The Importance of Post Construction Operations and Facility Analysis
A guide for three-month and 12-month facility follow-up evaluations to improve facility performance.
When developing new solid waste facilities, the owner and development teams should strongly consider integrating three-month and 12-month post-construction evaluations into project planning. This time spent on the walk-through and assessment of the facility after it has been operational is an opportunity for the owner, design, and construction teams to better understand how the facility is working and to identify areas that need repair or should be approached differently on future projects. Along with identifying areas of improvement, it is also a good time to see what went right and what they want to incorporate into future facilities or in other current operations that may make them more efficient.
Integrating the Evaluations into the Project Planning
These post-construction evaluations should be planned out well in advance and made a part of the project schedule as well as the contract for all parties. By making this evaluation a formal part of the project delivery, it helps avoid the situation where the construction team hands over the keys for the facility and there is not a chance for them to walk the facility and learn. All parties should have well-defined responsibilities and roles in this process to make sure it is as effective and impactful as possible. Chart 1, page 40, is a sample responsibility matrix for a 12-month evaluation for reference.
Three-Month Walk-Through
The goal of the three-month evaluation is to make sure the building is operating and performing as needed. It is not unusual for the owner or their staff to have been provided insufficient operations and maintenance training of the mechanical, plumbing and electric systems. This leads to incorrect maintenance of poor operations of the systems that were installed. This evaluation provides an opportunity for these lapses to be identified and the appropriate parties notified to provide supplemental training or information to the owner’s operations staff.
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