Recent publications

Citation

(2006), "Recent publications", Structural Survey, Vol. 24 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ss.2006.11024dae.001

Recent publications

Written by Duncan Marshall and Derek Worthing this fourth edition of the standard student text book is also useful for practitioners who require a broad understanding of building construction as part of a wider sphere of professional activity. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles and practice of modern construction and services. In addition most chapters contain information on earlier construction techniques to reflect the age profile of the UK housing stock. This edition has a revised text and hundreds of revised graphics, new illustrations and photos, an additional chapter on concrete housing, and an eight page colour section showing a series of photographs of a modern housing development. This book explains principles and practice which should enable the reader to demonstrate a comprehensive and coherent understanding of modern housing construction and its evolution over the last 100 years. The book is published by EG Books and is priced at £32.00.

Practical Neighbour Law Handbook

Written by Alistair Redler, the Practical Neighbour Law Handbook takes a holistic view of residential property issues and focuses on dispute avoidance. The author draws on his many years of experience in advising on and resolving disputes to provide practical guidance that will be useful for all faced with any one of a number of common property conflicts. This book is aimed at building professionals dealing with building design and specification and can be used when advising clients on neighbour matters. Priced at £45.00 this is published by RICS Books.

National Calculation Methodology for Determining the Energy Performance of Buildings

This guide defines the procedure for calculating the annual energy use for a proposed building (based on a range of factors including the properties of the walls, floors, roofs and glazing as well as the building services) and compares it with the energy use of a comparable “notional” building. The National Calculation Methodology (NCM) also calculates the rate of carbon emissions from the building which should not be greater than its Target Emission Rate as described in Approved Documents L and also calculated by the NCM. The guide is published by RIBA Publications and is priced at £8.50.

Listed Buildings Conservation Areas and Monuments

A complete guide to this highly complex area of law, this book explains how buildings are listed and included in conservation areas, how planning controls apply to historic buildings and areas, what powers there are to bring about repairs, and what happens if works are carried out without consent. Written by Charles Mynors this fourth edition considers all relevant legislation and case law, including the recent changes brought in by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and associated regulations and policy documents, along with over 100 new judicial decisions. The book includes procedural flowcharts, and valuable appendices containing precedents, sample conditions, sentencing levels and forthcoming changes to the law. The book is published by Sweet and Maxwell and priced at £135.00.

Life Expectancy Guide

This practical guide to surveyors’ experiences of buildings in use has been revised in a new edition for 2006. The Life Expectancy of Building Components has been updated and revised with additional components and checklists. The first edition of the Life Expectancy of Building Components surveyed building surveyors to establish their professional experience of typical life expectancies of building components. BCIS has undertaken this research again with building surveyors and is now publishing the results of the research, together with additional information.

If you are involved with the design, procurement or management of buildings, this guide will provide you with unique information on the life expectancy of building components. The guide is available from BCIS for £125.

Town and Country Planning in the UK

In its 14th edition, this text by Barry Cullingworth and Vincent Nadin, has been completely revised, with every chapter updated, to take into account new developments, including the changes to the planning system and policies introduced by the Labour government, devolution to Scotland and Wales, new urban initiatives, innovation in sustainable development and the role of the European Union in spatial planning and environment policy. Published by Taylor and Francis the book is in paperback (624 Pages) and priced at £29.99.

New Aspects of Quantity Surveying Practice

By Duncan Cartlidge, in its 2nd edition and published by Butterworth Heinemann at £26.99.

The construction industry has been undergoing rapid change in the last decade since the publication of the Latham report, and quantity surveying professionals have been at the forefront of those challenges. Changing attitudes to procurement and partnering, and the evolving role of clients, have put the QS profession at the heart of delivering major construction projects. Duncan Cartlidge assesses what has driven these changes, and what they mean for the profession and for the industry as a whole. He explains modern procurement methods, and assesses how much impact technology has had on construction management – and how much it might have in the future.

Case in Point – Building Defects

By Calum Lamont and Adam Constable this is a concise, case-based guide to all aspects of defects in buildings, for those practitioners who need to understand the law and practice in their everyday work. This guide deals comprehensively and concisely with a number of key issues including what patent and latent defects are, rights and obligations under defective liability clauses, how defects can affect practical and substantial completion, the Defective Premises Act 1972, the implications of defects for surveyors and valuers, when a defect may, or may not, give rise to a cause of action in tort, legal concepts such as “temporary disconformity” and “complex structure theory” and relevant limitation periods and the implications of the Latent Damage Act 1986. Published by RICS Books the book is priced at £24.95.

Real Estate Appraisal from Value to Worth

Written by Sarah Sayce, Judy Smith and Richard Cooper this book recognises that the education of the real estate professional is changing and aligning itself more closely with the world of business. The authors take a new approach to property appraisal by exploring the pricing mechanism in this changing context. They develop the notion of the pricing mechanism in relation to property, cover practical issues of comparison and the real problems in applying valuation theory and explore calculations – including social and environmental worth, ignored in other texts. As real estate professionals now advise both on strategic and operational aspects of built assets, they must take into account practices of other investment markets and see investors as competitors to owner-occupiers. Both owner-occupiers and investors have to assess accurately how their buildings perform but also be aware of wider sustainability issues, and social and environmental responsibilities. Published by Blackwells in paperback at £29.99.

Mike Parrett’s Guide to Building Pathology

Mike Parrett’s Guide to Building Pathology is a unique set of six, one-hour training DVDs dealing with the real investigation of building failure. It is a huge resource of ground-breaking information covering all aspects of building construction, failure and remediation relating to dampness and flooding. Mike Parrett, one of the UK’s leading Building Pathologists, co-author of the RICS Books’ best seller Diagnosing Damp and featured expert on BBC’s Raising the Roof series, presents this training resource on DVD. The subjects covered are Roofs (code: 9233), Walls & Windows (code: 9234), Floors & Basements (code: 9235), Flooding (code: 9236), Drainage and Services (code: 9237) and Law & Litigation (code: 9238). The DVDs are available from Limelite Media Limited at £359.99.

Building Adaptation

By James Douglas this book covers the design, technical and contractual aspects of carrying out alterations. It is extensively illustrated and also provides examples which focus on a wide range of different building types. It is published by Butterworth Heinemann in paperback at £34.99.

Building Procurement

Written by Roy Morledge, Adrian Smith, and Dean T Kashiwagi, published by Blackwells and priced at £34.99. The procurement of construction work is a complex process, and a successful outcome frequently elusive. Clients have developed increased expectations of the industry, and constructors and consultants are faced with far greater demands, to achieve improvements in terms of value for money and quality, in addition to seeking savings in cost and time. This book provides a critical review of current practices in building procurement and evaluates new approaches, particularly from the USA, together with discussing the drivers for change in traditional UK procurement approaches.

NHBC Technical Standards

Described by the the NHBC as the Bible for UK house-builders – their Technical Standards have been re-launched with new chapters and a completely re-designed format which will reinforce their position as the key reference document for house-builders and designers. The old, ring-bound, file has been scrapped in favour of a new hard-backed A4 volume. The new look and feel will mean the whole industry can be confident they have the latest version of the Standards, with new revisions and changes clearly marked. The Standards CD-ROM version this year includes both the traditional PDF format and an enhanced HTML format which makes navigation quicker and easier.

Alongside the new format, the Standards have important new chapters focused on the expectations of today’s homeowners. The price is £60.00 which also includes the CD ROM.

HSE publishes revamped guidance to simplify risk

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has urged businesses to spend less time dotting “i”s and crossing “t”s and more time on putting practical actions into effect. To help companies do this HSE has issued a revamped risk assessment guide featuring examples that spell out, in plain English, what is and what is not expected. The guidance Five Steps to Risk Assessment, which was first published in 1993, has been revised and simplified to make it even easier for normal business people, not just health and safety experts, to use. It also places greater emphasis on making sure that decisions are actually put into practice. The 11-page booklet provides advice and tips on five key elements to an effective risk assessment: identifying the hazards; deciding who might be harmed and how; evaluating the risks and deciding on precautions; recording findings and implementing them; and finally ensuring they are reviewed at regular intervals. This is supported by four examples of what a risk assessment might look like. The examples help emphasise that risk assessment need not be difficult and the paperwork need not be long and complicated. For most, bullet points work very well. Copies of Five Steps to Risk Assessment, INDG163(rev2), are available from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA, tel: 01787-881165 or fax: 01787-313995. Alternatively the leaflet can be downloaded free from the HSE web site at: www.hse.gov.uk/risk.