Appreciating what engineers do for construction.


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Engineers play an essential role in designing and developing construction project plans and documents. They will monitor the progress of a project and when work has commenced, they are available to assist with questions to advise contractors.

In the construction industry, there are a variety of engineer titles and types: survey engineers, architectural engineers, civil engineers, materials engineers, structural design engineers, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers. Our Project Controls team collaborates with construction engineers to ensure successful delivery.

Put simply, an engineer’s role in a construction project is to design and draw plans so the owner’s vision can come to life. Project Controls professionals will begin to collaborate with engineers in the early phases of the project to assist with developing costs and budgets based on certain designs and the scope that the engineer is designing.

Project Controls estimators and schedulers provide insight into how much the project should cost and how long it should take to complete. They provide clients with what they need to know for financial, material specifications, and construction methods. With this information, clients understand what it will take to make sure the project is completed successfully.

In the beginning stage of the architectural side of a construction project, the architect develops the project design with the input and guidance of engineers who have responsibility for their specialization. At the same time, Project Controls professionals are brought into the project discussion to assist with developing a cost estimate to see if the current design is within the project budget. As the project progresses, multiple estimates can be developed as the design documents further detail the scope of the project.

Project Controls professionals may also be engaged by engineers to assist pricing for construction projects that the Project Controls team is not intimately involved in, to assist the engineers in pricing the specified equipment and design.

Civil, structural, and MEP engineers draw and revise plans as needed throughout the design and construction of the project. They will become involved with the detailed performance of their respective discipline and provide support to the architect. Engineers want to ensure their designs meet given criteria; that the project is safe, serviceable, and performs well.

When an intended design, such as an HVAC system, performs as the engineer intended it to, it is a success towards the project. However, if there are issues during the startup of the equipment, or while the building is in use, then a third-party representative or consultant may be brought in to investigate and examine the current design versus the issues to try and figure out what the problem is and develop solutions to correct the issues.

Engineers are important in every step of a construction project as their plans are initially drawn and revised throughout the building of the project. To all of the engineers, thank you for all you do for our community and industry. Your innovative ideas and abilities to solve complex problems make our built world quality.

If you are an engineer or representative at an engineering firm and interested in finding out how our Project Controls team can help you, email KMIMarketing@kmiintl.com.