As the Building Safety Act places building safety at the core of every project, whether newbuild, refurbishment, repurposing – and occupied or not - building materials manufacturers, such as Voestalpine Metsec, are investing heavily to provide comprehensive information on the design, manufacture and installation of their systems.
The Building Safety Act (BSA) includes specific requirements for what are termed 'Higher Risk Buildings' (HRBs). Buildings of more than 18m or seven storeys in height which contain at least two residential units, and include care homes, student accommodation and hospitals which fall within these height parameters. HRBs do not encompass prisons, hotels or military accommodation. For the building materials/systems manufacturer possibly the most significant of changes brought about by the BSA are the 'Golden Thread' of information and approval 'Gateways' which must be passed at the planning, design, construction and occupation stages.
The Golden Thread The concept of a Golden Thread of information has been around for some time and the BSA sees the formalisation of the Golden Thread, defining it as 'the information that allows you to understand a building and the steps needed to keep both the building and people safe, now and in the future'.
Whilst no standardised system for holding the Golden Thread of information has yet been established, it must be held in an electronic format. Throughout the project's development process, information needs to be retained which describes the building and how it complies with regulations. The information needs to be held securely, presented in a way that people can use, available to people who need it to do their job and available when required. In short, the right information available to the right people at the right time.
Gateways The BSA establishes a new approvals process through a series of 'stop/ go' checks known as Gateways, usefully termed Gateways 1, 2 and 3, which must be passed at key stages of the project's planning, design, construction and occupation. Duty holders must demonstrate that relevant regulations have been satisfied at each of the Gateways before the project can progress to the next stage of development:
Gateway 1 – establishes the key responsible parties for the project, including client, principal designer and potentially principal contractor. The mandatory submission must demonstrate that the designer has prepared a 'safe design' and identified the appropriate regulations applicable to the building.
Gateway 2 – replaces the previous 'deposit of plans' stage and must be passed before any construction work begins. It contains comprehensive information on how the design proposals will meet building regulations. It will include the design, performance and implementation/installation details of systems/products specified for the project and will form an essential part of the Golden Thread.
Gateway 3 – occurs at the final completion stage of HRBs and must be successfully passed before the building can be occupied. The dutyholders must demonstrate that the completed building is safe for occupancy and that the appropriate competences have been utilised throughout the project. Gateway 3 is the stage where the 'Golden Thread' of information will be utilised as a digital record of the evidence and submissions completed throughout the process.
Gateway to Success As stated, manufacturers' product/ system information will form a key part of the submissions made at Gateway 2 and the Golden Thread of information held on the project when it progresses to Gateway 3 and subsequent occupation. The manufacturer can also make a significant contribution towards a successful Gateway 1 submission.
At Gateway 1, submissions need to establish competences and the approach to design in relation to the building regulations. Building material manufacturers' CPD presentations, such as the accredited seminars available from voestalpine Metsec, give designers an overview of products and systems as well as instilling awareness of the fire performance data required at the design stage. The seminars also demonstrate the design competence of the manufacturer's engineering department.
Supply chain agreements provide similar information to the main contractors and communicate warranty and insurance information.
To meet the requirements at Gateway 2, design teams need easy access to clear, accurate and verified information from product manufacturers.
Here again, voestalpine Metsec offers a range of resources that can support this. Key amongst these is the hosting of the company's 'through-wall' systems on NBS, the leading digital specification platform. System information includes comprehensive specification data on performance, sustainability, materials and components, all of which can be easily added direct to the project specification via NBS Source or NBS Chorus. Other resources offered by voestalpine Metsec include a comprehensive specification manual, the company's own digital product selector, project design, Metwall Perform Pack, BIM families, installer training and Metsec toolbox talks.
Gateway 2 requires the project's complete design information to be submitted and competences to be established before construction can be started. voestalpine Metsec's in-house engineering team creates a detailed design in the required format for the project, whilst approved installer contacts can be provided to ensure that sub-contractors with the relevant abilities can tender for the supply and installation of appropriate solutions.
In preparing for Gateway 3 submission, voestalpine Metsec site visits incorporate inspection of the work completed to ensure that it is to the expected standards. Gateway 3 is also where the Golden Thread of information is crucial. voestalpine Metsec's investment in electronic design and manufacturing systems ensures that a project's design information is collected throughout the entire process and is available in an accessible digital format.
On a broader level, voestalpine Metsec has undertaken several initiatives to ensure that information is accurate, accessible and effectively managed. Chief amongst these is the verification of products under the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), a cultural management process that ensures information is managed by competent team members and verified as being accurate, up to date, unambiguous and accessible.Stay in touch:
