Who Do You Need To Engage To Get An Assessment On Flood Risk?

As per the Environment Agency, around 5.2 million properties in England, or one in six properties, are at risk of flooding. For projects in such areas known to be at risk of flooding, a flood risk assessment is required to be submitted with planning applications. And that’s where your principal designer comes in. A principal designer is an organisation or an individual appointed by a commercial or domestic client to take the lead in the pre-construction phase of a project that involves more than one contractor or if it is reasonably foreseeable that more than one contractor will be used on a project. 

Required by Law

As per the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 or CDM 2015, clients are legally obligated to appoint a principal designer for any project that hires more than one contractor. CDM 2015 is regulations that govern the way construction projects are planned in the UK, no matter their size. In short, its intention is to reduce the risk of harm to all concerned with the project, which basically entails the builders, the ones who are going to use and take care of them. This includes the potential damage and harm caused to property and humans in the event of a flood. Flood risk assessment is, therefore, an important element that gets covered by the principal designer.

Appointed in Writing

 

It is worth noting that the principal designer must be appointed in writing. If it is not done, say for a domestic project, then the designer who is in control of the pre-construction phase will automatically be considered as the principal designer. However, in the case of commercial projects, if the client does not make the appointment, then the client themselves automatically become the principal designer and be responsible for all the duties.

Services to Look for to Mitigate the Effects of Floods

 

The principal designer you appoint will look into various aspects related to flood risk assessment. Some of them include flood risk analysis, flood flow route analysis and flood scenario modelling, negotiations with insurers, budget advice as well as maintenance of your flood resilience plan. Therefore, it is very important for the principal designer to have the required skills and expertise to carry out the plan.

Do You Need Investigation Services Offered By A Construction Engineering Company?

From flood risk assessments and building surveying to different types of ground investigations, construction engineering firms offer a wide range of services. Read on to determine if these solutions are required for your development project.

When to Hire a Building Surveyor

Building surveyors are professionals who provide a thorough evaluation of an existing property’s physical condition. A building survey may include inspection of structural elements, foundation settlement, flood risk and fire risk. Building surveys can help property owners understand the condition of property, value of property, maintenance measures to be undertaken and remedial steps to be undertaken.

When To Avail Flood Risk Investigation

Flood risk assessments may be required as part of the application process for proposed developments that fall within designated flood zones. A comprehensive flood risk assessment will carry information on flooding risk from all possible flooding sources, consequences of flooding and include proposals for mitigating flood risk. To reduce the possibility of an application getting rejected, it’s best to let civil engineering consultants carry out a professional flood risk assessment. These assessments may also be undertaken as part of a due diligence process by home owners and property owners.

Purpose of Site Investigations

Site investigations are carried out to understand the ground conditions that could impact the engineering and environmental considerations of a proposed development project. Site investigations help engineers understand various aspects such as material distribution under the ground, physical properties of rock and soil, ground water conditions and much more.

Site investigation services are useful for site appraisal and selection purposes. They help civil engineers design safe, economic and durable solutions. A wide variety of site investigation services are available including topographical surveys, hazardous ground gases investigations, geo-environmental investigations, geotechnical investigations and mining investigations.

If you think you need any of these services for your development project, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of UK’s most trusted civil and structural engineering firm!

Professional Solutions for Flood Risk Evaluations and Sulphate Attack Investigations

Whether you need to investigate a sulphate attack or perform a Flood Risk Assessment, the services of a civil engineering and structural engineering firm are invaluable.

Assistance from Qualified Professionals

With the help of a flood risk team, you can check if your planned development project is within a flood zone and whether you need to submit a Flood Risk Assessment with your planning application. Flood risk assessments contain in-depth information about previous flood events in the area and identify the potential risks from various sources such as rainfall, rivers and sea. Once you give site development plans to a civil engineering and structural engineering firm, they will assess the exact requirements of your local planning authority and applicable governing body. Based on the requirements, they will advise on design aspects to mitigate flood risk so that you are in a stronger position to get your plan approved.

Thorough Investigations and Remedial Solutions

Sulphate attack is widely recognised as being the culprit behind concrete deterioration in different types of structures. A sulphate attack can cause serious damage to concrete, weakening the entire structure and compromising its safety. Crumbling concrete, cracks on concrete floor slabs, stress fractures and discolouration are all signs of potential sulphate attack.  It’s best to seek expert advice if you suspect a sulphate attack. A thorough investigation requires several different inputs such as the opinion of a qualified structural engineer, findings of site investigation and results of laboratory tests. For investigations, concrete samples are analysed to determine chloride, cement and sulphate content. Along with diagnosing a sulphate attack, a civil engineering team can also offer remedial solutions to repair the damaged structure.

When you need solutions for sensitive aspects of construction projects, don’t put your faith in non-professionals. Partner a reputed firm having a multi-disciplinary team of structural engineers, civil engineers and engineers belonging to allied disciplines.