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LABC's Lorna Stimpson explains how LABC is responding to the need for standardised practices across the profession. (Published in RICS Building Control Journal).
Increasingly, the building industry has become part of a wider national and international business involving many large…
You may receive an enforcement notice from your local authority if they believe that building work in or around your home doesn’t comply with building regulations. What this means is that you'll have to rectify or even remove the work which is in breach of building regulations.
I've got an…
One area commonly overlooked within building work is paved areas outside of the property. However since 2002 there has been a need to consider the adequate drainage of paved areas around buildings.
The 2015 addition to H3 imposed a requirement for paving, which provided access to buildings…
Pebbledash render was primarily used to protect buildings from the elements.
The term is used to describe external rendering where smooth pebbles are thrown or "dashed" onto the topcoat of render before it dries so that they stick to it and provide a weathering surface.
Spar is a close…
Building on sites where trees are present can be tricky.
Trees and other vegetation can affect moisture content considerably, leading to soil shrinkage (commonly known as subsidence) or swelling (commonly known as heave). This can cause cracking and movement of foundations and damage to…
The challenge
The £22 million scheme was to develop a new A&E department, linked to the existing hospital buildings and with a helipad on the roof for the local air ambulance. The new three-storey building is located at the front of the existing hospital which remained operational…
The challenge
The Co-op wanted to build a landmark building for its new headquarters. The 16-storey, 330,000sq ft building contains general offices, a call centre, meeting rooms, a restaurant, a café, and test kitchens. There is also car and bike parking, loading bays, and ancillary…
On a tiled roof, all the tiles are fixed onto battens with the bottom (lower end) of each tile resting on the top of tile in the row below. At eaves level the last row of tiles (that ends above the gutter) doesn’t have a tile or batten to rest on. Without support this causes the last row to…
With an ageing work force there are many initiatives being put into place to attract younger generations to join the construction industry. As with anything, first impressions are a key factor when forming an opinion on someone or something.
The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) have…
This is a common problem, most often caused by poor survey work or collapse of trench sides - resulting in the actual shape of the foundations not matching the required dimensions of the external walls.
Does building a wall on a foundation really matter?
Well, yes it does because the loads of…