A project deliverable is first created as an assembly structure. Items in an assembly structure are usually shown in the order they are physically connected to each other. The assembly structure is important and serves as the main structure for project deliverables. It enables calculations of required quantities, required dates, and planned costs. Material can be reserved for parent items using the project deliverables assembly structure. This structure is also used for creating material plans and additional plans, such as estimates, work, and shipment. The assembly structure is created when entering components in Project Deliverables Design/Components. It can also be created when copied from PDM, product structure, or an item configuration.
The assembly structure is crucial, but sometimes there is a need to show items in other types of structures. These additional structures can be defined using navigation models. Navigation models create an alternative way of explaining a project deliverable structure. They consist of attribute values and can have names like facility, part of facility, building, room, area, segment, ship, and sections. These navigation models and their attribute values are manually created. The attributes to create differ between industry standards, company procedures, engineering disciplines, and the purpose of the model. In a navigation model, project deliverable items are grouped together using attribute values. For example, items can be grouped by attributes such as facility, part of facility, building, floor level, room, area, segment, ship, and sections to create a location structure.
In the shipbuilding industry, the ship hull is created by welding pre-fabricated sections together. Entire multi-deck segments of the hull or superstructure are built elsewhere in the yard, transported to the building dock or slipway, and then lifted into place. This is known as “block construction.” Modern shipyards pre-install equipment, pipes, electrical cables, and other components within each section to minimize the effort needed to assemble or install components deep within the hull once it is welded together. At this stage, sections act as temporary locations. A navigation model with attribute values for sections can be created. Steel, equipment, pipes, electrical cables, and other components can now be connected to sections.
Once the hull is set up, actual locations like the top deck, fore deck, main deck, control room, and engine room start to exist. Equipment, pipes, electrical cables, and other components can now be connected to new attribute values like engine room, emergency generator, and control room in a new navigation model. This structure is now used for commissioning, operation, and maintenance. The structure of the navigation model and connected components can now be copied to Asset Design and Maintenance (Equipment).
The temporary model for the pre-fabrication of sections and the model for operation and maintenance can coexist. There is no limit to how many navigation models a project deliverable structure can be connected to.
Navigation model - Created in three steps:
Navigation model - Examples
| Temporary location structure to show the prefabrication of sections during the construction phase | |
| Attribute values | Deliverable items and components are connected to attribute values |
| Section 1 | Pre-installed equipment, pipes, electrical cables, and any other components in section 1. |
| Section 2 | Pre-installed equipment, pipes, electrical cables, and any other components in section 2. |
| Section 3 | Pre-installed equipment, pipes, electrical cables, and any other components in section 3. |
| Final location structure for the operation and maintenance phase | |
| Attribute values | Deliverable items and components are connected to attribute values |
| Engine room | Equipment, pipes, electrical cables, and any other components in the engine room. |
| Main deck | Equipment, pipes, electrical cables, and any other components on the main deck |
| Control room | Equipment, pipes, electrical cables, and any other components in the control room. |
Navigation model - Templates
Navigation Model templates provide an easy way to create navigation models. A navigation model can also be saved as a template.
Navigation model - Copy to Asset Design and Equipment
A complete navigation model with attribute values, deliverable items, and components can be copied to Asset Design and Equipment. A navigation model can be copied as a function structure to Equipment. It can also be copied as a function, location, process, pipe system, from/to, and electrical structure to Asset Design. These structures can then be transferred two-ways between Asset Design and Equipment.