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Complex, unique, high-risk, or high-impact engineering work can require or justify a peer review.
As independent professional engineers, Tiaki Engineering Consultants are competent peer reviewers within our fields of expertise.
Ensuring Optimal Outcomes
The Value of Peer Review
Peer reviews can be essential to a self-regulating profession such as engineering. These reviews ensure that the standard of engineering solutions is held in the highest regard and that the professional qualitatively improves over time. Peer reviews also offer confirmation on design and strategic solutions to a problem on behalf of parties that may be technically less well-versed.
TECL actively participates in the engineering peer review process, whether requesting or providing peer review services. Consequently, we are constantly learning new approaches, efficiencies, and techniques to improve our final product. Our team at Tiaki Engineering Consultants value these opportunities for professional development and growth.
The Client benefit of a peer review process is sometimes latent, but through early project involvement, significant cost savings can be made and potential risks avoided. It is, in part, by collaborating with peers that TECL is consistently able to grow and achieve optimal outcomes for our Clients.
TECL endeavours to follow the rules set out by Engineers New Zealand, Practice Note 2, as appropriate.
Engineering Peer Review
- Collaborative, not competitive
- Necessarily involves independent professionals
- Strengthens the quality of the entire engineering profession
- User friendly approach
- Can apply to a design, process, assessment, report, or plan
- Reduces risk, both fiscally and physically
- Can offer significant opportunities for improvement
- Can lead to construction cost saving
Ensuring Compliance
Regulatory Peer Reviews
A regulatory peer review is appropriate when an aspect of a design is considered complex or unique and has to comply with particular statutory regulations or guidelines. Some regulatory bodies have policies that explicitly stipulate peer reviews for certain design aspects or methodologies.
Within a regulated application or environment, the use of new materials or technologies can necessitate a peer review, as can the use of well-understood materials or technologies in a way that poses new or unusual risks.
The basic trigger for a regulatory peer review is typically to verify that a particular design meets the underpinning code or standard, e.g., the Building Code. It is therefore usually a mechanism introduced by Clients to ensure code compliance for building consent approval.
Tiaki Engineering Consultants can offer considerable experience and insight into issues of regulatory adherence.
Investigating Failures
Forensic Peer Reviews
When things go wrong, the root cause needs to be identified. In the modern construction era, catastrophic failures, although less frequent, still occur and can nonetheless often warrant a forensic peer review to understand the failure mechanism and how it could have been prevented.
These kinds of peer reviews focus on the in-service performance of the completed work itself, rather than the original design process adopted. Forensic peer reviews do not focus on who is to blame but can serve as evidence in further proceedings by third parties suited to make a judgment.
Tiaki Engineering Consultants’ in-depth knowledge across a broad variety of engineering projects and techniques makes us well-suited to provide these services.
Verifying Structural Design
Structural Peer Reviews
Our Structural Engineers regularly provide structural peer reviews in the form of producer statements (PS2 – Design Review) to Clients. These are widely accepted by Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) in lieu of in-house expertise or capacity for the authorities to review a design themselves.
In the context of structural engineering, a PS2 producer statement and its associated design review report offer a statement of professional opinion on how certain aspects of the project will comply with the Building Code. They can either consider the entire design, or just the elements that are complex or beyond the BCA’s expertise.
As experienced, independent, professional Structural Engineers, TECL are trusted among our peers to provide reliable and comprehensive peer review of structural designs and their compliance with the Building Code.
Verifying Civil Design
Civil Peer Reviews
Civil engineering projects and their constituent systems and parts can also require a peer review from time to time. Tiaki Engineering Consultants have more than ten years of professional experience on civil engineering projects as both designers and reviewers and are well-suited to support your review needs.
Brownfield (previously developed) sites often have existing underground services that were commissioned decades prior, designed to obsolete standards, and have very little associated documentation. New designs can encounter challenges avoiding or integrating with these old assets in the context of the wider system.
In a broader sense, factors like the resilience of a system under increased load can sometimes be critical to health and safety, leading to a peer review for additional input and comfort. Strict compliance standards for civil infrastructure and the significant cost of civil works, too, are among the reasons to seek an independent opinion on a design.
Verifying Geotechnical Assessments
Geotechnical Peer Reviews
Geotechnical peer reviews are requested when a site has a complex mix of geological features, is susceptible to slips or liquefaction, or when the proposed earthworks design pushes the limits of precedent.
Our team of Geotechnical Engineers have a wealth of experience in varied geological contexts and projects both here in New Zealand and overseas. At TECL, we regularly apply our geotechnical expertise to provide professional opinions in the form of geotechnical peer reviews.
CAT 1 & 2 Peer Review services can be arranged on request.
Verifying Stormwater System Design
Stormwater Peer Reviews
Tiaki Engineering Consultants are expert designers of stormwater systems, including storage, treatment, and flood protection structures.
Due to ever-increasing and dramatic weather events, stormwater systems are expected to face intense pressure in the coming decades. Engineers worldwide are incorporating mitigation measures to address these expectations in their stormwater designs. A design review to confirm adequate capacity and improved resilience in the system is always a good way of addressing uncertainty.
Stormwater peer reviews can often be a multidisciplinary effort between Civil and Geotechnical Engineers.
Verifying Roading Design
Roading Peer Reviews
Since the potential for harm to life on our roads is well-known, the design of roads are subject to comprehensive regulations from Waka Kotahi (NZTA), local Councils, and private land developers. Besides end-user safety, there are a huge number of design and methodology considerations that stem from each of the stakeholder organisations.
TECL has more than ten years of experience designing minor roading and subdivision roading, and as independent professional Engineers, we are more than capable of verifying roading design for our peers.
Contact Us
Get In Touch
Our breadth of specialised knowledge has allowed us to provide and oversee unique and practical design solutions for a wide range of projects across the North Island, and as far as Scott Base, Antarctica.
Let’s discuss what Tiaki Engineering Consulting can do for your civil, geotechnical or structural engineering project.
Email Us
Email TECL directly and we’ll forward your enquiry to the most appropriate person.
Email Us
Email TECL directly and we’ll forward your enquiry to the most appropriate person.