ITC-SA develops inspectorate process to assist in enforcing building regulations

A non-profit organisation whose mandate it is to create and maintain standards in the engineered timber construction industry, the ITC-SA aims at all times to act in the best interests of public safety and the protection of homeowners’ and developers’ investments. In order to achieve this, the institute relies heavily on the local authorities to ensure regulations are adhered to.

In support of local authorities’ compliance to the National Building Regulations, the institute has successfully developed the ‘A19 Approved Designers and Inspectorate Process’.

Regulations and standards

According to Amanda Obbes, ITC-SA general manager, “In terms of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act No. 103 of 1977 and the National Building Regulations SANS 10400 (SABS 0400), it is required that an approved competent person (a registered person in terms of the Engineering Professions Act) must undertake responsibility for the design and inspection of a rationally designed structural system.”

“There are far too many roof structures that do not comply with the deemed-to-satisfy rules in the National Building Regulations Part L: Roofs. A rationally designed prefabricated nail-plated roof truss is part of a structural system and therefore the requirements of the regulations must apply,” she notes.

“We are aware of the pitfalls in the erection process of structures and it is essential that the roof structures be inspected and signed off by the approved designers, or a registered professional engineer, who, by virtue of their education and training, is competent to do so and has access to the design details and the erection documentation,” Obbes concludes.