• Erection of a building is a complex process
• Activities involve:-

  • Initial decision to build

  • Securing of financial resources

  • Selection of appropriate location

  • Appointment and briefing of suitable member to be involved with design and construction operations

  • Definition of precise functional requirements

  • Design process and decision functional requirements

  • Design process and decision on how to build

  • Implementation of erection

  • Operations necessary to maintain building in the state of continuous performance for which it was intended

  • Operations necessary to adapt building to new functions

• All these activities may be affected by approvals, controls, checks and cross checks which involve the entire building team and outside bodies in varying administrative, technical, financial and fiscal capacities

• The creation of a building was formerly a leisurely occupation ultimately dependent upon craft-based skills in the past, the whole process is now greatly influenced by the desire to achieve profit on financial investments as soon as possible and the exploitation of machine technology

• Although most buildings of today are far more complex and sometimes much larger, the time scale to build is far shorter

4. The Building Team

Building is a group activity and its success depends on a good understanding and operation between a large number of people.

The participants involved can be conveniently arranged into groups or teams according to their particular interest and /or involvement as follows:-

The client or the building owner has the responsibility for defining the building to suit needs, establishing and providing the necessary finances, agreeing design and construction phases, timetabling, and, of course, fulfilling the management and running of the completed project.

A potential client must establish whether to build or not to build. Having decided that a new building is necessary to provide additional or alternative space, it is important that consideration is then given to when the space will be needed. Various problems are needed to be solved, such as: land acquisition, establishment of rights, development permits, planning permission, building approval, contractor selection and subsequent erection.

Most building is undertaken from money made available in the form of a loan – therefore, interest rates are important. In this respect, the government has direct influence and can use the building industry as a regulator for the economy of the country.

Once the money becomes available for a building, the client will require speedy action for its design, construction and subsequent use so that the lost interest, which would have been gained through alternative financial investments, may be speedily recouped. The total cost of a building must include the professional fees of the Design Team which the client appoints.

User Team forms a vital link between design concepts and built reality. An example of User Team is the advisory organization formed by the tenants of public housing.

There are a great many people in a Design Team who concerned with supplying the design expertise which will make a building possible.

Principal Designers generally include architects, interior designers, and building surveyors. They are responsible for the overall design of the project.

• Architects design and prepare the production information for most building projects. They will also inspect the construction work on site.

• Interior Designers can also prepare design and production information for a building, and provide supervision of work, but, they may be specifically concerned with the interior of a building and need additional advisers in order to deal with all the design and construction processes involved in total building.

• Building Surveyors are sometimes responsible for the design and supervision of certain building work although they are more usually carry out surveys of structural soundness, condition of dilapidation or repair, alterations/extensions to existing buildings and market value of existing buildings.

Specialist Designers include civil and structural engineers, services engineers, and those concerned with specific aspects of architecture, including landscape, interiors, office planning, etc. They provide expertise concerning certain aspects of a building and whose requirements are often coordinated by the Principal Designer. For example:

Quantity Surveyors provide the cost control and financial advice to client, principal designers and specialist designers. They are responsible for preparing Bills of Quantities. Also, during the actual construction period for a project, he must measure and value the work carried out at regular (monthly) intervals and submit details to the overall financial administrator (usually the principal designer) for payments from client to contractor. They also advises on the use of sums of money listed in the Bill of Quantities for contingency or provisional items, the cost of making variations in areas originally described in the Bills or indicated on the drawings, and settlement of the final account for the finished project.

Depending on the precise nature of a project, the combined cost of these professional fees will vary from between 12% and 20% of the final construction costs.

Researchers are those making understanding and development of current construction methods (materials and technical ability). The aim of the research is to discover facts by means of scientific study and, in matters concerning building, covers a very wide area of knowledge requiring controlled programming of critical investigation of chosen subjects.

They negotiate with the relevant authorities to clarify certain legal requirements. Building Ordinance Office, Planning Department, Fire Services Department, Highways Department, Urban Council, etc.

On site management level, a builder has to ensure that the building site maintains safe and healthy conditions for employees, and that the general public should be adequately protected from dangers resulting from site operations. 

In UK, a new regulation, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations was implemented in 1995 which share the health and safety liabilities among all parties concerned.

This team supplies the materials, components and equipment which are used during the construction processes of a building, and, therefore, incorporate many organizations and interests. With the need to economize in labour and reduce costs, building procedures became more rationalized and mechanized.

However, the continual advancement of technology, and increases in complexity and size of buildings today results in even more complex construction processes. Manufacturers must extend their services from the supply of single components, to the supply of much larger parts of a building (elements) and indeed whole buildings. Site operations are reduced to a minimum using mechanical plant, and methods of building become largely concerned with the organization of the systematic supply and assembly of pre-fabricated items, i.e. System Building.

The erection of a building depends on an industry where total reliance is placed on the diverse attitudes, abilities, and adaptability of its workers.

Today, most specialist trades are employed as nominated sub-contractors by the client or principal designer on behalf of the client; a relatively few day tradesmen being employed directly by the main contractor as domestic sub-contractors.

The main contractor is responsible for managing and directing al works on a site, and coordinating the work of each trade. The nominated and domestic sub-contractors are responsible for managing and coordinating their individual works. They are required to design and provide specialist elements within a building from a statement of performance requirements, but the main contractor is still entirely responsible for the satisfactory completion of the work involved.

Asphalter - roof, floor and wall (basement) finishes

Bricklayer - laying brickwork

Carpenter - structural and carcassing timber work

Concretor - placing concrete

Drainlayer - providing below ground drainage

Electrician - electrical installation

Excavation - levelling site and digging drain/foundation trenches

Floor tiler - internal floor finishes

Gas-fitter - gas installation

Glazier - fixing glass

Joiner - timber work to finished components

Metal worker - sheet metal applications (roofing)

Painter and decorator - finishing components

Paver - external paths/roads finishes

Plasterer - plastering walls/ceilings, screeding and rendering

Plumber - plumbing installation, flashing and gas pipes (interior)

Scaffolder - erecting scaffolding and working platforms

Steel erector - erecting steel columns and beams

Steel fixer - cutting, shaping and positioning steel reinforcement

Tiler and slater - roof finishes

Main contractors can be divided into three basic groups:

4.7 Maintenance Team

The chosen design and construction method of a building must take into account the effects which time will have on their performance. The precise methods adopted for subsequent maintenance and cleaning will also be influenced by the attitude of the Client Team towards the running costs of a building.

On completion of a project, the Client Team must be presented with a Maintenance Manual complied by the Design Team which incorporates the advice of the consultative Maintenance Team.

Maintenance Manual describes how a building can be expected to perform, what measures have been taken to ensure it does, and what action must be taken in the future.