RB Designs offer structural engineering consultancy, architectural technician services and more
Structural engineering in Surrey
RB Designs offer a comprehensive range of services to help you achieve your dream. These include: Architectural Technician, Structural Engineer, Party Wall Surveying, Building Surveying, Principal Designer, Construction Health & Safety Inspections, CDM and Asbestos Awareness Training, Asbestos Management, Civil Engineering, Expert Witness. More information about each of these services can be found below.
Architectural Technician
RB Designs Ltd prepares drawings and supporting documentation for all types of projects including domestic extensions, loft conversions, flat conversions, new build houses and flats, residential care homes, schools, offices, factories, warehouses, managed apartments and...
Structural engineering
New and existing structures RB Designs Ltd provide a design and detailing service for all projects ranging from simple beams to complex structures in a variety of structural materials including steel, concrete, timber frame and...
Party Wall Surveying
RB Designs Ltd party wall surveying services includes everything that you need if you are about to carry out work to a shared structure (such as a wall or floor) or excavate close to an...
Building Surveying
RB Designs Ltd have been carrying out building surveys, undertaking structural surveys and advising in relation to structural repairs of all forms of structures including listed buildings and ancient monuments for more than 30 years....
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
CDM 2015 RB Designs Ltd provide the services of Principal Designer under the CDM Regulations 2015, offering: a technical knowledge of the construction industry, relevant to the project the knowledge, experience and skills to manage...
Construction Health & Safety Inspections
RB Designs Ltd can provide periodic Health and Safety inspections of construction sites to advise of any shortcomings in relation to the CDM Regulations and Health and Safety Legislation, providing written assessments and guidance on...
CDM & Asbestos Awareness Training
RB Designs can offer basic training in the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and Asbestos Awareness training. All RB Designs Ltd training can be tailored to suit your individual needs – for further information...
Asbestos Management
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 came into force on 6 April 2012, updating previous asbestos Regulations. RB Designs Ltd can help with your asbestos management needs. Asbestos management duty The duty to manage asbestos...
Civil Engineering
RB Designs Ltd have been providing civil engineering expertise on many high profile projects for the past 30 years. We offer a full range of civil engineering services from advice to design work and project...
Expert Witness
RB Designs Ltd provide expert witness services to companies and individuals to determine the cause of accidents, structural damage and more. We have more than 30 years experience in engineering and use this to provide...
Principal Designer under the Building Regulations
In October 2023 the Legislation around the Building Regulations changed and these are the biggest changes in a generation to the way building safety is monitored, and to the responsibilities incumbent upon everyone involved in...
Principal designer
In October 2023 the Legislation around the Building Regulations changed and these are the biggest changes in a generation to the way building safety is monitored, and to the responsibilities incumbent upon everyone involved in the construction process – from design to occupation and maintenance.
This affects all building work – not just high-risk buildings – from October 1st 2023.
The changes will affect every type of building project and impact everyone in the construction industry – that’s you and that’s us. The changes can’t be ignored: like them or not, they’re here and they’re here to stay and backed by criminal law read more…
So what are the changes? If a Building Regulations application was submitted and accepted by the Local Authority before 1 October 2023, projects have to commence and commencement is defined to mean foundations and work up to dpc including the ground floor slab must be completed, or for works that do not need foundations, eg., loft conversions, 15% of the work must be completed before 6 April 2024 to remain in the current legal framework.
Any new project requiring Building Regulations approval after 1 October 2023 will automatically fall under the new Legislation.
The Technical side of the Regulations remains unchanged, however there are now specific duties placed upon the new duty-holders, namely; a named client; named principal designer and named principal contractor. Each of these duty-holders have specific duties, these include:
Domestic client
Domestic client
Definition
Domestic Client is a client for which a project is being carried out which is not in the furtherance of a business of that client.
Duties of a Domestic Client
- Ensure suitable arrangements are made for planning, managing and monitoring building work to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations.
- Ensure that these arrangements are maintained throughout the lift of the project.
- Must take all reasonable steps to ensure any designers or contractors they appoint are competent to carry out the work they are being appointed to do.
- NOTE: the above duties must be carried out by the Contractor/Principal Contractor unless the Domestic Client agrees in writing that the Principal Designer shall carry out these duties.
Principal designer
Principal Designer
Definition
The Principal Designer is the designer appointed under regulation 11D (Principal Designer and Principal Contractor) to carry out the responsibilities of a Principal Designer according to these Regulations.
Duties of a Principal Designer
- Plan, manage and oversee design work during the design phase
- Coordinate design related matters to ensure that if construction follows the designs, it complies with Building Regulations.
- Ensure all Duty-holders collaborate with each other.
- Ensure designers align their designs so that construction following these designs meets Building Regulations.
- Ensure designers fulfil their duties.
- Communicate and collaborate with the Principal Contractor.
- Consider input from the Principal Contractor regarding compliance with Building Regulations.
- Assist the client in providing information to designers.
- Review the arrangements made by any previous Principal Designer.
Principal contractor
Principal Contractor
Definition
The Principal Contractor is the contractor chosen to carry out the responsibilities of a Principal Contractor under these Regulations when multiple contractors are involved.
Duties of a Principal Contractor
- Plan, manage and oversee building work during the construction phase.
- Coordinate matters related to building work to ensure compliance with Building Regulations.
- Ensure all Duty-holders collaborate with each other.
- Coordinate all building work to ensure it adheres to Building Regulations
- Ensure contractors fulfil their duties.
- Communicate and collaborate with the Principal Designer
- Take into account comments from the Principal Designer regarding compliance with the Building Regulations.
- Assist the client to providing information to contractors.
- Review the arrangements made by any previous Principal Contractor.
Please note the client must ensure that the Principal Designer and Principal Contractor are competent to undertake the work they are being asked to do and those appointments need to be in writing.
Although the terms Client, Principal Designer and Principal Contractor are used both in the CDM Regulations and the Building Regulations, the duties under each Regulation are very different and should not be confused.
We, at RB Designs Ltd are here to help you navigate through this new procedural arrangement, so please do not hesitate to contact us with any queries or questions. As the legislation is in its infancy, we cannot guarantee that we can answer all questions as we are still learning ourselves, but if we cannot answer a question, we will endeavour to find the answer.
