Building Control Journal April-May 2016

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Building Control Journal

April/May 2016rics.org/journals

Home comfortsEnsuring energy efficiency in existing buildings

PG. 8

Major oversightsPart M and how to improve access

PG. 17

Thermal comfortOverheating and ventilation in homes

PG. 6

The rising challenge for the built environment

PG. 10

Living with

water

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contentsCONTACTS

B U I L D I N G C O N T R O L J O U R N A L

Editor: Barney Hatt T +44 (0)20 7695 1628 E [email protected]

Building Control Journal is the journal of the Building Control Professional Group

Advisory group: Dave Baker OBE (Robust Details Ltd), Alan Cripps (RICS), Diane Marshall (NHBC), Michael Morgan (Butler & Young Group), Anthony Oloyede (LABC), Anna Thompson (LABC)

Published by: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Parliament Square, London SW1P 3AD T +44 (0)24 7686 8555 www.rics.org ISSN: ISSN 0265-6493 (Print) ISSN 1759-3360 (Online)

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Building Control Journal

April/May 2016rics.org/journals

Home comfortsEnsuring energy efficiency in existing buildings

PG. 8

Major oversightsPart M and how to improve access

PG. 17

Thermal comfortOverheating and ventilation in homes

PG. 6

The rising challenge for the built environment

PG. 10

Living with

water

4Building for qualityMartin Conlon discusses the findings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment

5Assessing online A review carried out between 2012 and 2014 provides detailed research on the performance of RICS membership assessments, writes Kirsty Gould

6Thermal comfortRob Pannell looks at issues related to overheating and ventilation in homes

8Home improvementsRob Warren discusses how to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings

10Living with waterThe built environment needs to adapt to the rising challenge of water, as Richard Coutts explains

12Leading from the frontRICS is taking the initiative on sustainability and risk management, explains President Martin Brühl

14Performing under fireWilf Butcher highlights the fire safety assumptions that are made in the design, construction and maintenance of a building

16Catastrophic materialsMost deaths in earthquakes are due to poorly designed and constructed buildings, as Robin Cross explains

17Significant oversightsSimone West identifies ten often overlooked items in new developments that can dramatically affect ease of access and use

18Are you sitting safely?Nick Hunt reports on efforts to ensure building owners have the necessary fire safety information

19Take heedLaurence Cobb looks at two recent cases that offer lessons for giving expert evidence on the Building Regulations

20Burning questionsNathan Modell and Sheena Sood discuss the safety issues raised by a number of recent high-rise fires in the United Arab Emirates

21Crisis of confidenceIn the first of four articles about building control in Australia, Mark Anderson discusses the legal issues raised by two apartment fires

22Just think about itMilton Silverman draws attention to the hidden impact of EU regulations on contracts

24Update

While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all content in the journal, RICS will have no responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content. The views expressed in the journal are not necessarily those of RICS. RICS cannot accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of the content and the opinions expressed in the journal, or by any person acting or refraining to act as a result of the material included in the journal. All rights in the journal, including full copyright or publishing right, content and design, are owned by RICS, except where otherwise described. Any dispute arising out of the journal is subject to the law and jurisdiction of England and Wales. Crown copyright material is reproduced under the Open Government Licence v1.0 for public sector information: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

Front cover: ©Alamy

A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6 3

RICS BUILDINGCONTROL JOURNAL

C O N T E N TS

and the chance to inspect key areas is often missed by a lack of coordination, as it can be by poor planning on the part of the BCB.

I would recommend the introduction of a specific on-site building control liaison role, along the lines suggested in Section 9 of the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act. This has never been a requirement in the past for fear of being too much of a burden.

The government clearly listens to our voice: it is currently looking at construction and the processes in which we are involved, so those may well change to meet the demands of the 21st century.

Finally, the current professional group board membership is reaching the end of its tenure. Under RICS rules, no-one can serve for more than six years, and most of the board are now approaching this milestone. If you are interested in the work of the board or you know someone who is, then please get in touch with Alan Cripps, RICS Associate Director of the Built Environment, [email protected]. b

Martin Conlon discusses the findings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment

A As building control becomes more global, it is important that UK-based professionals work with others outside the country. To reflect this more cosmopolitan world, we have a new regular feature starting in this issue that puts the spotlight on building control issues in Australia.

APCThe APC is undergoing a number of revisions and changes (see p.5), and the annual Building Control national conference in September will again include a break-out session for APC candidates. Last year’s event was a great success, and we hope to make it even bigger and better this year. Watch out for further details to follow.

Building for quality

Following the historic climate change agreement at COP21 in Paris in December, it is clear that this is going to be a major topic for the foreseeable future. The role that buildings play in the debate is a significant one, and as building control professionals we can expect to be involved in some form or other.

For instance, we can anticipate major changes to the way we assess buildings and building work for compliance. Part L has always been contentious and, for some, the methods of assessment have been complex; but when you are dealing with a complex problem, it is not easy to find straightforward solutions. It is clear that renewable energy sources are going to become more and more important as time goes by.

Built environment groupRICS was represented by David McCullogh at the All-Party Parliamentary Group

for Excellence in the Built Environment build quality event, held in December at the Palace of Westminster.

The group was charged with looking in particular at relevant issues and the changes needed to improve the quality of construction. The conclusions were:

b quality is an issue, though not always part of building control; a minimum quality standard set by the government would be an improvement, as would better warranty and guarantee standards and schemes

b there is a substantial gap between the standards that are expected in the Building Regulations and those that are actually delivered in the finished building, so there needs to be better coordination between construction teams and building control bodies (BCBs)

I believe two issues are particularly pertinent:

b the regulations have been amended to include gathering evidence from subcontractors as to the adequacy and testing of their installations; this is an area that is not best understood by the main contractor, so adequate data is not collected and the opportunities for control that it might enable are lost

b BCBs cannot be a permanent presence on site,

I would recommend the introduction of a specific on-site building control liaison role


C h A I R m A N ’S C O l u m N

4 A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6

Martin Conlon is Chairman of the Building Control professional Group

[email protected]


A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6 5

AS S E S S m E N T

W e constantly review our process for assessments to ensure their objectivity and rigour is maintained, any potential confusion over routes to membership is avoided, and they are globally consistent. Based on this analysis, our assessments continue to evolve so that they remain fit for purpose.

The research has revealed some areas in the assessment methodology where processes could be improved, together with opportunities to increase rigour and consistency. The evolution of the membership assessments plan has been defined to ensure that RICS assessment procedures remain reputable, cutting-edge and relevant around the world.

The plan is based on seven pillars of work. One of these is for us to provide greater candidate support, and the project team want to share how we are doing this.

Currently, the assessment process for the majority of candidates is manual, with limited support and connection for candidates or counsellors throughout the process. It also includes around 6,000 candidates who are no longer engaged, and have stopped working towards their assessment; lack of support has been identified as a reason for this by both candidates and employers. Our stakeholders have said they need the process to be simpler, clearer and available online.

Online pilot testWe introduced an online application for enrolment in the UK last July, as a pilot test. More than 3,000 people had used this facility by the end of October, with 1,400 progressing to become fully enrolled candidates or student members. As this functionality is integrated into the RICS systems, we can now see those who part-completed the application, allowing us to contact them on an individual basis to help and support them through the process.

The assessment environment is not simply about having a system or an online presence, but improving the entire experience. Success will lead to:

b personalised candidate communication b improved stakeholder satisfaction b greater understanding of candidates’ experience throughout

the process b increased global performance b reduction in administrative tasks, with greater resources

invested in engagement and support b increased data security b increased quality and reduced duplication of content

for candidates.

Counsellors As part of the online facility there will be a dedicated area for counsellors, with a dashboard offering full tracking and audit of their candidates’ progress. Counsellors receive notifications when a candidate has added experience against their competencies or submitted their case study for sign-off. Counsellors can also send messages regarding key dates and material, as well as 121 templates for meetings and virtual training for their role.

The assessment environment is designed to cover the enrolment and progress of candidates and combine the various elements of the submission and information that are required for them to apply for final assessment. Only when all the key elements are complete – including mandatory competencies, technical competencies, ethics module, ethics test, case study, relevant education and employment history – and signed off by the counsellor will the option to apply for final assessment become available. The candidate’s work will then be merged into a pdf, pulling together their profile and submission documentation ready for assessment.

Assessors will also have an area where they can provide details of their availability, the pathways in which they can assess, and access to the latest marksheets and guidance notes. They will also be able to download the candidate assessment submissions if they wish.

Global roll-out It is expected that the online assessment process will be available globally in August and become mandatory for all new candidates. Transitional arrangements will be introduced for those candidates already in progress.

In the meantime the project will include all new candidates from the RICS School of the Built Environment in India, all current and new candidates from the North America and Caribbean region and between 100 and 200 UK candidates, covering a mixture of pathways, assessment types and stages.

The simple step of moving assessments online increases the security of the candidate’s information and documents, streamlines the process, obviates the need to post hard copies to all assessors and saves on the assessment panel’s paperwork. b

A review carried out between 2012 and 2014 provides detailed research on the performance of RICS membership assessments, writes Kirsty Gould

Assessing online

www.rics.org/uk/apc www.isurv.com/APC

Kirsty Gould is RICS Global Assessment Operations [email protected]


E N E R G y E f f I C I E N C y

6 A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6

unfortunately means that it is very likely that overheating will become more common in future, and, as a result, thermal comfort during summer months as well as the winter is something to which we will all need to give greater attention.

CausesWhen researchers investigate why some buildings overheat, they usually find combinations of well-known causes: for instance, how well buildings keep out unwanted heat from the sun, or how effectively the occupants manage unwanted heat from internal and external sources. An apartment block may have large, unshaded windows in the south-west-facing elevation, resulting in high solar gains; or a terraced building may have an uninsulated room in the roof, which has little protection from the sun and limited means of ventilation.

The ability to identify such causes gives reason to be optimistic about spotting risky combinations of location, orientation and building design early enough in construction, and even retrofit projects, to allow modifications to be made. In some cases, works to improve the energy efficiency of the building can also help to reduce the risk of overheating, such as the installation of low-energy lightning. In the vast majority of cases, the risk of overheating will be low and no further action will be needed, but it is still good practice to make simple checks.

If unwanted heat builds up inside homes, not only might the occupants become uncomfortable and find it difficult to sleep, but health issues can develop, particularly in vulnerable groups such as the elderly and young infants. But what level of comfort should we be seeking? To answer this, we must understand and agree as a sector what we mean by overheating.

W e in the housing sector are, sadly, all too aware of the problems that can arise for people living in fuel poverty in homes that are

too cold in the winter. The health of vulnerable people, in particular, can start to fail.

Making homes more energy-efficient and thermally comfortable is now a core part of our response to this problem. Each winter, the government, industry bodies and the media seek to raise awareness of where people can get help to keep warm. But there is still a long way to go: an estimated 2.3 million households live in fuel poverty in England and there are tens of thousands of deaths caused by the cold weather each year so efforts to insulate homes and reduce demand for heat must continue.

Given this, it seems somewhat strange to raise the issue of overheating and excess heat inside buildings. By “overheating”, we mean in general terms the phenomenon of excessive or prolonged high domestic temperatures, resulting from internal or external heat gains, which may have adverse effects on the comfort, health or productivity of the occupants.

Overheating has not, historically, been something that building professionals have had much cause to consider. But this is beginning to change as researchers and practitioners see more evidence of the issue, not just for a few days during hot summers but sometimes during cooler summers and for prolonged periods of time.

Driven in part by the increasing density of urban living, new trends in building design and an ageing population who are more vulnerable to the effects of excess heat, up to 20% of dwellings in England may already be overheating to a greater or lesser extent.

Of course, this also means that the vast majority of housing stock is not currently overheating. However, a warming climate

Defining overheatingOverheating is an umbrella term commonly used to describe anything from a mild case of discomfort to a severe situation where excess internal heat is threatening the health of a building’s occupants. Of course, how well an individual copes with heat is a very subjective matter, so care must be taken when setting generally applicable rules.

The building industry has responded to this challenge, in part, by developing “thermal comfort” temperature thresholds for use when designing new buildings. The Chartered Institution for Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Guide A: Environmental Design (2015) is a good example (http://bit.ly/1F68u0r).

The guide advises that bedrooms and living rooms should stay within certain temperatures for specified periods of time. These comfort thresholds are allowed to vary depending on recent outdoor temperatures and occupants’

Rob Pannell looks at issues related to overheating and ventilation in homes

Thermal comfort

Image © Shutterstock

Overheating is an umbrella term describing anything from a mild case of discomfort to a situation where excess internal heat threatens the health of occupants


A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6 7

ability to adapt their surroundings to stay cool, though an exception is made for bedrooms, where an absolute threshold temperature of 26°C remains.

Another basic overheating check used for new homes is contained in Appendix P of the UK Government’s Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP; http://bit.ly/1WMIUSd). It requires energy assessors to calculate the propensity of a building to overheat in June, July and August when carrying out the SAP for a property. If the average internal temperature – over day and night – is calculated to be above 23.5°C, it is determined to have a high risk of overheating. However, building designers use SAP Appendix P with some caution because it is not intended to inform design decisions.

The government’s Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Guidance for Landlords and Property-Related Professionals helps environmental health

officers assess whether a building may be hazardous to occupants’

health (http://bit.ly/1hiSMm0). But again, this mechanism, although

potentially powerful, is not intended to be an official overheating definition or standard, and as a result is not generally used to guide

the design of buildings.These frameworks form pieces

of a jigsaw, but none represent an official, agreed and sector-wide definition of what constitutes overheating.

Criterion 3 of Part L1A of the Building Regulations in England requires developers to demonstrate that “reasonable provision” has been made to “limit heat gains” in new dwellings (http://bit.ly/1S8pF6T). It states that “reasonable provision” can be demonstrated by achieving a low or medium risk rating in the SAP overheating check. Criterion 3 is designed to limit the energy used to cool homes, and is not intended to be a thermal comfort standard or definition.

Housing providersA survey of 75 housing providers carried out by Sustainable Homes and the Zero Carbon Hub in November 2014 suggested that, as would be expected, housing providers are using different definitions of overheating.

Respondents were asked: “How does your organisation define ‘overheating’ in residential properties?” Around two-thirds of the 75 organisations that provided information defined overheating in general terms, and these definitions related to the thermal comfort of occupants.

For example, one organisation described overheating as: “A condition found in a domestic property whereby the indoor temperature is too high and cannot be controlled to provide comfort to the occupants.”

Eight organisations referred to SAP Appendix P as the basis for their definition. The remainder said they

defined overheating using quantified criteria, including CIBSE’s previous Guide A: Environmental Design (2006) or criteria that have been developed specifically for Passivhaus designs.

If the goal is to deliver high-quality, energy-efficient homes that are thermally comfortable in winter and in summer, then agreeing what we are aiming for is probably a useful thing. However, we must also be certain that any future requirements are very carefully developed to limit unintended consequences. Protecting the health of potentially vulnerable occupants must also be a consideration.

Research done to date provides a solid foundation for agreeing a sensible and pragmatic way forward, and the Zero Carbon Hub intends to work on coordinating thought on the next steps in the coming months.

In the meantime, it is worth thinking about the different ways to measure and assess overheating and deciding which are most relevant for your organisation. What are the common-sense design solutions you can adopt to help prevent homes overheating? b

www.zerocarbonhub.org/recent-publications NHBC Foundation: Overheating in new homes

http://bit.ly/VBWUEP

Related competencies include legal/regulatory compliance, Sustainability

Rob Pannell is Managing Director at the Zero Carbon Hub

[email protected]

8 A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6

Rob Warren discusses how to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings

A fter the government’s Spending Review in November, which targeted the delivery of 400,000 new affordable homes by 2020, you could be forgiven for thinking that the policy focus is firmly on new housing.

But old homes deserve attention too. There are around 26 million

households in the UK, and they are responsible for a large proportion of carbon emissions from the built environment, as well as keeping most of the population warm through the cold weather. The energy efficiency of older houses is likely to be worse than their more modern counterparts, too – although this need not be the case if homeowners take positive action.

Energy efficiency schemesThe UK government has tried various ways to encourage action on energy efficiency. The most effective was probably the requirement imposed on the so-called “big six” energy firms in the UK to hit carbon reduction targets, through measures such as installing more energy-efficient boilers and insulating lofts and cavities. The former Carbon Emissions Reduction Target saw almost four million lofts and 2.6 million cavity walls insulated. However, only 59,000 solid-wall properties were treated.

The current Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme was originally designed to concentrate on energy efficiency in harder-to-treat properties, though as of November 2015 the number of solid-wall installations completed was only just over 100,000. As there are around eight million households with solid walls, there is still considerable potential for improving the energy efficiency of a significant proportion of existing stock and lowering associated carbon emissions.

The next phase of ECO is due to start in March 2017. The Spending Review suggests this will cover 200,000 houses, cutting the energy bills of each by around £300 a year. Its focus on the fuel-poor is a significant change, as ECO has up to this point also included those who are able to pay. Many households in fuel poverty live in solid-wall properties and if this new scheme targets such housing it could begin to tackle this issue. However, it may be more likely to look at the lowest-cost options first.

Solid-wall insulationGiven that solid-wall insulation is more expensive than filling lofts and cavities, it tends to be overlooked and is perhaps the hardest measure to persuade a householder to consider.

The coalition government’s Green Deal, now no longer with us, showed that when enough money is offered as an

incentive though schemes such as the Home Improvement Fund, installations see a surge in popularity. But as well as representing a financial hurdle, older, solid-wall properties need to be treated with a whole-house approach, offering the most appropriate solutions and taking into account airtightness and ventilation strategies to maintain good indoor air quality.

The many benefits of treating existing properties with solid-wall insulation were summarised in Solid Wall Insulation: Unlocking Demand and Driving Up Standards, a 2015 report by the government’s then Chief Construction Advisor Peter Hansford (http://bit.ly/1Lbzzv0).

The Department of Energy and Climate Change and Department for Communities and Local Government have now asked BRE’s Dr Peter Bonfield to lead an independent review of consumer advice, protection, standards and enforcement for energy efficiency and renewable energy (http://bit.ly/1L1xjHU). There have been high-profile cases where inappropriately installed insulation has caused damage to the building fabric, and the desire to ensure this does not happen again is one of the key drivers for this review. If householders’ lack of enthusiasm is partly down to the difficulty of engaging with the retrofitting process and partly due to a fear of problems that may arise from it, then the findings of the Bonfield Review, published in March, may well help.

RegulationAnother key driver for retrofitting energy-efficiency measures is regulation, but the current government is more inclined to deregulate. For instance, it chose not to amend Part L in England – the approved document concerned with the conservation of fuel and power – to introduce zero-carbon housing or require the construction of more energy-efficient extensions. The current regulation in England remains Part L 2013, which covers not just new-build but also existing housing.

Equally, the policy of Consequential Improvements for smaller domestic extensions – where any increase in habitable space would require the rest of the existing building fabric to be improved – did not appear in the most recent Part L changes for England, even though it was first considered in 2012 and is already in place for commercial buildings and larger extensions.

Home improvements

B u I l D I N G P E R fO R m A N C E

Images ©Celotex


Homeowners are likely to be more convinced by measures that will clearly improve their properties

A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6 9

As this measure would have required householders to spend a percentage of the cost of extensions improving the rest of their homes, it perhaps looked too much like a tax, and there were concerns that it would damage the extensions and conservatories market.

When Wales introduced Consequential Improvements in its version of Part L in 2014, it took a more reasonable approach, stating that householders need only do what is practical, such as insulating lofts, cavities and hot water cylinders, rather than requiring them to make a specific monetary outlay. Perhaps this common-sense approach will be considered the next time Part L changes are proposed in England?

Financial incentivesAnother way to motivate householders to improve their properties is appealing to their desire to save money, perhaps by linking the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of a house to some kind of discount: the more energy-efficient the house, the greater could be the reduction in stamp duty or council tax, for instance.

As this would be aimed at those who are able to pay, though, it would present policy challenges for those who rent or are unable to find the resources for the necessary improvement works. Nevertheless, changes to stamp duty would be easier to implement; as the Spending Review adjusted rates for those buying second homes, the government seems to be willing to use this as an incentive to change behaviour, and may be warming to the idea of linking higher EPC ratings with lower stamp duty.

An area where financial incentives have long played a part is that of the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs), which are paid to householders who generate their own electricity with solar photovoltaics. However, FITs have been cut dramatically – and there is the added issue that as of 1 August, the full 20% level of VAT will apply to such energy-saving technologies, a move that would increase the cost of a typical 4kW installation by around £900. This could significantly dampen homeowners’ enthusiasm for such measures.

Regulations and FITs aside, all the reviews, obligations and incentives in the world will struggle to overcome a significant

hurdle – that householders have the luxury of choice. People tend to prefer a new bathroom or kitchen to energy-saving measures, probably because the former make their homes more practical and pleasurable places to live and offer a tangible result for the hefty spend.

Comfortable buildingsMany campaigns and policy proposals for existing buildings lead with energy bill savings rather than other benefits, but perhaps this is where they are going wrong. Homeowners may engage more with measures where they can experience a tangible difference for their investment, making the home a more comfortable place to live regardless of the British weather.

The idea of constructing healthy, comfortable buildings is starting to move higher up the list of clients’ requirements for new-build homes. If the indoor environment is free from draughts and cold spots, can be kept at a comfortable temperature in both winter and summer and is adequately ventilated for good indoor air quality, then the occupants will benefit.

Feeling comfortable in other kinds of building such as schools or places of work increases occupants’ ability to learn and be productive. The fact that home improvement measures might also save on fuel bills, increase property value and win a tax break could then be a bonus rather than the main reason for that change.

If policy, reviews and obligations provide consumers with a robust framework for home improvement through energy efficiency, this would help drive demand from the bottom up rather than the top down. The performance of existing buildings may then finally start to make progress, and move the UK away from having the least energy-efficient homes in Europe. C

Home improvements

Rob Warren is Head of Technical at Celotex [email protected]


Thermal laminate for internal wall insulation

A well-insulated extension to an existing building

Living with water

a less defensive approach. Space is made to store water, and for water to flow through predetermined parts of settlements without significant disruption to people. The space between buildings, which is designed to flood, could provide other functions when not flooded, such as recreation or energy generation, in a multifunctional way that demonstrates integrated planning.

The approach is based on three essential considerations:

b development pressure – the need to build and support a growing and ageing population, and the need to improve all development to ensure better living conditions and wellbeing

b environmental change – caused by both human-induced and natural processes, including pollution, habitat destruction, overextraction of fresh water, land degradation and climate change

b increased risk of flooding – more frequent and more severe flood events that affect a greater number of people and businesses.

The proposed response is illustrated by three intersecting approaches that incorporate the LifE principles:

b making space for water – working with natural processes to provide space for water (rain, rivers and sea) to expand during times of flood, reducing reliance on flood defences

b living with water – developing communities that are designed to anticipate, cope with and recover quickly from flooding, with little or no impact on their daily lives

b eco-design – harnessing natural resources to create low-energy developments that have a positive impact on the environment and seek to reduce carbon emissions.

At the centre of the Venn diagram (see Figure 1), the principles converge in an holistic approach, integrating planning, architecture, landscape and engineering to create multifunctional spaces and buildings and provide storm and floodwater attenuation when necessary.

These principles underpin the design philosophies of the architecture, masterplans, and landscape and engineering solutions used in aquatecture. They are illustrated at a range of scales through case studies

Water has always shaped our built environment and will continue to do so. We depend on it; we use it; we live with it; and, consequently,

we must also respect it. In both its absence and abundance –

drought and flooding – water will pose one of the most serious challenges to society in the 21st century and beyond. However, it can, through considered design, be used to create beautiful and resilient cities.

This winter, the failure of recently constructed UK flood defences in northern England was exposed during floods in Cumbria and Yorkshire. Combined with a higher frequency of storm events over the last decade, this has contributed to a growing realisation of the uncertainty around weather patterns and an awareness that reliance on traditional flood defences alone is not working.

With Environment Agency Deputy Chief Executive David Rooke asking for a “complete rethink”, it is timely that Aquatecture: Buildings and cities designed to live and work with water by myself and Robert Barker was published by RIBA in January (http://bit.ly/1xSCnte).

Fundamentally, ‘aquatecture’ seeks to make space for water in developments rather than trying to keep it out. The book illustrates how this is being done with examples from around the world, as well as providing examples of the opportunities that water can offer.

It is intended as a non-technical introduction to designing with water for policy-makers and professionals, based on an updated version of our Long-term Initiatives for Flood-risk Environments (LifE) Project, and the findings of complementary research undertaken for the Environment Agency, Technology Strategy Board and World Bank.

It also introduces the reader to a range of new techniques that rethink the way we tackle water through design and planning, such as flood-resilient and amphibious building, zero-carbon development, sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) and new methods of waterfront design.

The book is organised into four disciplines – infrastructure, landscape, planning and aquatecture – that are explored individually then brought together in case studies at the scales of region, city, neighbourhood and building.

The LifE approachIn 2005, we established the LifE Project, an integrated design approach to planning and building that seeks to reduce flood risk through sustainable design. It adopts a non-defensive approach to flood risk management, promotes the creation of space for water, and upholds the highest environmental design standards.

New developments built according to the LifE principles would reduce overall flood risk, help to mitigate the effects of climate change and deliver high-quality, sustainable and resilient settlements. The LifE Project received UK government funding through the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Innovation Fund in 2007. An expert team sought to establish and test the LifE principles by masterplanning three sites in the UK, although the principles are transferable to other countries.

Fundamental to the approach is a shift from traditional flood prevention towards

The built environment needs to adapt to the rising challenge of water, as Richard Coutts explains

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Figure 1The lifE approach

that show how the LifE approach may be applied to create resilient communities.

AquatectureIndividual properties may require flood protection where it is not possible to reduce the risk of flooding through planning or landscaping measures alone, or where there is a residual risk. Historic buildings or key buildings such as hospitals, communication hubs or safe havens may also need protection.

Five main approaches to tackling flood risk at building scale have been identified.1. Flood avoidance: This approach works by locating buildings away from flood risk areas or lifting buildings above the water level on stilts or raised land.2. Flood resistance: Also known as dry-proofing or water exclusion strategy, this approach seeks to keep water outside the building by blocking ways for the water to enter and providing a water-resistant building fabric.3. Flood resilience: Also known as wet-proofing and water entry strategy, this approach allows the water into a building in a controlled way and relies on the use of internal water-resilient materials and detailing to prevent permanent damage and allow quick recovery after a flood.

4. Floating: This approach works by permanently floating the building on water, enabling it to move up and down with the floodwater and preventing people and property from being flooded.5. Amphibious: With this approach, also known as can-float, the building is fixed to a buoyant base that rests on the ground but is designed to float when floodwaters rise, temporarily creating a floating structure (see photo, top, and also Building Control Journal November–December 2015, p.10).

Dutch projectIn 1993, heavy rainfall led to flooding in Limburg in the south east of the Netherlands. In 1995, water in the Dutch river and dyke system rose to such alarming levels that a quarter of a million people were evacuated from their homes. This close call led to a shift in approach, from holding out water through defensive means to acknowledging that space for water was needed; thus, the Room for the River project was born.

The Dutch government identified that the discharge capacity of the river system had to be increased to cope with heavier discharges than previously anticipated, in response to climate change. This needed both a national and regional approach, in

particular in the Maas/Rhine river deltas – IJssel, Waal and Nederrijn. It also involved 17 partners, including Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch Department for Public Works and Water Management.

The Room for the River project involves a range of measures, including relocating dykes, lowering floodplains, enlarging the river channel, removing obstacles to flow such as groynes or bridge supports, and flood-relief channels.

Although these approaches require considerable engineering, another, overarching objective was to improve the environmental quality of the river system.

One of the key projects is located on the River Waal between Nijmegen and Lent (see photo, left). Nijmegen is located on a pinch point in the river, approximately 17km downstream of Germany; it will see a €365m new flood-relief channel and dyke installed to reduce the risk of flooding regionally and help support the redevelopment of Lent.

Baca Architects was engaged to provide landscape and development ideas for the island created by the new waterway. The proposals for an eco-tourism destination embrace both the water and the landscape with recreation facilities and innovative flood-proof buildings on the waterfront.

This major engineering project has been the catalyst for new homes, transport improvements and landscaping; this benefits the city and wider region, as well as the local environment. By considering the potential broader benefits from the start of the project, a more integrated solution has been found rather than just a cost-driven one.

This shows that managing increased flood risk can simultaneously help reduce pressure for development and provide environmental benefits. Construction on the flood relief channel began in 2013 and is due for completion this year.

As first the motor car and then health and wellbeing transformed 20th century town planning, in the 21st century it will be water that shapes our communities. Unless we begin to address the effects of flooding and drought now, the consequences are likely to worsen over the coming century. Aquatecture offers an alternative approach to traditional flood defence-based solutions in an accessible way, and highlights opportunities for innovation across the construction sector. C

Images © Baca Architects

Richard Coutts is Director at Baca Architects [email protected]

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Nijmegen, the Netherlands: aerial view of the relief channel

The UK’s first amphibious house in Buckinghamshire

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R I C S P R E S I D E N T

RICS is taking the initiative on sustainability and risk management, explains President Martin Brühl

Leading from the front

II have benefitted enormously from RICS over the years. My outlook and career have been substantially shaped by its concepts, standards and ethos.

I wanted to bring new areas of expertise to RICS, to share what I have learned. As President, I have come through the route of practice, not governance. My experience comes from extensive stakeholder engagement rather than RICS working groups.

I believe that this is the time for RICS to lead on the important issues, both of today and the future. We cannot hope to lead on every issue in our sector, but we can choose to offer leadership in those areas that matter most. During my Presidential year, I am focusing on responsible property investment, and more particularly, the areas of risk management and sustainability. These topics are vitally important and require renewed emphasis.

Risk managementAs head of global transactions for a fund manager deploying €2.5bn of investment per year, I am acutely conscious of my duty to invest other people’s money responsibly. This has never been easy, but the present pressures to cut corners are great.

We are operating in a world of historically low interest rates engineered by central banks, greater demand for pension funds in the emerging economies, and a trend towards more fund investment in real estate as an alternative asset class.

My clients traditionally prefer safe investments in the core cities of their home country. But a global market requires us to look beyond core cites and spread investments across geographical regions and diverse assets. The associated risks can never be quantified with complete accuracy – and are only ever an expression of probability.

These topics, and many more, are discussed at the quarterly RICS Global Investment Risk Management Forum. I have established these meetings to bring chief risk and investment officers together. The primary aim is to share our knowledge, to help foster public and market confidence in real estate investment around the world.

RICS has a role to educate and regulate so that risk managers understand the changing nature of risk. We are ideally placed to make a difference, as an internationally respected professional body. RICS has an opportunity to help foster public and market confidence in real estate investment.

The broader risk we face is to our profession as a whole. It could come from shifts in market practices, from the slow but sure onset of climate change, or from the broader reputational damage that could result from opaque supply chains. The

likelihood of mistakes can be lowered through professional risk management based on technical and professional standards, ethical behaviour and effective regulation.

However, I believe that the answers will not come solely from within our own ranks: specialists can provide insights on topics such as central bank policy and regulation, forecasting and alternative property investment classes. These experts can complement the rich knowledge and experience our profession offers and help us to have greater impact.

Ultimately, standards are the bedrock of our approach to risk, and we must continue to engage the profession constantly to develop and adapt them.

SustainabilitySustainability is a key theme that goes hand in hand with risk management to create responsible businesses.

It has many facets, from protecting the environment to creating a diverse and viable future for our industry, from investing ethically to acting in the public interest.

During my inauguration speech in June, I was delighted to launch a toolkit RICS developed with the UN Global Compact. Advancing Responsible Business Practices in Land, Construction and Real Estate Use and Investment is a guide for organisations looking to take responsible decisions at every stage of the real estate lifecycle. It translates the Global Compact’s 10 principles on human and labour rights, environmental

protection and anti-corruption into practical steps.

Our long-term relationship with the UN led RICS to COP21 in Paris in December, the annual climate change conference. We are truly leading from the front for the built environment in this arena. The Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction

martin Brühl is RICS [email protected]

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111 million people, and is worth more than US$7tr – around 10% of global GDP. We have a clear collective responsibility to take action on climate change.

My message to participants, from an investor’s perspective, was that green buildings attract a premium. They diminish risks for investors and offer occupiers greater certainty about running costs.

COP21 was all about commitments. RICS is in a particularly strong position to make commitments and deliver on them. We already have the mechanisms in place to measure and monitor progress, including our international standards and the know-how of our vast network of RICS professionals operating in more than 145 countries.

We are committing to influence and change the way our sector does business.

Public interestRisk management and sustainability are strongly linked to RICS’ public interest remit. In the run-up to our 150th anniversary in 2018, we have been reconsidering what the public interest means in the present day.

RICS’ founders defined the public interest in our Royal Charter by talking of “usefulness” and public “advantage”. But these are words of their time. To the Victorians, usefulness was grounded in a prevailing moral philosophy, that of utilitarianism. It focused on maximising the utility of all individuals to achieve the greatest happiness for as many as possible.

But are the wishes of the majority always synonymous with the public advantage? And is the public interest purely a human concept, or does it have ecological and environmental dimensions too?

We have been asking stakeholders what the public interest means to them throughout my Presidential year

and have received a range of thought-provoking responses.

There is a strong idea that public interest does include environmental dimensions. Becoming more sustainable can work in the interests of both investors and the wider public. By investing in sustainability now, assets are more assured of value in the future. Others have noted that sites can have different types of value. Land that may have limited value on the open market, for instance a public open space, can have great value in terms of societal benefit. There needs to be a better understanding of this type of value.

Still others have commented that taking care of the public interest also represents enlightened self-interest. Complying with laws and regulations is not always enough. If we act against the public interest but in line with the law, would we be happy for such activities to be reported in the media? Most likely we would not.

It is unlikely that codes of professional conduct or standards of ethics will be adequate to define the public interest. There also remains a question about how individual professionals can be expected to judge in practice what is in the public’s best interests, not least as they rarely – if ever – have access to all the relevant information.

Let’s continue to lead on the important issues for our sector today and in the future. We have much to add, but also to learn, to meet our public interest commitments and deliver on our promise of professionalism. bwas launched at the event,

a worldwide building sector network backed by the governments of France, Germany, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Cameroon and Senegal among others. RICS is the only professional body on the list of initiating partners.

At COP21, we focused on how collective action and

commitments could support the international climate agenda. The World Bank estimates that 70% of the world’s wealth is bound up in real estate. Buildings account for 40% of global energy consumption and one third of greenhouse gas emissions. UN statistics estimate that the building sector employs

1 4 A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6

Wilf Butcher highlights the fire safety assumptions that are made during the design, construction and maintenance of a building

In almost every aspect of our daily lives we all make assumptions – often based on a limited knowledge of the matter in hand, but in our opinion sufficient to form a reasoned judgement.

When designing a building, many assumptions will of necessity be made about how it should perform in a fire, though these will have one primary goal: the safe evacuation of everyone inside should a fire break out. But should this be the only assumption

made about fire safety? For example, is it also assumed that the building and its contents are to be protected from a fire?

This is an important – indeed, a fundamental – assumption, as statisticians tell us that upward of 40% of businesses that experience a significant fire will be out of business within 12 to 18 months. The knock-on effect of this is the potential loss of jobs and the impact of this on the local community.

While a building control authority will approve a fire design if it complies with the minimum code requirements for life safety, this does not mean that the building itself will be protected from fire, or that the fire service will attempt to save the building where there is no threat to life.

Critical questionsThe client needs to be clear about how they wish the building to perform in the event of a fire. The building designer must therefore ask a number of critical questions about the client’s business needs, since these will affect the fire strategy.

b What is the maximum acceptable damage value? b Should any fire that breaks out be contained within a defined

compartment area? b How quickly should the fire be extinguished following the

time of ignition? b How soon should the building be reoccupied for trading?

Throughout the design and build processes, myriad changes will need to be made to take account of unforeseen circumstances. When the building is handed over to the client, though, they will not unreasonably assume that the building will be fit for purpose. But in terms of the building’s fire performance, how can they be sure?

Third-party certificationCertain processes and procedures can improve the likelihood of the building’s fire performance meeting expectations.

These processes start at the design stage with the fire protection materials and systems specified, and continue

throughout the building phase in terms of the competency of those that install them.

The specification of third-party-certificated products and systems is not mandatory, but it does minimise the assumptions that need to be made when determining appropriate performance. This is because it offers:

b proof of product performance from a range that has been tested (not single tests)

b evidence from tests used in assessments to create a scope of certification covering the product range’s performance

b factory production control audits or inspections of product manufacture, typically conducted annually

b requirements for manufacturers to declare any changes made to products

b ongoing product verification (through audit tests or inspections) at predetermined frequencies.

However, product certification is just one factor. Without competent installation, there can be no assurance that the product or system installed will be fit for purpose in the event of fire.

As with the choice of product, the selection of an installer certificated by a third party is not mandatory; however, it can eliminate the need to make assumptions in many essential areas of risk by offering:

b an audit of company operational or management procedures and processes (typically on an annual basis)

b regular inspection of ongoing site work b competence assessment of supervision and installation

personnel on site b a certificate confirming the scope of product types that a

company can install b the assurance provided by the listing of a company on the

certification body website b the ability to issue a certificate of conformity to the client for

works carried out on each specific project supported by that certification body.

Building handoverWhen a building is finally handed over, further assumptions will have been made by both designer and builder, who will expect

Performing under fire

f I R ERICS BUILDING CONTROL JOURNAL

Performing under fire

Image ©Shuttertstock/ambrozinio

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that their fire provisions will be adequately maintained for the rest of the building’s life. Similarly, the manufacturers and installers of the fire-resistant products and systems will expect them to be maintained in accordance with their instructions, so as to preserve their warranties.

In England and Wales, Building Regulation 38 requires that fire safety information must be provided to the responsible person on completion of construction, where a building is erected or extended, or is subject to a material change of use. It also requires that the building will comply with the Fire Safety Order (see p.21).

The information is essential to help the responsible person meet their legal obligations in terms of undertaking a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment for the building, so full details must be passed to this person by the applicant no later than the date of completion of the work or the date of occupation, whichever is the earlier.

Where Regulation 38 does not apply, it is not a statutory requirement to produce fire safety information, though it may often be good practice to do so. Regulation 38 defines “fire safety information” as relating to the design and construction of the building or extension, and the services, fittings and equipment provided in or in connection with the building or extension to assist the responsible person in operating and maintaining the building or extension with reasonable safety.

After completion or occupation, the full weight of responsibility falls on the building’s owner, who must ensure that all fire safety provision is monitored and maintained and any future modifications to the building or its fabric do not compromise its overall fire performance.

How well a building owner understands what may be complex fire-engineered solutions will be vital in ensuring that the building will still perform as expected during a fire. All activities in the building that might affect its fire performance must be monitored, and action taken where necessary.

This is essential when allowing follow-on trades to undertake work that may, for example, breach the building’s compartmentation. While it should be expected that any such trade is vetted to ensure they are competent to undertake work – for instance the installation of new telecommunication cabling – it should not be assumed that they are competent in recognising when they have breached the fire compartmentation provision and then reinstating it. Such damage to the compartmentation can significantly compromise the intended fire provision of a building, leaving the expected fire performance in question.

Those involved in the provision of fire protection, at any level, share liability for its usefulness and its operation, and remain liable in the event of a court case.

The ASFP Guide to Inspecting Passive Fire Protection for Fire Risk Assessors offers essential guidance to building owners and risk assessors, while Ensuring Best Practice for Passive Fire Protection in Buildings defines the roles and responsibilities of professionals with responsibility for the fire safety of a building throughout its life cycle. Both publications are free to download at www.asfp.org.uk. C

Wilf Butcher is Chief Executive Officer at the Association for Specialist Fire protection

[email protected]

Related competencies include fire and Safety

Any breaches in compartmentation must be reinstated

Fire protection should be considered from the design stage and throughout the building phase of any project

Image © Shutterstock/Mmaxer

Image © pS Applications Ltd

Catastrophic materialsMost deaths in earthquakes are due to poorly designed and constructed buildings, as Robin Cross explains

The devastating earthquakes that struck Nepal in April and May 2015 killed nearly 9,000 people and caused extensive damage across the country. A year later, the country still faces an enormous reconstruction challenge. The earthquakes significantly damaged 750,000 homes, while 28,572 classrooms in public and private schools were totally

destroyed or damaged beyond use.For years, the international community knew that another big

earthquake was due in Nepal. The disaster is that we did not prepare sufficiently. In a world of increased urban densification, rapidly expanding informal settlements and development that outstrips a government’s ability to enforce standards, it is poorly designed and constructed buildings rather than earthquakes that are the real threat.

Around three quarters of all deaths in earthquakes are due to building collapse. Low-cost and informal temporary buildings are most likely to fail, meaning that earthquakes disproportionately affect the poorest in the community, and usually leave them even poorer. The technology and skills to almost eliminate this scale of fatality are available, yet they are not reaching the people who need them most. Earthquakes are not just a natural crisis: they reflect a poverty crisis.

The solutionWhere buildings are the problem, builders and designers are the solution. We need to help countries build back better, using our knowledge to make the built environment safer. If we do not, the rebuilding will be done in an ad hoc manner, without safe design and construction, and the community will be locked into a cycle of vulnerability that exposes them to the next earthquake.

Knowledge about resilient reconstruction is not lacking in Nepal. It experiences several small to medium-intensity earthquakes a year, it has a National Society for Earthquake Technology, and has created a set of building safety standards. But disaster funding remains reactive, with the majority of spending going towards short-term responses. In 29 years, the Global Facility for Disaster Risk and Recovery (GFDRR) allocated only 2% of total development assistance to disaster-related activities. Of this, only 3.6% was for disaster prevention and preparedness.

Proactive workInternational cooperation needs to focus on preventing disasters proactively. We have the technology and skills to make a difference between thousands of deaths and no deaths, but lessons are not being disseminated far enough. Physical resilience must be permanently embedded throughout

all development, not just in the months or years after an earthquake. It is not a question of whether another earthquake will strike, but rather when. Only comprehensive strategies will be able to prevent another disaster.

Building projects development charity Article 25 is currently working with local partners in Nepal to improve the quality and seismic resistance of a major hospital. In this work, the charity is applying skills and experience in building safely in hostile environments that it has developed during the last decade.

In the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, Article 25 delivered hundreds of earthquake-resistant homes, bringing the construction industry’s valuable skills to work for the poorest in the country who would never otherwise engage an architect or engineer.

Article 25 is also in Haiti for the long haul, delivering schools and community buildings that will not collapse when the next earthquake comes. All of this is only possible through the support of the UK’s private-sector construction industry, without whom Article 25 would not exist.

The devastating earthquakes last year won’t be the last to hit Nepal, and many experts think they are forerunners of a bigger earthquake yet to come. We should take this as a warning. It is a call to arms for the construction industry to flex its moral muscles and use its skills where they can save lives. C


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Robin Cross is Managing Director at Article 25 [email protected]

Image © Article 25

The Nepal earthquakes significantly damaged 750,000 homes

Significant oversights

Simone West identifies ten often overlooked items in new developments that can dramatically affect ease of access and use

A pproved Document M: Access to and use of buildings (ADM) and parts of Approved Document K: Protection

from collision, falling and impact (ADK) provide important sources of information and guidance for designers or clients, in England. Some buildings may need a different approach to that set out in ADM Volume 2 – Buildings other than dwellings, which should be in the access strategy.

Certain small items are often missing from finished designs. Some of these may be expensive to change at a later date, meaning that clients can face large potential costs; others are not expensive to rectify, but can still present problems because building owners may not be aware of them until someone complains or takes action against them.

1. Slopes considered levelMany designers fail to recognise thata gradient between 1:21 and 1:60 isrequired to have “level landings …introduced at each 500mm rise of theaccess … in all cases”, according toADM Volume 2 – Buildings other thandwellings (http://bit.ly/1RcO5aF).

2. Handrail terminationHandrails should always be closed atthe ends otherwise they can catch onclothing or handbags. They must alsoextend 300mm horizontally beyond thetop and bottom step or ramp to ensurethe user is aware that they are at thestart or end. Image 1 shows a handrailneither closed nor sufficiently extended.

3. Invisible manifestationManifestation of glazing often does not“contrast visually with the backgroundseen through the glass, both frominside and outside, in all lightingconditions”, ADK points out (http://bit.ly/20bvLUY), leaving visually impairedpeople open to humiliation and injury.The common etched finish often fails tocontrast visually because of complexbackgrounds, as in image 2. In manycases, a two-tone etched effect wouldbe more effective.

4. Glass doorsADK requires “where glass doors arebeside or part of a glazed screen, theyare clearly marked with a high-contraststrip to the top and on both sides”.In addition, glass doors – when heldopen – need “guarding to prevent peoplecolliding with the leading edge”, it adds.When the doors in image 2 are opened,for instance, there is no highlighting tothe edges and they can become invisible.

5. Refreshment facility countersADM requires that a worktop, bar orshared refreshment facility is not morethan 850mm high to make it suitable fora wide range of users. However, this israrely so, due to the standard heightsof units and fittings beneath them. Analternative would be the provision of twodifferent counter heights.

6. Visual contrast of switches andsocketsADM states that “switches, outlets andcontrols will satisfy Requirement M1 if …front plates contrast visually with theirbackgrounds”. This will help everyone,particularly the visually impaired.

7. Colostomy shelfThe accessible toilet is important fora wide range of users, including thosewhose needs may cause embarrassmentin more public facilities. This shelf is animportant place to put the equipmentneeded to empty or replace a colostomybag safely; however, a study by Jo-AnneBichard found that only 3% of accessibletoilets contain colostomy shelves.

8. Visual contrast in toiletsWhite finishes are often used for toilets,meaning some users have to feeltheir way around. ADM requires that:“the surface finish of sanitary fittingsand grab bars contrasts visually withbackground wall and floor finishes, andthere is also visual contrast between walland floor finishes”.

9. Pipes in the transfer spaceIf service or soil pipes run at the rearof the 750mm-long transfer space, thiswill reduce the available room, makingit impossible for a wheelchair user totransfer on to the toilet from the side.

10. Toilet lobbiesPrivacy for toilets can be achieved by thesuitable placement of walls or screens,but if a lobby is required then it shouldfulfil the criteria set out in s.3.16 of ADM.Remember that access to toilets isrequired by people:

b carrying bags or luggage b with small children and pushchairs b who use a walking aid b who have limited upper body strength b who use wheelchairs and wish to go in

with friends or use an ambulant facility.

All of these users will find access difficult where internal lobbies do not comply with minimum standards. C


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I N C l u S I V E D E S I G N

Related competencies include legal/regulatory compliance

Simone West is an NRAC access consultant at Atkins Global

[email protected]

Image © Simone West

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Are you sitting safely?Nick Hunt reports on requirements to ensure that building owners have the necessary fire safety information

Building Regulation 38 (http://bit.ly/1M69HVc) requires those who have constructed a building to provide as-built drawings and identify all fire safety design measures in appropriate detail on completion or occupation, to assist the “responsible person” in operating and maintaining the building safely (see also pp.14–15). Approved Document B (0.13) also requires this information to be

relevant to the anticipated management regime for the building.Your client has paid for it. You have provided the information,

so now you can sit back safely. Or can you? Does your client understand the importance and relevance of this information?

By way of analogy, consider buying a new car. You drive away from the showroom with some colleagues as passengers. It has a new car smell and looks wonderful, and you are all thinking about the journey ahead. You go to apply the brakes, but they are not there. Your lives are suddenly in danger. This is hardly the time to find out that such vital components are missing.

If Regulation 38 information has not been passed forward, the responsible person will not know about fire safety measures in their building. They cannot undertake their legal duty to carry out a “suitable and sufficient” fire risk assessment and act on the findings as required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO). Does your client’s building have the ‘brakes’, and are they being maintained to support necessary fire safety?

As the requirement has been in place since April 2007 – originally as Regulation 16B of the Building and Approved Inspectors Regulations (Amendment) (No. 2) 2006, and now as Regulation 38 – you might be forgiven for thinking that it is well known and being applied in all respects. But what is your experience? Is this what actually happens?

Fire surveyAn International Fire and Security Exhibition Conference fire survey last year found that, while 69% of the surveyors questioned knew when Regulation 38 was applicable, only 12% had working knowledge of what information needed to be provided: that is, Appendix G, Approved Document B – Fire Safety: Volume 2 – Buildings other than dwellinghouses (http://ubm.io/1PoBPqF).

As a fire safety officer, I have found that when auditing premises and enforcing the FSO, the responsible person has rarely been given, let alone used, the necessary information.

Complex designAs well as the Regulation 38 requirement, there have been significant developments that have an impact on the need for this information to be given in the required form.

Building design has been developing, with complex buildings utilising the flourishing science of fire engineering to comply with safety requirements. BS 9999 has been issued to support fire safety measures and within this, Section 6, part 27 (i.e. 6.27) there is a requirement for suitable and sufficient specified fire safety information for “large or complex buildings and those having extensive accommodation below ground” to be made available for the use of fire services.

Local fire services, which are the enforcing body for the FSO in relevant buildings, are having to rationalise their operations as a result of significant cutbacks to their government grants. This action may also prompt a necessary reaction in terms of your clients’ emergency plan or business continuity plan.

To help raise the profile of Regulation 38, the Fire Sector Federation has established a cross-sector working group to produce industry-wide guidance. One way to ensure that the responsible person receives the information directed could be to make this a condition of issuing a completion certificate in England and Wales, as is already the case in Scotland.

If all parties performed their duties, then the current provisions would be sufficient to achieve the objective of this regulation in contributing to safety – but currently this is not always the case.

As well as being law, provision of this information affords heightened confidence about fire safety in buildings. It significantly assists the responsible person in discharging their legal duties. Professionals in the built environment have a key role to play: to live the letter of the law, as well as following it.

A final thought: you may be reading this in a modern building, so are you sure you are sitting safely? C


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Nick hunt is a fire safety officer at West Midlands Fire Service [email protected]


Does your client’s building have ‘brakes’, and are they being maintained to support necessary fire safety?

Take heedLaurence Cobb and Aine McCartney look at two recent cases that offer lessons for giving expert evidence on the Building Regulations

Disputes in construction projects may involve failure to comply with the Building Regulations. Where a claim is to be made, it

may be necessary to establish what standards should have been met; if a party finds itself in this position, it will have to consider whether formal expert evidence is required and, if so, who should be appointed.

Two recent cases provided useful guidance about the role of expert evidence, both for experts and those looking for experts.

Expert dutiesVan Oord Ltd v Allseas UK Ltd [2015] EWHC 3074 (TCC) makes uncomfortable reading for would-be experts, due to the court’s severe criticism of an expert instructed by the claimants. The key duties and responsibilities of the expert witness are set out in the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR 35) and the landmark case of the Ikarian Reefer in 1993, as well as in guidance published by professional bodies such as RICS. Experts are required to maintain their integrity, objectivity and independence to help the court, a duty that overrides any obligation to the person instructing the expert.

In Van Oord, the expert had effectively allowed himself to become the claimant’s mouthpiece, and the court described his evidence as “entirely worthless” since he was not independent and his evaluations were neither appropriate nor reliable. The case sets out that an expert should:

b not take the pleaded claims on face value and should check the underlying documents that supported or undermined these claims

b consider all of the witness statements produced by both parties

b critically analyse points raised by opposing experts and address them at an early stage

b be prepared to stand by their expert report, and be sure that all parts of it can be substantiated

b ensure that reports are drafted clearly so that they do not confuse or mislead

b check the accuracy and detail of all documents referred to in and appended to the expert report

b ensure that all views expressed are their own and not based on the views of others, or, where necessary, attributed to others

b be clear whether documents and analysis on which they are relying have been prepared by others, and the extent to which their accuracy has been checked

b check the claims made, rather than reciting information provided by others

b cross-reference the value of the claims with those derived from alternative methods of calculation such as reasonable rates to ensure that figures are fair and reasonable.

Is expert evidence necessary? In many cases, expert evidence is crucial to the outcome of a case. The message here is to follow the requirements of CPR 35 as well as published guidance for experts. There is little point in an expert wholeheartedly supporting a case if a court subsequently finds that this expert’s views are little more than a try-on or subterfuge.

Expert evidence can only be presented with the court’s permission on

the basis that it is reasonably required to resolve the proceedings. This may be the situation when dealing with Building Regulations issues, to establish whether a building has complied with the necessary standards.

The recent case of Wattret v Thomas Sands Consulting Ltd [2015] EWHC 3455 (TCC) is a reminder that there is no automatic right to use expert evidence. This case concerned the alleged negligence of a quantity surveyor, who was used both before and in an arbitration matter relating to a final account dispute.

The arbitration resulted in an award being made in favour of the builders

and against the claimants, who subsequently brought an

action against the quantity surveyor

for negligence. The surveyor in

turn wanted to rely on expert evidence, so as to be judged against the standard

of a reasonable

quantity surveyor

providing dispute resolution services

rather than a qualified legal professional.

The court agreed that expert evidence was necessary, since a court should generally be slow to find a professional guilty of a breach of duty “without evidence from those within the same profession”. But the expert evidence needed to be closely controlled to avoid the “real risk that experts will provide swathes of commentary on each communication … giving their own slant or interpretation of what happened and what ought or ought not to have been advised”.

Van Oord and Wattret both provide useful examples of the need for expert evidence in resolving issues that arise in construction disputes, and set out some of the traps to avoid. C


A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6 1 9

l E G A l

Laurence Cobb and Aine McCartney are partner and Senior Associate at law firm Taylor Wessing

[email protected]

Image © Istock

Nathan Modell and Sheena Sood discuss the safety issues raised by a number of recent high-rise fires in the United Arab Emirates

Burning questions

The dramatic fire at the Address Downtown Hotel in Dubai on New Year’s Eve was widely reported and, as the latest in a spate of

high-rise fires, it has renewed fire safety concerns in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The fire appears similar to a series of recent blazes in the region all attributed, in part, to the use of aluminium composite panels (ACPs).

ACPs comprise two sheets of aluminium bonded to a non-aluminium core to form a product that can be fixed to the exterior of a building as a facade. They are widely used in high-rise construction projects because of their uniform aesthetic, low maintenance requirements and ease of installation.

Flammable ACPsHowever, not all ACPs are the same. It is thought that those implicated in the recent fires may be of a non-fire-rated type containing a flammable plastic core. While generally safe, non-fire-rated APCs can be extremely flammable once exposed to a source of ignition. Such panels have been banned in the UK and some other markets since the 1980s, but nevertheless continue to be available elsewhere. But it is difficult to distinguish between fire-rated and non-fire-rated ACPs visually once installed, so there may well be many in use that are not identified.

An annexure to the 2012 UAE Fire & Life Safety Code of Practice (the code) made the use of fire-rated ACPs compulsory on all new buildings over 15m tall to help fire prevention (http://bit.ly/1SBbPcX.)

Prior to this, however, the position on ACPs was unclear, and Dubai Local Order No. 3 of 1999 on construction works stated only that “specifications of materials used in the construction works shall be consistent with the applicable standard specifications for such materials as approved by the municipality”.

Therefore, unless it is possible to confirm that fire-rated ACPs were used,

there is a risk that non-fire-rated ACPs may have been installed before 2012, whether intentionally or not.

At present, the code only recommends, rather than requires, that owners have existing building facades evaluated through the Civil Defence House of Expertise, and makes no mention of what further works may be necessary.

However, it was announced in January that an updated code is to be published in March 2016, making owners, developers and consultants responsible for identifying and dealing with fire hazards. Furthermore, it is understood that the updated code may require facade testing, potentially placing more duties on surveyors, among others. Additional post-completion responsibilities are also being considered.

It has been reported the authorities will now be surveying all buildings to ascertain whether they are fire-resistant following the Address blaze, and this may require remedial works to these buildings. There is a risk that owners and developers will subsequently seek to recover the cost of any such alterations from the design and/or construction teams and their insurers.

Points to considerGiven the speculation surrounding the new code, it is recommended that the

following points are considered in relation to projects that were completed before the existing code came into force in 2012.

b What is the applicable law, and has limitation expired in respect of claims in both contract (including warranties, if any) and tort? The potential for decennial (i.e. ten-year) liability in the UAE should also be noted.

b Given the safety concerns, you may wish to revisit the terms of your contract – whether or not it has expired – to check if non-fire-rated ACPs have been specified or, to your knowledge, installed on projects. If so, what was the scope of services required in respect of the specification of materials and the wording of any deleterious materials clauses?

b Has the standard of care to be exercised – usually, reasonable skill and care – been met by reference to the standards or requirements then in force and/or required by your contract?

b What does the contract require in respect of inspection, monitoring, checking or supervisory obligations, and have these requirements been adequately documented?

Unlike the UK, where there is unlikely to be a duty to warn in respect of completed projects, the position under UAE law is unclear, especially given the duty to act in good faith implied in all contracts subject to that law. The updated code may clarify the position on fire safety.

Those charged with inspection or approval duties would be wise to stay abreast of developments in relation to the updated UAE Fire Safety Code due in March and the implications that this may have. b



2 0 A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6


Nathan Modell is an associate and Sheena Sood is a partner at Beale and Company

[email protected] [email protected]

Image © Nadia paliwalla

k The day after the fire at the Address Downtown Hotel, Dubai

In the first of four articles about building control in Australia, Mark Anderson discusses the legal issues raised by two apartment fires

Crisis of confidence

TTwo fires, one in Sydney and one in Melbourne, have raised questions on the building control function, with the investigators appearing to imply that the regime is not working as it should.

Both private and local authority certifiers in Australia, who carry out the function of building control, must be registered and accredited by the State Building Board or Commission. So what issues have these fires raised?

Bankstown fire The fire in Bankstown, Sydney, in 2012 trapped residents in their apartments forcing two students to jump from their five-storey window. One girl was killed, and the other badly injured.

At the inquest, the coroner commented: “One of the more striking aspects of this case is that regulatory systems and processes – intended to ensure that large residential buildings are constructed according to strict standards – failed. In part, the failures were caused by the fact that the Bankstown City Council

section responsible for following up safety orders was under-resourced.”

The issues revolve around whether the internal courtyard was an atrium requiring sprinklers or whether it was not substantially enclosed at the top, making it a light well. Buildings less than 25m in height do not require sprinkler protection to be fitted.

The coroner continued: “In this case, interpretation of statutes or legislation is not a formal field of specialist knowledge of the building experts. Even if their experience of using the Building Code of Australia (BCA) prima facie qualifies them in some fashion as experts in its interpretation, it does not disqualify me from exercising that function. Expert opinion evidence is ultimately meant to be of assistance to the court. It is not permitted for it to displace the fact-finder, much less to displace the judicial officer as the decision-maker in relation to questions of law.”

Changes to the BCA and the regulatory accreditation schemes could result after this damning report, with calls for sprinklers to be installed in all apartment buildings, whatever their height.

Melbourne fire The Melbourne fire occurred in a residential block and was caused by an unextinguished cigarette on the balcony. The

blaze ignited the external cladding and the combustible material in the panels contributed to a rapid spread of the fire up the vertical wall.

The post-incident report stated that: “The fire behaviour on 25 November 2014 clearly demonstrated to all concerned that the elements installed to the external walls of this building did not avoid the spread of fire to the degree necessary.

“An improved system and understanding for ensuring appropriate material selection, approval and installation is of major importance to the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.”

So why was the material allowed to be used in the construction? The properties of polythene core are thought to be a major factor, likely exacerbated by penetrations in the eighth-floor balcony for the air conditioning unit.

There is no requirement to break the lining at floor levels, so the fire could quickly spread to the top of the building. One possibility is the material was substituted by the builder without the certifier’s knowledge, and did not meet the criteria for facade linings.

Alternatively, the interpretation of the certifier was flawed. For this type of construction, the wall must be non-combustible, and the lining must not impair its

Changes to the BCA and the regulatory accreditation schemes could result following this damning report

fire-resistant quality. So can laminate of this nature be considered non-combustible under such circumstances?

A combustible material can be used as a wall finish if it complies with the requisite fire hazard properties or is exempt. Linings considered exempt include an assembly like a ceramic tile attached to the wall or any other material that does not significantly increase the hazard of fire.

In hindsight, it could be considered that the material does increase the hazard of fire. Therefore due diligence is vital to ensure that all reasonable enquiry is made to determine the properties – and of course sufficient experience is also vital to interpret the results.

However, the final interpretation will be down to the court. b



A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6 2 1


Mark Anderson is a senior building certifier at KpMG SGA

[email protected]

http://bit.ly/1LkNrrY and http://bit.ly/1W9oSVD

2 2 A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6


C O N S u m E R R E G u l AT I O N S

Milton Silverman draws attention to the hidden impact of EU regulations

Just think about it

The importance of the regulations is that sellers of goods or services to consumers, but not businesses, must provide certain information and documentation and a 14-day cooling-off period from the time of purchase, failing which consumers are entitled to their money back for more than a year afterwards.

The regulations: b apply only where businesses are selling goods or services to

a consumer who is acting in an individual, personal capacity b require consumers who enter into most distance or

off-premises contracts to be provided with a 14-day cooling-off period following their agreement to sign up for or purchase the goods or services

b require provision of information and documentation (detailed in the regulations) that sets out rights to cancellation for the consumer before they are bound by the contract.

Failure to provide the requisite information and cancellation documentation can be a criminal offence, and there are fines and provisions for enforcement. Most importantly, if the service provider does not give such information, the client has the right to cancel an off-premises or distance contract, and reimbursement of any sums paid for one year and 14 days after the time when the cancellation period would otherwise have

EU directives have had a bad press in the UK over the years. They direct EU member states to implement specific, workable national legislation in line with generalised proposals; but sometimes these directives and the subsequent legislation have effects beyond those envisaged. This is arguably the case with Council Directive 2011/88/EU and similar directives,

which aim to protect consumers in respect of contracts negotiated somewhere away from the provider’s business premises, and distance contracts negotiated by email or phone.

The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (the regulations) came into force in June 2014 and apply to valuers, estate agents, surveyors, including approved inspectors and many others. They aim to protect vulnerable consumers from pressurised selling where they have no chance to reflect or compare prices. The actual effects are more wide-ranging, however. The regulations do not apply to councils’ building control bodies, who do not have the same contractual relationship with their customers.

Email to clients

Dear (client)If, when you have read the information below, you would like me to commence work immediately (specify the work if not already clear from the context), please email me as follows:

“I have read the information below, and attached Request for Immediate Commencement (the request). I now ask you to commence work immediately in accordance with the provisions of the request.”

Information for clientsCancellation provisionsWhere we are acting for you as an individual in your personal affairs (and not in a business capacity) the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 will apply to your engagement of our services. These require us to provide you with certain information when the contract is made. In this regard, your attention is drawn

to the Consumer Provisions and other information below.

You have the right to cancel your engagement of our services (the agreement) within 14 days of the date hereof. You can do so without giving any reason: your attention is drawn to the attached Notice of the Right to Cancel and the Request for Immediate Commencement of Work.

Consumer provisionsOur details:

b (name, address and phone number of service provider); our contact email address is the same as that from which this email is sent

b the services we intend to provide are surveyor/valuation services (as applicable)

b the manner in which our fees are calculated and arrangements for payment are set out in the documents enclosed/previously supplied

b the agreement is of indeterminate

duration and it is not possible to set out the exact time by which the services will be fully performed. We shall keep you informed of progress but please contact us if you have any questions relating to the completion of our work. The conditions for termination are set out in our letter of engagement that is enclosed/was previously supplied

b we are RICS members (www.rics.org) and adhere to its code of conduct and complaint-handling service

b you acknowledge that you are aware that we are prevented from starting work on your instruction until after the cancellation period without your consent (see attached Request for Immediate Commencement).

Should you have any complaint concerning our engagement (to include the advice you have been given/fees you have been charged) please contact (name).

A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6 2 3


commenced (i.e. normally 14 days, although only if all is done properly from the beginning). In practical terms, a customer who has not been supplied with the relevant information will not have to pay.

In relation to service providers, there is provision to enable the customer to request that a provider commence work during the cancellation period (effectively waiving the regulations), provided that the requisite information and documentation has been properly supplied. As long as the customer has received the paperwork on their rights relating to the 14-day cooling-off period, they can waive those rights and request immediate commencement.

In 2014, the Supreme Court considered the case of Robertson v Swift [2014] UKSC50. The owner of a removal business failed to supply the relevant information to the customer. Their Lordships ruled that the owner was not entitled to his outstanding fees and he had to repay the deposit.

It is far better and simpler to get the paperwork organised beforehand, send it to the client and, having received their signed instructions, to commence work.

The statutory information can be set out on two sides of A4; how best to integrate it into your business practice and PR will require more thought. Suggested sample forms are shown (left and above), but please note they are drafts only, and you should take legal advice prior to using them. b

Related competencies include Client Care and Business Planning

milton Silverman is a senior partner at Streathers Solicitors LLp [email protected]

You, the client, have a right to cancel the agreement referred to in the accompanying email within 14 days of the date hereof (the cancellation period). You can do so without giving any reason. To exercise that right, you must inform us (name of organisation, registered, address, phone and email details) in a clear, written statement of your decision to cancel.

You may use the cancellation form below, but this is not obligatory. A dated letter or email to the above address setting out your clear decision to cancel will also suffice. To meet the deadline, your communication must be sent before the cancellation period has expired.

Effects of cancellation If you exercise your right to cancel, we will not undertake any services on your behalf and you will not incur any charges. However, if you request work to begin on your instruction during the cancellation period, and subsequently cancel the Agreement after work has started as requested but before the expiry of the cancellation period, we may charge you any fees, disbursements and applicable VAT reasonably incurred during that period.

Cancellation form This is only to be returned if you do not wish us to continue to act for you in respect of your instruction before the end of the cancellation period

To Super Surveyors and Co. Ltd

I (client name) hereby give notice that I wish to cancel the Agreement (dated …) for the provision of valuation/survey services (as applicable).

(Signed, dated, printed name and address of signatory)

Notice of right to cancel

✂

For return to Super Surveyors Co. Ltd

If you require us to commence work immediately (specify the work), please email confirming such request or sign and date the form below.

Instructions to commence work immediatelyTo Super Surveyors and Co. Ltd (address and contact details)

I hereby instruct you to commence work with immediate effect.

I am aware of the following: b I have the right to ask that you do not start work on my

behalf until after the 14-day cancellation period; however, I wish you to commence work immediately

b as I have requested work to begin on my instruction during the cancellation period, I will be liable for any fees, disbursements and applicable VAT you may charge me for work reasonably incurred during that period

b in the event that the work is completed by you during the 14-day cancellation period, I will lose my right to cancel.

(Signed and dated by customer)

Request for immediate commencement

Everything you need to know about

fibre cement slate.(All under one roof)

For a free copy of this 80 page book please contact Cembrit on 020 8301 8900 or email [email protected]

Cembrit-book-150x426.indd 1-2 08/12/2015 12:01

UPDATEA UK minister in the Department for Communities and Local Government has reminded the housebuilding industry of the need to conform to building regulations.

James Wharton MP, who is the minister responsible for local growth and the Northern Powerhouse, said that the “Building Regulations require that building work is carried out with adequate and proper materials, which are appropriate for the circumstances in which they are used. Building control bodies are responsible for checking compliance, as with any other Building Regulations requirements.

“In addition, if a building material is covered by a harmonised European standard, the requirements of the European Construction Products Regulation will apply. This regulation is enforced by local authorities – Trading Standards in England, Scotland and Wales, and district councils in Northern Ireland.”

He made the announcement in response to concern raised by MP for Bassetlaw John Mann about the lacklustre adoption of BS5534: 2014 in a question that asked: “What steps are his department taking to prevent the use of fraudulent roofing materials in the building of new houses?”

Building Regulations

A memorandum of understanding signed by the Federation of Master Builders and Local Authority Building Control (LABC) marks a commitment to supporting good quality builders and informing consumers of the importance of using competent, vetted companies. Paul Everall, LABC’s Chief Executive, said: “It makes our task of ensuring compliance with Building Regulations much easier if we know that the homeowners are using recognised businesses.”


Building quality partnership

Image © Istock2 4 A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6


u P DAT E

Everything you need to know about

fibre cement slate.(All under one roof)

For a free copy of this 80 page book please contact Cembrit on 020 8301 8900 or email [email protected]

Cembrit-book-150x426.indd 1-2 08/12/2015 12:01

RICS training 27 April, LondonManaging the arbitration and PACT (Professional Arbitration on Court Terms) processesn www.rics.org/managingarbitration

17 May, LondonHealth and safety in the built environmentn www.rics.org/hsebe2

E-learningApproved Document Gn www.rics.org/adg

BS9999: The conceptn www.rics.org/bsconcept

Managing fire safety: Level 3n www.rics.org/firesafetylevel3

BRE signs China retrofit dealBRE is to advise Chinese property developer Evergrande on a £200m green retrofit programme across its portfolio. The joint agreement with Tsinghua University is designed to ensure that Evergrande’s properties achieve the BREEAM international energy standard and the Chinese three-star national standard. n http://bit.ly/1PW63jF


Robust Details updateThe online version of the Robust Details handbook has been updated to include a new floor, which is now available for registration. Cellecta’s E-FC-17 is based on pre-cast concrete planks and is fused in load-bearing masonry construction. The ULTRA ceiling system, using components from Cellecta, has enhanced the performance of this floor, enabling it to achieve three credits in the Code for Sustainable Homes. To download a free copy, visit n www.robustdetails.com/the-handbook

A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6 2 5


Flooding robotThe Environment Agency is using a remote-controlled robot to investigate causes of flooding such as blocked tunnels and underground culverts that people cannot reach. The 30kg robot fits into spaces as small as 155mm in diameter and uses its camera to inspect underground tunnels more than a mile long. n http://bit.ly/1Tj6CU1

Consumer unitsThe National House Building Council’s Technical Extra 19 has revealed that, after reported fires in consumer units burning through moulded thermoplastic enclosures, Amendment 3 to BS 7671:2008 (IET Wiring Regulations, 17th edition) has introduced a new regulation requiring consumer units and similar switchgear

assemblies in domestic premises to have non-combustible enclosures.n http://bit.ly/1NXirPH

http://www.rics.org/uk/training-events/conferences-seminars/arbitration-masterclass/london/

support • trust • experiencewhen you are in need of essential support – ask the experts.

butlerandyoung.co.uk [ compliance through collaboration ]

We are the leading Approved Inspector with a varied portfolio of work and we are looking for people who share our vision for total quality.

RAINHAM OFFICEProject ManagerDue to an upsurge in work we are seeking a dynamic building control professional.

You can expect to work on projects with a bias towards commercial and mixed use supported by an industry leading infrastructure and great working environment.

Successful candidates can look forward to a rewarding career with help in achieving personal & corporate goals. All positions attract an excellent salary, car package, flexible working and bonus scheme.

We are an Equal Opportunities Company.

ContactJeff Horne - 07854 954 707Butler & Young Group Ltd,Unit 10 Airport House, Purley Way, Croydon CR0 [email protected]

OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE UK

Building Control Vacancies

BCADEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZBCADEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZBCA

BCA BUILDING CONTROL APPROVAL we unscramble the regulations for you

Building Control Approval is leading Approved Inspector based in Hoxton, just outside The City of London. Our company supports a variety of professional clients whose portfolios cover Residential, Commercial and Educational projects within London and the South East. We also have projects in Birmingham and Manchester. Thanks to our strong relationship with our developer and architectural clients and building control expertise we have seen a significant increase in workload. Building Control Approval would like to form working alliances with self-employed surveyors or small independent practices in England. Surveyors wanted for site inspections in Birmingham and Manchester; and structural engineers for structural checking. Building Control Surveyors We are building a network of independent, self-employed professional consultants interested in flexible working. Surveyors will write plan checks and other documents, conduct site inspections and attend design team meetings. Building Control Surveyors will be professionally qualified Chartered Surveyors or Chartered Structural Engineers MRICS, MCABE or MIStrutE, with demonstrable Building Control experience (Local Authority or Private Approved Inspector). We have flexible financial packages to suit contract employment, hourly rates up to £40 per hour. Please send your CV or email [email protected] or call us on 020 7278 1543.


A DV E RT I S I N G


2 6 A p R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6

BUILD YOUR OWN

FUTURE AT jhai

Our business is growing in all sectors and across all regions.We currently have the following immediate opportunities:

• SOUTH WEST - fully qualified Building Control Surveyors - CABE, RICS or equivalent with relevant experience to cover either Bristol or South Devon. Send your CV with covering letter to: [email protected]

• NOTTINGHAM - fully qualified and part-qualified Building Control Surveyors to cover Nottingham and Derby areas. Send your CV with covering letter to: [email protected]

• NORTHAMPTON - fully qualified and part-qualified Building Control Surveyors and graduate trainees. Send your CV with covering letter to: [email protected]

www.jhai.co.uk

You’ll be working on a wide range of exciting and interesting construction projects and you’ll be part of a national team with support from industry leading technical specialists.Of course we o�er excellent salaries and benefits commensurate withqualifications and experience.

jhai is committed to your professional aspirations and there will be scope tospecialise and develop your skills in any of our associated construction consultancies:

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Whether you’re a qualified Building Control Surveyor,a recent graduate or an experienced construction worker seeking a new challenge, start building a better career today.

For an informal chat call David Charnock on 07919 815576.

jhai will provide Building Control for over 17,000 construction projects this year alone,helping architects, builders, developers and homeowners across England and Walescomply with Building Regulations as e�ciently and as profitably as possible.

Career opportunitieswith the UK’s leadingApproved Inspector

Fire Safety Inspections

yors, our skylines

rveyors havew

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’RICS ing qual o prtandards in land, property and construction. As w

mjob and career opportunities globally.

Find your next surveying job at ricsrecruit.com

Annual number ofjobs at RICS Recruit

is rising fast*

We advertise jobs from trainee

to senior level

On some of the biggestprojects in the world

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13,714Jobs 2015

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u vSenior TunnellingSpecialist, £110KMiddle East/SE Asia

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celebrating10 years

Building Control Journal April-May 2016

Documents

Transcript of Building Control Journal April-May 2016