Pipe Rack Bolt Takeoff

[RusEstimator]

Be kind; this is my first post although I read this forum regularly; also someday, I hope to be among your rank:

I would like your opinion on the following: We are construction firm that is working out of Eastern Russia where material ordering can be a major concern. One of our current projects is a pipe rack that has some very interesting (to Western standards) connection points. We have told our client we can fabricate off of the IFC drawings that have come from the engineering company without a problem and we do not need any further detail drawings besides their connection details. We are receiving drawings late from the engineering firm (Western (US) parent company but designed in Russia) and we are responsible for the ordering of the bolts. We have asked our client to contact the engineering firm to see if they have a material take off for the bolts to compare against the ones we have manually counted from their drawings (over 42,000). Their response is “it is up to the contractor to get this information.”

I have always been under the impression that the engineering company should be able to provide this information fairly quickly since it is their design.

Do you agree with the engineering company? If so why? Thank you for your response

 

[GregLamberson]

Generally the engineering company will provide material take offs. However, it is dependent on the type of contract. The engineering company may not have the responsibility in their cohtract, it may be in the construction contractors (if this is not an integrated EPC).

Without knowing any other information, what I would suggest is to look at the installation schedule and how long it will take to order and receive the bolts. Order what is needed so as not to delay the installation. You may want to order the 42,000 plus a 5% contingency now. But again it depends on the installation schedule.

I certainly would not hold up installation for lack of bolts.

Greg Lamberson
Consultant - Upstream Energy
Website:

http://www.oil-gas-consulting.com

 

[RusEstimator]

Mr Lamberson:

Thank you for your quick response. I agree with what you have written and we are not going to delay with the ordering of material and we will include a contingency. I was just curious from the engineering company perspective if they had to calculate the type of bolts (including additional weight) in their design. I am certain they do; consequently I thought they would be able to generate an applicable BOM (at least with quantities of each size bolt).

The connections are also a little different then I am used to for a pipe rack because, as a condition, all bolted connection are to be double nutted. We are concerned in some areas of the multiple connections to I-beams that we do not order them too long as the clearance between flange bolts and web bolts will be minimal. This is another reason why I thought the engineering company would have bolt information.


I appreciate your comments

 

[GregLamberson]

You are correct in your thoughts, generally the engineering firm will do the MTO and provide it to procurement to purchase.

Again, it may be in the contractors scope to provide some or all of the permanent materials and if so then it is their responsibility.

You may want to check contractually and if that is the case, or any other situation whereby the engineering company is not responsible, if you are in a position to do so, you may issue a change order to the engineering company asking them to do the work. Just a thought.

Greg Lamberson
Consultant - Upstream Energy
Website:

http://www.oil-gas-consulting.com