Citation
Todd, S. (2010), "Internet review", Structural Survey, Vol. 28 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ss.2010.11028aag.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Internet review
Article Type: Internet review From: Structural Survey, Volume 28, Issue 1
The web site information included below shows two key and other informative sites. If there are any other interesting sites or sources of information that you have found useful, please e-mail me at: s.todd@salford.ac.uk
The Building Research Establishment
The main menu of the BRE web site has been re-structured as:
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Home.
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About us.
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What we do.
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Sectors.
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Contact us.
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News and Information.
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A to Z of services.
The site also links directly to:
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Approvals and Listings.
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Certification and Testing.
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Consultancy.
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Events.
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Innovation.
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Research.
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Sustainability.
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Training and Accreditation.
The “Spotlight” section of the web site includes information on:
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“BRE’s Victorian Terraces Reborn”. As part of the rethinking housing refurbishment project, the team are transforming a disused Victorian stable block at the centre of the BRE Watford site into three energy efficient terraced homes fit for twenty-first century living. Sited next to the BRE Innovation Park, the finished building will house an Information & Training Centre where visitors will be able to learn about best practice refurbishment including the latest processes, materials and technological advances. Traditional crafts and skills will be taught in the Centre’s workshops. The project is in the construction phase. The BRE’s existing stable block exhibits all of the problems associated with pre-1919 housing including solid brick walls, sash windows, a clay tile roof, dampness, disrepair, poor thermal performance – even resident bats (which under changed legislation now require special care and attention). The design and renovation specification sets tough performance targets whilst requiring the original character of the building to be retained. Low carbon materials and intelligent products will be incorporated along with a digital communication infrastructure that monitors the condition and performance of the building and provides tele-assisted care for those needing it. The refurbishment energy target is:
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SAP: minimum of 80.
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CO2: ≤35 kg/m2/yr.
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Air permeability 7 m3/hour/m2 at 50 pascals or below (current best practice is 5 m3/hour/m2 at 50 Pascals or below).
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Energy saving – greater than 60 per cent.
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Energy production (conventional) – high efficiency gas condensing boiler with state of the art zone controls.
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Energy production (renewables) – at least 10 per cent of energy demand.
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T-Zero. T-Zero is a project that is supported by the Technology Strategy Board with a brief to develop novel ways to reduce the environmental impact from existing housing, working towards a future goal of a zero carbon built environment. T-Zero provides an interactive web-based tool that puts energy and environmental performance expertise in the hands of the householder, housing stock manager, designer or builder. The ways in which energy performance of older homes can be improved and their carbon emissions reduced can be explored using the T-Zero web site, developed by BRE: www.tzero.org.uk. It is also possible to follow the progress of the “Victorian Stables refurbishment project” the BRE’s photo blog, and learn more about the BRE Innovation Park.
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The T-Zero web site can be accessed from within the main BRE site or using the address above.
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This site’s main menu is structures as: – About T-Zero. – Compare Options. – Information Centre. – Case Studies. – Business Zone. – Marketplace. – Contact Us. – Events.
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Online Seminars and new webcast series from BRE.
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International Sustainability Alliance (ISA). The International Sustainability Alliance will drive the development of common international standards for real estate. These standards will embrace both new buildings and existing buildings – and a key feature of the Alliance will be the development of robust, reliable data on existing buildings that can be used by its members. The Alliance will play a vital role providing an international governance structure to further develop a common international environmental assessment standard. It will join forces with international companies, Green Building Councils, research institutes and other stakeholders in the real estate chain to achieve a common goal: driving an international sustainability standard for the built environment. The BRE are inviting leading companies and organisations, that are prepared to make a real commitment to improving the environmental performance of new and existing buildings, to sign up to become founding members of the Alliance. The Alliance proposal outlines:
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Organisational structure, membership commitments and further information.
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The multi-stage approach to establish a common pan-European database, based on new and existing buildings, to enable collection, evaluation and exchange of environmental data for CR reporting and benchmarking.
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An international rollout of BREEAM In-Use buildings using a pan-European database.
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A ground breaking research programme on the value of green buildings.
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Fees and the application process.
Founder Members helping to establish the ISA currently includes:
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Befimmo.
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BoPro NV
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BNP Paribas REPM (representing BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Services and BNP Paribas Assurances).
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BRE Trust/BRE Global.
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C&A.
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Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB).
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Certivea.
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Fortrus.
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Green Affair.
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Redevco.
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Sonae Sierra.
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Unibail Rodamco.
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VastNed.
The “News headlines” section of the web site includes information on:
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BRE Global a flash of inspiration! BRE Global is delighted to have inspired world renowned artist Mamma Andersson with her painting, “Gone for Good”. This emotive painting is based on BRE Global’s video; The Front Room Fire, which was produced to demonstrate the potential for the rapid growth of fire in domestic properties. This film illustrates the type of furniture which would have been popular during the 1980s and is still found in many homes today and has been extremely successful in educating millions to basic fire safety principles in the home and excerpts have also been used by broadcasters worldwide.
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The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The main menus of this restructured web site include:
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Global +.
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Regulation.
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Royal Charter.
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Rules.
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Regulatory Board.
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DPB Scheme.
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Insurance.
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Disciplinary.
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Financial Crime.
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APC.
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Contact.
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Find a colleague.
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Find a global member.
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Find a surveyor.
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Find a fixed charge receivership scheme.
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Frequently Asked Questions about RICS.
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Networking tools.
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LionHeart – the benevolent fund for surveyors.
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Select world regional head office.
The homepage also includes links to six key sections:
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About RICS. Research (All of the Research Reports listed below can be downloaded as pdfs):
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2009 Valuation and Sale Price Report. The 2009 report of the annual comparison of valuations against sale prices of commercial property in France Germany, the Netherlands and UK, carried out by Investment Property Databank.
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A Random Walk Down Main Street: Can Experts Predict Returns on Commercial Real Estate?
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A real options approach to development land valuation.
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A regional house price model of excess demand for housing. This report combines RICS housing market survey data with other housing indices to explore the creation of a time-on-market adjusted house price index.
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An examination of the housing needs and supply for an ageing society. This report, by the Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York, examines the implications for housing supply and user needs of an ageing society.
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Can building codes deliver energy efficiency? Defining a best practice approach
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Discovering property policy: an examination of Scottish Executive policy and the property sector. This report, by a team led by David Adams at the University of Glasgow and funded by the RICS Education Trust, assessed how the Scottish Executive considers property market issues in its legislation.
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Doing Well by Doing Good? Buildings with a high Energy Star rating are attracting rental premiums of three percent per square foot compared with non-green buildings of the same size, location and function, according to RICS.
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Is sustainability reflected in commercial property prices: an analysis of the evidence base. This report, by Kingston University with funding from the RICS Foundation, analyses the publicly available evidence base for sustainability being reflected in commercial property prices.
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ISLAND – Inspiring Sri Lankan Renewal and Development. RICS Research Report from June 2009 on Disaster Management techniques. Paper by Richard Haigh, Dilanthi Amaratunga, David Baldry, Chaminda Pathirage, and Niraj Thurairajah of the University of Salford.
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Leasehold reform: Graphs of relativity. “Relativity” describes the value of an existing lease relative to the value of the same property if it were freehold. The Lands Tribunal asked RICS to create a standard graph of relativity.
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Life cycle costing of sustainable design. This report, by John Kelly and Kirsty Hunter with RICS Education Trust funding, provides a methodology for assessing the life cycle cost of buildings that incorporate elements of sustainable design.
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Making GIS work in developing countries. RICS Research Report from July 2009 by Neil Stuart, Duncan Moss, Robert Hodgart and Paul Radikonyana of the Institute of Geography at the University of Edinburgh.
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Moving towards a low carbon city: a case study of Melbourne, Australia. Using Melbourne as a case study city, this report analyses the impact of different scenarios for carbon emissions reductions, and recommends the adoption of a phased approach to emissions reductions.
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Permanent and transitory components in local housing market dynamics. This research, by Michael White of Heriot-Watt University, examines the factors that drive house price changes in different city sub-markets, using Aberdeen as a case study. Published in July 2009.
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Planning and the Gender Equality Duty. This report explores the response of local authorities to the requirement that they take gender issues into account in their decisions, with particular reference to planning and urban regeneration.
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RICS Global Carbon Capacity Index – ZC2 – 2008 Results. The results of the 2008 RICS Global Carbon Capacity Index, aimed at tracking progress of countries towards a zero carbon built environment. In 2008, France emerged as the country making most progress.
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The energy efficiency impacts of upgrading informal settlements in developing countries: an exploration of urban areas in India. This report, by the University of Ulster, assesses the energy efficiency implications of upgrading informal settlements, using the city of Sonipat in India as a case study. Published January 2010.
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The impact of peripheral urban land acquisition on indigenous communities’ livelihood and environment around Uluguru mountains, Tanzania.
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Towards a 3D urban land register information system. With funding from the RICS Education Trust, Roland Billen of the University of Liege explored what is needed to encourage the implementation of 3D land information systems.
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Towards a low carbon built environment: a road map for action.
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What is the effect of eco-labelling on office occupancy rates in the USA. This research, by Pat McAllister and Franz Fuerst of the University of Reading, UK, explores the impact of eco-labelling on void rates in commercial office buildings in the USA.
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What is the impact of flooding on property values? This research indicates that flooding has only a temporary impact on property values, and after three years prices had returned to their normal market level.
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Why do companies rent green? This report, by Piet Eichholtz, Nils Kok and John Quigley, examines the tenant-base of “green” office buildings in the USA, to see which organisations seem most likely to occupy “green” space.
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Sustainability. At global, national and local level RICS and its members are committed to creating and maintaining a healthy environment not only for today but also for future generations by adhering to the following principles:
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Protection of the environment through the preservation of natural capital.
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Promotion of social justice by ensuring access to services for the benefit of all.
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Support of a healthy local economy, including high levels of employment. This section of the web site gives access to: –RICS Global Climate Change Strategy. –Climate Change Series. Measuring the value of green commercial buildings – valuation and occupier perspectives. –RICS Greening Make Good. Guide to help reduce waste at lease end through valuing the materials used and trying to avoid waste. –Ska Rating. RICS launches Ska Rating – the first assessment tool for sustainable fit-outs.
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Market Surveys.
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External Affairs.
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Governance.
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RICS Matrics.
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Professional Groups.
There are also links to RICS Services, Help, UK Regions and Other Sites:
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Services.
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Find a surveyor.
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Dispute resolution.
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Business property advice.
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Useful guides.
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Venues.
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Schemes.
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Technology Strategy Board
The role of the Technology Strategy Board is to stimulate technology-enabled innovation in the areas, which offer the greatest scope for boosting UK growth and productivity. We promote, support and invest in technology research, development and commercialisation. They spread knowledge, bringing people together to solve problems or make new advances. They also advise Government on how to remove barriers to innovation and accelerate the exploitation of new technologies. And we work in areas where there is a clear potential business benefit, helping today’s emerging technologies become the growth sectors of tomorrow. Their vision is “For the UK to be a global leader in innovation and a magnet for innovative businesses, who can apply technology rapidly, effectively, and sustainably to create wealth and enhance quality of life”. The web site also gives information on a low energy housing project. This £6.4 million programme is to build 12 world-class energy-efficient houses, without using renewable energy technologies.
This project takes a “fabric-first” approach, with the aim of achieving a 44 per cent reduction in carbon emissions and sees TSB partner with a consortium of developers, suppliers and research organisations. The project will require innovative materials, products and designs to respond to the Government’s policy that all new homes will be zero carbon from 2016.
PassivHausUK
The term “PassivHaus” refers to a specific construction standard for buildings which have excellent comfort conditions in both winter and summer. These principles can be applied not only to the residential sector but also to commercial, industrial and public buildings. PassivHaus dwellings:
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are the world’s leading standard in energy efficient construction;
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are designed and built using a step-by-step approach;
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use efficient components and a whole house ventilation system to achieve exceptionally low running costs;
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are comfortable, healthy and sustainable.
PassivHaus dwellings typically achieve an energy saving of 90 per cent compared to existing housing. There are approximately 17,000 buildings constructed to the PassivHaus principles with a total treated floor area of over 200,000sqm.
A dwelling which achieves the PassivHaus standard typically includes:
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very good levels of insulation with minimal thermal bridges;
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well thought out utilisation of solar and internal gains;
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excellent level of airtightness;
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good indoor air quality, provided by a whole house mechanical ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery.
By specifying these features the design heat load is limited to the load that can be transported by the minimum required ventilation air. Thus, a PassivHaus does not need a traditional heating system or active cooling to be comfortable to live in – the small heating demand can be typically met using a compact services unit which intergrates heating, hot water and ventilation in one unit (although there are a variety of alternative solutions). For Europe (40° – 60° Northern latitudes), a dwelling is deemed to satisfy the PassivHaus criteria if:
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the total energy demand for space heating and cooling is less than 15 kWh/m2/yr treated floor area;
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the total primary energy use for all appliances, domestic hot water and space heating and cooling is less than 120 kWh/m2/yr.
(These figures are verified at the design stage using the PassivHaus Planning Package.) It is also essential to follow a quality control procedure to avoid onsite problems which may prevent excellent levels of airtightness (max. 0.6 h -1) and thermal insulation being achieved.
CSCS
CSCS was set up to help the construction industry to improve quality and reduce accidents.
CSCS cards are increasingly demanded as proof of occupational competence by contractors, public and private clients and others. Security has recently been improved with the introduction of Smart Cards, which are more difficult to forge. The card’s validity can be checked more quickly on site and it also has the ability to store other records such as CPD and health data. The web site menus include:
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Occupations available.
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Types of cards.
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Health and Safety.
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Download an Application Form and Materials.
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FAQs.
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Check a card.
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Find out more.
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Case studies.
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Contact us.
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Site Map.
Door and Hardware Federation (DHF)
The Door and Hardware Federation web site is an online resource for everything to do with industrial, commercial and garage doors and associated hardware. The web site enables the user to:
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Download standards and best practice guides.
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Locate your nearest door supplier or repair and service provider.
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Learn about the latest legislation impacting on the industry.
The DHF, which represents all the UK’s leading door and hardware companies, is dedicated to raising standards in the industry. The “matchmaker” service enables the user to specify the most suitable fire rated door hardware.
Micro Planning International Ltd (MPI)
MPI provides state-of-the-art planning systems for Macintosh and Windows platforms as well as post-sale services such as training, consulting and custom development. Micro Planning International is a group of three companies servicing Europe, America and Australia. The main menu of the web site is structured as:
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Home.
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Accessibility Policy.
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Terms and Conditions.
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Help.
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Site Map.
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Contact Us.
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Project Management.
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Products.
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Downloads.
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News Room.
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Events.
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UK Support.
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About Us.
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Jobs.
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Links.
MPI has developed the following innovative approach to get projects developed, monitored and controlled quickly:
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Project Title:
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Agree the Project’s title.
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Set the time frame for its execution and list any imposed deadlines.
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Project Goals (e.g. What has to be done):
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What events mark the end of the project?
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Identify all Stakeholders and understand and record their “Win-Conditions”.
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Write a composite set of “Win-Conditions” that everyone agrees upon.
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Write, agree and date the Project Brief to include: Title, Background, Objectives, Scope, Constraints, Assumptions, Risks and Management Plan.
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Project Deliverables (e.g. Work Breakdown Structure, or WBS):
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Sub-Projects, recording any fixed or target deadlines.
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Deliverables, recording any fixed or target deadlines.
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Work Packages, recording Responsibility, Cost, Quality, Acceptance Criteria.
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Tasks (break these down to their maximum durations, e.g. Mnth, Wk, Dy, Hr).
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Create logic flow diagrams (each matrix of WBS and OBS having their own plan).
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Identify the project’s shortest duration – assuming no resource constraints.
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Write Risk Management Plan (RMP) (eg. risks identified, rated and contingency).
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Project Team (e.g. Organisational Breakdown Structure or OBS):
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Who is Accountable and has Ownership.
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Who is taking responsibilities for sub-projects and deliverables.
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Record the availability of people working in the project.
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Assign people to all tasks.
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Identify the project’s shortest duration – with resource constraints
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Project Kick Off (e.g. Selling the Plan):
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Arrange the Kick-Off Meeting with all Stakeholders to give the “big picture”.
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Agree the budget, time schedule, resource schedules, and the RMP.
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Agree the project reporting cycle, (eg, worksheets out and in, analysis, reporting)
MPI state that the benefits of Micro Planner X-Pert are:
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Easy to install from a downloadable file from www.microplanning.co.uk
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The free evaluation version has a capacity for 150 tasks, when you buy the license this expands to 15,000 tasks.
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Easy to use “Work Breakdown Structure” (WBS) with multiple levels to drill down to the detail of your projects.
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Sub-Projects all have their own “Flow Diagrams” showing the logical of dependent tasks and milestones.
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Project Plans can be drawn with the “activity on the arrow”, or (if you must), drawn with “task in a box”.
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Excellent resource analysis that recognises smoothed work for people or to recognise imposed deadlines.
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Excellent “Earned Value” reporting and graphs to help you monitor and control the spend.
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The British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers Association (BEAMA)
BEAMA is an independent expert knowledge base and forum for the electrotechnical industry for the UK and across Europe. It Represents over 300 manufacturing companies in the electrotechnical sector, the organisation has significant influence over UK and international political, standardisation and commercial policy. It has been established for over 100 years and covers a range of industries in the electrical, energy, water and power related sectors. BEAMA is effectively a trade organization advising its members on relevant technology and market developments in areas related to safety and sustainability.
Stephen Todd