BUILDING SYSTEM DESIGN
Second Semester
AY 2021-22
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION
Compiled by:
NOVIE M. HABIATAN, RCE
FACULTY
CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Page 1 of 7
RATIONALE
Building design documentation is a set of documents which are necessary for
the building and use of a construction work or a part thereof, including
specifications, technical drawings, instructions on maintenance and other
relevant documents (explanatory diagrams, tables and charts for drawings,
expert opinions and survey reports and other documents). In addition to other
information, the building design documentation contains technical
specifications submitted to the local government for application of the written
approval, building permit and authorization for use.
The building design documentation must enable to check the conformance
of the construction work to the requirements established for the construction
works in the laws and legislation established based on them.
The building design documentation is prepared based on the client requests
and needs, terms of reference given by the client and in accordance with the
comprehensive plan, detailed plan or design specifications and restrictions of
the immovable, if any.
MODULE CONTENT
Technical Documentation
o Space Planning
o Calculations
o Specifications
o Quantity Survey and Cost Estimates
o Building Permit
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
o The students will develop the ability to make such technical
documentation required for the building design and the execution of
construction projects.
LABAORATORY ACTIVITIES
Page 2 of 7
OVERVIEW
Based on the nature of the building, the building design documentation
generally contains the following parts in relevant precision: General
arrangement part, architectural part, fire safety part, structural part, heating
and ventilation part, water supply and sewage part, electrical installation
part, gas supply part and other significant parts related to the building, if
appropriate.
Parts of the building design documentation are prepared based on the
provisions of laws (codes and regulations), other legislation and technical
norms, standards, design work or other norms or descriptions which use is
agreed upon.
Documents of the building design documentation supplement each other. In
case of discrepancies between different documents of the building design
documentation, the text of the specifications shall prevail, followed by the
drawings and other documents included in the building design
documentation.
If all required information is specified in the drawings of the operational
building design documentation stage as references and notes, it is not
mandatory to submit specifications, tables, charts and other documents
providing additional information. If the specifications are not submitted, then
in case of discrepancies the drawings shall prevail, followed by other
documents within the building design documentation.
o SPACE PLANNING
Space planning is an in-depth analysis of how physical space is used in
structures. It considers the purpose of spaces and who will use them. Space
planning is a process that takes several steps, and it's an important
component for the work of designers, architects and engineers. Space
planning helps ensure efficient use of space without wasting it.
 Some of the key processes to space planning:
1. Collect information/conduct validation
o Location of site
o Family size and structure
o Family or individual interests/activities
Some of the aspects to be considered:
o Do the spaces have specific functions or need to be particular
shapes or forms?
o Do the spaces need to be flexible?
o Is it possible to create a sequence of spaces (offices, museums for
example)?
o Do the spaces have different requirements in terms of light,
ventilation, view, accessibility?
o Do the spaces need to have access external spaces?
o Must any of the spaces have particular security or privacy?
Page 3 of 7
o How should the spaces be connected?
o Which rooms need to be adjacent to one another and which rooms
need to be apart?
 The more information and data that can be collected in these earlier
stages, the easier it will be to make the leap from data to diagrams and
drawings as you proceed the space planning process.
2. Interpret requirements
Develop plan requirements from the data gathered.
o CALCULATION
Structural Calculation
They are the math behind your building’s ability to stay upright. Engineers
use them to determine the loads that a building must withstand and the
properties of members that comprise its structure. These include piers, piles,
footings, columns, joists, beams, slabs, trusses, and rafters, as well the
various connection mechanisms that hold the structure together.
o Budget perspective
o Processing permit
How Structural Calculations Fit into the Design Process
Architectural planning is the first stage of the design process. This phase gives
you-the client-a chance to share your vision with the architect, and
communicate your intentions regarding the building’s appearance, function,
and cost. The architect then interpolates your conceptions into the design and
lays them out in a set of drawings.
The next step is to design a structure that can support the building’s
architectural features. The engineers in charge of this process will perform
several calculations during this process.
First, engineers must predict what loads they expect to act on the building.
Referred to as specified loads, these include:

live loads, which are imposed by the occupants, furniture, vehicles, and
equipment

dead loads, caused by the weight of the building itself
loads inflicted by the forces of nature, such as wind, earthquakes, and
snow
Engineers can find most of these loads in National Structural Code of the
Philippines.

Next, engineers must work out the design loads - the loads they intend the
structure to handle. These are higher than specified loads, as buildings are
typically designed to withstand more loads than they are likely to bear.
Page 4 of 7
With loads established, engineers can design the structure. At this stage,
building code dimension tables will be used to find out the appropriate sizes
of structural members. These tables allow the user to arrive at unknown
variables, such as the depth of a beam or the width of a column, by looking
up established values, such as dead and live loads.
Engineers will also calculate members’ stiffness and strength. Stiffness refers
to a member’s ability to resist deformation when subjected to a force. Stiffness
is expressed as a ratio of force to deformation, and is measured in pounds per
inch when the force is tensile or compressive, or pounds per degree for
rotational, shear, and torsional forces.
A material’s strength tells us the maximum load that it can withstand before
deforming or failing. To arrive at a member’s strength, engineers would
calculate its bending or shear stress, depending on what stresses are expected
to act on the member.
Once the structural design is complete and sent for plan check review by your
local building department, the correctness of structural calculations will
become an important factor in streamlining the permit process.
o SPECIFICATIONS
Specifications for a building project are written descriptions, and the drawings
are a diagrammatic presentation of the construction work required for that
project. The drawings and specifications are complementary.
Specifications are addressed to the prime contractor. Presenting a written
description of the project in an orderly and logical manner, they are organized
into divisions and sections representing, in the opinion of the specification
writer, the trades that will be involved in construction.
Sample content of Specifications:
1. General Requirements
2. Site Work
3. Concrete
4. Masonry
5. Metals
6. Woods and Plastics
7. Thermal and Moisture Protection
8. Doors and Windows
9. Finishes
10. Specialties
11. Equipment
12. Furnishings
13. Special Construction
14. Conveying Systems
15. Mechanical
16. Electrical
Page 5 of 7
o QUANTITY SURVEY AND COST ESTIMATES
It is advisable to provide a probable cost of construction at completion of the
schematic design, design development, and construction document phases.
A design contingency is usually carried in cost estimates. It can be reduced
as the documents are further developed. At completion of the construction
documents, the architect prepares, or has a consultant prepare, a final and
most accurate estimate of construction cost, which can be used for
comparison with the bids submitted to perform the work.
o BUILDING PERMIT
Most jurisdictions require a building permit for construction or remodeling.
The building permit, for which a fee is paid by the contractor or client, is an
indication that drawings showing the work to be done have been prepared
by a registered professional and submitted to the governing authority have
jurisdiction over design and construction of the project. Furthermore, it is
an indication that this authority stipulates that the documents meet the
intent of the applicable building codes and regulations. Issuance of a permit,
however, does not relieve the governing agency of the right to inspect the
project during and after construction and to require minor modifications. In
addition, while most locales do not provide for a written permit by the fire
department, this agency is involved in the review process relative to life
safety provisions. It also has the right to inspect the project when
constructed and to require modifications if they are considered appropriate
to meet the intent of the code or the department’s specific requirements.
Major items reviewed by both the permit-issuing agencies relate to
occupancy classifications, building population, fire separations, exiting
requirements, travel paths for exiting, areas of refuse, and other general life
safety and public health issues
Page 6 of 7
LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS:
Instruction: Prepare the following technical documents: building
plans/drawings, specifications, quantity survey and cost estimates (program
of works).
1. BUILDING PLANS/DRAWINGS
 Architectural plans/drawings
i. Vicinity map/Location plan
ii. Site Development Plan
iii. Perspective drawn at a convenient scale and taken from a vantage point.
(birds eye view or eye level)
iv. Floor plans drawn to scale showing: gridlines, complete identification of
rooms or functional spaces.
v. Elevations, at least four (4), same scale as floorplan, showing gridlines;
natural ground to finish grade elevations; floor to floor heights; door
and window marks, type of material and exterior finishes; adjoining
existing structure/s, if any, shown in single hatched lines.
vi. Sections, at least two (2), showing: gridlines; natural ground and finish
levels; outline of cut and visible structural parts; doors and windows
properly labeled reflecting the direction of opening; partitions; built-in
cabinets, etc; identification of rooms and functional spaces cut by
section lines.
vii. Reflected ceiling plan showing: design, location, finishes and
specifications of materials, lighting fixtures, diffusers, decorations, air
conditioning exhaust and return grills, sprinkler nozzles, if any
viii. Schedule
of
Doors
and
Windows
showing
their
types,
designations/marks, dimensions, materials, and number of sets.
ix. Schedule of finishes, showing in graphic form surface finishes specified
for floors, ceilings, walls, and baseboard trims for all building spaces
per floor level.
x. Details of other major architecture elements.
 Civil/Structural Documents
i. Foundation plans and details
ii. Floor/Roof Framing plans and drawings
iii. Details and schedules of structural and civil works elements including
those deep wells, water reservoir, pipe lines and sewer system.
 Electrical Documents
Electrical plans and technical specifications containing the following;
i. Location and site plan
ii. Legend or Symbols
iii. General notes and/or Specifications
iv. Electrical layout
v. Schedule of loads, transformers, generating/UPS Unit
vi. Design analysis
Page 7 of 7
vii.


i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
One-line diagram
Mechanical Documents if applicable
Plumbing Documents
Plumbing plans, layouts and details
Legend and general notes
Isometric drawings of the system
Technical specification
2. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
3. QUANTITY SURVEY AND COST ESTIMATES (program of works)
 Quantity (volume, area, ln. m)
 Bill of materials
 Labor Cost
Suggested Reference:
o National Building Code of the Philippines and its Revised Implementation
Rules and Regulation (IRR)
 Required documents refer to IRR page 34-39, Standard Form & Model
Title Block refer to IRR Page 35.
o Tagayun, V. (2010). Building Design and Construction. Tagayun Associates.
o Tagayun, V. Estimating Bill of Materials. Tagayun Associates.
o
Fajardo, M. Jr. Simplified Estimates. 5138 Merchandising.