Constructability

{{Short description|Ease of construction}}

{{other uses|Constructibility (disambiguation){{!}}Constructibility}}

Constructability (or buildability) is a concept that denotes ease of construction. It can be central to project management techniques to review construction processes from start to finish during pre-construction phase. Buildability assessment is employed to identify obstacles before a project is actually built to reduce or prevent errors, delays, and cost overruns.The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand Incorporated (IPENZ). [http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/forms/pdfs/PN13_Constructability.pdf Constructability.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018114621/http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/forms/pdfs/PN13_Constructability.pdf |date=2011-10-18 }} Practice Note 13. April, 2008.

CII defines constructability as “the optimal use of construction knowledge and experience in planning, design, procurement, and field operations to achieve overall project objectives”.Construction Industry Institute (1986). [https://www.construction-institute.org/constructability-a-primer Constructability: A Primer]. Research Summary 3-1.

The term "constructability" can also define the ease and efficiency with which structures can be built. The more constructible a structure is, the more economical it will be.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.aisc.org/globalassets/modern-steel/archives/2011/03/2011v03_tips_for_design.pdf |title=Tips for Designing Constructable Steel-Framed Buildings |last=Schwinger |first=Clifford W. |magazine=Modern Steel Construction |date=March 2011 |access-date=April 30, 2019}} Constructability is in part a reflection of the quality of the design documents; that is, if the design documents are difficult to understand and interpret, the project will be difficult to build.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cpwr.com/sites/default/files/publications/krgambatese.pdf |title=Investigation of the Viability of Designing for Safety |last1=Gambatese |first1=John A. |last2=Hinze |first2=Jimmie |last3=Behm |first3=Michael |publisher=CPWR - The Center to Protect Workers' Rights |date=May 2005 |page=5 |access-date=April 30, 2019 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055205/http://www.cpwr.com/sites/default/files/publications/krgambatese.pdf |url-status=dead }}

The term refers to:

• the extent to which the design of the building facilitates ease of construction, subject to the overall requirements for the completed building (CIRIA Construction Industry Research and Information Association definition).McGeorge, Palmer & Kerry London. [https://books.google.com/books?id=EEp6a1AuirUC&q=Construction+management:+new+directions Construction management: new directions], 2nd ed. Blackwell Science, 2002, p. 54.
• the effective and timely integration of construction knowledge into the conceptual planning, design, construction, and field operations of a project to achieve the overall project objectives in the best possible time and accuracy at the most cost-effective levels (CII definition).Construction Industry Institute (CII), based at The University of Texas at Austin. [https://www.construction-institute.org/search?filters=Best+Practice-Constructability CII Best Practices: Constructability]
• the integration of construction knowledge in the project delivery process and balancing the various project and environmental constraints to achieve the project goals and building performance at the optimal level.(CIIAConstruction Industry Institute, Australia. definition).{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Amarjit |title=Creative Systems in Structural and Construction Engineering |publisher=Balkema |year=2001 |pages=96, 97 |isbn=9058091619}}