Building Regulations News Roundup - May 2007
A brief synopsis of some of the key news items related to technical guidance, construction practice, and new regulations that you might have missed in the press.
Code for sustainable homes
Full technical guidance on how to comply with the Code for sustainable homes has now been made available. The technical guidance manual sets out the requirements for the Code, and the process by which a Code assessment is reached. It aims to make the system of gaining a Code assessment as simple, transparent and rigorous as possible. Download and use the Code for sustainable homes - technical guide.
Construction guide for climate change
The Town and Country Planning Association has produced a design guide that tackles how climate change will impact upon the planning, design and development of new and existing communities. It can be found at http://www.tcpa.org.uk/publications.asp.
Construction News Plus, 23 May 2007
Cracking blight hits new homes
The NHBC have ordered a clampdown on poor quality groundwork caused by faulty foundations on new homes. Rogue ground work companies have been installing reinforced concrete foundations using plastic sheet formwork incorrectly. Contractors have been allowing the formwork system to collapse onto steel reinforcement bars when backfill is placed against it. This significantly reduces the thickness of concrete cover over the bars, which in turn increases the chance of moisture attacking the rebar, causing it to corrode and crumble the concrete. Manufacturers of rival systems are now calling on housing watchdog the NHBC and main contractors to improve their policing of sites.
Construction News Plus, 17 May 2007
English Heritage focuses on energy
The Conservation Department of English Heritage is producing guidance on combating the potential effects of climate change, reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency within buildings. The aim is to highlight effective measures which avoid harming the appearance, character and performance of historic buildings. The guidance will comprise a series of nine separate documents, three of which will be produced by the end of the year.
Context, May 2007, pp.17-18
EU axes wood rules
The European Union has decided to scrap regulations for timber quality in a drive to reduce red tape. The "knots in wood" directive had set standards for the European timber trade since 1968. European industry commissioner Guenter Verheugen said that the wood directive had "become a symbol of unnecessary regulation". The commission says it is the first tangible withdrawal of a European law since the commission announced its Better Regulation Programme in 2005. In future, standardisation organisations will define rough wood quality for industry. The measures have already been approved by the European Parliament.
BBC News Online, 21st May 2007
Eurocodes transition period
Government has conceded that the proposed overlap period between introducing Eurocodes and withdrawing British Standards can be extended if there is wide enough support. The steel sector has consequently called for an extension from the original two years to at least five years. At present, the Eurocodes will be available for practical use early in 2008 and the current timetable envisages all British Standards for structural design being withdrawn from the Building Regulations in March 2010.
Steel Construction News, June 2007, p.2
Guide to Work at Height during the Loading and Unloading of Steelwork
This is a new good working practice guide to assist in the identification of the appropriate means of protecting personnel from vehicles during loading and unloading operations by using collective measures before personal systems are used, as described in the Work at Height Regulations 2005. View the guide.
Kelly's Hips replacement on waiting list
The introduction of home information packs (Hips) has been postponed until August 1 and at first will be introduced only for four-bedroom or larger houses - less than 20% of the market. Ms Kelly admitted to the Commons that not enough assessors were yet in place to carry out checks for energy performance certificates, which are a key component of the packs and are intended to improve the environmental efficiency of UK homes. She could not say when the packs would be introduced for smaller homes and the government also admitted it did not possess a legally watertight definition of a four-bedroom house - making it likely that a rash of "three-bedroom houses with study" will suddenly flood the market as a way of avoiding costly Hips.
Guardian Unlimited, 23 May 2007
Major planning reforms
Ruth Kelly’s Planning White Paper contains major reforms of the country’s planning system to make it fit to tackle new challenges in the 21st century - speeding up the system alongside improved community consultation. It has four key pillars:
- A better, quicker system to decide major infrastructure projects with enhanced community engagement and an improved level of expertise.
- Simplifying the local planning system for householders to make it far easier to make home improvements like extensions and conservatories, where there is little or no impact on neighbours.
- Planning playing a bigger role in tackling climate change.
- Ensuring the planning system continues to support vibrant town centres.
The Government also pledged a new commitment to protect the green belt. The White Paper makes clear previously developed brown field land must remain the clear priority for housing development with our parks and green spaces protected. Councils will focus on strategic priorities.
Read the full news release.
Communities and Local Government News Release 2007/0096, 21 May 2007
RIBA response to Planning White Paper.
Olympic architects resign
Foreign Office Architects (FOA) has sensationally quit the Olympic park masterplanning team amid rumours that the project is being dumbed down. The firm threw in the towel last week, allegedly over fears the scheme is being scaled back to help keep the mushrooming Olympic budget under control. FOA confirmed it had resigned from the masterplanning team – which includes EDAW, Buro Happold, Allies and Morrison and HOK Sport – but refused to comment on rumours of in-fighting among the major players.
QS Week, 25th May 2007
PFI firms rake in profits
A House of Commons Public Accounts Committee report says that the public sector's gain from the refinancing deals has fallen around £100 million short of Government predictions. The committee warned that negotiations on PFI projects were left in the hands of local government officials who were ‘often painfully lacking in commercial experience’ and urged the Treasury to take final responsibility for approving sensitive refinancing deals.
Construction News Plus, 15th May 2007
Reducing carbon emissions
Simple practical measures such as installing energy efficient lighting and painting walls a lighter colour can play a critical part in reducing carbon emissions in existing buildings, according to new research commissioned by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). View Transforming existing buildings: the green challenge.
Soakaway design software
A new software tool – BRESOAK – will help developers, consultants and contractors save time and money on soakaway design. It is suitable for sites ranging from domestic extensions to commercial developments and roads and its outputs can be incorporated directly into client reports and building control submissions.
Constructing the Future, Summer 2007, p.3
Wind farms
The Independent on Sunday (20th May 2007) reported that Crown Estate, which owns the seabed around Britain, has approached major energy groups over plans to build off-shore wind farms large enough to supply millions of homes with power.
Tall Storeys - the challenge of Fire Safety
Recent changes to the guidance on fire safety do not include adequate provision for tall buildings says David Sugden of the Passive Fire Protection Federation (PFPF)
'AD B fails to give specific guidance for buildings that are significantly over 30m. So the regulations for the construction of a building 31m in height and one of 331m are the same! Yet clearly such buildings represent very different propositions, in terms of evacuation and collapse in the event of a fire.' 'Fires in modern tall buildings can last for more than 24 hours'. 'But the guidance offered by AD B requires a structural resilience of just two hours,' explains Sugden.
'Preventing fire movement within a building is also fundamental to fire safety and not covered with enough emphasis in AD B'. Current regulations concentrate on the successful evacuation of burning buildings. But property protection lies largely outside the scope of regulation. This severely underestimates the true cost of fires. Moreover AD B only provides recommendations applicable to the most common building situations. It doesn't set out advice for complex multi-functional buildings. The latest generation of tall buildings tend to combine residential, leisure and commercial uses and function outside traditional scenarios.
Passive Fire Protection Federation edited by Building Talk 04/05/07
Guidance sheds some light
The National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers has issued guidance on rooflights and Part L, entitled Designing with Rooflights: Supporting the Guidance. It is a second tier document referenced directly from both Approved Documents L2A and L2B and contains background information on the impact of rooflights on overall energy demand and the associated CO2 emissions.
Construction Manager - Email Alert 09/05/07
School building design, resources and finance
New information has been prvided on school buildings, purchasing and asset management as well as details of useful sources of additional funding (including capital funding) and information about Voluntary Aided Schools funding. These guidance documents are the first three in a series of Standard Specifications, Layouts and Dimensions (SSLD) guidance notes produced to inform the Buildinng Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
They set out the standards of performance expected for these elements and shows how they might be delivered through some design examples. School building clients, their professional advisers, contractors and their supply chains should use the guidance at the early stages of a project's development — whether for new build, extension or refurbishment.
Information about proposals to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy measures in new school buildings is outlined in a letter from the head of Schools Capital at the DfES.
Flood resilient construction
A new document aims to provide guidance to developers and designers on how to improve the resilience of new properties in low or residual flood risk areas by the use of suitable materials and construction details.
Improving the flood performance of new buildings Flood resilient construction.
See also NBS Shortcuts 17: Anti-flood drainage : Building (or not building) in 'inappropriate' locations
Reducing carbon emissions
Faber Maunsell’s Ant Wilson states the refurbishment of existing buildings has a much more important role to play in meeting the governments targets for reducing carbon emissions.
Modern Building Services - Vol4 - Issue 1 - May 2007 - Pg 21-22
