BUILDING PRODUCTS
THE NCPR: HELPING QUANTITY SURVEYORS REDUCE RISK By Emma Green, NATSPEC Communications
Quantity surveying is a profession built on accuracy. Clients and companies make significant monetary decisions based on quantity surveyors' estimations, and, though there is always a level of risk involved, quantity surveyors have an important role in the construction industry due to their focus on risk reduction. The quality of each design component, major and minor, is important as it affects the overall quality of the construction project. Design components work together to deliver a high standard structure, as building professionals from different domains collaborate to produce high quality projects. One design element cannot rely on the quality of another; it must be of high quality in itself. When quantity surveyors do not have a full
understanding of the project's quality, they cannot perform their role appropriately. An important part of quality is conformity. Products must conform to the relevant Australian and international standards applicable to their usage. Non-conforming building products pose significant problems for building professionals across the construction sector, including quantity surveyors. Non-conforming building products are products that claim to be something they are not, they do not meet the required standards for their intended use, or are marketed or supplied with the intent to deceive those who will use them. They are often discussed alongside non-compliant building products, which are products used in a manner that does not comply with the National Construction Code.
26 - DECEMBER 2019 - BUILT ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIST
A quantity surveyor's assessment of costs will no longer be accurate if postcompletion – six months, one year, ten years later – residents and owners discover faults due to non-conforming products. These products can have significant financial consequences for all parties involved, and significant safety consequences for those living in or using the building. Non-conforming building products cause unexpected high costs for repair and replacement, and possibly litigation. The value of affected properties is likely to decline. Most significantly, nonconforming building products put people's lives in danger. NATSPEC has developed the National Construction Product Register (NCPR) to help the building and construction
