Design & Specification Flashcards
What is the RIBA Plan of Works?
It is produced by the Royal Institute of British Architects and describes the stages necessary to complete the briefing, design, construction and operation of a building.
The Plan of Work outlines the stages, core tasks and information required at each stage.
What are Preliminaries?
Preliminaries provide a description of the project that allows a contractor to assess costs which, whilst they do not form any package of work, are required by the method and circumstances of the works.
Their purpose is to describe the works as a whole, and to specify general conditions and requirements for their execution.
They include the following:
- The site (description, access, parking)
- The works
- Contract conditions
- Management of the works
- Security, health, and safety
- Site set-up and welfare requirements
Please explain some of the different sections of a specification for Materials & Workmanship.
The following sections were developed by the Construction Project Information Committee:
A - Preliminaries
B - Complete buildings / structures / units
C - Demolition / alteration / renovation
D - Groundworks
E - In-situ concrete / large pre-cast concrete
F - Masonry
G - Structural / carcassing metal / timber
H - Cladding / covering
J - Waterproofing
K - Lining / sheathing / dry partitioning
L - Windows / doors / stairs
M - Surface finishes
N - Furniture / equipment
P - Building fabric sundries
Q - paving / planting / fencing / site furniture
R - Disposal systems
S - Piped supply systems
T - Mechanical heating / cooling / refrigeration systems
U - Ventilation systems / air conditioning systems
V - Electrical supply / power / lighting systems
W - Communications / security / control systems
X - Transport systems
Z - Building fabric reference specification
Tell us about your understanding of specifications.
- Specifications describe the materials and workmanship required for a project.
- They do not include cost, quantities or drawn information and need to be read alongside other information such as BoQ’s, schedules, and drawings.
- Specifications vary depending on the project.
- Performance specifications give suppliers more scope of innovate and adapt cost effective solutions.
- Prescriptive specifications provide suppliers with a full design resulting in improved client certainty but create less opportunity for contractor innovation.
- Propriety specifications give reference to a single type of product to be used resulting in complete client certainty whilst sacrificing contractor innovation.
What specification software are you aware of?
The National Building Specification (NBS) describes materials, standards and workmanship for construction projects. It also contains preliminaries documents.
It is regarded as the Uk industry standard and provides all the latest legislation and British Standards relevant to the works.
What are Preambles?
Preambles are there to provide an explanation of how a document is to be used in order to help with its interpretation.
Preambles do not form part of the cost for the project and may include:
- A description of the parties to the contract
- A description of the competence of the parties
- A background of the project
- Summaries of any negotiations that have taken place
- The tendering procedure that has been adopted
Please explain your understanding of the term Schedule of Work.
- A SoW provides an instructional list of the works required.
- The SoW should allow the contractor to identify any significant work and materials that will be required.
- Reference to requirements around quality criteria are provided through supporting specifications.
- The location and size of the project is provided on accompanying drawings.
What are provisional quantities?
Provisional quantities are defined by New Rules of Measurement (NRM) as:
- An item of work where the quantity of work cannot be accurately determined at the time of agreeing the contract sum.
- Where the work can be described and given in terms in accordance with the tabulated rules of measurement, and estimate of the quantity shall be given and identified as a “provisional quantity”.
What is a Schedule of Rates?
- A schedule of rates is used when the nature of the works is known but cannot be quantified.
- In the absence of an estimate, the contractor will provide unit rates against the items that are intended to cover all likely activities that might form part of the works.
- As the extent of the works is unknown , the rates are used to provide for overheads, profit and general prelims such as scaffold, power, supervision and welfare etc.
- On projects longer than 18 months, escalation provisions may apply which are based on annual percentage increases or stipulated indices.
What is a Bill of Quantities?
- A document prepared by the cost consultant (QS) that provides project specific measured quantities of items of work identified by the drawings and specifications in the tender document.
- They are typically used on larger projects and new builds.
- They provide fair and accurate tenders and avoid any misinterpretation of the quantities required.
- BoQ’s take precedent when errors or discrepancies occur between drawings, specifications and the BoQ’s.
- They provide rates for variations and valuations.
- They must be prepared in accordance with NRM or recognized methods of measurement to avoid ambiguity and misunderstanding.
Please explain the British Standards BS7000 Guide to Managing Design in Construction different stages.
- The guide was published by the BSI and provides guidance on the construction design process at all levels for all organizations and all types of construction projects.
- It also establishes principles to ensure the design management process is more efficient and provides principles and a common reference for project protocols.
- BS7000 applies to purpose built constructions, equipment and components and is recommended for use by those who work in and with the construction industry, particularly designers and those managing design throughout the lifecycle of a construction process.
- Its contents are:
Framework for Design management
Design Resource Management
Design Process Management
Please explain your understanding of Statutory Effects on Design.
- Buildings in the UK are statutory regulations that seek to ensure that new buildings, conversions, renovations and extensions are safe for the people in or around those buildings.
- The approved documents that form part of the Building Regulations specify different criteria for the following aspects of buildings all of which affect their design.
AD-A - Structure
AD-B - Fire
AD-C - Site preparation and resistance to contaminates and moisture
AD-D - Toxic substances
AD-E - Resistance to sound
AD-F - Ventilation
AD-G - Sanitation, hot water safety, and water efficiency
AD-H - Drainage & waste disposal
What is BIM?
- Building Information Modelling describes the process of creating and managing the digital information of a built asset.
The different BIM maturity Levels are: - Level 0 - Low Collaboration: This is the information gathering process and doesn’t involve any level of co-operation.
- Level 1 - Partial Collaboration: Involves the use of CAD to generate suites of 2D information and non-federated 3D models.
- Level 2 - Full Collaboration: Requires the sharing of project information generated within the 2D and 3D models to be shared across the project disciplines and team members.
- Level 3 - Full Integration: Includes a single collaborative project model including construction sequencing, cost and lifecycle management information.
What is a designers risk assessment?
- Designers risk assessment are used by designers to identify hazards or any hazardous activities in order to eliminate or reduce them.
- Through their use, the risks identified are aimed to be designed out at the design stage, and those that cannot be omitted are highlighted for mitigation where possible.
- The HSE publish a red, amber, green list to assist designers in ascertaining what should be encouraged or eliminated, for example:
- Red items to be eliminated include lack of pre-construction information, large quantities of dust generating processes, no safe provision of access for maintenance.
- Amber items to be eliminated or reduced include manholes in circulation areas, use of solvent based products, particularly in confined spaces.
Green items to be introduced or encouraged include permanent means of access, edge protection, off site fabrication.
What are the Building Control Performance Standards?
The Building Regulations set the standards to be achieved within the construction of buildings. The Building Control performance standards are produced by the Building Control Performance Advisory Group which help ensure uniformity between local authorities and approved inspections to adopt a consistent approach when assessing compliance with the standards.
The performance standards are made up of:
- Policy Performance & Management Systems
- Resources
- Consultation
- Pre-application contact and provision of advice
- Assessment of plans
- Site inspection
- Communications and records
- Business and professional ethics
- Complaints procedure
