What are the approved documents? What ones are applicable to your project?
Approved documents are guidance notes issued by the government that provide performance criteria and examples/solutions for achieving compliance.
One I have reviewed recently is ‘Approved Document B’ which covers fire safety, comparing the fire safety report against the fire resistance minimum standard for an upper floor (60mins with sprinkler system).
Can you please explain how a composite CLT upper floor is constructed?
- Concrete beam in the middle, structural Z beam at side.
- CLT beam running between.
- Raised Access floor on pedestals.
- 10mm Plywood
- Tiles (oversize/cut)
- Fireboarding and stopping between column and curtain walling.
Summarise the energy strategy from the Brent Cross 3 building?
- Energy Source - The building is all Electrical. It has an incoming HV supply and 2No. transformers providing an estimated building load of 2.2MVA. A standby generator is provided for life safety systems. The building is all electrical, with no incoming gas. No renewable are proposed for the scheme.
- Heating and cooling is provided via district heating and cooling networks.
- The floorplates are provided with heating and cooling via the fan coil units and passive chilled beams.
Can you explain the build up of a flat roof?
- 12.5mm plasterboard
- Vapour control layer
- Joists
- 18mm ply deck
- 2 layers of rigid insulation
- Single plywood sheet
- Waterproof roof covering
How is the level of prefabrication measured according to government guidance?
- Percentage of Prefabricated Components
- Degree of modularisation
- Time savings
- Cost efficiency
- Quality control
What are the RIBA plan of work stages?
0 - Strategic Definition
1 - Preparation & Briefing
2 - Concept Design
3 - Spatial Coordination
4 - Technical Design
5 - Construction
6 - Handover
7 - In Use
What are 5 new changes as a result of the Building Safety Act 2022?
- There’s a requirement for a ‘golden thread’ of information. The BSA mandates the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive digital record of safety information throughout a building’s life cycle.
- Requirement for HRB to register with the Building Regulator
- New Gateways introduced.
- HRB with at least 7 storeys / 18m and at least 2 resi units must now have 2 stairs/cores, in order to improve fire safety.
- New principal designer role, separate from CDM which is related to managing compliance of the design and construction works with the building regulations.
What are the BSA gateways?
The Building Safety Act, 2022 features three gateways at key stages in design for higher-risk buildings. These gateways are as follows:
Planning Gateway one – at the planning application stage
Gateway two – before building work starts
Gateway three – when building work is completed
These gateways are also known as ‘hold points’ and are required to ensure building safety. The HSE will require assurance before building work can commence, before a building can be certified complete, and before a building can be occupied.
Name 3 modern methods of construction?
Volumetric (modular) - Three-dimensional units produced in a factory, fully fitted out before being transported to site and stacked onto prepared foundations to form the dwellings.
Panellised - Flat panel units built in a factory and transported to site for assembly into a three-dimensional structure or to fit within an existing structure.
Hybrid - Volumetric units integrated with panellised systems.
Give me examples of pre-fabrication?
Panellised wood framing - Long timber frames that have been laminated and coated with plywood or roofing material make up panelised wood framing systems. They are frequently utilised for building roofs.
Sandwich Panels - Sandwich panels are made up of two layers of materials with an insulating core between them. The exterior layers may be made of concrete, plywood, or stainless steel, while the insulating layer may be made of rubber, foam, or paper.
Steel framing systems - Steel framing systems offer a fast-track metal (galvanised steel) stud panel framing system providing a carrier for insulation, exterior cladding and interior boarding. Cold-rolled galvanized steel sections are typically supplied to site as individual components which are assembled in-situ using screwed connections. Components can be supplied pre-cut to required lengths or cut as needed on site.
On the enabling works, how did you establish the existing info was inaccurate?
The trial pit holes (using vac ex) revealed that services were not in the location specified on existing drawings.
What other non-invasive excavation methods could you have used?
Air pick - Air picks are tools that use compressed air to loosen soil without damaging buried cables, pipes and roots.
Hydrovac - Using pressurized water to break up soil.
Insulated hand tools - Insulated tools to prevent operatives being electrocuted.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using vac-ex?
Advantages:
- Non destructive so well suited for sensitive excavation where risk of live services or tree roots etc.
- Decreases risk to operator as the intake nozzle can be controlled remotely.
- It allows for precise excavation.
- It can be faster and more efficient than manual digging.
Disadvantages:
Cost: The initial investment in vacuum excavation equipment can be high, and operating costs may also be significant.
Limited Depth: Vacuum excavation may not be suitable for very deep excavations, as its effectiveness decreases with depth.
Debris Management: The process generates a slurry that needs to be properly managed and disposed of, which can add to the complexity and cost of the operation
What is vacuum excavation?
Its a non-invasive method of excavation. It works by using high pressure air to loosen the soil, which is then sucked up by the vacuum.
Who initiated the water re-routing design change on the enabling works?
The design change was initiated as a result of an EW by the contractor and resolved by the design team.
What was your role on the design change?
I was responsible for assessing the contractor’s quote for the design to provide the client with confidence that it represented fair value.
What was the ground conditions on the enabling works project?
Chalk substrata.
Rock chalk strata.
What is the current standard for underground services?
PAS 128, relates to underground utility detection, verification and location. It provides a standardised methodology to ensure accurate and reliable utility surveys, ranging from D (a desktop utility record search) to A (verification by physical identification).
How was the vac-ex the fastest method?
Because scans and slit trenches (using vac-ex) would be required for the other methods, so less stops and starts to the excavation process.
What are the different services and their colours?
In the UK, underground services are marked with specific colors to indicate the type of utility. Here are the standard color codes:
Red: Electric power lines, conduit, and cables.
Orange: Telecommunication, alarm, or signal lines.
Yellow: Gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or other flammable materials.
Green: Sewage and drain lines.
Blue: Drinking water.
Purple: Reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines.
Pink: Temporary survey markings, unknown/unidentified facilities.
White: Proposed excavation limits or route
How was the vac-ex approach deemed the safest?
As it as a non-invasive excavation method, and can be controlled remotely.
What was the rate of vac-ex on the project?
£2000 per day.
What was the output of the vac-ex?
7m3 per day.
What are slit trenches?
Slit trenches are long, narrow trenches usually employed to locate and confirm the position of underground services.
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