamline the construction process and improve project outcomes.
Design Assist typically involves multiple phases, including the pre-design phase, design phase, and construction phase. During the pre-design phase, the construction team provides input on the project requirements, constructability, and potential issues to consider during the design phase. In the design phase, the construction team provides feedback on the design, identifies any potential issues, and collaborates with the design team to optimize the design for construction. In the construction phase, the construction team executes the project based on the optimized design, with ongoing collaboration and communication with the design team as needed.
Why do we need Design Assist on Structural Steel Projects?
Structural steel projects can be complex and challenging, requiring coordination between various stakeholders to ensure the project is completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. Design Assist provides a collaborative process that allows the design team and the construction team to work together to optimize the project outcomes.
Design Assist can help structural steel projects in several ways:
Improved constructability: By involving the construction team in the design process, Design Assist can identify potential construction challenges early on. This allows the design team to adjust the design to improve constructability and reduce construction costs.
Faster project delivery: Design Assist can help to reduce the time required to complete a project by streamlining the design process. By involving the construction team in the design process, the project team can identify potential delays and work to mitigate them before they occur.
Improved quality: Design Assist can help to ensure that the project is completed to the required quality standards. By involving the construction team in the design process, the project team can identify potential quality issues early on and work to address them before they become major problems.
Cost savings: By optimizing the design for constructability, Design Assist can help to reduce construction costs. The earlier potential issues are identified, the easier and less expensive they are to resolve.
Conclusion
Design Assist is an effective project delivery approach that can help to optimize project outcomes by involving key stakeholders in the design process. For structural steel projects, Design Assist can help to improve constructability, reduce project delivery time, improve quality, and save costs. By using Design Assist, project teams can work collaboratively to ensure that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards.
X-Steel is well-versed in Design Assist, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at sales@x-steeldetailing.com if you have a project that you’d be interested in having us assist you with.