How a simple change can snowball into a major headache in EPC projects — Unified Engineering to the rescue

Author Markus Sukkinen

In EPC projects, even seemingly minor changes can trigger a cascade of problems that ripple across multiple disciplines, especially if robust systems are not in place to effectively manage and communicate changes. This article explores how even a simple change can lead to widespread issues and why Unified Engineering is crucial for mitigating these risks.

The domino effect: How a basic change in pump specs can wreak havoc

Picture this: a project is moving smoothly, but then, due to unforeseen circumstances, the specifications for a critical pump need to be adjusted. Perhaps the original pump is no longer available, or a higher capacity pump is required.

Let’s break down how this seemingly innocuous change can snowball into significant problems across various engineering disciplines if the change is not timeously and correctly conveyed to all affected parties.

Mechanical & piping design impacts

What happens if the changed information is not transferred correctly?to mechanical & piping department?

When the specifications of a pump change, it can, in the worst case, require the?redesign of the entire system. The new pump might be larger and the the existing layout might not accommodate this size increase. Piping routes might become too tight, maintenance access could be compromised, and incorrect information might be passed on to the civil engineers regarding the pump bed and bolt requirements.

In some cases, also?underground/floor structures like pipe or cable canals and drains could also be affected, leading to further complications.

Civil engineering impacts

Civil engineers rely on accurate data from mechanical and piping designs to create foundations, cable canals, and drainage systems. If they’re working with outdated or incorrect information, the foundation might be designed too small, with bolts placed in the wrong positions.

This not only risks structural integrity but also leads to costly redesigns and delays. The impact on underground infrastructure can be particularly troublesome, as changes to cable canals and drains often require extensive rework.

Electrical engineering impacts

Electrical engineers might find themselves working with undersized power supplies or incorrect cable specifications if they don’t receive updates about the pump change.

This can lead to inadequate overload protection and insufficient grounding measures, increasing the risk of electrical failures. The wrong cable types might be installed, necessitating reordering, reassembly, and potentially significant delays.

Instrumentation & automation impacts

Changes in pump specs can also result in incorrectly specified instrumentation, such as flow meters and pressure transducers.

If the pump now requires different flow rates or pressures, the original instruments might no longer be suitable. This misalignment can compromise the control and safety of the system. In terms of automation, insufficient redundancy and safety features could be designed into the system, leading to a higher risk of failure during operations.

Construction phase impacts

Perhaps the most dramatic impacts occur during the construction phase, where errors from earlier stages come to a head.

The pump might not fit the foundation, necessitating a redesign and possible reconstruction of the foundation–a time-consuming and costly process. Underground piping and canals may need modifications, and prefabricated pipes might no longer fit, requiring redesign, new pipe stress calculations, and in some cases, complete re-fabrication.

If welding is required on-site, stringent safety protocols could further delay the project. Even seemingly minor issues, like the position of a hoist beam or the capacity of a lifting rail, can require redesign and reassembly.

EPC projects are rarely simple. They involve multiple disciplines, contractors, and phases, all of which need to be carefully coordinated. When a project encounters an issue like a change in pump specifications, it’s seldom an isolated event. Multiple such changes can occur simultaneously, each one adding to the complexity and stress of the project.

The pressure to stay on schedule often means that work continues even as these issues arise. However, the faster the pace, the greater the risk of errors, and in these high-pressure environments, it’s usually the flow of information that suffers the most. Miscommunication or delayed communication can turn minor problems into major setbacks, leading to a vicious cycle of rework, delays, and escalating costs!

Unified Engineering to the rescue

The example of a simple pump specification change illustrates just how fragile complex EPC projects can be. It also underscores the importance of having systems in place that can effectively manage and communicate changes across all disciplines to avoid disaster. Unified Engineering is such a “system”. It is an integrated and holistic EPC project approach that mitigates change management risks by combining and integrating all the multiple engineering disciplines, and all phases and processes of a project.

Unified Engineering enables seamless collaboration among all stakeholders involved, facilitates better and faster decision making, and improves efficiency and co-ordination at all stages of a project. Ultimately, having data in a single environment inherently increases quality and timeliness of deliverables through accuracy and consistency of data, but even more importantly it allows teams to assess and manage the impact of design changes in real time, mitigating risks and optimizing performance.

In our pump specification change example, the changed specifications are automatically communicated to different engineering disciplines, project management, the procurement department and end customer. It furthermore guarantees that the latest data and documentation is always available to every stakeholder.

By preventing the cascade of errors that so often plagues large projects, Unified Engineering can help ensure that minor changes don’t become major problems, safeguarding both the timeline and budget of EPC projects.