Most of us have probably experienced the exercise known as “value engineering,” the process where everyone on the team looks at a design and tries to find ways to save some money.
It can be especially disheartening if you’ve put in long hours to design a system that gets removed from the job. Knowing when a system isn’t required can save money for the owner, as well as extra work and coordination for the design team. One system that can sometimes be removed is the secondary overflow drainage. If you can add up all those raindrops that fall on a roof with clogged drains and they weigh less than the roof can support, you may be able to help lead the owner to that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.