Integrating Vendors, Fabricators, and Construction Teams into a Unified Stress Strategy for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Projects

Abstract

Stress engineering in the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction projects had traditionally been limited to the design level calculations. Nevertheless, fabrication tolerances, construction procedures, and vendor equipment properties modify terminating stress conditions in a manner that cannot be predicted by design calculations. Field parameters like tolerance accumulation and installation sequences manipulate structural behavior in quantifiable measures that influence component life and performance of systems. Designs that have been verified analytically still result in failures during the construction process due to misalignment, improper installation of support and deviation of equipment. The main constituents of this approach are design requirement communication, fabrication tolerance specification, construction method assessment, and data consistency within the phases. With this coordination, duplication is minimized through the detection of conflicts during early project schedules, enhances safety due to the systematic evaluation of hazards at each stage of the construction process, and ensures the validity of design assumptions through the completion of the construction.