The key factor in respecting construction standards and procedures is the removal of political influence over the profession and the protection of engineers who work in accordance with regulations, and the punishing of those who don’t
The collapse of the canopy didn’t only raise questions related to respect for procedures in the construction sector, but also prompted the self-organised Group of Engineers of Serbia to submit direct requests to the Serbian Chamber of Engineers and the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure. These requests demand the depoliticisation of the Chamber, as the umbrella organisation of engineers, but also amendments to the Law on Planning and Construction and the ‘Rulebook on the contents, scope and manner of producing prefeasibility and feasibility studies for the construction of structures’ in the following way: by introducing mandatory technical controls of projects for execution and controls of a project’s compliance with the building permit issued, and to do so prior to registering the start of works; the introduction of obligatory construction project drafting for all categories of buildings, and the introduction of an obligation to prepare a condition assessment study on existing structures as a mandatory part of project documentation for buildings that are being reconstructed, with an obligatory component being investigative works (to determine the quality of all structural elements and materials incorporated).
The systematic breakdown of engineering controls, poor legislation and the loss of professional responsibility led to the collapse of the canopy
The requests to amend the Law on Planning and Construction and the aforementioned rulebook include tangible measures to ensure higher standards of safety and responsibility, as well as adherence to standards, procedures and laws, to ensure there is no repeat occurrence of mistakes like the one at the Railway Station in Novi Sad. The current law doesn’t include an obligation to thoroughly inspect existing structures during the reconstruction of a building, which could certainly be among the bigger omissions.
The railway station was made operational without complying with legal procedures, or without the issuance of a usage permit that’s mandatory for using a facility. This is a direct consequence of political influence, and not the profession itself. In this sense, the key factor in respecting construction standards and procedures is the removal of political influence over the profession and the protection of engineers who work in accordance with regulations, and the punishing of those who don’t.
The systematic breakdown of engineering controls, poor legislation and the loss of professional responsibility led to the collapse of the canopy, and thus also to the need for engineers to take the initiative themselves and demand concrete measures and actions to prevent the repeat of such mistakes.
