Author supervision and Technical supervision: what is the difference
Author’s supervision is a check by the author of a design solution, architectural or constructive, of the compliance of what was done by the builders with the project.
Let’s use an example:
The architectural section of the project includes a solution to insulate the walls from the outside with insulation slabs, with all the associated work – and then, when these slabs are glued and secured with dowels to the wall, the architect will walk along the walls and check for the presence of insulation where it is determined by the project, and technical supervision will check the quality of the work .
The job of technical supervision is to double-check the quality of what the workers have done after checking by the foreman, no less carefully, and sometimes more). In our case, when work on wall insulation is accepted, technical supervision will pay attention to the seams between the insulation slabs (whether gaps and distortions), by the number of dowels with which these plates are attached, the dowel can be tested for pulling out.
So, together, the designer and technical supervision check the insulation of the walls and together sign the acceptance certificate – so far only for this stage of construction, but at the finish line they will already sign the acceptance certificate for the entire building, and there they cannot do without all the certificates for hidden work.
what technical supervision can and should do >>>
In the same way, the architect himself, without technical supervision, will go around the walls and check their geometry – visually tracking obvious deviations from the project. This could be a window that has “slipped” down or to the side, a door that has disappeared, unnecessary parts in the foundation in the form of protrusions of blocks not cut along the edge of the wall (cases from practice, not fiction) – something that is much easier, simpler, and cheaper to fix right away. Here it must be said that this visual inspection of the walls cannot, of course, “catch” imperceptible but significant flaws, deviations from the design dimensions – for this, surveyors take instrumental geodetic survey of the walls (and not only them, but all load-bearing structures of the floor), the initiator here technical supervision. And only this survey, which is called “executive”, can reveal, for example, a rotation of one of the load-bearing walls by 10 – 15 degrees (with a corresponding increase in the span and, as a result, the impossibility of placing floor panels purchased according to the design in the span – also from practice).
Another mission of architectural supervision, besides checking what has been built, is to help builders. Often it is necessary to explain the drawings – they are replete with specific symbols that are not always clear to workers who find themselves without a foreman. It is also impossible to do without a designer in the selection of alternative materials and products, when the element included in the project is not available on the local construction market or has characteristics that do not correspond to the project – here it is necessary to check by calculation whether it is suitable for the task that the project solves.
The third mission is more formal, to take part in the acceptance of the building into operation and sign the act – here we essentially sum up all the previous work, attach all the acts for hidden work, as-built surveys in stages, and bless the house for a long and trouble-free life. The act will be needed later, when registering ownership rights to the real estate property.
Project support remotely; no distance restrictions
For remote objects, construction support is assistance in clarifying drawings and in selecting alternative materials and products when the materials included in the project are not available and an analogue needs to be selected.
Where does author’s supervision look?
What the authors of the project, the architect and the designer, monitor during the construction of a low-rise residential building – a list of construction works that must be checked against the project:
No. | name of stage/work | who carries out the reconciliation with the design solution for this work/stage
1 | Reinforcement of foundation soles | civil engineer
2 | Foundation walls and their waterproofing | civil engineer or architect (according to the project)
3 | Reinforcement of masonry walls, floor by floor | architect
4 | Reinforcement of monolithic columns, beams, belts, lintels | civil engineer
5 | Flooring above the Nth floor (slabs have already been laid, monolithic sections are reinforced, but not filled with concrete) | civil engineer
7 | Staircase frame structures (correct execution of joints and support of structures) | civil engineer
8 | Roofing structures. Metal / Wooden frame (correct execution of joints and supports of structures) | civil engineer
9 | Roofing installation (insulation, ventilation and vapor barrier) | architect
10 | Insulation of walls outside | architect
Monitoring the reinforcement of reinforced concrete structures for compliance with design solutions is:
1. Protective layer.
2. Connections of rods.
3. Diameter and pitch of rods.
Conditions for conducting full-time supervision:
1. Departure for inspection – when this stage is fully ready for inspection, by phone call. Departure – no later than one day after such notification. The designer’s arrival time at the site is agreed upon with the contractor and customer’s technical supervision.
2. During the inspection of the facility, the presence of a responsible person from the contractor is mandatory.
3. Based on the results of the inspection, an entry is made in the designer’s supervision journals (in the designer’s and builder’s copies). The record may contain a drawing with a solution to a particular issue that arose during construction.
4. Entries in journals are certified by the signatures of the designer, contractor and technical staff. customer supervision.
5. If it is necessary to make adjustments to design decisions caused by detected discrepancies in the drawings, such adjustments are made by the designer in the designer’s supervision journal in the form of a drawing or entry (if possible). If it is impossible to immediately provide a solution to such an issue, the designer will adjust the drawing at his workplace within the next two working days. Payment for such work caused by discrepancies found in the drawings will not be made.
6. If it is necessary to make adjustments to the design solutions caused by the contractor’s desire to adapt the design solutions to his capabilities, such adjustments can be made by the designer in the manner described in clause 5 of the Conditions. Payment for such work is made by the customer according to the invoice issued by the designer.
7. Compliance is checked visually; lengths and heights of structural elements are not measured. If an instrumental check is necessary, it is carried out by a specialized agent – a surveyor (as part of technical supervision).
8. When carrying out hidden work (hydro-, steam- and thermal insulation, reinforcement, ventilation and smoke ducts), certificates for such work are drawn up; they are prepared by the contractor and signed by three persons: the designer, the contractor and the technician. supervision of the customer (if any).
9. The inspection of the object is accompanied by photographic recording by the designer of those construction elements that are the subject of inspection as part of this visit, as well as photographic recording of the object as a whole. Photographic recording is carried out in the amount and form that the designer needs for his work.
