Common Mistakes Made Before Project Completion
In the civil engineering world, things inevitably get busy right before a project is completed.
It goes without saying that this is to compile the documents and prove that the construction work was properly managed, but as things get busier, mistakes inevitably become more frequent.
I, too, often find myself thinking, “Oh no, I did it again,” while reviewing documents.
So, in this post,Common Mistakes to Avoid Before Project CompletionI plan to do so. I hope that by reading this article, you’ll be able to minimize careless mistakes as much as possible.
Forgot to Take Photos of the Finished Product
A common mistake is,Forgot to Take Photos of the Finished ProductIsn't that right? I've experienced this many times myself.
It’s really easy to forget to take as-built photos amid the daily hustle and bustle. Often, it’s not until we’re compiling the pre-completion documents that we realize we’ve missed them.
When I’m compiling the as-built control charts, I often realize later, “Wait a minute—I didn’t take any photos before demolition,” “I didn’t take any photos of the concrete foundation’s extension,” or “I forgot to take photos of the layout marks.”
By the time I realized it, it was too late, and I’ve gotten in trouble for it many times. Usually, I realize I’ve forgotten to take photos before the project is completed.
As a solution, it’s a good idea to start reading construction plans right from the beginning of your career. By checking the as-built inspection standards in the construction plans, you can see at a glance exactly which photos you need to take.
It becomes difficult to tell which parts were changed on-site
This is just... the worst mistake ever. While a veteran probably wouldn't make this, I imagine many newbies experience this before a project is completed.
If you don't update the drawings with the changes on a daily basis, you're in for a world of trouble right before the project is completed.
I, too, have memories from back in the day when, caught up in the daily grind, I failed to update the drawings with changes in elevation and distances, which made the as-built drawings and final completion drawings before project completion an absolute nightmare.
Not only do I have to redraw the blueprints while checking the dimensions of the structures from among a vast number of photos, but when I’m reworking a massive number of blueprints in a single day, I end up losing track of how far I’ve gotten, and my brain just short-circuits.
To prevent this from happening, it is important to carefully check any changes made on a daily basis and ensure they are accurately reflected in the drawings.
I don't know where the document data went
I'm so swamped with paperwork that...You lose track of where the data went...This is probably another mistake that tends to occur before completion.
A common problem is that while document creation often involves making a lot of copies, because names aren’t changed or the copies aren’t organized into folders when they’re made, it becomes impossible to tell which file is the revised version—and you can’t immediately produce the document when someone asks, “Can you submit that document?”
In particular, you need to be careful with folders related to money management, as the original amounts and the revised amounts tend to overlap, so it’s important to organize them carefully.
The recommended approach is to get into the habit of organizing your folders once a week.Doing this will help you keep track of which data you've stored in which folders.
――Mistakes like these are quite common when you’re young. Even if I, having failed before, share my experiences, new hires are bound to make mistakes—that’s just the nature of construction management.
People say it's better to make a lot of mistakes when you're young, but,We must never forget the attitude of trying to learn from our mistakes.。
