Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

User:ConSIG CWG

2019-01-05T12:56:51Z

Consigcwg:

The Construction Special Interest Group, Competency Working Group (ConSIG CWG) of the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) is a group of construction representatives including consultants, contractors, subcontractors and client organisations who are committed to working collaboratively to improve quality across the construction industry with specific focus on elements related to competency.

The articles published on Designing Buildings Wiki include:

[[Inspection_and_test_plan|Inspection & test plan]]

[[How_to_Write_an_Inspection_%26_Test_Plan|How to write an inspection & test plan]]

[[Change_control:_a_quality_perspective|Change control: a quality perspective]]

[[Mobilisation_to_site:_a_quality_perspective|Mobilisation to site: a quality perspective]]

[[Structural_steelwork:_a_quality_perspective|Structural steelwork: a quality perspective]]

L[[Lifts_and_Escalators:_A_Quality_Perspective|ifts and escalators: a quality perspective]]

[https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Why_should_quality_be_important_to_the_construction_industry%3F Why should quality be important to the construction industry?]

[https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Annex_SL Annex SL]

Please visit [http://www.consig.org www.consig.org] for further information.

The importance of welding assurance

2019-01-05T12:46:56Z

Consigcwg:

== Introduction ==

Welding is termed a “special process”, i.e. a process where the conformity of the resulting product cannot be readily or economically verified.

What does this mean?

Simply that the compliance of fabricated items cannot be verified by simple inspection on delivery. Compliance of fabricated items can only be verified if evidence of compliance of all stages of the welding process can be demonstrated.

There are many examples on Projects where failure to be able to demonstrate that the welding process has been complied with has caused significant technical and programme issues.

This article outlines the various mandated welding assurance documentation that must be produced and approved prior to welding commencement, outlines the specified requirements and methodologies for the inspection of welds, provides guidance on what to look for when undertaking a welding surveillance, and briefly outlines some of the added complications of undertaking welding on site.

This article will not make you a competent welding expert, it is intended to highlight commonly experienced issues on the management of the welding assurance process.

== Welding specifications ==

There are many specifications for welding but the two most common for building related fabrication in the UK are:

* The National Structural Steelwork Specification (NSSS) – currently the 6th edition
* BS EN 1090-2 : 2008 – Execution of steel structures and aluminium structures

As the NSSS is the most commonly used standard for construction fabrication, this article refers to the requirements of this standard. However, it should be noted that other fabrication standards, eg bridge fabrication, follow the same general process for welding assurance.

Note – The NSSS is written to comply with Execution Class 2 of BS EN 1090 : 2008 so the standards are to some extent linked.

== Welding assurance documentation ==

The correct production and approval of these documents prior to the commencement of any fabrication is key to the welding assurance process. There are three types of documentation involved:

* Weld procedure specifications
* Weld procedure qualification records
* Welder qualification records

=== Weld procedure specification (WPS) ===

A WPS is a formal written document describing welding procedures which provides direction to the welder or welding operators for making sound and quality production welds as per the specified requirements.

Written WPSs shall be available in accordance with BS EN ISO 15609-1. Each WPS shall be qualified by testing in accordance with BS EN ISO 15614-1 or BS EN 15613. (NSSS Cls 5.3.1)

They shall be provided for the welder prior to the commencement of welding and shall be suitable for the joint configuration and material to be welded. These work instructions shall be made available to the employer, engineer or inspection authority on request (NSSS Cls 5.3.3)

=== Weld procedure qualification record (WPQR) ===

A WPQR is required to validate a WPS (or WPSs). A test piece is produced in accordance with the requirements of the WPS. The joint set up, welding and visual examination of the completed weld should be witnessed by an examining body. The details of the test such as the welding current, pre-heat etc., must be recorded during the test. Once the welding is complete the test piece must be subject to destructive and non-destructive examination such as radiography and mechanical tests as defined by the welding procedure standard.

WPQRs in accordance with BS EN ISO 15614-1 or BS EN 15613 shall be verified by the examiner or examining body. The responsible welding coordinator (RWC) may act as the examiner/examining body for the approval of welding procedures provided suitable competence can be demonstrated. (NSSS Cls 5.3.2). The qualifications of the fabricator’s RWC should be obtained. Some clients may not recognise the fabricator’s own internal RWC to act as the examining body, so a third party independent examination may also be required.

Range of approval is limited to materials with similar chemical composition and mechanical properties to that used in the WPQR. Welding is within a strict range of parameters for the essential variables recorded during the WPQR test. Several WPSs maybe qualified by one WPQR or vice versa.

=== Welder qualification record (WQR) (also sometimes referred to as welder qualification test certificate (WQTC) ===

The welder qualification test is carried out to demonstrate that the welder has the necessary skill to produce a satisfactory weld under the conditions used in production as detailed in the approved WPS.

Welders and welding operators shall be tested to meet the requirements of BS EN ISO 9606-1 (NSSS Cls 5.2.1.)

Testing of welders and welding operators shall be witnessed and certificates endorsed by a competent examiner or examining body (NSSS Cls 5.2.2.)

Range of approval, ie material type, thickness, welding position etc., is generally not as restrictive as WPQR testing with fewer essential variables as the main purpose of a WQR is to demonstrate the skill/ability of the welder. One WQR can cover many WPS’s.

== Welding documentation approval ==

All welding documentation (welder qualifications, welding procedure qualification records, welding procedure specifications and associated work instructions) shall be reviewed for applicability by the person responsible for welding coordination (NSSS Cls 5.1). If requested, the documentation shall be made available to the inspection authority, if appointed. (NSSS Cls 5.1).

All welding documentation (welder qualifications, welding procedure qualification records, welding procedure qualifications and associated work instructions) shall be reviewed for applicability by the person responsible for welding coordination. If requested, the documentation shall be made available to the inspection authority, if appointed. (NSSS Cls 5.1)

All welding documentation must be accepted prior to commencement of the associated production welding.

It is essential that a suitably competent welding consultant (either in house or subcontracted) is employed to review and approve the fabricator’s welding documentation prior to fabrication commencing. This role can be fulfilled by the fabricator’s responsible welding co-ordinator, a position required by EN 1090.

There is an inter-relationship between WPSs, WPQRs and WQRs. They must all be accepted as individual documents. They must also be accepted as a suite of documents

The WPS must be qualified by an applicable WPQR.

A welder must hold a WQR applicable to the welding described in the WPS(s).

== Inspection of completed welds ==

=== Visual inspection ===

100% visual inspection shall be carried out during welding and on completion to determine that the production quality is being maintained. Visual inspection shall be carried out in accordance with the guidelines given in Annex D (NSSS Cls 5.5.3).

A suitably qualified person for visual inspection of welds may be a welding inspector or a welder who can provide evidence of having been trained and assessed for competence in visual inspection of the relevant types of welds during and after welding (NSSS Cls 5.5.3).

=== Non-destructive testing ===

All welds will be subject to a level and type of non-destructive testing. The required rate and methods of testing will depend on the weld type and geometry and are detailed in Annex B, Table B of the NSSS. Additional non-destructive testing may be specified by the designer.

All non-destructive testing must be undertaken by a competent operator, normally PCN (Personnel certification in non-destructive testing) level 2 or similar. Competency must be relevant to the type of non-destructive testing being undertaken.

Where there is a risk of delayed cracking (caused by the presence of hydrogen in the weld and which may be an indication that the WPSs have not been followed) a period may be needed before the final inspection is made of as-welded fabrications. Recommended minimum hold times are given in Table A of Annex A.(NSSS Cls 5.5.4).

Four non-destructive testing methods are most commonly used. Each has advantages and disadvantages that will determine whether it is suitable for your particular testing application.

These techniques are:

# Radiography
# Magnetic particle crack detection
# Dye penetrant testing
# Ultrasonic flaw detection

=== Radiography ===

* Advantages - In radiographic testing, information is presented pictorially. A permanent record is provided, which can be viewed at a time and place distant from the test. This type of testing is useful for thin sections and is suitable for any material. Sensitivity is declared on each film.
* Disadvantages - Radiography is not suitable for several types of testing situations. For example, radiography is not usually used for surface defects or for automation, unless the system incorporates fluoroscopy with an image intensifier or other electronic aids. Radiography generally is not used for thick sections and the testing itself can pose a possible health hazard (site exclusion zones may be required).

=== Magnetic particle inspection ===

* Advantages - Magnetic particle inspection generally is simple to operate and apply. This testing is quantitative and it can be automated, apart from viewing.
* Disadvantages - This type of nondestructive testing is restricted to ferromagnetic materials, as well as to surface or near-surface flaws.

=== Dye penetrant testing ===

* Advantages - A quantitative analysis, dye penetrant testing is simple to do and is a good way to detect surface-breaking cracks in nonferrous metals where magnetic particle inspection cannot be used.
* Disadvantages - Dye penetrant testing is restricted to surface-breaking defects only. It is less sensitive than some other methods and uses a considerable amount of consumables.

=== Ultrasonic flaw detection ===

* Advantages - This type of testing can determine defect position, size and type. It is a portable type of testing that offers extreme sensitivity when required and can be fully automated. Access to only one side is necessary for testing, and no consumables are used.
* Disadvantages - No permanent record is available unless one of the more sophisticated test results and data collection systems is used. The operator can decide whether or not the test piece is defective while the test is in progress. Test indications require interpretation and a considerable degree of skill is necessary to get the most information from the test. Finally, ISO 17640 limits the test thickness to ≥ 8 mm so very thin sections can be difficult to test with this method.

== Surveillance of welding operations at the fabricator’s works ==

When undertaking a surveillance of fabrication, some of the key things to verify are:

That the accepted WPS parameters are in use, ie that

* the correct welding process is being used,
* the correct weld consumables are being used,
* the correct joint fit up is being used,
* the correct material grades/thicknesses are being used
* etc.:

That the qualified welders are being utilised in accordance with the submitted WQRs;

That dimensional inspections, etc. are being undertaken and documented in accordance with the accepted inspection and test plan;

That all welds are subject to 100% visual inspection by a competent operative;

That welds have been subject to the required type/frequency of non-destructive testing (NSSS Annex B, Table B);

That the required hold times have been allowed prior to the undertaking of NDT (NSSS Annex A);

That the NDT has been undertaken by the submitted NDT company/competent operatives.

== Site welding assurance ==

Site welding is more problematic than shop welding and should be avoided if possible.

Things to look for during site welding:-

Welding process – this may well be different from that used in the fabrication shop, ie manual metal arc welding using a rod consumable is often used on site where metal active gas (MAG) or metal inert gas (MIG) welding that use wire consumables are used more often in the works. If so a new set of WPSs/WPQRs and WQRs will be required as the welding process is different.

Weld consumable maintenance – rod consumables must either be preheated prior to use or can be purchased in vacuum packs that must be used the day they are opened (this is to prevent moisture affecting the welding process).

Environmental considerations – loss of temperature, moisture, humidity, wind, etc. can affect the welding process and must be controlled, i.e. by encapsulation.

The author would like to thank Julian French, Partner, Sandberg LLP for checking the article for technical correctness.

Original article written by Jon Elliott on behalf of the CQI Construction special interest group, reviewed by members of the CQI CoSIG Competency working group and approved for publication on 23 October 2018.--[[User:Consigcwg|Consigcwg]] 12:20, 05 Jan 2019 (BST)

[[Category:Standards_/_measurements]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]]

The importance of welding assurance

2019-01-05T12:20:27Z

Consigcwg:

== Introduction ==

Welding is termed a “special process”, i.e. a process where the conformity of the resulting product cannot be readily or economically verified.

What does this mean?

Simply that the compliance of fabricated items cannot be verified by simple inspection on delivery. Compliance of fabricated items can only be verified if evidence of compliance of all stages of the welding process can be demonstrated.

There are many examples on Projects where failure to be able to demonstrate that the welding process has been complied with has caused significant technical and programme issues.

This article outlines the various mandated welding assurance documentation that must be produced and approved prior to welding commencement, outlines the specified requirements and methodologies for the inspection of welds, provides guidance on what to look for when undertaking a welding surveillance, and briefly outlines some of the added complications of undertaking welding on site.

This article will not make you a competent welding expert, it is intended to highlight commonly experienced issues on the management of the welding assurance process.

== Welding specifications ==

There are many specifications for welding but the two most common for building related fabrication in the UK are:

* The National Structural Steelwork Specification (NSSS) – currently the 6th edition
* BS EN 1090-2 : 2008 – Execution of steel structures and aluminium structures

As the NSSS is the most commonly used standard for construction fabrication, this article refers to the requirements of this standard. However, it should be noted that other fabrication standards, eg bridge fabrication, follow the same general process for welding assurance.

Note – The NSSS is written to comply with Execution Class 2 of BS EN 1090 : 2008 so the standards are to some extent linked.

== Welding assurance documentation ==

The correct production and approval of these documents prior to the commencement of any fabrication is key to the welding assurance process. There are three types of documentation involved:

* Weld procedure specifications
* Weld procedure qualification records
* Welder qualification records

=== Weld procedure specification (WPS) ===

A WPS is a formal written document describing welding procedures which provides direction to the welder or welding operators for making sound and quality production welds as per the specified requirements.

Written WPSs shall be available in accordance with BS EN ISO 15609-1. Each WPS shall be qualified by testing in accordance with BS EN ISO 15614-1 or BS EN 15613. (NSSS Cls 5.3.1)

They shall be provided for the welder prior to the commencement of welding and shall be suitable for the joint configuration and material to be welded. These work instructions shall be made available to the employer, engineer or inspection authority on request (NSSS Cls 5.3.3)

=== Weld procedure qualification record (WPQR) ===

A WPQR is required to validate a WPS (or WPSs). A test piece is produced in accordance with the requirements of the WPS. The joint set up, welding and visual examination of the completed weld should be witnessed by an examining body. The details of the test such as the welding current, pre-heat etc., must be recorded during the test. Once the welding is complete the test piece must be subject to destructive and non-destructive examination such as radiography and mechanical tests as defined by the welding procedure standard.

WPQRs in accordance with BS EN ISO 15614-1 or BS EN 15613 shall be verified by the examiner or examining body. The responsible welding coordinator (RWC) may act as the examiner/examining body for the approval of welding procedures provided suitable competence can be demonstrated. (NSSS Cls 5.3.2). The qualifications of the fabricator’s RWC should be obtained. Some clients may not recognise the fabricator’s own internal RWC to act as the examining body, so a third party independent examination may also be required.

Range of approval is limited to materials with similar chemical composition and mechanical properties to that used in the WPQR. Welding is within a strict range of parameters for the essential variables recorded during the WPQR test. Several WPSs maybe qualified by one WPQR or vice versa.

=== Welder qualification record (WQR) (also sometimes referred to as welder qualification test certificate (WQTC) ===

The welder qualification test is carried out to demonstrate that the welder has the necessary skill to produce a satisfactory weld under the conditions used in production as detailed in the approved WPS.

Welders and welding operators shall be tested to meet the requirements of BS EN ISO 9606-1 (NSSS Cls 5.2.1.)

Testing of welders and welding operators shall be witnessed and certificates endorsed by a competent examiner or examining body (NSSS Cls 5.2.2.)

Range of approval, ie material type, thickness, welding position etc., is generally not as restrictive as WPQR testing with fewer essential variables as the main purpose of a WQR is to demonstrate the skill/ability of the welder. One WQR can cover many WPS’s.

== Welding documentation approval ==

All welding documentation (welder qualifications, welding procedure qualification records, welding procedure specifications and associated work instructions) shall be reviewed for applicability by the person responsible for welding coordination (NSSS Cls 5.1). If requested, the documentation shall be made available to the inspection authority, if appointed. (NSSS Cls 5.1).

All welding documentation (welder qualifications, welding procedure qualification records, welding procedure qualifications and associated work instructions) shall be reviewed for applicability by the person responsible for welding coordination. If requested, the documentation shall be made available to the inspection authority, if appointed. (NSSS Cls 5.1)

All welding documentation must be accepted prior to commencement of the associated production welding.

It is essential that a suitably competent welding consultant (either in house or subcontracted) is employed to review and approve the fabricator’s welding documentation prior to fabrication commencing. This role can be fulfilled by the fabricator’s responsible welding co-ordinator, a position required by EN 1090.

There is an inter-relationship between WPSs, WPQRs and WQRs. They must all be accepted as individual documents. They must also be accepted as a suite of documents

The WPS must be qualified by an applicable WPQR.

A welder must hold a WQR applicable to the welding described in the WPS(s).

== Inspection of completed welds ==

=== Visual inspection ===

100% visual inspection shall be carried out during welding and on completion to determine that the production quality is being maintained. Visual inspection shall be carried out in accordance with the guidelines given in Annex D (NSSS Cls 5.5.3).

A suitably qualified person for visual inspection of welds may be a welding inspector or a welder who can provide evidence of having been trained and assessed for competence in visual inspection of the relevant types of welds during and after welding (NSSS Cls 5.5.3).

=== Non-destructive Testing ===

All welds will be subject to a level and type of non-destructive testing. The required rate and methods of testing will depend on the weld type and geometry and are detailed in Annex B, Table B of the NSSS. Additional non-destructive testing may be specified by the designer.

All non-destructive testing must be undertaken by a competent operator, normally PCN (Personnel certification in non-destructive testing) level 2 or similar. Competency must be relevant to the type of non-destructive testing being undertaken.

Where there is a risk of delayed cracking (caused by the presence of hydrogen in the weld and which may be an indication that the WPSs have not been followed) a period may be needed before the final inspection is made of as-welded fabrications. Recommended minimum hold times are given in Table A of Annex A.(NSSS Cls 5.5.4).

Four non-destructive testing methods are most commonly used. Each has advantages and disadvantages that will determine whether it is suitable for your particular testing application.

These techniques are:

# Radiography
# Magnetic particle crack detection
# Dye penetrant testing
# Ultrasonic flaw detection

=== Radiography ===

* Advantages - In radiographic testing, information is presented pictorially. A permanent record is provided, which can be viewed at a time and place distant from the test. This type of testing is useful for thin sections and is suitable for any material. Sensitivity is declared on each film.
* Disadvantages - Radiography is not suitable for several types of testing situations. For example, radiography is not usually used for surface defects or for automation, unless the system incorporates fluoroscopy with an image intensifier or other electronic aids. Radiography generally is not used for thick sections and the testing itself can pose a possible health hazard (site exclusion zones may be required).

=== Magnetic particle inspection ===

* Advantages - Magnetic particle inspection generally is simple to operate and apply. This testing is quantitative and it can be automated, apart from viewing.
* Disadvantages - This type of nondestructive testing is restricted to ferromagnetic materials, as well as to surface or near-surface flaws.

=== Dye penetrant testing ===

* Advantages - A quantitative analysis, dye penetrant testing is simple to do and is a good way to detect surface-breaking cracks in nonferrous metals where magnetic particle inspection cannot be used.
* Disadvantages - Dye penetrant testing is restricted to surface-breaking defects only. It is less sensitive than some other methods and uses a considerable amount of consumables.

=== Ultrasonic flaw detection ===

* Advantages - This type of testing can determine defect position, size and type. It is a portable type of testing that offers extreme sensitivity when required and can be fully automated. Access to only one side is necessary for testing, and no consumables are used.
* Disadvantages - No permanent record is available unless one of the more sophisticated test results and data collection systems is used. The operator can decide whether or not the test piece is defective while the test is in progress. Test indications require interpretation and a considerable degree of skill is necessary to get the most information from the test. Finally, ISO 17640 limits the test thickness to ≥ 8 mm so very thin sections can be difficult to test with this method.

== Surveillance of welding operations at the fabricator’s works ==

When undertaking a surveillance of fabrication, some of the key things to verify are:

That the accepted WPS parameters are in use, ie that

* the correct welding process is being used,
* the correct weld consumables are being used,
* the correct joint fit up is being used,
* the correct material grades/thicknesses are being used
* etc.:

That the qualified welders are being utilised in accordance with the submitted WQRs;

That dimensional inspections, etc. are being undertaken and documented in accordance with the accepted inspection and test plan;

That all welds are subject to 100% visual inspection by a competent operative;

That welds have been subject to the required type/frequency of non-destructive testing (NSSS Annex B, Table B);

That the required hold times have been allowed prior to the undertaking of NDT (NSSS Annex A);

That the NDT has been undertaken by the submitted NDT company/competent operatives.

== Site welding assurance ==

Site welding is more problematic than shop welding and should be avoided if possible.

Things to look for during site welding:-

Welding process – this may well be different from that used in the fabrication shop, ie manual metal arc welding using a rod consumable is often used on site where metal active gas (MAG) or metal inert gas (MIG) welding that use wire consumables are used more often in the works. If so a new set of WPSs/WPQRs and WQRs will be required as the welding process is different.

Weld consumable maintenance – rod consumables must either be preheated prior to use or can be purchased in vacuum packs that must be used the day they are opened (this is to prevent moisture affecting the welding process).

Environmental considerations – loss of temperature, moisture, humidity, wind, etc. can affect the welding process and must be controlled, i.e. by encapsulation.

The author would like to thank Julian French, Partner, Sandberg LLP for checking the article for technical correctness.

Original article written by Jon Elliott on behalf of the CQI Construction special interest group, reviewed by members of the CQI CoSIG Competency working group and approved for publication on 23 October 2018.--[[User:Consigcwg|Consigcwg]] 12:20, 05 Jan 2019 (BST)

[[Category:Standards_/_measurements]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]]

The importance of welding assurance

2019-01-05T12:11:31Z

Consigcwg: Created page with "== Introduction == Welding is termed a “special process”, i.e. a process where the conformity of the resulting product cannot be readily or economically verified. What does..."

== Introduction ==

Welding is termed a “special process”, i.e. a process where the conformity of the resulting product cannot be readily or economically verified.

What does this mean?

Simply that the compliance of fabricated items cannot be verified by simple inspection on delivery. Compliance of fabricated items can only be verified if evidence of compliance of all stages of the welding process can be demonstrated.

There are many examples on Projects where failure to be able to demonstrate that the welding process has been complied with has caused significant technical and programme issues.

This article outlines the various mandated welding assurance documentation that must be produced and approved prior to welding commencement, outlines the specified requirements and methodologies for the inspection of welds, provides guidance on what to look for when undertaking a welding surveillance, and briefly outlines some of the added complications of undertaking welding on site.

This article will not make you a competent welding expert, it is intended to highlight commonly experienced issues on the management of the welding assurance process.

== Welding specifications ==

There are many specifications for welding but the two most common for building related fabrication in the UK are:

* The National Structural Steelwork Specification (NSSS) – currently the 6th edition
* BS EN 1090-2 : 2008 – Execution of steel structures and aluminium structures

As the NSSS is the most commonly used standard for construction fabrication, this article refers to the requirements of this standard. However, it should be noted that other fabrication standards, eg bridge fabrication, follow the same general process for welding assurance.

Note – The NSSS is written to comply with Execution Class 2 of BS EN 1090 : 2008 so the standards are to some extent linked.

== Welding assurance documentation ==

The correct production and approval of these documents prior to the commencement of any fabrication is key to the welding assurance process. There are three types of documentation involved:

* Weld procedure specifications
* Weld procedure qualification records
* Welder qualification records

=== Weld Procedure Specification (WPS) ===

A WPS is a formal written document describing welding procedures which provides direction to the welder or welding operators for making sound and quality production welds as per the specified requirements.

Written WPSs shall be available in accordance with BS EN ISO 15609-1. Each WPS shall be qualified by testing in accordance with BS EN ISO 15614-1 or BS EN 15613. (NSSS Cls 5.3.1)

They shall be provided for the welder prior to the commencement of welding and shall be suitable for the joint configuration and material to be welded. These work instructions shall be made available to the employer, engineer or inspection authority on request (NSSS Cls 5.3.3)

=== Weld Procedure Qualification Record (WPQR) ===

A WPQR is required to validate a WPS (or WPSs). A test piece is produced in accordance with the requirements of the WPS. The joint set up, welding and visual examination of the completed weld should be witnessed by an examining body. The details of the test such as the welding current, pre-heat etc., must be recorded during the test. Once the welding is complete the test piece must be subject to destructive and non-destructive examination such as radiography and mechanical tests as defined by the welding procedure standard.

WPQRs in accordance with BS EN ISO 15614-1 or BS EN 15613 shall be verified by the examiner or examining body. The responsible welding coordinator (RWC) may act as the examiner/examining body for the approval of welding procedures provided suitable competence can be demonstrated. (NSSS Cls 5.3.2). The qualifications of the fabricator’s RWC should be obtained. Some clients may not recognise the fabricator’s own internal RWC to act as the examining body, so a third party independent examination may also be required.

Range of approval is limited to materials with similar chemical composition and mechanical properties to that used in the WPQR. Welding is within a strict range of parameters for the essential variables recorded during the WPQR test. Several WPSs maybe qualified by one WPQR or vice versa.

=== Welder qualification record (WQR) (also sometimes referred to as welder qualification test certificate (WQTC) ===

The welder qualification test is carried out to demonstrate that the welder has the necessary skill to produce a satisfactory weld under the conditions used in production as detailed in the approved WPS.

Welders and welding operators shall be tested to meet the requirements of BS EN ISO 9606-1 (NSSS Cls 5.2.1.)

Testing of welders and welding operators shall be witnessed and certificates endorsed by a competent examiner or examining body (NSSS Cls 5.2.2.)

Range of approval, ie material type, thickness, welding position etc., is generally not as restrictive as WPQR testing with fewer essential variables as the main purpose of a WQR is to demonstrate the skill/ability of the welder. One WQR can cover many WPS’s.

=== Welding documentation approval ===

All welding documentation (welder qualifications, welding procedure qualification records, welding procedure specifications and associated work instructions) shall be reviewed for applicability by the person responsible for welding coordination (NSSS Cls 5.1). If requested, the documentation shall be made available to the inspection authority, if appointed. (NSSS Cls 5.1).

All welding documentation (welder qualifications, welding procedure qualification records, welding procedure qualifications and associated work instructions) shall be reviewed for applicability by the person responsible for welding coordination. If requested, the documentation shall be made available to the inspection authority, if appointed. (NSSS Cls 5.1)

All welding documentation must be accepted prior to commencement of the associated production welding.

It is essential that a suitably competent welding consultant (either in house or subcontracted) is employed to review and approve the fabricator’s welding documentation prior to fabrication commencing. This role can be fulfilled by the fabricator’s responsible welding co-ordinator, a position required by EN 1090.

There is an inter-relationship between WPSs, WPQRs and WQRs. They must all be accepted as individual documents. They must also be accepted as a suite of documents

The WPS must be qualified by an applicable WPQR.

A welder must hold a WQR applicable to the welding described in the WPS(s).

== Inspection of completed welds ==

=== Visual inspection ===

100% visual inspection shall be carried out during welding and on completion to determine that the production quality is being maintained. Visual inspection shall be carried out in accordance with the guidelines given in Annex D (NSSS Cls 5.5.3).

A suitably qualified person for visual inspection of welds may be a welding inspector or a welder who can provide evidence of having been trained and assessed for competence in visual inspection of the relevant types of welds during and after welding (NSSS Cls 5.5.3).

=== Non-destructive Testing ===

All welds will be subject to a level and type of non-destructive testing. The required rate and methods of testing will depend on the weld type and geometry and are detailed in Annex B, Table B of the NSSS. Additional non-destructive testing may be specified by the designer.

All non-destructive testing must be undertaken by a competent operator, normally PCN (Personnel certification in non-destructive testing) level 2 or similar. Competency must be relevant to the type of non-destructive testing being undertaken.

Where there is a risk of delayed cracking (caused by the presence of hydrogen in the weld and which may be an indication that the WPSs have not been followed) a period may be needed before the final inspection is made of as-welded fabrications. Recommended minimum hold times are given in Table A of Annex A.(NSSS Cls 5.5.4).

Four non-destructive testing methods are most commonly used. Each has advantages and disadvantages that will determine whether it is suitable for your particular testing application.

These techniques are:

# Radiography
# Magnetic particle crack detection
# Dye penetrant testing
# Ultrasonic flaw detection

=== Radiography ===

* Advantages - In radiographic testing, information is presented pictorially. A permanent record is provided, which can be viewed at a time and place distant from the test. This type of testing is useful for thin sections and is suitable for any material. Sensitivity is declared on each film.
* Disadvantages - Radiography is not suitable for several types of testing situations. For example, radiography is not usually used for surface defects or for automation, unless the system incorporates fluoroscopy with an image intensifier or other electronic aids. Radiography generally is not used for thick sections and the testing itself can pose a possible health hazard (site exclusion zones may be required).

=== Magnetic particle inspection ===

* Advantages - Magnetic particle inspection generally is simple to operate and apply. This testing is quantitative and it can be automated, apart from viewing.
* Disadvantages - This type of nondestructive testing is restricted to ferromagnetic materials, as well as to surface or near-surface flaws.

=== Dye penetrant testing ===

* Advantages - A quantitative analysis, dye penetrant testing is simple to do and is a good way to detect surface-breaking cracks in nonferrous metals where magnetic particle inspection cannot be used.
* Disadvantages - Dye penetrant testing is restricted to surface-breaking defects only. It is less sensitive than some other methods and uses a considerable amount of consumables.

=== Ultrasonic flaw detection ===

* Advantages - This type of testing can determine defect position, size and type. It is a portable type of testing that offers extreme sensitivity when required and can be fully automated. Access to only one side is necessary for testing, and no consumables are used.
* Disadvantages - No permanent record is available unless one of the more sophisticated test results and data collection systems is used. The operator can decide whether or not the test piece is defective while the test is in progress. Test indications require interpretation and a considerable degree of skill is necessary to get the most information from the test. Finally, ISO 17640 limits the test thickness to ≥ 8 mm so very thin sections can be difficult to test with this method.

== Surveillance of welding operations at the fabricator’s works ==

When undertaking a surveillance of fabrication, some of the key things to verify are:

That the accepted WPS parameters are in use, ie that

* the correct welding process is being used,
* the correct weld consumables are being used,
* the correct joint fit up is being used,
* the correct material grades/thicknesses are being used
* etc.:

That the qualified welders are being utilised in accordance with the submitted WQRs;

That dimensional inspections, etc. are being undertaken and documented in accordance with the accepted inspection and test plan;

That all welds are subject to 100% visual inspection by a competent operative;

That welds have been subject to the required type/frequency of non-destructive testing (NSSS Annex B, Table B);

That the required hold times have been allowed prior to the undertaking of NDT (NSSS Annex A);

That the NDT has been undertaken by the submitted NDT company/competent operatives.

=== Site welding assurance ===

Site welding is more problematic than shop welding and should be avoided if possible.

Things to look for during site welding:-

Welding process – this may well be different from that used in the fabrication shop, ie manual metal arc welding using a rod consumable is often used on site where metal active gas (MAG) or metal inert gas (MIG) welding that use wire consumables are used more often in the works. If so a new set of WPSs/WPQRs and WQRs will be required as the welding process is different.

Weld consumable maintenance – rod consumables must either be preheated prior to use or can be purchased in vacuum packs that must be used the day they are opened (this is to prevent moisture affecting the welding process).

Environmental considerations – loss of temperature, moisture, humidity, wind, etc. can affect the welding process and must be controlled, i.e. by encapsulation.

The author would like to thank Julian French, Partner, Sandberg LLP for checking the article for technical correctness.

Original article written by Jon Elliott on behalf of the CQI Construxtion special interest group, reviewed by members of the CQI CoSIG Competency working group and approved for publication on 23 October 2018.

[[Category:Standards_/_measurements]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]]

Quality manuals and quality plans

2018-12-11T14:07:43Z

Consigcwg:

== Summary ==

Quality Manuals and Quality Plans define the arrangements that an organisation has determined will best manage its works. Quality Manuals are generally used to define the arrangements for the whole organisation, whereas Quality Plans are prepared to cover specific situations, such as a project or element of the works. For the purpose of this discussion, they will be treated as the same for either document defines arrangements: only the scope will be different.

== Manuals and plans ==

A quality manual is an organisation-wide document that provides the reader with a complete understanding of the expectations of the organisation. It considers the risks that the organisation is likely to face from both inside and outside the organisation and defines how it will deal with those risks. In some cases, the organisation will decide that the risk can be mitigated by implementing a process that is intended to manage the behaviours of staff at all levels. In other cases, the organisation may decide that the potential for the risk manifesting is so low that it will note it and keep a weather eye out. A quality manual can also be used to indicate to those outside the organisation that suitable arrangements exist. This provides confidence that there is a robust management system in place that is effective and usable by staff, customers and other interested parties, especially when endorsed by a reputable registration body to an international standard, such as ISO 9001:2015. It should be recalled that ISO 9001:2015 does not specifically require a quality manual. This is to permit an organisation to use web-based maintained documentation that has no manual as such, but covers all the requirements of the standard,

A quality plan is written to meet certain specific events. It may be written by an organisation to define the arrangements for managing a project. It may define the actions to be taken by sub-contractors who are contracted to deliver a defined element of the works, such as the electrical installation. In exposition, it will follow a similar path, in that the risks associated with the works will be analysed and appropriate arrangements defined. It may be required as part of a bid submission. Useful assistance can be found in ISO 10005:2015, “Quality plans”.

Both plans and manuals can be supported with procedures that provide more detailed and specific instructions on how work is to be conducted.

== Format and construction ==

Any document that defines arrangements to manage a situation must be accessible by all who have a need to follow the arrangements. This statement has far-reaching consequences, no matter how the documents are constructed.

It is not the place of this article to infer that it is necessary to follow ISO 9001:2015. However, it does have some useful ideas concerning documenting arrangements.

Many quality manuals and plans that the author has audited in the past are simply the international standard reflected back. This means that where the standard says: “you shall…”, the manual says “we do…” This clearly meets the requirements of the standard but provides no real clue as to what the arrangements on the ground are. Manuals and plans written in this way have no intrinsic value and have cost the organisation with little or no benefit. As an auditor, a manual or plan written like this provides a clear indication of the priority that is given to managing the business.

Firstly, there is no need to have a written quality manual as a document that is printed out on paper. The organisation must therefore consider the way that the arrangements will be best communicated to those who are to follow them. This means considering:

* The ability of staff to read a given language. This means understanding of the language being used as well as literacy standards. In a packing department, cartoons were used to show how the various units were to be packed. This is similar to the instructions provided with flat-pack furniture, which are non-verbal. In a multi-lingual organisation, consideration can be given to using supervisors to explain the work, keeping the manual and procedures nearby for easy reference. This was a solution in India, where staff may have had one or more of 27 major languages.
* Language also means legibility. There are scoring systems that can be used to determine the reading age of a document. This document has a reading age of 11.9 years. However, this matters nothing at all. The important thing is that the person reading it understands what has been written, that is, the message has been properly communicated.
* The place where the manual or plan is to be read is important. If only staff in the office are to read it, then the solution is simple. Construction staff work on site, where it rains and is often mucky, the office solution may not be the best! However, it must be available and accessible to the individuals who need to refer to it, at the location where they require that access – normally at the point of use. That means they must be available on site for supervisors and operatives to read, not just in the head office or project site hut.
* The appropriate revision of any document must be available to all relevant staff. An out-of-date procedure can result in a non-conforming product that may have to be reworked, but is certain to be the initiator of the non-conforming product process with its concomitant cost implication..

Where does this leave us? We need to consider the capability of the reader, the accessibility and availability of the manual/plan, if created, and other maintained documentation and its format.

== Conclusion ==

As stated above, there is no requirement to write a manual or a plan, although it is often convenient to do so. With the increase in the availability of technological solutions, including weatherproof tablets with powerful processors, many organisations are creating web-based solutions. These often have a front page with the high-level policies and links to the arrangements to be followed by creating layers of interfacing web pages. Above all, the information that is provided, however it is provided, must provide for the effective management of a construction organisation with all its complexities and interactions. It needs to reflect the competencies of the persons operating within the arrangements and be available as and when needed.

Those who wish to create a documented quality manual or quality plan should follow this link: [Link to be provided]

Organisations should provide assurance that there is full control over the revision and issue of all aspects of the management system and securely retain all past revision and other documents.

Original article written by Keith Hamlyn, reviewed by members of the Competency Working Group on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Construction Special Interest Group and approved for publication in December 2018.

[[Category:Articles_needing_more_work]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]] [[Category:Standards_/_measurements]] [[Category:Construction_management]]

Quality manuals and quality plans

2018-12-11T09:44:48Z

Consigcwg: Created page with "= Summary = Quality Manuals and Quality Plans define the arrangements that an organisation has determined will best manage its works. Quality Manuals are generally used to defin..."

= Summary =

Quality Manuals and Quality Plans define the arrangements that an organisation has determined will best manage its works. Quality Manuals are generally used to define the arrangements for the whole organisation, whereas Quality Plans are prepared to cover specific situations, such as a project or element of the works.

For the purpose of this discussion, they will be treated as the same for either document defines arrangements: only the scope will be different.

== Manuals and Plans ==

A Quality Manual is an organisation-wide document that provides the reader with a complete understanding of the expectations of the organisation. It considers the risks that the organisation is likely to face from both inside and outside the organisation and defines how it will deal with those risks. In some cases, the organisation will decide that the risk can be mitigated by implementing a process that is intended to manage the behaviours of staff at all levels. In other cases, the organisation may decide that the potential for the risk manifesting is so low that it will note it and keep a weather eye out. A Quality Manual can also be used to indicate to those outside the organisation that suitable arrangements exist. This provides confidence that there is a robust management system in place that is effective and usable by staff, customers and other interested parties, especially when endorsed by a reputable Registration Body to an International Standard, such as ISO 9001:2015. It should be recalled that ISO 9001:2015 does not specifically require a Quality Manual. This is to permit an organisation to use web-based maintained documentation that has no manual as such, but covers all the requirements of the standard,

A Quality Plan is written to meet certain specific events. It may be written by an organisation to define the arrangements for managing a project. They may define the actions to be taken by sub-contractors who are contracted to deliver a defined element of the works, such as the electrical installation. In exposition, it will follow a similar path, in that the risks associated with the works will be analysed and appropriate arrangements defined. It may be required as part of a bid submission. Useful assistance can be found in ISO 10005:2015, “Quality Plans”.

Both plans and manuals can be supported with procedures that provide more detailed and specific instructions on how work is to be conducted.

= Format and construction =

Any document that defines arrangements to manage a situation must be accessible by all who have a need to follow the arrangements. This statement has far-reaching consequences, no matter how the documents are constructed.

It is not the place of this article to infer that it is necessary to follow ISO 9001:2015. However, it does have some useful ideas concerning documenting arrangements.

Many Quality Manuals and Plans that I have audited in the past are simply the International Standard reflected back. This means that where the standard says: “you shall…”, the Manual says “we do…” This clearly meets the requirements of the standard but provides no real clue as to what the arrangements on the ground are. Manuals and Plans written in this way have no intrinsic value and have cost the organisation with little or no benefit. As an auditor, a Manual or Plan written like this provides a clear indication of the priority that is given to managing the business.

Firstly, there is no need to have a written Quality Manual as a document that is printed out on paper. The organisation must therefore consider the way that the arrangements will be best communicated to those who are to follow them. This means considering:

* The ability of staff to read a given language. This means understanding of the language being used as well as literacy standards. In a packing department, cartoons were used to show how the various units were to be packed. This is similar to the instructions provided with flat-pack furniture, which are non-verbal. In a multi-lingual organisation, consideration can be given to using supervisors to explain the work, keeping the manual and procedures nearby for easy reference. This was a solution in India, where staff may have one or more of 27 major languages.
* Language also means legibility. There are scoring systems that can be used to determine the reading age of a document. This document has a reading age of 11.9 years. However, this matters nothing at all. The important thing is that the person reading it understands what has been written, that is, the message has been properly communicated.
* The place where the manual or plan is to be read is important. If only staff in the office are to read it, then the solution is simple. Construction staff work on site, where it rains and is often mucky, the office solution may not be the best! However, it must be available and accessible to the individuals who need to refer to it, at the location where they require that access – normally at the point of use. That means they must be available on site for supervisors and operatives to read, not just in the head office or project site hut.
* The appropriate revision of any document must be available to all relevant staff. An out-of-date procedure can result in a non-conforming product that may have to be reworked, but is certain to be the initiator of the non-conforming product process with its concomitant cost implication..

Where does this leave us? We need to consider the capability of the reader, the accessibility and availability of the manual/plan, if created, and other maintained documentation and its format.

= Conclusion =

As stated above, there is no requirement to write a manual or a plan, although it is often convenient to do so. With the increase in the availability of technological solutions, including weatherproof tablets with powerful processors, many organisations are creating web-based solutions. These often have a front page with the high-level policies and links to the arrangements to be followed by creating layers of interfacing web pages. Above all, the information that is provided, however it is provided, must provide for the effective management of a construction organisation with all its complexities and interactions. It needs to reflect the competencies of the persons operating within the arrangements and be available as and when needed.

Those who wish to create a documented Quality Manual or Quality Plan should follow this link:

[Link to be provided]

Organisations should provide assurance that there is full control over the revision and issue of all aspects of the management system and securely retain all past revision and other documents.

[[Category:Articles_needing_more_work]]

Design: a quality management perspective

2018-09-25T17:03:56Z

Consigcwg:

= Summary =

This article considers quality management aspects for three key stages of designing for construction. Consecutively, they are:

=== Concept > Preliminary > Detail Design ===

The techniques for quality assurance used tend to be similar at each stage. They are therefore listed here as an overview:

# Design risk assessment
# Design review
# Document & drawing control
# Calculations & computer modelling control
# Checking & approval
# Design change control
# Post-project review (lessons learned)

Primarily, it is the scope of the application of each technique that can vary between design stages, eg as the design increases in complexity, a more in-depth approach to both design review and checking & approval is required.

For the purposes of this article, two or three of the techniques are considered for each design stage but their application is not limited to any stage.

= Concept design =

Concept design is an early phase of the design process often used to determine the feasibility of options in order to arrive at solutions which meet the client’s requirements. This could range from proposing refurbishment of an existing asset to demolition and constructing anew.

For the development of its estate, Imperial College London [1] describes concept design as the stage at which, ‘The design team shall explore all design options/proposals that could meet the requirements of the design brief and develop them into concept design including outline proposals for structural design, services systems, outline specifications, and preliminary cost plan along with environmental, energy, ecology, access or other project strategies‘.

Requirements that Imperial College considers at this stage include architectural standards, CAD strategy, mechanical & electrical components and building engineering services.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition [2] says that the output of concept design stage, is that the designer, ‘should provide a sufficient level of detail so that decision makers may properly evaluate the cost functionality and aesthetics of the proposed system’.

Outputs from concept design stage can include sketches and models.

=== 1. Design risk sssessment ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 6.1.2 requires planning to address both risks and opportunities.

The design risk assessment tool involves identifying risks arising in the design, understanding who will be affected and determining appropriate measures to mitigate any significant risks that cannot be avoided. Design organisations tend to have their own bespoke templates which address the two key aspects of risk identification and mitigation. The Association for Project Safety [3] offers the ‘Pre construction phase design risk register’ template on its website at: [https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

In the UK, design risk assessment can be a useful tool in managing compliance with Construction design & management (CDM) regulations which is the subject of a separate article in this series.

The design risk assessment is normally developed through the full design process and submitted with the health & safety file to the contractor to be taken forward into the construction phase.

Furthermore, risk assessment in a similar way can be used to identify sustainability opportunities and environmental risks. Like health & safety, prevention of pollution in the environment is a legal requirement which is best considered from the very beginning in order to reach the most effective solutions as the output of design. While technically not a legal requirement, good sustainability analysis can bring not just environmental benefits to the project but offer cost savings as well, eg in achieving reduced energy consumption costs through specifying better insulation in buildings.

=== 2. Design review ===

Imperial College London mandates that project design reviews shall be held during the concept design stage. These would be a feature of any designer’s management system at all design stages, as it is required by ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.2.3 (Review of the requirements for products and services).

Types of review include: preliminary design review (eg at 30-50% complete), single discipline review (SDR) and inter-disciplinary review (IDR).

Key elements of a design review can include:

* The reviewer appointed should be a competent and experienced design engineer
* The reviewer should be independent of the project team, if possible, or at least not connected to the day-to-day design activity. This is so that they bring a fresh pair of eyes to the review
* Carry out the review at critical stages in the design process; these should be defined in the quality plan
* Verify that the design being developed is consistent with the design objectives established
* Review drawings, calculations, test requirements etc to identify and correct potential problems (including in the deliverables)
* Standardised approach using an electronic form to provide a template for recording the findings of the review, their acceptance or otherwise by the project principal and the improvement actions taken as a result by the project manager

= Preliminary design =

This is high-level design that takes forward the chosen option(s) in the concept design to create the framework on which to build the later detail design. Preliminary design is about determining how the overall project will be configured for construction.

At this stage, the design team will also do field investigations, eg geotechnical. They will also study the layout of the areas concerned, including building systems and statutory undertakings (location of power cables, broadband lines, drainage, sewers etc). They are seeking to establish the potential impact of the presence of these services and determine how the project will be designed to accommodate them.

Environmental surveys of affected habitat are also conducted by ecologists at this stage.

This aspect of the design process is typically required on highways and railways projects.

Outputs from preliminary design stage can include schematics, diagrams and layouts.

=== 3. Document & drawing control ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 7.5.3 requires control of documented information. This means project information generally such as documents, drawings and calculations.

It is important that all documentation on the project is controlled so that the correct version is used by the intended recipient. This includes documents and drawings received, eg from the client, as well as the ones the design team produces. Registers are used in this case.

Incoming and outgoing document / drawing registers typically record:

* Originator (incoming information)
* Date item received or issued
* Title of the item
* A unique reference for the document, drawing etc (facilitates traceability)
* Revision status
* Distribution
* Purpose of issue (eg ‘For information’)
* Folder location assigned (Incoming)
* The project manager’s review and approval of all incoming information for use on the project

The outgoing register can also double as the transmittal document.

System software is available for records management such as ‘MS SharePoint’, ‘Livelink’ and ‘Bentley’. A key security feature is the flexibility to be able to restrict access to folders to only those members of the project team who need all or just certain information.

There will be a retention period specified in the contract or by the design company or stipulated in law (eg ‘As built’ drawings should be kept for 50 years).

=== 4. Calculations & computer modelling control ===

For calculations, a ‘Calculations cover sheet’ is commonly used to administer each set. It serves to provide a records trail of the development of the calculations from the inputs, through checking & approval to where the outputs will ultimately be used (eg refer to drawing numbers).

Where more than one set of calculations is performed, they are registered using a simple ‘Calculations index’.

The principles of competency and experience in the topic in question (set out in design review above) also apply for those checking & approving calculations.

It is important that the calculations records show the pass/fail Criteria to demonstrate the results are satisfactory.

Calculations should be saved with documents and drawings in the electronic records management system so that their availability for reference is also preserved.

Computer modelling and demand forecasting can be foremost in customers’ minds in that mistakes can be expensive for them. For example, should the demand forecasted for the public use of a toll road as designed exceed the actual experience in operation, this would leave a gap in the highway operator’s financial expectations which had been derived from those forecasts.

The applicable quality assurance principles can be distilled to three activities:

* Carry out a ‘peer assist’ at the beginning of the project where a more experienced modeller sits down with the project team and mentors the planning and direction of the work
* Produce a checking plan
* Review that the work is being carried out in accordance with that checking plan

= Detail design =

Detail design provides definition for the project. IEEE [5], the technical professional organisation for the advancement of technology, describes detail design as, ‘The process of refining and expanding the preliminary design phase of a system or component to the extent that the design is sufficiently complete to be implemented’.

It may consist of procurement of materials as well which must be specified and can include writing test plans and assessing prototypes.

It is at this stage that the full cost of the project is identified.

This approach is used on major infrastructure projects.

Outputs from detail design stage can include 2D and 3D models, drawings, plans (including procurement plans), specifications and estimates.

=== 5. Checking & approval ===

Checking & approval has been an engineering discipline for thousands of years. In the past eight decades it has become a requirement of management systems standards, leading to ISO 9001 today.

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.3.4 requires design and development controls including verification and validation activities.

All information produced must be verified for its suitability for the intended purpose before it is issued. In essence, the checker(s) must have the competence to check the design output (documents, drawings, calculations specifications etc) and thereafter the approver satisfies themselves that an effective check was performed.

Checkers and approvers should be nominated in the quality plan for the project. They should have been assessed as competent for their role. Typically, in an engineering discipline, checkers can be of chartered status with five years or more experience. The approver is usually more senior with greater experience.

The scope of checking to be employed for each of the different types of project deliverable should also be described in the quality plan.

Contents for a quality plan can be found in ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans [7].

Many records management systems now have automated processes, called ‘Workflows’, for facilitating the checking & approval process.

=== 6. Design change control ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6] art 8.3.6 requires design and development changes to be controlled, to record what the changes are and how they came about (ie through design review). It is especially the impact the change is expected to have that must be understood.

Where the need for a change is identified by a member of the design team, the design lead determines any necessary action and ensures that the reason for the change is recorded. Internal authorization should be obtained, eg from the project principal, before formal submission of the change to the client, eg in the form of an ‘Early warning notice’.

There must also be records of the actions taken to prevent adverse impacts. Analysis for this can include use of the design risk assessment (see item 1 above).

Where a design or scope change is required in response to an alteration in the client’s requirements, the design lead must obtain a written instruction from the client, eg by way of a ‘Compensation event’ notification.

Any design change resulting in a variation to the project budget needs to be reported by the project manager to the client for their approval. This is the case whether the change is instigated by the project team or one of its partners or sub-consultants.

=== 7. Post-project review (lessons learned) ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 10.1 requires the pursuit of improvement, eg in products and services.

As the project completes, there is unlikely to be an opportunity to make significant changes to it now but lessons can be identified for future projects; not just ‘Things gone wrong’ but success factors as well.

A database to record these ideas at all stages of the project lifecycle is beneficial. The information stored can then be searched at any time when inspiration is sought but this is particularly effective before starting new projects. Studying what has gone before can save time and money in setting the direction of the new project.

Design-related topics covered in a post-project review include assessment of the technical content of the solution, resourcing (skills available), problems encountered as well as innovation created.

Nevertheless, this can be condensed into two questions:

# What worked well?
# What could have been done differently?

= References =

[1] Imperial College London, Estates – Project Management. Project procedures.

[http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/ http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/]

[2] Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition.

[https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process]

[3] Association for Project Safety, documents and templates.

[https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

[4] Mott MacDonald, design, engineering and management consultants.

[http://www.mottmac.com/ www.mottmac.com]

[5] IEEE. “IEEE Standard Glossary of Software Engineering Terminology.” IEEE, 1990, p.34.

[https://www.ieee.org/ https://www.ieee.org/]

[6] ISO 9001:2015 – Quality management systems – Requirements.

[7] ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans.

Original article written by Kevin Rogers and reviewed by Keith Hamlyn and Tony Hoyle on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Construction Special Interest Group; approved for publication on 17 September 2018

[[Category:Design]]

Assurance and self-certification

2018-09-25T16:58:26Z

Consigcwg:

= Assurance and self certification =

=== Summary ===

This article aims to give a greater understanding of assurance in all its guises and to show how self-certification can reduce cost and time by eliminating duplicate inspections and tests.

Self-certification relies on the principle of “trust and confirm” for both client and contractor. It relies on the client putting in place a management system that includes an assurance overview that provides an insight into the correct completion of the works. It also relies on the contractor implementing a system for the provision of evidence at all points throughout the works as part of their management arrangements. This could include a job-centric form of checklist, such as an inspection and test plan, that will be used to record the progress of the works. Once the works are complete, a certificate is signed by both parties to agree that the works have been completed to the desired standard.

=== Assurance ===

Assurance comes in various guises. For some it is confirmation that all has been completed: for others, it provides confirmation that there is a suitable management system in place. For the purposes of this article, both are considered to be true.

=== Planning ===

Assurance begins with the start of the contract, if not before. At this time, the client will expect the contractor to provide some form of document describing the management arrangements that will be used to control the works and to provide assurance that they have been completed to the standard required by the contract. Normally, this is in the form of a quality plan or project plan. Further advice on writing quality plans can be found in international specification ISO 10005:2018 – “Quality management – Guidelines for quality plans”. There are also other articles in this website that address the format and content of these plans to which reference should be made. What is important is that the arrangements that are proposed are related to the works and the contract, are meaningful and are not just a reprint of the one used for the last job. It helps if they are succinct and are documents that staff want to carry in their back pocket. They must also be agreed by both parties and used!

=== Inspection and test plans ===

Central to the assurance that the works will be completed satisfactorily is the inspection and test plan (ITP). This can be called a manufacturing route card (MRC) amongst other names. There is an excellent description of ITPs in this website. What the ITP does is to define the stages in the works to a fine degree. It states the standard that the works must achieve, together with other instructions. Most importantly, it has witness and hold points that are agreed between the two parties. At each point, a test or inspection takes place. The contractor informs the client that the point has been reached. The client decides whether or not to attend a witness point, whereas, everything stops until the client attends the hold point.

Hold points are generally at the end of a stage: witness points are set at the intermediary points in the works. The evidence from witness points provides the build-up of records for a hold point.

=== Self-certification ===

Self-certification relies on a high level of trust between the client and the contractor. The client is passing the responsibility for the standard of the works to the contractor, which is probably where it should rest ultimately and not re-examining them in detail at every point. This reduces the amount of duplication of tests and inspections. Where a collaborative relationship has been formally set in place, a relationship management plan can help. Information of collaborative working and the preparation of relationship management plans can be found in international specification ISO 44001: 2017 “Collaborative business relationship management systems – Requirements and framework”. Typically, they follow the life of a relationship from deciding with whom to collaborate, through setting up the relationship through to providing a soft landing when the relationship comes to an end. Really, this is part of the way in which we all ought to be working together.

At a witness point, the contractor is confirming that the work since the last test or inspection has been successfully completed. The client may accept this with or without attending or examining records, although only the contractor will have signed the item off.

At a hold point, the client will attend the test or inspection and will confirm that the records created at the witness points following the last hold point are valid and that the works conform to the appropriate standard(s). Both parties normally sign the hold point off to permit work to continue into the next stage.

=== Certification ===

Certification is the means whereby the client and the contractor agree that the works have been completed in accordance with the contract. Clearly, the terms and conditions of the contract must be taken into account, with matters, such as correction of latent defects, etc., being recognised. However, they provide a point of agreement that the works are complete.

It is normal to provide certification at significant points during a project, especially if it is large or there is a handover of the works from one party to another. Two examples include a certificate of design compliance when the engineers hand over to the construction contractor and a certificate of construction completion just before testing is to start. This latter certificate provides the assurance that any equipment is safe to switch on.

So, at the end of the works, a certificate is agreed between the two parties. On a large project, this may form one of many such certificates that are built up discipline by discipline or area by area, so that one umbrella certificate is accepted for the whole project. Typically, the permits to operate for HS1 and Crossrail are each supported by several million records, including ITPs for each element of the works.

There is a recognition of trust between the client and the contractor that the certificate and the supporting records are complete, correct and a true representation of the status of the completed works. This lays a responsibility on the contractor to confirm that this is true before presenting to the client through quality checks, audit and surveillance. It also requires the client to undertake such checks and audits that are necessary to uphold the trust between the two parties without causing undue hindrance to the progress of the works.

=== Staffing ===

Clearly, both assurance and self-certification rely on staff who are demonstrated to be competent for the work they are to do. In the UK, CSCS (see [http://www.ccscs.uk.com/ www.ccscs.uk.com]) and other schemes exist to provide assurance that a person is competent to a given standard.

Competence is also required of the management staff who prepare and review plans and records, who attend tests and inspection and, in particular, sign off certificates. It would not help to send someone to inspect earthworks who couldn’t tell one type of soil from another.

Finally, it is vital that staff are only used within their competences. The only caveat to that is the situation where training is being given on the job, closely supervised by a more competent person until they have learned the ropes.

=== Audit ===

This subject has been mentioned above but deserves a bit more treatment. Audits should be undertaken by all levels internally throughout the supply chain to provide assurance that the processes and procedures are adequate and being used. These audits are carried out by persons not directly connected with the works and who can shed a new light on what is happening. Advice on auditing can be found in international standard ISO BS EN ISO 19011:2018, “Guidelines for auditing management systems”.

Audit plans should be agreed internally and should be made available to the customer on a project. This will permit the customer to accompany internal auditors and to undertake audits of their own on the supplier. The reader should note the deliberate change of title from client to customer as this exchange should happen at all levels in the supply chain. When planning, it is important to recognise who else may be auditing the same supplier. There is a tale of a now defunct electronics design and manufacturing company that sent three separate audit teams into the same company with not one knowing that the others were there. The supplier was a trusted manufacturer of electronic components.

=== Finally ===

The main points of the article can be summed up as follows:

* Start as you mean to go on: agree the plans before each piece of work starts and follow them
* Trust and confirm: use the ITP or MRC as a plan for assurance and stick to it
* Use the right people: be certain that you have used competent staff throughout
* Audit for a reason; don’t audit for the sake of it.

Original article written by Keith Hamlyn and reviewed by David Myers on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Construction Special Interest Group; approved for publication on 17 September 2018

[[Category:Construction_management]]

Design: a quality management perspective

2018-09-25T16:53:56Z

Consigcwg:

= Summary =

This article considers quality management aspects for three key stages of designing for construction. Consecutively, they are:

=== Concept > Preliminary > Detail Design ===

The techniques for quality assurance used tend to be similar at each stage. They are therefore listed here as an overview:

# Design risk assessment
# Design review
# Document & drawing control
# Calculations & computer modelling control
# Checking & approval
# Design change control
# Post-project review (lessons learned)

Primarily, it is the scope of the application of each technique that can vary between design stages, eg as the design increases in complexity, a more in-depth approach to both design review and checking & approval is required.

For the purposes of this article, two or three of the techniques are considered for each design stage but their application is not limited to any stage.

= Concept design =

Concept design is an early phase of the design process often used to determine the feasibility of options in order to arrive at solutions which meet the client’s requirements. This could range from proposing refurbishment of an existing asset to demolition and constructing anew.

For the development of its estate, Imperial College London [1] describes concept design as the stage at which, ‘The design team shall explore all design options/proposals that could meet the requirements of the design brief and develop them into concept design including outline proposals for structural design, services systems, outline specifications, and preliminary cost plan along with environmental, energy, ecology, access or other project strategies‘.

Requirements that Imperial College considers at this stage include architectural standards, CAD strategy, mechanical & electrical components and building engineering services.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition [2] says that the output of concept design stage, is that the designer, ‘should provide a sufficient level of detail so that decision makers may properly evaluate the cost functionality and aesthetics of the proposed system’.

Outputs from concept design stage can include sketches and models.

=== 1. Design risk sssessment ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 6.1.2 requires planning to address both risks and opportunities.

The design risk assessment tool involves identifying risks arising in the design, understanding who will be affected and determining appropriate measures to mitigate any significant risks that cannot be avoided. Design organisations tend to have their own bespoke templates which address the two key aspects of risk identification and mitigation. The Association for Project Safety [3] offers the ‘Pre construction phase design risk register’ template on its website at: [https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

In the UK, design risk assessment can be a useful tool in managing compliance with Construction design & management (CDM) regulations which is the subject of a separate article in this series.

The design risk assessment is normally developed through the full design process and submitted with the health & safety file to the contractor to be taken forward into the construction phase.

Furthermore, risk assessment in a similar way can be used to identify sustainability opportunities and environmental risks. Like health & safety, prevention of pollution in the environment is a legal requirement which is best considered from the very beginning in order to reach the most effective solutions as the output of design. While technically not a legal requirement, good sustainability analysis can bring not just environmental benefits to the project but offer cost savings as well, eg in achieving reduced energy consumption costs through specifying better insulation in buildings.

=== 2. Design review ===

Imperial College London mandates that project design reviews shall be held during the concept design stage. These would be a feature of any designer’s management system at all design stages, as it is required by ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.2.3 (Review of the requirements for products and services).

Types of review include: preliminary design review (eg at 30-50% complete), single discipline review (SDR) and inter-disciplinary review (IDR).

Key elements of a design review can include:

* The reviewer appointed should be a competent and experienced design engineer
* The reviewer should be independent of the project team, if possible, or at least not connected to the day-to-day design activity. This is so that they bring a fresh pair of eyes to the review
* Carry out the review at critical stages in the design process; these should be defined in the quality plan
* Verify that the design being developed is consistent with the design objectives established
* Review drawings, calculations, test requirements etc to identify and correct potential problems (including in the deliverables)
* Standardised approach using an electronic form to provide a template for recording the findings of the review, their acceptance or otherwise by the project principal and the improvement actions taken as a result by the project manager

= Preliminary design =

This is high-level design that takes forward the chosen option(s) in the concept design to create the framework on which to build the later detail design. Preliminary design is about determining how the overall project will be configured for construction.

At this stage, the design team will also do field investigations, eg geotechnical. They will also study the layout of the areas concerned, including building systems and statutory undertakings (location of power cables, broadband lines, drainage, sewers etc). They are seeking to establish the potential impact of the presence of these services and determine how the project will be designed to accommodate them.

Environmental surveys of affected habitat are also conducted by ecologists at this stage.

This aspect of the design process is typically required on highways and railways projects.

Outputs from preliminary design stage can include schematics, diagrams and layouts.

=== 3. Document & drawing control ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 7.5.3 requires control of documented information. This means project information generally such as documents, drawings and calculations.

It is important that all documentation on the project is controlled so that the correct version is used by the intended recipient. This includes documents and drawings received, eg from the client, as well as the ones the design team produces. Registers are used in this case.

Incoming and outgoing document / drawing registers typically record:

* Originator (incoming information)
* Date item received or issued
* Title of the item
* A unique reference for the document, drawing etc (facilitates traceability)
* Revision status
* Distribution
* Purpose of issue (eg ‘For information’)
* Folder location assigned (Incoming)
* The project manager’s review and approval of all incoming information for use on the project

The outgoing register can also double as the transmittal document.

System software is available for records management such as ‘MS SharePoint’, ‘Livelink’ and ‘Bentley’. A key security feature is the flexibility to be able to restrict access to folders to only those members of the project team who need all or just certain information.

There will be a retention period specified in the contract or by the design company or stipulated in law (eg ‘As built’ drawings should be kept for 50 years).

=== 4. Calculations & computer modelling control ===

For calculations, a ‘Calculations cover sheet’ is commonly used to administer each set. It serves to provide a records trail of the development of the calculations from the inputs, through checking & approval to where the outputs will ultimately be used (eg refer to drawing numbers).

Where more than one set of calculations is performed, they are registered using a simple ‘Calculations index’.

The principles of competency and experience in the topic in question (set out in design review above) also apply for those checking & approving calculations.

It is important that the calculations records show the pass/fail Criteria to demonstrate the results are satisfactory.

Calculations should be saved with documents and drawings in the electronic records management system so that their availability for reference is also preserved.

Computer modelling and demand forecasting can be foremost in customers’ minds in that mistakes can be expensive for them. For example, should the demand forecasted for the public use of a toll road as designed exceed the actual experience in operation, this would leave a gap in the highway operator’s financial expectations which had been derived from those forecasts.

The applicable quality assurance principles can be distilled to three activities:

* Carry out a ‘peer assist’ at the beginning of the project where a more experienced modeller sits down with the project team and mentors the planning and direction of the work
* Produce a checking plan
* Review that the work is being carried out in accordance with that checking plan

= Detail design =

Detail design provides definition for the project. IEEE [5], the technical professional organisation for the advancement of technology, describes detail design as, ‘The process of refining and expanding the preliminary design phase of a system or component to the extent that the design is sufficiently complete to be implemented’.

It may consist of procurement of materials as well which must be specified and can include writing test plans and assessing prototypes.

It is at this stage that the full cost of the project is identified.

This approach is used on major infrastructure projects.

Outputs from detail design stage can include 2D and 3D models, drawings, plans (including procurement plans), specifications and estimates.

=== 5. Checking & approval ===

Checking & approval has been an engineering discipline for thousands of years. In the past eight decades it has become a requirement of management systems standards, leading to ISO 9001 today.

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.3.4 requires design and development controls including verification and validation activities.

All information produced must be verified for its suitability for the intended purpose before it is issued. In essence, the checker(s) must have the competence to check the design output (documents, drawings, calculations specifications etc) and thereafter the approver satisfies themselves that an effective check was performed.

Checkers and approvers should be nominated in the quality plan for the project. They should have been assessed as competent for their role. Typically, in an engineering discipline, checkers can be of chartered status with five years or more experience. The approver is usually more senior with greater experience.

The scope of checking to be employed for each of the different types of project deliverable should also be described in the quality plan.

Contents for a quality plan can be found in ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans [7].

Many records management systems now have automated processes, called ‘Workflows’, for facilitating the checking & approval process.

=== 6. Design change control ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6] art 8.3.6 requires design and development changes to be controlled, to record what the changes are and how they came about (ie through design review). It is especially the impact the change is expected to have that must be understood.

Where the need for a change is identified by a member of the design team, the design lead determines any necessary action and ensures that the reason for the change is recorded. Internal authorization should be obtained, eg from the project principal, before formal submission of the change to the client, eg in the form of an ‘Early warning notice’.

There must also be records of the actions taken to prevent adverse impacts. Analysis for this can include use of the design risk assessment (see item 1 above).

Where a design or scope change is required in response to an alteration in the client’s requirements, the design lead must obtain a written instruction from the client, eg by way of a ‘Compensation event’ notification.

Any design change resulting in a variation to the project budget needs to be reported by the project manager to the client for their approval. This is the case whether the change is instigated by the project team or one of its partners or sub-consultants.

=== 7. Post-project review (lessons learned) ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 10.1 requires the pursuit of improvement, eg in products and services.

As the project completes, there is unlikely to be an opportunity to make significant changes to it now but lessons can be identified for future projects; not just ‘Things gone wrong’ but success factors as well.

A database to record these ideas at all stages of the project lifecycle is beneficial. The information stored can then be searched at any time when inspiration is sought but this is particularly effective before starting new projects. Studying what has gone before can save time and money in setting the direction of the new project.

Design-related topics covered in a post-project review include assessment of the technical content of the solution, resourcing (skills available), problems encountered as well as innovation created.

Nevertheless, this can be condensed into two questions:

# What worked well?
# What could have been done differently?

= References =

[1] Imperial College London, Estates – Project Management. Project procedures.

[http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/ http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/]

[2] Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition.

[https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process]

[3] Association for Project Safety, documents and templates.

[https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

[4] Mott MacDonald, design, engineering and management consultants.

[http://www.mottmac.com/ www.mottmac.com]

[5] IEEE. “IEEE Standard Glossary of Software Engineering Terminology.” IEEE, 1990, p.34.

[https://www.ieee.org/ https://www.ieee.org/]

[6] ISO 9001:2015 – Quality management systems – Requirements.

[7] ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans.

Original article written by Kevin Rogers and reviewed by Keith Hamlyn and Tony Hoyle on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Construction Special Interest Group, Competency Working Group; approved for publication by the Competency Working Group on 17 September 2018

[[Category:Design]]

Assurance and self-certification

2018-09-25T16:48:43Z

Consigcwg: Created page with "= Assurance and self certification = === Summary === This article aims to give a greater understanding of assurance in all its guises and to show how self-certification can red..."

= Assurance and self certification =

=== Summary ===

This article aims to give a greater understanding of assurance in all its guises and to show how self-certification can reduce cost and time by eliminating duplicate inspections and tests.

Self-certification relies on the principle of “trust and confirm” for both client and contractor. It relies on the client putting in place a management system that includes an assurance overview that provides an insight into the correct completion of the works. It also relies on the contractor implementing a system for the provision of evidence at all points throughout the works as part of their management arrangements. This could include a job-centric form of checklist, such as an inspection and test plan, that will be used to record the progress of the works. Once the works are complete, a certificate is signed by both parties to agree that the works have been completed to the desired standard.

=== Assurance ===

Assurance comes in various guises. For some it is confirmation that all has been completed: for others, it provides confirmation that there is a suitable management system in place. For the purposes of this article, both are considered to be true.

=== Planning ===

Assurance begins with the start of the contract, if not before. At this time, the client will expect the contractor to provide some form of document describing the management arrangements that will be used to control the works and to provide assurance that they have been completed to the standard required by the contract. Normally, this is in the form of a quality plan or project plan. Further advice on writing quality plans can be found in international specification ISO 10005:2018 – “Quality management – Guidelines for quality plans”. There are also other articles in this website that address the format and content of these plans to which reference should be made. What is important is that the arrangements that are proposed are related to the works and the contract, are meaningful and are not just a reprint of the one used for the last job. It helps if they are succinct and are documents that staff want to carry in their back pocket. They must also be agreed by both parties and used!

=== Inspection and test plans ===

Central to the assurance that the works will be completed satisfactorily is the inspection and test plan (ITP). This can be called a manufacturing route card (MRC) amongst other names. There is an excellent description of ITPs in this website. What the ITP does is to define the stages in the works to a fine degree. It states the standard that the works must achieve, together with other instructions. Most importantly, it has witness and hold points that are agreed between the two parties. At each point, a test or inspection takes place. The contractor informs the client that the point has been reached. The client decides whether or not to attend a witness point, whereas, everything stops until the client attends the hold point.

Hold points are generally at the end of a stage: witness points are set at the intermediary points in the works. The evidence from witness points provides the build-up of records for a hold point.

=== Self-certification ===

Self-certification relies on a high level of trust between the client and the contractor. The client is passing the responsibility for the standard of the works to the contractor, which is probably where it should rest ultimately and not re-examining them in detail at every point. This reduces the amount of duplication of tests and inspections. Where a collaborative relationship has been formally set in place, a relationship management plan can help. Information of collaborative working and the preparation of relationship management plans can be found in international specification ISO 44001: 2017 “Collaborative business relationship management systems – Requirements and framework”. Typically, they follow the life of a relationship from deciding with whom to collaborate, through setting up the relationship through to providing a soft landing when the relationship comes to an end. Really, this is part of the way in which we all ought to be working together.

At a witness point, the contractor is confirming that the work since the last test or inspection has been successfully completed. The client may accept this with or without attending or examining records, although only the contractor will have signed the item off.

At a hold point, the client will attend the test or inspection and will confirm that the records created at the witness points following the last hold point are valid and that the works conform to the appropriate standard(s). Both parties normally sign the hold point off to permit work to continue into the next stage.

=== Certification ===

Certification is the means whereby the client and the contractor agree that the works have been completed in accordance with the contract. Clearly, the terms and conditions of the contract must be taken into account, with matters, such as correction of latent defects, etc., being recognised. However, they provide a point of agreement that the works are complete.

It is normal to provide certification at significant points during a project, especially if it is large or there is a handover of the works from one party to another. Two examples include a certificate of design compliance when the engineers hand over to the construction contractor and a certificate of construction completion just before testing is to start. This latter certificate provides the assurance that any equipment is safe to switch on.

So, at the end of the works, a certificate is agreed between the two parties. On a large project, this may form one of many such certificates that are built up discipline by discipline or area by area, so that one umbrella certificate is accepted for the whole project. Typically, the permits to operate for HS1 and Crossrail are each supported by several million records, including ITPs for each element of the works.

There is a recognition of trust between the client and the contractor that the certificate and the supporting records are complete, correct and a true representation of the status of the completed works. This lays a responsibility on the contractor to confirm that this is true before presenting to the client through quality checks, audit and surveillance. It also requires the client to undertake such checks and audits that are necessary to uphold the trust between the two parties without causing undue hindrance to the progress of the works.

=== Staffing ===

Clearly, both assurance and self-certification rely on staff who are demonstrated to be competent for the work they are to do. In the UK, CSCS (see [http://www.ccscs.uk.com/ www.ccscs.uk.com]) and other schemes exist to provide assurance that a person is competent to a given standard.

Competence is also required of the management staff who prepare and review plans and records, who attend tests and inspection and, in particular, sign off certificates. It would not help to send someone to inspect earthworks who couldn’t tell one type of soil from another.

Finally, it is vital that staff are only used within their competences. The only caveat to that is the situation where training is being given on the job, closely supervised by a more competent person until they have learned the ropes.

=== Audit ===

This subject has been mentioned above but deserves a bit more treatment. Audits should be undertaken by all levels internally throughout the supply chain to provide assurance that the processes and procedures are adequate and being used. These audits are carried out by persons not directly connected with the works and who can shed a new light on what is happening. Advice on auditing can be found in international standard ISO BS EN ISO 19011:2018, “Guidelines for auditing management systems”.

Audit plans should be agreed internally and should be made available to the customer on a project. This will permit the customer to accompany internal auditors and to undertake audits of their own on the supplier. The reader should note the deliberate change of title from client to customer as this exchange should happen at all levels in the supply chain. When planning, it is important to recognise who else may be auditing the same supplier. There is a tale of a now defunct electronics design and manufacturing company that sent three separate audit teams into the same company with not one knowing that the others were there. The supplier was a trusted manufacturer of electronic components.

=== Finally ===

The main points of the article can be summed up as follows:

* Start as you mean to go on: agree the plans before each piece of work starts and follow them
* Trust and confirm: use the ITP or MRC as a plan for assurance and stick to it
* Use the right people: be certain that you have used competent staff throughout
* Audit for a reason; don’t audit for the sake of it.

Original article written by Keith Hamlyn, reviewed by David Myers on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Constructon Special Interest Group, Competency Working Group and approved for publication on 17/09/18 [[Category:Construction_management]]

Design: a quality management perspective

2018-09-25T08:52:43Z

Consigcwg:

= Summary =

This article considers quality management aspects for three key stages of designing for construction. Consecutively, they are:

=== Concept > Preliminary > Detail Design ===

The techniques for quality assurance used tend to be similar at each stage. They are therefore listed here as an overview:

# Design risk assessment
# Design review
# Document & drawing control
# Calculations & computer modelling control
# Checking & approval
# Design change control
# Post-project review (lessons learned)

Primarily, it is the scope of the application of each technique that can vary between design stages, eg as the design increases in complexity, a more in-depth approach to both design review and checking & approval is required.

For the purposes of this article, two or three of the techniques are considered for each design stage but their application is not limited to any stage.

= Concept design =

Concept design is an early phase of the design process often used to determine the feasibility of options in order to arrive at solutions which meet the client’s requirements. This could range from proposing refurbishment of an existing asset to demolition and constructing anew.

For the development of its estate, Imperial College London [1] describes concept design as the stage at which, ‘The design team shall explore all design options/proposals that could meet the requirements of the design brief and develop them into concept design including outline proposals for structural design, services systems, outline specifications, and preliminary cost plan along with environmental, energy, ecology, access or other project strategies‘.

Requirements that Imperial College considers at this stage include architectural standards, CAD strategy, mechanical & electrical components and building engineering services.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition [2] says that the output of concept design stage, is that the designer, ‘should provide a sufficient level of detail so that decision makers may properly evaluate the cost functionality and aesthetics of the proposed system’.

Outputs from concept design stage can include sketches and models.

=== 1. Design risk sssessment ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 6.1.2 requires planning to address both risks and opportunities.

The design risk assessment tool involves identifying risks arising in the design, understanding who will be affected and determining appropriate measures to mitigate any significant risks that cannot be avoided. Design organisations tend to have their own bespoke templates which address the two key aspects of risk identification and mitigation. The Association for Project Safety [3] offers the ‘Pre construction phase design risk register’ template on its website at: [https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

In the UK, design risk assessment can be a useful tool in managing compliance with Construction design & management (CDM) regulations which is the subject of a separate article in this series.

The design risk assessment is normally developed through the full design process and submitted with the health & safety file to the contractor to be taken forward into the construction phase.

Furthermore, risk assessment in a similar way can be used to identify sustainability opportunities and environmental risks. Like health & safety, prevention of pollution in the environment is a legal requirement which is best considered from the very beginning in order to reach the most effective solutions as the output of design. While technically not a legal requirement, good sustainability analysis can bring not just environmental benefits to the project but offer cost savings as well, eg in achieving reduced energy consumption costs through specifying better insulation in buildings.

=== 2. Design review ===

Imperial College London mandates that project design reviews shall be held during the concept design stage. These would be a feature of any designer’s management system at all design stages, as it is required by ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.2.3 (Review of the requirements for products and services).

Types of review include: preliminary design review (eg at 30-50% complete), single discipline review (SDR) and inter-disciplinary review (IDR).

Key elements of a design review can include:

* The reviewer appointed should be a competent and experienced design engineer
* The reviewer should be independent of the project team, if possible, or at least not connected to the day-to-day design activity. This is so that they bring a fresh pair of eyes to the review
* Carry out the review at critical stages in the design process; these should be defined in the quality plan
* Verify that the design being developed is consistent with the design objectives established
* Review drawings, calculations, test requirements etc to identify and correct potential problems (including in the deliverables)
* Standardised approach using an electronic form to provide a template for recording the findings of the review, their acceptance or otherwise by the project principal and the improvement actions taken as a result by the project manager

= Preliminary design =

This is high-level design that takes forward the chosen option(s) in the concept design to create the framework on which to build the later detail design. Preliminary design is about determining how the overall project will be configured for construction.

At this stage, the design team will also do field investigations, eg geotechnical. They will also study the layout of the areas concerned, including building systems and statutory undertakings (location of power cables, broadband lines, drainage, sewers etc). They are seeking to establish the potential impact of the presence of these services and determine how the project will be designed to accommodate them.

Environmental surveys of affected habitat are also conducted by ecologists at this stage.

This aspect of the design process is typically required on highways and railways projects.

Outputs from preliminary design stage can include schematics, diagrams and layouts.

=== 3. Document & drawing control ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 7.5.3 requires control of documented information. This means project information generally such as documents, drawings and calculations.

It is important that all documentation on the project is controlled so that the correct version is used by the intended recipient. This includes documents and drawings received, eg from the client, as well as the ones the design team produces. Registers are used in this case.

Incoming and outgoing document / drawing registers typically record:

* Originator (incoming information)
* Date item received or issued
* Title of the item
* A unique reference for the document, drawing etc (facilitates traceability)
* Revision status
* Distribution
* Purpose of issue (eg ‘For information’)
* Folder location assigned (Incoming)
* The project manager’s review and approval of all incoming information for use on the project

The outgoing register can also double as the transmittal document.

System software is available for records management such as ‘MS SharePoint’, ‘Livelink’ and ‘Bentley’. A key security feature is the flexibility to be able to restrict access to folders to only those members of the project team who need all or just certain information.

There will be a retention period specified in the contract or by the design company or stipulated in law (eg ‘As built’ drawings should be kept for 50 years).

=== 4. Calculations & computer modelling control ===

For calculations, a ‘Calculations cover sheet’ is commonly used to administer each set. It serves to provide a records trail of the development of the calculations from the inputs, through checking & approval to where the outputs will ultimately be used (eg refer to drawing numbers).

Where more than one set of calculations is performed, they are registered using a simple ‘Calculations index’.

The principles of competency and experience in the topic in question (set out in design review above) also apply for those checking & approving calculations.

It is important that the calculations records show the pass/fail Criteria to demonstrate the results are satisfactory.

Calculations should be saved with documents and drawings in the electronic records management system so that their availability for reference is also preserved.

Computer modelling and demand forecasting can be foremost in customers’ minds in that mistakes can be expensive for them. For example, should the demand forecasted for the public use of a toll road as designed exceed the actual experience in operation, this would leave a gap in the highway operator’s financial expectations which had been derived from those forecasts.

The applicable quality assurance principles can be distilled to three activities:

* Carry out a ‘peer assist’ at the beginning of the project where a more experienced modeller sits down with the project team and mentors the planning and direction of the work
* Produce a checking plan
* Review that the work is being carried out in accordance with that checking plan

= Detail design =

Detail design provides definition for the project. IEEE [5], the technical professional organisation for the advancement of technology, describes detail design as, ‘The process of refining and expanding the preliminary design phase of a system or component to the extent that the design is sufficiently complete to be implemented’.

It may consist of procurement of materials as well which must be specified and can include writing test plans and assessing prototypes.

It is at this stage that the full cost of the project is identified.

This approach is used on major infrastructure projects.

Outputs from detail design stage can include 2D and 3D models, drawings, plans (including procurement plans), specifications and estimates.

=== 5. Checking & approval ===

Checking & approval has been an engineering discipline for thousands of years. In the past eight decades it has become a requirement of management systems standards, leading to ISO 9001 today.

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.3.4 requires design and development controls including verification and validation activities.

All information produced must be verified for its suitability for the intended purpose before it is issued. In essence, the checker(s) must have the competence to check the design output (documents, drawings, calculations specifications etc) and thereafter the approver satisfies themselves that an effective check was performed.

Checkers and approvers should be nominated in the quality plan for the project. They should have been assessed as competent for their role. Typically, in an engineering discipline, checkers can be of chartered status with five years or more experience. The approver is usually more senior with greater experience.

The scope of checking to be employed for each of the different types of project deliverable should also be described in the quality plan.

Contents for a quality plan can be found in ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans [7].

Many records management systems now have automated processes, called ‘Workflows’, for facilitating the checking & approval process.

=== 6. Design change control ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6] art 8.3.6 requires design and development changes to be controlled, to record what the changes are and how they came about (ie through design review). It is especially the impact the change is expected to have that must be understood.

Where the need for a change is identified by a member of the design team, the design lead determines any necessary action and ensures that the reason for the change is recorded. Internal authorization should be obtained, eg from the project principal, before formal submission of the change to the client, eg in the form of an ‘Early warning notice’.

There must also be records of the actions taken to prevent adverse impacts. Analysis for this can include use of the design risk assessment (see item 1 above).

Where a design or scope change is required in response to an alteration in the client’s requirements, the design lead must obtain a written instruction from the client, eg by way of a ‘Compensation event’ notification.

Any design change resulting in a variation to the project budget needs to be reported by the project manager to the client for their approval. This is the case whether the change is instigated by the project team or one of its partners or sub-consultants.

=== 7. Post-project review (lessons learned) ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 10.1 requires the pursuit of improvement, eg in products and services.

As the project completes, there is unlikely to be an opportunity to make significant changes to it now but lessons can be identified for future projects; not just ‘Things gone wrong’ but success factors as well.

A database to record these ideas at all stages of the project lifecycle is beneficial. The information stored can then be searched at any time when inspiration is sought but this is particularly effective before starting new projects. Studying what has gone before can save time and money in setting the direction of the new project.

Design-related topics covered in a post-project review include assessment of the technical content of the solution, resourcing (skills available), problems encountered as well as innovation created.

Nevertheless, this can be condensed into two questions:

# What worked well?
# What could have been done differently?

= References =

[1] Imperial College London, Estates – Project Management. Project procedures.

[http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/ http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/]

[2] Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition.

[https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process]

[3] Association for Project Safety, documents and templates.

[https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

[4] Mott MacDonald, design, engineering and management consultants.

[http://www.mottmac.com/ www.mottmac.com]

[5] IEEE. “IEEE Standard Glossary of Software Engineering Terminology.” IEEE, 1990, p.34.

[https://www.ieee.org/ https://www.ieee.org/]

[6] ISO 9001:2015 – Quality management systems – Requirements.

[7] ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans.

Original article written by Kevin Rogers, reviewed by Keith Hamlyn and Tony Hoyle on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Construction Special Interest Group, Competency Working Group, and authorised for publication by the Competency Working Group on 17 September 2018

[[Category:Design]]

Design: a quality management perspective

2018-09-25T08:41:30Z

Consigcwg:

Design: a quality management perspective

2018-09-25T08:38:36Z

Consigcwg:

= Summary =

This article considers quality management aspects for three key stages of designing for construction. Consecutively, they are:

Concept > Preliminary > Detail Design

The techniques for quality assurance used tend to be similar at each stage. They are therefore listed here as an overview:

# Design risk assessment
# Design review
# Document & drawing control
# Calculations & computer modelling control
# Checking & approval
# Design change control
# Post-project review (lessons learned)

Primarily, it is the scope of the application of each technique that can vary between design stages, eg as the design increases in complexity, a more in-depth approach to both design review and checking & approval is required.

For the purposes of this article, two or three of the techniques are considered for each design stage but their application is not limited to any stage.

= Concept design =

Concept design is an early phase of the design process often used to determine the feasibility of options in order to arrive at solutions which meet the client’s requirements. This could range from proposing refurbishment of an existing asset to demolition and constructing anew.

For the development of its estate, Imperial College London [1] describes concept design as the stage at which, ‘The design team shall explore all design options/proposals that could meet the requirements of the design brief and develop them into concept design including outline proposals for structural design, services systems, outline specifications, and preliminary cost plan along with environmental, energy, ecology, access or other project strategies‘.

Requirements that Imperial College considers at this stage include architectural standards, CAD strategy, mechanical & electrical components and building engineering services.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition [2] says that the output of concept design stage, is that the designer, ‘should provide a sufficient level of detail so that decision makers may properly evaluate the cost functionality and aesthetics of the proposed system’.

Outputs from concept design stage can include sketches and models.

=== 1. Design risk sssessment ===

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 6.1.2 requires planning to address both risks and opportunities.

The design risk assessment tool involves identifying risks arising in the design, understanding who will be affected and determining appropriate measures to mitigate any significant risks that cannot be avoided. Design organisations tend to have their own bespoke templates which address the two key aspects of risk identification and mitigation. The Association for Project Safety [3] offers the ‘Pre construction phase design risk register’ template on its website at: [https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

In the UK, design risk assessment can be a useful tool in managing compliance with Construction design & management (CDM) regulations which is the subject of a separate article in this series.

The design risk assessment is normally developed through the full design process and submitted with the health & safety file to the contractor to be taken forward into the construction phase.

Furthermore, risk assessment in a similar way can be used to identify sustainability opportunities and environmental risks. Like health & safety, prevention of pollution in the environment is a legal requirement which is best considered from the very beginning in order to reach the most effective solutions as the output of design. While technically not a legal requirement, good sustainability analysis can bring not just environmental benefits to the project but offer cost savings as well, eg in achieving reduced energy consumption costs through specifying better insulation in buildings.

=== 2. Design review ===

Imperial College London mandates that project design reviews shall be held during the concept design stage. These would be a feature of any designer’s management system at all design stages, as it is required by ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.2.3 (Review of the requirements for products and services).

Types of review include: preliminary design review (eg at 30-50% complete), single discipline review (SDR) and inter-disciplinary review (IDR).

Key elements of a design review can include:

* The reviewer appointed should be a competent and experienced design engineer
* The reviewer should be independent of the project team, if possible, or at least not connected to the day-to-day design activity. This is so that they bring a fresh pair of eyes to the review
* Carry out the review at critical stages in the design process; these should be defined in the quality plan
* Verify that the design being developed is consistent with the design objectives established
* Review drawings, calculations, test requirements etc to identify and correct potential problems (including in the deliverables)
* Standardised approach using an electronic form to provide a template for recording the findings of the review, their acceptance or otherwise by the project principal and the improvement actions taken as a result by the project manager

= Preliminary design =

This is high-level design that takes forward the chosen option(s) in the concept design to create the framework on which to build the later detail design. Preliminary design is about determining how the overall project will be configured for construction.

At this stage, the design team will also do field investigations, eg geotechnical. They will also study the layout of the areas concerned, including building systems and statutory undertakings (location of power cables, broadband lines, drainage, sewers etc). They are seeking to establish the potential impact of the presence of these services and determine how the project will be designed to accommodate them.

Environmental surveys of affected habitat are also conducted by ecologists at this stage.

This aspect of the design process is typically required on highways and railways projects.

Outputs from preliminary design stage can include schematics, diagrams and layouts.

<ol start="3">
<li>=== Document & drawing control ===</li></ol>

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 7.5.3 requires control of documented information. This means project information generally such as documents, drawings and calculations.

It is important that all documentation on the project is controlled so that the correct version is used by the intended recipient. This includes documents and drawings received, eg from the client, as well as the ones the design team produces. Registers are used in this case.

Incoming and outgoing document / drawing registers typically record:

* Originator (incoming information)
* Date item received or issued
* Title of the item
* A unique reference for the document, drawing etc (facilitates traceability)
* Revision status
* Distribution
* Purpose of issue (eg ‘For information’)
* Folder location assigned (Incoming)
* The project manager’s review and approval of all incoming information for use on the project

The outgoing register can also double as the transmittal document.

System software is available for records management such as ‘MS SharePoint’, ‘Livelink’ and ‘Bentley’. A key security feature is the flexibility to be able to restrict access to folders to only those members of the project team who need all or just certain information.

There will be a retention period specified in the contract or by the design company or stipulated in law (eg ‘As built’ drawings should be kept for 50 years).

<ol start="4">
<li>=== Calculations & computer modelling control ===</li></ol>

For calculations, a ‘Calculations cover sheet’ is commonly used to administer each set. It serves to provide a records trail of the development of the calculations from the inputs, through checking & approval to where the outputs will ultimately be used (eg refer to drawing numbers).

Where more than one set of calculations is performed, they are registered using a simple ‘Calculations index’.

The principles of competency and experience in the topic in question (set out in design review above) also apply for those checking & approving calculations.

It is important that the calculations records show the pass/fail Criteria to demonstrate the results are satisfactory.

Calculations should be saved with documents and drawings in the electronic records management system so that their availability for reference is also preserved.

Computer modelling and demand forecasting can be foremost in customers’ minds in that mistakes can be expensive for them. For example, should the demand forecasted for the public use of a toll road as designed exceed the actual experience in operation, this would leave a gap in the highway operator’s financial expectations which had been derived from those forecasts.

The applicable quality assurance principles can be distilled to three activities:

* Carry out a ‘peer assist’ at the beginning of the project where a more experienced modeller sits down with the project team and mentors the planning and direction of the work
* Produce a checking plan
* Review that the work is being carried out in accordance with that checking plan

= Detail design =

Detail design provides definition for the project. IEEE [5], the technical professional organisation for the advancement of technology, describes detail design as, ‘The process of refining and expanding the preliminary design phase of a system or component to the extent that the design is sufficiently complete to be implemented’.

It may consist of procurement of materials as well which must be specified and can include writing test plans and assessing prototypes.

It is at this stage that the full cost of the project is identified.

This approach is used on major infrastructure projects.

Outputs from detail design stage can include 2D and 3D models, drawings, plans (including procurement plans), specifications and estimates.

<ol start="5">
<li>=== Checking & approval ===</li></ol>

Checking & approval has been an engineering discipline for thousands of years. In the past eight decades it has become a requirement of management systems standards, leading to ISO 9001 today.

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.3.4 requires design and development controls including verification and validation activities.

All information produced must be verified for its suitability for the intended purpose before it is issued. In essence, the checker(s) must have the competence to check the design output (documents, drawings, calculations specifications etc) and thereafter the approver satisfies themselves that an effective check was performed.

Checkers and approvers should be nominated in the quality plan for the project. They should have been assessed as competent for their role. Typically, in an engineering discipline, checkers can be of chartered status with five years or more experience. The approver is usually more senior with greater experience.

The scope of checking to be employed for each of the different types of project deliverable should also be described in the quality plan.

Contents for a quality plan can be found in ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans [7].

Many records management systems now have automated processes, called ‘Workflows’, for facilitating the checking & approval process.

<ol start="6">
<li>=== Design change control ===</li></ol>

ISO 9001:2015 [6] art 8.3.6 requires design and development changes to be controlled, to record what the changes are and how they came about (ie through design review). It is especially the impact the change is expected to have that must be understood.

Where the need for a change is identified by a member of the design team, the design lead determines any necessary action and ensures that the reason for the change is recorded. Internal authorization should be obtained, eg from the project principal, before formal submission of the change to the client, eg in the form of an ‘Early warning notice’.

There must also be records of the actions taken to prevent adverse impacts. Analysis for this can include use of the design risk assessment (see item 1 above).

Where a design or scope change is required in response to an alteration in the client’s requirements, the design lead must obtain a written instruction from the client, eg by way of a ‘Compensation event’ notification.

Any design change resulting in a variation to the project budget needs to be reported by the project manager to the client for their approval. This is the case whether the change is instigated by the project team or one of its partners or sub-consultants.

<ol start="7">
<li>=== Post-project review (lessons learned) ===</li></ol>

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 10.1 requires the pursuit of improvement, eg in products and services.

As the project completes, there is unlikely to be an opportunity to make significant changes to it now but lessons can be identified for future projects; not just ‘Things gone wrong’ but success factors as well.

A database to record these ideas at all stages of the project lifecycle is beneficial. The information stored can then be searched at any time when inspiration is sought but this is particularly effective before starting new projects. Studying what has gone before can save time and money in setting the direction of the new project.

Design-related topics covered in a post-project review include assessment of the technical content of the solution, resourcing (skills available), problems encountered as well as innovation created.

Nevertheless, this can be condensed into two questions:

# What worked well?
# What could have been done differently?

= References =

[1] Imperial College London, Estates – Project Management. Project procedures.

[http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/ http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/]

[2] Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition.

[https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process]

[3] Association for Project Safety, documents and templates.

[https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

[4] Mott MacDonald, design, engineering and management consultants.

[http://www.mottmac.com/ www.mottmac.com]

[5] IEEE. “IEEE Standard Glossary of Software Engineering Terminology.” IEEE, 1990, p.34.

[https://www.ieee.org/ https://www.ieee.org/]

[6] ISO 9001:2015 – Quality management systems – Requirements.

[7] ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans.

[[Category:Design]]

Design: a quality management perspective

2018-09-25T08:35:07Z

Consigcwg:

= Design: a quality management perspective =

= Summary =

This article considers quality management aspects for three key stages of designing for construction. Consecutively, they are:

Concept > Preliminary > Detail Design

The techniques for quality assurance used tend to be similar at each stage. They are therefore listed here as an overview:

# Design risk assessment
# Design review
# Document & drawing control
# Calculations & computer modelling control
# Checking & approval
# Design change control
# Post-project review (lessons learned)

Primarily, it is the scope of the application of each technique that can vary between design stages, eg as the design increases in complexity, a more in-depth approach to both design review and checking & approval is required.

For the purposes of this article, two or three of the techniques are considered for each design stage but their application is not limited to any stage.

= Concept design =

Concept design is an early phase of the design process often used to determine the feasibility of options in order to arrive at solutions which meet the client’s requirements. This could range from proposing refurbishment of an existing asset to demolition and constructing anew.

For the development of its estate, Imperial College London [1] describes concept design as the stage at which, ‘The design team shall explore all design options/proposals that could meet the requirements of the design brief and develop them into concept design including outline proposals for structural design, services systems, outline specifications, and preliminary cost plan along with environmental, energy, ecology, access or other project strategies‘.

Requirements that Imperial College considers at this stage include architectural standards, CAD strategy, mechanical & electrical components and building engineering services.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition [2] says that the output of concept design stage, is that the designer, ‘should provide a sufficient level of detail so that decision makers may properly evaluate the cost functionality and aesthetics of the proposed system’.

Outputs from concept design stage can include sketches and models.

<ol>
<li>=== Design risk sssessment ===
</li></ol>

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 6.1.2 requires planning to address both risks and opportunities.

The design risk assessment tool involves identifying risks arising in the design, understanding who will be affected and determining appropriate measures to mitigate any significant risks that cannot be avoided. Design organisations tend to have their own bespoke templates which address the two key aspects of risk identification and mitigation. The Association for Project Safety [3] offers the ‘Pre construction phase design risk register’ template on its website at: [https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

In the UK, design risk assessment can be a useful tool in managing compliance with Construction design & management (CDM) regulations which is the subject of a separate article in this series.

The design risk assessment is normally developed through the full design process and submitted with the health & safety file to the contractor to be taken forward into the construction phase.

Furthermore, risk assessment in a similar way can be used to identify sustainability opportunities and environmental risks. Like health & safety, prevention of pollution in the environment is a legal requirement which is best considered from the very beginning in order to reach the most effective solutions as the output of design. While technically not a legal requirement, good sustainability analysis can bring not just environmental benefits to the project but offer cost savings as well, eg in achieving reduced energy consumption costs through specifying better insulation in buildings.

<ol start="2">
<li>=== Design review ===
</li></ol>

Imperial College London mandates that project design reviews shall be held during the concept design stage. These would be a feature of any designer’s management system at all design stages, as it is required by ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.2.3 (Review of the requirements for products and services).

Types of review include: preliminary design review (eg at 30-50% complete), single discipline review (SDR) and inter-disciplinary review (IDR).

Key elements of a design review can include:

* The reviewer appointed should be a competent and experienced design engineer
* The reviewer should be independent of the project team, if possible, or at least not connected to the day-to-day design activity. This is so that they bring a fresh pair of eyes to the review
* Carry out the review at critical stages in the design process; these should be defined in the quality plan
* Verify that the design being developed is consistent with the design objectives established
* Review drawings, calculations, test requirements etc to identify and correct potential problems (including in the deliverables)
* Standardised approach using an electronic form to provide a template for recording the findings of the review, their acceptance or otherwise by the project principal and the improvement actions taken as a result by the project manager

= Preliminary design =

This is high-level design that takes forward the chosen option(s) in the concept design to create the framework on which to build the later detail design. Preliminary design is about determining how the overall project will be configured for construction.

At this stage, the design team will also do field investigations, eg geotechnical. They will also study the layout of the areas concerned, including building systems and statutory undertakings (location of power cables, broadband lines, drainage, sewers etc). They are seeking to establish the potential impact of the presence of these services and determine how the project will be designed to accommodate them.

Environmental surveys of affected habitat are also conducted by ecologists at this stage.

This aspect of the design process is typically required on highways and railways projects.

Outputs from preliminary design stage can include schematics, diagrams and layouts.

<ol start="3">
<li>=== Document & drawing control ===
</li></ol>

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 7.5.3 requires control of documented information. This means project information generally such as documents, drawings and calculations.

It is important that all documentation on the project is controlled so that the correct version is used by the intended recipient. This includes documents and drawings received, eg from the client, as well as the ones the design team produces. Registers are used in this case.

Incoming and outgoing document / drawing registers typically record:

* Originator (incoming information)
* Date item received or issued
* Title of the item
* A unique reference for the document, drawing etc (facilitates traceability)
* Revision status
* Distribution
* Purpose of issue (eg ‘For information’)
* Folder location assigned (Incoming)
* The project manager’s review and approval of all incoming information for use on the project

The outgoing register can also double as the transmittal document.

System software is available for records management such as ‘MS SharePoint’, ‘Livelink’ and ‘Bentley’. A key security feature is the flexibility to be able to restrict access to folders to only those members of the project team who need all or just certain information.

There will be a retention period specified in the contract or by the design company or stipulated in law (eg ‘As built’ drawings should be kept for 50 years).

<ol start="4">
<li>=== Calculations & computer modelling control ===
</li></ol>

For calculations, a ‘Calculations cover sheet’ is commonly used to administer each set. It serves to provide a records trail of the development of the calculations from the inputs, through checking & approval to where the outputs will ultimately be used (eg refer to drawing numbers).

Where more than one set of calculations is performed, they are registered using a simple ‘Calculations index’.

The principles of competency and experience in the topic in question (set out in design review above) also apply for those checking & approving calculations.

It is important that the calculations records show the pass/fail Criteria to demonstrate the results are satisfactory.

Calculations should be saved with documents and drawings in the electronic records management system so that their availability for reference is also preserved.

Computer modelling and demand forecasting can be foremost in customers’ minds in that mistakes can be expensive for them. For example, should the demand forecasted for the public use of a toll road as designed exceed the actual experience in operation, this would leave a gap in the highway operator’s financial expectations which had been derived from those forecasts.

The applicable quality assurance principles can be distilled to three activities:

* Carry out a ‘peer assist’ at the beginning of the project where a more experienced modeller sits down with the project team and mentors the planning and direction of the work
* Produce a checking plan
* Review that the work is being carried out in accordance with that checking plan

= Detail design =

Detail design provides definition for the project. IEEE [5], the technical professional organisation for the advancement of technology, describes detail design as, ‘The process of refining and expanding the preliminary design phase of a system or component to the extent that the design is sufficiently complete to be implemented’.

It may consist of procurement of materials as well which must be specified and can include writing test plans and assessing prototypes.

It is at this stage that the full cost of the project is identified.

This approach is used on major infrastructure projects.

Outputs from detail design stage can include 2D and 3D models, drawings, plans (including procurement plans), specifications and estimates.

<ol start="5">
<li>=== Checking & approval ===
</li></ol>

Checking & approval has been an engineering discipline for thousands of years. In the past eight decades it has become a requirement of management systems standards, leading to ISO 9001 today.

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.3.4 requires design and development controls including verification and validation activities.

All information produced must be verified for its suitability for the intended purpose before it is issued. In essence, the checker(s) must have the competence to check the design output (documents, drawings, calculations specifications etc) and thereafter the approver satisfies themselves that an effective check was performed.

Checkers and approvers should be nominated in the quality plan for the project. They should have been assessed as competent for their role. Typically, in an engineering discipline, checkers can be of chartered status with five years or more experience. The approver is usually more senior with greater experience.

The scope of checking to be employed for each of the different types of project deliverable should also be described in the quality plan.

Contents for a quality plan can be found in ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans [7].

Many records management systems now have automated processes, called ‘Workflows’, for facilitating the checking & approval process.

<ol start="6">
<li>=== Design change control ===
</li></ol>

ISO 9001:2015 [6] art 8.3.6 requires design and development changes to be controlled, to record what the changes are and how they came about (ie through design review). It is especially the impact the change is expected to have that must be understood.

Where the need for a change is identified by a member of the design team, the design lead determines any necessary action and ensures that the reason for the change is recorded. Internal authorization should be obtained, eg from the project principal, before formal submission of the change to the client, eg in the form of an ‘Early warning notice’.

There must also be records of the actions taken to prevent adverse impacts. Analysis for this can include use of the design risk assessment (see item 1 above).

Where a design or scope change is required in response to an alteration in the client’s requirements, the design lead must obtain a written instruction from the client, eg by way of a ‘Compensation event’ notification.

Any design change resulting in a variation to the project budget needs to be reported by the project manager to the client for their approval. This is the case whether the change is instigated by the project team or one of its partners or sub-consultants.

<ol start="7">
<li>=== Post-project review (lessons learned) ===
</li></ol>

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 10.1 requires the pursuit of improvement, eg in products and services.

As the project completes, there is unlikely to be an opportunity to make significant changes to it now but lessons can be identified for future projects; not just ‘Things gone wrong’ but success factors as well.

A database to record these ideas at all stages of the project lifecycle is beneficial. The information stored can then be searched at any time when inspiration is sought but this is particularly effective before starting new projects. Studying what has gone before can save time and money in setting the direction of the new project.

Design-related topics covered in a post-project review include assessment of the technical content of the solution, resourcing (skills available), problems encountered as well as innovation created.

Nevertheless, this can be condensed into two questions:

# What worked well?
# What could have been done differently?

= References =

[1] Imperial College London, Estates – Project Management. Project procedures.

[http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/ http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/]

[2] Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition.

[https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process]

[3] Association for Project Safety, documents and templates.

[https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

[4] Mott MacDonald, design, engineering and management consultants.

[http://www.mottmac.com/ www.mottmac.com]

[5] IEEE. “IEEE Standard Glossary of Software Engineering Terminology.” IEEE, 1990, p.34.

[https://www.ieee.org/ https://www.ieee.org/]

[6] ISO 9001:2015 – Quality management systems – Requirements.

[7] ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans.

[[Category:Design]]

Design: a quality management perspective

2018-09-25T08:30:24Z

Consigcwg: Created page with "= Design: a quality management perspective = Summary This article considers quality management aspects for three key stages of designing for construction. Consecutively, they a..."

= Design: a quality management perspective =

Summary

This article considers quality management aspects for three key stages of designing for construction. Consecutively, they are:

Concept > Preliminary > Detail Design

The techniques for quality assurance used tend to be similar at each stage. They are therefore listed here as an overview:

# Design risk assessment
# Design review
# Document & drawing control
# Calculations & computer modelling control
# Checking & approval
# Design change control
# Post-project review (lessons learned)

Primarily, it is the scope of the application of each technique that can vary between design stages, eg as the design increases in complexity, a more in-depth approach to both design review and checking & approval is required.

For the purposes of this article, two or three of the techniques are considered for each design stage but their application is not limited to any stage.

Concept design

Concept design is an early phase of the design process often used to determine the feasibility of options in order to arrive at solutions which meet the client’s requirements. This could range from proposing refurbishment of an existing asset to demolition and constructing anew.

For the development of its estate, Imperial College London [1] describes concept design as the stage at which, ‘The design team shall explore all design options/proposals that could meet the requirements of the design brief and develop them into concept design including outline proposals for structural design, services systems, outline specifications, and preliminary cost plan along with environmental, energy, ecology, access or other project strategies‘.

Requirements that Imperial College considers at this stage include architectural standards, CAD strategy, mechanical & electrical components and building engineering services.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition [2] says that the output of concept design stage, is that the designer, ‘should provide a sufficient level of detail so that decision makers may properly evaluate the cost functionality and aesthetics of the proposed system’.

Outputs from concept design stage can include sketches and models.

# Design risk sssessment

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 6.1.2 requires planning to address both risks and opportunities.

The design risk assessment tool involves identifying risks arising in the design, understanding who will be affected and determining appropriate measures to mitigate any significant risks that cannot be avoided. Design organisations tend to have their own bespoke templates which address the two key aspects of risk identification and mitigation. The Association for Project Safety [3] offers the ‘Pre construction phase design risk register’ template on its website at: [https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

In the UK, design risk assessment can be a useful tool in managing compliance with Construction design & management (CDM) regulations which is the subject of a separate article in this series.

The design risk assessment is normally developed through the full design process and submitted with the health & safety file to the contractor to be taken forward into the construction phase.

Furthermore, risk assessment in a similar way can be used to identify sustainability opportunities and environmental risks. Like health & safety, prevention of pollution in the environment is a legal requirement which is best considered from the very beginning in order to reach the most effective solutions as the output of design. While technically not a legal requirement, good sustainability analysis can bring not just environmental benefits to the project but offer cost savings as well, eg in achieving reduced energy consumption costs through specifying better insulation in buildings.

<ol start="2">
<li>Design review</li></ol>

Imperial College London mandates that project design reviews shall be held during the concept design stage. These would be a feature of any designer’s management system at all design stages, as it is required by ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.2.3 (Review of the requirements for products and services).

Types of review include: preliminary design review (eg at 30-50% complete), single discipline review (SDR) and inter-disciplinary review (IDR).

Key elements of a design review can include:

* The reviewer appointed should be a competent and experienced design engineer
* The reviewer should be independent of the project team, if possible, or at least not connected to the day-to-day design activity. This is so that they bring a fresh pair of eyes to the review
* Carry out the review at critical stages in the design process; these should be defined in the quality plan
* Verify that the design being developed is consistent with the design objectives established
* Review drawings, calculations, test requirements etc to identify and correct potential problems (including in the deliverables)
* Standardised approach using an electronic form to provide a template for recording the findings of the review, their acceptance or otherwise by the project principal and the improvement actions taken as a result by the project manager

Preliminary design

This is high-level design that takes forward the chosen option(s) in the concept design to create the framework on which to build the later detail design. Preliminary design is about determining how the overall project will be configured for construction.

At this stage, the design team will also do field investigations, eg geotechnical. They will also study the layout of the areas concerned, including building systems and statutory undertakings (location of power cables, broadband lines, drainage, sewers etc). They are seeking to establish the potential impact of the presence of these services and determine how the project will be designed to accommodate them.

Environmental surveys of affected habitat are also conducted by ecologists at this stage.

This aspect of the design process is typically required on highways and railways projects.

Outputs from preliminary design stage can include schematics, diagrams and layouts.

<ol start="3">
<li>Document & drawing control</li></ol>

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 7.5.3 requires control of documented information. This means project information generally such as documents, drawings and calculations.

It is important that all documentation on the project is controlled so that the correct version is used by the intended recipient. This includes documents and drawings received, eg from the client, as well as the ones the design team produces. Registers are used in this case.

Incoming and outgoing document / drawing registers typically record:

* Originator (incoming information)
* Date item received or issued
* Title of the item
* A unique reference for the document, drawing etc (facilitates traceability)
* Revision status
* Distribution
* Purpose of issue (eg ‘For information’)
* Folder location assigned (Incoming)
* The project manager’s review and approval of all incoming information for use on the project

The outgoing register can also double as the transmittal document.

System software is available for records management such as ‘MS SharePoint’, ‘Livelink’ and ‘Bentley’. A key security feature is the flexibility to be able to restrict access to folders to only those members of the project team who need all or just certain information.

There will be a retention period specified in the contract or by the design company or stipulated in law (eg ‘As built’ drawings should be kept for 50 years).

<ol start="4">
<li>Calculations & computer modelling control</li></ol>

For calculations, a ‘Calculations cover sheet’ is commonly used to administer each set. It serves to provide a records trail of the development of the calculations from the inputs, through checking & approval to where the outputs will ultimately be used (eg refer to drawing numbers).

Where more than one set of calculations is performed, they are registered using a simple ‘Calculations index’.

The principles of competency and experience in the topic in question (set out in design review above) also apply for those checking & approving calculations.

It is important that the calculations records show the pass/fail Criteria to demonstrate the results are satisfactory.

Calculations should be saved with documents and drawings in the electronic records management system so that their availability for reference is also preserved.

Computer modelling and demand forecasting can be foremost in customers’ minds in that mistakes can be expensive for them. For example, should the demand forecasted for the public use of a toll road as designed exceed the actual experience in operation, this would leave a gap in the highway operator’s financial expectations which had been derived from those forecasts.

The applicable quality assurance principles can be distilled to three activities:

* Carry out a ‘peer assist’ at the beginning of the project where a more experienced modeller sits down with the project team and mentors the planning and direction of the work
* Produce a checking plan
* Review that the work is being carried out in accordance with that checking plan

Detail design

Detail design provides definition for the project. IEEE [5], the technical professional organisation for the advancement of technology, describes detail design as, ‘The process of refining and expanding the preliminary design phase of a system or component to the extent that the design is sufficiently complete to be implemented’.

It may consist of procurement of materials as well which must be specified and can include writing test plans and assessing prototypes.

It is at this stage that the full cost of the project is identified.

This approach is used on major infrastructure projects.

Outputs from detail design stage can include 2D and 3D models, drawings, plans (including procurement plans), specifications and estimates.

<ol start="5">
<li>Checking & approval</li></ol>

Checking & approval has been an engineering discipline for thousands of years. In the past eight decades it has become a requirement of management systems standards, leading to ISO 9001 today.

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 8.3.4 requires design and development controls including verification and validation activities.

All information produced must be verified for its suitability for the intended purpose before it is issued. In essence, the checker(s) must have the competence to check the design output (documents, drawings, calculations specifications etc) and thereafter the approver satisfies themselves that an effective check was performed.

Checkers and approvers should be nominated in the quality plan for the project. They should have been assessed as competent for their role. Typically, in an engineering discipline, checkers can be of chartered status with five years or more experience. The approver is usually more senior with greater experience.

The scope of checking to be employed for each of the different types of project deliverable should also be described in the quality plan.

Contents for a quality plan can be found in ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans [7].

Many records management systems now have automated processes, called ‘Workflows’, for facilitating the checking & approval process.

<ol start="6">
<li>Design change control</li></ol>

ISO 9001:2015 [6] art 8.3.6 requires design and development changes to be controlled, to record what the changes are and how they came about (ie through design review). It is especially the impact the change is expected to have that must be understood.

Where the need for a change is identified by a member of the design team, the design lead determines any necessary action and ensures that the reason for the change is recorded. Internal authorization should be obtained, eg from the project principal, before formal submission of the change to the client, eg in the form of an ‘Early warning notice’.

There must also be records of the actions taken to prevent adverse impacts. Analysis for this can include use of the design risk assessment (see item 1 above).

Where a design or scope change is required in response to an alteration in the client’s requirements, the design lead must obtain a written instruction from the client, eg by way of a ‘Compensation event’ notification.

Any design change resulting in a variation to the project budget needs to be reported by the project manager to the client for their approval. This is the case whether the change is instigated by the project team or one of its partners or sub-consultants.

<ol start="7">
<li>Post-project review (lessons learned)</li></ol>

ISO 9001:2015 [6], art 10.1 requires the pursuit of improvement, eg in products and services.

As the project completes, there is unlikely to be an opportunity to make significant changes to it now but lessons can be identified for future projects; not just ‘Things gone wrong’ but success factors as well.

A database to record these ideas at all stages of the project lifecycle is beneficial. The information stored can then be searched at any time when inspiration is sought but this is particularly effective before starting new projects. Studying what has gone before can save time and money in setting the direction of the new project.

Design-related topics covered in a post-project review include assessment of the technical content of the solution, resourcing (skills available), problems encountered as well as innovation created.

Nevertheless, this can be condensed into two questions:

# What worked well?
# What could have been done differently?

References

[1] Imperial College London, Estates – Project Management. Project procedures.

[http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/ http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/prepare-stage-2-report/]

[2] Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning Guide, 4th Edition.

[https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process https://brtguide.itdp.org/branch/master/guide/infrastructure-management-and-costing/infrastructure-design-process]

[3] Association for Project Safety, documents and templates.

[https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates https://www.aps.org.uk/supporting-example-documents-and-templates]

[4] Mott MacDonald, design, engineering and management consultants.

[http://www.mottmac.com/ www.mottmac.com]

[5] IEEE. “IEEE Standard Glossary of Software Engineering Terminology.” IEEE, 1990, p.34.

[https://www.ieee.org/ https://www.ieee.org/]

[6] ISO 9001:2015 – Quality management systems – Requirements.

[7] ISO 10005:2005 – Quality management systems – Guidelines for quality plans.

[[Category:Design]]

Annex SL

2018-06-04T15:00:02Z

Consigcwg:

= Summary =

In developing Annex SL, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) have provided a useful basis for organisations to manage their affairs in a way that is recognised worldwide. Achievement of registration to one of the standards that follow Annex SL provides evidence that the organisation has taken a serious approach to its business. One of the objectives of this article to demonstrate a robust path towards registration.

Annex SL provides a high-level template for the development of management specifications by the Technical Committees of the ISO. It provides a universal structure for management specifications, together with standardised wording that should be followed across all management systems common terms and definitions. In some instances, the core text cannot follow the standardised wording for which agreement has to be reached with the ISO.

This article describes Annex SL in outline and provides a systematic approach that organisations can use when developing their management systems. ISO 9001:2015, the specification for Quality Management Systems is selected as it is primary to the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) Construction Special Interest Group (ConSIG), although the principles can be applied across all specifications that have been developed to meet Annex SL.

= Definitions used in this article =

[Note: these are not official definitions, but are useful for this article]

A. Management specification.

A document prepared by a technical Committee of ISO to meet the requirements of Annex SL. Note that these are specifications that are to be met and not standards that have to be reached: the difference is subtle but important!

B. Management System

A documented set of information that is used by an organisation to provide the basis for its management. The term “documented” does not necessarily mean on paper but can be on any medium that is accessible to those needing it.

= Introduction =

The International Organisation for Standardisation recognised that there were considerable differences in the construction of the many management specifications. They also recognised that many organisations were developing integrated management systems and were encountering difficulty in reconciling the requirements of one specification with another, especially where there were conflicts. Common sense says that an organisation has only one way of managing its affairs and not several.

As a consequence, Guide 83 was issued. However, this was a guide and, in 2011, Annex SL was adopted formally. All management specifications issued after this date follow this pattern.

The core text on Annex SL has ten high-level clauses, as shown in Table 1 below.

=== Table 1 – Clauses of Annex SL ===

{|
|width="100%"|
Scope:

The scope defines the intended outcomes of the management system. The outcomes are industry-specific and should be aligned with the context of the organization (clause 4).
|-
|
Normative references:

Provides details of the reference standards or publications relevant to the particular standard. For ISO 9001:2015, the normative reference is ISO 9000:2015.
|-
| Terms and definitions (subdivided into three parts): high-level structure, identical core text, and common terms and core definitions
|-
|
Context of the organization:

Clause 4 consists of four sub-clauses: 
4.1 Understanding the organization and its context 
4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties 
4.3 Determining the scope of the managements system 
4.4 The management system
|-
|
Leadership:

Clause 5 comprises three sub-clauses: 
5.1 Leadership and commitment 
5.2 Policy 
5.3 Organizational roles, responsibilities and authorities
|-
|
Planning:

Clause 6 includes two sub-clauses: 
6.1 Actions to address risks and opportunities 
6.2 Management system objectives and planning to achieve them
|-
|
Support:

Clause 7 consists of five sub-clauses: 
7.1 Resources 
7.2 Competence 
7.3 Awareness 
7.4 Communication 
7.5 Documented information
|-
|
Operation:

Clause 8 has one sub-clause: 
8.1 Operational planning and control
|-
|
Performance evaluation:

Clause 9 is formed of three sub-clauses: 
9.1 Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation 
9.2 Internal audit 
9.3 Management review
|-
|
Improvement:

Clause 10 looks at how nonconformities and corrective actions should be managed. It includes two sub-clauses: 
10.1 Nonconformity and corrective action 
10.2 Continual improvement
|}

In many ways, Operation (Clause 8) is the most interesting in that it has only one sub-clause. Theoretically, the same words should appear in all of the specifications that are based on Annex SL with the exception of clause 8, which is the place where the requirements that are specific to the discipline are defined. This works reasonably well, although there are some instances where allowances have had to be made. Two examples are described below:

i. ISO 14001: The environmental risk register, which is normally art of the operational side of environmental management, together with some of the other risk-based requirements have been moved out of clause 8 and into clause 6.

ii. ISO 44001: Collaborative working is a process that follows a definite path from the start of a relationship until its end. Although some aspects of Annex SL were straightforward to define (document control as an instance), fitting the process into the specification was very difficult and has been well accomplished.

= Implementing a management system - the pathway =

The hard work is done at the outset. An organisation will need to recognise that the thrust of the specification has changed. The guiding principle is the management of its affairs so as to maximise its bottom line and reduce risk, both financially and reputationally. To this end, the senior management team must consider the following simple questions:

# What do we do now?
# What will we be doing in the future?
# What “issues” do we face?
# What is an “issue” anyway?
# Who are the “interested parties”?
# Where do the risks lie?
# What is the “scope” of the business that we want to cover with our formal management system?

Taking that a little further, the crux of the argument is around the risks that an organisation faces, both on a day-to-day basis, but also on an irregular basis. Risks can include those that affect profit and/or reputation. Here are a few:

# A customer may buy what we produce
# We may get no orders
# Something becomes defective while we are producing it
# The customer returns something because it has failed
# The regulator has found something that is against the regulations.
# And so on.

This means that it is necessary to identify those interested parties that may affect the way in which the organisation works. Table 2 below includes some of these factors that can affect risk.

=== Table 2 - Some of the factors that can affect risk ===

[[File:Annex_SL_Table2.png|link=File:Annex_SL_Table2.png]]

There are many processes for undertaking risk assessment. One of the most suitable is the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA). Criticality can be introduced also. This will allow the organisation to rank its risks and then decide what actions to take to militate against them causing actual financial or reputational harm. The process below has been developed from ISO 9001:2015, together with BS 31000:2009, at the revisions that were extant at the time of writing.

[[File:Annex_SL_Diag_1.png|link=File:Annex_SL_Diag_1.png]]

Having determined the risks and planned to meet them – or not if the probability or effect is not sufficient to warrant action – the organisation can set up appropriate objectives for the business. These should not be set for ever and a day but be practical and achievable working objectives. The process below may help.

[[File:Annex_SL_Diag_2.png|link=File:Annex_SL_Diag_2.png]]

The rest is, of course, plain sailing. All that is needed now is to describe the arrangements that the organisation will be working to in order to meet the objectives that is has set for itself. The requirements from ISO 9001:2015 are shown in the diagram below:

[[File:Annex_SL_Diag_3.png|link=File:Annex_SL_Diag_3.png]]

With the exceptions discussed above, all of the descriptions above are common to all management specifications that are prepared to meet Annex SL, recalling that in some specifications, some aspects that are discipline-centric may appear in clauses other than clause 8 – Operation. What this demonstrates is that the basic arrangements can be made common to all disciplines, with only certain elements being discipline-centric.

The detail from ISO 001:2015 for clause 8 is shown below for completeness. Readers with interests in other specifications should refer to those documents. Note also that clause 9 – “Performance Evaluation” and clause 10 – “Improvement” are shown in this diagram, although they are common to all specifications.

[[File:Annex_SL_Diag_4.png|link=File:Annex_SL_Diag_4.png]]

Finally, Annex SL places considerable emphasis on the role of “Top Management”. There is a clear indication that this means that the most senior staff in an organisation have to take personal responsibility for completing certain tasks, mainly by doing them themselves. The specifications that have been developed make it very clear that those managing the organisation must be personally involved. Simply signing the Quality charter, for instance, is not sufficient. This means that specifications are for directly managing organisations and that they are not an add-on accessory that is wheeled out when an assessor arrives.

This article set out to explain the structure of Annex SL and its interpretation into the specifications that ISO has published. It has also provided a pathway to success for those organisations wishing to implement management systems to meet the requirements of one or more specifications as a fully integrated set of arrangements to protect reputation as well as profit margins.

Original article written by Keith Hamlyn, reviewed by Tony Hoyle and Mike Buss on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute Construction Special Interest Group, and authorised for publication by the Competency Working Group on 5 May 2018.

[[Category:Publications_/_reports]] [[Category:Standards_/_measurements]]

Why should quality be important to the construction industry?

2018-06-04T14:51:22Z

Consigcwg:

= Introduction =

The well-known 1998 report of the Construction Task Force (chaired by Sir John Egan), Rethinking Construction, identified the Construction Industry as ‘under-achieving’ with ‘low profitability’ and clients ‘dissatisfied with overall performance’. It calls for a radical change to processes and culture to bring about the improvement required. The report also suggests that zero defects across the construction industry is possible within 5 years with a 20% decrease target per annum.

A recent report published by the Construction Industry Council, The Farmer Review of the UK Construction Labour Model, highlights profitability and productivity as ongoing concerns for the Construction Industry. Another recent industry report by the Get It Right Initiative ([https://getitright.uk.com/ https://getitright.uk.com/]) estimated the cost of error in construction to be £10 – 25bn per annum.

These two recent reports suggest that two decades after Rethinking Construction little change has realised.

One of the key drivers for change identified within Rethinking Construction was a ‘quality driven agenda’.

Quality is gaining greater focus in construction (partly due to recent events). For example, a Joint Memorandum of Understanding was signed March 2018 by representatives from RIBA, CIOB and RICS as part of the ‘Building in Quality’ initiative. This aims to improve quality through improvements to collaboration and procurement and introduction of new methods.

‘Quality’ is still misunderstood. It is necessary to appreciate why quality should be important for construction and the benefits it can bring not only in eliminating defects but the way in which it can help enhance profit and drive improvement. In fact, embracing the concepts of quality could make an invaluable contribution to achieving the objectives outlined in Construction 2025, Industrial Strategy: government and industry in partnership.

= Cost of quality =

Often the reason why quality is important is attributed to cost arising from waste. It is true that poor quality can result in significant costs and consequential reduction in profits so is often the factor that gains the attention of senior management.

Cost is certainly an important consideration. However, this focus on cost does not take into account other factors. For example:

# Cost does not focus on the ways in which quality can enhance profit beyond reducing waste.
# Although cost might be important to some people, it might not be a consideration for others. How relevant is a reduction in profit for an operative on site who received a standard wage and is therefore unaffected financially?
# Cost is not the only impact of poor quality.
# Focus on cost can have negative influences. For example, promoting the cost resulting from nonconformity reports may prevent people from seeing them as a positive tool from which learning can be gained and improvements made.

Rather than focussing only on the ‘cost of quality’, there should be a broader focus on the ‘impact’ of quality. Furthermore, ‘impact’ does not only have to be negative. Quality can positively impact the prosperity of a business.

= Quality as an outcome =

Quality is an outcome. That outcome may be good or it may be bad.

If a customer eats in a restaurant and receives good service with tasty food, the customer may choose to return instead of visiting another restaurant and may even promote the restaurant to peers creating more custom. In fact, even if the restaurant was more expensive than a competitor the customer may consider better value is offered and be content to pay higher prices.

Conversely, if the customer has a bad experience, that customer is unlikely to return but is likely to inform others who may be put off visiting in the first place. The ‘impact’ of the of the bad experience has not only resulted in loss of profit opportunity but loss of reputation. One ‘impact’ of the good experience could be competitive advantage over other restaurants enhancing profit.

This simple example aims to illustrate the positive impact which quality can have on businesses whilst the negative impacts from poor quality are not only limited to cost.

= Impacts of poor quality =

The impact of poor quality in construction is not only the financial cost to the Industry. There are other adverse consequences which may also indirectly affect the profit. Some examples are shown in Figure 1 and explained in more detail below.

[[File:Why_quality_Fig_1.png|link=File:Why_quality_Fig_1.png]][Figure 1: Examples of impacts of poor quality]

== Health & safety ==

Very often poor quality and poor health and safety are linked. It is not unusual for a safety incident to be the result of poor quality. For example, if a cladding panel is not adequately secured and falls from a building injuring a member of the public, a safety incident would likely be assumed. However, the safety incident is actually a consequence of a quality issue.

Additionally, if rework is required due to poor quality, those undertaking the work are having to be re-exposed to the risks related to original installation. In fact, in some cases those risks might be greater if works have to be undertaken in a live environment. For example, rework on highways may be undertaken post-handover when the road has been opened to traffic.

This could also bring into play all the moral and legal aspects often associated with why health and safety is important.

Furthermore, it is often recognised that there is a positive correlation between construction sites which have a good level of health and safety and those which have high quality standards.

== Reputation ==

Poor quality can adversely influence the reputation with the client. This can result in a lack of trust regarding the reliability of the finished product which can add to the challenges of completion and handover.

Loss of reputation might influence the opportunities for repeat business.

== Programme ==

Poor quality can significantly influence the programme if rework is required. Even if this does not affect the critical path and, hence, overall programme, resource may need to be diverted from other activities or increased to resolve quality issues.

== Environment ==

Poor quality can often result in the need to replace materials. The materials become waste which must then be removed. Although this will cost extra money, there may also be an impact to the environment if waste is sent to landfill. Furthermore, if additional raw products are required, manufacturing processes must be completed again and goods delivered to site which could adversely influence the carbon footprint. The additional travel of those involved in resolving quality issues adds further to the carbon footprint (as well as the additional time required).

== Management time ==

Resolving nonconformities can be extremely time consuming for managers. This is often a ‘hidden’ aspect when considering how much a nonconformity has cost. Not only does this increase the pressure on construction personnel who are already often extremely busy but the time managers spend dealing with defects could be much better spent on other activities—perhaps on activities to enhance delivery excellence. In fact, there are many examples where additional management resource has had to be brought in purely to assist with resolving defects or site managers must remain on projects long after completion.

== Pride/Morale ==

Those working in construction should feel a great sense of pride in the achievements from completing a construction project or an element of the works. This can be a key motivation factor for those at the work face. However, observing work being damaged by a lack of care/protection or demolished because the design was wrong can be extremely demoralising.

= Enhancing Profit =

Therefore, further to the above, very often the focus is achieving a situation where we reduce the ‘waste’ (Figure 2). This, of course, is certainly a desirable outcome.

[[File:Why_quality_Fig_6a.png|link=File:Why_quality_Fig_6a.png]]

[Figure 2: Reducing waste from poor quality]

However, quality should not only be concerned with meeting the specification requirements. Quality is also about delivering with excellence. Taking the earlier example of the restaurant, it is this approach which can lead to competitive advantage and enhanced profit (Figure 3).

[[File:Why_quality_Fig_3.png|link=File:Why_quality_Fig_3.png]][Figure 3: Focus on excellence to enhance profit]

Therefore, a key question is how might not only the negative impacts of poor quality be mitigated but how can quality also be used to positively impact (enhance) profit?

There are two key areas to consider regarding quality:

Firstly, quality management can offer the governance framework and a structured approach to ensure that:

* requirements are achieved right first time
* mechanisms are in place to provide confidence that the correct outcome has been achieved.

Secondly, quality management offers many tools and techniques which can enhance delivery to create ‘excellence’ by improving:

* what is delivered to the customer
* the way the product and / or service delivery is achieved (i.e. improved delivery solutions)

= Creating Excellence =

How, therefore might quality benefit construction organisations to achieve excellence through quality and improve profit further? The following outlines some examples:

* Quality initiatives can improve the way processes are delivered reducing time and cost. This can allow organisations to offer clients solutions which are cheaper and handed over in shorter timeframe as well as meeting the specification requirements. This can create competitive advantage and provide increased profit. The use of offsite manufacture and lean techniques are typical examples.
* Quality can be used to find better ways to meet the needs of the customer. Car manufacturers and mobile phone providers are typical examples of organisations who are always striving to better their offering to the customer to improve competitive advantage.
* Quality can increase the reputation of an organisation. It can create a business ‘brand’ which customers associate with ‘quality’. For example, there a certain brands of tools which construction professionals automatically associate as higher quality. Where these brands are considered to offer better quality, not only are the products / services desirable but the customer is often willing to pay more. Construction organisation creating themselves a ‘brand’ with a reputation for delivering quality will certain be more desirable for clients who may even be willing to pay more.
* Working for an organisation which has a ‘quality culture’ has been proven to increase employee satisfaction which in turn can help reduce staff turnover and increase productivity.
* Quality initiatives will involve a collaborative approach with the relevant people (employees and customers), contractors, designers, suppliers, and third parties to achieve the best improvement opportunities. This helps to utilise the knowledge and experience from all aspects of the business to bring about the best improvement.

One of the key advantages of a quality culture is that it will always strive for better. Competitive advantage will only last for so long before similar organisations copy (or even better) the ideas. It is therefore necessary for organisations wanting to sustain excellence to continually change, adapt and improve.

In fact, it has been demonstrated many times that those that don’t change cease to exist. Blockbuster is a typical example. In not adapting to the changing customer requirement for on demand entertainment at home, its business model ceased to be appealing to customers.

= Benefits =

Benefits resulting from quality focus could be as those which we can physically touch (e.g. money) and those which we can’t (e.g. customer satisfaction)--i.e. ‘tangible’ and ‘intangible’ benefits. Furthermore, benefits may be directly achieved or indirectly achieved. For example, saving ‘time’ through improving quality may indirectly benefit profit.

Additionally, one aspects which can make it extremely challenging to justify the benefits of quality management is that benefits can be unknown. By establishing a quality management system, an incident which could have occurred may be prevented. However, as the incident never occurred, no one will even know that was a benefit!

For example, if an Inspection and Test Plan (ITP) is established to help control the quality of the works and prevents an issue from occurring, it is likely the benefit of creating that ITP will never be known because there was no adverse impact. Furthermore, the construction industry is well known for not effectively sharing best practice and thus many of the benefits from quality initiatives from individual projects and organisations are not communicated.

These benefits are represented in the Venn diagram in Figure 4.

[[File:Why_quality_Fig_4.png|link=File:Why_quality_Fig_4.png]]

[Figure 4: Classification of the Benefits of Quality]

= External references =

Construction Industry Council (October, 2016) The Farmer Review of the UK Construction Labour Model: Modernise or Die: Time to decide the industry’s future. Available from: [http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Farmer-Review.pdf http://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Farmer-Review.pdf] [9/3/18]

Egan, J. (1998) Rethinking construction: report of the construction task force on the scope for improving the quality and efficiency of UK construction. Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, London. Available from:

[http://constructingexcellence.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/rethinking_construction_report.pdf http://constructingexcellence.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/rethinking_construction_report.pdf] [9/3/18]

Get It Right Initiative (April, 2016) Improving value by eliminating error. Available from: [https://getitright.uk.com/app/uploads/2017/03/GIRI-Research-Report-Revision-3.pdf https://getitright.uk.com/app/uploads/2017/03/GIRI-Research-Report-Revision-3.pdf] [9/3/18)

H M Government (July, 2013) Construction 2025, Industrial Strategy: government and industry in partnership. Available from:

[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210099/bis-13-955-construction-2025-industrial-strategy.pdf https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210099/bis-13-955-construction-2025-industrial-strategy.pdf] [9/3/18]

Original article written by [http://consig.org/mike-buss Mike Buss], reviewed by Jon Adshead and Karen McDonald on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Construction Special Interest Group, and accepted for publication by the Competency Working Group on 07 March 2018.

--[[User:Consigcwg|Consigcwg]] 01:59, 10 Mar 2018 (BST)

= Find out more =

=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ===

* Inspection and test plan.
* How to write an inspection and test plan.
* Change control: a quality perspective.
* Mobilisation to site: a quality perspective.
* Structural steelwork: a quality perspective.
* Lifts and escalators: a quality perspective.

[[Category:Construction_management]]

CDM Regulations: a quality perspective

2018-06-04T14:46:06Z

Consigcwg:

== Introduction ==

‘Health and safety is everyone’s responsibility’ is an adage we all hear and say. It is a truth that is not always demonstrated by our working practices. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) confirm the actions we should all take to ensure our safety and the safety of others, whether we are working in a client organisation, as part of a design team or as a contractor on site.

For the quality professional CDM give us some basic parameters to aid the ISO 9001 requirement of demonstrating our ability to consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements where we, or our supply chain, are involved in design and construction.

The ISO 9001 PDCA cycle is evident in CDM with the construction phase plan establishing the objectives for a project and the resources needed to deliver results in accordance with customer requirements and the organization’s policies, and identify and address risks and opportunities.

The CDM Regulations, which were updated in 2015, apply to the design and construction process on all projects, where construction is to take place (however small), from concept through completion and ultimate de-commissioning.

So long as the work is not DIY, the regulations will apply.

Construction work does not only refer to new build projects but also includes the altering, fitting out, commissioning, renovation, repair, upkeep, redecoration or other maintenance.

Therefore even if we have a small team of facilities management contractors working in our premises our quality procedures need to address the requirements of the CDM regulations.

== Construction industry players ==

The construction industry has three main groups of players (under CDM they are referred to as duty holders): the client, designers and contractors; and ensuring that there are clear requirements to define the responsibilities of these roles will be the cornerstone of the management systems. CDM and ISO 9001 both confirm that we need to address the competence of persons doing work under our control that affects the performance and effectiveness of the quality management system; it is necessary to assure that these persons are competent on the basis of appropriate skills, knowledge and experience.

== Client ==

The client is anyone for whom a construction project is carried out, and has an important role to play to ensure that the people and organisations they appoint have the skills to manage health and safety risks. This applies to both:

* Single contractor projects where the client will appoint the contractor and/or designers directly
* Projects involving more than one contractor where the client is required to appoint, in writing, a principal designer and a principal contractor.

Most clients, particularly those who only occasionally commission construction work, will not be experts in the construction process. For this reason, they are not required to take an active role in managing the work. However, the client is required to make suitable arrangements for managing the project so that health and safety is secured.

To be suitable, the arrangements should focus on the needs of the particular project and be proportionate to the size of the project and risks involved in the work.

If a client requires assistance in making these arrangements, the principal designer should be in a position to help with this. Clients could also draw on the advice of a competent person, if they are required to appoint such a person under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

If a client decides not to appoint a principal designer or a principal ontractor where required, the client must fulfil those duties.

== Designer and principal designer ==

A designer is an organisation or an individual who prepares or modifies a design for a construction project (including the design of temporary works), or arranges for or instructs someone else to do so.

Within CDM the principal designer has an important role in influencing how the risks to health and safety should be managed and incorporated into the wider management of a project. Decisions about the design taken during the pre-construction phase can have a significant effect on whether the project is delivered in a way that secures health and safety. The principal designer’s role involves coordinating the work of others in the project team to ensure that significant and foreseeable risks are managed throughout the design process.

The principal designer’s work should focus on ensuring the design work in the pre-construction phase contributes to the delivery of positive health and safety outcomes. Bringing together designers as early as possible in the project, and then on a regular basis, to ensure everyone carries out their duties, will help to achieve this.

The principal designer’s role can continue into the construction phase when design work is carried out and when gathering and preparing information for the health and safety file.

Principal designers must ensure that:

* Everyone involved in working on the pre-construction phase cooperates with each other.
* Designers comply with their duties. Appropriate checks should be made to ensure designers are dealing with design risks appropriately. This can be done as part of the design process and through regular progress meetings.
* Designers provide information about elements of the design that present significant risks that cannot be eliminated.

Within ISO 9001 design and development planning is similar to the requirements of CDM, creating an asset that is safe to build, maintain, use, refurbish and finally demolish.

CDM and ISO 9001 both ask the organization to consider issues that support delivery of a product that is better aligned to meeting requirements, with some examples shown in the following table.

{|
|width="50%"| ISO 9001:2015
|width="50%"| CDM 2015
|-
|
(8.3.2) addresses the nature, duration and complexity of the design and development activities and the level of control expected for the design and development process by customers and other relevant interested parties.

Confirms the required process stages, including applicable design and development reviews and the need to control interfaces between persons involved in the design and development.

Notes that documented information is needed to demonstrate that design and development requirements have been met.
|
Confirm that the designer advice will depend on the knowledge and experience of the client and the complexities of the project. The designer will also detail significant risks that cannot be eliminated with information about unusual or complex risks that are more likely to be missed or misunderstood by contractors or others on the project rather than risks that are well known and understood.

Address the nature and extent of design work, and that there may be a need to carry out design reviews, to enable the project team to focus on health and safety matters alongside other key aspects of the project.

Note that the level of detail covered should remain proportionate to the scale and complexity of the design work.
|}

CDM support the quality professional, confirming the requirements that need to be addressed in the management processes and procedures and ensuring that the needs of ISO 9001 paragraph 8.3.4 design and development controls are met with some examples shown in the following table.

{|
|width="50%"| ISO 9001:2015
|width="50%"| CDM 2015
|-
|
(para 8.3.4) asks that reviews are conducted to evaluate the ability of the results of design and development to meet requirements.

Also asks that validation activities are conducted to ensure that the resulting products and services meet the requirements for the specified application or intended use and that any necessary actions are taken on problems determined during the reviews, or verification and validation activities.
|
Confirm that reviews are likely to continue throughout the project although their frequency and the level of detail covered should remain proportionate to the scale and complexity of the design work.

Notes that appropriate checks should be made to ensure designers are dealing with design risks appropriately. This can be done as part of the design process and through regular progress meetings.
|}

== Contractor and principal contractor ==

The principal contractor is the organisation or person that coordinates the work during the construction phase of a project involving more than one contractor, so it is carried out in a way that secures health and safety. Appointed by the client, the principal contractor must possess the skills, knowledge, and experience, and (if an organisation) the organisational capability to carry out their role effectively given the scale and complexity of the project and the nature of the health and safety risks involved.

Contractors include sub-contractors, any individual, sole trader, self-employed worker, or business that carries out, manages or controls construction work as part of their business.

There are two vital documents to be created for the project, that sit neatly with the ISO 9001 requirement for planning, within the PDCA cycle, confirming that harnessing CDM will assist the quality professional to plan for success by determining:

* Plan - what will be done, establish the objectives of the system and its processes, establish the resources needed to deliver results in accordance with client requirements and the organization’s policies, and identify and address risks and opportunities
* Do - what resources will be required to implement what was planned and who will be responsible
* Check - when it will be completed, monitor and (where applicable) measure processes and the resulting products and services against policies, objectives, requirements and planned activities, and report the results
* Act - how the results will be evaluated and the actions required to improve performance, as necessary.

The first of these is the construction phase plan which starts its life during the pre-construction phase and before setting up a construction site. The principal contractor must draw up a construction phase plan, which is required to set out the health and safety arrangements and site rules and needs to be suitable for the size and complexity of the project.

The second is the health and safety file which is prepared by the principal designer containing information appropriate to the size and complexity of the project which is likely be needed during any subsequent construction activity on the same structure.

The health and safety file will confirm typical records to be maintained from the very start of a project, as 7.5.1 documented information determined by the organization as being necessary for the effectiveness of the quality management system.

The construction phase plan will confirm the basic ISO 9001 requirements from a safety and health perspective; it will ensure that:

* Customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements are understood
* The risks and opportunities that can affect conformity of products and services are identified
* The focus on enhancing customer satisfaction is maintained.

The principal designer must assist the principal contractor in preparing the construction phase plan by providing to the principal contractor all information the principal designer holds that is relevant to the construction phase plan including pre-construction information obtained from the client and any information obtained from designers.

During the project, the principal contractor must provide the principal designer with any information in the principal contractor’s possession relevant to the health and safety file, for inclusion in the health and safety file.

Construction works become ‘notifiable’ if they will:

* last longer than 30 (actual) working days and have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any time, or
* exceed 500 (actual) person days.

For these contracts the client must notify the relevant enforcing authority (the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) or Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR)) in writing, using form F10, before the construction phase begins.

== References ==

* Managing health and safety in construction. Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Guidance on Regulations. Series code L153
* BS EN ISO 9001:2015. Quality management systems. Requirements

Original article written by Mike Short, reviewed by Andy Harper and Kevin Rogers on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Construction Special Interest Group, and accepted for publication by the Competency Working Group on 7 March 2018

--[[User:Consigcwg|Consigcwg]]

[[Category:Health_and_safety_/_CDM]] [[Category:Standards_/_measurements]] [[Category:Construction_management]]

Mobilisation to site: a quality perspective

2018-06-04T14:38:21Z

Consigcwg:

= Summary =

This article documents the critical move from the design phase of a project to its construction on site. It suggests that there is a need for careful planning prior to mobilisation, together with an assurance that the design and manufactured elements of the works have been completed to an extent that the risks to starting construction have been reduced to a minimum.

The article proposes that the plan for mobilisation is prepared and composed against a series of aspects that it lists with some explanation. It also proposes that there is a robust review, possibly in the form of a gating process, that is conducted by a suitably senior member of the management team who is prepared to release the project into the construction phase and thereby permit mobilisation to take place.

= Planning for mobilisation =

Planning for mobilisation is at least as important as the move itself. It is vital to be certain about the needs of the client, who knows the site better than anyone, the facilities available and the access and egress arrangements.

== Client Meeting ==

The client probably knows more about the site than anyone else. The client also has a vested interest in making sure that the requirements for the works are met in the most appropriate manner. There are also conditions under the various regulations that make the client responsible for certain actions. It is essential, therefore, to meet with the client, on or off site, to be certain exactly what can and cannot take place. The client also is likely to have local knowledge of such matters as who the statutory undertakers are, who are the most suitable local suppliers and what the local traffic conditions are.

It is also important to confirm with the client that the works will meet the contracted requirements and that the layout and conduct of the proposed works will be accepted.

== Site visit ==

It is not possible to prepare a sensible plan without visiting the site. The visit can be made with or without the client. Typically, the following should be examined:

* General site conditions, such as surfaces, soil conditions, access and egress, local roads and existing facilities, such as accommodation and parking
* Potential site layouts, including lay-down areas and siting of stores and accommodation
* Any other projects in the area, especially those that may impact on local availability of staff, materials or equipment

Consider also the facilities discussed below and remember that photographs can be very useful, particularly as the memory fades as you walk out of the site!

The site visit should be formally documented in a report that is readily available to those setting up and running the site. The report should form the basis for the plan to mobilise.

== Facilities ==

=== Utilities ===

The site visit should provide information of the availability of water, electricity, gas, telephone (line and GSM) and broadband/internet access. The names of suitable statutory undertakers will be needed, so that they may be contacted for connection and, of course, pricing.

=== Accommodation ===

Includes offices for staff working on the site, as well as sleeping accommodation where this is to be provided. Consideration should be given to where staff may park their caravans, as many construction craft will use these on a long project.

=== Health and welfare ===

Information should be gathered concerning the local hospitals and other medical facilities, together with the routes from the sites to these facilities.

The need for the correct numbers of first aiders and the offices for on-site medical facilities should also be determined.

=== Waste management ===

Begins on site with separation of waste into the appropriate types. The site plan should indicate where the containers are to be located and provide the initial requirements for the waste management plan.

Arrangements should be investigated at this stage into where the local waste management sites are and who might be a suitable waste carrier. The arrangements should cover the processes of disposal of waste from the site and its conduct to the local recycling plant.

== Local suppliers ==

There are great advantages in using local suppliers, not only for materials and staffing, but also for welfare facilities, such as the canteen. Examples have been found of local farms forming a consortium to manage canteens as a small but effective business.

Use of local suppliers for materials makes them accessible and reduces the carbon footprint of the project and is highly recommended, once the relevant quality checks have confirmed their suitability.

== Local authorities ==

Local authorities should be contacted to determine any restrictions, local laws and/or other aspects that may impact on the works. It will also speed things up if a good relationship is established with the people who will be dealing with the F10, consents and other approvals.

== Documentation ==

The relevant documentation for the site should be taken to the site visit for reference. This should include the relevant parts of the contract, quality and project management plans, any site layout drawings and knowledge of utilities, roads and so forth. It is useful also to prepare a full set of documentation that will be used to record the results of the works, such as inspection and test plans and quality check sheets.

== Lessons learned from previous mobilisations ==

It is important to learn from the mistakes made in previous mobilisations, as well as to build on the successes that have been recorded. This relies on a robust lessons learned programme that people actually use!

== Documented plan for mobilisation ==

A formal plan for mobilising to site should be documented to cover all the points above, together with the schedules and any other relevant matters that staff mobilising will need to know. The plan should be written in a way that the knowledge is available to all, i.e., in simple language and with a straightforward structure.

= Site setup =

== Site security ==

Under the various regulations that control sites, there is a need to make certain that access to the site is restricted only to those with a legitimate reason to be there. This will include staff working on site and legitimate visitors. This means that the site must be properly protected with barriers that will prevent unauthorized access and a suitable entry and exit point with controls.

During the site visit, it is important to recognize any potential security risks, including known areas of criminality that are local to the site.

== Site filing system ==

The site filing system is required to accept records that are to be retained, either for presentation to the Client as evidence of successful completion or to be retained by the constructor. It is advantageous to prepare copies of the inspection and test plans and blank check sheets and other record forms and host them in files on site at the start of the works. This will permit those creating the records to extract the blank forms, complete them on site and return them to their proper places in the site filing system. This will avoid the bow wave of work at the end of the project when everybody is hunting around for the evidence that was lost somewhere down the line – or was left in someone’s van or tablet computer!

This is also an opportunity to set in place a rigorous document control system, so that all persons working on or off site are fully aware of the process that must be followed. All attempts to bypass the document control system should be robustly rejected.

== Site health, safety and welfare ==

It is not in the remit of this article to discuss site safety. Suffice it to say that safety of all on site is paramount and must be managed properly to reduce risk to the lowest possible. However, any planning must include knowledge of the nearest accident and emergency hospital facilities and planning for first aid and welfare facilities on site to meet the relevant regulations as a minimum.

== Site environmental management ==

It is not in the remit of this article to discuss environmental management. However, it is very important to reduce all forms of environmental impact to the lowest possible and to reduce risk of fugitive discharge to an acceptable level.

== Finance, accounting and scheduling ==

Suitable project controls functions should be set in place at the earliest opportunity to control cost and maintain schedule. This should include:

* Progress against plans
* Cost reporting

== Human resources ==

In times of financial constraint, it is common to reduce the numbers of persons on site to a minimum. At times, less experienced staff are employed to reduce cost. It is vital to the success of the project to make certain that there is an adequate number of suitably experienced staff to assure the success of the project.

Where unionised staff are employed, it is important to form a good relationship with union representatives, both on site and at the senior level, at an early stage.

== Field reporting ==

Staff working on site should be encouraged to report on progress and completion of works progressively with the works. This means completing inspection and test pans and Quality check sheets as the works are completed and then filing them immediately. Any reporting of progress should also be provided to the project controls function.

== Contract administration ==

=== Collaborative working ===

The project should give full attention to the possibility of setting in place formal collaborative relationships under ISO 44001 across the entire supply chain. This will assist in reduction in cost and time, especially where there is trust between the various players that allows for acceptance of work without repeated checking up and down the chain. It would be inappropriate for an engineer with no detailed experience of tunnelling to check and approve a design for a tunnel prepared by a firm that specialises in tunnelling.

=== Relationships with the client ===

Contract administrators must make themselves thoroughly familiar with all clauses of the contract, especially those that are ‘hidden’ in appendices. Frequently, the quality requirements are in such an appendix and place strong controls over the conduct of the works.

=== Relationships with sub-contractors ===

In many cases, there is a requirement in the contract with the Client to pass down certain requirements throughout the supply chain. This is particularly true of the quality requirements. Even if there is no such requirement, it may be important to pass some or all the requirements down to provide assurance that the client’s contract requirements will be met.

It is also important to make sure that there are good relationships and good communication paths. Contractor Quality Forums are good ways to promote both. Regular Quality meetings with individual Contractors can provide assurance of satisfactory progress.

== Quality Control ==

Quality control on site will provide an assurance that the contractual requirements have been met. Processes should be set in place to assess conformance of materials and completed work on a regular basis. The following is a list of some of the checks that should be undertaken.

* Completion of inspection and test plans progressively with the work. Confirmation that each step has been completed and that they accurately reflect the status of the work
* Completion of the quality check sheets progressively with the work. Confirmation that the results are within the permitted parameters and that the work correctly reflects the stated results.
* Confirmation that the material certification indicates that the material meets the contractual requirements and that they have not been falsified.
* Confirmation that concrete cube crush results meet the specified requirements.
* Audits of the management of the works at all levels
* Surveillance visits to confirm that the works are being undertaken correctly on site and that the results meet the contracted requirements

Original article written by Keith Hamlyn on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Construction Special Interest Group, and accepted for publication by the Competency Working Group.

--[[User:Consigcwg|Consigcwg]] 23:05, 22 Jan 2018 (BST)

= Find out more =

=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ===

* Construction phase plan.
* Handover to the contractor.
* Master programme.
* Method statements.
* Mobilisation.
* Site layout.
* Quality.
* Waste management plan.
* Welfare facilities.

[[Category:Construction_management]] [[Category:Contracts_/_payment]]

Structural steelwork: a quality perspective

2018-06-04T14:34:32Z

Consigcwg:

= Introduction and executive summary =

Steel’s low cost, strength, durability, and recyclability continue to make it a useful choice for construction projects in both structural support and architectural details.

Structural steel is defined as ‘manufactured structural components supplied individually or in kit form and intended to be used in any form, including temporary works, of construction works (excluding marine and offshore).

It is generally engineered specifically for the project therefore a competent structural engineer is the starting point for getting the right quality.

The British Construction Steelwork Association (BCSA) is the national organisation for the steel construction industry. Its member companies undertake the design, fabrication, finishing and erection of steelwork for all forms of construction in building and civil engineering. It provides guidance and many useful resources for design and construction quality management. The National Structural Steelwork Specification sets out a consistent approach for fabrication and erection of steelwork.

Mandatory CE Marking of fabricated structural steelwork came into force in July 2014 so all structural steel placed on the market after this date must be CE marked.

Companies authorised to CE mark their structural steel will be able to supply a certificate issued by the relevant national body stating the execution (risk) class they are authorised to work to.

In order to gain this certificate they will have been inspected and certified as complying with the harmonized standard BS EN 1090-1 which is supported by the execution (fabrication and erection) standard BS EN1090-2 and are required to make a declaration of performance which can be supported by objective evidence.

As this is a legal requirement it is important that the construction quality manager understands the process.

= Guidance for construction quality management professionals =

Steel’s low cost, strength, durability, and recyclability continue to make it a useful choice for structural members and architectural details. It is generally engineered specifically for each project. Typically it will be encountered in building frames, staircases, balustrades, barriers and even temporary works structures.

The National Structural Steelwork Specification (NSSS), currently in its 5th (CE) edition sets out a consistent approach to giving the fabricator the right information. Typically this would include:

* Description and purpose of the structure
* Details of the construction site
* Design drawings
* Design specification and standards
* Loading data
* Any special fabrication or finishing requirements
* An outline method of erection

Timely and accurate exchange of information is very important. The construction schedule should allow for a review of the computer model and calculations. Typically, the Engineer is responsible for structural analysis, overall stability and design of the primary structural members; and the steelwork contractor is responsible for connection design, secondary steelwork, co-ordination with other suppliers such as cladding, fire protection and painting. However, this can vary, the guidance is to ensure that accountabilities are clear.

Prepare a written method statement in accordance with the Construction (Design and Management) (CDM) Regulations. It should take account of the information provided by the Employer on design, erection and programme. Note: temporary works also require close supervision and control.

Provide a firm, properly graded, working area and ensure adequate access roads. The Employer should also inform the Steelwork Contractor of the position of any underground services.

The fabricator should ensure material grade and quality are identifiable within the manufacturing process. For example, when steel sections and plate are cut, individual pieces should be controlled so that the correct material is always used. Forming, cutting and joining process can impact the properties of the steel and should be closely controlled by authorised competent people.

The management of welding should meet the quality requirements of BS EN ISO 3834-3. Testing of welders and welding operators should be witnessed and the certificates then endorsed by a competent examiner. Welding procedures should also be verified and approved by a competent examiner. Technicians carrying out non-destructive testing of welds should hold a current certificate of competence from a nationally recognised body.

BS EN ISO 14731 sets out Welding coordination - Tasks and responsibilities. The responsible welding co-ordinator has wide ranging duties, including: review of material types and weld joint properties, production planning, developing work instructions and welding procedures as well as inspection and testing for quality control.

Example of a quality assurance checklist for welded connections:

# Designer competence
# General arrangement drawings have references to connection design calculations
# Drawings show requirements for connections
# Welding co-ordinator assigned and competent
# Welding documentation

* Material and consumable certificates
* Welding procedure qualification records
* Welding procedure specifications / work instructions
* Welder qualification certificates
* Welding inspector competence
* Visual inspection records
* Non-destructive testing practitioner competence
* NDT records and testing equipment calibration certificates

Accuracy of fabrication, and joint fit up for connections, should be closely supervised and controlled.

Prepare a detailed method statement for protective treatment applications and ensure that items are stored, transported and erected so as to minimise damage. Intumescent coatings require particular focus so that they perform as intended, when needed.

Example of a quality assurance checklist for protective treatments:

# Designer, applicator and coating inspector competence
# Approved drawings and specification received
# Specified products stored correctly
# Steel surface cleaned and prepared to standard
# Environmental conditions (relative humidity and steel and temperature)
# Wet and dry film thickness measurements
# Over coating and curing times
# Adhesion checks
# Aesthetic quality of finish
# Protection

Samples and benchmarks make quality standards visible and demonstrate that they are achievable. Agree a schedule of samples and benchmarks and ensure that all interested parties are involved at the right time to optimise the likelihood of a successful outcome for all stakeholders.

When work is complete a certificate should be issued confirming that the steelwork has been erected in fully accordance with the drawings and contract requirements.

Important characteristics typically include:

* Tolerance on dimensions and shape
* Fracture toughness
* Load bearing capacity
* Fatigue strength
* Resistance to fire
* Durability and maintainability

= CE marking =

Products used in construction must have CE marking. There are four key stages identified in BS EN 1090:

# Determine consequence class, eg an agricultural building with few users or a concert hall or grandstand packed with thousands of people
# Define the service category, eg static, fatigue or seismic loads
# Define the production category, eg is the steel grade higher or lower than S355
# Define the execution class, this is derived from a table using the consequence class, service category and production category, typically EXC2

It is the responsibility of the structural engineer to define the execution class required.

The purchaser is responsible for selecting a fabricator who can meet or exceed the defined execution class required by the structural engineer.

Fabricators demonstrate their right to CE Mark their products using the following three documents:

# Factory Production Control Certificate - issued by a notified body
# Welding Certificate - issued by a notified body
# Declaration of Performance - issued by the steelwork contractor

The BCSA has made CE Marking compliance a condition of membership of the Association from 1 July 2014.

= Special appointments =

The Responsible Welding Co-Ordinator (RWC) is an appointment mentioned in the NSSS. The RWC is appointed by the fabricator and is responsible for certifying the works to the purchaser/client. The purchaser/client may choose to formally accept or reject the RWC. If accepted the RWC becomes the authority for the quality of the steel work under his remit.

The Bolting Co-Ordinator is a specialist appointment currently only applicable to bridges and highways. The BCSA defines competency and testing requirements for the bolting co-ordinator who is primarily responsible for ensuring all bolted connections are correct.

Further information sources

# SteelConstruction.info, the free encyclopaedia for UK steel construction information
# BCSA is the national organisation for the steel construction industry
# The Welding Institute
# The British Institute of Non Destructive Testing
# The Institute of Corrosion
# Fire Protection Association

= Key reference documents =

SteelConstruction.org Publication National Structural Steelwork Specification

SteelConstruction.org Publication Guide to the CE Marking of Structural Steelwork

Steel Industry Guidance Notes: SIGNS SN02 - Tolerances in Structural Steelwork (SteelConstruction.org)

Steel Industry Guidance Notes: SIGNS SN08 - Welding is a key fabrication process, yet little understood outside the workshop (SteelConstruction.org)

Steel Industry Guidance Notes: SIGNS SN19 - Intumescent Coatings (SteelConstruction.org)

BS EN ISO 3834 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials

BS EN ISO 14731 Welding coordination, tasks and responsibilities

BS EN 1090 Execution of steel structures and aluminium structures, requirements for conformity assessment of structural components

= Jargon =

CSWIP - Certification Scheme Weldment Inspection Personnel

PCN - Personnel Certification for Non-destructive Testing

WPS - Welding Procedure Specification

WPQR - Welding Procedure Qualification Record

RWC - Responsible Welding Co-ordinator

-----
Original article written by Chris Little on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Construction Special Interest Group, and accepted for publication by the Competency Working Group.

--[[User:Consigcwg|Consigcwg]] 23:39, 22 Jan 2018 (BST)

= Find out more =

=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ===

* Concrete vs. steel.
* Concrete-steel composite structures.
* Installing fire protection to structural steelwork (GG 85).
* Passive and reactive fire protection to structural steel (IP 6 12).
* Procuring steel in major projects.
* Quality.
* Rust.
* Steel.
* Steel construction floor vibration.
* Steel Council.
* Steel frame.
* Steel reinforcement.
* Structural steel.
* The use of stainless steel in civil engineering.

[[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Design]] [[Category:Products_/_components]]

Design freeze: a quality perspective

2018-06-04T14:29:22Z

Consigcwg:

= Executive summary =

Change during construction can be expensive and time-consuming. To avoid this, there must be a point in an engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) project or any other design activity when a formal stop is placed on the evolution of the design. This point is known as ‘design freeze’ and marks the end of the formal design effort – or, at least, that is the intention. It forwards a constructible design that can be built on site with no further changes. A preliminary stage to design freeze is ‘design chill’ where the design organisation starts to take formal control over change. It is good practice for design chill and design freeze to take place simultaneously at review points that permit continuation of the works. These are commonly known as ‘gates’. This article explores the gates process as it relates to design chill and design freeze. In terms of the PDCA cycle, this falls under the heading of ‘check’. Once the design has been frozen, it should enter formal change control (see the article ‘[https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Change_control:_a_quality_perspective Change control; a quality perspective]’).

= The gates process =

A gate is a formal review of the status of a project with a view to permitting its continuation. Too commonly, sparse attention is paid to gates with the result that incorrect and incomplete designs are issued for construction. It is essential that a thorough review be undertaken before freezing the design.

The most fruitful review will not only examine the completeness of the design to meet the client’s requirements, but will also involve the following:

* A financial review to confirm that costs have run to budget to date and that future costs are properly forecast
* A programme review to confirm that the project has completed all the steps needed to date on time and that any delays have been agreed and accepted by the client
* All records, including design certification, have been completed and signed off
* All requirements for entering into the next stage of the project have been met, including those required by the local authority, health and safety authorities and local residents
* All documents needed for the next phase are readily retrievable and accurate to requirements.

In other words, the project is ready to move to the next phase, a decision supported by the senior management team. Failure of one element could be sufficient to fail the gate; for example, one missing signature on a design check certificate.

= Design chill =

At design chill, all aspects of the design may evolve, although formal controls are placed on any changes to issued design documents. This might mean that interim change may occur within particular aspect of the works, which, when finalised, are formally reviewed and incorporated into the design. This is also known as a “part freeze”.

Design chill also has the effect of reducing possible diversions into development that over-engineers the design or introduces additional “benefits” that were not foreseen at the start of the work.

Parts of a design can be chilled whilst permitting other aspects to continue to develop; for example, the civil aspects may be chilled, allowing M&E design to continue in the full knowledge that there will be no change to the structure.

= Design freeze =

The aim of a design freeze is to depict a single point in the EPC process where development ceases and the full set of design documentation can no longer be changed. This is intended to ensure that a robust design is provided to construction that can be constructed in full trust that all aspects have been properly designed.

Design freeze can occur at various points in the design process. Typically, these include:

* Specification freeze that freezes the client’s requirements in a requirements definition document
* Concept freeze that occurs once the conceptual design has been reviewed and has been accepted by the client
* Detailed design freeze that permits release of the design to construction

However, the most common form of design freeze occurs at this last point, namely, the formal issue of the technical documents for construction.

= Why freeze? =

All forms of change are risky, costly and almost certainly impact on schedule. Change can also result in the client’s requirements not being met unless great care is taken during the change management process to review the end result of the change against the frozen specification. Freezing the design provides a level of assurance that it will meet the specification when constructed without interference from change. It also puts pressure on the designer to get it right first time, rather than doing 80% of the design and hoping that the rest will be picked up by construction as changes – especially if the contract makes the design organisation responsible for the changes!

= Document control =

Document control, or more correctly, information management, has a vital part to play in the way in which technical information is passed from one organisation to another. ISO 9001 requires that, in simplistic terms, the people who need information have the documents that they need at the pertinent revision. If they have the wrong documents, they will build it wrong – obviously. It is important that information management have proper control over all technical information once it has been formally placed under control. This means that they must be provided with the relevant documentation and that they alone hold responsibility for its issue under control. It should never be part of any organisation’s way of working to provide updates to construction ‘under the counter’, but always formally.

Original article written by Keith Hamlyn, reviewed by Tony Hoyle on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Construction Special Interest Group, and accepted for publication by the Competency Working Group on 7 March 2018.

--[[User:Consigcwg|Consigcwg]]

[[Category:Theory]] [[Category:Design]]

Change control: a quality perspective

2018-06-04T14:21:32Z

Consigcwg:

= Executive summary =

Change is a risky business. In particular, it is a significant risk on all construction projects. Therefore, the determination and implementation of changes on a project constitute risks that need to be recognised and addressed through appropriate processes. Any change brings potential instability to the works that can be related to the final product or to the management system that supports it. It can also be a recipe for additional cost or rework.

There are three vital stages:

* Knowing the initial status
* Knowing the desired end status
* Managing the change

Strict controls during the time of change are essential to reduce the risks to quality, cost or schedule. These controls should cover both the mechanics of the change process and the communication of the changes to those who need to implement them. Communication during all stages of the change process is also key to minimising risk.

Knowledge of the initial status allows change to be defined and communicated under control, understanding the full financial and schedule impacts of the change, as well as recognising the effect that the change has on all aspects of the project. The revision status of civil works, hardware and software is known as its configuration and is defined as its configuration status. Knowing the configuration status at all times is the foundation for maintaining control over change

Changes to the configuration can arise for several reasons. These include:

* External changes brought about through a Client’s request, revisions to legislation, standards or codes or new requirements from statutory undertakers or local councils
* Changes during the design process to increase value or correct errors
* Changes in construction methodology (scheduling, materials, supply arrangements, construction/installation techniques, equipment, testing and commissioning arrangements, etc)
* Changes during construction due to unforeseen events or differences between the expectations of the designers and the reality on site

There are, of course, many other reasons for change to occur. It is their timing and control that makes the differences.

= Change control =

Changes can arise for several reasons. Some of these are:

* Requests from the client or his representatives and/or regulatory bodies
* Changes to legislation, standards or regulations
* Unclear initial requirements
* Human error during the design process
* Unclear interfaces
* Human error during the construction process
* Lack of availability of materials or parts
* Unexpected circumstances arising during construction/installation such as. unforeseen ground conditions
* They can arise during the design phase (design changes) and during the construction and commissioning phase (field changes)

Any change will cause a disturbance in the established routines the project is following, even when they are being introduced to establish a better controlled environment. It should not be forgotten that any change requires to be implemented by people, which means that not only is the physical design changed, but that the process by which it will be constructed may also change.

= Control of changes from the client =

These changes often occur as the client develops a clearer idea of the end product they desire or through simple changes of mind, especially during the design phase. They may also occur due to changes in legislation or requirements imposed by statutory undertakers. Changes such as these are normally at the client’s risk, in that they will request the change. The contractor has an opportunity to confirm the feasibility, cost and potential effect on schedule before presenting a proposal. The change may also require a change to the contract, especially if the scope has increased or decreased. The change should be reflected into the formal requirements for the works and then treated as a design change.

= Control of changes during design =

During design, opportunities often present themselves for creating additional value. Details may be discovered in specifications that mean that the original design is no longer practicable or that there is a more effective solution to the project. Close examinations of technical standards reveal the need to make change. Interchangeability and interfaces between different elements of the design cause issues. For these reasons and many others, changes need to be controlled. Each change should first be considered against its place in the design: how will the change affect its surroundings; what other parts of the design will be affected, including handbooks. The design change note that is raised should clearly define the change, the drawings, specifications and other data involved and the person(s) responsible for implementing the change. Consideration should be given to the possibility of the change requiring a change to the contract.

The definition of the required authority to sanction the change is a key element of the process so as to enable changes without undue delay whilst approvals are being sought.

= Design freeze =

At some point, the design process needs to be passed into the hands of the constructors. Clearly, designing has to stop to provide a stable configuration from which to undertake the works. This point is known a design freeze, following which no changes may occur without strong controls being applied by all functions. There are occasions where some change is permitted, particularly where the construction has not proceeded to the point where the design documentation is required.

Many project proceed with design and construction taking place in parallel. This requires additional care to ensure that the project’s status is considered fully during the change management process. This works both ways in that design can have an influence on construction and vice versa.

= Control of changes during construction =

Field design changes are almost inevitable. They can occur for several reasons:

* In setting out the works, the interfaces between adjacent items may not have been recognised
* Errors in the design may not have been corrected prior to approval to construct
* Practical difficulties may arise during construction
* Human error in construction
* Failure to follow the approved management arrangements.

All changes must be approved prior to implementation. While this is important at all stages of the project, it is particularly important to assure all changes with the designer before they are implemented on site – with the possible exception of minor changes that can be reversed easily or cannot have any further effect on the successful outcome of the works. A typical example may be the moving of a clock in a control room by a few millimetres to allow a piece of trunking to be fitted more easily.

One particular concern occurs when the client discusses change directly with a sub-contractor or with a member of the craft team without discussing it first with the contractor. A discipline needs to be in place to record this and to approve the change and its consequences prior to implementation.

Those working in one discipline may not realise the effect that their change may have on others. The craft worker who installs his HVAC trunking differently to the design may not recognise the difficulty that the installer of cable trays may have in finding enough space for his work.

Field changes can be initiated in the field and by site design staff. Prior to implementation, they should be offered for review to a competent designer and the design only changed following approval. It is, of course, vital that craft on site are informed about the change. While this should require a reissue of the design information, it may be more practical to issue the approved change form to the field for construction. This is particularly useful where small changes are made and update of drawings has a heavy cost implication. One warning, however: there is a risk that one drawing has so many approved change requests that it becomes unwieldy and difficult to read. This is because even small changes can have unexpected consequences. Several small changes can result in a significant impact when taken together.

All requests for change should clearly list out the effects that the change is likely to have on other aspects of the works. Some elements that are frequently forgotten are:

* Interchangeability (electrical and mechanical)
* Maintenance and user manuals
* Spares and spares ranging
* Training for users and maintainers
* Installation/Construction instructions,
* Inspection and test plans, schedules and records, including parameters to be measured.

Approved design changes should be marked up on the design documentation – signed and dated, of course. This has two advantages. Firstly, there is a clear definition of the design that is to be constructed, which makes interpretation easier for the people constructing and secondly, the ‘red line’ design is created as construction progresses, rather than hoping to pick up all the changes at the end. It also helps to confirm that no unapproved changes have occurred.

The use of ‘red line’ drawings is a practical and established mechanism for recording changes during construction. Care is needed to ensure that all changes are recorded (eg changes in construction methodology may have a fundamental impact on the method of adjustment/amendment/ renovation/demolition at a later date). This is particularly important when the people who know what happened have already left the site and, in many cases, cannot be contacted!

Note that a ‘red line’ drawing is an accurate mark-up of the constructed product. It is used, once approved, to create the as-built design that is offered for use by the client as a definition of the product as delivered. There will be an on-going responsibility for the works under warranty arrangements that will be stated in the contract so the information needs to be accurate, especially as clients may make changes after handover.

= Configuration management =

The basis of all change is knowing the status of the project at all times. This status has to be properly defined to the level that is relevant to the various elements of the project. It is a fundamental principle that change cannot be made without knowing the initial state. Here are three examples:

Example 1: For civil construction, this is generally the revision status of the drawings, technical specifications, codes or other design data that clearly define the build, together with the testing/commissioning/handover status during the latter stages of the works. The level to which the configuration status account is taken should be sufficient that no further information is needed to provide a clear definition of all component parts. This should include the requirements definition, preliminary design and the detailed/shop drawings and are termed ‘configuration items’ that are listed in the configuration status account.

Example 2: For mechanical and electrical works, this should include all the configuration items required for the civil work, together with the serial numbers and, where appropriate, the revision status of any individual items. The level here should be at the point ‘line replaceable unit’. A line replaceable unit is the largest item that is replaced during maintenance and returned to the supplier or scrapped and is, again a configuration item.

Example 3: Complex electronic systems can have a complex configuration status, as this needs to cover both the list of all line replaceable units, together with the definition of the build of the software, probably at module level.

As can be seen, the knowledge that is required can be very detailed and very extensive. The overall knowledge is known as the configuration status of the project and is listed in a configuration status account. It is important not to underestimate the amount of time and energy that is required to develop and maintain the configuration status account. On a large project, such as a railway upgrade or power station build, it is almost impossible to control the configuration if this is not started at the very beginning of the design process. For example, it took over six hours to create the configuration status account for a single cabinet with three rows of printed circuit boards, recording the board numbers, serial numbers and software status.

The configuration may be managed through the use of a Building Information Management (BIM) mechanism.

= Configuration control =

Configuration control is simple in concept – always know the revision status of the constructed product. The complexity arises from the vast amount of information that must be collected and maintained up to date. The challenge is to start collecting the information at the very start, rather than trying to catch up at the end.

As stated above, knowing the configuration status at all times is of vital importance to the control over the project. Any proposed change should be reviewed for its effect on the entire configuration. This should include adjacent items, technical specifications, operator’s manuals, interchangeability, spares quantities and ranging, competence of constructors and operators and maintenance regimes to mention but a few. With the exception of the simplest and most obvious of changes, review of change to the configuration should be undertaken by a multi-disciplined team and by not a single person.

Generally, all constructed product is created from a hierarchy of parts. For an electrical or mechanical system, the smallest element that would be returned to the manufacturer in case of a defect occurring can be known as a ‘Line Replaceable Unit’. The vital point is that a failed item has to be replaced with a part that is electrically and mechanically interchangeable. For this reason, the revision status of these parts needs to be sufficiently well defined so that a suitable replacement may be provided. For civil works, this is simpler in a way, as the configuration status is the revision status of the (as-built) drawings, technical specifications and other design data that were used to construct.

= ISO 9001:2015 requirements =

The international standard for quality management systems (ISO 9001:2015), clause 8.5.2, requires that:

‘The organisation shall use suitable means to identify outputs when it is necessary to ensure the conformity of products and services.

“The organisation shall identify the status of outputs with respect to monitoring and measurement requirements throughout production and service provision.

“The organisation shall control the unique identification of the outputs when traceability is a requirement, and shall retain the documented information necessary to enable traceability.”

Identification includes the revision status, obviously, which means that strict control must be maintained over change.

-----
Original article written by Keith Hamlyn, reviewed by Andrew Baker on behalf of the Chartered Quality Institute, Construction Special Interest Group, and accepted for publication by the Competency Working Group.

--[[User:Consigcwg|Consigcwg]] 23:07, 22 Jan 2018 (BST)

= Find out more =

=== Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki ===

* Change control.
* Cost control.
* Document control.
* End of stage report.
* Gateways
* Milestones.
* Scope creep.
* Variation.
* Value engineering.
* Value management.

[[Category:Construction_management]] [[Category:Design]] [[Category:Products_/_components]]