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The traditional approach used when two steel beams are provided to support a cavity wall has been to design the beams to each carry half the total load and then connect them with pipe spacers and bolts, even when the loading to each beam was not equal.
This view has been challenged by many…
The building regulations help ensure that new buildings, conversions, renovations and extensions (domestic or commercial) are going to be safe, healthy and high-performing.
Detailed regulations cover specific topics including: structural integrity, fire protection, accessibility, energy…
Introduced in Victorian times, drain interceptor traps were originally installed to stop the smells from sewers venting into properties.
The health risks and dangers of the foul air were not fully understood at the time, and the decision to install interceptor traps was left to individual local…
If you’ve ever found a storm tank on site you will know how they can impact on building work.
They’re commonly found at the back of terraced properties and originally acted as a soakaway for rainwater drainage.
Built in brickwork they can range in size from 900mm diameter and 900mm deep…
A new government must ensure the construction sector has enough skilled workers post-Brexit, or its housing and infrastructure manifesto pledges will be redundant, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
The FMB has called on all major political parties to recognise the importance of…
Following its successful launch at the London Gherkin on 13 December 2016, the CIOB Academy is now well and truly up and running!
Their ‘by industry, for industry’ philosophy, was particularly well received by attendees to the event, and the many new training opportunities were greeted with…
Recent research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has found that a third of small building firms are struggling to break even due to soaring material prices.
Almost a quarter have had to pass these price increases onto consumers with more than one-in-ten builders making losses on their…
Article updated on 31 January 2024Before we had the trussed roofs we commonly use today, the prototype was developed in the 1950s when resources were still in short supply following the war.The roof was made up of 'TDA' trusses positioned at 1.8 to 2.4m centres with rafters and ceiling joists…
Evidence suggests that thatched roofs have been around since the Bronze Age and the chocolate box image above is seen as most people’s aspiration of their dream home.
The reality is that a thatched roof is now seen as a measure of wealth rather than its original introduction through one of…
Yes. You should discuss any proposed building work with those neighbours who are most likely to be affected – either by the finished structure or the building process through things like noise or dust.
If your building plans involve shared walls or boundaries you may also need to get your…