Design and Specification Flashcards
For Appleford Court, how do you determine if items should be repaired or replaced?
Schedule of condition with client and loss adjustor. Determine whether can be replaced to ensure they were in same condition as previous otherwise replace.
For Appleford Court, how did you establish the repair and replacement costs?
Condition survey with client and loss adjustor to determine if could be repaired to original condition, if not replace
For Appleford Court where any works specified in relation to the exterior?
- Rebuild of the cavity wall
- New windows installed
- Roof installed
How did you specify replacement of the windows for Appleford Court?
Form openings in external timber clad wall construction for windows as indicated and detailed on drawings … including installing proprietary cavity closers at the jambs and sills OR carefully take out existing upvc double glazed windows, prepare existing opening
Provide and install the following purpose-made uPVC double glazed windows as indicated and detailed on Architects drawings … complete with all cills, weather strips frames, architraves and cover fillet, and for all ironmongery to generally match existing and for securely fixing to new construction and for all bedding and mastic with colour sealant.
Regarding the Contractor’s Design Portion, what element of specialist design did you co-ordinate in preparation of the Appleford Court schedule of work? What Did You Do to Ensure Quality?
M&E design
- I requested a collateral warranty to be formed between the consultant and client so there was a contractual link
- I reviewed their drawings and made comments on plug socket positions etc
- I checked the on site work was in accordance with the dwgs
- I ensured we received as builts for the design
For Appleford Court, did you specify any fire protection works? How did you do this?
Yes, fire engineer specification detailed that fire stopping of any penetrations through the compartment walls were to be fire stopped and steels were to have an intumescent spray applied.
Included the item in the schedule of works to ensure all required fire stopping had occurred.
What were the works and what was your role for the Burnham Road project?
Employers Agent, I took over the project from a colleague that had left the company after handover and dealt with the defects period thereafter
In relation to Appleford Court explain the works that took place?
Appleford Court involved the rebuild of one no. flat and the refurbishment of 4 no. flats following a gas boiler explosion.
Examples of works include wall rebuild, replastering, PIR board installation, floor finishes, decorations, kitchen and santitaryware fittings
For the ECFRS decorations, where would you include details regarding LA approvals required?
Contract administrator - Ensure included within prelims of SoW
EA - Include within the employers requirements
For ECFRS decorations, what type of specification and standards did you use when specifying the works?
- Preambles
- BS8000-12 - workmanship on construction sites, code of practise for decorative wallcoverings and paintings
- Manufacturers guidance
- BS8102 protection of below ground structures against water ingress
For the ECFRS decorations project, what method of procurement did you recommend and why?
- Client retain control over design
- Contractor does not include costs for design risk
- Traditional single stage means fixed costs achieved
- Simple to analyse tenders
- Simple to deal with contract variations through a CI
Are you aware of any materials recently banned by Building Regulations?
ACM cladding in buildings 18m+ because of its combustibility.
Any cladding not A1 or A2 S1 D0 rated above 18m+.
What other details would you expect to be provided in a PCI for a multi storey building? What attachments are included in a PCI?
PCI:
- Description, site location, etc
- Client requirements
- Existing site risks / hazards
- Risks / hazards from undertaking the works
Attachments:
- Asbestos surveys
- Fire Risk Assessment
- Risk Tracker
For the ECFRS decorations project, did you produce any other documents in addition to the SoW to complete the specification?
- SoW
- Drawings
- Invitation to tender
- Client produced form of tender
- H&S documentation received from PD
For Styles House, what tools did you use to relay the design info to the contractor?
Schedule of works
Finishes schedule
Dwgs
Communication with contractor
Tender clarifications
How did you present the different TMO requests to the client for Styles House?
Highlighted them within the Schedule of works including a TMO request section. I also highlighted TMO requests on the floor plans and finishes schedule.
For Chapel Gate, what other risks in relation to the new build site did you determine?
party wall, ground contamination, travellers, Brexit, knotweed, ecologist, land ownership, TPOs.
How did you categorise the Chapel Gate risks?
High, medium and low risks.
What factors mean a risk is defined as high?
high likelihood and high severity in terms of cost and programme impact
In relation to Chapel Gate, can the pre-construction risks remain until completion?
Yes pre-completion risks can remain until completion if they cannot be eliminated. Mitigation measures should be introduced and the risk reviewed regularly.
For Chapel Gate, can you give me an example of a low / medium and high risk?
Low risk - Party wall / Rights to light / covid
Medium risk - Travellers / ground contamination / council election change
High risk - Land not owned / Brexit / Ukraine / ecology
How do you make a planning application?
- Planning portal
- Local Authority website
What information do you include in a planning application?
The necessary plans of the site (including location and site plan)
The required supporting documentation
The completed form
The correct fee.
What supporting documents do you submit with a planning application?
- Site plan
- Location plan
- Detailed dwgs
- Design and access statement
- Refuse and recycling statement
- Any other information requested by the council such as the FRA and appliance parking plan and riser calcs
How long does it take for a planning response to be received? How long does the approval last?
Usually takes 8 weeks for minor application and up to 13 weeks for larger applications.
Lasts three years from the date granted.
Identify the RIBA Stages of Work.
Stage 0 - Strategic Definition
Stage 1 - Preperation and Briefing
Stage 2 - Concept Design
Stage 3 - Spatial Coordination
Stage 4 - Technical Design
Stage 5 - Manufacturing and Construction
Stage 6 - Handover
Stage 7 - Use
When could a RIBA stages of work stage overlap? Please provide an example?
Yes they could overlap to accelerate the time taken in design.
For instance, stage 2 concept design and stage 3 spatial coordination could overlap so a planning application is submitted quicker.
What impact does planning have on design?
Planning policies can set out the design outcomes that development should pursue as well as the tools and processes that are expected to be used to embed good design. Since they grant planning permission for a development, planning can have a considerable impact on the appearance, size, layout, contributions, location, etc.
What impact do the Approved Documents / Building Regulations have on design?
Building Regulations and the Approved Documents on permit certain designs. It ensures that H&S and people are put at the forefront and requires minimum standards for items such as access, ventilation, thermal efficiency, fire, etc.
What impact does the CDM Regulations have on design?
CDM Regulations ensure that H&S is considered at all stages and therefore design may need to be altered accordingly, e.g. scaffold lighting installation or internal window access and cleaning.
What are the different types of specification?
- Prescriptive specifications provide step-by-step details about the required materials and the preferred means of installation.
- Performance specifications describe the operational requirements of the finished project. Rather than providing step-by-step instructions for each task, this leaves the details of execution up to the contractor as long as they achieve the final performance objectives.
- Proprietary specifications detail very specific material and resource requirements for the project. The information might describe the existing structural materials and provide a list of matching or similar materials necessary for project completion.
What RICS guidance can influence design?
- RICS Design and Specification Guidance Note 1st Ed 2013
- Any other advice or guidance issued by RICS, e.g. encouraging sustainable principles.
What are the modern methods of construction? Please provide some examples.
MMC is a process which focuses on off-site construction techniques, such as mass production and factory assembly, as alternatives to traditional building.
Modular, panellised, pod, prefabricated units such as roof trusses, pre cast concrete
What are the pros and cons of MMC?
Advantages:
- Programme savings
- Factory tolerances and workmanship is of a higher quality
- There tends to be less waste.
- Independence from adverse weather and winter working.
- An alternative means of production where there may be shortages of local skilled labour.
- Greater programme certainty.
- The factory environment can allow better safety than the construction site.
Disadvantages:
- Road transport maximum widths and height restrictions.
- Maximum load capacities of site craneage and temporary gantries.
- Additional cost of pre-assembly in the factory prior to dismantling for transport and delivery and transport bracing.
- The insitu work abutting prefabricated assemblies requires a higher degree of accuracy than is normally associated with on-site building work to avoid interface problems.
- A mistake in the mass production of prefabricated elements ahead of the measurable site work is a serious risk.
- Sustainability is an issue regarding the transportation of the materials to the construction site.
