To ensure we continue to offer the most comprehensive products and services right from design through to construction, we have recently carried out a review of our design and detailing services.
Since 1st May 2016 we have been implementing the following changes to our offering and services:
Why change the service?
Many businesses in the construction industry are suffering from the recent skills shortage both on site and in the design office. This has seen an increase in passing design responsibility down the supply chain. This in itself poses a challenge due to the fact that contracts are very rarely the same and hence the support required from the supply chain can differ from one contract to the next.
How has the SMD service changed?
In response to demand from our clients, we have reviewed the services we can provide in terms of design calculations and guidance on reinforcement. We are now able to offer three different levels of design calculation service to meet your needs:
* The detailing of all mesh and bar reinforcement within the composite slab remains the responsibility of others – not SMD.
** Design calculations for compliance with the construction, composite & fire design stages. The design checks are limited to a maximum of one calculation per deck profile for each floor level based on the most onerous design loading condition advised.
***Multiple calculations for each floor and load case (maximum of four on any one floor level)· Marked up drawings showing all calculation locations and minimum mesh reinforcement requirements
What does our design calculations consider?
For all levels of design inclusion (Standard, Enhanced & Premium), mesh areas calculated are based on codified design minimum requirements (to BS5950 or Eurocode 4 as requested). The calculations will include reinforcement requirements associated with the composite action of the deck and concrete only and will always exclude any increase or additional reinforcement for the design elements identified below.
Excluded from Standard, Enhanced & Premium service
- Enhanced crack control where the slab is required to provide a wearing surface or receive sensitive finishes
- Any reinforcement and/or design of slab cantilevers
- Void trimming
- Design of transverse reinforcement or ‘U’ bars for composite beams
- Where increased or additional reinforcement is required in these scenarios, it is to be designed and specified by others, for inclusion in the detailed drawings provided by SMD, where appropriate.
Helping you to identify design variations
To keep our design and detailing costs competitive and to enable us to provide the above services that ‘add value’ to your contract, we have also reviewed the Approval, Revision and Construction Issue process of our drawing works to help identify when a revision becomes a variation.
Discuss this topic in more detail?
Contact our Technical Team, for more information on this matter
