QUALITY PROBLEMS of LITHUANIAN CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN DOCUMENTATION 1 2 Michail Samofalov , Vytautas Papinigis
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QUALITY PROBLEMS OF LITHUANIAN CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN DOCUMENTATION 1 2 Michail Samofalov , Vytautas Papinigis Vilnius Gediminas Technical University,1 Saulėtekio2 ave. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract. General situation in civil engineering design documentation is reviewed in this paper. Some characteristic mistakes in design are presented. Authors using their experience in engineering examination of real structural designs, discuss statistical data of the latest years. An attempt to improve engineering solutions using analysis of inaccuracies in design documentation and suggestion of new methods for its developmement, instead of creation of new theories and methods of structural analysis, is made. Such an approach in engineering is less popular as time and resourses for its implementation are required. Nevertheless, this method of solution for the problem of technical product quality and qualification of specilists is more correct. Finally, conclusions about quality as well as conditions for designers and recommendations for developent of national design codes are made. Keywords: quality, examination, design, documentation. Introduction acting code requirements. Volume of recourses allocated for verification of designs is not sufficient for alternative Technical examination is a specific practical activity re−calculation and moreover for alternative structural of a civil engineer. It is quite laborious and responsible design of construction works. Thus quality and results of business which requires high level of professional know- verification are highly influenced by completion form of ledge in specific narrow field as well as general under- the design documentation and experience of the expert as standing of existing traditions, ability to orientate your- well. self in concrete situations and to find necessary solutions. This paper can be useful in scientific sense and for According to the acting in Lithuania classification in practicing engineers as well. Individual errors and statis- the field of civil engineering, examination works tical data presented in this article cannot be used for (STR 1.06.03 2005) are subdivided in two types: state commercial purposes because of insufficient sample of examination of existing construction works and examina- the designs and the results of analysis with conclusions tion of designs of the construction works. In this publica- represent particularly individual opinion of the authors. tion information just on examination of a structural part Generalizations and conclusions presented below do not of the designs is discussed. affect in any way the design style of individual specialists The number of research publications concerning ex- or the work specificity of any particular institution. Nev- amination of design documentation in Lithuania is very ertheless, the question of technical solutions and man- scarce. Though this subject is quite important, many cli- agement problems of qualitative design (Cloud 1998) in ents and contractors conceal technical and organizational Lithuania is quite urgent today. problems arising during verification process (Kanoglu The detailed analysis of design verification results and Artidi 2004, Gabrielaitis and Baušys 2005, Gabrielai- provides numerous data on the basis of which it is possi- tis and Baušys 2006). Therefore, the improvement stage ble to improve quality of design documentation in gener- of design documentation according to the comments of al, and that one of structural solutions in particular (Shaw experts is the last and the most important one before 2001, Zavadskas et al. 2004), besides it allows to im- presentation of the projects to the client for approval and prove qualification of designers and experts, to refine further – to production (Watts 2008, Eisner 2002). codes for design, etc. Unfortunately, this source of infor- Verification of designs in Lithuania is of inspection- mation is almost not useful and in the most cases, on the al character (STR 1.06.03 2005). The main goal is to find contrary – the examination institutions attempt neither to out whether solutions used in the design conform to the generalize nor to publish results of their work. 768 Design documentation struction works is worked out in two stages: basic design and workshop (working) design (Fig 2). In case of quite Up to 1991 in Lithuania “Stroitelnyje Normi i Pra- sophisticated construction works preliminary design vila” (SNiP) – Construction Norms and Rules – and cor- propositions may be devised usually in order to make responding system of standards of the Soviet Union were public, investors, contracting authorities, etc. familiar active. During the period since 1991 to 2010 a gradual with long−term designs. It is important, when designing transition to the design codes of the European Union unique public construction works (airports, television (EU) was performed. For this purpose intermediate de- towers, underground, stadiums) or construction works of sign documents (STR 2.05.03 2003) (construction techni- highly sophisticated technology (electric power stations, cal regulations, STR) were created for the following two seaports) where only either architectural or technological aims: firstly, gradual familiarization of practical engi- part of a design is presented in the design proposal. neers with the system of requirement imposed by the EU (EN1990 2009) and, secondly, creation of national design codes and determination of corresponding unambiguous parameters for harmonization of national codes with the system of European codes. Therefore, technical universi- ties and colleges, institutions for certification of building materials and technological processes, research institutes and accredited laboratories as well as certified specialists in the field of civil engineering have to keep to new re- quirements of EC adopted for Lithuania. Use of unified EC is intended to be started from the 1st of March 2010. Quality requirements for civil engineering are pre- sented in the European Economical Council Directive 89/106/EEC of 21 December 1988. The most important and concrete parameters concerning every principle re- quirement are given in the following sets of codes ECE/HBP/81, ECE/HBP/91 and widened in 1995. Later the documents of the EU indicated above were being improved. At present, requirements in the field of civil engineering acting in Lithuania can be classified into 5 Fig 1. Diagram of legal levels separate levels (Fig 1): – civil engineering law of Lithuania and allied The basic design describes conception of a construc- laws (law of rights for land etc.) is the most im- tion work with intention to collect information for the portant one, it provides only general require- workshop design, namely: geology, hydrology of the ments for solutions in the area of civil engineer- construction site, investigation of existing structures, ing; prediction of erection and technological design situations, − – construction technical regulations subdivided etc. in three principal groups (organizational, tech- Workshop design specifies and complements the ba- nical, economical) are the next laws according sic design without changing its principal solutions. to the importance of legal acts and they are the Specialized firms (producers of lifts, of concrete basic regulation documents for a practicing en- panels, etc.) on the base of the workshop design prepare gineer; production documentation (drawings, instructions for – the next level incorporates technical standards assemblage, recommendations for erection, etc.). A set of requirements, which can neither be disputed nor engineering−structural documentation (Šarka et al. 2008) changed by alternative ones (to this level be- of the construction works is supplemented with documen- long only documents mentioned in the con- tation related to execution (job acceptance certificates, − struction technical regulations); insignificant changes in design, etc) and maintenance – standards selectively used for materials, meth- (reports and certificates of inspection and repairs). ods of analysis, products, technological proc- Basic and workshop designs are compulsory parts of esses, control methods etc.; the list of design documentation set for the construction – all standards not mentioned above are of rec- works mentioned above while presence of other parts ommendatory type (internal institution rules, depends on a specific situation. According to specifica- recommendations issued by professional asso- tion (STR 1.05.06 2009, STR 1.06.03 2005) acting in ciations, aids published by research institutes, Lithuania in case of especially important construction textbooks, guidelines etc.). works a part of basic design must be investigated experi- Three upper document levels are compulsory while mentally. the two lower ones – not compulsory, selective only. In design of simple construction works one stage de- According to the acting code (STR 1.05.06 2009) signing, for which basic−workshop design is produced, is design documentation for a structural part of the con- permitted. 769 A structural part of the basic design consists of: dure. To day in Lithuania there are about 1100 design – explanatory note (general situation, peculiari- institutions and 30 independent examination bureaus. ties); – technical specifications (requirements for job); Examination process and investigation conditions – structural analysis (for the whole engineering works or frame); General examination for all parts