2. The Design Process
• Getting the Job (Qualifications, Experience,
Price)
• Competitive Bids
• Some work requires this (e.g. government)
• Most engineering firms try to avoid bidding work
• Advertisements / RFP
• Networking
• Attending shows and conferences
• Professional society memberships
• Committee memberships
• Repeat business
3. The Design Process
• RFP (Request For Proposal)
• Information as to what is to be designed/built
• May be specific/rigid
– (Structural steel bldg, 60 ft x 90 ft)
• May be general/flexible
– (Medium size hotel)
• Usually sent to approved firms, May be open to public
• Meeting with client
• Find out what the client wants
• Ask the right questions
• Convince the client that you’re right for the job but
don’t promise what you can deliver
4. The Design Process
• Required parameters are given
• Potential options are identified
• Proposal would include scope of work
• Design Build---Turnkey
• Just Design
• Pertinent Experience
• Staffing Sheet w/ Resumes
• Cost of Design
5. The Design Process
• Conceptual Study (Preliminary design)
• Preliminary design sometimes required in
proposal stage
• General arrangement (site and structure)
• Site work – building placed on the site
• Initial “rough” earthwork/grading completed
• Identify any retaining walls
• Interior space allocated for the facility (main rooms,
hallways, lobbies, stairways, exits, etc.)
• Space allocated for parking or verify existing parking
• Estimate parking demand
6. The Design Process
• General traffic flow
• Vehicular (parking, delivery, etc.)
• If large trucks required, is there room?
• Pedestrian (Inside structure and around site)
• General Hydrology and Hydraulics
• Drainage Plan
• Rough surface water routing established
• Building Structure
• Major building systems and components identified
• Framing plan of “typical” bay(s)
• Square foot basis cost estimate
• Preliminary construction schedule
• Rough estimate of cut and fill (if site available)
• Analysis of any potential major design issues or
costs
7. The Design Process
• Conceptual Design Report
• Objective (Purpose of this report?)
• Scope (of this report and of this project)
• Project description
• Discussion of individual areas (i.e. Site, Hydro, Grading,
Structural, Cost)
• Assumptions
• e.g. Assumes shallow foundation
• Cost estimate
• Square foot estimate
• Preliminary schedule
• Rough construction duration
• Conclusions (good idea?, major design issues?,etc.)
• Sketches / Drawings
• Site layout
• Floor plan
• Structure layout(s)
• Others, if completed
8. The Design Process
• At the end of Conceptual Design all major
decisions should have been made.
• Building location, type, size, etc. should be
“frozen”.
• Final design
• Detailed calculations
• Drawings
• Final Cost estimate and Schedule
• Final Report
9. The Design Process
• Permitting
• Most standard
• Encroachment
• Stormwater mgmt. & Sediment control (DHEC)
• Building Permits - County/City (CSA, M&E)
• Begin early enough to allow for delays
• Be aware of special permit requirements
(environmental, etc.)
• May need to meet with permitting agent (county
engineer, DHEC, etc.) to discuss special needs.
10. The Design Process
• Permitting
• Most standard
• Encroachment
• Stormwater mgmt. & Sediment control (DHEC)
• Building Permits - County/City (CSA, M&E)
• Begin early enough to allow for delays
• Be aware of special permit requirements
(environmental, etc.)
• May need to meet with permitting agent (county
engineer, DHEC, etc.) to discuss special needs.
