Temporary works play a crucial role in the safe and efficient delivery of construction projects.

Having worked in the temporary works sector for over 20 years, I have seen the industry develop into a well‑established field with many high‑quality design companies now operating in the UK. Since many temporary works solutions involve interaction with the ground, the associated risks often place them in CAT 2 or CAT 3, necessitating an independent check.

Where in‑house resources and expertise allow, a CAT 2 check can be carried out by the same organisation responsible for the design. A CAT 3 check, however, must always be undertaken by an independent third party to ensure full design assurance. DesignCheckStudio can provide design assurance through both CAT 2 and CAT 3 checks.

Typical temporary works examples are:

• Site set up including cabin foundations, haul roads, hoardings, working platforms etc
• Temporary excavation support
• Sheet pile walls and cofferdams
• Piling platforms
• Crane outrigger stability
• Temporary bridges and foundations
• Slope stability assessments
• Scaffold foundations

Permanent works are, by their nature, complex engineering undertakings that inevitably rely to some extent on the existing ground conditions.

Permanent works within regulated industries—such as highways, rail, defence, and energy—are delivered under formal, documented design assurance standards. With over 35 years of experience in these sectors as both a designer and an independent checker, DesignCheckStudio is well placed to provide the required design assurance through both CAT 2 and CAT 3 checks.

Typical permanent works examples are:

• Piled foundations
• Spread foundations
• Embedded retaining walls
• All forms of retaining wall
• Reinforced soil embankments
• Reinforced soil walls
• Embankment and cutting stability analysis
• Settlement assessments

• Reinforced concrete
• Structural steel
• Timber
• Hydraulics & Open Channel Flow
• 3D ground modelling
• Cut & Fill analysis
• 3D visualisations