What an engineering archive typically contains
| Discipline | Typical records |
|---|---|
| Structural | General arrangement and detail drawings, calculation packages, analysis models, temporary works designs, site inspection reports |
| Civil and infrastructure | Drainage and highways drawings, design reports, survey data, earthworks and setting-out records |
| Building services (MEP) | Schematics, layouts, load and sizing calculations, specifications, commissioning witness records |
| Geotechnical | Site investigation reports, borehole logs, testing results |
Alongside those, consultancies hold the construction-stage trail: responses to RFIs, reviews of contractor submittals, site visit reports and photos.
Rights: usually yours, with caveats
As with architects, engineers usually keep copyright in their designs and license the client to use them, unless the appointment says otherwise. Check each appointment for copyright assignment, confidentiality and any client restrictions, and keep in mind that third-party data (topographical surveys, site investigation by others, manufacturers' data) may not be yours to license.
The liability question
Engineers rightly worry about their calculations being relied on outside the project they were prepared for. A licence for AI training is different from a design being reused, but it's worth making sure the terms are clear on it:
- the permitted use is limited (for example, to training and analysis);
- there's no right to rely on your designs or to reproduce them for construction; and
- the licence doesn't create any duty of care to the buyer.
Raise these in scoping and have your own adviser read the licence before signing.
Sensitive projects
Engineering consultancies are more likely than most to hold records for infrastructure, utilities, defence or other security-sensitive sites. Leave these out of scope from the start, and check any project carrying security classifications or specific information-handling requirements.
What makes an engineering archive useful
- Drawings and calculations kept together for the same project.
- Revision trails showing design development and responses to site queries.
- Site inspection reports with photos of what was found.
- A range of structure types, from frames, foundations and retaining structures to services installations.
Do our calculation files need to be in a particular format?
No. PDFs of calculation packages, spreadsheets and analysis outputs can all be in scope. Format matters less than completeness.
Should we tell our professional indemnity insurer?
It's sensible to check with your broker or insurer if you have any doubt about how a licence interacts with your cover.