Assessment of Technical Documentation Quality in Structural Engineering Firms in Abuja

The quality of technical documentation produced by structural engineering firms, encompassing design calculations, drawing standards, specification writing, and report preparation, is a foundational indicator of professional practice quality and a key determinant of construction outcome predictability. This study assesses the quality of technical documentation produced by twenty registered structural engineering firms operating in Abuja in the North Central geopolitical zone, evaluating documentation against established professional standards including BS EN 1990, the Eurocodes, NIS standards, and the Institution of Structural Engineers guidelines on design calculations and reports. A structured documentation quality assessment framework was developed and applied to structural design packages for recently completed projects obtained from each firm, covering calculation clarity, code compliance, drawing completeness, and specification precision. Results indicate that only six of the twenty firms produced structural calculation documentation that met a threshold of adequacy across all five evaluation dimensions. Calculation cover sheets with project identifiers, revision control, and checker signatures were absent in 65 percent of sampled packages. Structural drawings from twelve firms lacked sufficient detail at connection and foundation levels to enable construction without additional design input. Specification clauses for materials and workmanship were copied from outdated template documents without project-specific adaptation in 70 percent of cases. The study links documentation quality deficiencies to inadequate in-house quality management systems and insufficient peer review culture. Recommendations include adoption of a mandatory quality management system by COREN-registered firms, peer review requirements for all design packages above a specified fee threshold, and structured documentation standards training within university curricula. Keywords: technical documentation, structural engineering firms, Abuja, design quality, professional practice.