Browse Forums Building Standards; Getting It Right! Re: Inspection Basics 21Feb 14, 2015 2:51 pm I have been over in oz now for 5 years , I have 30 plus years in the construction industry from civil engineering to major house building, I ran my own small building company back in the uk, and I must admit that some of the things that go on are quite mind lowing to say the least. I have worked for 2 major companies who are multi award winning builders as a carpenter / Joiner (My trade) and then being quickly promoted to a site manager and later project manager. I would agree that by having a independent inspector would be money well spent ,I have witnessed first hand work that is non compliant that has been signed off by a structural engineer and certifier as they were contacted to one of the builders, I have even witnessed where the certifier did not get out of his car asked if everything was ok ,replied yes ok see you next time! Re: Inspection Basics 22Feb 14, 2015 7:20 pm Just two days ago whilst at pre slab inspection building inspector rolled up. Very nice and knowledgeable we had a ball talking. Then he spotted area of missing mesh where they run (4m2)short. He then said angrily he didn't know this crew and would have to come back in the morning to reinspect. He went on to say he knew most others and would just trust them they fixed it if they rung him,had he known the crew. My point is that building inspectors job is not to trust people he is required to check but to check what is there regardless of whether they are trustworthy or not. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Inspection Basics 23Feb 15, 2015 11:32 am Tim65 I have been over in oz now for 5 years , I have 30 plus years in the construction industry from civil engineering to major house building, I ran my own small building company back in the uk, and I must admit that some of the things that go on are quite mind lowing to say the least. Very appreciative to read your opinion. Tim65 I have witnessed first hand work that is non compliant that has been signed off by a structural engineer and certifier as they were contacted to one of the builders Self regulation was the trendy catch phrase in many industries a decade or two ago but in many instances, it hasn't worked. I know of past and present endemic non compliance issues that are nearly always certified as compliant. Some areas of non compliance have resulted in many, many millions of $$$ in often hidden damage to homes annually. Tim65 I have even witnessed where the certifier did not get out of his car asked if everything was ok ,replied yes ok see you next time! Yep, a not uncommon story. Then add a hopeless or an over stretched SS into the mix. Many 'supervise' 20 or more sites. 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: Inspection Basics 24Feb 15, 2015 12:37 pm [Yep, a not uncommon story. Then add a hopeless or an over stretched SS into the mix. Many 'supervise' 20 or more sites.[/quote] Fully understand and agree, I resigned from the last company I ended up actively running 4 jobs and overseeing another 6 it was impossible to keep on top, some of the people the company employed to be a "Site manager" had no qualifications making the job even harder it was always the cheapest option for the company and the most expensive to the client. I feel a radical overhaul of the way building licences are obtained is the way forward but where there is money to be made people will often turn a blind eye if it suits them. Re: Inspection Basics 25Feb 15, 2015 6:49 pm There is nothing wrong with self regulation, the problem as I see it is there is too much regulations and licencing of professions causing, shortages, delays, price increases, elite professional groups etc,etc..the market has a way of cleaning out the rubbish. Technology(iphones,apps,simulations, cloud computing)will play a big part empowering clients,designers, tradies & builders to make the right choices, LOL, before things are set in concrete usually by then its too late. Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: Inspection Basics 26Feb 16, 2015 6:41 am StructuralBIMGuy There is nothing wrong with self regulation After seeing what happened with our plumbing, I have to disagree with this. At least one of the plumbers who came out to rectify the work was still trying to tell me, as they dug up the pipes, that the pipes were "within regulations". I fail to see how a pipe at ground level is within regulations. Self-regulation only works if you can be confident the person doing the work knows their job. As Tim65 suggested we might have to have an overhaul of the way building (and other) licences are obtained. Re: Inspection Basics 27Feb 16, 2015 7:13 am Self regulation=self interest. IT DOES NOT WORK Licensed plumbers, electricians and registered builder know exactly what they have to do. The reason they don't do it because they know they can get away with it . The answer is not teaching those who already know but to enforce compliance with comprehensive system of QA and including effective deterrent with penalties for non compliance. There is no point having laws/regulations that are not enforced. Self regulation is not enforcement. It's naive mist in your eyes. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Inspection Basics 28Feb 16, 2015 8:14 am My father was a electrician for 40+ years, his father also an electrician and two of my father's brothers also.. his father came from an era of tradies that had integrity and for those people, self-regulation works because they would feel guilty for not doing the best, safest, most compliant job they could etc. There are countless times when I would go to sites with my father and he'd be there swearing and muttering because he'd have to pull out so much bad workmanship and redo it.. and you know what? He never charged extra for that.. he always kept to his quote. Often that meant less profit but that's the kind of tradie he was/is. There are less and less of this type of tradie around now.. the old-school tradies.. and that's why self-reg doesn't work anymore. Paddington 29 @ Blue Horizon Estate (Lot 105, Wattleridge Crescent, North Kellyville) Our Build Progress Blog: http://light487.wordpress.com/ Re: Inspection Basics 29Feb 16, 2015 8:39 am light487 My father was a electrician for 40+ years, his father also an electrician and two of my father's brothers also.. his father came from an era of tradies that had integrity and for those people, self-regulation works because they would feel guilty for not doing the best, safest, most compliant job they could etc. There are countless times when I would go to sites with my father and he'd be there swearing and muttering because he'd have to pull out so much bad workmanship and redo it.. and you know what? He never charged extra for that.. he always kept to his quote. Often that meant less profit but that's the kind of tradie he was/is. There are less and less of this type of tradie around now.. the old-school tradies.. and that's why self-reg doesn't work anymore. I have a take on that When I was still at uni and working as builder's labourer during holidays there was a politician who said that our young people were exploited with small apprentice wages and anyone working should be on a minimum wage regardless of age. So it was and the cost of apprentices rose and the interest in training them fell. The age of entitlement regardless of productivity was upon us. Did it sent a wrong message to young people? Sure did. So they grew up, no care no pride just take the money (because they are entitled to it). In my view it was an act of monumental stupidity but then we have had many of them. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Inspection Basics 30Feb 16, 2015 10:24 am Liliana StructuralBIMGuy There is nothing wrong with self regulation After seeing what happened with our plumbing, I have to disagree with this. At least one of the plumbers who came out to rectify the work was still trying to tell me, as they dug up the pipes, that the pipes were "within regulations". I fail to see how a pipe at ground level is within regulations. Self-regulation only works if you can be confident the person doing the work knows their job. As Tim65 suggested we might have to have an overhaul of the way building (and other) licences are obtained. That is the problem with Codes and Regulations they change and the old buildings that become non-compliant are still standing and functional.Believe me when I say if clients/tradies/builders can simply check the work thats being done then they will.. "Nip the problem in the bud" to quoin a phase. There is change afoot but not from those that have a vested interest in mantaining the status QUO,guilds, monopolies, big bucks and market share. Treating clients like mushrooms by keeping them in the dark and feeding them Bulldust , isnt the way to do new business and "no-one will control (exclusively) the internet and Apps", thats the words I am hearing. Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: Inspection Basics 31Feb 16, 2015 11:25 am BIMguy, codes and regs change because the world changes. Materials, our understanding of how those materials perform and how those matrials stack up over others is only learned over time. Changes to codes and regs is an evolution that you cannot escape. The "old buildings that become uncompliant as regs change" are not the issue. Its the new buildings that are built uncompliantly with no regard for CURRENT regs and codes that take into account current material and understanding. if builders could "simply check their work" they will??? sometimes the work they are doing is not simple and needs a modicum of understanding for them to "simply check it". Its their understanding that is in question. if theyve been shown the wrong way, and they dont know the right way, how will this help them? Self regulation? lol. there is enough examples that are old, current and ongoing (somone will do the wrong thing intentianally tomorrow also) that is not getting the visibility it should. you say that the problem is that codes/regs change. I say th eocntrol environment is deficient in almost every area. only directive contriols exist, and ther eis nothing in place that is designed well enough to provide assurance that these directicve controls are followed. the other half of your response makes no sense. Creator of superduperonium, expert at expert things, nobel laureate, can hold my breath for 10 minutes. Re: Inspection Basics 32Feb 16, 2015 12:00 pm You can calculate the rate of change (Materials, Coupled physical effects, environmental,blah,blah) and impact which IMO makes static rules,Free NCC, bureauracies, and your argument redundant. The new euro codes now have provisions for Simulations => Apps 3D and data presentations have been simplified (to assist peoples understanding) Theses can be delivered to people anywhere, anytime,etc.. LOL have you not been paying attention to my other posts..It should be all about helping people to make the right choices and not about adding other layers (bureaurcies,guilds,cost, delays, etc,etc) Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: Inspection Basics 34Feb 16, 2015 12:35 pm The engineers job is to forecast all probable failure modes, a task made easier with the advent of new software LOL...Read between the lines mate and look at the pictures they are optimized solutions, euro compliant and app driven.HTH Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: Inspection Basics 35Feb 16, 2015 3:18 pm StructuralBIMGuy The engineers job is to forecast all probable failure modes, a task made easier with the advent of new software LOL...Read between the lines mate and look at the pictures they are optimized solutions, euro compliant and app driven.HTH to forecast a failure all failure modes of a material you must know the materials properties. If that material does not exist where will you get the properties from to conduct you analysis from? Ill pay devils advocate here for a moment - say you are simulating based on properties of a material that doesnt exist yet, but you are inputting data about its properties - You are still theorising that that is what the properties will be, not what they actually are. Your results will only be theoretical in nature. To give you perhaps a better example - the maths for FMEA has been around since the 40s, however would not have been able to be used for materials that are in development today UNTILL today. They didnt exist back then hence their properties were not known. As a silly wayto perhaps illustrate my point even further - if it is an engineers job to do FMEA, a task made easier with software - comlpete it for my new imaginary material "superduperonium". can you do this without the properties of superduperonium? current codes regulations are based on information known to us today. EG the current BCA lists fall away from property to be minimum 50mm over 1 meter in the first meter. This was not listed as a requirment in the BCA in 2003. Why did they change this? I mean the materials existsed, the conditions were similar and hydronic pressure in clay soils was not an unknown factor. do you think its perhaps because of observations that occured in thehousing boom that left many slabs heaved? Despite the fact that we now have these requirments liste din the BCA, no one is enforcing them. what will your sofwtare and self regulation do there? Creator of superduperonium, expert at expert things, nobel laureate, can hold my breath for 10 minutes. Re: Inspection Basics 36Feb 16, 2015 3:51 pm Common senses but unfortunately it is severely lacking , today is all about short term gain be it the cheapest price or how quick the job can be done, self regulation is not working in Australia, speaking as I have found things here and comparing them to the uk ,you don't need a building licence to build in the uk however there are strict controls in place with more mandatory stage inspections carried out by the local council inspectors, there are no private inspections or certifiers everything is local council / government controlled maybe this is the way forward. Re: Inspection Basics 37Feb 16, 2015 5:37 pm LOL, If you want a louder bark...get a bigger dog. No-ones interested in The VBA, mate...Lawyers are screaming out for Slab heave apps.,..game on. Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: Inspection Basics 39Feb 16, 2015 6:24 pm Who then Licences Inspections, compliance and deals with complaints in Victoria? Your other option is civil courts.... Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: Inspection Basics 40Feb 16, 2015 6:32 pm Great back on topic. A body that is built to do it better as the curent body is deficient in all aspect (proven). They've disbanded bodies like this before. The key is setting the control environment properly in the first place which was never considered in the building industry Creator of superduperonium, expert at expert things, nobel laureate, can hold my breath for 10 minutes. i would suggest nothing is unreasonable for PCI. we did all sorts, including checking the hot water, checking all the GPO's had power, testing that the showers were… 9 98681 you need to understand the breakdown of warranties. 90 warranty is considered as minor defects rectification period where as the longer ones are more major/structural… 1 5339 Hi, I have this sewer inspection point sitting in an odd spot in the rear of my yard: https://imgur.com/ghLI98q What I'd like to do is put a firepit in that corner of… 0 6525 |