General of structural safety assessment

In the field of construction, quality management of construction works from the construction stage to operation is one of the top concern State agencies have issued regulations related to these issues through legal documents such as:

• Decree No. 06/2021/ND-CP was issued and took effect on January 26, 2021, guiding the quality management, construction, and maintenance of construction works.
• Circulars 10/2021/TT-BXD guiding Decree 06/2021 and Decree 44/2016 were issued and took effect on October 15, 2021.

One of the most notable aspects of these documents which the owners, managers, or users of the construction works must pay attention to and implement the regulations governing the safety and structure of the construction works, as well as the frequency with which the assessment must be performed.

Bureau Veritas provides structural safety assessment services to assist project owners and managers in fulfilling their legal obligations while also resolving strategic risk-based issues. This meets the requirements of quality, and construction progress, and minimizes risks that may cause delays in the construction and operation process, thereby optimizing costs, and profits as well as bringing satisfaction to stakeholders.

Definition of Construction Structural Safety Assessment

Periodic safety assessment of construction project (hereinafter referred to as construction Structural Safety Assessment) refers to the periodic examination and appraisal of the bearing capacity and conditions necessary for the safe use and operation of a construction project.

Who is responsible for organizing structural safety assessment?

The organizational responsibilities for conducting an assessment are governed by Article 38 of Decree 06 for the works to achieve not only the utmost aesthetic safety but also complete structural safety. Therefore, "the structural safety assessment must be organized in one of the two ways listed below by the owner or manager and user of the construction work":

1. Self-implementation if the prerequisites are satisfied;
2. Hiring an expert inspection group to perform the structural safety assessment

The time and frequency of construction structural safety assessment

Circular 10/2021 provides specific guidance for Decree 06/2021 as follows:

"If a construction project has been put into operation and use in accordance with law for more than 8 years from 15/10/2021, the owner, manager, operator, or user of that project shall be responsible for carrying out the first construction structural safety assessment within 24 months from 15/10/2021."

With respect to other construction projects, the time of the first construction structural safety assessment shall be:

1. The first construction structural safety assessment shall be carried out 10 years from the time the construction project is put into operation or use according to the provisions of law;
2. The next assessment of the structural safety of a construction project shall be carried out every 5 years.

Which objectives need to be conducted in structural safety assessment?

Based on the time and frequency of assessment mentioned in the above section, all construction works are put into use up to the time of assessment, and the owner or the manager and user of the works must be responsible for organizing perform assessments.

In addition, when it is time to perform the assessment and meet the conditions for the construction work grade, the results of the structural safety assessment of the works must be reviewed and commented on by the competent authority.

The details of the list of construction works that must be considered and commented on by the competent authority are as follows:

No.	Type of constructions	Grade
1	Condominiums, other collective houses	Grade II and up
2	Elementary school, secondary school, high school, high school with many levels of education	Grade II and up
3	Universities, colleges, professional high schools, vocational schools, technical workers' schools, …	Grade I and up
4	General hospital, specialized hospital	Grade II and up
5	Stadiums, gymnasiums, sports arenas with stands	Grade II and up
6	Convention centers, theaters, cultural houses, clubs, cinemas, circuses, discos, cultural works with large crowds	Grade II and up
7	Commercial centers, supermarkets, hotels	Grade I and up
8	Headquarters, offices, and other multi-functional buildings	Grade I and up

Contents of construction structural safety assessment:

• Examination and assessment of the working capacities of main load-bearing structures and construction constituents potentially causing unsafety risks.
• Examination and assessment of the conditions for assurance of normal operation and exploitation of the construction project, including noise levels, pollution levels of smoke, dust, and substances harming human health; fire safety; testing results of equipment subject to strict safety requirements and other relevant safety conditions.

The importance of structural safety assessment:

Construction work is a valuable asset that is built to serve a certain purpose. Construction structural safety assessment helps:

• The project owner or the manager or the user of the construction work can detect the damage soon and defects of the work to take timely handling measures.
• Saving maintenance costs
• Minimizing maintenance and repair time
• Eliminating the risks, ensuring safety, aesthetics, and operating continuously.
• Complying with legal regulations.

Our Approach

Step 1: Receive relevant documents from the Client

• In case there are full records and documents, the customer needs to hand over documents and records required for the construction safety assessment, including construction maintenance documents, design documentation, construction drawings, as-built drawings, records of equipment installed during the construction work, and other records and documents necessary for the construction safety assessment
• In the absence of documents or if construction documents do not have sufficient information necessary for the safety assessment, Bureau Veritas carries out the survey and makes current construction status documents used for the construction safety assessment purpose;

Step 2: Study the documents we study and analyze the relevant documents from customers to control the shortcomings during the phase of design, construction, exploitation and operation. List all the errors surpassing the permitted value and inspect on site

Step 3: Conduct site survey/ site inspection, Bureau Veritas experts will conduct a site survey and site inspection:

• Inspect structural conditions: Inspect construction quality (cracking, displacement, defects…;), the condition of reinforced concrete; the condition of brick structure; the severity of deterioration and defects of steel structure;
• Inspect the quality of finishes and interior components of the construction.
• …..

Step 4: Calculation and data analysis

Step 5: Analyze, assess corrective options, recommend preliminary options (if needed)

Step 6: Accompanying the Customer to clarify and protect the assessment results before the competent state agency (in the case of the assessed work on the list of works, it must be reviewed and approved by the competent authority)

Step 7: Final Report

Decree 06/2021, which replaces Decree 46/2015, lays out more precise requirements for the structural safety assessment of works. To ensure construction safety and legal compliance, contact our Bureau Veritas experts team today for structural safety assessment and advice.

WHY CHOOSE BUREAU VERITAS?

• Experience: We have extensive experience in the field of structural works, ready to support customers to jointly build a project in compliance with Vietnamese and international construction standards with a network of 82,000 experts with experienced global consultants
• Technical: Applying modern technologies, data collection challenges complex structures but still ensures accuracy and optimizes execution time
• Integrated consulting services: Not only providing safety inspection and assessment, Bureau Veritas also support consulting solutions to upgrade, renovate, expand and repair depending on customers' requirements by experts in multiple disciplines.
• Reputation: Bureau Veritas is proud to be a world leader for nearly 200 years in testing, inspection and certification in all fields. We, a multinational corporation with branches in 140 countries and territories, more than 1500 laboratories, have been bringing our services to every corner of the world and providing sustainable values for Clients. Especially Bureau Veritas has been providing its services in Vietnam for more than 20 years spreading across the country with 12 offices and laboratory.
• Network and recognition: Bureau Veritas has provided the highest quality service to more than 400,000 customers worldwide. The services and certifications offered by Bureau Veritas are recognized by more than 40 National and International Organizations, making Bureau Veritas the world's number one group of testing, inspection and certification worldwide. Accompanying Bureau Veritas is a commitment to excellence, solidity and reliability.