The dffect of the building control (amendment) regulations 2014 on small construction projects in Ireland

Authors

Monahan, Andrew

Issue Date

2015

Degree

MA of Business Administration

Publisher

Dublin Business School

Rights

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Abstract

The introduction of the new Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (BC(A)R) has been a major change in how construction projects are managed and certified. There are very limited studies on the topic so the author decided to take an in-depth look into the effect BC(A)R has had on small construction projects such as one off houses and extensions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects both positive and negative BC(A)R has had to determine if it has been an overall positive or negative development. To do this eight semi-structured interviews were carried out with all of the main professional groups affected by the change in Regulations. The professional groups consisted of Architects, Engineers, Building Surveyors and Builders/Contractors. The findings were firstly analysed per professional group under categories such as cost, quality, and schedule. Also the options the Minister for Environment tabled for review to change BC(A)R and the proposals he has since decided to implement are discussed. Then the overall findings were discussed and conclusions were determined. The conclusions found from this study are that BC(A)R has increased quality which means that building standards and compliance with the Regulations has increased which was the main purpose of the new Regulations. The overall opinion of BC(A)R is that it is a very welcomed step forward but it is just a step and there are many more improvements required before issues like Priory Hall can be prevented from ever happening again. Also it was determined that costs have increased by approximately 1% of the total project cost and this does not match the “outlandish charges” the Minister states. The options put forward by the Minister and the changes he has decided to implement have been universally seen as a backwards step and not welcomed by the professionals interviewed in this study.It is this authors hope that this study sheds some much needed light on BC(A)R so that an overall balanced view of the subject is formulated prior to knee jerk reactions and conclusions being taken on the subject. It is also the hope of the author that the Minister reconsiders the changes he plans to implement which will make BC(A)R optional for one off houses and extensions as this is seen as a backwards step that will lead to worse quality of building and increased non-compliance with the regulations. Author Keywords: Construction, Construction regulations, building control, construction projects, regulations