Professional memberships
SDE does not publish a wall of logos. Where an accreditation genuinely applies to a project it is worth naming and worth verifying, and both of those need the awarding body and the reference number — which a logo does not give you.
Individual professional memberships and registrations, and the practice's certifications, are supplied in full with each proposal, naming the awarding body and the reference number so that every one of them can be checked independently rather than taken on trust. They are confirmed in writing at the point they are relevant to an appointment, as are certificates including insurance.
If a pre-qualification questionnaire asks for something, ask us — the answer will be what is held, including where the answer is that it is not.
Design review and approval
No drawing, calculation or specification leaves SDE without being checked by an engineer who did not produce it.
The process
- Design. The responsible engineer produces the calculation, drawing or specification, recording the assumptions and the standards applied.
- Check. A second engineer reviews the work against the brief, the applicable standards and the coordination status of the other disciplines. Comments are recorded rather than passed on verbally.
- Approve. The responsible director or associate approves the issue, confirming the check has been closed out.
- Issue. Information is issued with a revision and a status. Superseded revisions are withdrawn so there is no ambiguity on site about which version applies.
Standards applied
Design is carried out to the current editions of the relevant British Standards, CIBSE Guides and statutory guidance. Where a standard is amended during a project, the edition the appointment is based on is confirmed in writing rather than left to be discovered at handover.
Competence
Work is carried out by, or under the supervision of, engineers whose qualifications and professional registrations are appropriate to the task. Where a design requires a competence the practice does not hold, that is stated rather than absorbed.