Steel structure buildings and building regulations – what clients need to know?

Steel structure buildings are very commonly erected for storage, manufacturing, logistics or exhibition purposes. Notwithstanding their intended use, there are legal regulations governing steel-structure buildings which we must comply with to ensure they are properly designed, constructed, operated and maintained.

Regulations and standards for the construction of steel structure buildings

Steel structure buildings are primarily governed by the Building Act (Journal of Laws 1994, No. 89, item 414). They belong to the category of structures referred to as ‘buildings’, and thus, by definition, they are permanent built features, separated from the surrounding space by envelope components (walls), and have foundations and a roof.

This basic classification of steel structure buildings enables us to further identify the legal requirements that must be met for a steel building to fulfil its intended purpose properly, ensuring the durability, functionality and safety of the steel building.  

One of the key legal requirements for steel structure buildings that are not intended to be temporary structures (erected for a short period) is to obtain planning permission for the building.

Requirements for planning permission

The cases and circumstances in which a client is required to obtain planning permission or to merely notify the authorities of the building works, or in which neither of the above is required are many; these depend on various factors such as the category of the building, its dimensions, the number of storeys, the types of technical plant necessary for its proper functioning, and many other aspects, a mere summary of which might prove overwhelming for the reader. The following sections set out only the basic information regarding the vast majority of cases in which planning permission is required for the construction of a building.

A planning permission is an administrative decision issued by the architectural and building authority with territorial jurisdiction over the location of a development. An application for planning permission for a steel structure building should include building plans and specifications drawn up by a qualified designer (architect). This designer must ensure that the design being drawn up is coordinated with other qualified specialist designers in the fields of structural engineering, electrical installations, plumbing, heating systems and fire protection systems. Due to the need to ensure adequate access from the property to the public road, it is also essential to agree on solutions for providing access point from the public road and for the proper design of internal roads, in particular with regard to requirements relating to access for emergency services (e.g. fire access routes).  These arrangements are adapted to fulfil the scope of the construction project which means the intended use of the building, the type of on-site plant and equipment, the processes taking place there, as well as the size of the building and the intensity of these processes. It is therefore possible that it may also be necessary to ensure that the building plans and specifications are agreed with the relevant authorities, such as: Fire department (fire risk surveyor), the State Sanitary Inspection, the State Labour Inspection, and water permits and other permits are obtained within the obligation to carry out environmental impact assessments.

Design and safety standards

The safety of steel structure buildings is directly addressed in the legal requirements applicable to all built features. An appropriate level of safety for the steel structure building is ensured at every stage of the construction process. 
Safety of a steel structure building during the design phase – technical documentation must be drawn up by persons holding the appropriate building qualifications.

To obtain a licence, one must have the relevant qualifications, documented professional experience and have passed a state examination, as well as hold a paid membership of the relevant professional body, under which professional indemnity insurance is paid for.
When drawing up design documentation, designers refer to the relevant building standards.

Building design standards constitute a comprehensive collection of information, guidelines and recommendations concerning the methods for carrying out calculations, adopting appropriate models and scenarios for the behaviour of a structure and its components, as well as specific formulae, numerical values of characteristic properties and partial factors representing the uncertainties of calculation models, as well as the variability and uncertainties of material, environmental and other characteristics, all of which are intended to ensure a sufficiently low probability of a hazardous scenario occurring.

To give a more specific example, when drawing up a structural design for a building, the Eurocode series of design standards is used in practice. As European standards harmonised at national level, the Eurocodes have the status of Polish Standards. These standards comprise a set of guidelines on effects, loading diagrams (static analyses), partial safety factors representing random dispersions, and uncertainties in the design data used, in order to guarantee an appropriate level of safety (or a sufficiently low probability of exceeding certain permissible design conditions).

The safety of a steel structure building during construction is linked to compliance with the standards discussed above. These standards link design with construction, as they set out the relevant standards (expressed in related standards) according to which building structures and components must be manufactured, assembled, fitted or installed. The construction standards also specify the permissible deviations/tolerances within which building elements may be constructed in order for them to be considered free from defects.

Fire safety and health and safety regulations

Buildings, including steel structure buildings, are subject to a set of regulations that must be complied with during their design, construction and use. One of the most important sets of such regulations is the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure on the technical requirements to be met by buildings and their siting (below referred to as the ‘Technical Requirements’).
The Technical Requirements constitute a set of requirements concerning, among other things, safety measures to protect people and property from the outbreak and effects of fire. Recommendations and requirements in this regard are set out in various sections of the Technical Requirements, and it is not possible to quote them all here. Nevertheless, the adequate fire resistance of a steel structure building is one of the most important aspects.

The fire resistance of buildings under the Technical Requirements is divided into classes, ranked from highest to lowest: A to E. Depending on the fire resistance class, the Technical Requirements set out specific requirements concerning, among other things, the load-bearing capacity, thermal insulation and fire integrity of building elements such as walls, floors and the main structure.  A steel structure building falls within the category of storage facilities described in the Technical Requirements as ‘PM’, and its fire resistance class will depend on the number of storeys and on the so-called fire load density of the building’s fire compartment. The fire resistance of a steel structure building and the resulting technical requirements will therefore depend heavily on its size, its division into fire compartments, and the type of processes and functions for which the building is intended.

Crucially, an experienced general contractor operating under a ‘Design and Build’ model can make a significant contribution to optimising fire safety solutions such as smoke extraction, fire sprinkler systems and fire alarm systems, as well as by suggesting that a large building be divided into smaller fire compartments so that the solutions adopted guarantee both an appropriate level of safety and optimise the cost-effectiveness of the construction project.

Health and Safety at Work in a steel structure building is an equally important topic. A set of basic requirements in this regard is also set out in the Technical Requirements. Depending on the purpose of the building, provision should be made, among other things, for a suitable layout of staff welfare facilities, as well as the size and location of changing rooms, kitchens and toilets for staff. Depending on whether, and to what extent, permanent or temporary workstations are planned within the warehouse area, the regulations govern, for instance, the ceiling heights of the rooms, the level of natural light in these areas, and the width of circulation routes (the latter also subject to fire safety regulations). The regulations also highlight other aspects that are significant from a health and safety perspective, the timely identification and implementation of which at the conceptual and design stages are equally important in optimising the costs of a construction project.

To summarise, the building regulations governing the construction of steel structure buildings impose a number of requirements a thorough understanding and skilful implementation of which are key, both from the point of view of the safety of people and property and the durability and functionality of the building itself. This is why, when considering the construction of a steel structure building, it seems sensible to entrust the construction project to a suitable general contractor, whose expertise in regulations and experience in design and construction will enable the appropriate selection of technical solutions. These will ultimately maximise the safety and durability of the structure, ensure an adequate level of safety for people and property, and guarantee compliance with requirements relating to fire safety, health and safety at work, as well as many others not discussed in this article.