When your business is planning a new construction project, whether it’s an expansive warehouse, a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, or a new corporate office, the design and build process can feel like a complex puzzle. Every piece has to fit perfectly, and a misstep in one area can cascade into expensive problems in another. One of the most common—and costly—areas of friction is the coordination between the electrical design and the structural plan.
The Costly Clash of the Trades
Traditionally, the electrical plans and the structural drawings are developed in relative isolation. The architect and structural engineer lay out the bones of the building—the load-bearing walls, the steel beams, the concrete pours. Meanwhile, the electrical engineer maps out the arteries of power—the conduit, the panels, the lighting, and the machine feeds. It’s often only on the job site that the teams realize their plans conflict.
Imagine this scenario: the steel structure is up, and the framers are ready to close up a wall, only to find that a crucial conduit run for a massive piece of machinery needs to pass directly through a reinforced structural column. Or, the mechanical contractor installs a large HVAC unit, and the electrician discovers the planned route for the heavy-gauge power cable is blocked by a newly-poured concrete slab or a key support truss.
The Seamless Solution: Integrated Planning
This is where the concept of integrated electrical and structural planning comes into play. It’s not just about having two sets of drawings; it’s about having the two teams—the structural designers and the electrical experts—working together from day one under a unified, coordinated process. When your electrical contractor is brought in at the foundational design stage, they can flag these conflicts before they even make it onto a blueprint, let alone the construction site.
This collaboration is especially critical for our industrial and commercial clients. Your facilities rely on robust, uninterrupted power, often for specialized machinery or complex automation systems. The placement of a single wall chase for a major feeder line or the location of structural supports for heavy transformer pads must be perfectly synchronized with the building’s framework.
Conduit Coordination is King 👑
In non-residential construction, conduit placement is one of the biggest coordination headaches. Getting electrical conduit—the tubing that protects wires—into, through, and around the structure is a precision task. In an integrated process, our electrical team can work directly with your General Contractor (GC) to map out optimal conduit runs that avoid load-bearing elements, pre-determine penetrations in concrete forms (known as sleeves), and ensure clear pathways for future access and maintenance.
This foresight avoids the infamous “drill and patch” scenario. When conflicts arise late, the structural integrity can be compromised by improperly cut chases, or worse, the job stalls as the teams try to find a workaround, leading to schedule delays and expensive change orders.
Optimizing for Equipment Power and Safety
Consider the power requirements for your HVAC systems or a new assembly line. The electrical gear—switchgear, motor control centers (MCCs), and dedicated panels—requires dedicated space and structural support. Through integrated planning, the electrical load requirements dictate the best location for the gear, and the structural team simultaneously designs the necessary steel support pads or reinforced foundation areas to handle the weight and vibration.
This avoids a situation where a piece of crucial electrical equipment has to be shoehorned into an awkward space because the structure can’t handle it elsewhere, leading to potential code violations or maintenance difficulties down the road. Safety and long-term functionality are baked in, not bolted on.
The Ultimate Payoff: Time and Money Saved 💰
The true benefit to you, the customer, is a dramatic reduction in rework costs and a more predictable construction schedule. A few hours of collaborative design work in the planning phase can save tens of thousands of dollars and weeks of delays on the job site. When the electrical and structural teams are in constant communication, the entire project flows smoother, leading to a higher quality build that is completed on time and on budget.
By choosing a contractor that champions this integrated, systems-synergy approach, you’re investing in efficiency. You’re not just paying for wires and walls; you’re paying for a well-coordinated plan that eliminates waste and ensures your new facility is fully optimized for your industrial, commercial, or agricultural needs from the moment you flip the switch.
This blog post was created by Ag Electric Services, LLC, an Arkansas based electrical and general contractor serving the following areas of Central and Eastern Arkansas: McCrory, Augusta, Newport, Wynne, Brinkley, Des Arc, Forrest City, Hickory Ridge, Cherry Valley, Tuckerman, Jonesboro, Searcy, Pangburn, Heber Springs, Greers Ferry, Rosebud, Quitman, Romance, Kensett, Georgetown, Cabot, Beebe, El Paso, Hickory Plains, Carlisle, Lonoke, Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Jacksonville, Maumelle, Conway, Mayflower, Vilonia. If you would like more information about the services we provide, please click “Services” in the main menu, or contact us through the online information request form on the “Contact Us” page.