Clerk of Works Services in Cambridge

Ensuring the quality, compliance, and accurate installation of complex Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) systems is critical to project success. Delta M&E offers dedicated Clerk of Works (CoW) services, providing independent, expert surveillance and quality assurance for all M&E installations on site.

Our Role in Quality Assurance

Our M&E Clerk of Works acts as the eyes and ears of the client on site, providing an impartial layer of quality control separate from the contractor's team. We focus specifically on validating that the installation aligns with the client's interests, the final design, and statutory standards:

• Quality Inspection: Regularly inspecting M&E installations (pipework, ductwork, containment, wiring, plant mounting) to verify that materials and workmanship meet the required quality standards and specifications.

• Design Compliance Verification: Ensuring the installed systems strictly adhere to the Issued For Construction (IFC) drawings, technical specifications, and project intent developed during RIBA Stages 4 and 5.

• Regulations and Standards: Checking that all works comply with relevant industry standards, building regulations, and safety legislation (e.g., IET Wiring Regulations, CIBSE Guides, relevant British Standards).

• Documentation Oversight: Reviewing and witnessing critical testing procedures, ensuring all site quality checks, test records, and installation logs are correctly completed and documented by the contractor.

• Defect Identification: Highlighting potential defects, snags, or non-compliant installations as they occur, ensuring they are addressed promptly and correctly before they become costly rework issues.

Key Focus Areas on Site

Our inspections cover the full spectrum of M&E services:

• Containment & Routing: Verifying the neatness, support, and coordination of electrical containment and M&E pipe/duct routes to prevent future access and maintenance issues.

• Plant Installation: Checking the correct mounting, vibration isolation, and accessibility of major plant items (boilers, chillers, AHUs).

• Pre-Commissioning Checks: Witnessing essential pre-commissioning activities to ensure systems are ready for the formal commissioning process.

• Witnessing Tests: Attending and recording formal tests, such as continuity, insulation resistance, pressure testing, and critical functional tests.

By providing proactive, continuous quality surveillance, Delta M&E's Clerk of Works services significantly mitigate risk, reduce the likelihood of costly defects post-handover, and ensure the final building services perform as intended.

The final phase of a project—Testing and Commissioning (T&C)—is the ultimate proof that M&E systems function correctly, efficiently, and meet the design intent. Delta M&E offers expert T&C Management services to ensure a smooth, verifiable transition from installation to operation.

Our Commissioning Management Role

We provide independent oversight to manage and coordinate the entire T&C process, ensuring all systems are robustly tested before client handover:

• Strategy and Planning: Developing a detailed, project-specific Commissioning Plan and programme, outlining every test, sequence, and required witness sign-off to ensure a logical and efficient process.

• Witnessing & Verification: Independently witnessing and verifying all critical functional and performance tests performed by the installing contractors. This includes checks on:

  • Mechanical: Water flow rates, air change rates, pressure regimes, temperature control loops, and seasonal testing.

  • Electrical: Load testing, earth fault loop impedance, protective device testing, and validation of generator and UPS changeovers.

• Integrated Systems Testing (IST): Coordinating complex tests that involve multiple systems interacting (e.g., how the fire alarm system interfaces with the ventilation system and the lifts), ensuring they operate correctly under simulated fault conditions.

• Defect Management: Managing the snagging and defect resolution process specifically related to system performance and functionality, ensuring all outstanding items are rectified and re-tested prior to handover.

Documentation and Handover

We ensure the client receives a complete and compliant documentation package necessary for long-term operation:

• Review of O&M Manuals: Thoroughly reviewing the contractor-produced Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Manuals and Building Log Books to verify accuracy, completeness, and usability for future facilities management teams.

• Seasonal Commissioning: Managing the process of testing systems under different operational conditions (e.g., summer cooling vs. winter heating) to ensure year-round optimal performance.

• Soft Landings Support: Providing post-handover support, monitoring system performance, and offering user training to ensure the building operators and occupants understand how to use the M&E systems effectively.

Delta M&E guarantees that your building services are proven to work, perform efficiently, and come with the comprehensive records needed for successful asset management.