Engineering and Construction: Roles and Responsibilities; Health and Safety Legislation - Essay Example

? Engineering and Construction Roles and responsibility An architect is person trained to design structures like buildings, roads and dams while architecture is the use of the knowledge acquired through study experience and practice in the solving of an engineering problem. Architect obtains raw facts from the client and develops them to information that can be interpreted by various personnel in the construction field. He participates in the building process throughout, from planning to occupancy. He is also known as the lead consultant and chairs all the site meetings. Since they are professionals, they also affiliate with other professionals in order to gain certain information or to achieve particular goals. They work closely with structural engineers, who give detailed information about design certain areas like the column, rely on the building engineers who interpret the drawing and implement it, and architect also partner with plumbers and electrical engineers. Plumbers are responsible for internal water supply of a building while electrical engineers are responsible for lighting. In the construction team, the architect is hired by the owner of the project. He is accountable to the owner in various ways. He produces the designs that must meet the requirements of the client and also takes care of the laws regulating buildings and building codes which usually set height of foundations (datum line), height of walls, parking necessities, ventilations and land use. Under traditional contract, an architect plays a vital role since he advises on the award of the project to the contractor, monitors the development of the work undertaken during construction and changes orders as specified in the design specification document. They also review contractor’s drawings shop and relevant submittals as well as issue site instructions in their capacity as lead consultants and provide construction contract administration and review certificates for payment to the contractor. Mechanical engineers relate the ethics of motion, energy, force, and materials to plan products that are safer and reliable. They deal with automotive, biomedical, computer, chemical and power generation industries. They may get involved with, electrical engineers in line of their duties. In various fields like industries, a lot of lighting is required, for instance, in automotives; vehicles require light for night operation, and this forms part of electronics, which is dealt with under electrical engineering. Mechanical engineers also need biologists when carrying out biological analysis under biomedical. They also require the knowledge of astrologers while designing aero-planes, jets and light aircrafts. Generally they have the responsibility of studying auto aerodynamics using computers, inventing an ultrasonic device that deters whales, dolphins, and seals from swimming into fishing nets, designing rocket engines to withstand the freezing temperatures of outer space, analyzing machinery such as gas turbines, control devices, and jet engines, with the goal of improving their performance (Lockhart & Johnson, 2000).1 On the other hand, an electrical engineer is a trained individual who deals with study and application of electricity and electronics. They always have the responsibilities in various fields. Under building and construction services, they assess the maximum current demand of a building; here they work on behalf of a contractor to whom they are accountable to. Secondly, they may be employed to oversee public works projects and to ensure proper lighting in the streets and in towns of which they are accountable to the local government. In their line of duty, they associate with, building designers who are the architects, as they are responsible for lighting in building (Anumba, Kamara & Decelle, 2007)2. They also associate with town planners to abide their regulations and codes. A site based environmental manager is personnel who carry out environmental impact assessment study. They study the impact of the upcoming building on the neighboring environment, the merits and demerits of the building and avails management structure necessary for planning and implementation of construction operations, in accordance with environmental requirements, as spelt out in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study. In this context, the environmental manager is always accountable to the owner of the building (Molenaar & Chinowsky, 2004). 3 Under traditional contract, construction cannot begin until all the design is produced; environment is assessed to provide adequate information on the impacts of the upcoming building to the adjunct environment. Conventionally if a building has more demerits than merits to the environment, the building is not considered to be worthwhile. The surrounding is considered to be the habitat of all living and non-living creatures, so any damage caused to it, is damage to many. A cost control surveyor is an expert concerned with building in the construction site. He is the employee of the client, and is accountable to him. He is responsible for measurement and pricing of the construction site especially those that are performed by the contractor. In their work, they produce the bill of quantities which include calculating the cost of building materials, cost of labor, prescribe amount of time that should be allotted to the whole construction process. At times they also act as estimators to the client (Male, 2004).4 The surveyors use a variety of methods to control the costs during the contract stages of a project. The main aims of their procedures is; to give the client the value of the money for the project and harmonize expenditure for the client, since he give his own values as an expert which might not be the same with that of the contractor. In his day to day’s work, he associate with personnel such as the; architect, who may propose changes in design, according to design specification documents thereby increasing or reducing the cost of construction (Carroll, 2012).5 Site engineer is one who carries out practical, managerial and administrative job on a construction site. Their responsibilities include setting out buildings. Depending on the site, they can also set up roads and other structures relevant to their duties. Similarly, they can be involved in planning to demarcate sites. In their work, they associate with almost everyone at the construction site, starting from architects, other engineers, construction managers, supervisors, planners, surveyors to subcontractors. They also need forepersons usually referred to as foremen in setting out a building since their role is supervisory in nature. Even though they are fully capable of interpreting the plan (drawing), they need structural engineers, and architect in order to discuss the plan for verification before the any implementation is done. A site engineer works as part of the site management team and shares responsibilities with the above mentioned personnel. He is therefore accountable to the contractor. Health and Safety Legislation Construction industry is one that over the years has posed threats to its workers, employers and even suppliers. This has led to lose of lives and property, tagging the construction industry a poor reputation (Bone, 2000).6 Innocent individuals who leave their homes to go and work in construction sites at times have always been taken back to their homes dead or to the hospitals unconscious. Several measures concerning health and safety of construction workers, their employers and suppliers have been put in place to overcome this predicament. The following regulations apply to any person participating in a construction work; Notification of construction work Main contractor who intends to carry out any construction work, should notify the provincial director before carrying out construction work that includes; demolition of any structure beyond a height of three meters, use of explosives, take to pieces of fixed plant at a height above 3 meters, excavation work deeper that 1 meter and a height greater than three meters above the ground (Elgaaly, 2004).7 Client A client shall make a recognized health and safety requirement and provide any chief contractor bidding or appointed to perform construction work with a similar one. This will provide the contractor with information which concern safety of anybody in the site. The client shall also ensure that health and safety plan is implemented (Latham, 2007).8 Principal Contractor and Contractor Chief contractor is responsible for demonstrating to the client the appropriate and adequate health and safety plan, according to the specification of the client. This should be functional from the start of work throughout to the completion. The contractor shall take responsibility to stop any sub-contractor from performing work in construction contrary to the stipulated health and safety plan for that site or threatens health and safety of individuals in the site. He shall also negotiate with other contractors, what is in the health and safety plan after which he confirms the plan for accomplishment (Hughes & Ferrett, 2007).9 Risk assessment Before a contractor begins any operation in a site, he should employ a competent individual to carry out risk assessment as this shall form part of health and safety plan to be undertaken in the construction site. Risk assessment include, detecting the risks and hazards to which workers may be prone to and evaluating them. Documenting plans for safe work procedure to reduce these risks and hazards and examining the plan. It is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure that risk assessment document copies are availed to inspector, client, sub-contractors employees and any other relevant individuals like health and safety representatives from public health sector (Campbell, 2007).10 Supervision of construction work Supervision of construction work should be done with a proficient employee appointed by the contractor, in writing. The contractor has the choice to hire one or more employees for sufficient supervision. A contractor should not appoint a construction safety officer facilitate control and safety on the site, unless he is fully convinced that the safety officer has the requisite competences and resources to help the contractor (Keller, 2000).11 Fall protection A fall protection plan is a necessary provision that define in clear terms, how walls should be protected from falling. It should be designed to cater for forces like earthquakes, expansion and contraction of concrete. There must be an expert responsible for preparation of this plan which can be amended when necessary. The designs of structure should availed to the client by the designer before the contract is put out to tender and all relevant information about the design of the relevant structure that may affect the pricing of the construction work (Reese, 2000).12 He should also inform the contractor in writing of any obvious or expected dangers related to the construction work, and finally make accessible all relevant information essential for safe implementation of the work upon being designed or as soon as the design is changed; Formwork and support work These operations are undertaken under the strict direction of an experienced person is appointed in writing for that reason. All formwork and support work structures are sufficiently planned, raised, supported, strut and maintained to enable them support all vertical and lateral loads that may be required to hold. Loads not meant for support by the structure should not be imposed onto them. During the implementation of these plans, close reference must then be made to the structural drawings and should any uncertainty exist, the structural designer must be consulted. Excavation work It is the responsibility of a contractor to ensure that all excavation is undertaken under the supervision of a competent person who has been officially appointed in a written document. A contactor should carry out a thorough evaluation of the construction grounds before any excavation work begins. To protect workers from any danger, the contractor should all do it takes to prevent fall, dislodgement or collapse of any material by preventing any worker from undertaking excavation duties in areas that have not been adequately braced. Demolition work Demolitions on site should be supervised by competent individuals officially appointed in writing by the contactor. Before any demolitions, the contractor must ensure that a survey on the structural nature on what to be demolished is done by a qualified individual with clear procedure to be followed in the process (Wainwright, et al 2000).13 Scaffolding All contactors with access to scaffolding must ensure that these comply with the relevant safety standards. A contractor must ensure that all scaffolding related works are done under the supervision of a competent person appointed in writing and that all scaffold erectors, and leaders in inspection are qualified to carry out their work. When and finishing concrete, scaffolding plays a major role. They are used by workers in plastering heights that they cannot reach. Well established scaffolds whether putlog or transform, should serve the builders sufficiently. It should be able to hold comfortable the loads it’s subjected to. It should also prevent mortar which retrieves from falling to the ground thereby avoiding wastage (Levy, 2012).14 When placing slabs, it is advisable to observe the regulations like risk assessment and structures. Slabs due to their weight, may be dangerous especially when being transported manually by workers. It is helpful to be aware of any risk involved in any building construction site. This will help minimize these risks and enable construction work to proceed smoothly. Erecting a tall involves a whole building process; all safety rules and regulations discussed above are applicable as they serve to better the conditions under which the builders work. When undertaking maintenance on deep enclosed sewers, excavation safety rules and regulations are put into considerations. In many parts of the world underground operations have proven to be more dangerous. People get buried accidentally due to unexpected seismic waves which breaks the wall of holes that in turn burry those who are involved in excavation process. The nature of infrastructure/transportation design Infrastructure are structures used by the public that include roads, which require large sums of money and in most cases, individuals cannot afford to build. They are therefore government projects. Road design is the process producing a plan that is to be used in the construction of a road. It always entails designing a highway with all its necessary features, which include; culverts, pavements, pumps, road signs, bridges, roundabouts and flyovers. These features are important on the road as they contribute to efficient movement of both vehicles and people. Culvert is one of the drainage features on a road. It carries water from one side of a road, driveway, and railway to the other. They are usually shorter in length, buried at some depth below the surface and aligned so as to allow passage of water; they also offer access to homes and farms where gullies are common due to rampant erosion. They are always of two types, box culvert and ring culvert. As their names suggest box culvert is in a shape of a box while ring culvert has a round structure. They are always used interchangeably depending on the amount of load they’re required to sustain. Pavements are meant for pedestrians. They ease the movement of people on roads and are always structured in a way that they can easily be placed. Cabros may also be used in pavements. The materials used in making the pavements are usually replaced after they are damaged. Bumps on the other hand are protrusion on a road or a highway meant to check the speed of vehicles. They are always constructed next market centers, schools and any other place along the road where people cross often. Bumps serve almost a similar function as a zebra crossing. On a highway road signs are always installed and they serve to communicate to pedestrians and motorist by showing the nature of the road in front. In many parts of the world where road signs are observed, they have help to some extent in reducing road accidents. Bridges are building where a road passes over rivers, roundabouts help in smooth flow of traffic in major cities while flyovers are designed to help in crossing road on busy highways. Case studies The Olympic stadium in China The stadium was completed in the year 2008, in Olympic Green in Beijing China and covers 258,000square meters. It had a retractable roof with steel beams for support and this made look it like a bird’s nest thus also known as ‘Bird Nest’. It also has the capability of regulating wind weather and sunlight and a capacity of 91000. Scope A Complete multidisciplinary check up including sports architecture, structural, mechanical, electrical and public health engineering, acoustics, fire strategy, sports lighting and wind engineering. Contract value The project cost was US$423million and was constructed for a period of 5years. Geographical location It is located in Olympic Green in Beijing China Challenges Earthquake The stadium had to be earthquake proof since China is prone to earthquake. Several seismic tests had to be done and since it was so large it would not shake uniformly so the task was difficult to accomplish. Time wastage A lot of time had been wasted in the reviewing the design therefore more workers were needed. This is because winter was approaching and water in the concrete could freeze and reduce the strength of the concrete. Structural design The roof of the terminal had been designed without any interior supports. And since a structure with a similar design in had collapsed in France, the safety of the stadium had to be reviewed. Removal of form work There was a possibility of the structure sinking when the form work was removed. This caused a lot of anxiety as it would cause a greater damage. A six storey building for Bondo University Hostels in Kenya Overview The hostel is a project of the government of Kenya in the western part of Kenya, Siaya County; it covers an area of approximately 2500 square meters, has over 200 rooms and therefore has the capacity to comfortably accommodate the university students. It also has a free area space of approximately 80square meters which includes adequate car parking and cool resting areas. Scope: The scope of work includes; site survey, production of the design, demarcation and erecting a boundary. Once the designed is produced implementation starts; Excavation of soil for the foundation, erection of walls and then the roof. Post construction activities like Maintenance and repair are also involved. The contract value: The project was estimated to worth US$13.5million, and was constructed for a period of one and half years. Geographical location: The project is found in East Africa region in western Kenya Challenges faced Sustainability: Depletion of building materials sources could bring the construction to a stand still as materials were being looked for from other sources. Theft: Theft of building materials and equipment of which workers were involved delayed the building exercise since the contractor had to replace the stolen assets. Corruption: Corruption by senior government officials concerned with financing the project delayed the construction in that; workers were not paid at the right time. This led to strike by the workers therefore delaying the construction exercise and increases the total cost of construction. Transportation: This is because of poor roads, building materials were supplied to the site later than expected leading to time wasting. The challenges and opportunities faced by the UK Construction Industry today Construction industry in the UK has faced various challenges over the years. Some of these challenges are very serious and have led to development of new approaches to design, building, and maintenance of these buildings and infrastructure. These new technologies are deliberated to avert the existing challenges in the construction industry in the United Kingdom, and to amicably solve accompanying savage (Adamson & Pollington, 2006). 15 The first problem facing the UK construction company is the lag between bidding for a project and receiving earnings. Since money lubricates the construction process, work can sometimes be delayed or start and stops for some time. This has increased cost of construction contrary to the budget as project overruns are common which is always accompanied with high project risk (Burr, 2003).16 Theft of assets in the building industry has also been identified as a major challenge. This is mostly done by done by a large proportion of engineering and construction companies. In several occasions, theft of assets has been regarded by some as an accepted risk of doing business. Companies ought to take the necessary steps in addressing this vice as it also contributes to their reputation.  Construction projects have posed high risk. Poor risk management strategies have made it very difficult to address this issue which has presented huge financial quest. Miscalculating risk has led to poor procurement policies to mitigate them effectively. Major challenges have also been experienced from unexpected risks which have resulted from new construction projects.  Sustainability of resources used in the construction company has been a major threat also; this is due to intense construction activities going on in the UK leading to depletion of natural resources used in this sector like building materials (Chun, 2007).17 In large construction sites, it may delay construction work thereby increasing the cost of construction. Conclusion In order to remedy problems of construction industry in the UK, stakeholders must get fully involved in addressing them, starting with the engineering and construction companies who must lay down concrete strategies to manage risk and uncertainties. The UK government must also make sure that the necessary funds are availed at the appropriate time, theft cases must be dealt with according to the law and rules regarding use of construction resources adhered to. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘you must be the change you would want to see the world’. Bibliography Anumba, C. J., Kamara, J. M., & Decelle, A. (2007). Concurrent engineering in construction projects. London: Taylor & Francis. Elgaaly, M. (2004). Structures 2000 advanced technology in structural engineering. Reston, Va.: Ameircan Society of Civil Engineers. Lockhart, S. D., & Johnson, C. M. (2000). Engineering design communication: conveying design through graphics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Male, S. (2004). Value Management of Construction Projects. London: Oxford University Press. Molenaar, K. R., & Chinowsky, P. (2004). Construction Research 2003 winds of change, integration and innovation in construction. Reston, Va.: American Society of Civil Engineers. 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