# Temporary Works Design Dublin | Propping, Needling & Sequencing > Temporary works design in Dublin for builders and homeowners: propping, needling, façade retention and demolition sequences, with calcs and drawings. URL: https://structuralengineer.ie/temporary-works-design/ # Temporary Works Design in Dublin What holds the house up while the wall, the chimney breast or the floor is out, designed and drawn before the first block is cut. [Call 01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764) [Get a fixed fee](#quote) _Image: Timber needles and adjustable steel props supporting a brick wall above a new opening_ - BS 5975 Temporary works procedures - I.S. EN 1990 Basis of design - I.S. EN 1993-1-1 Steel design - I.S. EN 1995-1-1 Timber design - S.I. 291 of 2013 Construction Regulations Last updated: 14 October 2026 · Reviewed by Joachim Louw, CEng MIEI [StructuralEngineer.ie](https://structuralengineer.ie/) provides temporary works design for builders, contractors and homeowners across Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. Joachim Louw (CEng MIEI) designs the propping, needling and sequencing that keep a structure stable while permanent work is carried out. That covers knock-throughs and rear-wall openings, chimney breast removals, underpinning and basement digs, and façade retention on period buildings. Most domestic collapses during renovation happen in the temporary condition, between the old support coming out and the new one going in. Temporary works design is where that risk gets managed, and on larger jobs it's what the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations expect of the project. ## What happens on the first visit On a temporary works visit, the engineer works out what each part of the structure is carrying during each stage of the work, not just at the end. Then the props, needles and sequence are designed for the worst stage, along with what they stand on. - Establish the load paths that will be interrupted at each stage - Check what props will stand on: slab, suspended floor or ground - Agree the sequence with the contractor and identify the critical stage - Check access for props, needles and steel delivery - Note neighbouring structures and party walls affected - Identify hold points where an inspection is needed before work continues ## Propping, needling and load spreading Domestic temporary works usually means adjustable steel props and needles, which are short beams of timber or steel passed through the wall above an opening and propped on both sides. The design sets the prop type and capacity, spacing, needle size and position, and what the props bear on. Spreader boards or temporary footings stop a prop punching through a suspended timber floor or a thin screed. The sequence matters as much as the props. It sets the order of cutting, when the new beam goes in, packing time for dry-pack, and when props can come out. All of it goes on a drawing and method statement the site team can follow. ## Larger temporary works Underpinning in hit-and-miss bays, basement excavation beside party walls, and façade retention while a building is gutted all need designed temporary works, often with monitoring of the neighbouring structures. The procedure set out in BS 5975 is widely used in Ireland for organising temporary works: a temporary works coordinator, a design brief, independent checking proportionate to the risk, and permit-to-load and permit-to-dismantle stages. ## Responsibilities on site Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013, the Project Supervisor for the Design Process and the Project Supervisor for the Construction Stage have duties to coordinate design, including temporary works. On a domestic job the builder usually carries the construction-stage role. A temporary works design gives everyone a written basis for what is holding the structure up. ## What's included - Site visit by a Chartered Engineer - Stage-by-stage load assessment - Prop and needle design with capacities - Bearing and spreader design for prop bases - Sequence drawing and method statement - Hold points and inspection schedule - Monitoring specification where needed - Site inspection at the critical stage Fixed fee confirmed in writing before the visit. ## Rule of thumb, a supplier's prop table or a designed scheme The temporary condition is where renovation jobs go wrong. | Check | Rule of thumb | Supplier prop tables | Designed temporary works | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Loads at each stage assessed | No | No | Yes | | Prop bases checked for punching | No | No | Yes | | Sequence written down | No | No | Yes | | Neighbouring structures considered | No | No | Yes | | Engineer inspection at the critical stage | No | No | Yes | Sources - [S.I. No. 291 of 2013: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2013/si/291/made/en/print) - [Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009, s.44](https://revisedacts.lawreform.ie/eli/2009/act/27/section/44/revised/en/html) Talk to the engineer 01 270 9764 Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00. Callback the same working day. [Call now](tel:+35312709764) Fixed fee confirmed in writing before the visit. Standards we design to - BS 5975 Temporary works procedures - I.S. EN 1990 Basis of design - I.S. EN 1993-1-1 Steel design - I.S. EN 1995-1-1 Timber design - S.I. 291 of 2013 Construction Regulations Before you book: costs and rules - [Party Wall Works in Ireland: Putting a Steel Beam into a Shared Wall](https://structuralengineer.ie/guide/party-wall-steel-beam-ireland/) - [Do I Need a Structural Engineer to Remove a Wall?](https://structuralengineer.ie/guide/do-i-need-a-structural-engineer-to-remove-a-wall/) How the job runs ## How temporary works are designed - 01 ### Brief and fixed quote Contractor or owner describes the works and the programme. You get a fixed fee in writing. - 02 ### Site visit Load paths, bearings, access and neighbours are assessed. - 03 ### Design and sequence Calcs, drawing and method statement with hold points. - 04 ### Critical-stage inspection The engineer checks the installed temporary works before the critical stage proceeds. Opening a wall or digging next to one? Get the temporary works designed first. Fixed fee confirmed in writing before the visit. [Call 01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764) [Request a fixed fee](#quote) Questions ## Temporary works: common questions **Who is responsible for temporary works on a house renovation?** Under the Construction Regulations, the project supervisors coordinate design and construction-stage safety. On domestic jobs the builder usually takes the construction-stage role and is responsible for temporary works on site. A designed scheme from an engineer gives the builder a written basis to work to. **Does the permanent beam design cover the propping?** Not always. A good wall-removal design includes a propping sequence for a straightforward opening. Complex or multi-stage jobs, such as two openings, a chimney stack above, a basement or a party wall, need a temporary works design in its own right. **What is BS 5975?** BS 5975 is the British Standard code of practice for temporary works procedures and falsework design, widely used in Ireland. It sets out how temporary works are coordinated, designed, checked and permitted to load and dismantle. **How quickly can temporary works be designed?** A straightforward domestic propping scheme is usually one site visit and a few working days. Larger schemes depend on the programme. Tell us the start date when you call. **What areas do you cover?** Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area (Kildare, Meath and Wicklow). Site visits are booked from the Blackrock office. Site visit usually within 5 working days. ## Related services [### Load-Bearing Wall Removal Steel beam and padstone design, propping, inspection and a signed certificate for knock-throughs.](https://structuralengineer.ie/load-bearing-wall-removal/) [### Chimney Breast Removal Gallows brackets or a beam when the breast comes out downstairs but the stack stays.](https://structuralengineer.ie/chimney-breast-removal/) [### Period Properties Georgian and Victorian houses, basements and protected structures.](https://structuralengineer.ie/period-property-structural-engineer/) Next step Get a fixed fee for temporary works design Call [01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764), or send the details and we'll call you back. Request a fixed engineering fee Prefer to talk? [Call 01 270 9764](tel:+35312709764). A live person answers during office hours.