In the world of complex energy infrastructure, the traditional path for delivering substation projects, featuring a sequential handoff from design to procurement to construction, is filled with potential challenges. Each transition has potential for misalignment, rework and cost growth, adding layers of risk that can jeopardize project success.
By shifting critical decisions upstream through early engineering engagement and leveraging integrated teams, the risk profile of a project can be fundamentally changed. When an EPC firm like Burns & McDonnell can team early with internal construction partners like AZCO, it is able to do more than just design for constructability — it can unlock alternative delivery solutions that offer greater certainty in cost, schedule and quality.
Reducing Construction Risk Through Early Engineering
This approach is built on a foundation of proactive collaboration that begins at the earliest stages of project development. By integrating construction input throughout the preliminary and detailed design phases, rather than saving it for a simple late-stage review, this foresight allows teams to identify and resolve spatial constraints, equipment access paths, laydown areas and complex phasing requirements long before any drawings are issued for construction.
Proactive planning on substation projects can extend to procurement, as early engineering allows long-lead equipment such as transformers, breakers and switchgear to be specified and ordered in direct alignment with the construction schedule. This approach avoids the all-too-common "design complete, now wait 40 weeks" bottleneck that can derail a project timeline, which is a key factor in successful substation upgrades.
Delivering construction-ready designs means work is informed by actual geotechnical data and site realities, not just electrical optimization. Foundation designs, grounding grid layouts and duct bank routing are all planned around construction phasing from day one, a strategy that has proved effective in work with customers that allowed for a seamless transition from plan to execution.
Factory-Assembled and Modular Components as a De-Risking Strategy
One of the most powerful outcomes of early teaming between engineering and construction teams is the viability of factory-assembled and modular equipment components for a project. This is not a bolt-on decision; it is a strategy applied from the outset, that enables moving significant portions of the work from the field to a controlled shop environment, and thereby attaining quantifiable improvements across the board. The design must be structured around shipping constraints, lifting plans and interface connections from day one, a process made possible by having fabrication and construction partners at the table.
The benefits of this approach are clear and directly address the most common project pressures: quality, schedule and risk assessments. Quality is significantly enhanced, as shop-controlled fabrication eliminates the impact of weather and enables comprehensive quality assurance in a fixed, predictable environment. The project schedule is shortened, since fabrication can occur in parallel with site work, allowing modules to arrive ready for immediate placement. Further, any material errors or shortages become apparent earlier in the process, enabling earlier corrections and reducing schedule risk accordingly.
This method also mitigates labor risks by reducing the demand for scarce, skilled field labor at the project site. Safety is inherently improved, with fewer field exposure hours, less work at height, and a reduction in on-site heavy rigging. Finally, factory acceptance testing catches issues before factory-assembled modules ship to the site, which streamlines the commissioning process and shortens the final punch list.
Case in Point: The AZCO Advantage
At Burns & McDonnell, our partnership with our construction subsidiary, AZCO, allows us to operate as a single, accountable team. We share project goals, risks and the collective incentive to get it right the first time. This offers clients a single point of responsibility from the earliest engineering concepts through energization.
This integrated project management model, part of our early engagement program, has been a cornerstone of our substation projects. By involving construction leads in kickoff, scope development and design reviews from the earliest stages, we provide the flexibility to deliver factory-assembled or hybrid solutions that a design-only solution simply cannot.
This is how we build with the big picture in mind, delivering predictable, successful project outcomes.
