IMPROVING THE PROCESS OF INSTALLING AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS IN OFFICE BUILDINGS

Abstract

The study focused on improving the installation process of the air conditioning system in a two-story office building with a total floor area of approximately 1,650 square meters, which involved installing 32 VRV air conditioning units. The original scheduled duration was 68 days. Analysis of operational data identified three major causes of installation errors: 1) incomplete and unclear Shop Drawings, 2) procurement and storage of equipment not aligning with the job site or master schedule, and 3) installation not adhering to the specified schedule or design. Corrective actions implemented included: 1) training drafting staff and requiring the supervising engineer to cross-check the AC system drawings with the structural and architectural layouts before approval (reducing time by 4 days), 2) creating a procurement plan aligned with the master schedule, organizing equipment storage with clear separation, labeling, and CCTV installation (reducing time by 5 days), 3) daily pre-work briefings for technicians to clarify work order and methods, 4) increasing the installation team from 4 technicians and 4 assistants to 6 technicians and 6 assistants, and 5) streamlining the fine-tuning and performance inspection steps (reducing time by 6 days). As a result of these process improvements, the project's operational duration was successfully reduced by 15 days, representing a 22.06 percent reduction from the original 68-day schedule, and also led to a corresponding 22.06 percent reduction in total operating costs.