After a long gap in the series, today we are looking at Stage 5 – Construction and building out the design. Hopefully, you are following the series? if not, you can catch up on the previous posts here.
If Stage 4 has been completed to the LoD defined in the BSRIA Guide, then developing the information into “construction” level information should be a simple process…
Historically, most of the issues arise when the Stage 4 information has not been developed to the LoD required for the technical design stage. If this has not been completed to a sufficient standard, this leaves a gap in the design.
Filling the GAP?
Supporting Mechanical and Electrical Contractors at stage 5 for their “working drawings” forms a large proportion of our work. IF the stage 4 LoD (Level of Development) has not been completed to what we consider “Technically Designed” someone would need to fill the gap.
On occasions, the client’s design team may wish to revert to the original consulting engineers to develop their information to the correct LoD. If for whatever reason this is not possible, we would work with the team to capture essentially stage 4 and stage 5 in one package of information.
Definition
“Stage 5 covers the building services installation, commissioning and testing activities to take the project to the state where handover can occur”
RIBA summary of Stage 5
During this stage, the building is constructed on-site in accordance with the Construction Programme. Construction includes the erection of components that have been fabricated off-site.
The procurement strategy and/or the designer’s specific Schedule of Services will have set out the designer’s duties. To respond to Design Queries (also known as “Technical Queries”) from site. It may also be required to carry out site inspections and produce quality reports (also known as Clerk of works).
So what can we offer?
Our team is headed up by massively experienced engineers. All of whom have decades of both on-site and academic experience in Building Services. From Stage 2 concept to Stage 7 in use, we have you covered.
We have new and innovative ways to drive sustainability and energy efficiency to new levels. We have worked extensively with clients, developers, installers and main contractors to ensure that we Engineer Value into the project.
This approach means that we are targeting the most efficient option from the start. With early engagement, we are able to identify needs, performance, and targets which are tracked through the design process.
The next step is Stage 6 – Handover and Close Out, the end of the construction phase. In the next post, we will look at the information produced for Soft Landings, O&M information. We also look at duties we can offer at early stages to support PPM strategies and Asset Information.
Do you have a project coming up?
Why not get in touch with our team today to discuss? We offer free and confidential advice and are happy to support projects of all sizes.