Anderson Engineering focuses on some of the biggest construction, engineering, and maintenance projects in Utah. Having a plan is the first step in producing high-quality buildings and structures that are built to last. The following are some general steps from Bernie Roseke, P.Eng., PMP, for a project:
Planning and Preliminary Engineering
The first stage at which any and all options are considered and the pros and cons are evaluated. Most engineering projects involve the creation of a new product or the destruction and rebuilding of an existing one, and the project is defined on that basis. The options for the new product can be evaluated based on cost, quality, satisfaction in meeting the engineering criteria, etc. Usually, some sort of criteria is established at the beginning of the project that can be used to guide project decision-making.
Detailed Design.
Once the exact product is chosen, a detailed design can begin. The end result is usually a set of drawings and/or a tender package. At this stage, all of the issues are investigated and a complete engineering analysis is performed.
Tendering.
During this phase, the project is put out to tender. This phase includes advertising, answering bidder questions, holding pre-tender meetings, and opening the tenders.
Construction / Implementation.
This phase involves the physical implementation of the work that the engineer has designed. The engineer’s representative is usually on-site because of the engineer’s responsibility to ensure adequate construction of the work, particularly for items that become concealed like concrete reinforcement. Also, since the engineer is more concerned with the suitability of the final product from an engineering standpoint, there are usually constructability issues that require addressing.
Post-Construction.
Once the product is complete, the final documentation phase is required to ensure that stakeholders have the documentation they need and project funding and administration issues are finalized.
Generally, there are seven steps when it comes to any engineering project. They are as follows:
- Define
Know what you’re working with. Look to real-world problems for the best examples. For instance, housing inequity or simply material costs.
- Ask
Use the tried and true classic here; Who, What, When, Where, Why. Who is this being built for? When is the project going to be completed? Why is this being made? All of these are questions you’ll need to answer for a project and answering them will help you see the final product more easily.
- Imagine
Brainstorm. This is where all of your ideas will get put on the board and it is also where you will whittle them down to the most productive and feasible.
- Plan
Now that you have your idea, it’s time to make it specific. This is where you will plan out your idea and break it down into steps.
- Prototype
This is where you will have to create a functioning model of your design. This is the step where you’ll make a proof of concept and show others how and why your design works.
- Test
It’s go time! Time to put your design into place and test it out.
- Improve
Once you’ve done everything else, the only place to go now is up. Your designs can always be better, and working on them continually is what’s going to maintain and improve already existing and new designs.
