HKIA/ARB PA Paper 5 key terms

A person registered under the Buildings Ordinance to prepare and submit building plans and supervise building works on behalf of an owner. Registration requires prescribed qualifications and experience.

An engineer registered under the Buildings Ordinance to design and certify structural elements of building works, including foundations, framing and stability calculations submitted with plans.

A contractor registered for a specific category of specialized works, such as foundation, demolition, site formation or ground investigation, and engaged to carry out those works under the ordinance.

The principal Hong Kong legislation controlling the design, construction, alteration and demolition of buildings, setting out plan approval, supervision, occupation and enforcement requirements.

Approval issued by the Building Authority allowing a completed building or part to be occupied, granted after satisfactory inspection and certification of compliance with approved plans.

A permit allowing partial or conditional occupation before full completion, subject to specified outstanding works, safety conditions and a defined validity period set by the Building Authority.

A document prepared by the Authorized Person and Registered Structural Engineer setting out supervision levels, personnel, inspection frequency and reporting arrangements for building works.

The on-site checking of works against approved plans and specifications, including inspection frequency, record keeping, testing and prompt reporting of non-conformities to the Building Authority.

Hong Kong legislation requiring prescribed building services installations in new and existing buildings to comply with energy efficiency standards, including periodic inspections of specified installations.

A voluntary Hong Kong green building assessment scheme that rates buildings across categories such as site, energy, water, materials and indoor environment, using credits and certification grades.

A method quantifying environmental impacts of a building or material across extraction, manufacture, construction, operation and end-of-life, used to compare design options on a whole-life basis.

The greenhouse gas emissions associated with extracting, manufacturing, transporting, installing and eventually disposing of building materials, excluding operational energy use during the building's life.

Emissions arising from energy consumed during a building's use, including heating, cooling, lighting, equipment and hot water, typically the largest share over a building's service life.

A systematic review of a building's energy consumption and systems that identifies inefficiencies and recommends cost-effective measures to reduce energy use and operating costs.

A digital representation of a building's geometry, systems and data used for design coordination, clash detection, quantity take-off, construction planning and facilities management.

An automated review of combined building models to find physical conflicts between elements such as structure, ducts and pipes before construction, reducing rework and site variations.

A single agreed digital repository and workflow for project information, controlling versions, access and approval status so all parties work from consistent, current documents.

A collaborative delivery approach where owner, designer and contractor share risk and reward under a multi-party agreement, aligning incentives with early involvement and joint decision-making.

A procurement route where one entity is responsible for both design and construction under a single contract, giving the client a single point of responsibility for price and completion.

A route where the client appoints a designer separately, completes design before tendering, then engages a contractor to build, with the designer administering the construction contract.

The transfer of a consultant's contractual obligations from the client to a contractor, commonly used in design and build so the contractor assumes responsibility for prior design work.

A contract where the contractor agrees to complete defined works for a fixed price, with limited adjustment except for instructed variations, provisional sums or specified risk events.

A contract where the contractor prices a bill of approximate quantities and final payment is based on actual measured quantities at tendered rates, suiting works of uncertain extent.

A document listing measured quantities of work items with descriptions and rates, used for tendering, valuation of progress and pricing of variations under a construction contract.

A change to the scope, quantity, quality or timing of works instructed in writing by the contract administrator, valued under agreed rates or reasonable valuation terms.

A periodic certificate issued by the contract administrator stating the amount due to the contractor for work done, materials and approved claims, subject to retention and deductions.

A percentage withheld from each payment and held as security for defects, released in stages on practical completion and at the end of the defects liability period.

A defined period after practical completion during which the contractor must rectify defects notified by the client at its own cost before final payment and release of retention.

The stage when works are substantially complete and fit for their intended purpose, allowing occupation and handover, while minor defects and outstanding items remain to be finished.

An adjustment to the contractual completion date granted for qualifying delay events, protecting the contractor from liquidated damages while preserving the client's rights on cost.

A pre-agreed sum payable by the contractor for each day of delay beyond the completion date, intended as a genuine estimate of the client's loss rather than a penalty.

A situation where two or more delay events overlap in time and independently affect completion, raising questions about entitlement to extension of time and associated costs.

The contractual distribution of potential loss events between parties, ideally assigning each risk to the party best able to control, price or insure against it.

Methods of resolving disputes outside litigation, including mediation, adjudication, expert determination and arbitration, often required as a precondition to formal proceedings.

A binding private dispute resolution process where parties appoint an arbitrator who hears evidence and issues an enforceable award, governed by statute and the arbitration agreement.

A voluntary, confidential process where a neutral third party helps disputing parties negotiate a settlement, without power to impose an outcome on them.

Insurance covering a consultant against claims for negligent advice or design causing financial loss, usually required at a specified limit maintained for a defined period.

The legal obligation to exercise reasonable skill and care toward those who may foreseeably be harmed by one's acts or omissions, forming the basis of negligence claims.

A failure by a professional to meet the standard of a reasonably competent practitioner in the same field, causing loss to a client or other party owed a duty.

A situation where a professional's personal, financial or other interests could improperly influence judgment on a project, requiring disclosure and often written consent or withdrawal.

The rules governing integrity, competence, confidentiality and fair dealing expected of registered professionals, breach of which can lead to disciplinary action by the registration body.

Structured learning and activities that practitioners undertake throughout their careers to maintain and update competence, often with annual hour requirements for registration renewal.