As-built checklist: the useful list

As-built checklists help update the as-built drawings and also provide useful information to verify correspondence with the actual asset.

As with any kind of project, to be able to compare the project drawings with what has actually been built (as-built drawings) can turn out to be a considerable advantage that facilitates asset management especially during the maintenance phase.

Maintaining the as-built drawings continuously up to date is certainly an efficient way of storing chronological information regarding the construction phase of an asset and must always be updated and consistent with reality. Another important aspect is that it’s also useful to have a good BIM management platform that helps you manage 3D models, data, information and openBIM processes.

What do as-built designs contain?

The building hardly corresponds perfectly to the project.

The actual conditions, the complications of the construction site, the changes to the budget, the variants in progress require reworking of the initial idea and, consequently, of the project drawings. Even the most fluid construction process and the commitment to a more advanced BIM/VDC methodology do not necessarily ensure a full correspondence between the building built and the project drawings.

This brief introduction is essential in order to understand what “as-built” designs are and why they are so important.

As-built drawings are detailed graphical representations that describe the final condition of a building once works are completed or after a series of modifications.

It ceases to be a representation of the initial project but a model that shows measurements, geometrical characteristics and the relevant updated information resulting from the asset. In simple terms, it’s a the final situation containing all changes introduced during the construction process.

They are then delivered to the client at the end of the construction phase (with continuous updates introduced as work progresses) and show the exact position of all elements allowing you to reconstruct a complete picture of the building as it is today in it’s true operational context.

The process of creating the as-built drawings starts from the geometric relief of the building and ends with delivery to the client.

The primary purpose of an as-built drawing is to record any changes made during the construction process that deviate from the original design.

For more details, I recommend reading the article “What is as-built BIM?“.

Now let’s look specifically at what as-built designs contain.

First of all, it must be specified that they also report the smallest addition or variation made to the project during the construction of the work.

No changes too small to be noted on the as-built drawings, but what absolutely must not be overlooked are:

clear descriptions;
all changes relating to the materials used, the positions of the elements, the dimensions, the geometries, etc.;
correct position of all utilities and systems including depthand materials of each;
all the dates on which the changes were made;
the unforeseen obstacles and problems and the solutions used to solve them;
all changes made to completed work.
it’s always preferable to have as much information as possible on the as-built drawings because even the smallest variations could be essential during management/maintenance phases of the asset.

As-built drawings can also be used as a basis for future renovations and for ordinary management and maintenance operations.

Each type of work on the asset becomes easier with the as-built drawings since all the information is accurate, updated and known to all the participants in the project.

As-built checklists

The information to be included in an as-built checklist certainly depends on the type of work to which it refers.

In general, it should always contain:

general information regarding the building (location, cadastral data, urban and territorial frameworks, owners, etc.);
data relating to designers, contractors, clients, etc.;
up-to-date architectural drawings (plans, sections, elevation views, construction details, etc.);
drafts illustrating works that haven’t been completed yet, those modified and those added;
updated graphics relating to MEP systems (reporting the exact position of pipes, drains, electrical cables, generators, etc.);
structural graphical references (showing the exact position of the structural elements and their composition);
drawing and documents showing sewage networks, connections, drains, etc.;
drawings of the flooring and external arrangements;