In our line of work two of the most common deliverables are reports and repair designs. These documents are related, but distinct. They serve different purposes and are for different audiences. In this post we want to clear up some common misconceptions and explain when you need each one.
What are reports?
We use reports to communicate the results of our work.
Often this means presenting the findings of a failure investigation or condition assessment, and explaining what they mean. We might also use a report to document what we saw during a construction phase site visit, or our opinions regarding a construction dispute.
The defining characteristic of a report is it is mostly retrospective. The bulk of a report focuses on events and conditions that already exist.
The culmination of a report is often one or more recommendations. These recommendations are the fulcrum where the focus begins to shift to the future. They’re typically conceptual and meant to offer general guidance for the next phase of work.
Report recommendations usually require a lot more work to be effectively actionable. Think of report recommendations as seeds—they need careful planting and cultivation before they’re ready for harvest.
Reports often have a wide audience, including almost any current or future project stakeholder. As such, it’s best to write them using language that a layperson can easily understand.
What are repair designs?
Repair designs communicate a detailed plan of how to implement recommendations.
Usually repair designs are communicated via drawings and specifications, as these types of documents are well suited to conveying the kind of detailed information that is essential to effective repair designs.
Repair designs provide detailed guidance for implementing a conceptual approach. Through a structured design development process a designer thoroughly expands conceptual ideas into precise, actionable steps.
The design development process that ends with the creation of construction drawings and specifications is the planting and cultivation of the report recommendation seeds.
The drawings and specifications of a repair design are typically used by people with specialized, technical training. As such, they can include highly detailed, technical information.
Are repair designs always necessary?
Yes.
Someone is always the designer.
The critical insight here is that someone is designing every repair. Someone is taking a concept—a rough idea—and converting that into specific actions.
These specifics include material choices, installation methods, expected service life, and maintenance requirements.
Let’s use an example.
A report finding and conceptual recommendation might be something like “the roof is near the end of its useful service life; plan to replace the roof within the next 1-2 years”.
Someone needs to take that rough idea and flesh it out into an actual design. “Replace the roof” is not a design.
Someone is going to decide:
- single ply, multi-ply, or fluid-applied roof membrane
- how much and what kind of insulation
- need a thermal barrier?
- what about cover board?
- how air and water vapor are controlled
- the right manufacturers and product lines for all of the materials
- if the existing structure has adequate capacity
- what the wind loads are
- how the roofing materials will be attached to the structure to resist those wind loads
- how to make the roofing watertight at terminations (edges) and penetrations (like pipes and whatnot)
- how to deal with existing or new rooftop equipment
- what kind of drains to use, and if there are enough of them
- what kind of QA/QC is required during and after construction
- …and much more
In some cases these decisions are made by design professionals like engineers, architects, or roof consultants. Other times they’re made by contractors or manufacturers.
But someone is deciding. Someone is always the designer.
What’s the value of good design?
Good design translates an idea into actionable steps. It leverages the specific knowledge and experience of the designer.
A lot of things get figured out during the process of design development. It’s not possible to skip to the end. The process is the way to figure out the answers.
Skipping or short-changing the design process means some of the answers are just guesses. Let’s use another example.
Too often we see roofs that have been replaced without anyone ever calculating the wind uplift forces. No one figured out how hard the wind is expected to pull on the roof at that particular site.
Yet someone still decided what fasteners to use and how often to put them. Maybe they used the same approach as the last project. Maybe they did what the manufacturer required to get a warranty (which is a risk management tool, not a design standard).
But someone made those design decisions.
That’s not engineering design, that’s guessing.
A report is not a design.
Remember: a report is meant to convey findings and a conceptual path forward. No matter what, someone will need to develop the design from there.
Professional engineering reports and repair designs
Do you have a building-related problem or failure? We would be pleased to help you diagnose the root cause, identify appropriate options to mitigate the issues, and design reliable long-lasting repairs.
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