Engineering Services

Technology & Practice, Bridge Engineering

STEEL STRUCTURES

Technical Procedure
OTB-TP-702
Issue 6
27 November 2015

Technology & Practice

Steel Structures

About this release

Title:

Steel Structures

Author of most recent Issue:

H Hatamian

Issue

Date

Revision description

6.0

27/11/2015

Amended to reflect Reform and visual identity and close IR 5919

5.0

29/11/13

Changes as per the internal audit report number 03/2013 dated 7/11/2013
to clauses 3, 5 and 6.4

4.0

27/08/12

Changes as per the internal audit report including updating company and
branch name, removal of SSW, adding author column to this table and
amending clauses 3, 4 and 6.1 to meet the current unit practices

3.0

06/08/10

Revision including daily diary amalgamation

2.0

31/07/08

Changes as discussed and agreed with the Quality Coordinator

1.0

31/07/07

First issued

Authorised by:

Date: DD MM YYYY

V Ponnampalam

27 November 2015

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Technology & Practice

Steel Structures

Contents
1

Purpose............................................................................................................................ 4

Scope ............................................................................................................................... 4

Definitions ....................................................................................................................... 4

Overview .......................................................................................................................... 4

Roles and responsibilities ............................................................................................. 5

5.1

Unit Manager .................................................................................................................... 5

5.2

Manager............................................................................................................................ 5

5.3

The Structural Surveillance Officer (SSO) ........................................................................ 5

Procedure ........................................................................................................................ 5

6.1

Surveillance request ......................................................................................................... 5

6.2

Surveillance preparation ................................................................................................... 6

6.3

Start-up ............................................................................................................................. 6

6.4

Surveillance ...................................................................................................................... 6

6.5

Surveillance findings ......................................................................................................... 7

Reference Documents .................................................................................................... 7

Attachments .................................................................................................................... 7

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Technology & Practice

Steel Structures

Purpose

This procedure describes when and how structural surveillance and technical capability
assessment services are initiated and delivered by Technology and Practice Unit on various Roads
and Maritime Services projects.

Scope

This procedure covers structural surveillance required for the design and development,
construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of bridges and associated structures.
The main areas covered by structural surveillance include material verification, fabrication, welding
and protective treatment of steelwork. It also covers concrete and timber bridgeworks. This
procedure also covers technical capability assessment undertaken for Commercial Branch.
The procedure does not cover general surveillance undertaken by Surveillance Officers under
RMS regional quality management system.

Definitions

Unit Manager

Senior Bridge Engineer (Technology and Practice).

Manager

Bridge Engineer (Steel Structures)

Client

Project Manager or delegate responsible for the design

and development, construction, operation, maintenance
and decommissioning of bridges within Transport for NSW.

Structural surveillance

Targeted surveillance of areas within Transport for NSW

bridgework projects that require structural knowledge and
experience.

Technical Capability Assessment

Specialised technical assessment under either National

Prequalification System for Civil (Road and Bridge)
Construction Contracts or Registration Scheme for
Construction Industry Contractors

Contractor

Includes RMS or TfNSW operation personnel and alliance

contracts involving RMS.

Structural Surveillance Officer (SSO)

An RMS Surveillance Officer or RMS Professional

Engineer capable of carrying out structural surveillance.

ITP

Inspection and Test Plan

RMS

Roads and Maritime Services

Overview

Technology and Practice provides technical support and advice to RMS staff and clients on bridge
engineering methods of inspection, durability, maintenance, construction, design constructability
and rehabilitation. Where an SSO undertakes general surveillance on a project, this is carried out
under the RMS Regional Project Quality Plan.
Technology and Practice undertakes structural surveillance on a per-need basis to:

Help develop project documents and RMS specifications.

Assess the capabilities of contractor for carrying out the works.

Identify and prevent non-conformance in materials, products and processes.

Verify conformity of materials, products and/or processes with specified requirements.

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Ensure that contractors follow the approved project quality plan.

Monitor research or new product development.

Roles and responsibilities

5.1 Unit Manager

Unit Manager is responsible for overall business activities of the unit and advises on the matters of
particular importance as and when requested by the Manager.

5.2 Manager
Manager is responsible for:

Updating Unit Manager as and when required.

Managing promotion, organisation and delivery of structural surveillance service.

Collating requests and assessing need for structural surveillance.

Allocating SSOs to various projects.

Confirming surveillance scope and delegation with clients.

Obtaining and reviewing relevant project documents.

Keeping and updating a Surveillance Request Register.

Deciding on method of disposition of surveillance records.

Reviewing surveillance records, when required.

5.3 The Structural Surveillance Officer (SSO)

The Structural Surveillance Officer is a visitor to a site and is working under the site owners WHS
and environmental management controls. The SSO is responsible for:

Reviewing contractors project quality plan and relevant project documents.

Preparing relevant checklists and reports as applicable.

Using the contractors procedures, ITPs as a guide and a prompt for spot checks on the
contractor.

Reviewing the contractors quality records as deemed necessary.

Identifying non-conformances and raising them in writing with the client.

Producing relevant surveillance records and items for improvement to RMS practices.

Confirming completion of surveillance project to the Manager.

Procedure

6.1 Surveillance request

The Manager shall record all surveillance requests received from clients, in the Surveillance
Request Register.

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Technology & Practice

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In filling out the Surveillance Request Register the Manager shall:

Identify type of work and expert knowledge required for surveillance, eg protective treatment,

welding or concrete.

With the assistance of the SSO, identify project documents required for surveillance.

Update the register as appropriate.

Nominate SSOs for various projects based on their expertise.

Confirm with the client details of the SSO nominated and shall request the client to submit in
writing the authorities and delegation granted to the SSO on the project, where required.

Where possible, the SSO should be appointed prior to work commencing to enable review of
contractors quality plans.

6.2 Surveillance preparation

The SSO shall obtain and examine the project documents. Depending on type and scope of work
the project documents may include:

Project briefs/proposals.

Concept/detailed design drawings.

RMS General and Technical Specifications.

Contractors Quality Plan and Site Management Plan.

Contractors program and work breakdown.

The SSO shall examine the project documents relevant to scope of surveillance. In doing this,
the SSO shall:
Highlight technical deficiencies in project documents and request changes where

appropriate and possible.

Seek clarifications to eliminate ambiguities in the project requirements.

The SSO shall prepare and produce relevant activity checklists, as required.

6.3 Start-up
Prior to commencement of surveillance activities, the SSO shall clarify/confirm the following

matters with the relevant parties on the project:

Surveillance objectives and areas of concern and opportunities.

Methods of communication, delegated functions, and authorities (if applicable).

Technical and non-technical issues impacting on the project.

Records of surveillance objectives, delegated functions and issues impacting the project shall be

recorded in the corporate record keeping system.

6.4 Surveillance
The SSO shall report on daily diary:

Contractor's performance and progress against surveillance scope and/or specified

codes/specifications.

Discussions with the contractor(s) and actions required to be undertaken.

Inspecting activities governed by Hold/Witness Points and outcomes.

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The SSO shall bring to the contractors attention issues of concern which may lead to a nonconforming product or service as early as possible by reporting to the client through the daily diary.
Where the contractor fails to take appropriate action and the non-conformity would negatively
impact on the project, the SSO will initially verbally advise the client of the matter followed with the
daily diary with a copy to the Manager.
Where appropriate, the SSO shall assess proposed dispositions of non-conformities and assist in
the closing out.

6.5 Surveillance findings

The SSO shall use the Daily Dairy Form, OTB-TP-702-F02, to enter surveillance findings including
surveillance issues identified in accordance with clause 6.3. Any relevant photographs taken shall
be entered in the Daily Diary Form.
The SSO shall store copies of the Daily Diary, Photographs and other relevant records in corporate
record system under the relevant asset or project file, as deemed necessary, at the completion of
the project.
The SSO shall keep the client informed of surveillance activities and shall update the client at a
mutually agreed frequency by successively submitting to the client a completed Daily Diary forms
and their supporting documents.

Reference Documents

Surveillance Request Register

OTB-TP-702-F01

Daily Diary Form

OTB-TP-702-F02

Attachments

None

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