What Contractors Think About Prefabricated Piping

by George Svenson, Writing Consultant; Watsonville, Calif.,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1978, Vol. 48, Issue 1, Pg. 71-74


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

Among 190 of the largest users of pipe, 77% now use large-scale prefabricated piping. These users report an average saving, using prefabricated pipe versus conventional pipe, of 23%. Before 1950, only one large engineering contractor in 15 had used prefabricated piping on a large scale; and by 1960, only one in four. But through the late 1960's and the 1970's, three quarters had taken advantage of it. Twice as many contractors in the West as in the East have used prefabricated piping. Surprisingly, only 29% of the users say cost-cutting is their chief reason for using prefabricated piping. Among the other major advantages for using it: one-source convenience, better quality than field fabrication; to avoid problems with field labor; to sidestep the problem of getting good people for field fabrication; and to minimize the need for field supervision.

Subject Headings: Pipes | Offsite construction | Contracts and subcontracts | Fabrication | Personnel management | Labor | Benefit cost ratios

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