Citation
Todd, S. (2011), "Internet review", Structural Survey, Vol. 29 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ss.2011.11029aag.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Internet review
Article Type: Internet review From: Structural Survey, Volume 29, 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
www.bre.co.uk
The main menu of the BRE web site includes:
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About us.
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Breadth and diversity of services.
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Business sectors.
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A-Z of services.
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1921-2011, 90 years of BRE. BRE was established as the Building Research Station – the world’s first building research organisation – in 1921. Throughout 2011 the BRE will be loading material to this site that charts some of the key moments during their 90-year history and will take a forward look to how their work will shape the built environment in the future.
The News Headlines section of the site includes information on:
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“Do your pupils have what it takes to become carbon detectives?”. Over 6,000 primary and secondary schools are currently registered with the Carbon Detectives programme, a Europe-wide project operated in the UK by BRE. The programme is designed for eight to 14 year olds and aims to engage pupils and teachers in fun, interactive activities that can not only help schools become more sustainable and lower their carbon footprint, but also assist with the delivery of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within the curriculum. In addition participating schools will also be able to take part in a national competition. Training events for teachers, are being held across the country during late 2010 and early 2011. The events will assist with the delivery of the ESD and provide more details on the Carbon Detectives programme and national competition. Carbon Detectives is supported by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme, and in the UK by the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Education and “CREATE”.
The press releases include ten things that you might not know about the BRE Group:
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In 1940 Barnes Wallis created a small-scale replica of the Mohne Dam on the BRE site to trial out his famous bouncing bombs. The prototype still exists today.
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BREEAM is the world’s first environmental scheme for buildings. Since its inception 20 years ago, over 818,943 homes and 22,972 buildings have been registered under the scheme.
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Prince Charles’s Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment is currently building a house on the BRE Innovation Park that adopts an alternative natural approach to sustainable house building.
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BRE is one of the world’s top five centres of excellence for the built environment with expertise in virtually every area that relates to it.
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In 2007 BRE’s Innovation Park launched the world’s first volume build zero carbon house – the Kingspan Lighthouse.
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BRE conducted a series of tests for NASA to determine how fire would behave in a zero gravity environment.
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BRE has many and unique testing facilities on site; a structures lab that can fit a four storey flat inside and can simulate everything from a flood to an earthquake; a wind tunnel, a burn hall that can accommodate a 9m tall fire; and an anechoic chamber that absorbs all sound allowing for no echo at all, an underground tube train and a plane that are used to test passenger air quality and the world’s largest timber library.
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The 1985 Front Room Fire film made by BRE for the Fire and Rescue Service led to a complete overhaul of the furniture industry and its approach to fire safety.
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The Building Research Station (BRE’s former name) is referred to in Peter Wright’s infamous “Spycatcher” memoir. The book reveals that BRE developed a special quick drying plaster to enable spies to go into rooms, drill and insert bugs, then re-plaster so no one would notice.
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BRE’s SMARTWaste suite of tools has measured over 13 million tonnes of waste so far – that is the equivalent to 130,000 Blue Whales (weighing approximately 100 tonnes each).
Information is also presented on a wide range of case studies. These include:
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Use of digital pens in the English House Condition Survey.
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Code Level 4, Vachell Road, Cardiff.
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Redeveloping Hayes Manor School.
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Green Print for Sherford, South Hams.
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Merton Energy Targets.
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The Hertfordshire Charette.
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Marks and Spencer Corporate Sustainability.
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Shannon Free Zone, Ireland – Greenprint project.
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Tenuta San Michele.
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First Design Stage BREEAM Outstanding.
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Sustainability at No Extra Cost.
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MediaCity and BREEAM communities.
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Modelling Sitka spruce properties.
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Higher machine settings for UK grown Scots Pine.
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Toyota Motor Europe (TME).
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Solving overheating problems in Bromley Hospital.
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Zuidas Business District, Ravel, Amsterdam.
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Environmental responsible energy for Downshire Hospital.
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Fire protection – University Hospital Wales.
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Loch Lomand & Trossachs National Park Authority Headquarters.
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Scottish Funding Council POE: Sustainable Development Research Project.
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Renfrew Health and Social Work Centre.
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Stoneyhall housing estate pre-demolition audit.
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University buildings pre-refurbishment.
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Wellingborough Swimming Pool pre-demolition audit.
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Validation of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) for predicting acute toxicity to fish.
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Bioaccumulation models.
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Environmental risk assessment of chemicals.
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Information sources for exposure assessment.
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Aggregate industries and responsible sourcing.
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Gradus – environmental profiles.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The main menus of the RICS UK web site include:
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Join RICS:
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Routes to membership.
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Become a surveyor.
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Benefits of membership.
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How to join.
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Members:
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Practice standards.
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Professional groups.
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Red Book.
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RICS Matrics.
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Students:
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What is surveying.
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Benefits of surveying.
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Student membership.
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Public:
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UK regions
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Governance
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Useful guides
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Using a surveyor
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Economic commentary
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The “Knowledge” section is a central resource for all the technical, practice-support publications that RICS produces for members. It is constantly refreshed and carries the latest RICS practice standards and publications, often before they are available in hardcopy. This is further sub-divided into four main sections:
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RICS Homebuyers Service
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Member information about the new RICS Home Surveys.
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Public information about the new RICS Home Buyer Service.
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Research
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Recent research. Since 1955, this registered charity has given grants and scholarships relating to the theory and practice of surveying
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RICS Education Trust.
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Search the Research Archive.
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COBRA Research Conference. Current standards and consultations The current Standards consultations included “Service charges in commercial property”. This consultation draft is an update to the previous edition of the service charge code of practice issued in 2006. Developed by a cross industry steering group of all the leading property bodies, the code is a response to ongoing concerns about disputes over service charges and their alleged lack of transparency. This Code sets out industry best practice for service charges with the objectives of removing service charges as an area of conflict, encouraging transparency and communications between owners, occupiers and managing agents and delivering a clear budget to occupiers.
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On-line library catalogue. A live system giving members access to over 29,500 books, over 33,100 magazine articles and over 8,500 law reports and transcripts.
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The recent entries in the “Newsroom” section include:
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RICS Land and Society Commission calls for evidence.
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RICS comments on Bank of England Credit Condition Survey.
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RICS comments on CIPS Construction Survey.
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House prices to fall slightly in 2011 but repossessions to drop off.
The “Newsroom” section also includes links to:
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Sustainability.
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VRS. RICS Valuer Registration Scheme.
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Residential property standards. A new edition of the Blue Book clarifies standards for residential property professionals.
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Vision for Cities. The Vision for Cities discussion paper outlines the context for the delivery of long-term infrastructure.
Greenworks
This company offers a range of sustainable building solutions. The main menu is structured as:
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Renewable energy:
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Solar energy.
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Wind energy.
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Wind tunnels.
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Sustainable heating:
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Efficient boilers.
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Solar cylinders.
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Biomass boilers.
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Ground source heat pumps.
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Air source heat pumps.
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Underfloor heating.
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Heat recovery and ventilation.
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Water saving solutions:
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Rainwater harvesters.
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Grey water recycling.
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Water conservation.
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The Green Guide
The Green Guide is part of BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) an accredited environmental rating scheme for buildings. The Green Guide contains more than 1,500 specifications used in various types of building. Since the previous edition, information on the relative environmental performance of some materials and components has altered reflecting both changes in manufacturing practices, the way materials are used in buildings, and our evolving environmental knowledge. The Green Guide assesses building materials and components in terms of their environmental impact across their entire life cycle. The Guide examines the relative environmental impacts of construction materials commonly used in six different generic types of building including:
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Commercial buildings, such as offices.
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Educational.
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Healthcare.
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Retail.
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Domestic.
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Industrial.
The environmental rankings are based on life cycle assessments (LCA), using BRE’s Environmental Profiles Methodology 2008. Materials and components are arranged on an elemental basis so that designers and specifiers can compare and select from comparable systems or materials as they compile their specification. The elements covered are:
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External walls.
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Internal walls and partitions.
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Roofs.
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Ground floors.
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Upper floors.
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Windows.
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Insulation.
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Landscaping.
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Floor finishes.
Across these building element categories the Guide provides an extensive, but not complete catalogue of building specifications covering most common building materials. These data are set out as an A+ to E ranking system, where A+ represents the best environmental performance/least environmental impact, and E the worst environmental performance/most environmental impact. BRE has provided a summary environmental rating. The Green Guide rating, which is a measure of overall environmental impacts covering the following issues:
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Climate change.
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Water extraction.
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Mineral resource extraction.
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Stratospheric ozone depletion.
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Human toxicity.
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Ecotoxicity to freshwater.
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Nuclear waste (higher level).
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Ecotoxicity to land.
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Waste disposal.
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Fossil fuel depletion.
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Eutrophication.
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Photochemical ozone creation.
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Acidification.
By evaluating the performance of materials and building systems against these specific environmental impacts, which have also been ranked on an A+ to E basis, it is possible for the specifier to select specifications on the basis of personal or organisational preferences or priorities, or take decisions based on the performance of a material against a particular environmental impact. These Green Guide Ratings count towards credits in BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Interpave
Interpave is the trade association for precast concrete paving in the UK. The web site contains information on concrete block and flag paving, permeable pavements and SUDS, kerbs and related products. The information is basically split along the commercial and domestic lines. There is a new guide “Understanding Permeable Paving” that covers Planning changes.
Removal of “permitted development” rights for impermeable new or replacement drives and other paving in front gardens is being enforced more vigorously as Planners appreciate the impact of sealed up surfaces on downstream flooding, reinforced by a recent appeal decision. Important guidance on the rules and how to identify the types of paving that comply is now available from Interpave - “Paving for Rain”. It also covers the Flood and Water Management Act. “Paving for Rain” is specifically referred to in government guidelines and can be downloaded.
Construction Products Association
The Construction Products Association represents the UK’s manufacturers and suppliers of construction products, components and fittings. It acts as the voice of the construction products sector representing the industry-wide view of its members. The main menu is structured as:
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Home.
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About us.
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Publications.
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Activities.
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Newsdesk.
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Contacts and links.
The publications section includes “An Introduction to Low Cost Refurbishment”, and is a first step in setting out the various ways in which homes can be upgraded. It begins from first principles and highlights what needs to be done before work starts and then focuses on the main elements of the home – the floor; walls, windows, roof, heating and hot water. It concludes with a series of case studies, which show the different scale of activity that can be undertaken, ranging from low cost work on walls, lofts and floors, through to radical renovations of the whole structure. The information is presented in a way that will be of value to a wide audience. There is also a spreadsheet, which provides further information on how changes in the cost and lifespan of various improvement measures affect the payback period in both financial and carbon terms.
Stephen Todd