Considering topical issues in Surveying and Property related areas and also within the wider Construction Industry. Readers are encouraged to comment on topics and to make suggestions for future postings.
Showing posts with label Construction Drawings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Construction Drawings. Show all posts
Robust supervision and training of staff will help them to understand the significance of accurate documentation. Organisations should not lose sight of this, particularly in the current economic climate
Source:www.anarsolutions.com
In previous articles I have discussed the importance of drawings and the consequences that are likely to occur in a construction project if they contain inaccuracies or omissions. Drawings are one of the main components of tender documents, however, as important as they are, they are only a single component of the documentation. Drawings must reflect precisely the detail contained in the specification, and vice versa. Any conflict between the two will lead to confusion from contractors during the tender period, (assuming that the contractors have read the documentation fully, which does not always happen!), and possibly disputes on site when the selected contractor realises any inconsistency. This can then lead to an embarrassing explanation to the Client, particularly if the contractor tries to claim that his tender price did not include for the inconsistency and ultimately in a dispute for which the Consultant may be held accountable. Consequently, the process of preparing tender documentation and in fact any documentation that is to leave the office, should be undertaken with care and attention, with organisations having robust quality assurance processes to ensure that the documentation is checked at various stages. Junior and new members of staff need to be trained and supervised throughout the whole process so that they understand the significance of preparing tender documentation and that each component cannot and should not be prepared in isolation. Experienced and senior members of staff should not be excluded from the quality assurance process as they too are likely to make errors or omissions. The point is that through the supervision and quality assurance processes, any errors or omissions are identified before the documentation leaves the office.
Source: builtintelligence.com
In today's challenging environment where profit margins are tight and staffing levels have been squeezed, it would be very easy to allow documentation to be issued as a result of sometimes poor or non existing supervision and quality assurance procedures. One of my former organisation's quality assurance procedures was that no documentation could leave the office until it has been signed off by a senior manager. I can remember many days when members of staff would pile drawings, specifications and all sorts of other documentation onto my desk for checking. Now considering I still had my own workload, reading through and checking all of this documentation was challenging, however because I was signing the information off I had to take the time too look at it properly, which often meant working long hours, or taking work home. I am sure many reading this article will understand, having been in similar situations themselves. Although it was sometime tempting to skim read documentation and drawings I was always aware of the implications to my organisation and to me personally, if inaccurate documentation was issued. Inevitably, errors in signed off documentation would sometimes be identified, however by adopting robust procedures we kept this to a minimum, and after all we are only human and we will sometimes miss something. Those who prepare the documentation often do not appreciate the time that is necessary to read through and check what they have produced. In some circumstances members of staff would bring documentation to me for checking and expect me to look at it, there and then and sign it off immediately, because of an imminent deadline (mostly down to their own poor time management!). This is where mistakes can be made, and any organisation that works in this way or allows this to happen, even in isolated cases, are likely to keep their solicitors very busy! Organisations must have clear policies in place so that everyone understands and complies with quality assurance procedures and also has respect for the time of those who will be checking it. As stated previously robust supervision and training of staff will help everyone (not just technical members of staff), to understand the significance of accurate documentation. Organisations should not lose sight of this, particularly in the current economic climate. Client's are much more likely to cultivate relationships with those who they feel confident will deliver a project effectively and in a professionally manner. Allowing inaccurate documentation to leave your office is not professional and gives a very negative impression. There is a lot of competition out there and it will not take long to sour a relationship, 'you're only as good as your last project', comes to mind, so ignore this at your peril. Above, I have used the example of tender documentation, as from experience I know the problems that can result from in inconsistencies in documentation. Tender documentation is a topic I will cover in more detail in a future article. Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog
Errors or omissions in a drawing can result in serious consequences which can manifest themselves into confusion and disagreement, delays, additional costs and ultimately disputes. These problems can be avoided by ensuring that those who undertake measured surveys are adequately trained and supervised.
Drawings are arguably the most effective form of communication within a construction project and are used at all stages. It is therefore fundamentally important that all of those who are responsible for taking measurements and preparing drawings understand the significance of what they are doing. The 'life' of a drawing will be developed throughout a project and will vary depending upon the complexity and type of project. For example concept drawings may be required, which can then become initial design drawings, followed by detailed design drawings. From this stage the drawings could then be developed into construction drawings and used for tendering and also contract drawings. Eventually, the drawings will become 'as built' and will be included into a Health & Safety File, a requirement under the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015. The above examples of where drawings could be used in a construction project is not exhaustive, however demonstrates their importance. Errors or omissions in a drawing can result in serious consequences which can manifest themselves into confusion and disagreement, delays, additional costs and ultimately disputes. These problems can be avoided by ensuring that those who undertake measured surveys are adequately trained and supervised. It would be very unwise to assume that undertaking a measured survey is a simple process and a skill that everyone should naturally have. This is because buildings differ significantly in size, construction and form and the amount of information needed will vary depending on the scope of the project. One thing however that is for certain is that undertaking a measured survey is far more than just obtaining dimensions! A common issues I often found with my surveyors when undertaking an internal measured survey would be that they would sometimes miss key information such as floor to ceiling heights, window cill height, joist direction, services intake of a building, diagonal check measurements and sometimes even forgetting to note wall construction. If a re-visit is necessary to collect missing information then this will be a cost to the business and can impact on profitability.
It is important that the right measuring equipment is taken and used. This will include a folding measure and 5 or 10 metre steel tape (or both) for measuring shorter distances and 25 metre tape and a trundle wheel for measuring longer distances. Nowadays a digital measure will also be taken which can also be used to obtain, rooms sizes (sqm) as well as single dimension measurements. When using measuring equipment the 'Surveyor' should be fully aware of the limitations of the equipment and also have an appreciation of distance to be able to discern whether digital dimension are accurate or not. This is because inaccurate readings can be obtained from a digital measure when the laser comes into contact with reflective surfaces or glass. If the Surveyor was to write down the measurement without asking themselves if the reading is reasonable, they will have problems when they return to the office and start to prepare their drawings. Whilst undertaking a measured survey on site the Surveyor must appreciate that either they, or maybe somebody else like an Architectural Technologist will have to interpret the information that has been collected on site in order to prepare the drawings. Many times I have witnessed Surveyors and Technologists look with complete dismay at a piece of paper in the office that has been given to them by someone who has undertaken a measured survey. This is because what they are looking at is a rain drenched, smudged, excuse for a drawing that is so 'busy' with lines, dimensions and other information that it is difficult to tell the difference between each!, and they are expected to produce an accurate drawing from this! To help minimise omissions and errors in drawings there are some simple basic techniques that can be very useful when undertaking measured surveys. Firstly, I always advised my Surveyors to draw the building footprint (in pencil) first, before taking any dimensions, The pencil could then be overdrawn in pen later. This would ensure that the drawing was well proportioned and avoid 'squashing' information into a small corner of a piece of paper, because there is no room left on the sheet, toward the end of the survey. Next, use different colour pens for recording information. It is much easier to interpret a drawing if say the building outline is in black, dimensions are in red, construction details are in green, sockets, switches and radiators are in blue etc. Next, when using measuring tapes particularly for longer distances, ensure that there are no twists in the tape and that it is a tight as possible to avoid deflection. Surveyors must also ensure that dimensions are taken at the same height. For example is one Surveyor is holding the tape just above the skirting board and at the other end the Surveyor is holding the tape half way up the wall this could result in a significant inaccuracy in a single dimension. The importance of a comprehensive and accurate measured survey cannot be understated, which can only be achieved through appropriate training and supervision. Organisations should ignore this at their peril! Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.
The benefits of using MMC’s are well documented
and include improved quality, speed of delivery, less waste, reduced risk to
health & Safety, minimises disruption etc.
These will vary depending on the method used in addition to the size and
nature of the project. Just like using traditional methods of construction the
benefits of MMC will only be realised if the project is planned and implemented
(and managed) efficiently.
Source: http://www.icfinfo.org.uk/
The term Modern
Methods of Construction (MMC) has been used for many years now, to describe
alternative methods of construction and processes that move away from the
traditional methods of masonry construction that we have used historically for many hundreds of years. There are a number of
commonly used and now commonly understood forms of MMC and these include the
likes of off-site fabricated components such as Pre-Cast Concrete, Panellised
Components such as Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPS), Timber Frame,
Volumetric (often referred to as pod construction). There are also a number of MMC’s that are site
based and categorised as non-offsite manufacture methods and these include the
likes of Tunnel Form, Thin Joint and Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF). There are also hybrid and sub-assemblies and
components that provide additional MMC options, demonstrating that there
is a range of different possibilities offered compared to traditional
construction methods.
Of
course we could have the debate about when a particular modern method of
construction stops being modern. For
example pre-cast concrete has been used extensively in the UK for the best part
of 35 years so is this really that modern anymore? For simplicity however we seem to be happy to
generalise modern methods of construction as alternatives to traditional
construction methods for which pre-cast concrete still fits this
definition. The benefits of using MMC’s
are well documented and include improved quality, speed of delivery, less
waste, reduced risk to health & Safety, minimises disruption etc. These will vary depending on the method used
in addition to the size and nature of the project. Just like using traditional
methods of construction the benefits of MMC will only be realised if the
project is planned and implemented (and managed) efficiently. MMC also has the potential for cost
increases, relies on very tight delivery dates and can be affected by manufacturers
capacity if off site methods are being used.
It is clear therefore that careful consideration needs to be given in
order to decide if modern methods of construction are appropriate and if so
which is the most appropriate to use, which will vary on a project by project
basis.
I
will consider a number of MMC’s in future articles however for this particular
article I will focus on Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF). This form of
construction uses polystyrene blocks which act as permanent shuttering and are
filled with in-situ concrete. Self-build.co.uk
provide a good description of ICF: ‘ICF is an insulated in-situ
concrete system comprising hollow blocks
or panels, usually made of polystyrene, and ready-mix concrete. The blocks are
stacked and fastened together with metal or plastic connectors to create the
walls of a building and are pumped full of concrete to form the structure. The
polystyrene is used as a permanent part of the structure’.
ICF offers a number
of advantages compared to traditional construction methods, however the ease
and speed of construction are arguably the biggest advantages. Firstly, the polystyrene blocks, which are
connected with metal or plastic connectors, use semi-skilled labour for
installation. There is no bonding
material such as mortar so the polystyrene formwork can be connected and
installed in a very short period of time, saving money on time and labour. Take a look at the video below to see how ICF
is installed.
The
polystyrene formwork is usually constructed to first floor level before it is
filled with concrete. Once the concrete
has cured, floors (often pre-cast concrete) can be added followed by further
polystyrene formwork and eventually a roof, depending upon the height of the
construction. The formwork provides
excellent thermal efficiency, achieving U values of between 0.30 and 0.11 W/m2K, which are capable of not only achieving,
but exceeding current UK Building Regulations requirements. The process of
constructing a traditional cavity wall requires external masonry, a cavity with
insulation and internal masonry (usually blockwork). This is labour intensive and often time
consuming to complete, something that is not such an issue with ICF. Whereas traditional construction may be
vulnerable to disruption due to the weather this is also less of an issue with
ICF due to the reduced time needed during construction. Once the ICF system has been installed
the external walls can then be clad in a variety of different materials. Renders, timber cladding or brick slips are
examples of materials that could be used which give the building a modern or
traditional appearance from the outside.
How then does ICF compare to
traditional construction from a cost point of view? http://uspace.shef.ac.uk
identify that although initial costs may seem high compared to traditional
construction methods, costs savings will be made due to reduced site
installation time and the use of semi-skilled labour:
Source: http://theparliamentaryreview.co.uk/
‘Perhaps
the main factor that turns many potential ICF builders away from the whole idea
is their headline cost. They appear to be very expensive when compared with
blockwork wall costs. Most ICF systems on sale in the UK cost between £25 and
£35/m²; add ready-mix concrete at £10/m² plus a few extras and you have a wall
cost of well over £40/m² before you have even taken labour into account. In
contrast, blockwork can be built for around £20/m² including labour.
But, as so often happens when you come to cost out
elements of building work, a more thorough comparison shows the ICF cost model
in a very different light. A blockwork wall on its own is only a small part of
the overall wall assembly: it needs an insulated cavity and a waterproof outer
skin, usually built from bricks, stone or a rendered second skin of blockwork.
Also, the joinery openings require steel lintels over them and there is
additional work required with wall ties and cavity closers. A truer figure for
the cost of a brick and block wall is between £70 and £100/m².
In contrast, the labour costs on ICF are very low:
an experienced ICF crew is capable of laying 5m² of wall per hour. Combine this
with an external render coat, costing around £25 or £30/m², and you end up with
a wall cost of between £80 and £90/m², slap bang in the middle of the cost
range for masonry and timber frame walling. But in return, you get very high
energy-efficiency levels built in at no extra cost, good soundproofing,
excellent airtightness and less room for poor detailing, as often happens with
masonry cavity wall work.
Another plus factor for ICF costing stems from the
speed of build, which reduces the preliminary costs of building, the money
spent on fencing, plant and scaffolding. Several of the systems offer the
possibility of building the walls up entirely from the inside, thus further
reducing the need for external scaffolding until much later in the job. ICF no
longer looks expensive and as if to emphasise that point, it is now being taken
up by commercial developers as well as self-builders’
It is clear that ICF
offers a good alternative to traditional construction methods with many
benefits. Perhaps this method of construction will become more commonplace in
the future, particularly as we explore alternatives to traditional
construction. With ever changing
Building Regulations powering a drive for higher thermal efficiency in
buildings and more efficient ways of creating, using and conserving energy,
maybe ICF is a step in the right direction?
Please feel free to share this article and
other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you
think would be interested
Information/opinions
posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be
relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further
professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright
notice at the end of the blog.
I am not sure how the new ‘extended
permitted development rights’ make it easier to construct larger extensions, as
a developer still has to submit details to a Local Authority and obtain prior
approval
Source: pcmsdesign.blogspot.com
Over recent years the UK planning system has
received a huge amount of negative publicity, with stories of applications
being held up by red tape, planning departments struggling to cope with the
volume of applications they receive and the manner in which the planning system
is stifling development. In order to try to address some of these issues and to
stimulate development the UK government have recently (temporarily) introduced
amendments to permitted development rights which allow a wider scope of
developments to be undertaken that do not require formal planning permission. These new and amended rights took effect on 30 May
2013 and will be available, in the most part for a period of three years,
ending on 30 May 2016.In summary the
main changes to existing permitted development rights for this temporary period
include:
Larger single storey rear extensions to
residential properties
Larger extensions to industrial and warehousing
premises, shops and offices
Conversions between office and residential uses
More flexible uses of shops, offices,
residential institutions and agricultural buildings
Easier conversion of premises for school uses
Telecommunications
installations in conservation areas
Further details
of the new permitted development rights can be found on the Planning Portal: (Link).
Source: http://www.manchesterplanners.co.uk/
The advantages of permitted development to the party proposing the works are clear; Planning applications often require professional advice in order to produce drawings, submit the application in the correct format, liaise with the Local Authority, all of which, in addition the planning fee itself can prove to be expensive. There is also the possibility that the application may receive objections from neighbours/local residents, which will be taken into account by the Local Authority when making a decision on the application. All of this expense, stress and uncertainty can be avoided if the development is deemed to be 'permitted development'. This is all well and good for the party who propose to undertake the work, but not such good news for those who are likely to be affected by it!
Interestingly,
the Planning Portal, ‘the UK Government’s
online Planning and Building Regulations resource for England and Wales’
(their words not mine), introduces permitted development by stating ‘You can make certain types of minor changes to your
house without needing to apply for planning permission’. To many people, particularly living next door or those in close proximity to someone claiming permitted development rights, may not view a rear residential extension of 8 metres in length, beyond the existing rear wall for a detached dwelling (6 metres for a semi-detached dwelling), and up to 4 metres high, as minor, however this now falls within the extended scope of permitted development.Although by definition permitted development suggests that works that fall within the scope of the rights, is allowed, without the need for any application or any permission, this is not strictly correct, as the extended permitted development rights have introduced a new ‘procedure’ to confirm that the rights actually apply for larger residential extensions. You could argue that although obtaining confirmation of permitted development rights is a simpler process than submitting a formal planning application, it actually takes away the ‘permitted’ element until the new procedure has been followed.Therefore in reality the Local Authority is still providing a permission of some description thereby negating one of the main purposes of permitted development.
New Procedure:
Prior to commencing any works the resident must:
Notify (in writing), the
Local Authority of the proposed works with an outline of the proposed works,
dimensions, a site plan, adjoining owners addresses and contact details of the
developer.
The Local Authority then has
42 days to issue a decision from the date that the information is received.
During the 42 day
‘consideration period’ the Local Authority will invite representations from
adjoining owners for a minimum period of 21 days. If any objections are
received during this period, a Local Authority prior approval will be required
for the extension.
If no objections are raised
within the 21 days, the Local Authority will inform the developer that no prior
approval is required and confirm that the development can commence.
If the extension is deemed to
be acceptable the Local Authority will issue a written notice giving prior
approval within the 42 day period. Alternatively, if deemed unacceptable a
prior approval refusal notice will be issued by the Local Authority with the 42
day period. This will prevent the development from proceeding, however there is
an appeal process available to the developer.
If a decision is not provided
with 42 days by the Local Authority, then permission will be granted
automatically
Any works that are permitted
must be completed strictly in accordance with the details already provided to
the Local Authority
When you consider the procedure detailed above it is reasonable to ask
‘how is this permitted development’?In
fact apart from the level of detail required, there is very little difference
between this new procedure and a formal planning application.How could this possibly fall under permitted
development? It seems that in trying to find a streamlined way to encourage
development that the new procedure has actually provided us with what we
already have, which is a system that requires an application and a permission.I am not sure how the new extended ‘permitted
development rights’ make it easier to construct larger extensions, as a
developer still has to submit details to a Local Authority and obtain prior
approval.Prior approval cannot be
permitted development as the notion of gaining an approval and dressing it up
as something that is permitted is nothing short of ridiculous. This really seems like a pointless part of the
new temporary permitted development requirements and although other changes may
be more effective I am at a loss to see how this will have any impact
whatsoever.
Please feel free to share this article and other
articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think
would be interested
Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal
views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third
party without first seeking further professional advice. Also,
please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the
blog.
Robust supervision and training of staff will help them to understand the significance of accurate documentation. Organisations should not lose sight of this, particularly in the current economic climate.
Source: http://www.pm-primer.com
In a recent article I discussed the importance of drawings and the consequences that are likely to occur in a construction project if they contain inaccuracies or omissions. Drawings are one of the main components of tender documents, however, as important as they are, they are only a single component of the documentation.
Drawings must reflect precisely the detail contained in the specification, and vice versa. Any conflict between the two will lead to confusion from Contractors during the tender period, (assuming that the Contractors have read the documentation fully, which does not always happen!), and possibly disputes on site when the selected Contractor realises any inconsistency. This can then lead to an embarrassing explanation to the Client, particularly if the Contractor tries to claim that his tender price did not include for the inconsistency and ultimately results in a dispute for which the Consultant is likely to be held accountable. Consequently, the process of preparing tender documentation and in fact any documentation that is to leave the office, should be undertaken with care and attention, with organisations having robust quality assurance processes to ensure that the documentation is checked at various stages. Junior and new members of staff need to be trained and supervised throughout the whole process so that they understand the significance of preparing tender documentation and that each component cannot and should not be prepared in isolation. Experienced and senior members of staff should not be excluded from the quality assurance process as they too are likely to make errors or omissions. The point is that through the supervision and quality assurance processes, any errors or omissions are identified before the documentation leaves the office. In today's challenging environment where profit margins are tight and staffing levels have been squeezed, it would be very easy to allow documentation to be issued as a result of sometimes poor or non existing supervision and quality assurance procedures. One of my former organisation's quality assurance procedures was that no documentation could leave the office until it has been signed off by a senior manager. I can remember many days when members of staff would pile drawings, specifications and all sorts of other documentation onto my desk for checking. Now considering I still had my own workload, reading through and checking all of this documentation was challenging, however because I was signing the information off I had to take the time too look at it properly, which often meant working long hours, or taking work home. I am sure many reading this article will understand, having been in similar situations themselves. Although it was sometimes tempting to skim read documentation and drawings I was always aware of the implications, to my organisation and personally, if inaccurate documentation was issued. Inevitably, errors in signed off documentation would sometimes be identified, however by adopting robust procedures we kept this to a minimum, and after all we are only human and we will sometimes miss something. Those who prepare the documentation often do not appreciate the time that is necessary to read through and check what they have produced. In some circumstances members of staff would bring documentation to me for checking and expect me to look at it, there and then and sign it off immediately, because of an imminent deadline (often down to their own poor time management!). This is where mistakes can be made, and any organisation that works in this way or allows this to happen, even in isolated cases, are likely to keep their solicitors very busy! Organisations must have clear policies in place so that everyone understands and complies with quality assurance procedures and also has respect for the time of those who will be checking it. As stated previously robust supervision and training of staff will help everyone (not just technical members of staff), to understand the significance of accurate documentation. Organisations should not lose sight of this, particularly in the current economic climate. Client's are much more likely to cultivate relationships with those who they feel confident will deliver a project effectively and in a professionally manner. Allowing inaccurate documentation to leave your office is not professional and gives a very negative impression. There is a lot of competition out there and it will not take long to sour a relationship, 'youre only as good as your last project', comes to mind, so ignore this at your peril. Above, I have used the example of tender documentation, as from experience I know the problems that can result from in inconsistencies in documentation. Tender documentation is a topic I will cover in more detail in a future article.
Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.
Errors or omissions in a drawing can result in serious consequences which can manifest themselves into confusion and disagreement, delays, additional costs and ultimately disputes. These problems can be avoided by ensuring that those who undertake measured surveys are adequately trained and supervised.
Drawings are arguably the most effective form of communication within a construction project and are used at all stages. It is therefore fundamentally important that all of those who are responsible for taking measurements and preparing drawings understand the significance of what they are doing. The 'life' of a drawing will be developed throughout a project and will vary depending upon the complexity and type of project. For example concept drawings may be required, which can then become initial design drawings, followed by detailed design drawings. From this stage the drawings could then be developed into construction drawings and used for tendering and also contract drawings. Eventually, the drawings will become 'as built' and will be included into a Health & Safety File, a requirement under the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007. The above examples of where drawings could be used in a construction project is not exhaustive, however demonstrates their importance.
Errors or omissions in a drawing can result in serious consequences which can manifest themselves into confusion and disagreement, delays, additional costs and ultimately disputes. These problems can be avoided by ensuring that those who undertake measured surveys are adequately trained and supervised. It would be very unwise to assume that undertaking a measured survey is a simple process and a skill that everyone should naturally have. This is because buildings differ significantly in size, construction and form and the amount of information needed will vary depending on the scope of the project. One thing however that is for certain is that undertaking a measured survey is far more than just obtaining dimensions! A common issues I often found with my surveyors when undertaking an internal measured survey would be that they would sometimes miss key information such as floor to ceiling heights, window cill height, joist direction, services intake of a building, diagonal check measurements and sometimes even forgetting to note wall construction. If a re-visit is necessary to collect missing information then this will be a cost to the business and can impact on profitability.
It is important that the right measuring equipment is taken and used. This will include a folding measure and 5 or 10 metre steel tape (or both) for measuring shorter distances and 25 metre tape and a trundle wheel for measuring longer distances. Nowadays a digital measure will also be taken which can also be used to obtain, rooms sizes (sqm) as well as single dimension measurements. When using measuring equipment the 'Surveyor' should be fully aware of the limitations of the equipment and also have an appreciation of distance to be able to discern whether digital dimension are accurate or not. This is because inaccurate readings can be obtained from a digital measure when the laser comes into contact with reflective surfaces or glass. If the Surveyor was to write down the measurement without asking themselves if the reading is reasonable, they will have problems when they return to the office and start to prepare their drawings.
Whilst undertaking a measured survey on site the Surveyor must appreciate that either they, or maybe somebody else like an Architectural Technologist will have to interpret the information that has been collected on site in order to prepare the drawings. Many times I have witnessed Surveyors and Technologists look with complete dismay at a piece of paper in the office that has been given to them by someone who has undertaken a measured survey. This is because what they are looking at is a rain drenched, smudged, excuse for a drawing that is so 'busy' with lines, dimensions and other information that it is difficult to tell the difference between each!, and they are expected to produce an accurate drawing from this!
To help minimise omissions and errors in drawings there are some simple basic techniques that can be very useful when undertaking measured surveys. Firstly, I always advised my Surveyors to draw the building footprint (in pencil) first, before taking any dimensions, The pencil could then be overdrawn in pen later. This would ensure that the drawing was well proportioned and avoid 'squashing' information into a small corner of a piece of paper, because there is no room left on the sheet, toward the end of the survey. Next, use different colour pens for recording information. It is much easier to interpret a drawing if say the building outline is in black, dimensions are in red, construction details are in green, sockets, switches and radiators are in blue etc. Next, when using measuring tapes particularly for longer distances, ensure that there are no twists in the tape and that it is a tight as possible to avoid deflection. Surveyors must also ensure that dimensions are taken at the same height. For example is one Surveyor is holding the tape just above the skirting board and at the other end the Surveyor is holding the tape half way up the wall this could result in a significant inaccuracy in a single dimension.
The importance of a comprehensive and accurate measured survey cannot be understated, which can only be achieved through appropriate training and supervision. Organisations should ignore this at their peril!
Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested
Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.
