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Cost-effective strategies for upgrading and renovating factory

Upgrading, renovating, and expanding the factory will directly affect the architecture, structure, and MEP systems. Therefore, the contractor needs to carefully survey the factory’s current status, the drawings and the as-built documents, etc. to provide suitable solutions, ensuring synchronization and connection between systems, meeting the functional requirements of each production area.

When to renovate the factory?

Factory deterioration after a long period of use

Due to the impact of production and business activities as well as environmental influences, factories can be degraded over time, leading to various issues related to the structure of ceilings, floors, leaks in the enclosure structure, or malfunctions in the HVAC system, electrical system, etc. A deteriorating factory not only results in unstable production and higher energy and fuel consumption but can also interrupt the production process, affecting the output and quality of products, and even pose dangers to workers. Therefore, the owners need to renovate and repair the factory as soon as they detect problems with the factory’s infrastructure or MEP system.

Factory renovation project for the severely subsided factory foundation in Hung Yen – DELCO as the Design-Build contractor

Design/Construction/Operation Errors

Sometimes, minor errors in design and construction may not immediately affect the factory, but over a long period of use, these errors will increasingly and noticeably impact the factory’s production activities.

During the construction phase, if the investor does not have a control and supervision process, some contractors might use low-quality materials, which can seriously affect the building’s lifespan. Additionally, if the investor uses the factory beyond its designed capacity or initial functional design, leading to overload, it can also cause the factory to degrade ahead of schedule.

To ensure the production operation process, the owner must regularly inspect and consider repairing and renovating the factory, from the foundation, walls, and roof to the road system and infrastructure, etc.

Investors’ demand to upgrade and expand the factory

After many years, the design of the factory may no longer suit actual production needs. Investors may want to change the layout, adjust the functionality of different areas, and expand the factory to enhance production efficiency.

Additionally, outdated machinery and equipment not only consume more electricity and fuel but also pose risks of fire and safety hazards. Upgrading the MEP system and using new technologies will help monitor and save energy consumption, as well as ensure greater safety during use.

Issues to consider during factory renovation

Complete procedures for renovating and expanding the factory

When renovating, upgrading, or expanding a factory, owners need to apply a permit for repairing and renovating the facility. Additionally, depending on the renovation items, owners may need to reapply for fire prevention and fighting approvals and conduct environmental impact assessments.

If the renovation does not affect the factory’s fire safety conditions, owners only need to apply for design approval for fire prevention and fighting of the renovation items. Conversely, if the upgrade and renovation affect the fire safety conditions of the entire building, or for some factories built many years ago still following outdated fire safety standards, then the owners need to reapply for a new fire prevention and fighting approval certificate for the entire facility.

Moreover, when repairing, renovating, or upgrading items related to the wastewater system, if there are changes in waste treatment technology or in the location of direct discharge of treated wastewater, etc., it is necessary to re-apply an environmental impact assessment report.

Delco hoàn tất thủ tục thẩm duyệt PCCC tại dự án cải tạo nhà máy Dainese sau khi hoàn thiện các hạng mục xây phòng, dựng cột, thay đổi tường ngăn cháy, cải tạo móng máy...

Delco completed fire prevention and fighting approval procedures at the factory renovation project after finalizing the construction of additional rooms and columns, changing fire partition walls, and renovating machine foundations.

See more: Fire and Explosion Prevention Measures for Factories – Recommendations from the Fire Prevention and Fighting Police

Choose a consistent architectural and structural solution

The architecture and structure of the expansion area need to be consistent and in harmony with the existing building, meeting both aesthetic and functional requirements of the factory. The architectural design should consider flexible space to easily adapt and change the functionality of each area when necessary, allowing for flexible arrangement of production lines and machinery, as well as easy relocation and expansion in the future.

Additionally, the contractor needs to collect old as-built documentation of the building to carefully calculate the load-bearing capacity of the foundation, floor structure, columns, and beams. This helps the contractor propose suitable structural solutions, ensuring the new structure is consistent with the existing architecture, and meets the load-bearing requirements as well as the functional requirements of each production area.

Khi cải tạo, mở rộng quy mô sản xuất, lắp đặt thêm dây chuyền nhà đầu tư cần tính toán khả năng chịu lực của móng máy để đưa ra giải pháp kết cấu phù hợp. 

When renovating and expanding production scale or installing additional production lines, investors need to calculate the load-bearing capacity of the machine foundation to come up with an appropriate structural solution.

Design – Build the MEP system compatible with the old system

The contractor needs to carefully calculate the compatibility in terms of capacity and configuration between the new and old MEP systems, considering whether the system can be further expanded or it must be completely replaced, choosing the appropriate types and quantities of replacement equipment to optimize costs. Additional air ducts, wiring systems, and air conditioning equipment should be installed, adjusted reasonably to avoid conflicts with beams and columns, and to fit with the existing space and structure.

Moreover, if the investor wants to integrate new technologies (smart factory, inverter, PLC…), the contractor must carefully survey the factory’s infrastructure to check if it can meet the equipment installation requirements as well as ensuring availability for the smart system to operate effectively. If the factory’s infrastructure and architecture are not initially suitable for deploying a smart system, it will require renovation at a relatively high cost.

Survey carefully before renovating – repairing the factory

Renovating and repairing factories and workshops is a much more complex task than constructing new ones. It involves connecting with existing infrastructure and structures, ensuring the construction progress and quality without affecting the factory’s production activities. Therefore, a careful survey of the current state before factory renovation and repair plays an extremely important role.

Vấn đề kết nối các hệ thống hạ tầng với kết cấu phức tạp có sẵn của nhà máy, nếu không phải là nhà thầu có nhiều kinh nghiệm, không khảo sát cẩn thận, thì việc thi công sẽ rất rủi ro.

Connecting the infrastructure systems with the factory’s existing complex system is risky if the contractor is not experienced and does not conduct careful surveys.

Ensure uninterrupted production activities

Renovating/expanding a factory is significantly limited by space, time, and construction methods. To minimize the impact on the investor’s production operations, the contractor needs to develop a detailed construction plan. This includes dividing and organizing the construction site and internal traffic logically, implementing careful covering methods to limit construction dust, and scheduling noisy tasks and those requiring turning off the power and water sources at appropriate times that have minimal impact on production.

Moreover, to speed up the construction progress and reduce noise, the investor can choose to use construction technologies and techniques such as using prefabricated steel and precast concrete, which offer good quality and aesthetics and are easily compatible with the existing architecture. Additionally, the investor should seek and choose a professional contractor with extensive experience and deep understanding of industrial workshops to minimize risks, provide an optimal design plan, safe and efficient dismantling and relocation plans, and ensure timely construction that meets production plans.

The low ceiling problem makes the construction work more challenging. In order to ensure that the renovation process does not affect the factory’s production, DELCO had to choose suitable small machinery and combine both machine and manual labor, sometimes having to run 2-3 machine units at the same time to maintain progress. The organization of the construction site is also very important, with processes minimizing noise and dust, collecting and treating waste quickly and efficiently.

Hạng mục cải tạo tại một nhà máy điện tử, dự án do DELCO là Tổng thầu Thiết kế - thi công.

Renovation work at an electronics factory, project by DELCO as Design – Build Contractor

During the renovation process, demolition work must be fully covered, with measures to prevent or minimize dust by covering with tarpaulin, watering, etc.

Control the progress and costs in factory renovation

Renovating and upgrading factories involve many small tasks that require meticulousness, care, and significant time. Additionally, the volume of each renovation task is often small and spread across various locations, so the cost of factory renovation is usually higher than new construction. Therefore, investors should choose a reputable contractor with good construction methods, effective progress and cost control, to avoid wasting the production time.

Moreover, many investors require overtime construction, nighttime construction, and the use of complex methods to shorten the progress and quickly return the production area to the factory. This requires a very high level of effort from the construction contractor, including manpower, machinery, and organizational methods on the construction site.

The factory renovation project with a tight construction space, located next to the container yard, DELCO proposed the use of precast reinforced concrete components to meet the six-month schedule.

Use similar materials

Investors need to pay attention to the choice of finishing materials in factory renovation and expansion projects, ensuring similarity in color and type with the existing materials to maintain architectural and aesthetic consistency, avoiding noticeable discrepancies between the new workshop areas and the existing buildings. Some materials, such as tiles, corrugated iron roofs, and metal walls, are difficult to find with exactly the same color as in the old workshops. Therefore, the contractor needs to carefully research and come up with a suitable design plan to ensure aesthetic uniformity throughout the factory.

Key factory renovation and upgrade projects by DELCO General Contractor

Cost-effective strategies for upgrading and renovating factory
Cost-effective strategies for upgrading and renovating factory
Cost-effective strategies for upgrading and renovating factory

FACTORY RENOVATION PROJECT
DORCO VINA HUNG YEN

The factory’s low ceiling in the renovation area brings challenges to construction progress. To ensure that the renovation process did not affect the ongoing production, DELCO had to choose small, suitable machinery and combine both mechanical and manual methods. Sometimes, two to three machine teams had to work simultaneously to meet the deadline. Organizing the construction site was also crucial, with work processes designed to minimize noise and dust, and the construction waste being collected and handled quickly and efficiently.

Cost-effective strategies for upgrading and renovating factory
Cost-effective strategies for upgrading and renovating factory
Cost-effective strategies for upgrading and renovating factory

FACTORY RENOVATION PROJECT
ANNEX ELECTRONICS

This project was quite complex due to the requirement to demolish many partition walls and repair the foundation and floors. Additionally, as an electronics component manufacturing workshop, the project had stringent requirements for finishing work. DELCO proposed a phased construction plan, rotating construction locations to meet the requirement of schedule within three months, even during the difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2021.

Cost-effective strategies for upgrading and renovating factory
Cost-effective strategies for upgrading and renovating factory
Cost-effective strategies for upgrading and renovating factory

FACTORY RENOVATION AND FIT-OUT PROJECT
DAINESE VIETNAM

The project encountered significant challenges in designing the foundation structure and underground tanks due to conflicts with the existing factory foundation. For each item, such as structure, enclosure, electrical supply, and fire protection, DELCO carefully calculated the design, construction solutions, and structural reinforcement to meet the requirements of the heavy-load production line while not affecting the existing structures like the foundation, roof, and purlins.

With nearly twenty years of experience as a Design-Build General Contractor for FDI factory projects, DELCO has provided comprehensive factory repair and renovation services across a wide range of manufacturing sectors. For each project, DELCO always prioritizes safe design and construction solutions tailored to the specific characteristics of each factory, meticulously paying attention to the smallest details to ensure efficient production plans, saving time and costs for investors.

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