At first glance the Complete Structural Package™ from Fitzpatrick Engineering Group (FEG) may appear threatening to fabricators. However, we believe that our process benefits fabricators just as much as it does the other members of the construction team.

The conventional approach:
Consider the amount of effort that is wasted understanding the design intent of poorly detailed construction documents:

• The detailer delivers RFIs to the fabricator.
• The fabricator forwards the RFIs to the contractor.
• The contractor forwards them to the design team.
• The RFI is answered and returned through the same process.
• If the original question was misinterpreted (as is often the case), the RFI is rewritten and the process starts all over again.

Even if there are no misunderstandings in the RFIs, the process can take weeks just to produce the answer to one question. The real problem, though, is that the detailer needed that information when he or she originally requested it, not several weeks later. The detailer’s workflow, train of thought, and potentially the fabrication schedule are disrupted due to the delay in receiving the information.

Now consider the paperwork and hours required to process and track all of those RFIs. Couldn’t your staff be more productive than when simply managing paperwork?

Our Complete Structural Package™ saves time while minimizing error
The FEG Complete Structural Package™ allows for, and requires, direct communication with our detailer. A simple phone call to our project engineers enables our detailer to resolve any questions or issues immediately, with minimal delay to the detailing workflow. The detailer is also able to make timely recommendations that could affect connection cost or erectability.

What about control of information?
We understand that, for the fabricator, this may feel like a loss of control. That need for control, however, was necessitated by changes occurring during the traditional shop drawing preparation process and the need to protect the fabricator’s budget. By completing the shop drawings during design, this need for control is significantly reduced, and in some cases completely eliminated.

What about my shop standards?
Our Complete Structural Package™ leverages the efficiencies inherent in the fabricator’s shop-specific standards. Indeed, this is a key element of our process. Our electronic review allows us to “finish” the detail model and make it available for bidding purposes yet still incorporate the fabricator’s shop preferences after they have been selected.  Not only are we reducing the schedule and RFIs but we’re also leveraging the shop efficiencies of the fabricator as well.

Who is responsible for the accuracy of the shop drawing then?
For our process, that would be Fitzpatrick Engineering Group. It cannot work any other way! This is also one of the reasons we have partnered with a detailing firm that has the same enthusiasm for technology as we do. We know engineering; they know detailing.

Real-world success
FEG has successfully used our Complete Structural Package™ with different fabricators on several projects. See our upcoming emails for the case studies.

Find out more
To learn more about the Complete Structural Package™ and how it can help you reduce costs for your clients, call us today at 704-987-9114.