A wide range of interesting articles that help you make informed decisions and deliver the best projects for your clients authored by our team of NBS subject specialists and construction industry contributors.
Sustainability
NBS Guide: Embodied Carbon Calculations
Learn how to align your carbon assessments with BIM workflows. This guide to Embodied Carbon Calculations, developed by NBS and Circular Ecology, sets out a practical, standardised approach to calculating the embodied carbon of building materials and products, and how to apply this data to BIM objects.
Must Reads
specification
The hidden cost of compliance: why architects are demanding a new era of product transparency
Few pieces of legislation have reshaped the UK construction industry as significantly as the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA). Introduced to improve accountability, traceability and safety standards ...
Design and Specification
Brick slip cladding systems – the need for robust specification
This article from the NBS technical team outlines specification for brick slip technology, including history, technology, design, safety and testing.
specification
When product data creates risk, AluK delivers the clarity and support architects need
The need to build more homes, more quickly, has not changed. If anything, the pressure has intensified. However, the conversation around Modern Methods of Construction has evolved.
Five essentials for sustainable office buildings
If you want to know what makes a great, sustainable office building, you need to ask an expert or 50. Melanie Thompson of Get Sust! reviews the 300-page wisdom that is the new BCO ‘Guide to ...
SustainabilitySpecification
Reduce embodied carbon from the start
Measure, compare and reduce upfront embodied carbon using trusted UK data and pre-built assemblies.
Are you BIM ready? What your business needs to do before 2016 (1/10)
The UK government has mandated that all centrally-funded work is to be undertaken using BIM by 2016. This is now less than 12 months away, and for those organisations that haven’t yet done so, this ...
Digital TransformationSpecification
Case study: Bridlington Leisure World
The need for accurate and up-to-date specifications East Riding of Yorkshire Council is in the early stages of a project to replace the aging Bridlington Leisure World. The new, multipurpose facility ...
Design and SpecificationSpecification
Masonry specification in NBS Create
The August 2014 update to the masonry content in NBS Create brought with it a new, more flexible way to specify masonry systems and products. The new method differs significantly from the original ...
Design and SpecificationSpecification
Specifying products has just become simpler
Discover how NBS Create has been designed to enable you to quickly and easily specify construction products either generically or by using manufacturer and product references. This guide also ...
Design and SpecificationVideo
Specification in a BIM world
As part of the series of BITESized talks at the RIBA Village auditorium at Ecobuild 2013, Dr Stephen Hamil of RIBA Enterprises discusses specification in a BIM world.
Design and SpecificationVideo
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Fire risk during construction - design and specification implications
Following a number of recent major fires on construction sites, Neil Storkes, NBS Technical Author and Architect, summarizes the requirements of the CDM Regulations, current fire legislation and HSE ...
Design and SpecificationSpecification
Intelligent proprietary specification
As part of the series of BITESized talks at the RIBA Village auditorium at Ecobuild 2013, Clair Hillier of RIBA Enterprises discusses intelligent proprietary specification.
Design and SpecificationVideo
Substitution and beyond
In this article, John Gelder explores substitution, the use of 'or equal' and its ilk, and 'deemed-to-comply' specifications, and makes a few suggestions.
Design and SpecificationSpecification
What does Building Information Modelling (BIM) mean for specifications?
How many articles and posts do you read that include a definition along the lines of "BIM provides a 3D model of a building"? BIM is driving change but we should improve industry understanding of ...
Design and SpecificationDigital Transformation
NBS products for 'small works' specification
NBS publishes a range of products for specification of building work. A question that is often asked is "which version of NBS should I use to specify a small (or medium, or large) building that I am ...
Design and SpecificationSpecification
Specification of plywood for exterior use: clarification
There is some confusion among specifiers concerning the properties of "exterior grade" plywood. This article by Dr Vic Kearley of TRADA seeks to clarify the situation and outline improvement actions ...
