Understanding Construction Projects and Standards

Posted on Feb 25, 2025 in Business Administration and Innovation Management

Definition of a Project

A project is a set of documents, both graphic and written, developed by a competent engineer (architect, senior engineer, technical architect, or engineer). It addresses the needs and ideas put forth by the developer or owner of the future construction. This allows for the execution of the work by someone other than the Project’s Technical Director, while adhering to all applicable rules, regulations, and laws.

Types of Projects

  • According to the Developer:
    • Public Development
    • Private Development
  • Depending on the Type of Work:
    • Building Projects:
      • New Construction
      • Demolition
      • Building Reinforcement and Consolidation
      • Renovation
      • Decoration
      • Conservation and Maintenance of Buildings and Monuments
    • Civil Works Projects:
      • Land Transport Infrastructure
      • Air Transport Infrastructure
      • Shipping Infrastructure
      • Water Infrastructure
      • Coastal Engineering
      • Urbanization
      • Building
      • Special Projects
    • Development Projects
  • According to the Intended Use of the Construction:
    • Residential
    • Industrial
    • Office
    • Commercial
    • Healthcare and Social Welfare
    • Sports
    • Religious and Funerary
    • Cultural, Educational, Scientific, and Professional
    • Entertainment
    • Tourism

The Technical Building Code

The Technical Building Code (TBC) is a set of standards consisting of two parts:

  • The first part outlines the general provisions and basic requirements that buildings and facilities must meet to comply with the fundamental safety and living condition requirements mandated by the LOE (Building Management Act).
  • The second part details the basic documents that must be applied to ensure compliance with those basic requirements.

Construction Specifications

Construction specifications consist of three sections:

  • Specifications: These clearly define an element or unit of work using the following parameters: a sketch of the item, a definition, dimensions, and tolerances.
  • Terms of Execution: This section provides a brief description of the procedures for executing the work unit or facility.
  • Safety Conditions: This outlines the required safety conditions during the development of the work, as specified in the execution plan.

Types of Standards

  • National Standards: These are prepared, subjected to a public review period, and sanctioned by a legally recognized standards body at the national level. In Spain, this body is AENOR, and the standards it approves are called UNE.
  • Regional Standards: These operate at a regional level, bringing together several National Standards Bodies. The most well-known are EN, CEN, and CENELEC. AENOR is a member of both CEN and CENELEC.
  • International Standards: These have a global scope. Among these are the ISO standards, developed by the International Organization for Standardization, of which AENOR is a member.

Steiner’s Theorem

Steiner’s Theorem, also known as the parallel axis theorem, relates moments of inertia with respect to parallel axes, defined by the distance between them. It is applied when we need to determine the moment of inertia of a surface with respect to an axis that *does not* pass through its center of gravity, but is parallel to an axis that *does*. It is stated as follows:

“The moment of inertia of a surface (S) with respect to any axis (E) is equal to the moment of inertia of the surface with respect to an axis passing through its center of gravity and parallel to the first axis (x), plus the product of the surface area and the square of the distance (d) between the two parallel axes.”

IE = Ix + (S * d2)