New legislation for all parties in the chain. Delivery file facade construction helps Wkb-proof construction

The Building Quality Assurance Act (Wkb), which takes effect on January 1, 2023, requires parties in the construction industry to take care of complying with all regulations themselves and to record proof of this as well. The VMRG, the trade association for metal facade construction, has fully adapted its VMRG Quality Mark system to the Wkb. Facade builders with the VMRG Quality Mark are thus helping their clients by providing a thorough VMRG Quality Mark completion file for facade construction.

The new legislation applies to all parties in the construction chain: developers/clients (including architects and specifiers), contractors, subcontractors, quality assurance providers and competent authorities. Because VMRG façade builders act as subcontractors within the construction process, the builder of a building will shift his responsibilities regarding the façade one-on-one to the relevant façade builder. A working group within the VMRG has adapted the VMRG Quality Mark System to this new law.

Risk assessment and management plan

According to the Building Quality Assurance Act, a risk assessment of the structure and a management plan based on this assessment must be submitted to the competent authority with the notification 'construction activity' - no later than four weeks before the start of construction. A facade builder with VMRG Quality Mark also proceeds in this manner. The risk assessment contains all risks that could potentially lead to a facade eventually - when finished - not meeting the regulations of the Decree on Building Works for the Living Environment and the VMRG Quality Requirements and Recommendations. The management plan contains the control measures necessary to counter the risks. These are then recorded in the inspection and assurance plan. The basic principles here are that matters are recorded that can no longer be checked afterwards (parts of the façade that are hidden from view) and that checks are made to ensure that an error is eliminated from the process as quickly as possible.

Facade construction delivery file

The result of the inspection and assurance plan, supplemented with drawings, calculations, information on the functions of use, the materials used and management and maintenance, forms the VMRG Keurmerk opleverdossier façadebouw. This completion file fits seamlessly into the contractor's file. The contractor generates the file for the competent authority (consequence class 1 only) and/or the consumer/delivery file (all consequence classes).

New quality system

All this also requires adjustments in internal quality and process controls. Much of the facade is already determined during the engineering (and work preparation) process. It is the main reason why this process is given a prominent place in the new quality system. In addition to this specific process mentioned, called VMRG Hallmark Engineering, VMRG Hallmark Production and VMRG Hallmark Assembly are the two other sub-processes within the new VMRG Hallmark quality system. 

Inspection and assurance plan 

Schematically the process is shown in Figure 1 below. The blue lines are the information flows within the VMRG Keurmerk company as well as the information flows between client and VMRG Keurmerk company. Between the client and VMRG Keurmerk Engineering the conditions and execution of the building framework are also discussed and recorded. 

The green lines show the output of the three processes which in turn are the input for the facade construction delivery file. The line between the client and VMRG Keurmerk Montage relates to the structural framework. The client must supply this as agreed with VMRG Keurmerk Engineering. If this is not found by VMRG Keurmerk Montage, no assembly can take place. The new quality system is project-based and schedule-driven. 

This has led to an inspection and assurance plan that indicates how inspections should be carried out and which matters should be recorded and included in the VMRG Keurmerk opleverdossier gevelbouw. It specifically indicates how often inspections should be carried out and how matters should be recorded, for example by means of photographs. The result is included in the VMRG Quality Mark Dossier for the facade construction. 

Video

This new quality system has been introduced at all VMRG Hallmark companies and is being further optimized through input from these companies. For clients and contractors this means that they can be confident that when they engage a VMRG Keurmerk company they are assured of a thorough facade construction delivery file.

Also watch the video about this process and the VMRG Keurmerk opleverdossier Gevelbouw. You can find this video on the VMRG Keurmerk YouTube channel.