The role of building control surveyors and their power in promoting sustainable construction

Abstract

In England, building regulations govern aspects of a building's environmental performance. The Building Control Surveyor reviews designs and on-site construction in order to evaluate, and ultimately certify, compliance with the regulations, but little research has been carried out to investigate the role of these professionals in promoting sustainable construction. A qualitative study was conducted, comprising semistructured interviews with 21 building control surveyors and four key informants from professional bodies in England. The building surveyors initially positioned their power as wholly derived from the regulations, thus constraining their contribution on sustainability to regulation enforcement. However, this stood in contradiction to their recognition of being valued and influential members of the project team. Descriptions of day-to-day activities included sharing common goals with the team, providing guidance based on their knowledge and experience, and developing collaborative relationships.Based on theories of power, these practices may be seen as processes of power. The primary conclusion is that building control surveyors are indeed powerful in the project team, and, with greater recognition of the varied forms of power available to them above and beyond regulatory certification, they could extend their influence in daily working interactions to promote more sustainable construction.

Building inspection in multi-dwelling housing and the perception of building quality

“…Building control and building inspections serve as a means of ensuring that basic standard requirements as dictated by statutes and building energy performance resolutions (see e.g. European Parliament, 2003;Murtagh, Achkar, and Roberts, 2018) and/or owner requirements are fulfilled.…”

Sustainable Construction Understanding among Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Professionals in Abuja

“…Initially focused on addressing resource constraints and mitigating environmental and energy impacts in construction operations (Ciegis et al, 2009;Du Plessis, 2002), its scope has expanded over time to encompass technical considerations related to building components, energy-efficient designs, construction technology, and materials (Banani et al, 2016;Häkkinen & Belloni, 2011). In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on cultural, economic, and social aspects within sustainable construction practices (Murtagh et al, 2018;Tunji-Olayeni et al, 2018). A comparative study examining sustainability awareness in Nigeria and Malaysia by Abolore, (2012) and Aghimien et al (2018) highlighted that Nigerian built environment specialists possess a lower level of awareness and expertise compared to their counterparts in Malaysia.…”

“…Insufficient knowledge and comprehension of sustainable construction were identified as barriers to its implementation (Aghimien et al, 2019;Murtagh et al, 2018). Adequate knowledge and understanding of sustainable construction are crucial for its successful implementation.…”

A stakeholder-based review of the building inspection system in Turkey: The case of Yalova

“…An incentive system may aid in enhancing the quality of construction works [24]. On the other hand, the competence of the building inspection companies and their employees could be audited by an independent accreditation body on a regular basis [25]. The inspection activities should be performed by approved personnel who have participated in extensive training and certification programs [26].…”