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.
Writing clear and concise specifications is crucial on construction projects. A well-structured specification is not only essential for design success but can also prevent delays, unexpected costs and disputes. Here are five essential tips to help you get it right, from our Best Practice Guide to Specification Writing.
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This programme looks at the ways of incorporating photovoltaics into buildings and discusses the wider implications with regard to embodied energy – and economics.
An explanation of the different types of fuel that can be classed as biomass and a comparison with oil and gas in terms of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions produced and cost per kilowatt hour.
This programme looks at what exactly is required of the Co-ordinator throughout the design and construction process - and how it can be most effectively achieved.
Sarah Mallagh, head of the Health and Safety Executive's Asbestos Unit, runs through the different types of asbestos, where it can be found, and the diseases (such as mesothelioma and lung cancer) that are caused by breathing in asbestos fibres.
Safety and health should both be intrinsic concerns of good management, and this programme takes a look at the key health issues in construction, some simple steps to reduce the risks of ill health, and some of the benefits of doing so.
The programme deals with the practical, legal and commercial issues of administration with which viewers may become engaged, from the experienced perspectives of a barrister and insolvency practitioner, respectively, in the field: Mark Watson Gandy (13 Old Square) and Robert Smailes (Shipleys LLP).
With rising damp almost eliminated in English housing, condensation is now the major source of unwanted dampness in homes. It can lead to mould growth, health issues for occupants and additional maintenance costs. This programme looks at the conditions that give rise to condensation, its impact upon dwellings, and what can be done to rectify its negative effects. It also addresses different forms of condensation, discussing surface and interstitial condensation.
Whether you are a client, designer, engineer or contractor, your CDM responsibilities are about to change. New regulations, effective from April 2007, update the 1994 version of the Construction Design and Management Regulations. This programme looks at the main changes from the perspective of client, designer, principal contractor and the new role of CDM co-ordinator.
Interviewed in the studio, Jonathan Small QC and Oliver Radley-Gardner of Falcon Chambers consider the important topics in current telecoms law. They discuss the issues surrounding the leasehold enfranchisement valuations, take a look at the mismatch between current landlord and tenant legislation and the Telecoms Code, and consider the implications of the Human Rights Act.
This programme explores the reality behind the hype, explaining how LEDs work, outlining their history and providing a detailed discussion of the qualities of LEDs within six key categories.
