What is a Design Basis Report?
The Design Basis Report (DBR) documents a project design’s rationale, principles, assumptions, and constraints. Factory design consultants prepare the design basis report to meet the client’s project requirements. It provides a set of conditions and statutory compliances used to design the factory.
A design basis report usually doesn’t go into details. But, since it is project specific, it may be a document covering every aspect of the project.
Why do industrial design consultants prepare a Design Basis Report?
Industrial design consultants prepare the DBR or design basis report for multiple reasons. Some of them are:
- DBR presents the major process and assumptions for certain decisions.
- It captures the client’s requirements and documents them in technical terms and design parameters.
- While assessing and during commissioning, it helps the Project Management Consultants team to evaluate the performance of a system or equipment. The DBR provides a listing of all major design decisions.
- The DBR documents the thought process of the design team.
- It helps in arriving at the project cost.
- The DBR provides information on the priority of certain buildings or structures. The industrial design consultants prepare project timelines accordingly.
When do factory design consultants prepare a Design Basis Report?
The design basis report is an iterative document. It is refined continuously. Typically a DBR is prepared during the concept stage onwards.
Contents of a DBR
The DBR should contain all requirements, assumptions, battery limits, and constraints at the conceptual phase. Industrial design consultants incorporate additional details as the project progresses.
The design basis report should also have information about the project’s constructability. Each component in the project should have a mention in the DBR and the thought process for it. Typically a DBR contains the project name and details, requirements, goals, regulatory compliances, codes and standards, human factors, external factors like wind, rain, seismic zone, design philosophy and conceptual drawings.
The project team must ensure the DBR is complete by the end of the basic design phase. Furthermore, the project team has to ensure that no major changes are made to the DBR, as it impacts project costs and timelines.
To conclude, the design basis report is an essential document that all factory design consultants prepare for projects.
