Field Engineer Duties In Construction (Responsibilities And Daily Checklist)

Field Engineer Duties in Construction (Responsibilities and Daily Checklist)

I’m excited about this topic because I have done a day in the life of a field engineer, but in this one, I’m going to do a day in the life of a field engineer for the different phases. So, I’m just going to get right into it.

Planning Phase: Most of Your Time in the Office

When you’re in pre-construction and you’re in project planning before the job starts, let me just get this for the whole thing here. Let’s just assume this is like 6:00 a.m. This is noon. This is the end of the day. If I put an end of the day, everybody would kill me on YouTube, so I’m not going to do that. But this is like the full day.

If you’re a field engineer in the planning phase, when you get into the office, you’re going to want to get some good quiet time. I’m just going to label this as production. And if you are with a team, this is going to be your check-in time. You might have a couple of meetings throughout the day. So, I’ll write down meetings. And this is pertinent information. I want you to know.

For the most part, you are going to do office work. So, you’re mostly doing lift drawings, and you’re mostly doing primary control activities, meaning like you’re detailing it out in Civil 3D or AutoCAD. And you could have this be office work, and I’ll say slash primary secondary work and control establishment.

By the way, this is a part of a 20-video series. In a previous blog, I talked about the job startup activities. And so really, most of this is job startup and getting it ready. So, you’re going to spend a lot of time in the office.

Concrete Phase: Work Everything Around Placements

Now, when you’re in job startup, you’re in the concrete phase. This gets a little bit different. And I think I’m going to bless you right now because I’m going to use my blue marker, and I’m going to also mention some of the things that you’ll experience, especially during concrete.

So, first of all, it’s probably not just six. You’re probably going to have shift work where you come in a little bit earlier. But a lot of what’s going to happen here is that mainly you’ve got to have a time in the afternoon to plan the next day. So, this is your planning time.

If you’re out doing concrete, chances are you’re going to be doing the concrete placement support early morning, if you’re doing placement. So I’ll write placement. If that is the case, then it would be later on in the day when you came in and you worked on lift drawings and when you did layout and control.

Non-Placement Days: Quiet Time for Lift Drawings, Then Layout

But I want to contrast that to non-placement days. You are probably going to want to get in here a little bit earlier. And work on, before you get bothered, lift drawings, and then go out and spend your time throughout the rest of the day doing layout.

And by the way, that planning meeting does extend. And make sure that you get as much quiet time as you possibly can to study these drawings. In fact, some job sites, even though it was early, like pretty early, I was like, you might come in at 4:00 a.m., 4:30, 5:00 a.m., where it’s super quiet and you can focus, focus, focus, and then go out when you get a little bit more tired and you’re moving and your blood’s moving.

The reason I move these to like mid-day and later day is because when you’re out in the field, yes, you’re a bit tired, but you’re keeping your brain awake through the blood circulation. So that’s planning and concrete.

Interiors Phase: Zone Control Walks and Inspections

And then, when you’re in the interiors, let’s say that you’re moving through that building, one of the things that you’ll really want to do is obviously attend the morning worker huddle. So, I will just write worker.

And then you will want to help the superintendent with what’s called zone control walks. That means wherever there’s a handoff from zone to zone, you are going to go help the lead person or the assistant superintendent to make sure that we’re clearing the way out ahead of the trade partners in their wagon or task, and that we’re punching as we go.

No Massive Punch List at the End: Punch as You Go

None of this punch list at the end of the job. In fact, I can just go ahead and say that right now. We do not want a massive punch list. I’m going to delete that from field engineers’ tasks. Now, there is some amount of punch list, incomplete work list, if like something’s missing. But basically, if we have a contractor working in a zone about to finish, let’s have them punch it out right there.

So zone control. And then what you’ll spend most of your time doing is in work prep and inspections. You’re talking about in-wall, above-ceiling inspections and solving problems with the trade partners. And then in the afternoon, obviously, you have your planning and prep for the next day.

This is a little bit easier on the soul than concrete because you have a little bit more balance to your schedule. But the bottom line is what we need to do is make sure that we’re adjusting to each of these different phases.

Here’s the daily routine by phase:

• Planning phase: office work, lift drawings, primary/secondary control establishment – In planning phase, when get into office, want to get some good quiet time. Production time. If with team, check-in time. Might have couple meetings throughout day. For most part, going to do office work. Mostly doing lift drawings, mostly doing primary control activities, meaning detailing it out in Civil 3D or AutoCAD. Office work slash primary secondary work and control establishment. This is job startup and getting it ready. Spend lot of time in office.
• Concrete phase placement days: early morning placement support, later day lift drawings and layout – Probably have shift work where come in little bit earlier. Mainly got to have time in afternoon to plan next day. Planning time. If out doing concrete, chances are doing concrete placement support early morning, if doing placement. If that case, then later on in day when came in and worked on lift drawings and when did layout and control.
• Concrete phase non-placement days: 4-5am quiet time for lift drawings, then layout rest of day – Non-placement days: probably want to get in here little bit earlier. Work on, before get bothered, lift drawings, then go out and spend time throughout rest of day doing layout. Planning meeting does extend. Get as much quiet time as possibly can to study drawings. Some job sites, might come in at 4:00 a.m., 4:30, 5:00 a.m., where super quiet and can focus, focus, focus, then go out when get little bit more tired and moving and blood’s moving. When out in field, yes bit tired, but keeping brain awake through blood circulation.
• Interiors phase: morning worker huddle, zone control walks, in-wall/above-ceiling inspections – In interiors, moving through building, really want to attend morning worker huddle. Then want to help superintendent with zone control walks. Wherever handoff from zone to zone, going to go help lead person or assistant superintendent to make sure clearing way out ahead of trade partners in their wagon or task, punching as we go. Spend most of time in work prep and inspections. In-wall, above-ceiling inspections and solving problems with trade partners. Then in afternoon, planning and prep for next day.
• No massive punch list at end: punch as you go in each zone – None of this punch list at end of job. Do not want massive punch list. Delete that from field engineers’ tasks. Some amount of punch list, incomplete work list, if something’s missing. But basically, if have contractor working in zone about to finish, let’s have them punch it out right there. Zone control.

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Summary: Adjust to Each Phase

And let me make this board a little bit prettier. I always get self-conscious about the boards. Planning phase, just to summarize, which you’re not supposed to do on YouTube, I’m sorry, is you’re going to spend most of your time in the office. In the concrete phase, you’re going to work everything around your placements. And if you have free time, you’re going to focus on the production of lift drawings in your quiet times. And then, when you’re in the interiors, you’re going to spend much of your time in zone control and helping with inspections.

This is a nice framework, and I think this will do you well.

Field Engineers Are Not Just for Self-Perform

This also goes back to the point that field engineers are not just for self-perform. They’re also for planning, and they’re also for the rest of the building. And you can add, you know, civil site work, central utility plants, roof exterior. It all applies here. These are the three frameworks.

A Challenge for Field Engineers

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Identify which phase you’re in and adjust your daily routine accordingly.

If you’re in planning phase, spend most of your time in office. Do office work. Mostly lift drawings, mostly primary control activities, detailing it out in Civil 3D or AutoCAD. Primary secondary work and control establishment. This is job startup and getting it ready.

If you’re in concrete phase on placement days, do concrete placement support early morning. Later on in day, work on lift drawings and layout and control. Have time in afternoon to plan next day.

If you’re in concrete phase on non-placement days, get in early. Work on lift drawings before you get bothered. Then go out and spend time throughout rest of day doing layout. Get as much quiet time as possibly can to study drawings. Maybe come in at 4:00 a.m., 4:30, 5:00 a.m., where super quiet and can focus.

If you’re in interiors phase, attend morning worker huddle. Help superintendent with zone control walks. Wherever handoff from zone to zone, help lead person or assistant superintendent make sure clearing way out ahead of trade partners, punching as we go. Spend most of time in work prep and inspections. In-wall, above-ceiling inspections and solving problems with trade partners. Planning and prep for next day in afternoon.

No massive punch list at end of job. If have contractor working in zone about to finish, have them punch it out right there. Zone control. As we say at Elevate, field engineer daily routine by phase: planning (office work, lift drawings, control), concrete (placements, layout), interiors (zone control, inspections).

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do field engineers do in the planning phase?

Spend most of time in office. Do office work. Mostly lift drawings, mostly primary control activities, detailing it out in Civil 3D or AutoCAD. Primary secondary work and control establishment. This is job startup and getting it ready.

What’s the daily routine on concrete placement days?

Probably have shift work where come in little bit earlier. Got to have time in afternoon to plan next day. If out doing concrete, doing concrete placement support early morning. Later on in day, work on lift drawings and layout and control.

What’s the daily routine on concrete non-placement days?

Want to get in here little bit earlier. Work on lift drawings before get bothered. Then go out and spend time throughout rest of day doing layout. Get as much quiet time as possibly can to study drawings. Maybe come in at 4-5am where super quiet and can focus.

What do field engineers do in the interiors phase?

Attend morning worker huddle. Help superintendent with zone control walks. Wherever handoff from zone to zone, help make sure clearing way out ahead of trade partners, punching as we go. Spend most of time in work prep and inspections. In-wall, above-ceiling inspections and solving problems with trade partners.

Should there be a massive punch list at the end?

No. Do not want massive punch list. If have contractor working in zone about to finish, have them punch it out right there. Zone control. None of this punch list at end of job.