Why technical standards are indispensable in an engineering project

What are technical standards?

Technical standards are documents that set out rules, requirements, methods and recommendations applicable to products, processes, services and facilities.

In Brazil, many of these references are published by the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards, ABNT.

Depending on the type of project, however, regulatory standards, instructions from public agencies, utility company requirements, municipal, state and federal legislation, as well as client- or industry-specific standards may also apply.

• sizing of structures and systems
• material selection
• installation methods
• safety criteria
• component performance
• inspection and maintenance
• preparation of drawings and documents
• operating conditions

Why are standards important?

Standards help establish a minimum level of quality and safety.

Without these criteria, each professional could adopt different solutions for similar situations, making it harder to evaluate, execute and inspect the work.

By following recognized technical references, the designer can make decisions with greater consistency and justify the criteria used.

Standards also contribute to clearer communication between designers, contractors, suppliers, clients and inspection authorities.

• reduced technical risk
• greater safety for users and teams
• better facility performance
• standardized solutions
• easier execution
• fewer failures and less rework
• better quality control
• more reliable documentation

Technical standards, legislation and requirements from public agencies

Although related, technical standards and laws are not exactly the same thing.

Legislation establishes legal obligations. Technical standards, on the other hand, present criteria and procedures for meeting specific safety, quality and performance requirements.

In some situations, a law, a contract, a regulation or a decision by a competent authority can make compliance with a specific standard mandatory.

For this reason, the applicable references should be defined according to the characteristics of each project.

• municipal building codes
• Fire Department requirements
• rules from power, water or gas utility companies
• occupational safety regulatory standards
• environmental and sanitary requirements
• the client's internal standards
• industry-specific requirements

Every project has different requirements

There is no single list of standards valid for every project. A house, a factory, a hospital, a commercial building and a public facility all have different needs.

An electrical design must account for loads, circuits, protection devices, grounding and conditions of use. A plumbing design needs to assess supply, pressure, flow rate, drainage, venting and network maintenance.

In mechanical, HVAC or exhaust systems, criteria related to airflow, temperature, air renewal, contaminant control, efficiency and operational safety may be required.

The designer's role is to correctly identify which requirements apply to the project and incorporate them into the solution.

Safety and failure prevention

Many problems in construction and facilities do not appear immediately. An inadequate solution may work at first but develop faults after some time in use.

Compliance with standards helps reduce these risks because it establishes technical criteria for sizing, installation and operation.

Even so, following a standard in isolation does not automatically guarantee a good design. Its requirements need to be correctly interpreted and applied to the real conditions of the project.

• circuit overload and excessive heating
• leaks and clogs
• low efficiency
• maintenance difficulties
• premature equipment wear
• fire risks
• accidents involving users or workers
• activity shutdowns

The importance of technical accountability

Developing a design involves decisions that can directly affect the safety, cost and performance of the construction.

For that reason, these decisions must be made by qualified professionals, within the scope corresponding to their training and the type of service performed.

Technical accountability shows that there is a professional responsible for the work developed.

Issuing technical accountability documents does not replace the quality of the design, but it formalizes the professional's involvement and contributes to legal certainty for all parties.

• analyzing the client's needs
• surveying existing conditions
• applying the appropriate technical references
• carrying out the sizing calculations
• documenting the solutions
• guiding possible revisions
• tracking relevant scope changes

Standards also support maintenance

A good design should not consider only the initial construction.

The systems will need to be operated, inspected, repaired and, in many cases, expanded over time.

When technical requirements are considered from the start, planning reduces difficulties and costs throughout the project's service life.

• access for inspection
• clearance for maintenance
• identification of circuits and pipes
• conditions for component replacement
• equipment operating areas
• up-to-date documentation
• future expansion possibilities

The risk of improvised solutions

Situations not originally foreseen can arise during construction.

In these cases, any change must be carefully evaluated, since a seemingly simple solution can affect other systems.

Modifying a pipe, repositioning a piece of equipment or changing a circuit without technical analysis can create incompatibilities, loss of performance or failure to meet safety requirements.

Whenever significant changes occur, the design must be reviewed and updated. This practice prevents the final documentation from differing from what was actually built.

Compliance as part of quality

A compliant design is not necessarily more complex. It is better planned.

Standards help turn needs into objective criteria, allowing decisions to be verified, documented and executed more safely.

Technical compliance should be part of the process from the initial survey through the final delivery of the design.

• greater predictability
• reduced risk
• better execution control
• greater security when contracting
• easier approvals and inspections
• more reliable documentation
• better facility performance