There are many structural engineers in the industry, but it can be difficult to choose the best one. You may have many options, but selecting a structural engineer can be a difficult task. Here are some useful tips that will help you make the right decision when hiring a structural engineer.
What should you look for?
Typically, you should look for quality assurance, accreditation, and association. This means that consulting engineers must be ISO certified and must be associated with the state association of engineers. For example, in Ireland, the ACEI and the CPD govern the laws. The company you hire must be a reputable company. Apart from that, they must offer different types of services for projects like commercial, residential, infrastructure, educational, heritage and landscape.
The structural engineer must also be an expert in fire safety engineering and BER certificates and audits. Disabled access is another area that should not be ignored. In addition, a structural engineer must offer a series of services. Below is a checklist of services construction engineering should offer.
Services
Design and approval: This aspect includes the preliminary design and details of a building. The building can be a house, apartment, office, retail stores, outlets, industrial units, factories, hotels, renovations, warehouses, heritage buildings, etc. Usually, the service provider creates an aesthetic design with a cost-effective structure. A structural engineer will carry out the design of different types of building elements such as foundations, floors, beams, columns, walls, ceilings, basements, etc.
Structural Surveys and Reports: A structural survey is performed on an existing structure or new property. Some of the items verified in a survey would include critical and non-critical items like subsidence, settlement, wall and floor cracks, moisture, fire damage, and much more.
General Engineering Reports: Engineering reports may be required in a variety of different situations. Some of the situations include legal disputes with the construction contractor, damage to your property, property monitoring, party wall disputes, and the like.
Certificate of Compliance – This aspect of a structural engineer provides for the certificate of compliance with planning and construction standards and the certificate of exemption from planning. The construction engineering company must comply with all of the above.
Project Management: This service will guide you from the beginning to the completion of your project. The service provider will liaise between you and your contractor, provide cost control on the project, check quality, offer technical advice and provide product advice and much more.
Property Defect Inspections and Reports: Service Provider will provide for sag, slump, wall and floor cracks, moisture or mold, water leaks, fire damage, interior or exterior walls, insulation, heat loss, poor workmanship , to name a few.
Heritage Development – A structural engineer will also analyze structural studies and reports, protect structures, design works to protect heritage buildings, monitor the behavior of heritage structures during adjacent work, and much more.
Here are some of the factors you should consider when hiring consulting engineers. These services will ensure that your project runs smoothly and effectively without any hurdles. In addition, you can also perform a BER audit and upgrade existing property to meet environmental safety expectations.