Andrew Way, Associate Director at the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) explores how design competency within the offsite sector is being confirmed and supported.
The competency of those working in the construction industry has always been an important aspect which is crucial to the success of projects. Following the introduction of the Building Safety Act in 2022 and the secondary legislation which came into force on 1 October 2023, 'competency' has not been enshrined in construction legislation in quite the same way as it is now.
Publication of several new regulations in 2023 has meant that significant changes to the building control regime for all buildings in England have come into force. One particular aspect is the new duty holder and competency regime which has been introduced by the Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023.
• the building work in accordance with all relevant requirements
• the design work so that the building work to which the design relates, if built, would be in accordance with all relevant requirements.
Further competency requirements are specified for particular roles. There are numerous sources of further information on the implications of the Building Safety Act and related legislation including The latest Building Safety Bulletin from the LSFA and the related LSFA roundtable debate.
Setting the competency requirements in legislation is one thing, but assessing and establishing the competency of individuals or organisations is quite another. As indicated by the wording in the legislation, competency is about so much more than just what education and training an individual has received, although this is vitally important. Aspects such as appropriate skills, experience, behaviours, and attitude are also essential.
It is with this in mind that the SCI is supporting the offsite construction sector through the provision of technical information, design guidance and product certification.
There is an increasing need for the construction sector to adopt modern methods of construction (MMC) in order to address the UK housing shortage, as it provides an obvious way to reduce construction time while improving quality. However, stakeholders in the construction sector are concerned about the risks associated with using third-party products and are reluctant to adopt innovative construction methods.
The Buildoffsite Property Assurance Scheme (BOPAS) was developed to address these concerns and is based upon the assessment of the construction system and manufacturer’s processes. An aim of focusing on these aspects, rather than a specific product, was to make the scheme able to cope with product developments and evolutions. However, not evaluating the product itself means there is no guarantee that the product will conform to expectations and will perform as expected. A stated aim of BOPAS is to provide assurance to mortgage lenders, developers, and buyers.
To guarantee product performance requires product certification, with clear pass/fail performance criteria and factory production control. SCI has developed SCI Product Certification[v] according to ISO/ IEC 17065:2012 and a UKAS accredited certification body No. 10414. This ISO standard requires evaluation of a product’s performance against a publicly available and well-defined set of criteria. A combination of product and process certification will provide the ‘gold standard’ for any manufacturer.
In a significant development, SCI recently extended its UKAS accreditation scope to include prefabricated steel panels (MMC category 2), complementing its existing coverage of volumetric modular units (MMC category 1). Prefabricated panels are typically used in walls, roofs and ceilings and generally consist of light gauge steel sections. The panels may include other components such as hot-rolled steel sections, boards, insulation, or sheathing, all prefabricated in the manufacturing facility.
In addition to accredited panel and modular schemes, SCI operates a fully detailed scheme (not accredited by UKAS) for the design of complete buildings constructed using modular units or panels. In addition to SCI Product Certification, design competency in the offsite sector is maintained and enhanced by the provision of information to designers through SCI’s online portal and members advisory service which can provide designers with the latest information on design issues and procedures, particularly as we move towards the second generation of Eurocode design standards.
New design standards, changes to regulations and advancements in the understanding of how construction systems behave (e.g. structurally or in terms of fire performance) all mean that the definition of what constitutes competency is everchanging. Designers and other construction professionals must frequently ensure their skills, knowledge and training remain current.
Stay in touch:
