Why is Construction Engineering Important?

There are three main reasons a construction engineer is important. The project team can save money, save time, and management can save on stress that may add the needed expense of aspirin.

How a Construction Engineer Benefits You

Saves Money

Construction Engineering Saves Time and Money

All three reasons are linked but should be discussed separately. This is because they may all affect the project in different ways. The most important reason to have a construction engineer is that, in the end, it will save the owner and the general contractor money. Many contractors believe that hiring an engineer will be costly, nothing is further from the truth. Many of the same contractors don’t understand that there are net gains in savings. Examples of this are “typical” temporary structures that do not require engineering are usually over designed. This is done to protect the manufacturer. If a construction engineer is hired many times the excess materials saved will exceed the cost of the engineering.

Saves Time

Time can also be saved by hiring a construction engineer. Many times with our experiences we are called on sites that have been shut down by an enforcing authority. At times the reasons are simple, like not having the required drawings for a scaffold structure that exceeds fifty feet in height and other times it is because the contractor is known to not follow the rules and the enforcing bodies check and review every structure and safety procedure on site. Having a construction engineer can quickly resolve problems involving technical inadequacies and job site closures can be reduced or avoided completely. This will save you time.

Peace of Mind

What price will you put on your peace of mind? If the answer is high then you want a construction engineer. The management team can feel more secure knowing that all structural aspects of construction have been looked after. Also all engineering components in conjunction with mechanical, electrical, structural, and architectural will be sorted out on site much quicker. Fewer conflicts will occur between mechanical, electrical, structural, and architectural drawings if one “construction engineer” reviews all the drawings.

In our experience many conflicts occur during utility connections. Other issues occur when the management team does not realize that many temporary structures require engineering.  Temporary structures may have to be approved by an engineer.

Examples: scaffolds, swing stages, shoring (horizontal or soil shoring, lateral, and vertical), formwork, pre-cast installation procedures and so on. Having a construction engineer will give management more time to focus on what they are hired to do.

Additional Benefits

Other benefits that a construction engineer brings to the table are professionalism. The construction site will look more professional in the eyes of the government enforcing body or any other construction enforcing body if the construction site is known to have a “construction engineer”. This will also reduce the chances of a site being shut down. AJW Engineering has helped many general contractors in situations where drawings, letters, reviews, and designs by a professional engineer are required for temporary structures where the on-site superintendents had no idea it was needed. Our quick on site response is beyond any other consulting firm. We always recommend that before getting into “nerve racking” situations that an Engineering firm be contacted to be part of the on-site construction team from the beginning to the end of the project!