What is Site-Specific Engineering?
What is Site-Specific Engineering?
Some people ask, “What is Site-Specific Engineering?” Your shed must be engineered for your installation address and as the title suggests, the engineering of your shed or carport must exactly suit the site it is to be built on. Even in a Strata plan development, it is essential to have site specific engineering on each installation.
Before an engineer starts on the specific plan for your shed or carport it is essential to know: –
- The Wind Region classification of the area
- Surrounding Terrain conditions
- Topography – are you at the top of a hill catching all the wind or are you sheltered and surrounded by other buildings?
These points must be considered as well as the intended use of the building. Most sheds are Class 10a buildings which are non-habitable buildings including sheds, carports, and private garages.
These factors are all taken into consideration to ensure your building is fit for purpose under the regulations.
Why is Site Specific Engineering Important?
Most importantly, for most buildings over 9 square metres it is legally essential so a professionally designed building gives you knowledge that your property and people around you, are safe and secure. All Professional Choice Shed purchases are designed for your site location and are guaranteed to be suitable for purpose. This ensures you are supplied with the correct building engineering, for your site ensuring easy Council approval; correct certification and your building will be compliant for insurance purposes.
All Shed suppliers say the same – What’s your difference?
The huge difference with professional Choice Sheds is that the engineering and the certification you receive is not ‘doctored’ for the sake of offering you the lowest priced shed! You will find it exceedingly difficult to find that the site – specific engineering you are given by almost all shed builders in Australia stands the test of Australian Standards.
What is Site Specific Engineering? – How to Check if it is accurate
For years, most Aussie shed businesses have been on a race to the bottom trying to offer cheaper and cheaper sheds. Cheaper sheds are now offered at the expense of quality and strength. Certifiers have been able to ‘hide’ behind their complex calculations, too difficult for most to understand. Now, it’s easy for anyone to check for Australian Standards with the Shed Health Test – no more hiding! The same shed manufacturers who instigated the ShedSafe programme and now pay for their accreditation ‘hide behind’ its compliance is still not building sheds that are up to Australian Standards and compliance. If your shed can’t pass the ShedHealthTest then the certification you are given, isn’t worth the paper it is written on.
What is the point of Site-Specific Engineering?
Site specific engineering is a set of engineering documents that are provided by an engineer exclusively for your site. It is supposed to give you the peace of mind that you are buying a steel building fit for purpose. The problem is that these documents are not accurate. The set of engineering documents and certification you are given do NOT come up to Australian Standards and this is a simple fact for most sheds sold in Australia.
The point of site-specific engineering seems to be little more than giving you the documents to allow council approval. They do not and should not give you the confidence that you have bought a shed fit for purpose!
The History – What is Site Specific Engineering?
Up until Cyclone Larry in 2006 in Far North Queensland the Australian shed market was mostly unregulated. Billions of dollars of damage resulted in an inquiry as to why buildings were not fit for their environment. The study found that most sheds in Australia were not being built to a safe standard and not just those in cyclonic regions.
The outcome of What is Site Specific Engineering?
The outcomes were excellent and new standards were set. Many of the ‘guilty’ shed manufacturers got together and set accreditation standards for all new sheds. This should not have been necessary if they had been applying minimum standards in the first place but it was like putting the fox in charge of the hen coop.
Now you will get your site-specific engineering for your shed but like pre-2006, your shed is not being built to the standards the certification claims. Why not check the truth out with your shed on the independent ShedHealthTest.
What is Site Specific Engineering? and the east way to ensure your certification is true
You can now fully depend on Professional Choice Sheds and we encourage you to check us out for truth and reliability.
Reliable Every Step of the Way
Instantly accessible, clear, comprehensive instruction and
Free design advice and quote plus
100% Australian high tensile steel
Delivery Australia wide (nearly always free) and also
Solar ready sheds and best of all,
Locally made custom sheds designed for you.
Further Reading (click the title to read more)
