Site Surveys are an invaluable tool for ensuring an offshore installation or refurbishment project is completed safely, efficiently, on time, and on budget. By performing a site survey before bidding an offshore module or technical building project, the manufacturing company gains a greater understanding of the scope of work to be done. This greater understanding allows the manufacturer to provide custom solutions that address the needs of the project without any unnecessary add-ons that are often quoted to cover unknowns during the bidding process.

Armoda has utilized site surveys to help save our clients time and money on their offshore accommodation package installations and offshore asset refurbishments. In this article, we break down the site survey process for new installations and refurbishment projects, as well as the benefits a site survey provides to the client.

Getting On Site

Site Surveys for an offshore asset begin with setting a date and time for an offshore technician to travel to the location to perform the survey. Once the technician and the client have agreed to the time and date, transportation arrangements are implemented. Transportation can include things like the technician driving to the port where the vessel is docked, hopping a ride on the supply vessel, or booking a seat on the next helicopter going to the location.

Site Survey

When the technician arrives at the location, they go through the necessary check-in and safety procedure meetings. Once completed, the technician will then be led to where the new installation will be placed or to the facilities that need to be refurbished. The technician will then review the space with the client and identify the scope of work required for the type of work being requested. To compile the scope of work, the technician will check:

For a New Installation Site Survey

• Identify what would be required for installation, including:
• Specialty tools and equipment
• Commissioning spare parts
• Hot work permits
• Develop a plan based on site-specific variables, including:
• Lifting capabilities
• Deck and/or foundation limitations
• Location for utility connections for power, water, sewer, data, etc.
• Integration requirements with the host facility
• Identify all hazards and safety requirements
• Information on facility siting plan

For a Refurbishment Site Survey

• Review the buildings or modules that require refurbishment to develop a detailed scope of work
• Identify what material, equipment, tools, and work permits would be required on-site to perform the work
• Survey auxiliary or utility systems to determine compatibility and integration requirements
• Develop floor plans and drawings for client review and approval
• Identify all hazardous and safety requirements to develop a plan accordingly
• Look for items that the customer may have overlooked that can be repaired and included in the refurbishment scope.

Survey Report

Once the technician has completed inspecting the site, they will return to their office and begin reporting their findings. In this report, they provide the customer with:

New Installations

• An accurate estimate of labor hours required for installation and commissioning.
• Develop a Bill of Materials necessary to complete the installation, considering things such as cable, pipe, and hose lengths to tie into utility systems and auxiliary equipment on-site. These factors will be determined by the facility layout in relation to utilities for power, water, sewer, communications, etc., as well as egress routes and safety systems.
• Provide recommendations to optimize the design. Based on the technician’s experience, they will recommend the facility arrangement and placement of auxiliary equipment.

Refurbishment

• An accurate estimate of labor hours required for the requested units and equipment to be refurbished based on the current condition and the full scope of work.
• Identify items that were not originally within the scope of work that are also needed and optional items that could be completed within budget.
• Provide recommendations to optimize design. Based on the technician’s experience, they will recommend materials and new layouts of the refurbished units to better suit the customer’s needs.

Site Survey Benefits

Site surveys provide manufacturers with the information they need to give accurate, cost-effective quotes for work. This is accomplished in a few ways:

Accurate Bid and Scope of Work

Performing a site survey allows the scope of work to be fully defined by the manufacturer before bidding. This allows for accurate bids for the customer, so they can budget for the project with greater confidence.

Eliminates Hidden Costs & Reduce Hazards and Risk

By developing an accurate scope of work and Bill of Materials, the site survey accounts for unseen issues that often arise when a project is started without a survey. For example, costly installation and refurbishment delays are no longer taking a three-week project out to six to eight weeks as all the equipment, material, and tools are accounted for before starting. It also allows for the plan to identify any safety concerns or hazards on-site so that the plan can be developed to mitigate those risks.

Armoda is a global supplier of modular buildings and packaging solutions for people and equipment in the oil and gas, maritime, utility, petrochemical, and defense industries. Contact us today if you have a question about the site survey process or would like to set up a site survey for an upcoming project.