Completing the health and safety file
Unit 05 – Construction Technology & Design in Construction
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Financial Influence
Every construction project large or small starts with a budget, the budget is how much money the client is willing to spend on the project in hand. The project can be as small as a loft extension and can be as large as a high rise building, however the products used and the level of detail with regards to the appearance and quality of the construction is massively influenced by the clients budget for the project, in some circumstances the client may be willing to go over the budget and has enough money to do so but in other circumstances the client cannot go over their budget and sometimes the budget can even be revised and changed to a lower amount. The client will usually start with just an idea of what they want to construct they would then need to get an architect to look into the design and give a rough estimate of how much the project is going to cost based on square meterage of the project and experience of previous projects, the client should hold back a sufficient amount of funds as a contingency in the case of any unforeseen circumstances as this is common in the construction industry, such as delays caused by weather, material and labour shortages as well as mistakes in the design process and delays in delivery of materials. It is also quite common for money for the project to run out and this can result in the work coming into difficulties or even complete cease of work until more funds become available.
Unit 05 – Construction Technology & Design in Construction
dependent on the client’s needs, the client may have a certain date they require the project to be complete, some clients can be quite lenient on the time scale required, this would all be discussed at the planning and design stages. The architect and principle contractor will discuss and provide the client with a realistic timescale and will set out key milestones throughout the project and keep the client up to date on what stage of the construction they are at and what comes next. Architects will also provide the client with certificates to approve that each stage has been complete.
Environmental Constraints
Another main factor that influences the design process is environmental constraints, the
environmental constraints on a construction project can vary from site to site. The type of materials used and how they have been made is a big environmental constraint and is set out in the building regulations, every building materials manufacturer has set criteria it has to meet with regards to its harm to the environment when it is manufactured, there is also criteria with regards to how it is recycled at end of life and it’s how it effects the ozone in its performance. This can influence the design process as to what materials can be specified, there will also be a certain green guide rating or BREEAM rating that the whole project needs to meet, and this is calculated in the design process.Building Regulations
The building regulations are another factor that influence the design stage, all materials that are specified at the design stage must comply with the building regulations and this can dictate the materials that can and can’t be used, this can also effect the clients vision if what is wanted doesn’t comply with the regulations and therefore the design would need to be adjusted to suit, there is also installation problems that can occur on site which would lead to the detail or design being revised or completely changed so that it complies. Building control carry out regular inspections throughout the project and work can be stopped at any time if it is noticed that the regulations are not being followed. Other factors included in the building regulations are based on the location where the building is being constructed so depending on the current state of the foundations and the other surfaced in the area the design would need to be adjusted to include this in their design.
Architect
In order to become an architect you will require a university degree that is recognised by the archi-tects registry board (ARB) you will then be required to gain a year of relevant practical work experi-ence, you would then be required to complete a further 2 years in university achieving a BArch or March followed by a further year of practical training before completing a final qualifying exam. You will also need to be a member of RIBA which can assist with training opportunities and industry con-tacts.
Landscape Architect
To become a landscape architect you must complete a relevant degree that is recognised by the land-scape institute this includes, landscape architecture, garden design, landscape design and technol-ogy, landscape planning, environmental conservation, however you can also complete college cour-ses which can help getting started with a career which you would then be required to gain experi-ence and work up towards a landscape architect, these college courses include Level 3 diplomas in landscape construction or horticulture.
Building Services Engineer
To become a building services engineer you must complete a university degree that is accredited by the chartered institute of building services engineers this can include a building services degree, an architectural engineering degree or a mechanical engineering and building services degree, however employers may also accept candidates that have a related degree like electrical engineering, con-struction etc. finally you can also become a structural engineer with the relevant college course like a HND although you would then need to join a company as a trainee and work your way up from there.
Architectural Technologist
The role of the architectural technologist to assist the architect in producing the accurate drawings of the construction project, the drawings must be accurate enough to assist the quantity surveyor in producing a bill of materials. The architectural technologist must have the knowledge and under-standing of construction technology, it is there job to work closely with the architect and other mem-bers of the design team to produce the architectural designs and come up with any design solutions on the project, they are required to negotiate and asses the requirements of the client. They must also evaluate the refurbishment, reuse, recycling and deconstruction of the building as well as evalu-ating the on any other environmental, legal and regulatory issues.
Quantity Surveyor
It is the job of the quantity surveyor to accurately determine and calculate the amount of materials required on the project, it is their duty to liaise with the architectural technologist, structural engi-neer, client and architect in order to produce complete bill of materials based on the drawings and information provided by the design team. They must then use all records of the bill of materials and identify all necessary information to draft out the project specifications, the quantity surveyor can then also give a rough guide to the client of how much the project is going to cost. Other duties in-clude checking tender documents and re-evaluating the costs as the project progresses. If the quan-tity surveyor miscalculates the material quantities then this can delay the project due to re-ordering of materials, if the estimated costs of the project is wrong then this can also cause serious problems for the client, so it is the quantity surveyors job to check and ensure there are little to no mistakes.
Interior Designer
The interior design is responsible for designing the interior aspects of the design, interior designers are usually used in projects where the internal finish and décor is an important part of the construc-tion, it is their responsibility to produce plans and drawings as well as all the required specifications of the materials used. The interior design must communicate with the quantity surveyor and the ar-chitectural technologists so that they are aware of the requirements.
Facilities Manager
The facilities manager is mainly involved when the building is complete, it is their responsibility to carry out any maintenance work that’s required on the building. The maintenance work can include painting and decorating, door maintenance, floor or carpet replacement and maintenance to electri-cal appliances such as lighting and heating. The facilities manager must also ensure regular inspec-tions are being carried out on the building and that the building is kept clean.
Task 3 (P3)
a) Identify at least 6 members of the construction/production team and for each member of the design team state the qualifications that they would be expected to have
In order to become an estimator you will need to complete either a degree or higher national diploma in one of the following; structural engineering, civil engineering, construction, quantity sur-veying, however you can also become an estimator by completing an apprenticeship as a project controls technician, typical entry requirements for this is 5 GCSEs A*-C.
Construction Contracts Manager
There are no formal qualifications required to become a buyer, you could become a buyer by com-pleting a university or foundation degree in either business studies, purchasing logistics or supply chain management. You can also become a buyer with a college qualification level 4 or higher in a relevant subject which proves you have a good standard of numeracy and literacy, and finally you can also become a buyer by starting off in the industry as an assistant or junior and working your way up.
Plant Manager
Unit 05 – Construction Technology & Design in Construction
being installed and produce the relevant site reports, finally the site manager oversees any day to day problem solving or queries from all members of the workforce.
Construction Planner
The construction planner oversees the planning of construction projects, they are responsible for en-suring the works is planned out efficiently and economically, this includes planning of labour, con-struction materials, plant works and equipment. Other roles and responsibilities of the planner in-clude; ensure projects are completed within its timeframe and that the work is within budget, creat-ing regular reports and presentations to show forecasts to clients and stakeholders, regular meetings with the production team and the suppliers to keep track of timescales and ensure work is going to plan, maintain a planning contingency for any unexpected delays in timescale, liaising with estima-tors regarding resources required for the project, assist in writing bids for tender and breaking large projects into separate phases.
Unit 05 – Construction Technology & Design in Construction
rect plant equipment or tool required on site and they do this through using equipment that is stocked or purchasing and renting new equipment that is required, it is also the responsibility of the plant manager to keep up the maintenance of the plant equipment and provide training to opera-tives using the equipment. Other duties of the plant manager include; managing all plant work docu-mentation, keeping record of plant stock and records of rented equipment, negotiating with rental companies to try get the best deal and assist with planning budgets.
Subcontractors
The subcontractors are employed by the building contractors, subcontractors are usually employed on projects where specialist works are required on a specific area of the project. The subcontractors carry out specialist works such as structural steel work or formworks, electrics and plumbing and even painting and decorating firms. Subcontractors can also be labour only firms, this is required in situations where the building contractor has subbed out installation of their material on the building, most of the subcontractors roles and responsibilities are similar to that of the building contractor only more specific to their specialist trade, there are instances where subcontractors may have a good relationship with an architect or client and they are named in the contract documents this means that that the subcontractor named must be used on that project.
Safety Officer
The safety officers are responsible for all health and safety related issues, this includes carrying out safety inspections, keeping records of all H&S documents like risk assessments, accident investiga-tions etc. in the event of an accident it is the safety officers responsibility to investigate the accident and the safety officer is also in charge of providing health and safety training to members of the workforce.
When discussing the location of the building and what type of construction would be required the client must also look at the cost options, this includes how it would be funded, what return it could produce once in use and over its use of life, cost of disposal at end of life as well as the cost of the land and cost of construction. Once all the above has been discussed and defined and the business case is complete the next part of stage 0 is deciding whether the project is valid based on the infor-mation in the business case this is known as the options appraisal. If it is decided that the project is valid then the final part of stage 0 is creating a strategic brief which establishes the basis for the project and subsequent stages. The strategic brief will include the clients situation, where the clients wants to be and how they plan to get there, it must cover all the topics discussed in the business case and make reference to the detail from the options appraisal, it needs to be clear and concise so that it is easily understandable to the client as it will adopted as their own. The strategic brief must make a good case to assist the client in understanding the viability of the project. When the strategic brief is complete it must report and summarise the results of everything discussed in stage 0.
1-Preparation & Brief
3-Concept Design
The concept design stage of the RIBA plan of work 2013 is the very beginning of the design stage it-self, the concept design stage is about taking the initial project brief built up of the information gath-ered in stages 0 & 1 and turning them into specific design ideas. The concept design before the RIBA plan of work was introduced was always carried out by the Architect, the introduction of the concept design stage as part of the plan of work has now involved the wider projects team into this stage, it is a chance for the architect to show off his skills and visions and bring some excitement into the project. For the concept design stage to run smoothly and effectively then the work and discussions carried out in stages 0 and 1 must be adequate and applied correctly, for existing buildings being ex-tended then stage 7 must also have been adequate and correctly applied. For most of the projects team the concept design stage is the beginning of the project and the part of the plan of work where the architectural concept comes into place. The concept design gives the wider projects team an op-portunity to give their ideas on how they can contribute to the stage and how they expect to take part. The concept design stage is about sharing ideas of what the building is going to represent and how it’s going to enhance the reputation of the area as well as being a massive benefit to the local public. The stage includes discussions based around the historical and cultural references of the area and how this building is going to replicate this and fit into the surrounding architecture, it is an op-portunity for both the architect and the wider projects team to use their imagination to come up with a proposal that exceeds expectations and build up excitement around the project and the client. Stage 2 of the RIBA plan of work 2013 is about helping the client understand how the building is go-ing to perform and what it will look like this includes when it can be delivered and how much it will roughly cost. The first section of stage 2 is the core objectives, the first core objective is preparing the concept design, this will include a concept of the structural design from the structural members of the projects team, a concept of the building services design from the building services members of the project team and the overall building design from the architect and the rest of the design team. The concept designs from each of the projects team will need to include outline specifications of ma-terial and details used as well as the preliminary costs associated. As part of the core objectives the projects team along with coming up with a concept design are required to advise on project strate-
Unit 05 – Construction Technology & Design in Construction
clients brief, the developed design stage focuses on turning the concept design into a rationalised and validated design and for the design team to prove that the concept design works as well as checking its affordability. The client doesn’t need to be directly involved at this stage as this stage is simply about developing the concept design and making it ready to be progressed into a technical design in stage 4, the client would only need to be involved in this stage if there are changes to the concept design created in stage 2, however he must be informed of the progress of stage 3. Stage 3 is said to be the threshold between creating and delivering a project. If the planning application has al-ready been submitted at the end of stage 2 then there can be no changes to the original concept de-sign, if the planning application has not been sent then there is still time if changes are required how-ever these changes must be communicated with the wider projects team and signed off by both the lead designer and client. During the developed design stage of the plan of the work the wider design team become more actively engaged in the design and must work closely together in order to re-spond accordingly to the spatial and environmental parameters of the building, this is where the project strategies from the previous stages come in to play, the strategy of the design team must set out the requirements of the project brief. The concept design explains how the project strategies are to be met in conjunction with each other, during the developed design stage these strategies must be reviewed so that the design team can understand how they must work in order to deliver these coordinated elements of the building. The developed design is where the building services design and structural design can be incorporated into the overall design through working together so that every section of the design links together, the developed design also includes the choice of materials that will be used for every aspect of the design, marking where openings or expansion joints will be located and the weathering of the building, all of this information must be signed off and logged in the developed design, project programme, project brief and project execution plan and must include all the costs. The first section of the developed design is the core objectives, the first core objective is preparing the developed design including the proposals for the structural design and building ser-vices systems, along with their proposals must be all outline specifications and cost information. The next core objective is reviewing and updating the project strategies for previous stages and ensuring that the design is going as planned and is in accordance with the design programme. The next sec-tion in stage 3 is the procurement, the procurement section of the plan of work doesn’t really change from what was discussed in stage 2 where the procurement is dependent on the client’s needs with regards to cost, time and quality and discussions on this will continue as the design becomes more clear as to what is required and the personnel needed to progress to the next stages. The next sec-tion in stage 3 is the planning process, if the planning application has not been submitted early at the end of stage 2 then the planning application must be submitted at the end of this stage once the de-veloped design has been complete and the design team is happy they don’t anticipate any changes to the initial concept and new developed design. Once the above has been completed the next step is the suggested key support tasks and sustainability checkpoints, the key support tasks for stage 3 in-clude reviewing and updating the sustainability, maintenance and operational strategies which were prepared in the concept design, review and update the handover strategies and risk assessments with any changes that are now required with the introduction of the developed design, and conclude the research and development aspects which were undertaken in stage 2. The next step in the key support tasks is reviewing and updating the project execution plan, if there has been any changes to the project execution plan or initial concept design then there must be the inclusion of a change con-trol procedure which states what the change is, who the change was implemented by, why the change was required, who signed the change off and what implications the change has on the design and overall project. The final key support tasks include reviewing and updating the construction, health and safety and overall project strategies so that they are all up to date and easily understand-able so that they can be progressed to the next stage. The sustainability checkpoints in stage 3 of the plan of work include carrying out the full formal sustainability assessment, the interim building regu-lations Part L assessment and design stage carbon/energy declaration and the final sustainability checkpoint is reviewing the design to identify opportunities to reduce resource use and waste and to record any findings in the site waste management plan. Once all of the above in stage 3 has been complete and the design and projects team feel confident in moving onto the next stage the final step is the exchanging of information, this includes the developed design with the coordinated struc-tural, architectural and building services design along with the cost information to suit and all of this must be signed off by the client, this information must not be exchanged to stage 4 until the wider
Unit 05 – Construction Technology & Design in Construction
agreed sustainability criteria. The final part of stage 4 is finalising the technical design to be passed over to the contractor and the rest of the construction team, it is the responsibility of the lead de-signer to thoroughly check through the technical design put together from all the members of the design team and any specialist designs. The lead designer must check that the information included in the designs is unified for the contractor, check the dimensional fit of the designs and apply any comments to the design detailing any amendments required, all technical designs must include all relevant test certification, performance criteria and specifications and full cost estimates from the material suppliers, the design should then be checked over by the contractor using past experience and expertise to inform of any design concerns, once the lead designer, client and contractor are happy with the design then the lead designer must sign of the final technical design before passing this on to the contractor and construction teams.
6-Handover & Close Out
Stage 6 of the RIBA plan of work 2013 is the handover and close out stage, preparations for this stage started in stage 1 design and brief with the considerations and development of the project objectives and quality objectives, stage 1 also seen the development of the sustainability aspirations and using these aspirations along with the project and quality objectives the handover strategy started to be formed. The handover strategy has been reviewed and updated throughout the entire project and during every stage of the plan of work as more detailed information comes to light, this stage of the plan of work is about implementing the handover strategy. The difference between stage 6 and the other stages in the plan of work is that the handover stage must be started before the completion of the construction at the end of stage 5 so that the services installed can be adequately commissioned and so that the projects team have sufficient time to ensure the appropriate quality is reached and all documentation has been prepared. The main objective in stage 6 is to ensure a successful han-dover of the finished building to the client and to close out the construction contract, in order to en-sure a successful handover there are a number of tasks that need to be completed as part of the handover strategy, these tasks are carried out by the projects team and start as the construction ap-proaches the end, the tasks required include; commissioning, testing and witnessing the installation of services, inspecting the construction works for quality compliance, completing the health and safety file, developing the user guide to the building, preparing for the handover meeting, starting to consider feedback workshops on the building and the process of design and construction, establish-ing the method and responsibilities for post-occupancy evaluation and finally adopting the soft-land-ing approach to the building handover. Once all of the above tasks from the handover strategy have been completed and the finished building has been fully inspected and the construction team is happy and agree that the building work is complete then the design team must then do their final in-spections and discuss any areas of concern with the contractor, once all concerns have been rectified and any defects dealt with and both the design and wider projects team are happy then the han-dover can begin. The first section for stage 5 in the RIBA plan of work is the core objectives, during stage 5 the only core objective is handover the building and conclude the building contract, the pro-curement section of stage 5 is also concluded in the building contract and during stage 5 planning has already been completed in previous stages along with the project programme. The final sections in the plan of work for the handover and close stage are the suggested key support tasks and the sus-tainability checkpoints, the key support tasks in stage 6 are to carry out the tasks listed in the han-dover strategies as mentioned above including obtaining feedback to assist with future projects, the priority during this stage is to gain as much feedback as possible, this is done by carrying out work-shops focusing on evaluating performance of the building and providing feedback on how certain as-
During stages 0 and 1 the design and projects team must establish the building users and optimise performance of the building, this why it is important that the RIBA plan of work is followed appropri-ately and the information handed over at completion of stage 6 must include all designs and discus-sions from stage 0 & 1 so that the user can see how the building is supposed to perform and if the building isn’t performing as its supposed to then this can be looked back at in order to find a solu-tion. This is also why stage 7 is a very important stage going into stages 0 & 1, the information from stage 7 will assist the projects team to can make decisions based on this information thus avoiding repeating known performance gaps and result in a better performing building that is project out-come focused. Stage 7 is about optimising and refining a buildings operation to best suit the clients project outcomes and their ongoing and evolving requirements, technology is always improving and so is energy and sustainability within buildings so the older buildings become there is always going to be a dip in its performance and this is where stage 7 is vital in determining when its time to look at modifying the building. The only core objective of this stage is to undertake the In-Use services in ac-cordance with the schedule of services passed over at the end of stage 6, there are no procurement, planning, or programme requirements in stage 7. The first suggested key support task in stage 7 is to conclude activities listed in handover strategy including post-occupancy evaluation, review of project performances, project outcomes and research and development aspects. The post occupancy evalua-tion is intended to ensure the project objectives set out in stages 0 & 1 have been met and ensuring the business case has been met. The second suggested key support tasks are updating the project in-formation with ongoing client and building users feedback throughout the building’s life. The sustain-ability checkpoints in stage 7 include checking that the buildings energy/carbon performance has been declared, and that observation of the building’s operation in use and assistance with fine tuning guidance for occupants has been undertaken. The information to be exchanged as during stage 7 is the As-Constructed information which must be updated with client and user feedback and mainte-nance or operational developments that occur on the building.
