What is our process?
Here's a little more information to bring clarity to your dream.
Our Process
Our engineering process contains five major milestones.
These are designed to help guide you and provide more of background understanding on how your project will run. We also have more in-depth road maps, that highlight in detail the steps required to successfully complete your project.
These are linked below:
Vision
Step One
Pricing & Engagement
Step Two
Consent Documentation
Step Three
Construction Monitoring
Step Four
Completion & Code Compliance Certificate
Step Five
Step One
Vision
All projects start with a vision or an idea, and it is your drive that can help bring this to fruition. Whether you are a property developer, a homeowner, architect, or property manager, any project starts with getting the ideas writen down, and organising a group of professionals who can help. For most projects, an architect or project manager is usually the first professional to contact, as they have the best overview of the process, and have experience in communicating between the various consultants. Architects and project managers will also understand what consents from the Council will be required for your project and help with the consent submission process.
While a structural engineer is usually engaged after step one, DTCE has worked with hundreds of consultants over the years and can point you in the right direction for an architect or project manager depending on the size of your project.
Step Two
Pricing
Once the vision is formalised and the architect or project manager is engaged, they will know whether your project will require a structural engineer. It is at this point a structural engineer can be contacted for engagement. We will discuss the scope with you and the architect to confirm our involvement and issue a formal fees agreement that outlines our scope, fees and timeline.
For more information on our fee process see this link:
Step Three
Consent Documentation
To start building your project, the local council needs to give permission in the form of a Building or Resource Consent. For Building Consent to be approved by the Council, various forms, plans, and documentation needs to be compiled and submitted.
Structural engineers produce a part of this documentation in the form of calculations, structural plans, and specifications that ensure your vision
will be structurally adequate Alongside the calculations and designs, the structural engineer will also issue to you or your architect a document called Producer Statement One (PS1) which confirms the Engineer’s professional opinion that aspects of a buildings design comply with the building code.
For some further local information on the building consent process, and producer statements, follow these links:
Step Four
Construction
Construction begins on your project once Building or Resource Consent is achieved. During construction, the structural engineer is required to visit the site at key points to independently monitor whether the contractor is following the plans according to the Building Consent. Think of this monitoring as a way to ensure the structural engineering design you paid for, is followed correctly and efficiently.
It is at this stage that communication between architect, engineer, and contractor is crucial so that the long-term costs to you are minimised while your vision comes to life.
Step Five
Code Compliance
Once construction is complete, the contractor or builder will notify the structural engineer, and will need to issue a Sixth Schedule document to them. This document verifies that the contractor has completed construction according to the Building Consent plans. The structural engineer will then compile all construction monitoring reports carried out in step four, and determine whether they can issue a Producer Statement Four (PS4) document.
The PS4 confirms the engineers professional opinion that the structural elements constructed have been completed according to the approved Building Consent.
The Sixth Schedule, PS4 and Construction monitoring reports are issued to you or your architect once the structural engineer has deemed satisfactory completion of their structural service. To apply for Code Compliance Certificate (CCC), you or your architect can submit these and other documents for council consideration.
For more information on the Code Compliance Certificate application process, please follow these links:
