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Many of the people who contact AKTIV Engineering need some assistance to understand the construction process.
Let us help navigate you through the process of how to turn your ideas into a well-developed set of Structurally Drafted Plans that are ready for obtaining Building Approval Prior to commencing Construction.
CALL US IF YOU CAN'T FIND THE ANSWER HERE...
You are absolutely welcome to call us if you can't find the answers to your questions on this page.
Call 0429 805 068 now!
Some things to think about before you call;
- Do you have existing house plans? If not, can you acquire them from Council?
- Do you have a Council Sewer Plan of the property?
- Do you have a scan/ photos of any drawings/ sketches you have done that could assist us in the design?
- Do you have any photos of the area?
- Do you have any photos/images of similar projects that you liked features of?
WHAT ARE CERTIFIED PLANS?
These days anyone can design a house plan. There are some excellent tools online to draw up plans. But you will need a licensed RPEQ Engineer to be able to sign off on the design before it can get a Building Approval.
WHY DO I NEED AN ENGINEER TO HELP ME?
A Structural Engineer checks to ensure that all of the structural elements in the design will allow the structure to survive the various forces it will encounter in it's lifetime. Having a Structural Engineer sign off on your plans is a legal requirement.
WHAT IS A FORM 15?
A Form 15 is an accompanying document to Certified Plans. It is filled out by the certifying Structural Engineer and details the Design Criteria used to certify the design. This includes:
- Cyclone Category
- Wind Ultimate Velocity
- Soil type
- Manufacturer Certifications e.g. for a Roller Door
- Australian Standards referenced as part of the design
- A reference to the Certified Plans
CAN I GET A FORM 15 AFTER CONSTRUCTION?
This is never advisable, as the local Council can send you a 'Show Cause' letter, asking you to get the structure Certified (with a Form 15) or they may ask you to remove it.
This process is known as Retrospective Approval, and usually involves several steps;
- An Engineer needs to inspect the structure
- If the structure is not build to code, there may be a need for upgrading works and Drafted Plans detailing the proposed upgrades
- Once the Plans are Certified and a Form 15 produced, these are lodged with a private Building Certifier
- Action is taken by a Licensed Builder to implement the upgrades
- A Building Certifier can inspect and then sign off on the structure
These steps are usually only necessary if the structure was built without building approval.
HOW DO I GET A BUILDING APPROVAL?
A Building Approval is provided by a Building Certifier. The Building Certifier will check to see whether the building application will trigger a Siting Dispensation (a Siting Dispensation is where your design contravenes a Council regulation. e.g., building a carport within 6.0 m of a front boundary).
If the design does trigger a Siting Dispensation, The Building Certifier will lodge a Development Application.
WHO CAN LODGE A DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION?
Anyone can do this, but generally we leave it to the experts; Building Certifiers. They will negotiate with the Council on your behalf, and endeavour to to resolve any issues the development may have prior to lodgement
CERTIFICATION AT VARIOUS STAGES
The following Scenarios outline what you would need to get your project certified at different stages in the project.
Scenario1. You have an idea for a Proposed Patio, but has no Drafted Plans.
In this scenario you will require:
- A Site Inspection to measure the site and take photos
- Preliminary Drawings (Plans) showing the location of the Patio on the property for client review
- Structural Engineering Analysis
- Engineering Drawings & a Form 15 Certificate of Design Compliance
- Structurally Certified Plans & Form 15 are submitted by client to their Building Certifier for arranging Building Approval
Scenario 2. You have existing architectural House Plans that include a Proposed Patio. The plans show patio dimensions, site dimensions including distances to boundaries, and all aspects of the existing dwelling, but no Structural Engineering detail.
In this scenario you will require:
- A Site Inspection may be required to confirm measurements & structural tie-ins
- Accompanying Structural Engineering drawings prepared
- Structural Engineering Analysis & Reviews completed
- Plans to be Structurally Certified with an accompanying Form 15 Certificate of Design Compliance
Scenario 3. You have existing House Plans that include a Proposed Patio. The plans show patio dimensions, site dimensions including distances to boundaries, and all aspects of the existing dwelling. Certified Engineering drawings have also been compiled, but you want to make changes to the design.
In this scenario you will require:
- Structural Engineering Review and Analysis of existing plans
- Existing Plans to be marked up for updating
- Revised and updated plans to be reviewed and then Structurally Certified
- A Form 15 of Certificate of Design Compliance
TYPICAL WORK FLOW
The order is which most jobs are done goes something like this:
- Client contacts AKTIV to get project started.
- AKTIV staff undertake a Site Inspection to better understand clients needs, measure up the site including proposed works, review existing Structures where applicable and take photos for reference.
- Preliminary Drawings are developed including 3D Perspective views for client review.
- The Client approves the Preliminary Plans.
- If necessary, the plans may be issued to the Council via a Building Certifier for Approval prior to developing Working Drawings.
- A full set of Working Drawings are compiled which includes Structural Engineering Design & Analysis for Cyclonic Wind and other associated load conditions.
- Final Plans are then issued to the Client including the Form 15 Certificate of Design Compliance.
- These documents are then issued to your Building Certifier who will arrange Council Submissions & Building Approval prior to Construction. These plans are also used for obtaining a quote from your Builder for Construction.