Are you a 'competent person' to investigate contaminated land?

Aimed at junior engineers, Andrew Briggs encourages a structured approach when trying to assimilate design instuctions.

A number of Health and Safety Regulations are frequently encountered by structural engineers in Great Britain. Many of these address specific safety and/or health risks and can be used as a source of information for engineers during the design process.

This paper describes the design process adopted by Arup and Foster + Partners, who were commissioned to design a new winery in Spain. Each step of the design process, from establishing the organisational diagram for the wine making and visitor experience, through to design of the structural systems required to achieve the architectural vision is explained. The project was shortlisted for one of the Institution's 2011 Structural Awards.