Search
The installation or improvement of loft insulation is one of the simplest ways of improving the energy efficiency of a building. Up to 25% of heat lost from a building without any thermal insulation can pass through the roof.
But do building regulations apply to this type of building work?…
Did you know that you may now be ‘the principal designer’ and responsible for CDM on site? Hundreds of thousands of domestic building projects are now covered under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM Regulations 2015) thanks to new changes that came into force in…
The Each Home Counts review was launched in 2015 to consider issues relating to consumer advice, protection, standards and enforcement in relation to home energy efficiency and renewable energy measures in the UK. It was published on 16th December 2016.
The review covers:
Consumer advice and…
Fire safety is an ever-evolving issue in both commercial and residential environments. One of the areas of focus is how to ensure occupants have enough time to escape to safety as once a fire has started - moving away is usually the best course of action.
SE Controls’ SHEVTEC Extended Travel…
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…
It’s that time of year again when it’s no fun to be on a building site when temperatures have dropped significantly or the rain is driving horizontally. It’s not just you and the packed lunch that need to be protected.
The Brick Development Association makes a number of recommendations for…
Walls usually crack because of movement in buildings. Allowing for these subtle movements during construction can prevent problems later. If you don’t, you risk bowing or cracking because the walls aren’t free to expand or contract.
Ensure movement joints or expansion joints are built in. The…
1944-2022
It was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of David Smith MBE on 6th June 2022.
David began his career in building control as a trainee building inspector at Ipswich Borough Council in 1962, progressing through the ranks with a spell at Deben Rural…
The ‘point loading’ shown in the picture can cause the beam or lintel to fail if it wasn’t designed to take a single large load.
Where a lintel supports rafters, floor or ceiling joists, it’s known as a ‘uniformly distributed load’ or ‘UDL’, and these can be safely supported by a concrete or…
In 2014 Shane Wilkinson was killed on site when an unsecured trench wall collapsed on top of him at a building site in Collyweston. The father of five was completely buried in the rubble, and despite the best efforts of fellow workers, he died at the scene.
The court heard that basic safety…