Project Design

The Pre-Conceptual Design stage denotes the development and documentation of the functional parameters or capabilities that the potential project must meet. The development of criteria, which are complete and specifically related to the project requirements, allows for orderly development of the design. However, care shall be taken to avoid citing superfluous codes and standards; the primary purpose of functional criteria is to narrow the criteria to only those applicable to specific alternatives or options. These functional criteria are further developed, validated, and expanded during the conceptual design stage.

The conceptual design process must ensure that a solution or alternatives are not only responsive to an approved need, but also technically achievable, affordable and will provide the best value to the Department. Research, development, testing and other efforts may be required to finalize a concept. The conceptual design process may also require negotiation with outside organizations, stakeholders or other legal entities on functional, technical, operational and performance requirements or standards. Value Management (VM) is a key process that supports reaching the best cost and benefit life-cycle cost alternative. VM should be employed as early as possible so that recommendations can be included in the planning and implemented without delaying the project or causing significant rework of designs. VM conducted during the early phases of a project yield the greatest cost reductions. Project Managers should familiarize themselves at an early stage with applicable Lessons Learned that may be related to their project, as well as documenting Lessons Learned as the project proceeds.

The Preliminary Design stage initiates the process of converting concepts to a more detailed design whereby more detailed and reliable cost and schedule estimates are developed. This stage of the design is complete when it provides sufficient information to support development of the PB. The appropriate completion percentage is dependent upon the type of project. For basic facilities, such as administrative buildings, general purpose laboratories, and utilities, the design does not have to be as mature as for a complex accelerator facility or scientific instrument. The design is mature when a point estimate can be developed and is ready for an independent review. The determination of a construction project design completion percentage for reporting purposes will be made by the Architect-Engineer as well as by subsystem designers contracted to do the work, and/or other IPT members.

Final Design is the last stage of development prior to implementation. The purpose of the Final Design stage is to prepare final drawings, technical specifications and contract documents required to obtain bids and quotes for procurement and construction. The Final Design should include clear statements of testing requirements and acceptance criteria for the safety and functionality of all subsystems. The project scope should be finalized and changes (coordinated through a documented and approved change control process and CCBs) should be permitted only for compelling reasons (i.e., substantial economies achieved through VE, accommodation of changed conditions in construction, or reduction in funds or changes in requirements). In any case, construction should not be allowed to proceed until the design is sufficiently mature to minimize change orders.

Scientific systems, such as accelerators and detectors, may not follow a linear design process in which all subsystems reach the same maturity at the same time. Concurrency in these types of projects increases the risk because each subsystem design is dependent upon the design maturity of other subsystems. Projects that have several subsystems may have separate preliminary and final design stages. Consequently, final designs may be completed at various points in time in the system development process. Regardless, design reviews should be conducted for all projects and should involve a formalized, structured approach to ensure the reviews are comprehensive, objective, professional and documented.

Design reviews (including constructability reviews, where appropriate) are a vital component of the entire process and should be explicitly included in the schedule for the design effort. Design reviews shall be conducted by reviewers external to the project to document the completion of conceptual design, preliminary design and final design. The fundamental purpose of the design review is to ensure the following:

• Quality of the design

• Operational and functional objectives are met

• Maintenance of costs within the budget

• Design is sufficient for the stage of the project, e.g., for final design, the design is biddable, constructible, and cost-effective

• Interface compatibility

• Final contract documents comply with the design criteria

• A detailed, unbiased, analytical approach is given to all of the above items

Complete design submittals are required at completion of established design stages; design and technical reviews shall then be performed. There shall also be a back-check review at design completion to verify that all comments made during the Final Design review stage have been addressed.