Bentley Systems to offer free Advanced Work Packaging training at ‘Downstream 2019

Bentley Systems will deliver a free to attend “Advanced Work Packaging Training for Contractors” at 10 a.m. on June 12 at the Downstream 2019 Conference.

Downstream 2019 will feature free content theaters that will deliver cutting-edge technical content and training.

Nearly 10,000 petrochemical, chemical, refining and LNG professionals will convene at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas this Tuesday and Wednesday for the world’s largest ever downstream event, the Downstream 2019 Exhibition and Conference.

In addition to an exhibition hall, keynote addresses, and workshops by both owners and suppliers, the downstream trade show will pioneer free content theatres that will showcase the industry’s latest and greatest, and deliver cutting-edge technical content from industry partners, associations and major working groups.

Besides Bentley System's Advanced Work Packaging (AWP) training, additional free content theaters by players such as BearingPoint and ROCKWOOL will showcase the latest technology with hands-on demonstrations as well at Downstream 2019 in Houston.

Advanced Work Packaging

Advanced Work Packaging (AWP) is an industry best practice that begins during early project planning and spans the entire project lifecycle.

AWP is a work process framework based on thinking with the end in mind. It is designed to allow engineering planning to be driven by construction sequencing.

Companies can realize improvements in productivity of 25% and reduce total install costs by 10% using AWP techniques, according to Bentley Systems.

Since the first wave of construction projects in the U.S., the AWP process, has grown in popularity in North America as a way for owners and contractors to handle the construction boom environment in which schedules, budgets and labor are increasingly tighter.

There are now many major owners who require AWP from their suppliers before bidding on a project. ExxonMobil, Shell and Dow are among the owners using AWP for mega projects.

According to Concord Project Technologies AWP is a construction-driven planning and collaboration system for building capital projects that is sharply focused on creating a constraint-free work environment in the field. It requires that detailed work packages be created early in the project lifecycle; i.e., in advance.

These work packages must be informed by a Project Execution Plan and a detailed Path of Construction and supported by a comprehensive and disciplined stakeholder integration. Removing field constraints— ensuring that people have the equipment, materials and instructions to complete their work -- reduces idle time, increases labor productivity and improves project outcomes.

Whereas traditional systems bring in construction leaders just before the shovels go into the ground, AWP requires that construction leaders be involved in planning from the outset.

Standard systems organize work packages around engineering, design or a myriad of other drivers, whereas AWP requires that work packages be organized solely around the Path of Construction.

Image source: The Advanced Work Packaging Institute

AWP Growth in U.S. Downstream Projects

Olfa Hamdi spoke to Petrochemical Update about the growth of AWP in projects.

“AWP is not just about creating packages, it is mostly about developing a solid sustainable Path of Construction as a formal deliverable that includes clear work areas and clear consideration of all constraints of the project,” Hamdi said.

Hamdi founded the Advanced Work Packaging Institute and co-founded Concord Project Technologies. Concord specializes in helping organizations implement AWP and transform their project delivery capabilities toward achieving predictability.

“The most notable benefit from AWP implementation is field execution acceleration and accuracy which translates in schedule savings," Hamdi said. "Cost savings have been observed but they do depend on the level of maturity of AWP implementation."

“There is an initial front-end cost to it, but savings achieved down the road are way worth it,” she added.

Indirect benefits observed and documented by the AWP Institute are improved front end alignment and more predictability to the overall project value.

The Institute has documented up to 25% savings of total installed costs and up to 15% field productivity increase.

AWP originated in Canada in 2013 about the same time the North American construction industry was booming in the petrochemical sector.

This newly discovered solution was a result of a joint study via the Construction Owners Association of Alberta and the University of Texas at Austin.

Improvements in field productivity using AWP have reached 37% increase in tool time. Evidence of AWP implementation benefits also include over 25% savings in chemical project construction and engineering costs, according to the AWP Institute.

By Heather McGuire Doyle