matrix of responsibility of the engineering team - Board of Engineers ...

MATRIX OF RESPONSIBILITY OF 

THE ENGINEERING TEAM 

by 

Ir. Chen Thiam Leong 

Past President ACEM 

Kuching 31 st July 2010

WHO CONSTITUTE 

THE ENGINEERING TEAM ? 

The Building Industry players:- 

1. C & S team 

2. M & E team

The Engineering Team Members 

• Qualified Person 

• Submitting Person 

• Design Engineer 

• Resident Engineer 

• Project Engineer 

• Clerk of Works 

• Main Contractor 

• Trade Contractors 

• Principal Submitting Person

MATRIX OF RESPONSIBILITY 

CCC or CFO or OP 

• Who is liable? 

• Who is responsible? 

• Who is accountable?

The Building Construction Matrix 

Design 

Engineer 

Engineering 

Assistant 

DESIGN STAGE 

Submitting Person 

IR 

Submit 

for 

Approval


Resident 

Engineer 

COWs 

CONSTRUCTION STAGE 


IR 

Main/Trade 

Contractors 

Sub 

Contractors

Liability? 


Accountability? 

POST CONSTRUCTION STAGE 

Resident 

Engineer 

COWs 


IR 

Main/Trade 

Contractors 

Responsibility? 

Accountability? 

Professional 

Liability 

for Life 

Sub 

Contractors 

???

THE SUBMITTING PERSON 

• When does the responsibility and 

professional liability begin? And end? 

Can it be for Design only ? 

Construction stage only ? 

What if Supervision is by Others ? 

Design NOT Supervise BUT sign CCC ? 

Any other permutations ?

CCC Master 

Flow-chart 

Submission to 

Technical depts 

R & D 

Street Lighting 

Landscape 

Liaise with 

Authorities to 

take over 

Planning Approved 

Pre-Comp Plan Approved 

Submission by 

AR/IR on Bldg Plan 

Planning Dept 

Structural Plan 

Sub-struct/Foundation 

Int Sanitary 

Issue CCC 

Passive Fire 

Int Water 

Active Fire 

Lift Etc 

Submission by IR 

for Infra Works 

Earthworks 

Ext Main Drains 

Ext Water Ret 

Sewerage Ret 

Ext Electrical Infra 

Telecommunication 

Completion of construction – certification by builder, tradesmen, IR, AR 

Liaise with 

Authorities to 

take over

Forms F’s and G’s 

• Form E replaced by Form F or F1 

• Forms G1 to G21- must be submitted together 

with either Form F or F1 

• Forms Gs serve to track those responsible, 

accountable and liable – THE MATRIX OF 

RESPONSIBILITY

“UNIFORM BUILDING BY-LAWS 1984 

FORM F 

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AND COMPLIANCE 

[By -Law 25] 

To: 

*…………………………………. 

Date:…………………….. 

I hereby issue the Certificate of Completion and Compliance for the building/s 

on Lot/s………........ Section......……… Jalan................................................... 

upon being satisfied that it has been completed in accordance with approved 

plan No. ................. dated ....................... 

I have supervised the erection and completion of the building/s and it is to the 

best of my knowledge and belief that such work/s is/are in accordance with the 

Act, Uniform Building By-laws 1984 and approved plans. I hereby certify that 

the building/s is/are safe and fit for occupation. 

…………………………………… 

(Principal submitting person)

1. Particulars of principal submitting person 

Name : ………………….………………………………………….. 

Address: .……………..………………………………………………. 

**BAM/BEM Registration No. ……..............................…………….. 

2. Copy to: 

(a) Local Authority : ...………………........................................ 

(Name of Local Authority) 

(b) Board of Architects Malaysia (BAM)/Board of Engineers 

Malaysia (BEM) 

* The developer, if it is for development other than individually built 

buildings or, the owner, if it is for an individually built building 

** Delete whichever is inapplicable. 

___________________________________________________”, and 

(c) by inserting after Form F the following forms:

UNIFORM BUILDING BY-LAWS 1984 

FORM G 1 

STAGE CERTIFICATION : EARTHWORKS 

(By-law 25 or 27) 

Project Title: ..................................................................... 

*1. We certify that we have supervised and/or carried out the construction and 

completion of the earthworks and that to the best of our knowledge and belief 

such works are in accordance with the Approved Earthwork Plans Ref. No. : 

……………………….. and that we accept full responsibility for the same. 

Name (Individual) #Registration No. Signature 

(a) Contractor ............................ ........................... .................... 

(CIDB) (Date: ) 

(b) Submitting person ............................ ........................... ..................... 

(BEM) (Date: ) 

I


FORM G 4 

STAGE CERTIFICATION : STRUCTURAL 

(By-law 25 or 27) 

Project Title: ......................................................................... 

* We certify that we have supervised and/or carried out the erection and 

completion of the structural works and that to the best of our knowledge and 

belief such works are in accordance with the Deposited Structural Plans Ref. 

No. : ................................. and that we accept full responsibility for the same. 


(a) Contractor ............................ ........................... .................... 

(CIDB) (Date: ) 

(b) Submitting person ............................ ........................... ..................... 

(BEM) (Date: )


FORM G 5 

STAGE CERTIFICATION : INTERNAL WATER PLUMBING 

(By-law 25 or 27) 

Project Title: ................................................................... 

*1. We certify that we have supervised and/or carried out the erection and 

completion of the internal water plumbing works and that to the best of our 

knowledge and belief such works are in accordance with the *approved 

plans/Deposited Plans Ref. No. : ........................................... and that we 

accept full responsibility for the same. 


(a) Trade contractor ............................ ........................... ..................... 

(Licensed plumber) +( ) (Date: ) 

(b) Submitting Person ............................ ................................ ......................... 

(*BAM/BEM) (Date: )

FORM F 

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AND COMPLIANCE 

FORM F1 

PARTIAL CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AND 

COMPLIANCE 

FORM G 1 (Approved Plans) 

STAGE CERTIFICATION : EARTHWORKS 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : SETTING OUT 

FORM G 3 (Deposited Plans) 

STAGE CERTIFICATION : FOUNDATIONS 

FORM G 4 (Deposited Plans) 

STAGE CERTIFICATION : STRUCTURAL

FORM G 5 (Approved/Deposited Plans) 

STAGE CERTIFICATION : INTERNAL WATER 

PLUMBING 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : INTERNAL SANITARY 

PLUMBING 

FORM G 7 (Submitting person’s Endorsed Plans) 

STAGE CERTIFICATION : INTERNAL ELECTRICAL 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : FIRE-FIGHTING (PASSIVE) 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : FIRE-FIGHTING (ACTIVE) 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : MECHANICAL VENTILATION


STAGE CERTIFICATION : LIFT/ESCALATOR 

INSTALLATION 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : BUILDING 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : EXTERNAL WATER SUPPLY 

SYSTEM 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : SEWERAGE RETICULATION 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : SEWERAGE TREATMENT 

PLANT 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : EXTERNAL ELECTRICAL 

SUPPLY SYSTEM 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : ROAD AND DRAIN


STAGE CERTIFICATION : STREET LIGHTING 

FORM G 19 (Approved) 

STAGE CERTIFICATION : EXTERNAL MAIN DRAIN 


STAGE CERTIFICATION : TELECOMMUNICATION 

FORM G 21 (Approved) 

STAGE CERTIFICATION : LANDSCAPE

Building Services (M&E) Failures – 

“How extensive is this problem in 

Malaysia ?”

• Engineering Failures: Building Services 

engineers (M&E) are a lucky lot compared 

to their (C&S) brethrens 

• The fault of the engineer (be it the designer, 

installer or supervisor) can hardly be 

disputed when a landslide or building 

structure collapses 

• One and/or the other of these relevant 

engineering professionals will be held 

responsible and accountable 

• The call for someone’s head to roll is 

normally associated with such failures 

especially when there are human fatalities 

• These failures are almost always visible and 

cannot be swept under the carpet

• Difficult and usually cumbersome, if not 

almost inconclusive to establish who is at 

fault when an M&E failure occurs 

• Only rarely is there a fatality (or even 

casualty) and even then it is more likely to 

be established to be due to human error 

(operational fault) 

• Therefore, it is not surprising to perceive 

that M&E failures are not prevalent, 

including in our local industry 

• Does not mean that the nation should be at 

ease with our track record because whilst 

injury and lives may not be at stake, 

unnecessary monetary losses can affect our 

national economy and progress

• Whenever there is need to establish the 

party responsible for a particular M&E 

failure, the end-user is “short-changed” 

• In recognizing the need to address this 

fundamental service to the community at 

large, the ACEM-IEM Panel of Experts was 

set up in 2000, which includes a register of 

M&E experts side by side with C&S 

engineers

ENGINEERING FAILURES 

• Earliest tragic building industry failure in 

Malaysia: the 1968 collapse of the 4-Storey Jalan 

Raja Laut Flats in Kuala Lumpur, which 

contributed to the subsequent gazetting of UBBL 

1984 

• Most devastating ‘failure’ was undoubtedly the 

Highland Towers tragedy in 2003 

• Both relate to C&S engineering failures with 

fatalities that led to wide spread media coverage 

and White Papers 

• Other less ‘impactful’ failures are the Defence 

Bunker, MRR2, Matsushita bridge, roof 

structure collapses and so on 

• All these C&S failures made it to the news since 

such failures are rather obvious and visible

• What about M&E failures ? 

• Building fires immediately come to mind, such as 

the Campbell Complex fire, the series of Subang 

Airport fires, the Bank Bumiputra fire, Bright 

Sparklers fire, UM Hall fire, and so on 

• However, none of these are ever classified as M&E 

engineering failures but rather as purely fire 

incidents and “avoidable tragedies” 

• Next list: the ‘Hospital Mould’ fiasco, TNB Substation 

explosions, Elevator mishaps etc 

• Here again it is not conclusive to pin these failures 

decisively on M&E engineering per se

• Therefore, it is true that M&E engineers tend to 

get away rather easily, especially when there are 

no human casualties but merely financial 

setbacks 

• Nonetheless, it cannot be disputed that there 

have indeed been significant failures (or errors) 

attributed to M&E engineering in this country

LOCAL MODUS OPERANDI 

• In general, (potential) failures of M&E 

installations can occur during the following 

stages (or a combination) of the building 

construction industry; 

Design stage 

Supervision stage 

Installation stage (including procurement) 

Testing & Commissioning stage 

Operation stage 

Maintenance stage

EXAMPLES OF M&E 

FAILURES

DOWNCOMER PROBLEM 

• Lack of water pressure for fire fighting at 

topmost floor of an apartment block 

• When a fire broke out at the topmost floor of a 

20 storey apartment block, there was 

insufficient water pressure at the landing valves 

to fight the fire although the Downcomer fire 

riser system was in proper working order

20 Storey 

Apartment 

Building 

10000gal 

Downcomer 

Water Tank 

on roof top 

= 80m

• Was this a case of design fault ? 

• No, because UBBL ’84 (& SBO ’94), permits 

the installation of a Downcomer system instead 

of a pressurized Wet Riser system 

• This has resulted in the lack of adequate water 

pressure for the upper floors where it is most 

needed in times of emergency 

• (Note that with or without the Downcomer 

system, the lower floors can be easily served by 

the Fire Tender) 

• The industry will sooner than later need to 

address this issue for a permanent solution

20 Storey 

Apartment 

Building 

Hose Pressure 

75 psi 

only 

at 13F & below 

10000gal 

Downcomer 

Water Tank 

on roof top 

>13F water 

Pressure 

NOT ok 

Fire sprinkler failure during a hotel fire 

• When a fire broke out on the upper floor of a 

high rise hotel, the sprinkler bulb broke but 

water only dripped out although the sprinkler 

pump was working 

• Clearly there was insufficient water pressure and 

all fingers pointed to an under-sized sprinkler 

pump

• Subsequent investigation uncovered the 

following embarrassment; 

– The hotel was designed with a 2-stage 

sprinkler pumping system and both designs 

are in compliance with the relevant codes and 

standards 

– The upper stage sprinkler pump was 

unfortunately connected to the lower stage 

sprinkler riser, and the lower stage pump to 

the upper stage riser, with the end result of 

one being over-pressurised and the other 

under-pressurised

• There was no design error but rather the failure 

of proper supervision of installation and 

commissioning 

• Hopefully, such an error will never be repeated, 

and fortunately there was no human casualty in 

this fire

Diners smelling like the food 

• Diners patronizing a 5-star restaurant 

complained that their expensive clothing smelled 

like the food they ate 

• Such a problem is common with low-end shoplot 

type restaurants which are air-conditioned 

with low budget split units but certainly 

avoidable for high end restaurants with a 

properly designed air-conditioning and 

ventilation system

Split fan 

Coil unit 

Conditioned air recirculated 

No fresh air introduced

Supply air duct 

AHU / FCU 


with fresh air introduced 

Fresh air duct 

Return air

• The problem was traced to defective installation 

rather than the original design 

• In this instance, the resident project manager 

modified the design when encountered with 

space constraint to install the supply and exhaust 

fans 

• The lack of sufficient air-change resulted in the 

‘undiluted’ recirculated conditioned air to be 

absorbed by the clothing of the patrons (together 

with its odour)

exhaust 

Supply air duct 

AHU / FCU 


with fresh air introduced 

Fresh air duct 

Return air

BEM Circulars (13) 

• Submission of Plans by Architects, Professional 

Engineers and Registered Building Draughtsmen 

• Supervision of Construction of Projects 

• A Guide to Good Engineering Practice for M&E 

Engineers 

• Guidelines for An Engineer Taking Over The 

Work of Another

END 

THANK YOU

matrix of responsibility of the engineering team - Board of Engineers ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?