Land & Architectural Survey Blog

Category: Construction

  • What is Stage 5 to 7 of the RIBA plan of work?

    RIBA plan of work stage 5

    Stage 5 is the manufacturing and construction phase of development.

    The design team does most of their work at Stage 4, but it’s possible for them to overlap Stage 4 and Stage 5, as dictated by the project schedule.

    The construction team does most of their work at Stage 5.

    This is usually dictated by the procurement route selected (e.g. design and build, traditional, etc…).

    Construction phase
    Construction phase

    The information provided to the design team at Stage 5 is changing. Design teams may receive data that ranges from a 2D general arrangement produced by the design team to a multi-disciplinary model containing specialists vendor info and lots of supplementary data for maintaining the asset, operating it, or using it.

    The information needs to be correct for you to use the building properly. Just because your project is small, doesn’t mean there won’t be any Building Systems that need to be operated effectively in order for your building to function as expected.

    It can be difficult at the start of your project or with constantly-changing industry standards and software to know what Information Requirements are necessary, but as you continue along you should be able to tell if the contractual responsibilities will meet their informational needs.

    Each client has their own individual needs, and it’s important to consider those needs.

    For some clients, the design team is responsible for inspecting the building for compliance with the Building Contract. For other clients, this inspection will be handled by someone else on their end.

    The need for Site Queries also varies from project to project.

    RIBA plan of work Stage 6

    At stage six of the project, the building will be complete and the focus will shift to fixing any issues that arise and making sure that all tasks are completed in order to conclude the contract.

    To ensure the successful handover of a building and to ensure that it will perform as planned, it’s important to consider the plan for use strategy carefully. Handover activities may take place during stage 5, in order to make sure objectives are met. The end of stage 5 should be defined as when the practical completion certificate is issued: the point where the building can legally be occupied. However, it is acknowledged that some handover activities need to happen before this date and continue after it. These include activities like preparing a building manual to help the client move in.

    As they usually do after you’ve had a new home built, the contractor needs to perform an evaluation of the property once the renovation is complete.

    At stage 1, the plan for use strategy needs to be clear regarding expectations. Immediately following practical completion, hold a project performance session with the project team to find out how they feel about the project. Aftercare tasks – like seasonal commissioning or data collection – have different timelines, which means that the building would need to have been in use for some time before these tasks can take place.

    RIBA Plan of Work Stage 1

    The plan for use strategy needs to be clear regarding expectations. Immediately following practical completion, hold a project performance session with the project team to find out how they feel about the project.

    RIBA Plan of Work Stage 7

    This is when the building is being used, lasting until it reaches the end of its life.

    When the project team finishes their work, they will close out the building contract and submit it to your organization.

    At the end of stage 6, it’s essential to plan ahead for anything that may come up after the deliverable is done. If you need to hire anyone else for an extended period of time or provide ongoing client advice over a longer time frame, you’ll need to have your professional services agreement in place.

    When clients are considering whether to do something about their building, they’re essentially starting over. They might first try to assess whether the building can be refurbished, reused for another purpose, or extended. If they find that none of these options are viable, then the building will either be demolished or disassembled with as many of its parts being recycled as possible.

    When clients are considering whether to do something about their building, they’re essentially starting over.

    They might first try to assess whether the building can be refurbished, reused for another purpose, or extended.

    If they find that none of these options are viable, then the building will either be demolished or disassembled with as many of its parts being recycled as possible.

    Clients may include some of these considerations in their Project Brief.

    For example, they could ask the design team to produce test fits for other possible uses or make sure that methods for demolishing the building have been addressed during Stage 2.

    As circular economy principles become more prominent in construction, these tasks will become more common.

  • What are hoists and conveyors – RICS – construction technology

    ELEVATORS AND CONVEYORS

    An elevator is a machine that moves materials from a higher point to a lower point, like in buildings. It is different from conveyor belts, which transport materials horizontally.

    On a larger site, an elevator might be the best option because of its large capacity and ease of use. Conveyors can be used for most large construction sites, but only if the building has both small and large aggregates.

    Elevators are not very common in construction sites because they are expensive to use.

    However, on a larger site where the concrete mixer is located at one end, an elevator might be the best option.

    HOISTS

    Hoists are used to transport materials vertically by means of a moving level platform.

    Passengers should not be transported on hoists that were only designed for lifting materials.

    Goods Hoist

    Goods Hoist

    Hoists are used to transport materials and passengers vertically by means of a moving level platform.

    These lifts are typically designed for specific uses, but newer models are oriented towards combined loads of materials and passengers.

    Passengers should not be transported on hoists that were only designed for lifting materials.

    Generally speaking, there are two types of hoists: static and mobile.

    In the static version, a tower is erected, with the lift platform attached on top. The hoisting mechanism can either be suspended from a small mast or mounted on either side of the tower. All items need to be solidly connected at the intervals prescribed by the manufacturer in order to ensure stability; these items will usually reach heights of 24 meters or higher.

    Mobile elevators usually have a maximum height of 24 meters and do not need to be securely fastened unless extensions are added to them, in which case they act as cantilever hoists. All mobile elevators should be positioned on firm ground and jacked up first to ensure stability.

    Operators of materials elevators should always follow this rule: always trust trained drivers who can position themselves for optimum safety from inside the operating compartment.

    Instructions for use should also always be clearly provided at all times for site personnel, such as instructing how loading requires placing wheelbarrows at ground level (with handles facing towards the top) before being raised by the mechanical platform. That way, ascending and descending from a raised height is minimized at all times.

    </img><figcaption>Passenger hoist</figcaption>

    To elevate materials or people, one can use a passenger or materials hoist. Passenger hoists can be powered by petrol, diesel, or electric motors and can either be of a cantilever or enclosed variety. The cantilever type consists of one or two passenger hoist cages that operate on one side of the cantilever tower; the alternative version consists of a passenger hoist cage operating inside an enclosing tower. Tying-back requirements are similar to those for the materials hoist. Passenger and material hoists should conform to BS 7212: Code of practice for safe use of construction hoists.

    Passenger hoists can be powered by petrol, diesel, or electric motors and can either be of a cantilever or enclosed variety.

    The cantilever type consists of one or two passenger hoist cages that operate on one side of the cantilever tower; the alternative version consists of a passenger hoist cage operating inside an enclosing tower.

    Tying-back requirements are similar to those for the materials hoist.

    The Lifting Operations And Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998

    The Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974 provides various regulations for assessing hoists’ risks.

    • Anywhere access can be gained, and anyplace someone at ground level might be hit by the platform or counterweight, enclosures and gates should be 2,000 meters high.
    • Access gates must always stay closed unless it’s necessary to load or unload the platform.
    • The platform itself should have a device that can support a full load in case the hoist ropes or gear fail.
    • Likewise, the hoist should also have an automatic safety device to stop the platform or cage from overrunning.
    • Hoisting operations must be done from one designated point at all times. If the operator can’t watch the hoist during operation, they should either use visibility devices or someone to communicate with. Furthermore, there should be someone or something between the operator and the object being lifted to make sure that these obstacles are never in the way of the moving hoist.

      • Hoisting operations must be done from one designated point at all times. If the operator can’t watch the hoist during operation, they should either use visibility devices or someone to communicate with. Furthermore, there should be someone or something between the operator and the object being lifted to make sure that these obstacles are never in the way of the moving hoist.

    • Winches and carriers must have independent devices and an automatic braking system that is applied when the controls are not in the normal operating position. Multiple roping or cylinders (hydraulic hoists) should also be a standard facility for various equipment.

      • Winches and carriers must have independent devices and an automatic braking system that is applied when the controls are not in the normal operating position. Multiple roping or cylinders (hydraulic hoists) should also be a standard facility for various equipment.

    • Keep your eye out for a maximum weight limit. There should also be nosings, which are the part of the stairs where a step starts. Remember that right and left nosings can differ in terms of height.

      • Keep your eye out for a maximum weight limit. There should also be nosings, which are the part of the stairs where a step starts. Remember that right and left nosings can differ in terms of height.

    • The examination and inspection of a hoist includes the input of trained, competent employees with the abilities to ensure that the hoist is safe to use.

      • The examination and inspection of a hoist includes the input of trained, competent employees with the abilities to ensure that the hoist is safe to use.

    • All machines should be given a pre-use inspection at the start of each day, after any changes to height or righting and before use. The machine’s measurements should have a thorough inspection every few days, or after any harsh work. Those results should be recorded in a log book and filed with the department head.
    • Passenger-carrying hoists must have gates, over-run devices, and other safety features to prevent passengers from getting trapped. This ensures a safe lowering of items without the cages getting stuck or functioning incorrectly.
    • It is necessary for facilities to be in place for the prevention of movement or tipping of materials during transportation by hoist. Loads of material should be secured from movement by containers such as wheelbarrows that are blocked or otherwise restrained.

  • What is Deep Excavation – Construction Technology RICS

    Excavating on a building site poses the same risks as any other work, and although-statistics show that out of the more than 46,000 accidents on building sites each year, excavations are not the major hazard, they can often be serious. Indeed, about 10% of these accidents result in fatalities.

    The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, the Construction (Health and Safety) Regulations, the Confined Spaces Regulations, and Work at Height Regulations

    Under these two acts, statutory instruments were drafted. The Design and Management Regulations were designed with the intention of decreasing operative injuries in the process of construction. The Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations detailed rules for excavations, shafts, tunnels, demolitions, and work near water. Lastly, the Confined Spaces Regulations covered chambers, pits and trenches. All four regulations applied to building operations and engineering construction because the risks faced by employees in the two industries are similar; therefore it is desirable to have a unified code of practice.

    The Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 12 and 13 mandate the standards for the supply and use of adequate support to excavations. They must be installed by qualified or trained operators, or supervised and inspected by a competent person. Construction work involving excavation must be inspected every shift, with reports filed detailing each inspection.

    The Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations 12 and 13 mandate the standards for the supply and use of adequate support to excavations.

    They must be installed by qualified or trained operators, or supervised and inspected by a competent person.

    Construction work involving excavation must be inspected every shift, with reports filed detailing each inspection.

    All employees and contractors have a duty to ensure the safety of their own workers.

    If you, as an employee, discover any defects or unsafe conditions in your workplace, it is your responsibility to report the facts to your employer, foreman, or designated safety supervisor.

    Drilling - Bridge Footer - Montgomery County, VA

    Deep excavation

    Deep excavation trench

    Deep excavation

    Deep trenches are those that are over 3 meters in depth. They are usually required for the installation of equipment like cables or drains because you don’t need a deep foundation often.

    The excavation shouldn’t be opened too far in advance of any proposed work, and it should be backfilled as soon as practical after the completion of the project.

    These two precautions will lessen the risk of falls, flooding and damage to completed work as well as releasing timbering for reuse at the earliest possible date.

    Great care must be taken in areas where underground services are present: they should be uncovered with care, protected and supported as needed.

    The presence of services in an excavation area may restrict the use of mechanical plant to the point where its use becomes uneconomical.

    Hand trimming should be used for bottoming out a trench, side trimming, end trimming and for form the gradient just before pipe laying or cable laying.

    When excavating, it’s necessary to close board or sheet the foundation to protect from any potential rock falls.

    However, the main exception is a hard and stable rock subsoil. Whenever working on a project in a rock layer, be sure to examine its stability closely.

    Fissures or splits that slope towards the cut face could lead to crumbling or rock falls when exposed to the atmosphere for long periods of time.

    If this is the case, than it would be prudent to timber the faces of your project according to how extensive and systematic the fissures are.

    When excavating, it’s necessary to close board or sheet the foundation to protect from any potential rock falls. However, the main exception is a hard and stable rock subsoil.

    Whenever working on a project in a rock layer, be sure to examine its stability closely. Fissures or splits that slope towards the cut face could lead to crumbling or rock falls when exposed to the atmosphere for long periods of time.

    If this is the case, than it would be prudent to timber the faces of your project according to how extensive and systematic the fissures are.

    In areas with hard or firm subsoils, it might be possible to excavate the site before putting in timbering. The method of support for excavation sides is similar to that used for shallow and medium-depth trenches, except for the use of bigger sections to resist the increased pressure caused by being in a more deep area.

    Driving timber and steel runners, trench sheeting, or interlocking precast concrete piles ahead of your excavation can be necessary when the subsoil is either weak, waterlogged, or running sand.

    Timbering refers to any form of temporary support for the sides of an excavation. Some common purposes include:

    Driving to a depth exceeding the final excavation depth or by using the drive-and-dig system will accomplish this.

    Long runners and steel piles will require a driving frame, while tucking and pile framing methods allow shorter members to be driven.

    All these methods require that both ends of consecutive members be secured with a single strut.

  • prevent the walls of your excavation from caving in;
  • To complete the task, keep the excavation open for the necessary time period.

    • The term ‘timber’ is often used when the material itself is employed, but it can also refer to different materials that fulfill the same function.

  • What is Stage 4 Design of the RIBA Plan of work

    A construction project usually consists of four stages. Stage 4 deals with gathering information required to manufacture and construct the building. This requires input from the design team and specialist subcontractors employed by the contractor, regardless of how they got the project. Any changes in this stage may alter the cost in later stages.

    All the designing must be done in Stage 4 before the construction phase starts in Stage 5. It is common for the specialist subcontractor’s design work to be completed in Stage 4. The RIBA Plan of Work intends that Stage 5 exclusively consists of manufacturing, construction, related inspections, reporting, and resolving site queries.

    For example, on a two-stage design-build project, the client may be content to sign the Building Contract after major packages are secured; however, in a traditional project with design ahead of construction, the designer’s work should substantially be complete before signing the building contract with the specialist subcontractors’ work completed after appointing a contractor.

    By keeping all design work within Stage 4, the lead designer can prepare a Stage4 Design Programme covering all elements of the design team’s and specialist subcontractors’ work.

    The interface between design team and specialist subcontractors and the procurement route can be a tough decision to make. However, they are not the same thing.

    Prescriptive elements are common in traditional projects, whereas descriptive specifications are more typical of Design & Build projects.

    The value brought by the design team in delivering prescriptive information varies depending on the building type and desired outcomes.

    Many clients prefer products to be specified by the design team, while allowing others to be chosen by the contractor.

    Specialist subcontractors often possess design skills that surpass those of traditional designers, adding value to the design process.

    Setting up a Responsibility Matrix at the initial stage is essential, acknowledging that it can be updated as the design progresses.

    Interior designer making hand drawing pencil sketch of a bathroom

    Interior design

    At this stage, you might want to look at getting existing plans of your property (either your landland or your buildingbuilding.) These measured building surveys and topographical surveys would be the starting point of the design team to build upon. You could consider it the foundation of the design.

    The RIBA has seen a spike in interest in offsite manufacturing methods, as well as other modern construction technologies.

    But these things need to be contemplated at Stage 2, and embedded into the design from the earliest stage.

    If you want to be sure that the building is constructed through a specific modern method of construction by the architect, it’s best to mention it in your project brief for Stage 2.

    If not, it may be wise for the designer to consider what different types of construction might work best based on a consultation with their construction adviser and some research done at Stage 2.