Despite the industry’s growing adoption of Off-Site Construction (OSC) for utility systems, there remains a slowly disappearing perception that prefabrication and modular construction equates to poor maintainability and/or compromised safety. There are two principal reasons for this residual belief:
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- The prefab partner utilized construction methods that support piping and equipment from the floor, creating a complex web of vertical supports that limit movement and access throughout the system.
- The prefab partner wasn’t engaged at an early stage in the process
Avoiding the first scenario is relatively straightforward; choose a partner that designs and builds structurally rated systems enabling piping and other components to be hung from the ceiling. Structurally rated enclosures have other unrelated downstream benefits; such as, easier installation due to roof-mounted lifting lugs in lieu of base-mounted, and a corresponding reduction in field labor required to mount cooling tower assemblies.
Avoiding reason number two can be quite difficult if the project is already far along in the development process. However, if the prefab partner is engaged early, they can help develop a list of priorities for the owner that includes operating, maintenance, and safety considerations. One great example of this is shown in accompanying photo. The manufacturing client that selected Epsilon communicated early on that they see significant time, safety, and operational cost savings by eliminating the need for lifts. In response, Epsilon helped develop integral access platforms within the plant to facilitate regular maintenance, without the need for ladders or fall protection.
In general, the prefabrication partner is only limited by the information provided, their respective build techniques, and the available footprint. If a customer has certain clearance requirements, tube cleaning requirements, overhead compressor removal requirements, water treatment requirements, etc., all can be addressed in the modular design and manufacturing.
To be fair, footprint and height limitations inherent to the site or project can create scenarios where concessions need to be made to the maintainability “wish list”. That said, modular construction methods favorably impact the ability to maximize the space allotted. The structural design allows for the overhead piping noted above as well as multi-level solutions. If you engage a prefab partner with a fully-integrated multi-discipline BIM team, such as Epsilon, there would be no maintainability considerations impacting the prefabricated design that would not equally impact a field-erected design assuming the same information is provided early in the process.
What does that mean for project owners and stakeholders? Getting an experienced Off-Site Construction firm involved early in the process can deliver all the inherent construction benefits of OSC (compressed schedule, cost certainty, reduced field labor, etc.), and accommodate the long-term operations/maintenance/safety requirements of the owner. If you have questions about central plant design, reach out to our team today.
