Assignment1planninganddesign16 x20180108_145700 20180108_145653
 

• Type of paperAssignment
• SubjectEngineering
• Number of pages10
• Format of citationHarvard
• Number of cited resources5
• Type of serviceWriting

I have uploaded an example assignement to help.

Important Info

The order was placed through short procedure (customer skipped some order details). Please clarify some paper details before tarting to work on the order.

• Type of paper and subject
• Number of source and formatting style
• Type of service (writing, rewriting, etc)

Design Principles and Application for Construction and the Built Environment (Unit 1)

2

Building Services Engineering HNC

Design Principles and Application for Construction and the Built Environment

(Unit 1)

Assignment 1

Planning and Design Phase and Roles and Responsibilities

Ryan Alexander

12/12/16

Executive summary

This report provides an analysis and evaluation of the planning and design process and how this is managed and co-ordinated. Explanations and evaluations of the roles and responsibilities of all the parties involved in this phase have been provided and concluded at the end of each question.

I have provided an explanation to the methods of communications involved within the design process, evaluated these and provided my professional opinion to which are the best. These being the telephone, e-mail and meetings alongside specifications, schedules and drawings, all of which are vital to communication within the construction industry. Short conclusions can be found at each question.

Introduction

I am working for a building services company which is involved in the development of a commercial office block.

In this report, I intend to discuss the planning and design stages of a construction project, describe and evaluate different methods of communication within the industry as well as discuss roles and responsibilities of all parties involved within the industry. I will discuss, evaluate and conclude each of the methods described and provide my professional opinion on the matters.

“A common cause of complaint by the industry is that the client does not know its

own mind. An inadequate brief is presented to the consultant and/or the contractor. The

client subsequently requires detailed changes in the work, with serious implications for

cost and programme. Formulation of a project strategy by the client is the first building

block to a successful and cost effective scheme.”

Latham Report “Constructing team” 1994 page 13

Task 1 P1.1. Discuss the planning phase of construction projects.

Information from this initial brief will form the beginnings of the planning and design process as well as bringing to light the factors that might influence them and give a rough idea into the cost of the project.

The planning phase within a construction project is the first step; this is where different parameters of the project are determined. The main topics covered that can impact the planning and design phase are:

· The purpose of the building

Find out what the building will be used for and who it will cater for. In this project the building is a commercial office block.

· General requirements/special requirements

This along with the size and location of the project will give a good estimate as to the cost of the project. It will let the contractors know if any specialist equipment is required and what structural, architectural, mechanical and electrical requirements the project has. The client might state what they would like the office block to look like and any other special requirements such as furnishings or equipment.

· Size and location

The client should state the size of the proposed building site and how many people the development is required to accommodate. The location of the build will have a heavy impact on the project. You will need to find out if there are currently any available access routes or whether roads and paths will need to be built. Aspects like this can have a considerable impact on the cost and feasibility of the project and can commonly be unforeseen by the client. If the build is proposed to be in a central location close to the city centre then it is likely to be more expensive to build.

Aspects such as whether an area floods, stability of the ground and protected animals/plants living nearby might also be a factor and another location must be sought out.

· Special finishes/equipment

The client should state whether any special equipment is required and to what standard they want the building to be finished to.

· Cost and available finance

Before the project starts it is key to find out if the client has the relevant finances for the project and whether they have a budget to work to. If sufficient finances are in place then the project can begin to take shape.

· Schedule/timescale

The client might have a specific timescale for the build to be completed by and this could affect the cost of the build. The timescale could also be potentially unrealistic.

A realistic timescale for the project to be delivered in will need to be agreed with the main contractor at the planning phase of the project.

· Sustainability/energy cost/design life

The client must have an understanding of how long they would want the development to last and how energy efficient they require the building to be. They will also have to plan for how it will be maintained and also take into account the cost of this.

On the whole the more energy efficient the building is the higher the initial start up cost but in the long run more money will be saved.

· Site related issues

This could be things such as the history of the land. For example if its on a floodplain or whether there have been previous attempts to build on the land if they have been refused planning permission. Things such as access routes in and out of site could be an issue.

· BREEAM – “BRE wants BREEAM to be the barometer of sustainable construction within the UK by measuring, evaluating and recording a building’s performance during construction and operational life-cycle stages against best practice sustainability benchmarks. In addition to the current list of BREEAM- certified buildings, BRE intends to make data relating to metrics, such as carbon emissions, water consumption, waste generated and indoor air quality, available to the public in the future, which could prove very useful to designers and clients.”

Guide to BREEAM- Stuart Barlow. Page 4

All of the above listed parts of the planning phase are essential, the information relating to these will determine the design of the building, once all of the information is procured the design can start to take shape, however this is not a simple process. The first point being the purpose of the building, this must be known as it will determine a big percentage of the infrastructure, along with cost, as the client will have a budget. Liaising with the client will be essential at this point, once the purpose of the building is determined other aspects of the plan can get underway. A desk top study can be completed to determine the area and location of the proposed building, as well as feasibility of the project.

A desk top study is likely to be carried out during stages 1 and 2 of the design process.

The bonus of doing a desk top study at this point is that a lot of information is readily available from the internet or library resources and can be done without leaving the office, such as

· Historical usage and old maps of the land

· Flood date, weather data and soil data

· Size of proposed land

· Local businesses

· Any previous interest/planning applications for the land

· Geological data

· Whether the site is a flood plane

· Background on the client/clients company

· Google earth the site

· Basic mapping information aspect and slope

All of the information listed is of vital importance to the project, as it can highlight any land issues or obstructions as well as show the companies based around the site, schools, factories or hospitals. Any of the information collected could lead to the closing down of the project before it had even started, depending on the clients budget, there could be potential costs just to get started that would expend the budget before even contemplating the building.

Once the study has been undertaken and the relevant information has been sourced, depending the outcome the planning phase can continue, important information such as design life of the building, sustainability/energy costing and specialist equipment and finishes can be discussed. This will involve how to ensure the building is energy efficient, options of systems to improve energy sustainability and specialist item requirement. One of the main and most important topics are schedules, project start through to project completion, in one instance this needs to meet the clients requirements however it also has to be doable. As clients generally don’t have too much building industry knowledge they can sometimes set dates which are un achievable, this is a big part of the planning because everything needs to be aligned for a project to run smoothly.

http://blog.bridge-global.com/project-management-the-base-rule

A project is usually faced with a trade-off between money, quality and timescale whereby if one is altered it will affect the other two. For instance, if having the project completed in a short time frame is the most important objective then it is likely that the quality will have to be lessened and the cost will increase. On the whole Design and build companies are known to have their work run on time and on budget due to the project management expertise of the parties involved, whereas architect led projects are likely to be very prestigious and fantastically designed but due to the architect’s expertise as a designer and less so as a project manager their projects have a reputation for going over budget and over time. As we are a design and build company our primary goals are to ensure that your project runs on time and on budget.

All of these factors will be discussed during the planning of the job and will hugely impact the end result. It is the main contractor’s job to ensure that the Clients goals are realistic and they will begin a desk top study. This can be done easily as a lot of the required information can be found on the internet or from library resources. These may include using online maps such as google earth to look at the size and gradient of the proposed land. The internet can be used to find out if the proposed land has planning permission or finding out if anyone has looked into the land previously and been refused planning permission. It can also be used to find out if the land has a tendency to flood as well as background information on the client.

Development of the planning system

· Industrial Revolution led to packed unplanned housing

· 1848 and 1875 Public Health Acts led to control of water, drainage and town planning

· 1909,1919,1925, 1932 Town and Country Planning Act covering urban planning

· 1947 Town and Country Planning Act – Structured plan (strategic approach) and local plans & imposed development charge

· 1954 Town and Country Planning Act – abolished development charge

· 1990 Town and Country Planning Act introduced planning obligation agreements

· 1991 The Planning and Compensation Act -public works

· 2003 Sustainable Communities Plan

· 2004 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act – Introduced the Local Development Framework comprising of Local Development Documents, Supplementary Planning Documents & Regional Spatial Strategy(replacing the structured plan 1947)

· 2007 Sustainable Communities Act

· 2008 Planning Act – Major infrastructure works

· 2011 Localism Act – devolution of power to local communities

Sustainable communities plan

· drawn up in 2003 for public sector projects

· Led to Sustainable Communities Act 2007

· long-term programme of action for delivering sustainable communities in both urban and rural areas.

· includes major reforms of housing and planning and a new approach to how we build, and what we build.

“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

The Brundtland Report – Our Common Future (1987)

The information on planning permission will play a large part in whether the plot of land is suitable, as if someone has previously been denied planning permission for the land it is likely to be a struggle holding up the project potentially affecting the cost and delivery time.

The main Legislation that will affect the planning and design of the project will be the Building Regulations. Schedule one of the Building Regulations is a group of 14 Documents labelled alphabetically from A-P that each cover a different aspect of safety and standards that all buildings must comply to. These are:

A- Structure

B- Fire Safety

C- Site preparation and resistance to contamination and moisture

D- Toxic Substances

E- Resistance to the passage of sound

F- Ventilation

G- Hygiene

H- Drainage and waste disposal

J- Combustion Appendices and fuel storage systems

K- Protection from falling, collision and impact

L- Conservation of fuel and power

M- Access to and use of buildings

N- Glazing- safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning

P- Electrical safety

Changes from the RIBA plan of work 2007 to the RIBA plan of work 2013

Stage 0- A new stage where the business case is defined before work begins. It does have some aspects of stage A Stage 1- Combines stage A and B Stage 2- Stage C Stage 3- Stage D with parts of stage E and modified to include the use of BIM Stage 4- Stages E,F1 and F2 as well as “preparation of detailed information for construction and including design work carried out by specialist subcontractors and work by the architect in checking subcontractors’ or specialists’ information” Stage 5- Stages J and K Stage 6- Stage L as well as covering the liability period after completion and activities to be completed after the handover Stage 7- “Is a new stage that covers Post-occupancy Evaluation and facilities management activities throughout the life of the building up to its eventual demolition.” RIBA job book 2013.

The RIBA plan of works benefits the users as it highlights the different phases of the project, what should be happening and when. This is important to the design process as it cannot be solely completed by one person, each member of the team has a specific role, this means that completion of the design will be reliant on every member completing their specific task. This can sometimes cause problems if somebody doesn’t pull their weight however the design team always work closely with each other thus making this issue minimal. This is what the RIBA plan of works sets out to do, by working as a team, every different role being of importance, complete a design which meets criteria specified within a specific time frame. Below is a table which identifies what tasks are relevant in relation to the different stages of the RIBA plan of works.

Stage 0- Strategic Definition

· Identify the clients business case and strategic brief

· Initial considerations for assembling the project team

· Establish project programme

· Review feedback from previous projects

· Review sustainability of client’s needs

· Pre application discussion to test strategic brief

Stage 1- Preparation and Brief

· Develop project objectives including quality objective, project outcomes, sustainability aspirations and project budget

· Prepare project roles table and contractual tree

· Review project programme

· Prepare handover strategy, risk assessments and feasibility studies

· Produce an initial project brief including all sustainability targets

· UK government information exchange is required at this stage

Stage 2- Concept Design

· Prepare concept design outlining proposals for structural design and building services systems

· Agree changes to project brief and issue final project brief

· Review project programme

· Prepare sustainability strategy, maintenance and operational strategy

· Consider construction and health and safety strategies

· Deviation from the sustainability aspirations have been reported and agreed

· Concept design with structural and building services design, project strategies and preliminary cost information is all to be exchanged

Stage 3- Developed Design

· Prepare developed design including developed proposals on structural design, building services systems, outline specification, cost information and project strategies in line with the design programme

· Planning applications are submitted

· Review and update sustainability, maintenance + operational, hand over strategies and risk assessments

Stage 4- Technical Design

· Prepare a technical design in accordance with the design responsibility matrix and project strategies.

· Review and update sustainability, maintenance + operational, hand over strategies and risk assessments

· Exchange completed technical design information

RIBA Job Book 2013

Preparing project roles tables and contractual tree are useful because it makes sure everyone knows their specific job roles and requirements for the task in hand. The design responsibility matrix and task responsibility matrix are key as they show who is responsible, who is accountable, who is consulted and who is informed.

The RACI model is a straightforward tool used for identifying roles and responsibilities and avoiding confusion over those roles and responsibilities during a project. The acronym RACI stands for:

· Responsible: The person who does the work to achieve the task. They have responsibility for getting the work done or decision made. As a rule this is one person; examples might be a business analyst, application developer or technical architect.

· Accountable: The person who is accountable for the correct and thorough completion of the task. This must be one person and is often the project executive or project sponsor. This is the role that responsible is accountable to and approves their work.

· Consulted: The people who provide information for the project and with whom there is two-way communication. This is usually several people, often subject matter experts.

· Informed: The people kept informed of progress and with whom there is one-way communication. These are people that are affected by the outcome of the tasks, so need to be kept up-to-date.

Without clearly defined roles and responsibilities, it is easy for projects to run into trouble. When people know what management expect of them, it is easier for them to complete their work on time, within budget and to the right level of quality.

A RACI matrix supports the model and is used to discuss, agree and communicate roles and responsibilities.

https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/raci-matrix.php

Task 1 P1.2. Discuss the design phase of the construction projects.

The design stage is the second step taken following the planning stage, this is where a design is finalised before being sent out to tender. This is where the client will provide a brief to the designers, who will in turn design a building as close to the brief as possible. Before the actual design can take place, information is required that will have an impact on the infrastructure. Following the desktop study, a walk over study is required. This is when site is attended and relevant information to the project is recorded.

A walk over study is likely to be carried out during stages 2 and 3 of the design process.

The information that would be wanted on a walk over study is as follows;

· Access

· FLORA

· FORNA

· Drainage

· Ground level

· Demolition of old buildings

· Changes in ground

· Geological strata

· Service routes

· Footpaths

· Aesthetics

· Buildability

All of these factors are taken into account before design. Preservation of wildlife habitats and plant life has to be monitored by law, this can affect construction of buildings and even put them off completely in some cases. Buildability, ground level and geological strata are highly important to this phase as it determines whether the structure can be formed, the foundations needed, and how the building will/should look with its surroundings. Soil tests are taken to determine the foundations required for the building, this is highly important and if done wrong can ruin the building prospect.

All of the other aspects of information required will determine site and services layouts as well as pathways and roads for the public and client work force, these need to be aesthetically pleasing as well as practical.

Once all information needed is collected, the design team will start putting together a building

design, while referring to the walk over study information as well as the design brief from the client. The design will be created in line with building regulations as well as the client brief to a maximum extent, all being if the clients budget permits. Upon design completion, it will be presented to the client, they will be able to see all aspects of what the building will be like, if approved, at this stage there are usually discrepancies and the design team will usually find themselves re designing parts of the building to suit the client. Once a design is approved however it can be taken to the next process and be put out do tender.

Feasibility studies

During stage one of the project feasibility studies are performed to assess whether it is likely that a project can go ahead. I have mentioned some of these earlier but I will now go into detail on a walkover study as It is a big part in the planning phase. Its main aim is to gain information to help decide whether a plot of land is suitable for the project to be built on and gives information that cannot be gathered from a desk top study alone. Here a walk over study would prove to be very useful as good records should be able to be obtained from the previous developers during the desk top study with ease. However, a large portion of the information will still only be able to be discovered from the walkover study.

Before the Walkover study begins several things need to be established by the design team, architects and any other technical support involved in the project. These include:

• The area the buildings will occupy

• The expected foundation loading

• The sensitivity of the structure to foundation movements

• What soil information is required for the type of foundation

• Is any other geotechnical data required

A walkover study is likely to be performed during stage 2-3 preparation and brief along with the other feasibility studies. This is where involved parties involved should cover the site and nearby areas looking for things of interest which should be noted down.

“The site and its surrounding area should be visited and covered carefully on foot. Local authorities, local inhabitants and people working in the area, such as builders, electricity and gas workers, should be questioned to obtain the benefit of their local knowledge. A structured report is then produced from the information gathered at the site and from

local enquiries.”

BRE Digest Site investigation for low rise building: The walk over survey. Page 2

Full details of a walk over study can be found here;

http://www.geotechnique.info/SI/SI%20Book%20Chapter%203

It covers things such as;

· 1 Topography, vegetation and drainage

· (a) does the site lie on sloping ground, and if so what is the maximum slope angle?

· (b) are there springs, ponds, or water courses on or near the site?

· (c) are, or were there, trees or hedges growing in the area of proposed construction?

· (d) is there evidence of changes in ground level (eg by placement of fill) or of the demolition of old structures?

· 2 Ground conditions

· (a) what geological strata lie below the site, and how thick are they?

· (b) what problems are known to be associated with this geological context?

· (d) is there available information on the strength and compressibility of the ground?

· (e) is the subsoil a shrinkable clay?

· (f) does experience suggest that groundwater in these soil conditions may attack concrete?

· (g) is there evidence of lands lipping either on or adjacent to this site or on similar ground nearby?

· (h) is there, or has there ever been, mining or quarrying activity in this area?

· 3 The proposed structure

· (a) what area will the buildings occupy?

· (b) what foundation loading is expected?

· (c) how sensitive is the structure likely to be to differential foundation movements?

· (d) what soils information is required for the design of every likely type of foundation?

· (e) is specialist geotechnical skill required?

http://www.geotechnique.info/SI/SI%20Book%20Chapter%203

Further Enquires

Further enquires can be made through making use of local knowledge by consulting with local people and authorities.

The sources for these enquires are as follows: –

Local Builders – Local builders may be able to provide information on the ground problems, any problems during construction and typical foundation designs of the area.

Local Authorities – Will have a wealth of knowledge regarding building in the area. They will be able to comment on general ground conditions, possible flooding, possible structural damage associated with ground movement and any previous uses of the site.

Public Utilities – Service providers will give information on the position of their services/utilities. Any gas, electricity or telephone must be located so that they can be avoided during ground investigation and may need re-directed during development.

Libraries and Archives – Libraries will hold records and maps of the site showing the position of old field boundaries, ponds, streams and pits or quarries (some of which may have been removed or infilled).

The design brief should;

· Investigate and record everything which is visible or known

· Research all possible sources for factors which are unknown but predictable

· Focus the client and design team on issues which are unpredictable but could apply to the development, but may not be easily apparent

It will also need to cover;

· Site issues – topography, vegetation, boundaries, soils, contamination

· Environmental – wildlife, privacy, orientation, overshadowing

· Socio-economic – infrastructure, local style, security risks, local politics, area status

· Legal – ownership, easements, access, services

Other issues developing the design

· Aesthetics

· Shape and proportion

· Location

· Versatility

· Circulation spaces

· Buildability

· Structural form

· Services requirement

· Maintenance

Concept Design

As the mentioned previously in the RIBA Job Book bullet points, the design process starts with a concept design. Here elements such as the type of structural design and the type of building services systems are agreed and basic block-style drawings are formed by designers in line with the client’s brief and walkover studies. During the concept design the use and lay out of the rooms will be designed by the architect following the clients brief. I believe that if a planning system is followed well during the planning stages, with good communication that this makes the design stages flow more smoothly with less stopping, starting and going back over work. This in turn will stop confusion and costly mistakes during the design process. Various Project strategies will be developed at this point. An example of this is the sustainability strategy as this will be likely to be a fundamental component of the Concept design.

Once the original concept design is finished meetings will be held between the client and the design team and it is likely that changes will be made to the concept design. This could happen several times until all parties have come to a compromise and the Client is happy. The project brief should be reviewed at this stage and be then issued as the final project brief.

“In parallel with design activity, a number of other related tasks need to be progressed in

response to the emerging design, including a review of the Cost Information, the

development of a Construction Strategy, a Maintenance and Operational Strategy

and a Health and Safety Strategy and updating of the Project Execution Plan.”

RIBA Job Book 2013, page 127

Developed Design

Here the design is developed into a more detailed drawing and planning permission is sought. Materials are looked into in great detail for procurement and cost information is gathered. A detailed plan is put together in this stage of how the project is run. Once again, the process is evaluated through meetings where all parties must be confident in the design.

During the Developed Design, the design and cost of a building are looked into in great detail. There are multiple elements here that can affect cost. For instance, the shape of a building will have a large impact as the further the away from a square the shape of the base plan deviates, the more material the closing envelope (walls) will require. Another factor is the building height and number of stories as this will contribute to the amount of materials used and the amount of man hours involved in the build. However single story buildings are comparatively expensive as the foundations required for a two-three story building is not much bigger. But for a multi-story building will require a large sub structure to support them. The number of stories will also dictate whether a lift needs to be incorporated in the building. Another element that will affect the cost is how many building there are. One large building is more cost effective that several smaller buildings. And finally the materials involved will play a large part in the cost. This is not just the cost of the build because the type of materials will affect the running and maintenance costs as well as the costs of adapting the building in the future.

“By the end of Stage 3, the architectural, building services and structural engineering

designs will all have been developed, and will have been checked by the lead designer, with

the stage design coordinated and the Cost Information aligned to the Project Budget.”

The project strategies that were developed during the concept design have to be developed into enough detail to be signed off by the lead designer.

RIBA Job Book 2013, page 151

· Technical Design

“structural engineering designs are now further refined to provide technical definition of the

project and the design work of specialist subcontractors is developed and concluded.

The level of detail produced by each designer will depend on whether the construction on

site will be built in accordance with the information produced by the design team or

based on information developed by a specialist subcontractor. The Design Responsibility

Matrix sets out how these key design interfaces will be managed.”

Due to the well-co-ordinated Developed Design stage the designers should now be able to work on their technical designs independently with on the whole only input from the lead designer. By the end of the Technical design stage all design work should be completed (apart from minor queries that will arise during the construction stage).

RIBA Job Book 2013, page 175

Information is exchanged between the design team through a variety of ways. These include formal and informal meetings, emails, phone calls and through drawings. The latest method of their communication is through BIM all of which I will explain and analyse later in the report.

Task 2. Research and describe the management co – ordination of the design process by considering the following points.

· Design co – ordination including the exchange of design information between the design team

· Evaluate the use of the project file describing its content and how it’s normally structured.

Co-ordination and the exchange of information within the Design team

During the design phase a substantial amount of communication occurs within the design team. Good communication plays a large role in the design of a project as there are usually many different people designing different parts for one project and these separate designs need to be well co-ordinated so that they will work as one. Clear, efficient and well-timed communication in this phase will save a lot of problems, and therefore money and time if any flaws are found and dealt with before construction begins. This is done by the passing on of correct information, set on time to deadlines. The information must be then correctly shared and stored so that it is not misplaced. A useful way of doing this is via email as it is a reliable way of transferring information and documents that creates a paper trail. This means that it is harder for the information to get lost and also provides proof that a document has been sent at a particular time and date. A lot of the problems in this stage will occur through bad communication and co-ordination. This can commonly include people working from the wrong drawings or specifications. These are regularly being changed and developed throughout a project and it is not uncommon for a party to be working from old drawings. Another problem that could occur is the misunderstanding of a message. This could be down to many factors including human error.

http://blog.tnsemployeeinsights.com/good-communication-requires-80-listening/

Communication

Communication is a key factor throughout a construction project. The Latham report ‘Constructing the Team’ (1994) and the Egan report ‘Rethinking Construction’ (1998) both stressed the importance of the need to communicate better.

It can become a daunting task when trying to manage the co – ordination and design of a project. There are basic ways to make contact that are proven to work and keep relatively good records of contact in the process. There are however, unfortunately problems with design team information, there can often be misconception regarding information as well as out of date information often being supplied. This doesn’t sit well when a project is underway and the new drawing revision has not been sent, this causes big issues and happens quite often. Co – ordination issues are also a big problem, no matter what drawing you have it is often that spacial co – ordination gets under looked and problems are only found when the install is under way. This can be resolved by site engineers however it does create issues that can be tough to get around

Some examples of different methods of contact and supplying information are as follows;

Type of communication	Advantages	Disadvantages
Email	· Can be sent anywhere in the world · Cost effective way of sending information to multiple people in minutes · Every message is sent with a paper trail proving the time and date the information was sent · Eliminates disputes	· Lots of emails – not uncommon for busy individual to receive hundreds per day · Can be time consuming and not replied to on time · Can come across impersonal · Personality cannot be conveyed – harder to build rapport · Internet connection is required
Letters	· More formal type of communication	· Can take several days to reach their destination · Can get lost or damaged
Phone calls	· Standard form of communication – mastered by all ages · Mobile phones can be used to make phone call virtually anywhere · Allow good rapport even if you’ve never met – personality, tone and humour can be easily conveyed · More personal · Easier to convey information quickly rather than write it down	· Sometimes people cannot be reached if they are out of office or in an area with poor signal · No paper trail so can be easily missed or recipient may not pick up · Might allow conversation to become heated in a way they might not if the conversation was face to face.
Fax	· Has been outdated but can still have its place · Fax can be a legal document where an email is not · Generally used for more formal transfer of information	· Outdated and some people might not have a system set up to receive a fax
RFI	· Used for information sent to the design team or the main contractor · Logged with a start date and a date the information is required for · If not answered it still gives proof that the request has been sent · Leaves a traceable paper trail	· Can create more paperwork
Formal and informal meetings	· Stress free way of dealing with issues – these can take place between the designer and the client but may have to be recorded in some way · Formal meetings can take place over important issues either within a company or between separate parties · It allows issues to be discussed in person and everyone at the meeting can have an input · During a project regular formal meetings will take place after a meeting everyone should have a clear idea about what is happening after a meeting · Minutes are usually taken down during meetings – this allows people who were not at the meeting to read the main points that were discussed · Good for building rapport and building confidence about what is going on	· People may have to travel long distances to attend meetings · Can be quite expensive and time consuming
Drawings, specification and schedules	· Main form of communication for design team · A great deal of information can be taken from a good drawing in a very short amount of time · It leaves little confusion and eliminates all language barriers · Every skilled person can accurately read a drawing no matter what language they speak · Very common on site and everyone onsite uses them · Specification gives information for the designer to work to. Sent to every contractor and gives detail – this lets them know the standard they should work to	· Drawings are constantly being changed and evolved – this means that people can be working to old drawings (can be avoided using a drawing register)
BIM (Building Information Modelling)	· Cheaper, quicker and more efficient means of managing · Ensures all trades are working towards IS9001 · Allows for more information in the concept design stage · It keeps everyone up to date with the regular modifications and changes without the need for new drawings to be constantly issued	· older designers that may be very good at their job can be made obsolete as the younger generation becomes trained in BIM · will be constantly evolving, regular training and courses will be needed to keep engineers up to date with the latest editions.

BIM allows for information on the design stage. On the whole I believe that BIM is a massive step forward in the building industry and its positives hugely outweigh the negatives. I would advise any design company to keep up to date with the latest BIM programmes as they will simply not be able to compete with companies that have mastered this space age, efficient, money saving tool.

The main differences between BIM and a standard 2 dimensional drawing are

· 4th Dimension shows time information

· 5th Dimension shows cost information

· 6th Dimension shows asset information

“In May 2011 the Government’s Chief Construction Advisor, Paul Morrell, called for BIM adoption on all government construction projects of £5 million and over. At the same time he warned construction professionals that they must adopt BIM or be ‘Betamaxed out’.”

NBS Technical Article, Building Information Modelling 2012, page 1

Summary of communication types involved with the design and build process

As the building trade is continuously advancing so will its means of communication. Above I have evaluated the main types of communication used in the building trade. From my research, I conclude that the main types of communication will remain the same for the foreseeable future but the degree to which we use them will change. For instance, during my grandfather’s time in the building trade emails would have been almost unheard of whereas now they are a means of communication used every day. As computer technology advances I feel that it will take over to make people’s lives easier. For instance, BIM is taking off rapidly and the government are requesting that all their projects are managed by BIM. I also believe that methods of communicating such as video conferencing will play a bigger role in the industry, and although they may not take over from face to face meetings all together I believe that within the next decade we will see a large increase in their use. All the main types of communication within a business have their purpose and I see this as unlikely to change within the foreseeable future.

The Project File

The project file is a compilation of paperwork relevant to a project. It is filed together in chronological order for the ease of a person trying to find the information they are looking for. It comes in both paper and electronic format and I will explain the positives and negatives of each. The project file should contain:

· Drawings (structural, mechanical, electrical and architectural)

· Relevant emails

· Relevant letters

· Scope of works

· Risk assessments and method statements

· Information on variations

· Sub-contractor information

· Calculations

· Pre-construction information (reports, existing work, planned work)

· Cost information

· Photographs

The project file is important because it keeps all documentation in one, easily accessible place where everybody can access it, a traceable record is provided, some documentation of which is a legal requirement for this. The project file can also be used as a referencing tool for other projects, when the new project file is being created an old one can be referenced to ensure that the correct information is being input. Not one person is solely responsible for this file, it is the responsibility of everybody involved in the project to ensure accurate and up to date information is input. Lead project managers or designers will oversee the file to make sure everything is in order.

File type	Positives	Negatives
Paper file	· Easier to read · Is a physical copy · More likely to be quality over quantity · No need for an internet connection · Accessible to all · Can be more legally binding · Can potentially be quicker · Reliable	· Easy for things to get lost · Hard to modify · Cost of printing · Use of paper is not environmentally friendly · Hard to share with others outside of the office · Takes up storage space · Hard to transport · Requires regular administration
Electronic file	· Space saving · Easy to backup and duplicate · Easy and cheap to send · Multiple people can access and add to it at any one time · Easily accessible · Accountable and leaves a paper trail · Accessible away from the office	· Can be affected by computer issues · Requires regular administration · Potential security issues can arise · Staff may need training to use it properly · Requires a large IT investment as computers and large servers are required

Large projects can produce several hundred documents that must be stored in the Project File. The Project File is meant to contain quality over quantity and must be constantly and carefully administrated so that it does not become disorganised or cluttered. In the modern day paper project files are being used less and less as technological advances are making the electronic Project Files more widely used. As you can see, the paper and electronic files both have their strengths and weaknesses. In my opinion it would maximise efficiency to use both types of Project Files, this then eliminates most of the weaknesses of each individually when they are used together.

Tunstall.G 2007 Managing the building design process

Overall both files have advantages and disadvantages, however this is the 21st century, the means for paper files are becoming less and less apparent. Majority of companies are changing to the electronic file now as it is easier to manage, adapt and progress. Within 10 years the paper project file will more than likely be eradicated completely, this in my opinion is the only way to move forward.

Task 3 Explain the roles of the following members of the design team throughout the pre – design and design stages. Identify their responsibilities during the planning and design stages and evaluate their mandatory responsibilities in relation to CDM, planning and building control.

In the early years of the building trade a building owner would hire and supervise craftsmen to perform work on their building. It was a very simple, unspecialised structure involving very few people. Over time buildings have become more complex, and various rules and regulations have been developed which has led to more and more specialist people becoming involved with the building trade. I will now go through the Roles and responsibilities of various professions involved with the design and build of a project.

When undertaking the work on of a commercial office block there are a number of different procurement routes for the client to take. The two main routes for are either traditional procurement or design and build route.

The main differences of traditional or design and build

With a traditional project the client remains in ultimate control of the whole design. The contractor is, without exception, required to build what has been specified by the design team. The design liability lies with the professional team and the contractor is only responsible for the workmanship in delivering what he has been told to build. Throughout the project the client is given impartial, professional advice by the design team.

With design and build you relinquish a degree of control, allowing the contractor to make design decisions based on their own judgement and/or financial benefit. Legally the contractor is responsible for both the design and the workmanship. Some clients find this helpful since there is only one point of call in the event of a problem.

By giving the contractor the power to specify materials and design solutions the contract price can be lower. This is because the contractor may be able to source one particular product at a better value, or he will accept a more rudimentary detailed design. Both choices will be cheaper for the client however they are decisions made purely on the basis on capital cost. The client should always be wary that a contractor may not be specifying the best product or solution, simply the cheapest or the quickest.

Legislation

· Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

· All Health and Safety legislation

· CDM regulations 2015

· Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982

· Defective Premises Act 1972

· Various Planning Acts

· The Building Act 1984

Architect

The architect has an important role within the planning and design stages of a project, some of whose tasks include;

· identifying the client brief

· co-ordinating the design and production teams

· Ensuring compliance with all current legislation including planning, building regulations and health and safety.

· Providing communication with all parties involved

· Designing and specifying the project

· Managing the project

· Issuing tender documentation.

The personal responsibilities of an architect are to overall ensure that the design meets the criteria provided and is delivered on time, as well as ensuring that compliance with all current legislation, building regulations and health and safety regulations has been met.

The architect is to ensure that the design is solely produced by the architect, ensuring no copyright law is broken by using another architects design, also to ensure that nothing is sold to competitors as this would break the data protection act.

Quantity surveyor

The quantity surveyor is in control of the money, they have to justify what is being sent and try to keep to budget as much as possible. They deal with all aspects of money related issues on a project. Some of the roles of a QS are;

· Preparing bills of quantities

· Conducting feasibility studies to estimate time, labour and material costs.

· Preparing, analysing and negotiating costs for tenders and contracts

· Co-ordination of work effort

· Controls costs during the project by cost planning and value engineering

· Advising on a range of legal and contractual issues

· Valuing completed work and arranging payments

The responsibilities of the quantity surveyor are to firstly ensure that an accurate budget has been targeted, following this ensure that the budget does not exceed the estimated target. The QS will need to keep on top of authorising all payments and keeping records of these in the case of a legal situation. The quantity surveyor is to ensure that the tender process is fair and that no bribes are taken in order to win the bid.

Mechanical and electrical engineer

Mechanical and electrical engineers have a vital job in both the design and planning stages as well as the construction phase of a project. Not only will they help design and co – ordinate services within a building, they also manage the installation throughout the project. They deal with all aspects of piped, ventilation and electrical systems within a project, some of their other roles are;

· Designing and specifying a range of services within the building

· Liaise with structural engineers to develop routes for a variety of services

· Perform calculations for a range of areas including heat loss, ventilation, cooling requirements and fire control systems.

· Advise design team on integration of services.

The responsibilities for an M & E engineer are to ensure that all systems installed meet all current legislation, building and CDM regulations. They need to make sure that all systems are installed correctly and in line with the co-ordinated drawings. They must hand the project over with fully tested, commissioned and working systems complete with all relevant test sheets.

The M & E engineer is to provide sound systems as per specification, fully tested and commissioned and all in line with building and CDM regulations.

Structural engineer

Structural engineers have a very important role, they determine all aspects of the structural build, loadings, what materials can be used whether the building will be safe to construct with the materials requested. They use mathematical equations to work this out. Some of the responsibilities of the structural engineer are as follows.

· Analysing configurations of basic structural components.

· Calculating pressures, stresses and strains.

· Considering strength of various materials.

· Liaising with designers to agree on safe designs e.g. liaising with geotechnical engineer with regards to soil conditions.

· Examining structures at risk of collapse.

· Making drawings or specifications of structures for building contractors.

· Investigating ground conditions and analysing results of test sites.

· Liaising with contractors to ensure that buildings are structurally sound.

The responsibilities for the structural engineer are to ensure safe structural design as well as providing all relevant information to drawing control. All information must be shared with the necessary parties and recorded for future use if needed.

The structural engineer is to ensure that all calculations are true and nothing has been made up in a time saving effort. All calculations and information must be provided to all parties to ensure that it is correct.

Project manager

The role of the project manager is to oversee the construction phase of a project. It is their job to manage the site and ensure that the project runs smoothly and safely. Their roles will include;

· Overseeing all works prior to the actual construction of the project.

· Making sure all H&S on site is being adhered to

· Planning and supervising site works.

· Liaising with contractors to ensure co-ordination of works.

· Review works to ensure closure in line with site programme.

· Liaise with client and architect to ensure that certain constraints are being worked to.

· Deliver a fully operational building that meets requirements and on time.

The responsibilities of the project manager are to oversee the project from the start and ensure that all contractors are working within the parameters set for them. They must liaise with the contractors to arrange co-ordination of services, deliveries and trade working locations to name a few. It is the PM’s responsibility to make sure that the job runs on track and programme dates are met, ensuring that there is no delay and handover is on time.

The project managers key aim is to deliver a project that is in line with the specification and brief, throughout the project ensuring that all works comply with legislation and building regulations.

Sustainability engineer

A Sustainability engineer has the role of ensuring all impacts on the environment are taking into consideration e.g. pollution ecology and BREEAM. Things such as energy, water and other services are used in a cost-effective way during the construction and life cycle of a project. Their personal responsibilities include planning ways of reducing the costs of the projects utilities, to measure and keep track of how much energy and water is used and their total cost. They must ensure that their work of reducing energy consumption is in line with all relevant legislation.

“Engineers have a responsibility to maximise the value of their activity towards building a sustainable world. This requires an understanding of what society demands and what is achievable, and a recognition that these change over time. They should:

· recognise that though their activity may be local and immediate, the potential impacts of their work may be global and long-lasting

· have an understanding of other relevant social and cultural structures outside their own normal community of practice

· understand the important potential role for engineers in the sustainable development of communities

· recognise the impacts of an engineering project on communities, global or local, and consider the views of the community

· understand the important potential role for engineers”

(Engineering council, 2013)

Above is how a sustainability engineer should contribute to building a sustainable society present and future. This is the view that should be adopted and practiced by engineers.

Their other responsibilities include;

· To ensure BREEAM requirements are met

· Complete air tightness strategies

· Complete SAP calculations and distribute information to necessary parties.

· Feed all relevant information to the design team.

The responsibilities of the sustainability engineer are to ensure that BREEAM requirements are met, providing heat loss calculations and checking cooling requirements. All information is needed to be fed to the architect and design team. SAP calculations and air tightness strategies are required to be sent to building control to meet compliance.

The sustainability engineer is to ensure that all calculations are true and that they liaise with building control and the design team to ensure that sustainability checks are effective.

Corporate responsibility

Corporate responsibility is defined as “the commitment to integrate socially responsible values and concerns of stakeholders into their operations in a manner that fulfils and exceeds current legal and commercial expectations”.

http://www.constructingexcellence.org.uk/zones/sustainabilityzone/responsibility.jsp?print=true

The area of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has developed with the recognition that organizations’ operating activities impact on society, the environment and the economy. Underlying all these concepts is the belief that a business that damages the social, economic and environmental systems on which it depends will ultimately be unsustainable.

The broad term corporate responsibility includes financial as well as social and environmental responsibility

CSR can also be called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship or responsible business is a form of corporate self-regulation which is integrated into a business model.

This can include:

· Impact on the community

· Ethical standards

· Legal compliance

· Environmental issues

· Health and safety

· Quality

· Economic and social responsibility

· Transparency

· Integrity

· In line with national agenda

· Fairness

· Inclusiveness

· Responsiveness

· Diversity

· Accountability

Control systems

· Key Performance Indicator (KPI’s)

· Benchmarking

The ISO family

· ISO 9000/1 = Quality

· ISO 14000/1 = Environment

· ISO 18000/1 = Health and Safety

ISO international standards ensure that products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality. For business, they are strategic tools that reduce costs by minimalizing waste and errors and increasing productivity. They help companies to access new markets, level the playing field for developing countries and facilitate free and fair global trade.

A company has a corporate responsibility to ensure that we do our upmost to limit our effect on the environment. This is done by achieving a high BREEAM rating and includes keeping our buildings and the construction of them as sustainable as possible, limiting unnecessary use of potentially damaging fuels, preserving trees and wildlife and looking at fuel saving alternatives such as encouraging cycling to work and vehicle sharing during the construction process. It will also ensure that our work place is legally compliant with adequate welfare facilities, abiding by all relevant legislation and keeping a clean, safe place for people to work in. The corporate responsibilities in the market place include achieving a high quality of work, abiding to trading laws and gaining a reputation as a trust worthy, fair company. They also have a responsibility to keep their stakeholder’s needs met; these include that of the shareholders, clients, suppliers, employees who are all dependant on the success of the business. A large building site has the potential to impact the community both positively and negatively. This could benefit the local community by providing jobs during the construction and housing as an end result of the project to local people, the construction of a housing development may provide money to local businesses. On the other hand, it could potentially cause problems for the local community such as overcrowding, difficulties parking and locals may oppose this during the planning phase. However, the need for planning permission and sometimes the need for companies to donate towards the local communities in the form of new roads or facilities before they begin the build will go some way into stopping the negative impact on communities. The company also has social responsibilities which include things such as giving to charity, employing and training local people as well as investing in the local community.

Fulfilling these responsibilities benefits the company in many ways including:

· Helps achieve a good reputation

· Good publicity

· Helps to build customer relations

· Shows good ethical values

· Attracts high quality workers

· Increases potential for future work

· Gives a professional appearance

Good organisations are dynamic and can respond to concerns promptly

This is a design and build project which means that it is led by the main contractor as opposed to an architect led project where the architect is head of the contractual tree. In this set up the architect is another advisor employed by the main contractor. On the whole design and build projects are known for being delivered on time and on budget but are sometimes criticised for being “blocky” in design and unimaginative. This is down to the skills of the project manager and his/her team as their expertise lie in an efficient management of people, time and resources whereas an architect lead project is known for its fantastic designs but less so for being delivered on time and to budget. This is because an architect is primarily skilled in the designing of a building instead of their ability to efficiently manage a project. Mainly architect led projects tend to be on prestigious jobs such as museums and buildings in important areas where time and money are considered to be less important than the immaculate appearance of a building.

Conclusion

I have successfully discussed and evaluated the design and planning stages of construction projects, evaluating the use of RIBA and how it benefits this phase. I have evaluated how the planning and design phases are co-ordinated and managed by using a range of sources to do so, including my own professional opinion and concluding with a paragraph at the end. I have gone in depth into the sources of contact within the construction industry, giving a description, evaluation and conclusion of each method described, I have also backed up my opinions using reliable sources.

I have successfully discussed and evaluated the design and planning stages of construction projects, evaluating the use of RIBA and how it benefits this phase. I have evaluated how the planning and design phases are co-ordinated and managed by using a range of sources to do so, including my own professional opinion and concluding with a paragraph at the end. I have gone in depth into the sources of contact within the construction industry, giving a description, evaluation and conclusion of each method described, I have also backed up my opinions using reliable sources.

I have explained the roles and responsibilities, personal and corporate, of all parties involved within the production phase of a project. I have evaluated their key roles and responsibilities and have used a range of sources to so.

The importance of a well-planned and designed build of a commercial office block is immense. It will ensure that everyone has a good knowledge of the project before it has started and will lead to fewer surprises when the build takes place. It will maximise the quality measures by properly sequencing the work and enhance the coordination efforts between the client and the design team. It will improve safety performance by sequencing activities to give the maximum protection for workers and achieving the highest level of productivity in order to complete the project in the shortest timeframe reasonably possible.

Good quality design is an integral part of sustainable development. The National Planning Policy Framework recognises that design quality matters and that planning should drive up standards across all forms of development. As a core planning principle, plan-makers and decision takers should always seek to secure high quality design.

Construction projects have been using tried and tested methods of managing, planning and designing construction projects over the years and with the rapid expansion of BIM these methods are forever improving.

Books

· Barlow, S (2011). Guide to BREEAM. London: RIBA Publishing.

· Building Regulations 2010 (2010). Access to and Use of Buildings. London: NBS.

· Building Regulations 2010 (2010). Electrical Safety – Dwellings. London: NBS.

· The Building Research Establishment (1987). Site Investigation for Low-rise Building: Desk Studies. UK: Building Research Establishment, Department of the Environment. 2.

· Latham, M (1994). Constructing the Team. UK: HMSO. 13.

· Royal Institute of British Architects (2013). RIBA Job Book 2013. 9th ed. UK: RIBA Publishing. 127, 151, 175

· Smith, M (2012). Building Information Modelling. UK: NBS.

· Tunstall, G (2007). Managing the Building Design Process. 2nd ed. UK: Elsevier Ltd.

Websites

AGCAS Editors. (2013). Mechanical Engineer: Job Description. (last accessed December 2016)

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/architect_job_description.htm

.

.AGS. (2013). A Client’s guide to desk studies. (last accessed December 2016)

http://www.ags.org.uk/clientguides/Deskstudies

.

Author Unknown. (2013). Project Manager: Duties and responsibilities. (last accessed December 2016)

http://www.project-management-skills.com/project-manager-duties.html

.

Author Unknown. (2014). Corporate Social Responsibility. (last accessed December 2016)

http://www.constructingexcellence.org.uk/zones/sustainabilityzone/responsibility.jsp?print=true. (last accessed December 2016)

http://www.geotechnique.info/SI/SI%20Book%20Chapter%203 (last accessed December 2016)

http://planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/guidance/design/the-importance-of-good-design/

(last accessed December 2016)

https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/raci-matrix.php(last accessed December 2016)

Pictures

http://blog.bridge-global.com/project-management-the-base-rule (last accessed December 2016)

http://blog.tnsemployeeinsights.com/good-communication-requires-80-listening/ (last accessed December 2016)

Ryan Alexander 2016