Joint Structural Division

Standard for
Structural
Engineering
Services
2nd Edition

SSES2.indd 1 7/20/16 9:39:16 AM

Joint Structural Division

Second Edition

June 2016
Preface

The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) is the world’s largest membership organisation dedicated
to the art and science of structural engineering. The Institution of Structural Engineers is an internationally
recognised source of expertise and information concerning all issues that involve structural engineering
and public safety within the built environment.

The South African Institution of Civil Engineering’s mission is to advance professional knowledge and
improve the practice of civil engineering including structural engineering. The Joint Structural Division
(JSD), a division of these two institutions, was established to advance the theoretical knowledge and
practice of structural engineering, to encourage the improvement of standards and techniques and to
enhance the standing of this branch of the engineering profession.

This Standard for Structural Engineering Services establishes requirements for those responsible for
determining or confirming the structural safety and serviceability performance of structures. It covers the
design of structures, the checking of another structural engineer’s design, condition assessments, the use
of structural engineering software and the certification of structures.

Those persons whose names appear on the JSD’s list of structural engineering professionals are required
to provide services which are aligned with this standard. Developers and owners of structures may
require their employees who perform structural engineering work to so in accordance with provisions of
this standard. Alternatively they may include the standard by reference in the scope of work of contracts
with consultants engaged to do so.

The JSD has also published the following two complimentary publications:

 Good Practice Guide for Structural Engineering which

o establishes ethical values for those engaged in the practice of structural engineering,

o identifies the work performed by structural engineering practitioners;

o suggests that structural engineering practitioners function at one of four distinct levels of
practice;

o categorises structural engineering work in terms of levels of risk;

o outlines the levels of competence required to practice structural engineering, based on level
of risk and type of work; and

o makes recommendations for the practice of structural engineering work.

 Checklist Guide for Structural Engineering Design which:

o provides a checklist for those involved in structural engineering design; and

o highlights common design considerations for foundations and the primary structural
materials (concrete, steel, masonry and timber) and identifies reference standards for
design, materials and construction.

Marelize Visser

Chairperson
Joint Structural Division
 Standard for Structural Engineering Services

Contents
1 SCOPE ................................................................................................................................................. 1
2 DEFINITIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 1
3 REQUIREMENTS................................................................................................................................. 2
3.1 General.......................................................................................................................................... 2
3.2 Design of structures ...................................................................................................................... 3
3.2.1 General.................................................................................................................................. 3
3.2.2 Design information ................................................................................................................ 5
3.2.3 Production information .......................................................................................................... 6
3.2.4 Manufacture, fabrication and construction information ......................................................... 6
3.2.5 Construction, repair or conducting of remedial works ....................................................... 6
3.2.6 Record information ................................................................................................................ 6
3.3 Checking of another structural engineer’s design ......................................................................... 7
3.4 Condition assessments ................................................................................................................. 7
3.5 Use of structural engineering software ......................................................................................... 8
3.6 Certification ................................................................................................................................... 8
Form 1: Structural System Certificate for structural works subject to the National Building Regulations..... 9
Form 2: Certification of Alternative Solutions (Regulation Z4(1)(b)(ii) of National Building Regulations) .. 10
Form 3: Structural works not subject to the National Building Regulations ................................................ 11
Standard for structural engineering services
1 SCOPE
This standard establishes requirements for structural engineers who perform services relating to the
determination or confirmation of the structural safety and structural serviceability performance of
structures during their working life.

This standard covers rational designs, rational assessments, technical inspections, condition
assessments or independent checking of designs (or any combination thereof) of structures other than a
barrier constructed to retain water in order to raise its level or reduce or prevent flooding.

NOTE: Structures include buildings, walls, bridges, water retaining structures including swimming pools, masts,
towers, silos, frameworks, and other similar structures in their construction or alteration to ensure structural safety
and structural serviceability performance during their working life.

2 DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this standard the following terms and definitions apply.

actions: an assembly of concentrated or distributed mechanical forces acting on a structure or the cause
of deformations imposed on the structure or constrained in it

client: the person who makes use of the services of a structural engineer

condition assessment: the evaluation of the present condition of a system or a part thereof in relation to
its behavior in use to fulfill current and future required functions

design life: period of time for which the structure as a whole or a component thereof performs above the
specified level of structural safety and serviceability performance

design working life: design life assumed for the whole structure

international standard: standard that is adopted by an international standardising / standards

organisation

load: value of force corresponding to an action

manufacture, fabrication and construction information: information produced by or on behalf of the

contructor, based on the production information which enables manufacture, fabrication or construction to
take place

maintenance: combination of all technical and associated administrative actions during an item's service
life with the aim of retaining it in a state in which it can perform its required functions

maintenance schedule: series of actions and time intervals between these actions to maintain the levels
of structural safety and serviceability performance of the whole structure over its design working life

national standard: standard that is adopted by a national standards body

production information: the detailing, performance definition, specification, sizing and positioning of all
systems and components enabling either construction (where the contractor is able to build directly from
the information prepared) or the production of manufacturing and installation information for construction

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rational assessment: an assessment of the adequacy of the performance of a design for a proposed, or
an existing, structural system or part thereof including, as necessary, a process of reasoning, calculation
and consideration of accepted analytical principles, based on a combination of deductions from available
information, research and data, appropriate testing and service experience

rational design: any design involving a process of reasoning and calculation based on the use of an
international or national standard or other suitable document

structural durability: capability of a structure or any component to satisfy, with planned maintenance,
the structural design performance requirements over a specified period of time under the influence of the
environmental actions, or a result of a self-ageing process

structural engineer: a professional engineer or a professional engineering technologist registered in

terms of the Engineering Profession Act of 2000 (Act No. 46 of 2000) and who is capable of:

a) communicating the environment within which structural engineering is practiced;

b) producing viable structural solutions, within the scope of a design brief, taking account of structural
stability, durability, aesthetics and cost;

c) determining and documenting the form and size of principal structural elements for a proposed
structure;

d) specifying and co-ordinating the use of primary structural materials; and

e) communicating construction techniques and sequencing for structural engineering

structural safety performance: behaviour of structures under possible actions related to human lives

structural serviceability performance: behaviour of a structure for normal use under all expected
actions that might affect the occupants and the functioning of the structure

structural system: a system of constructional elements and components of a structure which is provided
to resist the loads acting upon it and to transfer such loads to the ground upon which such structure is
founded

structure: organized combination of connected parts designed to provide some measure of rigidity, or a
construction works having such an arrangement

suitable: capable of fulfilling or having fulfilled the intended function or fit for its intended purpose

3 REQUIREMENTS

3.1 General

3.1.1 Structural engineers shall, with an appropriate degree of reliability, determine in accordance with the
provisions of this standard that the whole structure or any of its parts for which they are responsible:

a) maintains strength and stability under all actions likely to occur during the structure’s design
working life;

b) performs within established parameters under all expected actions for normal use in terms of:

1) local damage, including cracking;

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 2) deformation; and

3) vibration; and

c) fulfills its intended safety and serviceability performance in the environment in which it is located
over its design working life when subject to its intended use taking into account the:

1) external and internal environmental agents (including those associated with microclimates
that can arise with structures);

2) maintenance schedule and specified component design life; and

3) changes in form or properties.

3.1.2 Structural engineers shall in providing a professional service:

a) take reasonable care to ensure the quality and safety of all structural engineering work entrusted to
them and adopt a balanced, disciplined and comprehensive approach to problem solving;

b) observe all applicable legislation and statutes;

c) take all reasonable steps to:

1) understand and define the brief with the client; and

2) ensure that the client understands the scope and limitations of the service to be provided;

d) accept personal responsibility for their work and work performed under their supervision or
direction;

e) take reasonable steps to ensure that anyone working under their authority is both competent to
carry out the assigned tasks and likewise accepts personal responsibility for their work;

f) affix their name and any relevant registration number to all production information and record
information of the structure or part thereof for which they have assumed responsibility and sign
such information; and

g) if called upon by an owner of a structure within a period of 10 years after completion of the
structure or part thereof, produce the design information and record information.

3.2 Design of structures

3.2.1 General

Structural engineers when designing structures shall:

a) establish the design working life of structure as a whole and parts thereof and the associated
maintenance strategy in consultation with the client or owner taking into account any legislative
requirements in this regard;

b) review all structural design concepts to determine that the structural concepts are complete,
consistent and in general compliance with any relevant and appropriate or applicable national or
international standards;

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c) consider the risk of the structure being subjected to abnormal loads during its design working life
and where there is a significant risk of such loads occurring, take the effects of the such loads into
account in the design;

d) not include anything in the design of the structure necessitating the use of dangerous procedures
or materials hazardous to the health and safety of persons, which could be avoided by modifying
the design or by substituting materials;

e) ensure that the assumptions made and the level of reliability of rational designs or rational
assessments are such that a peer review of the structural system or part thereof would arrive at a
similar conclusion;

f) ensure that the basic assumptions made in the software used in the analysis and design of
structures or parts thereof (such as adequate lateral restraints) are actually fulfilled in reality;

g) check their work either using another method or by engaging another structural engineer to do so;
and

h) take into account the hazards relating to any subsequent maintenance of the relevant structure and
make provision in the design where possible for that work to be performed safely.

NOTE 1: ISO 10845-3:2009, Houses – Description of performance: Part 3: Structural durability, indicates how three
different maintenance strategies can provide acceptable performance over the design working life of a structure as
illustrated below:

strategy 1 (no maintenance)

Performance
level strategy 2 (with repair)

strategy 3 (with maintenance)

Target performance

Time
Design working life
 

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NOTE 2: ISO 15686-1:2000, Buildings and constructed assets — Service life planning — Part 1: General principles,
suggests the following minimum design lives of buildings in years based on their accessibility for maintenance:

Design Inaccessible or Components where Major Building

working life structural replacement is expensive or replacement services
of building components difficult (including below ground components
drainage)
Unlimited Unlimited 100 40 25
150 150 100 40 25
100 100 100 40 25
60 60 60 40 25
25 25 25 25 25
15 15 15 15 15
10 10 10 10 10
Easy to replace components may have design lives of 3 to 6 years
An unlimited design working life may rarely be used as it significantly reduces design options
 
NOTE 3: The consequences of failure also need to be considered when developing a brief for design working life.
The consequences of failure can be categorised as indicated below (see ISO 15686-1:2000):
 
Category Consequence Example
1 Danger to life Sudden collapse of structure
2 Risk of injury Loose stair tread
3 Danger to health Serious damp penetration
4 Costly repair Extensive scaffolding required
5 Costly because repeated Window hardware replacement
6 Interruption of building use Handling failure
7 Security compromised Broken door latch
8 No exceptional problems Replacement of light fixtures
 
3.2.2 Design information

3.2.2.1 Structural engineers shall ensure that design information is prepared to support all rational
designs and, where relevant, rational assessments. Copies of calculations and inputs and relevant
outputs of any computer analysis shall be filed as well as description of the software used, the design
assumptions that are made, the loads that were applied, the design criteria and the relevant geotechnical
information upon which the design is based.

3.2.2.2 Structural engineers shall file the following together with associated design information:

a) a foundation loading schedule which states the magnitude and direction of all foundation loads for
each specific load case and indicates the load factors that have been applied; and

b) test results, certificates of material strengths and other relevant data.

NOTE: The Joint Structural Division’s Code of Guide to Good Practice for Structural Engineering provides guidance
on the preparation of design calculations.

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3.2.3 Production information

3.2.3.1 Structural engineers shall ensure that adequate production information is prepared to enable the
structure to be constructed in a manner that design intent is met. Such information shall unambiguously
indicate the locations, sizes and connections of the structural elements in sufficient detail to enable, as
relevant, their fabrication, construction or assembly in a reasonable sequence by a competent constructor
familiar with the techniques of construction for the specified structural materials. It shall also indicate the
quality of the components and where necessary all member forces which are required for the design of
end connections.

3.2.3.2 Structural engineers shall ensure that constructors are provided with suitable structural
specifications for all structural materials. Such specification shall include requirements for materials,
workmanship, fabrication, quality control, tolerances, inspection and testing.

3.3.3.3 Structural engineers shall where necessary, ensure that the constructor is provided with relevant
information for temporary works, construction activities and sequencing and geotechnical information to
ensure its safe construction.

3.3.3.4 Structural engineers shall ensure that any revisions, updates or new versions of production
information issued to constructors for fabrication or construction purposes are identified by a unique
number or other form of designation.

3.2.4 Manufacture, fabrication and construction information

3.2.4.1 Structural engineers shall review any construction or erection method statements relating to the
structural system provided by the constructor and promptly communicate in writing to the constructor one
of the following:

a) acceptance of the statement;

b) qualified acceptance of the statement citing the actions that need to be taken to achieve
acceptance of the statement; or

c) rejection of the statement citing the reasons for such rejection so that a revised statement can be
submitted.

3.2.4.2 Structural engineers, shall in respect of designs which incorporate structural steelwork or
structural timber, ensure that any connection detail and drawings prepared by a fabricator are reviewed to
ensure that the design has been correctly interpreted and that design intent is met.

3.2.5 Construction, repair or conducting of remedial works

The structural engineer shall in relation to the construction, repair or conducting of remedial works of the
structural system or part thereof conduct inspections at such intervals as may be necessary in
accordance with accepted practice to satisfy himself or herself that the design is being correctly
interpreted and the work is being executed generally in accordance with the designs, appropriate
construction techniques and good practice excluding the detailed supervision and day-to-day inspection.

3.2.6 Record information

3.2.6.1 The structural engineer shall ensure that the record information of the structures for which they
are responsible contain information on the following as relevant:

a) the design life and maintenance schedule;

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b) the design standards that were applied;

c) the loads which the structure was designed to withstand;

d) the key geotechnical parameters used in the design;

e) the basic engineering properties of the construction materials that were used; and

f) the construction standards that were used.

3.2.6.2 The record information shall include any certificates issued in terms of 3.6.

3.3 Checking of another structural engineer’s design

3.3.1 A structural engineer who checks the work of another structural engineer should, subject to the
consent of the client, inform such engineer of their appointment and, if possible, all those responsible for
the original design so that they are able to freely discuss and resolve all pertinent matters.

3.3.2 If the checking engineer finds a problem in a design which he or she is unable to resolve, the
reason why it is a problem shall be clearly stated and the client advised accordingly.

3.3.3 The checking engineer should obtain another opinion if the original design is considered to be
seriously at fault.

3.4 Condition assessments

3.4.1 Condition assessments may comprise one or more of the following activities, as relevant:

a) technical inspection to evaluate the state of or to assess the maintenance needs of the structure as
a whole or a part thereof including as necessary:

1) visual inspection;.
2) the reviewing of asset management plans to identify relevant information;
3) the gathering of information from maintenance records and communicating with maintenance
personnel and users to understand the complexity of the structure to be assessed and any
maintenance issues;
4) the capturing of visual images on electronic or other media;
5) physical measurements of components;
6) non-destructive testing; and
7) collection or confirmation of asset data;

b) determining actions to mitigate any immediate risk until remedial works (or other actions) can be
taken to address problems;

c) the drafting of specification for repairs and remedial works;

d) the assessment of the stability of the structure as a whole or a part thereof; or

e) re-certification of the structural safety performance or serviceability performance of the structures

assessed, particularly where the usage has changed or may change and the structure requires a
fresh analysis.

3.4.2 The structural engineer undertaking a condition assessment shall promptly notify the client and
owner of the structure of any structural condition that he or she may encounter which can compromise the
safety of users of the structure.

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3.4.3 The structural engineer shall draft a report on the findings of his or her assessment in such a
manner that its content is understandable to non-structural engineers. Such a report shall, as necessary,
include any recommended actions and associated time frames for executing and completing such
actions. It shall also document the evidence and rationale for arriving at the findings in such a manner
that a review by another structural engineer can result in similar findings and recommendations.

NOTE: The Government Immoveable Asset Management Act of 2007 (Act No. 19 of 2007) requires that an asset
management plan developed by the custodian include a condition assessment of immoveable assets.

3.5 Use of structural engineering software

3.5.1 Structural engineers should only use structural engineering software in the analysis and design of
structures or parts thereof that have been independently validated or have been obtained from a software
supplier that has in place a quality assurance program and has evidence of software validation that
substantiates the veracity of the outputs.

3.5.2 Structural engineers in making use of structural engineering software in the analysis and design
of structures shall ensure that:

a) the software is used within the limitations stated by the software developer and the modelling
techniques upon which the software is based;

b) the applied actions are correctly determined and modelled;

c) the dimensions of members and layouts are consistent with the construction drawings;

d) parameter settings and selections including member sizes, member properties, connections
between members, supports and restraints, appropriately and reliably model the behaviour and
expected performance of the structure, the member sizes, properties and connections between
members; and

e) account is taken of any construction actions, construction techniques or sequences in construction

in the modelling of the structure.

3.5.3 Structural engineers should conduct an independent check of the output of software programmes
to determine that the structure as modelled is in equilibrium.

3.6 Certification
3.6.1 A structural engineer, when required to do so, certify compliance with legislative requirements
when called upon to do so.

NOTE: Structural engineers are required by legislation to:

 certify the structural system of a building or home in terms of the National Building Regulations and Building
Standards Act 103 of 1977 or the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act 95 of 1998, respectively;
 report in terms of the Sectional Titles Act 95 of 1986 on the general physical condition of building with specific
reference to any defects in the buildings and the services and facilities relating thereto; and
 inspect a completed structure prior to its commissioning and issue a completion certificate to the contractor
and conduct an annual inspection of a completed structure in accordance with the provisions of the
Construction Regulations issued in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations of 2013.

3.6.2 A structural engineer shall provide a certificate of completion whenever a new structure is
constructed or altered using Form 1, Form 2, Form 3 or the equivalence thereof, as relevant, and include
such information in the record information.

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Form 1: Structural System Certificate for structural works subject to the
National Building Regulations
(Provide if a rational design or rational assessment of the structure is required in terms of Regulations A(1)(3), A23(4) or the
structural aspects of Parts J, H, K, L or M of the National Building Regulations is satisfied by is satisfied by means of a rational
design or rational assessment i.e. not solely in terms of the rules contained in Parts J, H, K, L or M of SANS 10400)

Project title
Project number
Buildings and associated siteworks
covered by certificate (describe)
Occupancy / Building classification(s) (see Regulation A20)

I hereby certify as required by Section 14(2)(a) of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, 1977
(Act No. 103 of 1977) that the structural system for which I am responsible has, to the best of my knowledge, been
designed and constructed / erected / installed satisfies the requirements of the National Building Regulations and is in
accordance with the production information that was issued to the contractor to enable construction or the production of
manufacturing and installation information for construction.

I furthermore confirm the following:

1 Key geotechnical parameters used in the design

(State)

2 Design and construction of structural elements

(Delete elements which do not apply, provide separate tabulations for each element)
Roof / Walls / Floors / Staircases / Foundations / Facades
Design standard applied
Loads (outline)
Basic engineering properties of structural materials
Construction standards applied
Tests (state type, frequency, range of results and
comment on implications of non-compliances)
Critical assumptions, if any

3 Design carried out by other competent persons in terms of Regulation A19(8)

I confirm that the design of the following elements of the structural system were carried out under my direction by the
following other competent persons in terms of Regulation A19(8):

(Complete if parts of the system were designed by others)

Element Name Professional registration no

............................. Date ........

Signature of Approved Competent Person responsible for
the structural system in its entirety (Regulation A19(7) and A19(8)

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Professional registration number: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Registration council: ECSA

(Insert number)

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Form 2: Certification of Alternative Solutions (Regulation Z4(1)(b)(ii) of
National Building Regulations)
(Provide if Regulation AZ4 is satisfied by reliably demonstrating, or predicting with certainty, to the satisfaction of the appropriate
local authority, that an adopted building solution has an equivalent or superior performance to a solution that complies with the
requirements of the relevant part of SANS 10400.)

Project title
Project number
Buildings covered by certificate (describe)
Aspect of building covered by alternative
Solution
Occupancy / Building classification(s) (see Regulation A20)

I hereby certify that the performance of the solution for (describe) has an equivalent or superior
performance to a solution that complies with the requirements of SANS 10400- (insert part of SANS 10400)

My reasons for such certification is that (outline motivation for statement)

............................. Date ........

Signature of Competent Person responsible for preparing a Submission to the Local Authority in terms of
Regulation AZ4

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Professional registration number: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Registration council: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Insert number)

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Form 3: Structural works not subject to the National Building Regulations
(delete that which does not apply and complete where such works are not covered by National Building Regulations)

Project title
Project number
Works covered by certificate (describe)

I hereby certify that the works for which I am responsible has, to the best of my knowledge been designed and
constructed / erected / installed in accordance with all statutory requirements and is generally in accordance with
the production information that was issued to the contractor to enable construction or the production of
manufacturing and installation information for construction.

I furthermore confirm that the design and construction of such work were in accordance with the following:

Design standard applied

Critical design parameters
Basic engineering properties of
materials / type of materials
Construction standards applied
Tests (state type, frequency,
range of results and comment on
implications of non-compliances)
Critical assumptions, if any

Signature of professional responsible for the design of the structure

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Professional registration number: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Registration council: ECSA

(Insert number)

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 Joint Structural Division

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