Floor plans are used extensively in the construction industry from initial planning to the final phases of construction. The majority of the floor plans used in construction activities are paper based. Paper floor plans take a beating at a construction site, and, making copies for the various contractors at a building site can be daunting. Using digital copies of floor plans can be an effective way to overcome the flaws associated with managing paper floor plans.
There are also numerous benefits associated with digital floor plans. A few of these benefits include:
- Ability to share floor plans simply via web links.
- Ability to visualize and share construction activity status directly on the floor plan. Great for project managers.
- Ability to create and manage construction punch lists.
- Ability to add detailed features to floor plans for final inspections. For example, damaged building components (e.g. repair broken window, replace stained wallboard, repair cracked paving, etc.), or problems with the final installation of building materials or equipment (e.g. reinstall peeling carpet, replace missing roof shingles, fire and pressure test boiler, obtain elevator use permit, activate security system, etc.) can easily be visualized on an interactive floor plan. Photos can be attached, then shared with pertinent parties.
On other plus for utilizing interactive floor plans in the construction industry is the ability to access these floor plans from mobile devices such as tablets, laptops and smart phones.
