Private Construction
Urban design represents the core purpose of urban planning — the discipline that studies cities and, more broadly, human-modified environments. It focuses on the organization of urban spaces to ensure functionality, sustainability, and quality of life within the built environment.
This type of design involves the organic planning of spaces and the modifications that can be made to areas within the city or connected to it.
It also encompasses aspects of protection, management, regulation, and strategic planning of territorial structures, with particular attention given to the development of infrastructure.
PUBLIC WORKS
Pursuant to Article 23 of Legislative Decree No. 50/2016 (Public Contracts Code), the design process for public works is structured into three phases, each marked by distinct characteristics corresponding to different levels of detail (technical and economic feasibility design, final design, and executive design). These levels represent, in fact, a breakdown of contents that interact with one another and develop continuously. The transition from one level to another is in some way constrained, which prevents a distortion or substantial loss of the original features of the project as it progresses through the phases. This is aimed at ensuring, as prescribed by the aforementioned regulation, primarily “the satisfaction of the needs of the community.”
Some of the possible evaluation criteria established by the Code (paragraph 6 of the same article) may require the consultation and, in some cases, the mandatory signature of qualified technicians; improvements in the performance and functional aspects of the work, in the reduction of its operating and maintenance costs, in monitoring and control plans for variables, and in execution methods are aspects that require particular care and expertise to achieve the desired result.
SERVICES FOR BUSINESSES
Some of the possible evaluation criteria established by the Code may require consultation with, and in some cases mandatorily the signature of, qualified technicians; improvements regarding the performance and functional aspects of the work, the reduction of usage and maintenance costs, the monitoring and control plans of variables, and the execution methods are aspects that require particular care and expertise to achieve the desired result.
CONSTRUCTION SITE AND WORKPLACE SAFETY
The safety coordinator is a key figure for the correct execution of construction works: they perform very important tasks both during the design phase and during the execution phase. In fact, as provided by the Consolidated Safety Act (Legislative Decree 81/2008), the safety coordinator has the following roles:
During the design phase: referred to as the design phase safety coordinator or coordinator for design (CSP).
During the execution phase: referred to as the execution phase safety coordinator or coordinator for execution (CSE).
Regarding the difference between CSP and CSE, as detailed in Articles 91 and 92 of Legislative Decree 81/2008, the following applies:
The CSP prepares:
The safety and coordination plan (PSC), the document through which safety on the construction site is planned (precautions, work phase staggering, etc.);
The file containing the characteristics of the work, which includes information useful for the prevention and protection from risks to which workers are exposed.
The CSE verifies:
The implementation of the safety and coordination plan by the contractor throughout the duration of the works through appropriate coordination and control actions;
The correct application of work procedures.
WORK SUPERVISION
The construction supervisor is the professional appointed by the client (public or private) whose main task is to assist and oversee the works, ensuring proper execution according to the project and regulations, and providing appropriate instructions when necessary.
Among the duties of the construction supervisor are the supervision of the execution of the work, the verification of the conformity of the construction to the project, the check that all works are fully carried out in compliance with technical standards and current regulations, the verification of accounting and administrative documents, as well as the completeness of the required authorizations. It is also the responsibility of the construction supervisor to remedy any design deficiencies previously identified in the project, in order to always ensure the full and proper functionality of the work in all its parts.
DESIGN IN BIM ENVIRONMENT STRUCTURES – ARCHITECTURE – MEP
BIM stands for “Building Information Modeling” and is defined by the National Institutes of Building Science as the “digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of an object.”
BIM is therefore not a product or a software but a “container of building information” in which to input both graphic data (such as drawings) and specific technical attributes (such as technical specifications and features), including those related to the expected life cycle. In fact, when designing objects such as windows, floors, or walls, it is possible to associate technical information—like thermal transmittance, acoustic insulation, etc.—with the graphical data (wall thickness, height, etc.).
BIM is a collaborative design method because it allows the integration of useful information for every design phase—architectural, structural, MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing), energy-related, and managerial—into a single model. This makes it usable by MEP designers, structural engineers, architects, builders, assemblers, inspectors, and more. The three-dimensional model, therefore, contains information regarding volume and dimensions, materials, appearance, and technical characteristics that are not lost when communicating with other firms or IT platforms.
BIM technology offers multiple advantages such as:
Greater efficiency and productivity
Fewer errors
Reduced downtime
Lower costs
Greater interoperability
Maximum information sharing
More accurate and consistent project control
Additionally, a BIM project allows clients to have a virtual elaboration of the building’s life cycle even after the design phase, making it easier to monitor material aging and better schedule maintenance.
Architectural design must take into account several variables, including:
The urban planning context in which the building will be located
The surrounding environment
The landscape (advantages and disadvantages)
Architectural quality
The design process behind any architectural project is the responsibility of the professional surveyor, who combines construction experience and design creativity with the client’s actual needs. A building becomes, in fact, part of the urban fabric; therefore, understanding the city’s urban context is essential when planning a real estate project.
Structural calculation refers to the set of tools and techniques developed to identify and solve problems concerning the mechanics of architectural structures when designing a new construction or rehabilitating an existing one.
MEP design plays a very important role in civil engineering and architecture, as it involves the engineering of the various planned interventions. Based on the guidelines provided in the detailed design, the construction design is drafted with a general report and any specialist reports, combined with safety and coordination plans and the executive calculations of the systems and structures. The design also includes graphic documentation, including that of environmental remediation works, and the construction schedule. Additionally, the economic framework, cost estimation, and the breakdown of labor costs must be included.
FIRE PREVENTION
The person responsible for preparing the fire prevention project is required to ensure, through the project documentation:
That all fire safety objectives corresponding to the appropriate category are pursued.
That the methods and models of the regulatory tools to be selected and properly employed in support of the fire prevention design are present.
That these methods, models, and regulatory tools are properly implemented.
The designer must assume full responsibility regarding the fire risk assessment. The fire prevention system designer must be a qualified technician (often an engineer) or a certified fire prevention professional (i.e., someone who has passed the exams required by Legislative Decree 139/2006, formerly Law 818/84). In practice, the two professional figures are distinguished by the fact that the qualified technician can only produce part of the documentation to be attached to the SCIA (Certified Notification of Commencement of Activity), as the rest of the certifications accompanying the SCIA require the signature of the certified fire prevention professional, as established by Article 16, paragraph 4, of Legislative Decree 139/2006.
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STRUCTURAL – MEP (MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING) DESIGN
Architectural design is a process aimed at identifying ideal living spaces for the lifestyle of individuals… architecture, in a broad sense, should improve people’s lives.
Architectural design must take into account many variables, including:
The urban planning context in which the building will be constructed;
The environment surrounding the building;
The landscape (its advantages and disadvantages);
The architectural quality.
The design process behind every architectural project is the responsibility of the professional surveyor, who combines construction experience and design creativity with the real needs of the client. A building becomes, in fact, a part of the urban fabric, and for this reason, it is extremely important to understand the urban context of the city where a real estate project is intended to be developed.
Structural calculation refers to the set of tools and techniques developed to identify and solve issues related to the mechanics of architectural structures when designing a new construction or restoring an existing one.
Plant (MEP) design plays a very important role in the field of civil engineering and architecture, as it involves the engineering of the various interventions planned. Based on the guidelines provided in the definitive project, the executive project is drafted with a general report and any specialized reports, together with safety and coordination plans, and the executive calculations for the systems and structures. The design also includes graphic documents, including those related to environmental remediation works, and the work schedule. Furthermore, it must include the economic framework, the detailed cost estimate, and the breakdown of labor costs.
Some of the possible evaluation criteria established by the Code (paragraph 6 of the same article) may require the advice and, sometimes mandatorily, the signature of qualified technicians; improvements in the performance and functional aspects of the work, reduction of usage and maintenance costs, monitoring and control plans for variables, and execution methods are aspects that require particular attention and expertise in order to achieve the desired result.
CADASTRE
GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS
NI.SA. Engineering srl operates in the field of consultancy and studies in the geological-technical sector, as well as in the acquisition and processing of data through laboratory tests and in-situ investigations for non-destructive subsurface exploration, structural diagnostics, and the execution of civil, hydraulic, and environmental engineering works.
Plan-altimetric surveys
Planimetric and altimetric surveys: definition
A Planimetric Survey aims to provide a description of a specific plot of land from a horizontal (planimetric) perspective. An Altimetric Survey is an extension of the planimetric survey, incorporating elevation data (altimetric values) for the various surveyed points.
To determine the cut and fill volumes (excavation and embankment) within a specific area, it is necessary to perform a plan-altimetric survey.
To determine the cut and fill volumes of a given area, it is necessary to carry out a plan-altimetric survey.
To perform a plan-altimetric survey, a more or less extensive series of points on the ground must be identified. These points are generally divided into two categories:
Reference points
Detail points
Reference points are clearly visible and accessible locations that offer a broad view of the terrain to be surveyed. They are called reference points because they are used as the basis for surveying the detail points.
Detail points complete the planimetric survey. The survey involves recording all the characteristic points present on the ground, such as building corners, light poles, property boundaries, manholes, etc. By assigning elevation values to these points, the survey becomes a plan-altimetric one.
After the field survey, the collected data is drafted to obtain a plan-altimetric map as a visual and cartographic representation of the site.
