Experts from the Institution of Civil Engineers have published new guidance aimed at raising building control standards…
Engineers in the construction industry will benefit from new guidance designed to improve Building Control approval submissions under Part A of the Building Regulations, and their equivalent in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.
The guidance comes after an investigation was conducted into the standard of approval submissions to Building Control authorities by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Structures Expert Panel, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety, and the Association of Structural Engineers of London Boroughs.
The results revealed many Building Control approval submissions made to local authorities in England for construction and extension projects were often substandard. As a result the group said there was a need for best practice to be shared.
It is hoped the guidance will not only improve the design assumptions within applications, but also ensure all vital data about projects is included. Additionally, the guidance will help to improve safety.
Members of Local Authority Building Control will be notified of the guidance, which should help raise standards of those receiving submissions.
ICE Structures Expert Panel member and co-author of the guidance John Carpenter said: “The structural engineer has a professional and moral duty to provide Building Control authorities with clear and sufficient information about the design of their proposed projects.
“After all, the assumption behind all structural codes is that they are only used by competent persons.
“The Building Regulations approval process should be as simple and open as possible and consistent with safeguarding the health and safety of those in and around buildings.
“The approval process must therefore recognise that structural engineering is safety-critical, that only competent structural engineers should derive submissions, and that they are presented in a complete and clear manner.
“Building Control authorities must be ready to reject any submissions that do not meet these criteria.”
ICE, which represents experts in transport, water supply and treatment, flood management, waste, and energy, has over 86,000 members.