Application
This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required to inspect for compliance the site preparation, foundations, footings and structural provisions of buildings included in classes 2 to 9, as defined in the Building Code of Australia (BCA), up to three storeys.
The unit supports the work of private or municipal building surveyors or certifiers who conduct mandated inspections of commercial buildings up to three storeys at the initial stages of construction.
It applies to planning and conducting inspections, reporting on issues of non-compliance, and preparing certificates of compliance according to legislative and regulatory requirements.
The certificate of compliance for each stage must be completed and processed before the next stage of construction may commence.
The building surveyor or certifier must be satisfied that remedial work required in cases of non-compliance is understood by the building contractor and completed within required timeframes. This involves developing and maintaining professional and cooperative relationships with building contractors throughout a highly regulated process.
Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit in some States. Relevant state and territory regulatory authorities should be consulted to confirm those requirements.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions. | ||
1. | Plan and prepare to inspect site preparation and foundations and footings. | 1.1. | Site classification is determined according to BCA definitions and compliance requirements for site preparation, foundations and footings are identified and interpreted. |
1.2. | Approved building design drawings and specifications are interpreted and variations from deemed-to-satisfy provisions for compliance are confirmed with senior personnel or statutory authority. | ||
1.3. | Inspection is scheduled according to project and legislative and regulatory requirements, and stakeholders are notified as required. | ||
1.4. | Missed inspections are recorded and reported according to legislative and regulatory requirements. | ||
1.5. | Work health and safety (WHS) requirements for inspections of site preparations, foundations and footings are identified. | ||
2. | Inspect and report on site preparation, foundations and footings. | 2.1. | Site preparation, foundations and footings are surveyed according to project, statutory and WHS requirements. |
2.2. | Features of site preparation, foundations and footings are assessed against compliance requirements, approved drawings, and discussed with on-site personnel as required. | ||
2.3. | Inspections undertaken to ensure compliance with waterproofing are validated and documented. | ||
2.4. | Details of non-compliant features are documented and reported according to workplace procedures and legislative and regulatory requirements. | ||
2.5. | Non-compliant features are discussed with relevant contractors and work required to remedy non-compliance is negotiated according to scope of personal responsibilities. | ||
2.6. | Timeframe for remedial action and rescheduled inspection is negotiated according to scope of personal responsibilities, and contractor’s failure to comply is reported according to legislative and regulatory requirements if required. | ||
2.7. | Certificate of compliance for foundations and footings is prepared and processed according to legislative and regulatory requirements and scope of personal responsibilities. | ||
3. | Plan and prepare to inspect structural provisions. | 3.1. | Extreme weather events for the area are determined and compliance requirements for structural provisions are identified and interpreted. |
3.2. | Approved building design drawings and specifications are interpreted and variations from deemed-to-satisfy provisions for compliance are confirmed with senior personnel or statutory authority. | ||
3.3. | Inspection is scheduled according to project and legislative and regulatory requirements, and stakeholders are notified as required. | ||
3.4. | Missed inspections are recorded and reported according to legislative and regulatory requirements. | ||
3.5. | WHS requirements for inspections of structural provisions are identified. | ||
4. | Inspect and report on structural provisions. | 4.1. | Structural provisions are inspected according to project, statutory and WHS requirements. |
4.2. | Features of structural provisions are assessed against compliance requirements and approved drawings, and discussed with on-site personnel as required. | ||
4.3. | Details of non-compliant features are documented and reported according to workplace procedures and legislative and regulatory requirements. | ||
4.4. | Non-compliant features of structural provisions are discussed with relevant contractors and work required to remedy non-compliance is negotiated according to scope of personal responsibilities. | ||
4.5. | Timeframe for remedial action and rescheduled inspection is negotiated according to scope of personal responsibilities, and contractor’s failure to comply is reported according to legislative and regulatory requirements if required. | ||
4.6. | Certificate of compliance for structural provisions is prepared and processed according to legislative and regulatory requirements and scope of personal responsibilities. | ||
5. | Plan and prepare to inspect wet areas. | 5.1. | Wall and substrate construction methods and materials are identified. |
5.2. | Compliance requirements for waterproofing are identified and interpreted. | ||
5.3. | Approved building design drawings and specifications are interpreted and variations from deemed-to-satisfy provisions for compliance are confirmed with senior personnel or statutory authority. | ||
5.4. | Inspection is scheduled according to project and legislative and regulatory requirements, and stakeholders are notified as required. | ||
5.5. | Missed inspections are recorded and reported according to legislative and regulatory requirements. | ||
5.6. | WHS requirements for inspections of wet areas are identified. | ||
6. | Inspect and report on wet areas. | 6.1. | Wet areas are inspected according to project, statutory and WHS requirements. |
6.2. | Waterproofing installation is assessed against manufacturer specifications, compliance requirements and approved drawings and discussed with on-site personnel as required. | ||
6.3. | Details of non-compliant features are documented and reported according to workplace procedures and legislative and regulatory requirements. | ||
6.4. | Non-compliant features of wet areas are discussed with relevant contractors and work required to remedy non-compliance is negotiated according to scope of personal responsibilities. | ||
6.5. | Timeframe for remedial action and rescheduled inspection is negotiated according to scope of personal responsibilities, and contractor’s failure to comply is reported according to legislative and regulatory requirements if required. | ||
6.6. | Certificate of compliance for wet areas is prepared and processed according to legislative and regulatory requirements and scope of personal responsibilities. | ||
Evidence of Performance
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must satisfy all of the elements, performance criteria and foundation skills of this unit. The person must prepare for, conduct and complete relevant documentation for inspections of 1) site preparation, foundations and footings, 2) structural provisions, and 3) wet areas for the following class buildings as defined in the Building Code of Australia (BCA):
one project incorporating classes 2, 5, 6 and 7a
one project incorporating classes 3 or 9c
one project incorporating classes 7b and 8.
In doing the above, the person must:
interpret working drawings, specifications and building permit conditions for each inspection
identify and interpret relevant compliance requirements
inspect site preparation, foundations and footings and structural provisions for the projects outlined above
observe and document all non-compliant features of site preparation, foundations and footings, structural provisions and wet areas
discuss non-compliance with relevant contractors and negotiate remedial work required
reschedule inspections as required
prepare and process required documentation, including:
details of non-compliance and remedial work recommended
contractor’s failure to comply with recommended remedial work, if required
missed inspection, if required
certificate of compliance, as authorised.
Evidence of Knowledge
A person demonstrating competency in this unit must demonstrate knowledge of:
BCA classification and definitions for buildings included in classes 2 to 9
construction methods and materials suitable for buildings included in classes 2 to 9 at the following stages:
site preparation
foundations and footings
structural provisions
wet areas
drawing symbols, notations, acronyms and construction terminology used in the National Construction Code (NCC), Australian standards, working drawings, building design specifications, and building permit documentation
principles and purpose of report in the context of conducting and reporting on initial construction inspections
range of, and variations in, compliance requirements for buildings included in classes 2 to 9 in different climatic, geographic and planning zones, including:
building control legislation and regulations
NCC
Australian standards referenced by building control legislation and regulations and the NCC
state, territory or local authority development policies
legislative and regulatory requirements for critical stage inspections relating to buildings included in classes 2 to 9 at the following stages of construction:
bounding construction of class 2 and 3 buildings
site preparation
foundations and footings
structural provisions.
Assessment Conditions
Suitable assessment of performance requires:
equipment:
computer with internet access and business software currently in use in building surveying practices
materials:
tools and equipment for conducting inspections, including personal protective equipment (PPE)
physical conditions:
access to the projects specified in the performance evidence during construction stages
specifications:
access to relevant and current building control legislation, regulations, codes and standards and state, territory or local authority development policies.
Assessor requirements
Assessors must satisfy the assessor requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) current at the time of assessment.
In addition, assessors must also demonstrate current membership of a relevant industry association and have current registration on the National Building Professionals Register in the Building Industry Control category (level 1) or be accredited under the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS) National Accreditation Scheme at Building Surveyor level.
Foundation Skills
This section describes the language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills essential to performance in this unit but not explicit in the performance criteria. | |
Skill | Performance feature |
Learning skills to: | independently access and interpret a range of complex technical information relating to compliance requirements for features of foundations, footings and structural provisions for buildings included in classes 2 to 9, including specific requirements for particular geographic and climatic areas and different planning schemes and codes. |
Numeracy skills to: | extract and interpret a range of mathematical information contained in technical documentation relating to foundations, footings and structural provisions of buildings included in classes 2 to 9, including: ratios, rates and proportions detailed plans. |
Oral communication skills to: | use communication style and technical construction vocabulary to develop and maintain cooperative and professional relationship with building contractors and exchange technical information use a range of questioning techniques to inform inspection activities monitor the effectiveness of interactions with on-site personnel when negotiating remedial work and adjust communication style to facilitate a positive outcome. |
Reading skills to: | use different reading strategies to locate specific compliance requirements in a range of resources, including the BCA understand technical texts with complex structures, specialised vocabulary, acronyms and diagrams specific to plans and compliance requirements for features of foundations, footings and structural provisions for buildings included in classes 2 to 9. |
Writing skills to: | integrate and document information gathered from a range of sources, including on-site inspections and communications with builders use accurately-spelled technical vocabulary specific to compliance of features of foundations, footing and structural provisions when compiling detailed non-compliance reports. |
Range Statement
This section specifies work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. | |
Site classification must include: | advice from relevant authority or experts determination of soil type, including arrangements for soil testing as required identification of soil properties and characteristics and effects on site stability, including potential for: collapsing soil ground movement due to moisture change land slips mine subsidence soil erosion. |
Compliance requirements for site preparation, foundations and footings must include: | AS/NZS1170 Structural design actions BCA: deemed-to-satisfy specifications performance requirements for alternative solutions building control legislation and regulations requirements relating to: excavations filling under concrete slabs pest risk management requirements specified by relevant authority or experts. |
Compliance requirements for structural provisions must include: | BCA: deemed-to-satisfy specifications performance requirements for alternative solutions building control legislation and regulations requirements for: aluminium composite steel and concrete concrete, including tilt-up panel construction glazed assemblies masonry roofs steel timber. |
Compliance requirements for waterproofing must include: | AS3740 Waterproofing of wet areas within residential buildings, as referenced in the BCA for wet areas of commercial buildings BCA: deemed-to-satisfy specifications performance requirements for alternative solutions building control legislation and regulations requirements specified by relevant authority or experts. |
Sectors
Construction
Competency Field
Building surveying