Factory construction is an important step in the process of building, expanding production, and business. A factory designed and built to the correct standards not only helps optimize functionality and save costs but also ensures workplace safety and meets legal requirements. However, without careful preparation, businesses may encounter many problems such as cost overruns, errors in factory design, or failure to meet production requirements.
So, what should you keep in mind before starting construction? BIC advises you on 10 important things to help plan effectively, avoid risks, and ensure optimal project quality.
Before constructing a factory, businesses need to clearly define the usage needs to ensure the factory design is suitable for production activities. Some important factors to consider include:
- Area and Scale: How many square meters does the factory need? Are the height and span suitable for machinery and production equipment?
- Functionality: Will the factory be used for production, assembly, warehousing, or a combination of functions? Each type will have different design requirements.
- Future Expansion Capability: Does the business plan to expand its production scale? If so, it is necessary to design appropriately to ensure the upgrading process in the future does not affect current operations.
Clearly defining needs from the beginning will help optimize costs and avoid unnecessary changes during construction.
The location of a factory plays a vital role in the operation and development of a business. An ideal location not only helps optimize transportation costs but also ensures that the infrastructure is suitable for production needs.
- Convenient Transportation: The factory should be located near major roads, seaports, train stations, or industrial parks to facilitate the transportation of raw materials and goods.
- Technical Infrastructure: The construction area must have a complete system of 3-phase electricity, clean water, telecommunications, and internet to meet production activities. In addition, wastewater treatment and fire protection systems must also be ensured in accordance with regulations.
- Geological Conditions: Before construction, a geological survey is necessary to avoid areas with weak, subsidence-prone, or flooded soil, which can affect the quality of the project.
Choosing the right location not only helps businesses save operating costs but also creates favorable conditions for long-term production and development.
Factory design not only affects production efficiency but also determines long-term construction and operating costs. An optimal design will create a scientific workspace, save energy, and ensure workplace safety.
- Choose a Suitable Structure: Factories can use prefabricated steel frames to save costs and construction time, or reinforced concrete if high durability is required.
- Reasonable Height and Span: The factory needs to be high enough to install ventilation systems and machinery, and convenient for forklifts and trucks to move around.
- Scientific Space Arrangement: Factory design needs to ensure a clear production flow, from the raw material receiving area and production area to the warehouse and shipping area. This helps optimize work efficiency and reduce waste of time and labor.
- Lighting and Ventilation Systems: Utilize natural light, use energy-saving LED lights, and design a reasonable ventilation system to reduce energy costs and improve the working environment.
An optimal design will help businesses save operating costs, ensure work efficiency, and extend the lifespan of the building.
Before commencing construction of a factory, businesses must ensure full compliance with all legal regulations to avoid legal risks and project disruptions. Understanding legal procedures from the outset will facilitate a smooth and compliant construction process.
- Construction Permit: Businesses need to obtain a construction permit from the local management authority to ensure the legality of the project.
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): For large-scale factories or production industries with a risk of pollution, an EIA report and environmental protection commitments are required.
- Fire Prevention and Fighting (FPF) Compliance: The factory must have a standard FPF system, including escape routes, fire alarm systems, and firefighting equipment, in accordance with the regulations of the competent authorities.
- Occupational Safety: The construction project must comply with construction and labor safety standards to ensure the rights of workers during the construction process.
Fully implementing legal procedures not only helps businesses avoid penalties but also ensures safety and stability during subsequent operation.
The budget is a crucial factor determining the scale and quality of the factory. Without a clear financial plan, businesses may face capital shortages or unexpected expenses. Therefore, creating a reasonable budget plan from the outset helps control costs and ensure construction progress.
- Calculate Construction Costs: This includes the cost of materials, labor, machinery, technical systems (electricity, water, fire protection, etc.), as well as related taxes and fees.
- Contingency Planning for Unexpected Costs: Construction projects often incur unexpected costs due to design changes, rising material prices, or additional requirements. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a contingency budget of 10-20% to avoid project delays.
- Compare and Choose a Suitable Contractor: It is advisable to obtain multiple quotes from different contractors to get the most reasonable price while ensuring quality.
Accurate budget planning and contingency plans will help businesses proactively manage finances, avoid cost overruns, and ensure the project is completed on schedule.
The contractor is a key factor directly determining the quality and progress of the factory construction. A reputable contractor not only ensures the project is completed on schedule but also helps optimize costs and minimize risks during construction.
- Experience and Construction Capacity: Prioritize contractors with experience in industrial factory construction, a portfolio of completed projects, and positive customer feedback.
- Transparent and Clear Quotations: Compare multiple quotations to assess reasonable costs, avoiding cost overruns or unnecessary expenses. The contract should clearly state work items, schedule, and warranty commitments.
- Warranty and Maintenance Policy: A professional contractor will have a clear warranty policy, providing support for repairs and maintenance as needed after project handover.
- Occupational Safety Compliance: Ensure the construction unit has safety measures in place to avoid accidents during construction.
Choosing the right contractor not only helps businesses save costs but also ensures the project achieves quality and operates stably for a long time.
Selecting the right building materials directly impacts the durability, cost, and operational efficiency of the factory. A building constructed with suitable materials will help save on maintenance costs, ensure safety, and improve production efficiency.
- Factory Frame: You can choose a prefabricated steel frame to reduce factory construction time and optimize costs, or reinforced concrete if high durability and load-bearing capacity are required.
- Roof and Wall Materials: Use insulated roofing sheets or insulated panels to reduce heat and save energy on cooling systems. If noise reduction is needed, soundproof panels can be used.
- Factory Floor and Foundation: Must be able to withstand heavy loads and resist sinking or cracking. Industries such as mechanical engineering and chemical manufacturing should use heavy-duty concrete or epoxy coatings to protect the floor from abrasion and corrosive chemicals.
- Anti-rust and Waterproof Paint: For steel-framed factories, it is necessary to use anti-rust paint to protect the structure from oxidation, especially in humid environments or near the sea.
Choosing the right materials not only helps extend the life of the building but also reduces operating and maintenance costs in the long run.
Technical systems play a crucial role in ensuring the stable and safe operation of factories and workshops. The design and installation of these systems must be carefully calculated to optimize operating costs and meet production needs.
- Electrical and Water Systems: Factories and workshops require a stable power supply, especially for industries that use high-power machinery. In addition, the water supply and drainage system must ensure that production and domestic needs are met.
- Ventilation and Cooling Systems: To improve the working environment, it is necessary to design natural ventilation systems or install industrial fans, air conditioners, especially for factories and workshops with high temperatures.
- Wastewater Treatment System: For industries that generate industrial wastewater, it is necessary to invest in a standard treatment system to avoid violating environmental protection regulations.
- Fire Prevention and Fighting (FP&F) System: Includes escape routes, fire alarm systems, fire extinguishers, and automatic sprinkler systems in accordance with the regulations of competent authorities.
Investing in quality technical systems will help businesses ensure safety, optimize operations, and meet legal standards.
To ensure the progress and quality of the construction, the business needs a detailed construction plan for the factory, including specific stages from site preparation to factory completion.
- Develop a construction schedule: It is necessary to break down work items such as site leveling, foundation construction, steel structure installation, technical system completion, etc., and set specific timelines for each stage.
- Control construction quality: The business should have a supervision team or hire a construction supervision consultant to check the quality of construction, avoiding errors or the use of substandard materials.
- Ensure labor safety: The contractor must strictly comply with labor safety regulations, equip workers with protective equipment, and take measures to prevent accidents during construction.
A clear construction plan helps the project to be completed on schedule, minimizes risks, and ensures the quality of the factory according to required standards.
Upon completion of construction, the business needs to conduct inspections and acceptance of the project to ensure the factory meets all technical, safety, and operational standards.
- Quality Inspection: Inspect the structure, electrical systems, water systems, fire protection systems (FPS), ventilation, etc., to ensure all items function according to the design. If errors are detected, the contractor must rectify them before handover.
- Prepare Acceptance Records: This includes acceptance records for each item, design documents, as-built drawings, and related documents to serve as a basis for future warranties.
- Regular Maintenance: The factory needs to be maintained regularly, especially the electrical systems, roofing, flooring, and fire protection systems, to ensure the longevity of the structure and operational safety.
Inspection, acceptance, and post-construction maintenance will help businesses avoid problems, improve the long-term efficiency of the factory.
Factory construction is an important process that requires careful preparation to ensure the project achieves quality, optimizes costs, and operates efficiently. Understanding the 10 things to know before commencing construction will help businesses minimize risks, avoid unexpected costs, and ensure the project operates sustainably in the long term. If you are planning to design and build a factory, contact BIC immediately!
