Introduction to National Building Code and Steps in a Construction project

2Q)The major changes incorporated in thisthird revision of the Code are as follows:

a) Provisions for association of need based professionals and agencies have been updated to ensure proper discharge of responsibilities for accomplishment of building project.

b) With a view to ensuring ease of doing business in built environment sector, a detailed provision for streamlining the approval process in respect of different agencies has been incorporated in the form of an integrated approval process through single window approach for enabling expeditious approval process, avoiding separate clearances from various authorities.

c) Further, with a view to meeting the above objective, the provision on
computerization of approval process has been detailed, enabling online submission of plans, drawings and other details, and sanction thereof, aiding in speedier approval process.

d) The mechanism of ensuring certification of structural safety of buildings by the competent professional and peer review of design of buildings, have been further strengthened.

e) Requirements for accessibility in buildings and built environment for persons with disabilities and the elderly have been thoroughly revised and updated.

f) Provisions on fire and life safety have been thoroughly revised to meet the challenges of modern complex building types including the high rises.

g) Latest structural loading and design and construction codes including those relating to wind load,
earthquake resistant design of buildings, steel design and foundations have been incorporated with a view to ensuring structural safety of buildings including against a disaster.

h) Provisions relating to all building and plumbing services have been updated keeping also in view the latest international practices as related to the country.

j) Provisions have been updated to ensure utilization of number of
new/alternative building materials and technologies to provide for innovation in the field of building construction.

k) Construction management guidelines have been incorporated to aid in timely completion of building projects with desired quality in a safe manner within the budgeted cost.

m) Guidance has been provided for making buildings and built environment energy efficient and environmentally compatible, through the newly introduced and updated chapter on sustainability, namely Part 11 ‘Approach to Sustainability’

n) New chapters have been added on structural use of glass; escalators and moving walks; information and communication enabled installations; solid waste management; and asset and facility management.

3Q)Here are the different steps each project life cycle usually goes through:

Step 1. Initiation project life cycle

The first project management stage is initiation. Often considered the most important stage of project management, the project initiation phase includes all the preliminary work that must be done before any other project activities can take place. Exactly how many steps are in the initiation phase depends on what sector you’re in and how your team operates.

The essential elements can be roughly divided into four activity categories:

• Building a business case
• Conducting feasibility reports
• Involving stakeholders
• Creating a PID

1. Building a business case:This is the why of your project. What’s its purpose and does it make good sense for your business financially as well as in terms of mission, risk assessment, and viable alternatives?

2. Conducting feasibility reports:Once the business case has been established, conduct a feasibility study to see whether you have the financial and human resources available to complete the project. This is the time to carefully weigh all the pros and cons to see if you should move forward with your project.

3. Involving stakeholders:Give project stakeholders adequate time and information to conduct due diligence. Stakeholders include local governments, community organizations, and other entities that will be impacted by your project. During due diligence, these entities identify potential negative effects of the project, assess whether these effects can be mitigated or avoided, and determine what actions should be taken in relation to those effects.

4. Creating a PID:The project charter or project initiation document (PID) is a short document that summarizes all the essential information you’ve compiled during the initiation phase. It establishes in writing the scope of the project, its objective, and the people involved. The PID also lists major stakeholders and establishes the authority of the project manager.

In the project planning stage, you flesh out the details of your project and create a successful project plan. Those details can be divided into four broad categories:

• Scope
• Resources
• Time
• Communication

1. Scope:

You’ve already defined the project scope, but how exactly will you accomplish your vision? What are the individual goals that you must meet to achieve the larger goal defined by your scope? Once those goals are established, delineate the steps necessary to reach each of them, breaking the steps down into tasks and subtasks as necessary.

2. Resources:

What are you working with? Good resource planning means crafting a detailed budget, securing the people needed for the project, and establishing which vendors you’ll be working with.

3. Time:

A detailed timeline in project management is essential to keeping your project on time. Set milestone expectations for each project step and estimate how much time major tasks should take.

4. Communication:Establish communication channels and guidelines. What systems will your team use to keep track of project progress and keep one another up to date? What are the expectations regarding the frequency and content of communications?

Step 3.Execution project life cycle

• This is the phase most people have in mind when they think of project management. It usually starts with a kickoff meeting to officially start off the project. This is when you share the vision and plan for the project, delegating tasks to team members, and send everyone on their way to get things done.
• Changes and corrections are almost inevitable. Sometimes these are due to mistakes or unforeseen circumstances and sometimes due to alterations in customer requirements. During the project execution phase, it’s important to keep a log of issues and to make updates to your budget and other planning documents as changes occur.

Step 4. Monitoring project life cycle

It may be a bit counterintuitive to think of project monitoring as a separate project management stage because it happens at the same time as the execution phase. Nevertheless, it’s helpful to identify monitoring as its own phase so that it’s not neglected.

• During the planning phase, you established key performance indicators (KPIs) in the form of budgets, timelines, and quality expectations. By periodically checking your KPIs, you can catch issues and make corrections quickly.

Step 5. Closure project life cycle

Closing a project involves obvious steps like delivering the product to customers and submitting final reports. The project manager must ensure that every aspect of the project has been correctly completed, all documents have been updated, and all deliverables have been formally accepted.

• Projects should only be considered closed when all stakeholders are satisfied with the successful completion of the project’s objectives. A project manager will often hold an evaluation meeting to assess the successes and shortcomings of the project and to recognize the contributions of team members. Team members and other resources are released for work on other projects.

4Q)What are the different types of design disciplines?

Lighting Design. Planning. Plumbing Engineering. Structural Engineering. If you are a certified or licensed building design and construction professional and would like to develop a Design Discipline page for any of the following disciplines, please contact us for more information: Acoustical Engineering. Archaeology.