In brownfield projects, particularly those facilities which are more than three (3) decades old, the availability of native CAD file drawings is almost nil. Redrafting the facility drawing is not an option due to time schedule constraints. The only option left is to use scanned drawings as background for CAD drawings or in the worst case scenario, scanned drawings will be marked up for the new project modifications.
In Queensland, Australia, any design/drawings to be constructed need to be signed off by a Register Professional Engineer. This is where the issue emerged. An Profesional Engineer signing off on a marked-up drawing means that the Engineer is taking responsibility of the complete design. Nobody on its right mind will accept responsibility on something that they have nothing to do with the design. Here is the story.
A coal seam gas project was conceptualized as a result of a proposed expansion of a longwall coal mining operation. Initally, there was a single option. Then the client changed their mind and want to venture other avenues, option 2 was conceptualized. The client may or may not be aware that everytime a new concept pops up, reosurces are expended and it is costing money. Now, another concept needs to be undertaken. A combination of the first two options. At this time however, the client wants to save some bucks as it has already expended so much on the first two options. It was due to this cost saving undertaking that marked-up documents and drawings were agreed to be acceptable deliverables.
Well and good. Now it's time to issue these deliverables through the normal documentation control process. It was only then that project people found out that it was not acceptable to issue marked-up drawings and documents without proper sign-off.
The question is, where can you find a person who will be willing to sign-off a mark-up document? I have tried asking people around but I just can not motivate anybody else to do that for me. Well, I have exhausted all possibilities. I will just leave it to the project management to find a suitable solution to the issue. As for me, I have done my part. My drawings and documents are ready to be issued if policies changed or just be a filed in the archive ready to be finalized in the next stage of the project.