tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75884083737229164362024-03-25T23:53:09.785-07:00Surveying PropertyConsidering topical issues in Surveying and Property related areas and also within the wider Construction Industry. Readers are encouraged to comment on topics and to make suggestions for future postings.Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.comBlogger183125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-91137412011189686012018-08-21T06:19:00.000-07:002018-08-21T06:19:02.558-07:001940’s Prefab’s – Simple but effective!<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Despite a desperate need for housing it is interesting that a planned, strategic approach was taken to the design and functionality of prefabricated housing in the 1940’s.</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3mWAu2pQCdhXew5_o49GAk_T-46bRCASZUupqSWxNq9Dy0WUiBkEZBSNt4io7F5xwoJ-w_YnIePt2UjOTJ4cHAFIdCmFqKG63is6w71IiCDn8tlnTiHBHOH6-N436l93XWWB9UUoRYM/s1600/20091110_38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3mWAu2pQCdhXew5_o49GAk_T-46bRCASZUupqSWxNq9Dy0WUiBkEZBSNt4io7F5xwoJ-w_YnIePt2UjOTJ4cHAFIdCmFqKG63is6w71IiCDn8tlnTiHBHOH6-N436l93XWWB9UUoRYM/s320/20091110_38.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: Prefab at Avoncroft Museum - Source: Own</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A number of years ago I visited Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings (<a href="http://www.avoncroft.org.uk/" target="_blank">Link</a>), which is situated near junction 1 of the M42 in Bromsgrove in the West Midlands. The Museum currently has over thirty different buildings/structures which have been rescued and re-built over the last five decades including a timber framed merchant’s house, a windmill, a church and a granary to name but a few. Although these and other buildings are absolutely fascinating, the building that really caught my attention was the 1940’s prefab. There was something about the speed of construction and the simplicity and layout of the structure that made the building stand out from the rest. For those reading this article who are unfamiliar with prefabricated buildings, these are basically factory built components that are assembled (put together) on site.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nowadays, prefabrication is something that is commonly used for new built construction, and offers efficiencies in terms of thermal performance, speed, improved quality as well as cost efficiencies. In the 1940’s very little consideration would have been given to any of these factors, with the exception of speed of construction. Originally designed as temporary structures with a maximum lifespan of 10 years, prefabs were identified in the 1944 Housing Act as a means of providing accommodation quickly in towns and cities that had been bombed heavily in World War II. Prior to the introduction of the Housing Act in 1944 the UK Government identified the need to provide temporary houses and set about achieving this through an initiative called the ‘Temporary Houses Programme’ (THP). The summary below from Epsom and Ewell History Explorer (<a href="http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/MoreOnPrefabs.pdf" target="_blank">Link</a>) explains the planned approach to housing shortage and how design played a key part in its success.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjejZ93kg8yKf2xtFSkjUciVelVVh38l3OKUxjj6UJtA-OxCxvdnfNtzmveg2dK0bUtU08QQKhJCO6AHwcEHZ9zy5rB4DYqgbLDo1cvqHJ1pbhBP4KYTJuwTTelx76YjaV-FLHVaA5fss/s1600/20091110_34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjejZ93kg8yKf2xtFSkjUciVelVVh38l3OKUxjj6UJtA-OxCxvdnfNtzmveg2dK0bUtU08QQKhJCO6AHwcEHZ9zy5rB4DYqgbLDo1cvqHJ1pbhBP4KYTJuwTTelx76YjaV-FLHVaA5fss/s320/20091110_34.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: Kitchen within Avoncroft Prefab - Source: Own</span></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As early as May 1943 the Government decided to invest in a prototype, temporary steel bungalow, which became known as the ‘Portal Bungalow’, named after the then Minister of Works, Lord Portal. The Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, promised 500,000 temporary new homes, although only 156,623 were actually produced (between 1945 and March 1949). The houses would be prefabricated in sections, in factories no longer needed for war production, transported to where they were needed and ‘bolted’ together on site, in a fraction of the time it would take to build a conventional house.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>As steel was needed for the war effort, and therefore in short supply, no steel prefabs were actually made. Nevertheless, the steel ‘Portal’ prototype, used as a starting point, provided inspiration to private firms who were then commissioned to design and produce their own versions, but within specific guidelines.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>All were to have two bedrooms, the floor area was to be 635 square feet, and to allow transportation from the factory, each component part could be no bigger than 7½ feet wide. The most important stipulation was that they all had to make use of the government-approved ‘heart-unit’. A back-to-back kitchen, bathroom, fire place with back boiler, airing cupboard and toilet. The design of the unit kept plumbing to a minimum. Only the relatively few imports (8,462) from the USA did not use the ‘heart-unit’.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>There were thirteen types from eleven different manufacturers (one from the USA). Although they were all based on the same concept, each manufacturer had their own detailed designs, and decided which materials they would use. The materials were chosen from concrete, asbestos-cement, steel, wood and aluminium or a combination of several, as decided by each manufacturer.</i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtcm5V8q9EOcfjQ9KGBYH99XLsNVT-rV2Gi4lDRsK9WqeXRVcN1XhARjsR4yns6yw21zCgJ0L0weEBv4eaPu8cOMTeoDY5taA2HKiJY7bGCsDvShBEtB-NjZoIm6HUrkcEj6MbjPcqD0/s1600/20091110_36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtcm5V8q9EOcfjQ9KGBYH99XLsNVT-rV2Gi4lDRsK9WqeXRVcN1XhARjsR4yns6yw21zCgJ0L0weEBv4eaPu8cOMTeoDY5taA2HKiJY7bGCsDvShBEtB-NjZoIm6HUrkcEj6MbjPcqD0/s320/20091110_36.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: Bedroom within Avoncroft Prefab - Source: Own</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Despite a desperate need for housing it is interesting that a planned, strategic approach was taken to the design and functionality of prefabricated housing in the 1940’s. If you ever have the privilege of visiting a 1940’s prefab you will be able to see for yourself how these speedily constructed dwellings were able to provide a functional layout incorporating basic facilities for a family at that time. Granted, there would not have been the level of thermal comfort or possibly space that most modern houses can offer however, I am sure that those who lived in prefabs in the 1940’s would have been more than happy with their living conditions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although many prefabs have long since been removed and replaced with more modern structures there are still many of examples of prefabs that remain, of which many are now listed (protected). This really stands as a testament to a well thought out approach to meet an urgent need for housing at the time. Given our current need for new housing I wonder if our current decision makers could learn any lessons from such an approach?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXwDMuRBHhW_Tgzn8uJCUP4ZbsuVGFFjgJPzpnFLxmni6o8Js5vBDal-eq_7P8e2ncLqQzDf3Fll5_Gz9L9V3IYDn-1g3ik6-pJ-X9zxhPr6PRDgPae-pF3Gp0DAbTe3n0EophJ7MPVQ/s1600/20091110_35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXwDMuRBHhW_Tgzn8uJCUP4ZbsuVGFFjgJPzpnFLxmni6o8Js5vBDal-eq_7P8e2ncLqQzDf3Fll5_Gz9L9V3IYDn-1g3ik6-pJ-X9zxhPr6PRDgPae-pF3Gp0DAbTe3n0EophJ7MPVQ/s400/20091110_35.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: Second Bedroom within Avoncroft Prefab - Source: Own</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYTm2RVvMuI-39GAoACE6SJHQkT2W7xhkJZ0eQjUdk4MpCAXHBr7ftojVODEgy0zvIYJg7X1BEC4ALhvcCBZuNvjl3MUEoFV-zKtR0HzL-PZAixGwmq4drcdZ82O25ZDaiUCPsoL-KLQ/s1600/20091110_37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYTm2RVvMuI-39GAoACE6SJHQkT2W7xhkJZ0eQjUdk4MpCAXHBr7ftojVODEgy0zvIYJg7X1BEC4ALhvcCBZuNvjl3MUEoFV-zKtR0HzL-PZAixGwmq4drcdZ82O25ZDaiUCPsoL-KLQ/s400/20091110_37.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: Bathroom within Avoncroft Prefab - Source: Own</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKU_BsZy-MpwQ0f2ofu_r_oWE0x7RYITReK-UzIxlVsnOyO6ikSqglRMWNMDrwcJ-FDcha6p7sH_1VZKqYCiJl5rgecQLIHovpd541Lc0zPEb5NMNcOI7S6_nDvRBGmWjITfeFcBvmNig/s1600/prefab5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="320" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKU_BsZy-MpwQ0f2ofu_r_oWE0x7RYITReK-UzIxlVsnOyO6ikSqglRMWNMDrwcJ-FDcha6p7sH_1VZKqYCiJl5rgecQLIHovpd541Lc0zPEb5NMNcOI7S6_nDvRBGmWjITfeFcBvmNig/s400/prefab5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Iconic World War II image - Source: <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">http://fortiesknitter.blogspot.co.uk/</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family?who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-46426012661960022312018-07-23T04:17:00.001-07:002018-07-23T04:38:04.587-07:00Japanese Knotweed - Not a weed to ignore!<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Japanese Knotweed is a serious consideration for Lenders, Developers, Purchasers, Landowners, Planners and Surveyors. The impact of the discovery of Japanese Knotweed on land and buildings can prove to be significant.</span></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbJS4_wAAVD1QPPGvmnZTicRubSZqgwF_7RFJmeXDERIYEPuUORQoOLuM-bf_iMMRgxeMWQ8pWbaJ8Gk1KJR_U5uPZAUq4ogoKeNiQ0L7ICrGMSKmGV6LE6V7quXY2ltRsh4X0eJVMOM/s1600/japanese-knotweed-survey-surveyor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbJS4_wAAVD1QPPGvmnZTicRubSZqgwF_7RFJmeXDERIYEPuUORQoOLuM-bf_iMMRgxeMWQ8pWbaJ8Gk1KJR_U5uPZAUq4ogoKeNiQ0L7ICrGMSKmGV6LE6V7quXY2ltRsh4X0eJVMOM/s320/japanese-knotweed-survey-surveyor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Charles Lyndon</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyone who has a garden will be more than aware of the speed in which weeds will grow, which if left uncontrolled can become unsightly and overgrown very quickly. Having acquired an overgrown allotment a few years ago, which I spent many hours clearing and digging I can tell you with authority that weeds are almost impossible to eradicate and therefore need to be regularly controlled. Most varieties of weeds are harmless if regularly managed, with the exception of the odd thorny or irritant types of weeds. There is however one particular type of weed that has received increased publicity over recent years, due to the size and rate of growth. There are plenty of opinions in relation to the risk and the extent of damage that Japanese Knotweed can cause to buildings/structures and there are plenty of examples of people affected by it which has resulted in denial of mortgage applications, disputes with insurers and extensive costs in trying remove or control its growth. On the other side of the coin, recent research by AECOM challenges popular opinion and suggests <i>‘Japanese knotweed is no more of a threat to buildings than other plants’</i>. The research of members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Property Care Association (PCA) who have interacted or dealt with Japanese Knotweed in one way or another found that <i>‘Only between 2% and 6% of respondents reported any co-occurrence of Japanese knotweed and structural damage to buildings. Our paper also concluded that where Japanese knotweed is associated with damage, it is likely that the plants will have exacerbated existing damage, rather than being the initial cause of the damage’</i>. The results of the research are interesting and well worth a read; (<a href="https://theconversation.com/japanese-knotweed-is-no-more-of-a-threat-to-buildings-than-other-plants-new-study-99580" target="_blank">Link</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Despite research by AECOM and others that suggest that Japanese is not the problem that the media would have us believe, we do live in a risk averse society. To those who buy/sell/rent and generally live in property I suspect that they will be un-swayed in their opinion and instead choose to panic at the mere mention of the words Japanese Knotweed in a similar way to which many people react to the words <i>‘Asbestos’</i> or ‘<i>Subsidence’</i> etc. For those involved with property surveys and inspections it is essential to be able to identify Japanese Knotweed and to be able provide appropriate advice. This article is therefore written to provide some basic information about Japanese knotweed which can be used to supplement further reading.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Japanese Knotweed (<i>Latin name - Fallopia japonica</i>) was introduced into the UK as an ornamental plant by the Victorians. It originated from Asia in countries such as Northern China and Japan where it grew in harsh habitats on the slopes around volcanoes. When introduced into the UK the conditions were far more fertile than those in Asia allowing the plant to thrive. Japanese Knotweed is a Perennial Plant, meaning that it will grow for many seasons with the plant dying back in the winter and re-growing the following spring. Japanese Knotweed is capable of growing 10cm per day and it is highly invasive and capable of exposing weaknesses in buildings, foundations, concrete and tarmac. It has the capability of regenerating from minute rhizomes (a root or creeping stem), therefore there is a significant risk of spreading the plant from digging and other disturbance. Effective removal of Japanese Knotweed therefore requires a specialist, which as you would expect can be expensive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As stated previously, Japanese Knotweed is a serious consideration for Lenders, Developers, Purchasers, Landowners, Planners and Surveyors. The impact of the discovery of Japanese Knotweed on land and buildings can prove to be significant. Land values can be reduced to take into account remediation works. It is therefore worth knowing how to identify Japanese Knotweed to firstly establish its presence and if identified how to deal with it. Devon County Council provided an excellent guide to the identification of Japanese Knotweed which is summarised below. The original link to the article is no longer active however the images and information below are still relevant:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>How to identify Japanese Knotweed</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> A Typical Japanese Knotweed Leaf</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the <b>early spring</b> red/purple shoots appear from the ground and grow rapidly forming canes. As the canes grow the leaves gradually open and turn green:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAlanHm1SjpKQMD1Vwvb9SmX9IzeLfgWAsyr9-S741qFLml7dnH6vwCFdbw5ayMPkYnbN_tqsl8dYm6cCERES00_XbjIsBQMLVOQeX2AwMoMcQTUu5sIMjfktrRFkV4aSMtTy_9kXOxs/s1600/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="546" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAlanHm1SjpKQMD1Vwvb9SmX9IzeLfgWAsyr9-S741qFLml7dnH6vwCFdbw5ayMPkYnbN_tqsl8dYm6cCERES00_XbjIsBQMLVOQeX2AwMoMcQTUu5sIMjfktrRFkV4aSMtTy_9kXOxs/s400/Picture2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The plants are fully grown by <b>early summe</b>r and mature canes are hollow with a distinctive purple speckle and form dense stands up to 3 metres high:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The plant flowers in <b>late summer </b>and these consist of clusters of spiky stems covered in tiny creamy-white flowers:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">During the <b>late autumn/winter</b> the leaves fall and the canes die and turn brown. The canes remain standing throughout the winter and can often still be seen in new stands in the following spring and summer:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The rhizome is the underground part of the plant. It is knotty with a leathery dark brown bark and when fresh snaps like a carrot. Under the bark it is orange or yellow. Inside the rhizome is a dark orange/brown central core or sometimes it is hollow with an orange, yellow or creamy outer ring, although this is variable:</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Japanese Knotweed and the Law</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 2016, the Environment Agency withdrew its Japanese Knotweed Code of Practice due to new government guidelines. This was replaced in March 2017, by the Invasive Non-Native Specialists Association (INNSA) new Code of Practice. Access to the new code is not as straightforward as the EA Code however you can request a copy from the following: (<a href="https://www.innsa.org/information/news/item/303-launch-of-the-innsa-code-of-practice.html" target="_blank">Link</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Below is a summary of the raft of legislation that relates to Japanese Knotweed which is taken from the Environment Agency’s Japanese Knotweed original Code of Practice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Japanese Knotweed is classified as controlled waste and its disposal is strictly regulated. For example soil containing Japanese Knotweed roots/rhizomes is classified as contaminated waste and can only be taken to a licensed landfill site. Failure to dispose of Japanese Knotweed appropriately may lead to prosecution under section 34 of the <b>Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990</b>. Also, although it is not a criminal offence to have Japanese Knotweed on your land, allowing it to grow onto neighbouring land may constitute a nuisance and as such may provide grounds for a civil action from those affected.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Other relevant legislation includes Section 14(2) of the <b>Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981</b> states that '…if any person plants or otherwise causes to grow in the wild any plant which is included in Part II of Schedule 9, he shall be guilty of an offence'. Japanese knotweed is one of the plants listed in Schedule 9. Also, waste must be transferred to an authorised person, in other words a person who is either a registered carrier or exempted from registration by the <b>Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011</b>. A waste transfer note must be completed and signed giving a written description of the waste as per regulation 35 of the Waste Regulations. <b>The Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 </b>contain provisions about the handling and movement of hazardous waste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Japanese Knotweed continues to receive an increased amount of negative publicity which makes it increasingly important for those undertaking property surveys and inspections and giving property advice to be able to identify its presence and give appropriate and proportionate advice. This article should serve as a good starting point and hopefully generate interest for further reading and research for built environment and related professions. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Author: Gary O’Neill</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested</b></span></span><br />
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<i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-73100367249461302502018-07-17T02:05:00.000-07:002018-07-17T02:05:26.513-07:00Retaining Walls - Part 2 - Construction Types<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A retaining wall is not randomly constructed, but should be selected and designed to suit individual ground and site conditions</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my last article, I provided some rather dramatic images of retaining wall failures and demonstrated that design and consequently selection of an appropriate construction method is crucial. This is because there are many considerations that will affect the type, size and construction of a retaining wall which in most cases require the advice of a professional such as a Civil/Structural Engineer. Finally I provided a graphic showing the many pressures/forces that occur behind a retaining wall which can significantly influence the stability of a retaining wall. You can read my previous article from the following (<a href="http://surveyingproperty.blogspot.com/2018/07/retaining-walls-spectacular-collapses.html#.W02kG9hKgb0" target="_blank">Link</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once thorough ground/site investigations have been completed there are a number of different types of retaining wall that may be selected. Basically, a retaining wall is not randomly constructed, but should be selected and designed to suit individual ground and site conditions. There are various types of retaining solutions such as embedded retaining walls (e.g sheet piling) and reinforced soil walls, however, for the purposes of this article I plan to focus on gravity retaining walls (also known as mass retaining walls) which rely solely on their own weight to stand up and withstand all of the loads and pressures that they will be exposed to. There a wide selection of gravity retaining wall solutions including Masonry (unreinforced), Concrete, (sometimes with masonry facing), Gabions and Crib retaining walls:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Masonry (unreinforced) Retaining Walls</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These types of retaining wall are some of the earliest know retaining structures and are formed from masonry which has been mortared together. The lateral forces from backfill are resisted by the weight of wall itself, and due to their robust nature, they develop little or no tension. Masonry retaining walls are not usually reinforced and are generally economical for heights of up to approximately three metres. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You will note from the image below that a masonry retaining wall will need to incorporate <i>weepholes</i> positioned at approximately two metre centres in order to help relieve hydrostatic pressure. Construction of a masonry retaining wall is generally labour intensive, often requiring deep excavation, temporary support, construction and backfilling. Clearly this can provide significant safety issues, can be time consuming and often prove to be very expensive.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbaYU3Hvitmw1_355OPglBJ-zQheGvFyEslODx9DA3Yw4H2E_MJRlw9MgFxhZYwEZGFk7SAGmKIsrkrBQ8J6ZSAzQfebqb3M2xzAzjKjjj_frnIdxQv9pA70KDKTf-y7MtTSXMZOlHS8/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="940" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbaYU3Hvitmw1_355OPglBJ-zQheGvFyEslODx9DA3Yw4H2E_MJRlw9MgFxhZYwEZGFk7SAGmKIsrkrBQ8J6ZSAzQfebqb3M2xzAzjKjjj_frnIdxQv9pA70KDKTf-y7MtTSXMZOlHS8/s640/Picture1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Source: Chudley R. & Greeno R (2005), Building Construction Handbook. Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikdm_MiXfAfTGD9N-0EV3OvlDOGOqt3E2Fw7nNpB2JsekDT3Uty57RbdDVX1DZ-AHEYdAolW1FJwxpvakf53r7QXl_rzmIEYPPo-W5IAqe9O0ERsa7mRPR7VlwYErjly_auYZKNNs4S8/s1600/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="781" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikdm_MiXfAfTGD9N-0EV3OvlDOGOqt3E2Fw7nNpB2JsekDT3Uty57RbdDVX1DZ-AHEYdAolW1FJwxpvakf53r7QXl_rzmIEYPPo-W5IAqe9O0ERsa7mRPR7VlwYErjly_auYZKNNs4S8/s640/Picture2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Masonry Retaining Wall - Source: http://www.archiexpo.com/</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Concrete Retaining Walls</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Concrete retaining walls provide some flexibility in design as they allow wet concrete poured in-situ with the use of temporary timber formwork, or pre-cast concrete units to be used. Mass concrete retaining walls will be designed using similar principles described above for masonry retaining walls and will have the same safety, labour and cost issues. Concrete retaining walls are typically designed with a horizontal footing and a vertical stem wall.These types of retaining wall are referred to as <b>Concrete Cantilever</b> retaining walls. These walls allow a much thinner stem and therefore less construction material because the cross section of the wall is much thinner. Concrete Cantilever walls utilize the weight of the backfill to provide most of the resistance to sliding and overturning, and because of this are economical up to heights of ten metres, much higher than the possibilities for unreinforced masonry retaining walls. The image below details a section through a Concrete Cantilever wall where you will note how the backfill load applied to the horizontal footing will help to stabilise the wall. The further image below also demonstrates how concrete pre-cast units can be used in addition to in-situ for Concrete Cantilever retaining walls.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3YJoTMAj2a5z7Jqi4rMiESrkZbjYdEEiIqN4wxM4ioJLtlaFymuW4ot4cp2H40ZwXuAKJSle-RIREh6rdN6ORNHaCVBxhvSWg7PjP5cpN0uzc2xxW3_JcOVteGxhWW8Q6tVljXD_EwA/s1600/Picture3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="940" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3YJoTMAj2a5z7Jqi4rMiESrkZbjYdEEiIqN4wxM4ioJLtlaFymuW4ot4cp2H40ZwXuAKJSle-RIREh6rdN6ORNHaCVBxhvSWg7PjP5cpN0uzc2xxW3_JcOVteGxhWW8Q6tVljXD_EwA/s640/Picture3.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: Chudley R. & Greeno R (2005), Building Construction Handbook. Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyF7abFaXjwOMjexbZMgu5nVD0gS98TXoM2Je4gFSxRxlZ4saHpsFsTXNrcZMNa7-APmXgzKifziBFFkfwTRU5OPUwDg5dmDOcyoBBb6rbpZm0TOdXEfUN2Kqo5PHrwfatmHqvjujLfYw/s1600/Picture4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="831" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyF7abFaXjwOMjexbZMgu5nVD0gS98TXoM2Je4gFSxRxlZ4saHpsFsTXNrcZMNa7-APmXgzKifziBFFkfwTRU5OPUwDg5dmDOcyoBBb6rbpZm0TOdXEfUN2Kqo5PHrwfatmHqvjujLfYw/s640/Picture4.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Pre-cast Concrete Retaining Wall - Source: http://groundtechgeo.com.au/</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A slight variation to the Concrete Cantilever wall is the use/installation of </span><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Monolithic Counterforts</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. Counterfort </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">walls are cantilever walls strengthened with counterforts monolithic (formed as a single unit) with the back of the wall slab and base slab. The counterforts act as tension stiffeners and connect the wall slab and the base to reduce the bending and shearing stresses. Counterforts are used for high walls with heights greater than 8 to 12 m. They are also used for situations where high lateral pressures occur, e.g. where the backfill is heavily surcharged.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8ch6N4oDScBqc2Me3vq-ruEYaMGME4iuKKTXH-x0RvUUPZwChIq76NEqSkwYpk1-rj8jjn_zWB03Hohm1GGZmEm90iUXg-tkyRN5yg3Fgr1p3YqZIHlnN2nWFYNkWNolpdKHWLpCaCk/s1600/Picture5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="576" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8ch6N4oDScBqc2Me3vq-ruEYaMGME4iuKKTXH-x0RvUUPZwChIq76NEqSkwYpk1-rj8jjn_zWB03Hohm1GGZmEm90iUXg-tkyRN5yg3Fgr1p3YqZIHlnN2nWFYNkWNolpdKHWLpCaCk/s640/Picture5.png" width="524" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Pre-Cast Concrete Counterfort Retaining Wall - Source: http://designerpropertiestexas.com/</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gabions</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gabions are welded wire or rectangular wire mesh boxes, which are then filled with rock, and used for construction of erosion control structures and to stabilize steep slopes. Gabion design is based upon mass gravity design as detailed above and therefore relies on the mass and self weight of the Gabions to resist any imposed loads or forces. Stability is achieved through a combination of the self weight of the rocks and its interlocking and frictional strength. Gabions are often constructed with stepped face and because of the voids between the rocks are able to more easily absorb forces by retained earth and flowing water. Generally Gabions are more economical than other retaining structures as they require little maintenance, no skilled labour, minimum foundation preparation and no costly drainage systems.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIRKMv9sa8h-kbAtxYcCRUNkTEkEYpDCwQduwq1Ss8ovzqjdhKZaT5bBN9g7NIyLNHol3FDk8R6SRQTQ2pTciB4xozDVH0zoB9sydzLhyR-LzT8LIca1uy5HEyB9_s1ZeHAYPof2F0GQ/s1600/Picture6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="940" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIRKMv9sa8h-kbAtxYcCRUNkTEkEYpDCwQduwq1Ss8ovzqjdhKZaT5bBN9g7NIyLNHol3FDk8R6SRQTQ2pTciB4xozDVH0zoB9sydzLhyR-LzT8LIca1uy5HEyB9_s1ZeHAYPof2F0GQ/s640/Picture6.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Gabion Retaining Wall - Source: http://terraqua-es.co.uk/erosion-control/woven-gabions/</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Crib Retaining Walls</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Crib walls are made up of interlocking individual ‘boxes’ which are usually consist of timber or pre-cast concrete (see image below). Crushed stone or other coarse granular materials to create a free draining structure are used to fill the individual boxes. Crib walls are popular because they are versatile, strong, light weight, cost effective, fast and easy to install. Another advantage of crib walls, due to their form, is that they can be further enhanced within built geo-textile planters, allowing a faster ‘green up’ time than with other retaining solutions. The advantage of using concrete instead of timber is that concrete components provide for long term durability and will not rot or warp, however the component cost is likely to be higher.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKZwraQNWG0hMjxSPNPyOHV8KbFJFxN6KuO0Y18NPZauZeUE7P4Qe8KjWXenGXeUYAL-hs3zcCXMtOKMIvmDiuKTQ3V9fZRFIkOq1yf2l-SxK7v7H5rpVl27ThM-f4zV2XCVYXT23Mt0/s1600/Picture7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="940" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKZwraQNWG0hMjxSPNPyOHV8KbFJFxN6KuO0Y18NPZauZeUE7P4Qe8KjWXenGXeUYAL-hs3zcCXMtOKMIvmDiuKTQ3V9fZRFIkOq1yf2l-SxK7v7H5rpVl27ThM-f4zV2XCVYXT23Mt0/s640/Picture7.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Gabion Retaining Wall - Source: http://terraqua-es.co.uk/erosion-control/woven-gabions/</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjCCVv_8K8Yvl69303tZLhZu8-e3MrzjsiQXm6gZshwTLkGOlbYPYyZ16Csz-SF_oBUM0aK_jjkdMyepBvUQ4rmKXHo0KZK2v3CyBez7fUk8IltkzOnjkkBzbCEbLJLpoj7CFOIHuyCg/s1600/Picture8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="876" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjCCVv_8K8Yvl69303tZLhZu8-e3MrzjsiQXm6gZshwTLkGOlbYPYyZ16Csz-SF_oBUM0aK_jjkdMyepBvUQ4rmKXHo0KZK2v3CyBez7fUk8IltkzOnjkkBzbCEbLJLpoj7CFOIHuyCg/s640/Picture8.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Concrete Crib Retaining Wall - Source: http://www.retainingsolutions.com.au/</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have provided an overview of typical types of retaining wall solutions above however there are numerous other engineering solutions than may be used depending upon ground conditions, loadings, location and the like. In order to select an appropriate retaining wall, in most cases it will be necessary to seek professional advice, as the consequences of poor or inappropriate design can prove to be disastrous.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog. </i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-37439912226889862962018-07-09T02:01:00.000-07:002018-07-09T02:01:48.336-07:00Retaining Walls – Spectacular Collapses!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Sudden retaining wall collapse will be a result of the effect of forces/influences behind the wall and often inappropriate design. Not all damage to a retaining wall is as significant as the examples shown in this article and in fact much more subtle movement can occur over a long period of time before a retaining wall will eventually fail</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Retaining walls are an important feature in many construction projects, often a necessity, as they can provide a solution where land is uneven or at a gradient. Very few construction sites are completely flat and where cut and fill site levelling is not possible it may be necessary to consider retaining walls as a way of maximising development space, or solving access issues within or around a construction site.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Wordnetweb</i> define a retaining wall as <i>‘a wall that is built to resist lateral pressure (especially a wall built to prevent the advance of a mass of earth)’</i>. There are many considerations that will affect the type, size and construction of a retaining wall which in most cases require the advice of a professional such as a Structural Engineer. This is because there are lots of pressures/forces occurring behind a retaining wall that can significantly influence the stability of a retaining wall. The photographs below show the dramatic impact of what can happen when retaining walls fail:</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: wivinah-hefner.blogspot.co.uk</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfNScWYLZ8H9CMY2XVgtYz59bb3lmpwy3ZL8bIbzncdH6UjaL6l1ihhlX3lNm-xtDPhyphenhyphentgr68BKt8odqkX1itI2kATwHwEXf55nG7_0a7CSGFdKglNSFXCL2n3s_PHqT0BPGDTLlT7s8/s1600/DSCF2048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfNScWYLZ8H9CMY2XVgtYz59bb3lmpwy3ZL8bIbzncdH6UjaL6l1ihhlX3lNm-xtDPhyphenhyphentgr68BKt8odqkX1itI2kATwHwEXf55nG7_0a7CSGFdKglNSFXCL2n3s_PHqT0BPGDTLlT7s8/s640/DSCF2048.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">James Lockyer Associates</span></span></td></tr>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
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Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
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<!--StartFragment--><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: http://www.nibiru-planetx.com/</span></span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sudden retaining wall collapse will be a result of the effect of forces/influences behind the wall and often inappropriate design. Not all damage to a retaining wall is as significant as the examples above and in fact much more subtle movement can occur over a long period of time before a retaining wall will eventually fail. It is therefore worth understanding the function of a retaining wall as well as the forces/influences that require consideration during design.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I published an article a few weeks ago on basement construction where I considered the influence of ground water and particularly hydrostatic pressure on the basement structure (<a href="https://surveyingproperty.blogspot.com/2018/06/basement-construction-part-1-design.html#.W0MfzthKgb0" target="_blank">link</a>). This is also a significant factor when designing retaining walls, which if not controlled can effectively push against the internal face of the wall and cause it to fail. So in addition to all of the forces that will potentially affect a retaining wall, other factors for consideration will include the type and nature of the soil, the types of wall construction to be used, materials to be used in the wall construction, ease and speed of construction, the provision of expansion joints, health & safety issues and obviously cost! As you can imagine there is an awful lot to think about and it is no surprise that professional advice may be needed. The diagram below shows a range of different forces that require consideration during the design of a retaining wall:</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALAjo7_1A71j51UgqWCt6RSN8zTWgH9WkuWhyphenhyphenrHDg1ReLFd3K4w__ybdgeSrV7CrAL2Fs8vcJNR9Ry6p51TmTHXaGMD68dRIU0BHrZKXrdkhv2xAN0A1o7H78A18DMx4jwMOdjjnOTRs/s1600/Picture6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="766" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALAjo7_1A71j51UgqWCt6RSN8zTWgH9WkuWhyphenhyphenrHDg1ReLFd3K4w__ybdgeSrV7CrAL2Fs8vcJNR9Ry6p51TmTHXaGMD68dRIU0BHrZKXrdkhv2xAN0A1o7H78A18DMx4jwMOdjjnOTRs/s640/Picture6.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source:Own</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my next article, I will discuss retaining wall construction and consider different types of retaining wall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-20355984493181022182018-06-21T02:11:00.003-07:002018-06-21T02:11:42.803-07:00Basement Construction - Part 2 – Waterproofing<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Nobody will want to deal with water ingress into a basement, especially when construction is well advanced, or even worse when the basement is occupied and in use. It is therefore necessary to carefully select an appropriate water proofing system, as failure to carry out thorough investigations and careful design can prove disastrous and particularly expensive!</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_6L-HWKzUJpt9upOGPKv30W3QvhKG1aviqV6Ix2juEQP3WqeNEMb9scthkwcvI-f2eV91VX5652nGz4VpHRE42wzcMveSzDP-d673tcZqQ3ecBRaO11naPaUVGBXEg8OLasE-HLf8jc/s1600/foundation2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_6L-HWKzUJpt9upOGPKv30W3QvhKG1aviqV6Ix2juEQP3WqeNEMb9scthkwcvI-f2eV91VX5652nGz4VpHRE42wzcMveSzDP-d673tcZqQ3ecBRaO11naPaUVGBXEg8OLasE-HLf8jc/s400/foundation2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: http://www.northernvirginiabasementwaterproofing.com/</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my previous article I discussed the growing popularity of basement construction and highlighted a number of factors that require consideration during their design. Undoubtedly one of the most significant issues in relation basement construction is how to keep the internal environment dry and therefore exclude sub-surface water. The impact of water and particularly hydrostatic pressure was highlighted: <i>‘Water in the ground has the ability to exert a lot of force onto the structure of the basement depending on the head or height of the water. This is something known as hydrostatic pressure. This is better defined as ‘the pressure at a point in a fluid at rest due to the weight of the fluid above it’. Basement design therefore needs to take into account the height of the water table because that will influence the amount of hydrostatic pressure that a basement structure will be exposed to. The method of waterproofing will also need to be designed to consider hydrostatic pressure’</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nobody will want to deal with water ingress into a basement, especially when construction is well advanced, or even worse when the basement is occupied and in use. It is therefore necessary to carefully select an appropriate water proofing system, as failure to carry out thorough investigations and careful design can prove disastrous and particularly expensive! There are many specialist companies and waterproofing products on the market who offer a variety of different solutions for dealing with water ingress into basements however for the purposes of this article I will provide examples of a number of well established methods of basement waterproofing. Selection will vary depending on factors, such as ground conditions, the height of the water table, the method of basement construction, the proposed use of a basement and as ever, cost.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4wJQdJdEEFMTwRenfhnWMQiMHIykXloNDIrSGiZn_6gUphqCg1cYvIk9xI1CW0M5BdkiFvYalXILjPurOkuRdgJFHau3AH5o2M3mH7jGsd3gpDhtpCAfxIqs0m-7gOwrqbz44icsxEM/s1600/Home-Page-Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="400" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4wJQdJdEEFMTwRenfhnWMQiMHIykXloNDIrSGiZn_6gUphqCg1cYvIk9xI1CW0M5BdkiFvYalXILjPurOkuRdgJFHau3AH5o2M3mH7jGsd3gpDhtpCAfxIqs0m-7gOwrqbz44icsxEM/s400/Home-Page-Image.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: http://quality-waterproofing.com/</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When considering an appropriate way of waterproofing a new basement it is advisable to review the recommendations within <i>BS8102:2009 ‘Code of Practice for Protection of Below Ground Structures Against Water from the Ground’</i>. The standard advises on the types of waterproofing available and confirms the performance grade to be achieved:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Type of Waterproofing:</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="color: red;">Type A (Barrier) protection</span></b> - A barrier to water ingress is applied to the inner or outer surface of the structure</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="color: red;">Type B (Structurally Integral) Protection</span></b> - The structure is formed as a watertight construction and requires no additional protection</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="color: red;">Type C (Drained) Protection</span></b> - Water entering the structure is received by planned cavities or voids and safely removed</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Grades of Waterproofing Protection:</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Grade 1</b> - Some water seepage and damp is tolerable depending on the intended use. Car parking, plant rooms etc.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Grade 2</b> - No water penetration is acceptable. Damp areas are tolerable depending on the end use. Plant rooms, workshops etc.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Grade 3</b> - No dampness or water penetration is acceptable - Ventilated residential and commercial</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Type A (Barrier) Protection</span></b> relies totally on a waterproofing membrane to keep water permanently out of the internal basement environment. Concrete and blockwork are typical examples of materials used in basement construction, however these materials are highly porous, particularly in concealed enclosed environments such as below ground. Masonry materials have the ability to absorb high volumes of water, which once saturated will seep through to the internal environment. Barrier protection, often referred to as <b><i>tanking</i></b> is a </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">method which prevents water saturating through the basement wall with the provision/application of an impervious membrane to the internal or external face of the wall. Tanking can also be provided within the structure, something referred to as sandwich tanking, although this method is less commonly used.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my early years working as a labourer for a ground works Contractor, I remember a particularly project where I was required to paint the external face of a number of in-situ concrete constructed lift shafts, at their bases, with a liquid bitumen paint, which was referred to as ‘black jack’. At the time, I never really understood why it was necessary to paint concrete walls that were going to be buried in the ground, until someone explained that what I was doing was providing waterproofing protection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nowadays there are many products on the market in the form of brush applied surface coverings, trowel applied renders and rolled sheet applied materials such as elastomeric which are used for tanking solutions for basements. The success of a tanking method will be determined by the selection of the correct method as well as the quality of the installation. Many tanking solutions require installation by approved contractors and although these systems may seem expensive, it is worth considering the likely disruption and excessive cost of trying to rectify water ingress to a basement when it is occupied!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Type B (Structurally Integral) Protection</span></b> relies on the basement structure itself to be robust enough to resist water ingress. In most cases the external basement structure will be constructed with concrete which must be designed to minimise joints as well as being cast with plenty of reinforcement to reduce the risk of cracking. It is not uncommon for concrete basements designed to achieve structural integral protection to include additional waterproofing measures to provide a barrier against water and water vapour. This may include the introduction of waterproofing admixtures into the concrete mix in order to help reduce porosity and drying shrinkage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Structural integral protection will nearly always have a cooler internal surface temperature compared to other forms of waterproofing and such will be more prone to the effects of condensation. It is therefore necessary to additionally consider control of atmospheric moisture with the possible installation of controlled ventilation fans and de-humidifiers. Clearly the design solution will depend upon grade and proposed use of the basement and additional measures may not be required in all situations</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Type C (Drained) Protection</span></b> takes the view that some water will be allowed through the external basement structure, however it will be dealt with or controlled when it arrives. Drained protection may be a possibility in heavily waterlogged ground, possibly with a high water table or where for other reasons it will prove difficult to prevent moisture entering into an internal basement environment. Any water that enters into the basement is gathered and disposed of in an appropriate way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Drained protection usually takes the form of a raised floor and an additional membrane or wall installed/constructed in front of the main basement structure with a small cavity in between. Any water that finds its way through the main basement wall will seep behind the cavity (wall and floor), where through design the water will be channelled to a sump, which is basically a low point that will collect water, which is then usually pumped away from the basement. Internally, there may be water entering the basement but this is concealed within the cavity. Therefore the internal basement environment remains dry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As you would expect there are a number of disadvantages with the use of drained protection: Due to the installation of as wall and floor cavity there could be a loss in floor to ceiling height and useable space and pumps will need regular maintenance. There is also a possibility that high hydrostatic pressure will result in excessive amounts of water through the basement structure, which may not be able to be effectively drained. This will however be avoided with suitable design.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is clear that waterproofing of a basement takes careful consideration, where the method of waterproofing should be determined by the range of different factors discussed above. Failure to understand ground conditions, including the impact of water in the ground, together other site conditions/restraints may result in the selection of a waterproofing system that is not fit for purpose. It is therefore always worth seeking specialist advice as remedial works will often prove to be very expensive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-55043186133392597142018-06-15T01:07:00.000-07:002018-06-15T01:07:09.639-07:00Basement Construction - Part 1 - Design Considerations<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>When considering whether to construct a basement it is first worth weighing up the advantages and disadvantages, and then also thinking about a number of design considerations which will undoubtedly impact on the construction method, waterproofing, safety, usability and ultimately, costs</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWouidSmwYba3KH4y1ls2LkvtVS42WNOZ6Rc1xbABWpZunlAsnkMUYzF1MiPAUqATdgiUL_3J9FK50j7xg4k6zt65lsOFQTBKHeccfI2931pF1M4KCjbdHceo9YAIrJtLroWNqLOGzjrw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-06-15+at+09.03.19.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="968" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWouidSmwYba3KH4y1ls2LkvtVS42WNOZ6Rc1xbABWpZunlAsnkMUYzF1MiPAUqATdgiUL_3J9FK50j7xg4k6zt65lsOFQTBKHeccfI2931pF1M4KCjbdHceo9YAIrJtLroWNqLOGzjrw/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-06-15+at+09.03.19.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source:<span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Homebuilding & Renovating</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">An article in the London Evening Standard from 2013 (<a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/millionaires-plan-for-mega-basement-hit-by-825000-affordable-housing-levy-8780016.html" target="_blank">link</a>) highlighted the growing popularity of basement construction, particularly where land is at a premium or restricted above ground. The scale of the proposed basement construction in the article was extensive to a point where it generated a section 106 contribution of £825,000!:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>A millionaire hedge fund boss digging out a basement eight times the size of a typical London home has been ordered to pay £825,000 towards affordable housing in his area.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Kensington & Chelsea council planners said the two-storey, 9,160sq?ft basement — complete with cinema room, swimming pool and whirlpool spa — is the biggest they have been asked to approve. The scale of the extension, below two large Notting Hill villas which have been turned into a single family home, means it has fallen foul of rules that normally apply only to major commercial developments.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The fashion for digging out super-size basements to create so-called ‘iceberg homes’ in London, and the prospect of years of disturbance during excavation, has pitted residents against each other in some streets ......... neighbours are said to be horrified by the scale of the works which will involve scores of lorry loads of earth being removed from the site. One said: “It will certainly be one of the ‘iceberg houses’ and sadly, our house will probably be the Titanic.” The number of applications for subterranean spaces in Kensington & Chelsea has soared in recent years.......</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although the news article identified above is a rather extreme example of a residential basement construction it does demonstrate an alternative way of providing valuable useable space when above ground construction may be restricted or unavailable. Basement construction is still considered a less conventional method of adding space compared to above ground construction and is often instigated by those who are prepared to challenge the conventional norm and think outside the box. There are however many examples of residential buildings throughout the UK where basements were constructed as a normal part of the building process. Houses built during the Victorian period provide a typical example of where basements were commonly constructed and nowadays, these Victorian basements are often converted and refurbished to made them part of the useable habitable space within a dwelling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When considering whether to construct a basement it is first worth weighing up the advantages and disadvantages, and then also thinking about a number of design considerations which will undoubtedly impact on the construction method, waterproofing, safety, usability and ultimately, costs.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94Fb5yUW9fCwINqnvw-9g1HuCnboWY40kRQDvHuHcgcuhA1cWFu7otYOqjer7dDrWAV6skFp78kpCbLROGOB3w7FYq7o44lOFfJ1rwPJbuV4icCeefAoJsPy-B08yNtsXmlPicxZmU9Q/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="941" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94Fb5yUW9fCwINqnvw-9g1HuCnboWY40kRQDvHuHcgcuhA1cWFu7otYOqjer7dDrWAV6skFp78kpCbLROGOB3w7FYq7o44lOFfJ1rwPJbuV4icCeefAoJsPy-B08yNtsXmlPicxZmU9Q/s320/Untitled.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Source: http://basementwaterproof.com/</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Clearly basements can add space and value to a property and it could also be argued that security can be less of an issue as there will be less accessible entry points into a basement, as by its very nature the structure in buried in the ground. Also, as long as the basement is waterproofed appropriately (something I will be discussing in my next article), and insulated correctly, you could argue that a basement can be made energy efficient more readily that an above ground building. Conversely, the perceived disadvantages and the impact that these may have on costs will prevent a lot of people proceeded beyond the initial enquiry stage when considering basement construction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the key things to consider is that by placing an enclosed structure such as a basement in the ground you are subjecting the structure to a number of different forces. The first is the presence of water in the ground. Water is a naturally occurring element in the ground and the level of this water will vary from location to location. Many will be familiar with the term ‘water table’ which can be understood as the layer below which the ground is completely filled up (or saturated) with water. Try to imagine a basement like a boat which is surrounded by water in the ground. The problem is that boats leak, and so do basements! A basement is unlikely to sink like a boat, but because the basement is an enclosed structure it has the ability to hold a lot of water if the basement is not adequately waterproofed. Water in the ground also has the ability to exert a lot of force onto the structure of the basement depending on the head or height of the water. This is something known as hydrostatic pressure. This is better defined as <i>‘the pressure at a point in a fluid at rest due to the weight of the fluid above it’</i>. Basement design therefore needs to take into account the height of the water table because that will influence the amount of hydrostatic pressure that a basement structure will be exposed to. The method of waterproofing will also need to be designed to consider hydrostatic pressure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In order to design and construct a basement correctly it is first necessary to establish ground conditions. This will require a thorough ground investigation which although will have a cost attached to it, is essential at the very early stages of a project. This will also highlight the type of ground and any contaminants present together with information of water in the ground and importantly the height of the water table. Other design considerations will include; protection and stability to adjacent structures, basement depth, boundary issues including Party Wall etc. Act implications, method of excavation, temporary support, method of construction in addition to exclusion of ground water. Of course all of this will have an impact on costs and there is no getting away from the fact that constructing a basement can be very expensive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my next article I will consider a number of methods of waterproofing of basements and explain that the correct choice of which method to use is crucial to ensure that the internal environment within a basement remains dry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-70313168609567570432018-06-04T03:03:00.000-07:002018-06-04T03:03:13.671-07:00Dry Rot – An ‘Intelligent’ Fungus requiring intelligent diagnosis<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The reason that dry rot is often so devastating is because of its ability to travel long distances as it searches for more and more timber to remove moisture from</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5W-eH8Cz5VpclB4Tx8zjZmXog4rNPsOh0oijB7Qd2TE4jQz2CSSMUTALSj8cTFMFuTiXAcs4OgyCPdkN23WtesuAQC0dBlqRQ1lVcfE-_gKZGo4M3ZiRvvaESesn4VUDFxMhNbkJoBw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-06-04+at+10.51.36.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="934" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5W-eH8Cz5VpclB4Tx8zjZmXog4rNPsOh0oijB7Qd2TE4jQz2CSSMUTALSj8cTFMFuTiXAcs4OgyCPdkN23WtesuAQC0dBlqRQ1lVcfE-_gKZGo4M3ZiRvvaESesn4VUDFxMhNbkJoBw/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-06-04+at+10.51.36.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Dynamic Property Care UK</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As a Building Surveyor there are certain words that you know, just by saying them will strike fear and panic into the majority of members of the public. Words such as subsidence or asbestos are examples, which regularly appear in the news due to significant cost or health implications. In many cases however, potential subsidence or the identification of asbestos often result in relatively simple and cost effective solutions although it seems to be a natural human reaction to automatically think the worst. The <i>‘term’</i> dry rot is also generally well known by members of the public, however unlike subsidence and asbestos the implications of the discovery of dry rot is more often than not serious, depending upon the stage at which it is actually identified.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was recently watching a well know property renovation programme on TV a few weeks ago where the Presenter had identified what looked to be dry rot on the ground floor of semi-detached three-bedroom residential property. Although, I agree that what he was looking at did appear to be dry rot, his description included, ‘feeding off concrete’ which is completely inaccurate as well as some of his terminology being confusing and wide of the mark. TV programmes should be mindful of the information that they provide, as it is possible, dare I say likely, (just by the nature of the amount of viewers), that someone will act on what they are being told which could result in loss/damage. In order to identify if or where dry rot may be present, it is useful to understand the conditions that dry rot needs to grow and thrive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dry rot is a fungus, often referred to as an ‘intelligent fungus’. The reason dry rot is referred to as intelligent is because of its ability to <i>travel across</i> non-timber surfaces and to take moisture from timber. What is left behind is dry friable timber that can easily be broken up with moderate hand pressure. The reason that dry rot is often so devastating is because of its ability to travel long distances as it searches for more and more timber to remove moisture from. It is worth noting that when the dry rot fungus travels across non-timber surfaces such as bricks, mortar, concrete etc. it is just using these as a route or bridge to find other timber. Dry rot does not ‘feed’ off these types of surfaces but carries moisture with it in strands which allows it to grow and spread. If left untreated dry rot has the ability to affect vast amounts of timber within a building, often resulting in extensive specialist remedial works which are not cheap to deal with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dry rot is a living fungus which will continue to grow by feeding off timber, which it will completely destroy be removing all of its moisture. Without being too technical, there are four primary stages in the dry rot lifecycle. The first stage is <b><span style="color: red;">Spores</span></b>. The spores are constantly present in the atmosphere however are only activated in certain conditions, which require timber and moisture. For dry rot to thrive its ideal environment will include timber with a moisture content of between 22% and 25%, warm humid temperatures of between 240 and 300, poorly ventilated areas and dark concealed spaces. This is why dry rot will often spread undetected in basements, floor voids, roof voids, behind plasterboard in timber stud walls and the like. As the spores start to become more concentrated they develop into small white strands known as <b><span style="color: red;">Hyphae</span></b>, which look a little like small white cob-webs. These are reasonably easy to identify and a good indication of dry rot.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXXOBKYqdTIu6pL5b87fC19pQue3_VJMnwpwY62-sPy2RKfdITk33SIzLtLJuBbrvana2E6Q9leK_F3_SBFuwOkf_V-iMASsOqtzkzXp4exloabd2HAh7Sl1RD_Imxt842iwUBVxl0SM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-06-04+at+10.54.46.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="540" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXXOBKYqdTIu6pL5b87fC19pQue3_VJMnwpwY62-sPy2RKfdITk33SIzLtLJuBbrvana2E6Q9leK_F3_SBFuwOkf_V-iMASsOqtzkzXp4exloabd2HAh7Sl1RD_Imxt842iwUBVxl0SM/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-06-04+at+10.54.46.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Midas Property Developments</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the hyphae feeds off the timber it will extract further moisture from the timber as it continues to grow and become more concentrated in volume to a point where the hyphae mass develops into the next stage of the dry rot cycle, know as <b><span style="color: red;">Mycelium</span></b>. Visible large white mycelium strands can travel large distances in search of more timber and as previously stated can travel across non-timber surfaces in order to find new timber. In suitable conditions, mycelium will continue to exist and grow at a considerable rate within a building. Fungi prefers dark and damp areas with little or no air movement, therefore where these conditions change and threaten the fungus; its natural response is to create a <b><span style="color: red;">Fruiting Body</span></b> (Sporophore), and this is the final stage of the dry rot lifecycle. Visually the fruiting body can take a number of forms, however will generally appear in ‘mushroom like’ form. The fruiting body is the fungi's response to a threat to its survival and its reaction is to throw out spores into the air which can be transferred to other vulnerable areas within the building, which allows them to germinate and create a new attack of dry rot, thus restarting the dry rot life cycle right from the very beginning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The dry rot lifecycle described above demonstrates how the fungus can spread so quickly and how much damage that can be caused if left undetected. It is possible to treat dry rot however this requires specialist knowledge and something that should not be attempted ‘on the cheap’. If all traces of dry rot are not dealt with then all that will happen is the fungus will continue to grow and spread and start to affect any new timber that may have been installed. The steps below provide an indication of remedial works to deal with dry rot, however please bear in mind that this is indicative only and specialist advice should be sought in all situations:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Deal with the moisture source</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Brush down any exposed masonry to remove visible surface fungal growth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Deep-drill masonry at regular centres and irrigate with fungicidal wall solution</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. Sterilise all exposed masonry surfaces with fungicidal wall solution</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">5. Remove all affected timber <span style="color: red;">including a minimum of 1m past the last identifiable location</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">6. Dispose all affected timber from site</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">7. Provide new treated and primed timber where previously removed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">8. Spray all new <span style="color: red;">and adjacent timbers</span> including cut ends with fungicidal spray</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">9. Re-plaster where required using a cement and sand render mix</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">10. Ensure adequate ventilation is used</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dry Rot is easy to misdiagnose and I would always recommend that you engage the services of a professional such as a Building Surveyor for advice and guidance. Take a look at the excellent video below from Brick Tie Preservation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the?copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-91253022911200753972018-05-29T04:02:00.000-07:002018-05-29T04:02:47.812-07:00Party Wall etc. Act 1996 – Service after work has commenced can prove to be futile!<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Unless there is damage caused on an Adjoining Owners land, when works are nearing completion, there is little benefit in appointing and paying for surveyors and issuing party wall notification at this point. This is because the works ‘have already taken place’, (or mostly), so the remaining provisions that can be included in a Party Wall Award, at this late stage, will be extremely limited</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0su4EOcYjrzepGfCbbbBZjiifZ9i9kCxnumpjSKNmf5Qo_Qqe1gTQjQ3db0vbibTNDUR4hciCWpznmCJ4IT9d74GSy_vNVfGCF0xuBFlY0-c77e4KrJx2NIVOZ6I37iCOWAv-U_Nkq8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-05-29+at+11.48.53.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="876" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0su4EOcYjrzepGfCbbbBZjiifZ9i9kCxnumpjSKNmf5Qo_Qqe1gTQjQ3db0vbibTNDUR4hciCWpznmCJ4IT9d74GSy_vNVfGCF0xuBFlY0-c77e4KrJx2NIVOZ6I37iCOWAv-U_Nkq8/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-05-29+at+11.48.53.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: https://www.localpartywallsurveyors.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The requirements of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 often come as a surprise for those who propose to undertake works to domestic buildings as well as those who propose works to commercial buildings in England and Wales. Given that the provisions of the Party Wall Act have now been in existence for over 20 years it is equally surprising that there still seems to be a general lack of awareness of the requirements of the Act. The amount of Building Owners (a term used under the Act to describe the party who is undertaking the work), who choose to ignore the Act, whether through ignorance (which is no defence in law!) or a genuine desire to cut corners to save on time and expense, never ceases to amaze me. If the main purpose of the Act is to prevent and resolve disputes it seems a contradiction in terms that appointments under the Party Wall etc. Act, were usually made when a dispute had already occurred! (at this stage, the dispute was a dispute in general terms and not a Party Wall dispute).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the purposes of this article I will refer to the domestic client, someone who in most cases (but not all), will have very little construction knowledge and will rely on others to point them in the right direction. For many in this situation the first port of call may be to contact a Contractor to come a long to give them some initial advice as well as an indication of likely costs, a ball park figure if you like. I can remember several situations where I had been appointed by a Building Owner as Party Wall Surveyor, after works had commenced, where for whatever reason they had been made aware that they should have notified their Adjoining Owners (a term used under the Act to describe the party who is affected the work), but had not been advised of this by their Contractor, who they felt should have brought this to their attention. In my experience however, most builders/contractors have the same lack of knowledge of the Act as anyone else!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgyo9izPUzECB7vGrAV4jCkH55gOGSsPuiZbDKQ_cmnbAOW47G3tG4BAt5OXVeVTL6OznAeBT6IjbdHfiWxNexAZ9BYeFkkPZkZJY5aduniaVqGA_CuMT9l6TngYXxYKvnbvYHhHirzo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-05-29+at+11.52.01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1032" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgyo9izPUzECB7vGrAV4jCkH55gOGSsPuiZbDKQ_cmnbAOW47G3tG4BAt5OXVeVTL6OznAeBT6IjbdHfiWxNexAZ9BYeFkkPZkZJY5aduniaVqGA_CuMT9l6TngYXxYKvnbvYHhHirzo/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-05-29+at+11.52.01.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Quorum Consulting Engineers</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The impact of dealing with the Party Wall Act retrospectively can vary for the Building Owner depending on whether any damage has occurred on the Adjoining Owners land (which is one of the main reasons that brings the Party Wall Act to the attention of the Building Owner), and how advanced the works are. In the case of damage occurring before party wall notification has been served, an Adjoining Owner may need to rely on common law rights and may seek an injunction in the County Courts to have the works stopped. The Adjoining Owner will not be able to rely on the provisions of the Party Wall Act at this point because the Act has not been initiated, which only happens when notification is served.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the situation where works are well advanced and sometimes nearing completion, it is worth thinking about the benefits of a retrospective notification and a retrospective Party Wall Award (sets out the terms and conditions for the proposed works, including costs/fees). One of the key reasons for the introduction of the Party Wall Act was to enable Building Owners to undertake work and give Adjoining Owners confidence that the works would be carried out in an appropriate manner and any damages caused on the Adjoining Owners land, in respect of the notifiable work would be rectified. Unless there is damage caused on an Adjoining Owners land, when works are nearing completion, there is little benefit in appointing and paying for surveyors and issuing party wall notification at this point. This is because the works ‘have already taken place’, (or mostly), so the remaining provisions that can be included in a Party Wall Award, at this late stage, will be extremely limited. An Adjoining Owner should not be given the impression that they can solely use the provisions of the Act as a way of disrupting the Building Owner and making them occur excessive expense (the Act also provides for the Building Owner to meet the reasonable fees of an Adjoining Owners Surveyor, if appointed), unless of course damage has occurred as a result of any works that may be notifiable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If it is realised that a Building Owner has failed to serve Party Wall notification and works have been completed and an Adjoining Owner is not satisfied with the standard or quality of the works then they can scrutinise Building Regulations and Planning Permission requirements to check that these have been complied with and also consider areas of common law such as negligence, nuisance and trespass etc, if they have suffered damage or disruption. I have previously been approached by a number of people in this very situation where they have been told to insist that their neighbour issues retrospective Party Wall notification. For the reasons explained above, this is a pointless exercise and very poor advice. Once works are complete an Adjoining Owner should seek a common law remedy if they feel they have a justified grievance with their neighbour. They cannot rely on the provisions of an Act that has not been initiated in the first place! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is worth noting that for the purposes of this article I have used the terms Building Owner and Adjoining Owner throughout. Whereas these roles only exist once the Party Wall Act is initiated through the service of notices, these terms have been used to explain the relationship between those who may have work undertaken and those who may be affected by these works.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-2649438581130800742018-05-14T02:03:00.000-07:002018-05-14T02:03:00.283-07:00Party Wall etc. Act 1996 – Much more than just Party Walls!<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>It is easy to see how the Party Wall etc. Act can be mis-interpreted, particularly by members of the public, just by the nature of its title. For those who work in the property professions and interact with the Act on a regular basis there will be generally less confusion, however in my experience this is not always the case!</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_HWcipwiX89EGglHaRduhVHC_XxZB7n6GQjEqfffTVSHeoWxpvO7m0gZAp2LdkmGbRdvsSXgChZWl7nnzYoKzwOcY57b628eRiKa_v9EXwjnJghAbbnRb4zO1AWUXXyAEEY2i0JwZiA/s1600/main+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="302" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_HWcipwiX89EGglHaRduhVHC_XxZB7n6GQjEqfffTVSHeoWxpvO7m0gZAp2LdkmGbRdvsSXgChZWl7nnzYoKzwOcY57b628eRiKa_v9EXwjnJghAbbnRb4zO1AWUXXyAEEY2i0JwZiA/s320/main+pic.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">tayrosshomes.com</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although there is a lot of information available about the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (the Act), and its implications, it appears that there is equally as much mis-understanding or even ignorance about the Act, particularly from members of the public in relation to if and when the Act may apply. Awareness of statutory approvals such as Planning Permission and Building Regulations approval seems to be improving, however, the existence let alone the requirements of the Act, often comes as a complete surprise to many.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are proposing certain types of work on your land or to your property then you may be required to ‘notify’ your neighbour under the Act. It is worth pointing out at this point that the requirements and procedures within the Act are completely separate to other statutory permissions such as Building Regulations and Planning Permission. On a number of occasions I have been informed by householders that they were either not made aware of the requirements of the Act by their advisors or that they thought that they had obtained all of the relevant permissions because they had Planning and Building Regulations Approvals, which is completely incorrect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are proposing any work to your land or property it is worth undertaking a little research to establish if the work falls under the scope of the Act and therefore will require notification to your neighbour/s (referred to as Adjoining Owners under the Act). As you would expect, I would always advise you to seek professional advice to confirm whether notification under the Act is required and if so to also guide you through the process, however, nowadays, with the raft of information available on-line, there is no reason why you shouldn’t undertake your own research in the first instance to give you a better understanding of the Act. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (formally the Department for Communities and Local Government) have produced an excellent explanatory booklet, which explains the Act in a clear understandable manner and is a really good starting point, particularly for those with little or no knowledge of the Act. You will find a copy of the booklet by clicking on this (<a href="http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_partywall_explain_booklet.pdf" target="_blank">link</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You may be surprised by the range of different types of work that are notifiable under the Act, which you will see are not just restricted to a party wall itself. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government’s booklet defines a party wall as, <i>‘a wall is a "party wall" if it stands astride the boundary of land belonging to two (or more) different owner’</i>. The booklet then provides some illustrations to demonstrate this point. It is interesting to note that the definition of a party wall is not just restricted to a wall inside a building, but can also relate to external walls also, such as boundary walls. The Act uses the term ‘Party Fence Walls’ to describe walls that are not part of an actual building itself, however may still require notification under the Act for works to, or in close proximity to them.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHm8IDpiYkJ09I5fVYIvrl2jtdQwGn02PmwMvo-nqiIu5Uw9GYSq9F4vqUP-qJ5_94UQdn5FbET3stw6_Cq2I1iMV_C-1jgm8iJMWiAY_sDn4mVbN1eJN_yDctkamEeRpJGZU-4YToO0k/s1600/3+Metre+Notice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHm8IDpiYkJ09I5fVYIvrl2jtdQwGn02PmwMvo-nqiIu5Uw9GYSq9F4vqUP-qJ5_94UQdn5FbET3stw6_Cq2I1iMV_C-1jgm8iJMWiAY_sDn4mVbN1eJN_yDctkamEeRpJGZU-4YToO0k/s1600/3+Metre+Notice.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source:<span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">My property guide</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The term ‘etc’ in the title of the Act is also significant. Three innocent little letters (etc.), however the implications of the term denote that the scope of the Act is much wider than just Party Walls. In fact some works that require excavations near neighbouring buildings may also require notification under the Act. Section 6 of the Act requires notification of excavations within 3 metres or within 6 metres of a neighbours building or structure based upon the following criteria:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>‘excavate, or excavate and construct foundations for a new building or structure, within 3 metres of a neighbouring owner’s building or structure, where that work will go deeper than the neighbour’s foundations;</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>or excavate, or excavate for and construct foundations for a new building or structure, within 6 metres of a neighbouring owner’s building or structure, where that work will cut a line drawn downwards at 45° from the bottom of the neighbour’s foundations’</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The six metre ‘rule’ is a little more complicated to understand (see the diagram below) than the three metre ‘rule’ and usually relates to deeper excavations such as piled foundations and the like. It is also worth noting that the six metre rule can affect more than one adjoining owner, depending upon the depth of excavation and the proximity of adjacent buildings and structures. In order to establish how many adjoining owners may be affected in any instance by the six metre ‘rule’ it will be necessary to take measurements and produce a section drawing which will detail the depth of the proposed excavation and the location and proximity of adjacent structures and buildings. Professional expertise is highly likely to be needed to take measurements and to produce a section drawings to establish if and how many adjoining owners will be affected.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKQkaWryvwNcai6fNE1W2jxNz4Hwfur7CitBYRoaNtKxcheDOSHtVxQrlpOyc67u5fibjSWsk208HLAO8Hm_yEATWUWDvTW4sAqejfoH4CTi_nu90KrFi0RM6ACaQ1rkD7FnbzIm2GaQ/s1600/6-Metre-Notice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="431" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKQkaWryvwNcai6fNE1W2jxNz4Hwfur7CitBYRoaNtKxcheDOSHtVxQrlpOyc67u5fibjSWsk208HLAO8Hm_yEATWUWDvTW4sAqejfoH4CTi_nu90KrFi0RM6ACaQ1rkD7FnbzIm2GaQ/s640/6-Metre-Notice.jpg" width="548" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">My property guide</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another term used within the Act is ‘Party Structure’. This again suggests that the Act does not relate exclusively to party walls. In fact there are a number of notices that may be issued under the Act, one of which is a Party Structure Notice. The reason the notice is not entitled a Party Wall Notice, is that this would be misleading and not account for any works other those to Party Walls. Party structures are generally defined as dividing structures such as floors and other partitions, however it is very rare that these structures are subject to party wall notification.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In summary it is easy to see how the Party Wall etc. Act can be mis-interpreted, particularly by members of the public, just by the nature of its title. For those who work in the property professions and interact with the Act on a regular basis there will be generally less confusion, however in my experience this is not always the case! As notification under the Act may be required for a whole range of different types of work, as defined in section 1, 2 & 6 of the Act. All construction professionals, regardless of discipline should have a good understanding of the Act including its procedures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my next article I discuss retrospective party wall notification and in future articles I will consider different types of notifiable works in more detail, as well as tackle the thorny issue of fees under the Act.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read thecopyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-11625349626022679722018-05-08T00:48:00.000-07:002018-05-08T00:48:49.475-07:00The Romans - The Original Master Builders - Part 2<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I doubt that the modern buildings that we are constructing today will leave a similar legacy to that of the Romans. If we could make the same positive impact that the Romans made to the built environment then we will leave behind a similar positive lasting legacy for our future generations</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7JQfW0NCLIOWmyAcaSFwgcpd-_6-fzE2tg7v7PCeMAdpOlew7pXWNTfDkxkY6n8guqXC9UktbnrGh6CEe-zvTGn4fHpxePj4cY63x4I_sGCbABlCQlAQO4vwASUvwF5YfDPj6SuHDek/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="501" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7JQfW0NCLIOWmyAcaSFwgcpd-_6-fzE2tg7v7PCeMAdpOlew7pXWNTfDkxkY6n8guqXC9UktbnrGh6CEe-zvTGn4fHpxePj4cY63x4I_sGCbABlCQlAQO4vwASUvwF5YfDPj6SuHDek/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">A Roman Hypocaust - Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">www.pages.drexel.edu</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my last article I demonstrated how the Roman occupation of the UK left a lasting impression on our built environment and how the introduction of new building techniques allowed larger, bolder buildings to appear, the like of which had never been seen before in the UK. I also explained that the location of towns and cities was carefully planned to make optimum use of the natural resources available in a particular location, and how gravity was used to provide fresh flowing water into towns and cities often using lead pipes, sometimes over great distances incorporating aqueducts which make use of masonry constructed arches. For the rich and important in Roman society their homes and other buildings became status symbols. The size of the building, the inclusion of mosaics and painted plastered walls, under floor heating and fresh running water would demonstrate how rich and powerful the occupant was. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Larger Roman houses were designed around a central atrium. You can see from the image that a Roman atrium would have no roof and would therefore be open to the elements. A recess or trough would be built into floor which would collect rainwater, which would be used for many different things including drinking and washing. You could say that this is an early form of rainwater harvesting! something that is becoming increasingly popular today. Various rooms would then be designed directly off the atrium for which the amount and use of the rooms would depend on the size and status of the building. Larger Villas/houses would incorporate a second atrium, something referred to as a Peristylium, which would include a garden area and would also be designed to have rooms access directly off it. The orientation of the building would be designed so that Peristylium would be able to catch as much sun as possible, however for comfort, in warm weather the courtyard would also incorporate trees to provide much needed shade. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeyYQbfStuW1FljAgvBKtj_grQB62nyhg-SBa7rxIE1i-BdOS9KSRYq9v4JBjALG_t0ZTkczxuBQ03R601hkAjFTxwIj2ew1zMGuMmdwtAI9Ok0cotzxCLPP8XP8PtiTwsfM5G4zrVM8/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="531" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeyYQbfStuW1FljAgvBKtj_grQB62nyhg-SBa7rxIE1i-BdOS9KSRYq9v4JBjALG_t0ZTkczxuBQ03R601hkAjFTxwIj2ew1zMGuMmdwtAI9Ok0cotzxCLPP8XP8PtiTwsfM5G4zrVM8/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">A Peristylium - Source:<span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">The Desert Sun</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you ever watch programmes such as Time Team (for those who do not know, this is a TV programme where Archaeologists, Geo-Technical Engineers and Historians have three days to unearth and re-construct a particular building/structure), you will see that there is always a great deal of excitement when they suspect they have unearthed a mosaic. The reason for the excitement is because this will often tell the Archaeologists that they have found a significant or high-status building. Mosaics were usually constructed within floors however wall mosaics were also used. Making an elaborate mosaic was a task that would require the skills of a master mosaic craftsman would set out the picture/design while others would complete the actual work of making the mosaic. Small pieces of stone or clay would be used to create the image of the mosaic which would often depict a historical event, have a cultural or spiritual meaning, possibly depict an animal or even be an elaborate geometric design. Some of the best examples of Roman mosaics in the UK can be seen at Fishbourne Palace in West Sussex where Archaeologists discovered a number of elaborate mosaics which they have dated back to AD75 – 80, making them the oldest discovered mosaics in the UK. The mosaics at Fishbourne Palace provide a good insight into the skill that would have been necessary (to design and construct), remember over nearly 2000 years ago, to produce such elaborate designs.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Arguably, one of the most innovative ‘inventions’ that was introduced by the Romans was under floor heating. It is staggering to believe that this would have been possible at the time however palaces, bath houses and high status buildings would often incorporate under floor heating, which was provided by a system know as a hypocaust. A hypocaust comprised a raised floor which would typically incorporate a two foot (600mm), void underneath. The void would be created by the stone floor surface being supported off pedestals (small columns). Heat would then be introduced into the void by a furnace, where a person (usually a slave) would ensure that a fire was continually burning. As the heat would built in the floor void the stones forming the floor surface would start to absorb this heat, which through conduction would eventually increase the temperature at the floor surface, this would heat the rest of the room as well as the floor. Furnaces were reasonably large and therefore took up a lot of space so the Romans usually designed these to be out of sight and therefore located them in an adjoining room. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Romans were so ingenious they even thought about ventilation! As you would image the furnaces used for the under floor heating system would also create a lot of smoke/fumes, which needed to be directed away from the internal spaces. The Romans dealt with this by building spaces into walls, known as flues, to provide a safe path for escaping smoke and fumes. Excavations at Ashtead Villa in Surrey revealed that the Romans used box flues to vent hypocaust systems. ‘Box-flues are hollow box-like tiles set into walls to allow hot air from an under floor hypocaust to heat the room walls’ Source: www.thenovium.org</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN45DedhFU9hyphenhyphenztO7aMhbcqiWe86PgemaV_rlgPISgLs8iFp-mFBhe1XtZYkYh94LQyTsbgqZQEI2b0Ta4enj4ZbxtrOaOjBidGiLtO5qXhirkAuahirougF8CbyCxqiBYwzsogVRovRo/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="598" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN45DedhFU9hyphenhyphenztO7aMhbcqiWe86PgemaV_rlgPISgLs8iFp-mFBhe1XtZYkYh94LQyTsbgqZQEI2b0Ta4enj4ZbxtrOaOjBidGiLtO5qXhirkAuahirougF8CbyCxqiBYwzsogVRovRo/s640/Untitled.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Roman hollow box tiles - Source: <a href="http://www.thenovium.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; line-height: 27px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;">http://www.thenovium.org</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is no doubt that Roman Architecture and Roman Engineering was well ahead of its time, evidenced by the vast array of buildings and structures that still exist today in many parts of the World. Within this and my previous article I have briefly discussed a small number of Roman techniques such as rainwater harvesting, the use of mortar, the use of arches, under floor heating, ventilation etc. for which although technology has developed, these are still used extensively today. I doubt that the modern buildings that we are building today will leave a similar legacy. If the earth still exists in 2000 years (a completely separate discussion!), what conclusions will the people of that time draw about us and the built environment we are creating now? If we can make the same positive impact that the Romans made to the built environment then we will leave behind a similar positive lasting legacy for our future generations. I suspect however that very little of the World we are creating today will remain compared proportionally to the amount of Roman remains that exist today. This really tells its own story. If I am around in 2000 years I will be more than happy to be proved wrong!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-481585952849035412018-04-30T01:53:00.000-07:002018-04-30T03:20:09.013-07:00The Romans - The Original Master Builders - Part 1<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>There was nothing random about the location of Roman villages and towns. Even before construction would commence the Romans would carefully select where towns and villages would be sited. These were carefully planned to make optimum use of natural resources such as food, water, timber, stone etc. in a particular location</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvtBPhoCEf0lD4UxM_38swiwjwbWpzdoxw9M0me80VrjrqhkXX_72qjL3LhqJ1dieA6eBBkePeE0iLy-Y8ILCDIOKMYCtVR39EC_FkuA_jtp5GoikEf61xZ5z58-b543F9nvttdtRrnE/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="796" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvtBPhoCEf0lD4UxM_38swiwjwbWpzdoxw9M0me80VrjrqhkXX_72qjL3LhqJ1dieA6eBBkePeE0iLy-Y8ILCDIOKMYCtVR39EC_FkuA_jtp5GoikEf61xZ5z58-b543F9nvttdtRrnE/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The Colosseum - Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Gizmodo</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the wonderful things about living in the UK is our diverse history and what this history has left behind as a reminder of different historical period. This is no better demonstrated than in our built environment where there exists many wonderful buildings/structures that provide us with an insight into bygone cultures, politics, classes, lifestyles, technologies and the like. It is only by looking at our historic built environment that we can fully appreciate the skills and ingenuity of the people of their time. Our predecessors would not have had access to modern building equipment and modern techniques that are available today. Nowadays with the use of things like digital laser measuring equipment and off site manufacturing we are able to work to high levels of accuracy allowing us to design to extremely tight tolerances, something I am sure our predecessors would never have ever dreamed of. Therefore, next time you look at an older buildings, possibly a heritage building, just take a few moments to appreciate the skill, ingenuity and blood and sweat that would have been necessary at the time of construction in order for the building to be robust enough to be standing, often hundreds or even thousands of years, after completion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From a built environment point of view in the UK, a significant period in history was from circa 43AD to 410AD, which is when the Romans occupied large parts of the UK as well as most of mainland Europe. At the time the Romans were extremely powerful and were able to take occupation of pretty much anywhere they wanted due to their superior military skills and power. The Romans brought with them technical skills and building techniques never seen before in the UK. This allowed them to stamp a lasting mark on the UK, for which the large amounts of remaining Roman buildings, structures, roads and remains bare testimony too even today, nearly 2500 years after they were first built!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyeZiTwMSsDer24bxq8Jj-rlbDJSZ7abK_KwqspT8ED1zLztiyISGkSebFddvpcHKhp0BVYU7UN-L8rV70LEdDrOkqL-QvRSb1Gju82sKKNFNIfydkzvCl9KKhsxkvms_Xw4KlaP_X8Q/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="766" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyeZiTwMSsDer24bxq8Jj-rlbDJSZ7abK_KwqspT8ED1zLztiyISGkSebFddvpcHKhp0BVYU7UN-L8rV70LEdDrOkqL-QvRSb1Gju82sKKNFNIfydkzvCl9KKhsxkvms_Xw4KlaP_X8Q/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Roman Road - Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">realmofhistory.com</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Firstly, let me dispel a myth - most would associate Roman buildings as large masonry constructed villas, with painted plastered walls, mosaic floors and running water etc. This is largely down to the media as when a film or documentary about the Romans is broadcast, this is what is usually portrayed, however these larger masonry structures were inhabited primarily by the rich and powerful, and the reality was that most people during the Roman occupation lived in timber constructed buildings similar to the Celts who preceded them. It is from the larger masonry villas and structures that more advanced building techniques were introduced into the UK.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was nothing random about the location of Roman villages and towns. Even before construction would commence the Romans would carefully select where towns and villages would be sited. These were carefully planned to make optimum use of natural resources such as food, water, timber, stone etc. in a particular location. Security was also a key consideration where the Romans would ensure that the location and orientation of their towns and villages provided a secure environment as possible for those who would occupy these settlements. Early Roman towns were fortified around their perimeter with an earth ramp (embankment) and a wooden fence, however these were replaced in and around the 3rd century with much more robust stone walls, towers and gates.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Prior to the invasion of the UK, the Romans had spent hundreds of years building large, bold palaces, temples, bath houses and elaborate towns and cities throughout their ever expanding empire. The jewel in the crown was Rome itself which boasted buildings such as the Colosseum (completed circa 80 AD), the original St. Peter’s Basillica (completed circa 349 AD) and the Pantheon (completed circa 125 AD). These types of buildings demonstrated that the Romans had exceptional architectural and engineering skills, the like of which had never been seen before.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEtbz9LQdL980IFW_ak4i3OwBWkHA2pG0YZ8nkigeXrqvLVFLPPD1Ap8OvRw0oEgVOKq597a7OPxGLXEtwSsa0ixNezrdlECzVVZg5No-0RtPy4pJ7JQRMKiKsSnpQdEQP0MUuWR1U7A/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1019" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEtbz9LQdL980IFW_ak4i3OwBWkHA2pG0YZ8nkigeXrqvLVFLPPD1Ap8OvRw0oEgVOKq597a7OPxGLXEtwSsa0ixNezrdlECzVVZg5No-0RtPy4pJ7JQRMKiKsSnpQdEQP0MUuWR1U7A/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.bible-history.com/maps/06-roman-empire.html" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; text-decoration-line: none;">http://www.bible-history.com/maps/06-roman-empire.html</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Larger buildings started to emerge in the UK where the Romans introduced limestone mortar which comprised of a mixture of lime, sand, gravel and water, to bind stones together to form walls, arches and vaults. Other mixtures were used to form mortar depending upon available raw materials in a particular location, however when set the completed wall/structure would be extremely strong and durable, which is evident from the many remaining Roman buildings and remains that still exist today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sanitation was also a priority as the Romans realised the importance of hygiene in reducing illness and death in the general population. Running water, drains and sewers were therefore considered as very important during the planning of Roman towns and cities. Gravity was a great ‘asset’ which the Romans would use to channel water from springs and other natural water courses, sometimes over considerable distances. This emphasises the earlier point that the Romans were meticulous in planning of the location of towns and cities to ensure that they would have a watercourse close by which was at a height (level) which would allow them to use gravity as a natural transporter of fresh water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my next article I will discuss Roman buildings in more depth and demonstrate how the Romans incorporated under floor heating into their palaces and bath houses, how the Romans included plastered and painted walls and how mosaics were used as status symbols by the rich and famous. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Author: Gary O’Neill</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-57094547521948794932018-04-23T06:54:00.000-07:002018-04-23T06:54:32.709-07:00Buying a Property – Part 2 - The Real Value of a Building Survey<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Never be tempted to cut corners when considering the purchase of a property because even if you think a building survey is expensive …… it often proves to be much more expensive not to have one</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidP1gb_DLpMK2wAOpLba5oBLRGTJLku-dZeVByFsD-_YUkInTRMtMRJkW-Tfy6I9rA0hqS9W-4gtQvNsNduh-ljvBedsjGs3DUbT4gn46FQKqa0qXJYbXgsUCPrCZV-fzOmdTNilV8Wvk/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="611" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidP1gb_DLpMK2wAOpLba5oBLRGTJLku-dZeVByFsD-_YUkInTRMtMRJkW-Tfy6I9rA0hqS9W-4gtQvNsNduh-ljvBedsjGs3DUbT4gn46FQKqa0qXJYbXgsUCPrCZV-fzOmdTNilV8Wvk/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Daily Mirror</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my last article I discussed the limitations of a survey that would be instructed by a mortgage lender (a mortgage valuation survey) and how a purchaser should not rely on this as means of assessing the condition of a building. This is because the primary purpose of this type of survey is to establish the value of a property and to be confident that in the event of any default on behalf of the borrower, that the lender can re-coup what they are owed. The objectives of a purchaser however are very different in that they want to be satisfied that the building they plan to buy, and often live in, is not concealing anything that they are not aware of. I say ‘not aware of’ as it is perfectly feasible and acceptable to proceed with the purchase of a building as long as you are fully aware of any potential issues/problems. Let’s face it, buildings, particularly older buildings are highly unlikely to be free from defects and in fact many of us will accept buildings with issues/problems at a lower price, as a way of trying to get a bargain, this is particularly true of property developers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not all of us are property developers and the vast amount of residential property transactions that take place each year are by members of the public who in many cases have little to no knowledge of buildings and therefore rely on professional guidance. It would therefore seem sensible, particularly due to the large investment involved that prospective purchasers commission a survey so that they can establish if there are any issues/problems with the building they are considering buying. However, you may be surprised to learn that the vast majority of purchasers choose to ignore this very important part of the purchase process. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cDehUG74DSy905nMzZs1SNmY45vVQ0COHpfVHssZxIks5In8i93KGgF98f211l2EqvJK-GAm66Q1q5D08YxINuxUC55oEdrbqmyAF6GtqkBNK0IKbwQp4KLsRF2HsKpvbt8S98CEXIc/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cDehUG74DSy905nMzZs1SNmY45vVQ0COHpfVHssZxIks5In8i93KGgF98f211l2EqvJK-GAm66Q1q5D08YxINuxUC55oEdrbqmyAF6GtqkBNK0IKbwQp4KLsRF2HsKpvbt8S98CEXIc/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">RMA Surveyors</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) recently reported: </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">‘Results from an RICS’ survey of home buying consumers, released today, show that many homeowners who did not take out a home survey are left with a property they regret buying and an average of £5,750 in repair bills. The survey of 1,017 buyers across the UK found that consumers are clearly aware of the need for independent advice, with 94% of respondents agreeing it is important to commission a survey. However, nearly a third failed to do so. This means buyers are left ignorant of issues with the property, such as structural defects, dry and wet rot, subsidence and many other faults, only for these to become serious matters at a later date. The new homeowner may then be unable to afford, or may lose the desire, to fix the faults and may be left with a property they may no longer want to live in but are unable to sell to recoup their losses'.</span></i><i style="font-size: x-large;"> </i>(Source: http://www.rics.org/)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over a third of those surveyed failed to have an independent survey commissioned. We could speculate on why, however as 94% of respondents agreed that it was important to commission a survey, I think it is reasonable to discount ignorance as the primary reason for this. I suspect that cost may be a significant contributing factor, where many prospective purchasers see this as a cost they can do without and hope that they ‘get lucky’ and purchase a property with no issues/defects, that they were not aware of. However, trying to save money at this point is a false economy. True, a comprehensive residential building survey may cost on average between £700 and £1000 (costs will vary depending upon the size and complexity of a dwelling and the survey selected), however, this is always money well spent. In fact, purchasers should be asking themselves if they can afford not to have a building survey undertaken rather than thinking about how much they will save by not having one done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A level 3 Building Survey (see below), will provide a prospective purchaser with a comprehensive assessment of a dwelling and highlight not just significant issues, but anything that the Surveyor thinks is relevant. Armed with this information, the prospective purchaser may decide you try to negotiate the sale price with the seller (to reflect the findings of the survey) or maybe even decide to discontinue their interest and look for alternative properties. Either way, the information provides the purchaser with choices, where decisions can be made before contracts are signed rather than having to deal with the consequences when the property comes into their legal ownership. I am sure that in hindsight many of those who took part in the RICS research above would have regretted not spending £700 to £1000 on a Building Survey, as they ended up with an average repair bill of nearly £6000. Never be tempted to cut corners when considering the purchase of a property because even if you think a building survey is expensive you can see from above that it often proves to be much more expensive not to have one. On the flip side, the Building Survey may not identify any significant issues. Even in this scenario this represents good value for money as you now have piece of mind that the property you are considering is in reasonable condition and you are likely to avoid any nasty surprises. The lesson here is very simple: Always commission a Building Survey before exchanging contracts!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The information provided by RICS below summaries three different levels of survey that you may consider when purchasing a dwelling: RICS surveys are available to suit the particular circumstances of the client and the property:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Level 1 - Condition Report</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Provides an objective overview of the condition of the property, highlighting areas of major concern without extensive detail. This option is ideal for buyers purchasing a modern house in good condition and for sellers and owners.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Level 2 - Home-buyer Report</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Is most suitable for standard older and modern properties that are in an apparent reasonable condition. It provides a concise report with advice detailing any significant problems that could make a difference to the value of a property.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Level 3 - Building Survey</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The ‘flagship’ service providing a detailed report on a property. It is particularly useful for older, larger or non-traditional properties, or one which is dilapidated and has been extensively altered or if the buyer is planning a major conversion or renovation. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Source: http://www.rics.org/)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog. </i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-64773945073011007082018-04-09T00:59:00.000-07:002018-04-09T00:59:35.310-07:00Buying a Property – Part 1 – The Limitations of a Mortgage Lender’s 'Survey'<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A Mortgage Lender’s 'survey' is for the lender only and should not be relied upon by a purchaser as a means of accurately assessing the condition of a property</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">The Telegraph</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Buying and selling of property can be one of the most daunting experiences of our lives. The complex process of dealing with Solicitors, Surveyors, Estate Agents, Mortgage Providers, Vendors (the person/s selling the property) and the like is something that the vast majority of us do not undertake on a regular basis, and is therefore something that often proves to be very stressful. First time buyers in particular will often feel overwhelmed by the whole process and will rely heavily on their advisors to guide them through the process. Once a decision has been made to purchase a property, buyers will work out their finances and decide how much they can afford to borrow and then try to secure a mortgage or at least a mortgage guarantee before beginning the process of house hunting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For most of us purchasing a property will be the largest financial investment we will make in our lives. It is therefore essential that we know exactly what we are buying <b><span style="color: blue;">before</span></b> we exchange contracts because it is at this point that a property comes into your legal ownership. At exchange of contracts the law assumes that you have made all of your enquiries and that you are fully aware of what you were buying. If subsequently you find problems with the property, then these problems become your responsibility to deal with (unless you feel that you have been advised inappropriately and that you can prove this). It is therefore advisable to be as thorough as you can be to establish the full extent of any issues with a property before you exchange contracts. A range of different surveys can be carried out during the conveyance process for which the inexperienced, particularly first time buyers often do not understand the purpose or scope of the range of different surveys available. For clarity, this article will consider conveyance in respect of a residential dwelling.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESGHeGALvchrjtesRW8Tt7TFZEI4vM5etCt0eS2oDnimTMJSMyOb1C53qKNyRj8d_Ir1enblIxGjQRv2LD8EScEEscKTPRF5TMVyvOSjKlzy3-K3cRjPCkPlIfUpy-pHbgs27LpWZ1Ao/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-04-05+at+15.23.25.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1056" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESGHeGALvchrjtesRW8Tt7TFZEI4vM5etCt0eS2oDnimTMJSMyOb1C53qKNyRj8d_Ir1enblIxGjQRv2LD8EScEEscKTPRF5TMVyvOSjKlzy3-K3cRjPCkPlIfUpy-pHbgs27LpWZ1Ao/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-04-05+at+15.23.25.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Stringinfo</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Firstly, if you apply for a mortgage, a survey will be carried out by the lender on the property you are considering purchasing. Do not be misled by this survey. This survey is for the lender and not the purchaser. The purpose of the survey is for the lender to be satisfied that in the event that you default in some way on your repayments then in a ‘worst case scenario’ they will be able to sell the property and re-coup the money they have borrowed to you. This is all about the lender assessing their risk. These types of surveys are not intrusive and in fact they are extremely brief and in most cases are completed in approximately 20 to 30 minutes. The ‘Surveyor’ will make a brief internal inspection looking in the roof space if possible (usually from the top of a ladder). The inspection will also look for visible signs of timber decay or woodworm, and also consider the electrical installation amongst other things. This will be followed by an equally brief external inspection where the roof, chimneys, external walls etc will be inspected. As the Surveyor undertakes the inspection, a two or three page proforma (paper or electronic), mainly consisting of tick boxes will be completed. The ‘report’ will then be returned to the lender and will indicate whether the property is worth the agreed sale price and also detail any urgent remedial works. It is from this report that the lender will decide whether they will borrow the agreed amount to the buyer or withhold a certain amount for any works the surveyor has identified as affecting the value of the property. I have a personal dislike for these types of surveys because in my opinion ‘surveyors’ are far too cautious in what they report. They often recommend timber and damp surveys and electrical inspections as standard without any real grounds for doing so, and often inaccurately report other issues. This is hardly surprising given the very brief inspection undertaken, however this cautious approach is more likely to be a result of the litigious world we now live in, where ‘surveyors’ provide ‘their own safety net’, and therefore try to reduce the risk of being sued. To a certain extent this is understandable, but this should never be at the expense of accurate reporting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I few years ago I bought and sold a property. The surveyor for the lender of the prospective purchaser of my former house reported damp problems and an issue with the chimney. A timber and damp survey was recommended (by the surveyor) with a £1000 retention sum for repairs to the chimney. The prospective purchaser tried to use this to negotiate a reduction of the purchase price, however as a Chartered Building Surveyor I knew that this was completely inaccurate and unnecessary. I tried to challenge this, however as it was not my lender (it was the purchasers of my house), I continually hit a brick wall. My purchaser </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">became unnecessarily nervous about buying a house which they now thought was riddled with damp and with a chimney that was about to collapse! In the end, and to ensure that we did not lose the sale, through gritted teeth, I agreed to a £500 reduction, even though this was completely unnecessary. I am sure that many reading this will have similar experiences, which I am also sure is one of the reasons why some property transactions fall through at the last minute, which is extremely frustrating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This demonstrates that lenders rely on the advice of ‘surveyors’ who carry out such a brief inspection that it is almost laughable, who then recommend further inspections and remedial works that are often not necessary. Remember, a mortgage lender’s survey is for the lender only and should not be relied upon by a purchaser (mainly for the reasons stated above), as a means of accurately assessing the condition of a property. A much more comprehensive inspection is therefore required and I would recommend that a Building Surveyor is instructed to undertake a full, comprehensive survey of a property prior to contracts being exchanged. Although this will have a cost attached to it, you will often find that a building survey will prove to be extremely cost effective as it will highlight possible defects/issues which can either be used to negotiate the sale price, or possibly allow the buyer the choice of pulling out of the sale, before contracts are exchanged. This is something I will discuss in my next article.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-13661619325309557852018-04-03T01:34:00.001-07:002018-04-03T01:34:36.294-07:00Subsidence – Part 2 – Factors that contribute to subsidence<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>As with tree roots, a drainage system is buried therefore not obviously visible at the time of an inspection. It always amazes me how people tend to ignore the condition of the below ground drainage system when purchasing property and do not seem to see this as important</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Confused.com</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my last article I gave an example of the consequences of building subsidence, which can be extremely disruptive and expensive to deal with, however I also emphasised that the vast majority of subsidence damage is less serious and can be rectified reasonably easily. I also explained that to the average householder the mere mention of the word subsidence strikes fear and panic into them as there is a perception that subsidence damage is always serious. As you would expect and as I have mentioned many times before, if you are thinking of purchasing a property it is always advisable to have a professional, such as a Building Surveyor, inspect the building before you commit to buy. The Surveyor’s report will identify any issues that are present and inform you if any are serious. A Building Surveyor will also highlight factors that may contribute to subsidence in the future and not just focus on the here and now. There are a number of factors that could lead to subsidence and some examples are discussed below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Clay Soils</span></b> - </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To support a building it is essential that the load bearing capacity of the ground is capable of supporting the dead load of the building (the building’s self weight) as well as any imposed load (furniture, fitting, people, snow etc.), once completed and occupied. The type of ground is essential to a building’s stability as this will determine the most appropriate as well as the depth of the foundation that should be used. When siting a building, clay soils are particularly problematic compared to most other types of soil because clay has the ability for significant volumetric change depending on how much water/moisture it contains at any particular time. When clay is wet it will swell and therefore expand, however when the ground starts to dry out all of this moisture is slowly removed and the clay will shrink. Think about this process happening with a building on it! If the ground is constantly expanding and then shrinking, then it is inevitable that the weight of a building will eventually be affected by these changes and cause the building to move. Having said the above there is no reason why a building cannot be constructed on clay as long as this is established through ground investigations and appropriately catered for in the design. This may involve deeper foundations, as well as the inclusion of root barriers where trees and vegetation may be in close proximity to the building.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Trees</b></span> - </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whilst inspecting a property, as well as focussing on the building itself I would always look very closely at the surrounding environment and in particular the size and location of trees. If not managed trees, and in particularly their roots have the ability to undermine foundations, damage drains and cause significant damage to a building. The problem with tree roots is that you often cannot see the extent of the root growth or proximity to the building because they are buried. This however does not mean that they should be ignored and where trees are deemed the pose a threat to a building then the services of a tree expert (Arboriculturist), should be called upon. This is necessary because different species of tree will exhibit different characteristic in terms of size, growth rate, root spread etc in addition to the advice that can be provided in respect of the condition of trees and any recommended remedial action.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8X6Im2kBJSHSANsJi3ecT4v-zoWJSMgOMYv-g_Cf8SRwWthSvp39xIHAdoPv1B3A3X12VtMDmgf20oT1BUbRUHZP-2aYoF_21x5SJSjqZjqEJEe5Fe4-z0I6IxItJd-29aha2kjud3nc/s1600/sewer-pipe-misalignment-repair-replacement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="356" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8X6Im2kBJSHSANsJi3ecT4v-zoWJSMgOMYv-g_Cf8SRwWthSvp39xIHAdoPv1B3A3X12VtMDmgf20oT1BUbRUHZP-2aYoF_21x5SJSjqZjqEJEe5Fe4-z0I6IxItJd-29aha2kjud3nc/s320/sewer-pipe-misalignment-repair-replacement.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px;">Absolute Plumbing and Drain Cleaning Services</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tree roots do a number of things when in the ground. Firstly, they take up large amounts of water. Given what has been discussed above in respect of clay soils you can easily see that in continued spells of warm weather and high temperatures that clay soil and tree roots are not a good combination and together this will significantly increase the potential for subsidence. Secondly, as the roots grow they have the ability to physically impact on soils, particularly the soft/granular types which can undermine their stability especially when they have a foundation and a building siting upon them. Also, tree roots have the ability to damage below ground drainage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Drainage</span></b> - </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although it is possible to make a broad assessment of a drainage system during an inspection by lifting manhole/inspection chamber covers this is limited to a small number of access points only and does not identify the condition of the vast majority of the drainage system around a building. As with tree roots, a drainage system is buried therefore not obviously visible at the time of an inspection. It always amazes me how people tend to ignore the condition of the below ground drainage system when purchasing property and do not seem to see this as important. Even if there is no visible indication of any issues with a drainage system it is still worth considering a CCTV inspection of the system is carried out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Below ground drainage is quite vulnerable and can become damaged in a number of ways. Ground movement, even subtle movement can result in drains becoming displaced and fractured, particularly around the joints. Tree roots can also damage below ground drains and find their way into the system. If this type of damage does occur then the surface and foul water which is usually heading toward a sewer, will actually start to discharge at the point/s where the drainage is affected. If left undetected for a period of time then vast amounts of foul and surface water can be discharged into the ground around a building, which over time can start to influence the stability of the soil, which could eventually lead to ground movement. The lesson here is always establish the condition of the below ground drainage system and deal with any problems quickly, before they become much more serious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Adjacent Excavations </span></b>- </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A building could sit quite happily for many years on stable ground without any problems and will only be affected if for some reason the ground conditions change. One way this could happen is works being carried out in close proximity to a building that requires excavations. If excavations are carried out to a depth and distance that could undermine or influence the stability of another building then this can cause movement, sometimes, sudden movement. This should be considered in design where it may be necessary to provide temporary support. I have encountered this on numerous occasions where ground movement has been caused by a neighbour excavating (usually foundations) and usually through ignorance has not considered the stability of their neighbours building.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Leaking Rainwater Goods</span></b> (gutters and downpipes) - </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even simple repair and maintenance tasks, if left unattended over a period of time can introduce large amounts of water into the ground, which can affect the soil and undermine foundations which can cause ground movement. Rainwater gutter and downpipe repairs are usually inexpensive however this is one of the most common defects that a Surveyor will encounter when carrying out inspections. Repairs to rainwater goods are usually inexpensive however if they are ignored and left for longer periods of time the consequential damage can be extensive and therefore much more expensive. The lesson here is to deal with routine maintenance and repairs sooner or pay the costs later! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This article provides a quick overview of some of the factors that could contribute to subsidence. The points raised are not exhaustive (there are others) and you will note that no attempt has been made to discuss mining subsidence, which is a subject in its own right, perhaps for a future post. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog. </i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-18254717559851774982018-03-23T02:42:00.002-07:002018-03-23T03:02:15.892-07:00Subsidence – Part 1 – Not all it’s cracked up to be!<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>When you see cracking in a building it will not always be, in-fact is unlikely to be subsidence. This can only be established through a comprehensive building survey and detailed investigations</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Simply Business</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As a Building Surveyor, when inspecting buildings I have learned over the years to be very cautious in the terminology I use in the presence of Clients because there are some words that just provoke panic. Take asbestos for example, or cracking or even subsidence. These words strike fear into many people mainly as a result of what they have seen in the news or read in the media. It is fair to say that sometimes these fears can be realised if any of the above examples are found to be present/occurring in a building, however in the vast majority of cases, these issues can be dealt with relatively easily. This is generally a result of a lack of real understanding, which is why it is always advisable to seek professional advice from a Building Surveyor or other relevant professionals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I first graduated from University I joined a Property Consultancy who’s main area of business was dealing with subsidence insurance claims as Loss Adjusters. My role was to visit site with a more experienced Structural Engineer, who would make an initial assessment, and then I would be required to manage the claim to a conclusion. This often involved crack monitoring to establish whether any movement was historic (had now stopped) or progressive (was still continuing). This was a crucial part of the process as it is pointless dealing with the effect of subsidence until movement has been stopped. On the occasions where movement was found to be progressive, it was sometimes first necessary to undertake substantial remedial work such as underpinning to stabilise the building. In these instances, the whole process could be lengthy and disruptive for the residents and in some cases required temporarily decanting of the occupants to alternative accommodation for the duration of the works. Most home insurance policies will cover subsidence risk and incorporate an excess payment in the region of £1000 (always check the wording of your policy because there can be variations). This demonstrates that the effects of subsidence can be disruptive and even though it may be covered by home insurance it can still be expensive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The above scenario provides an example of what can happen at one end of the scale, however as already stated the vast majority of subsidence claims I managed were dealt with quickly and with minimal disruption, many proving not to be subsidence at all. When undertaking building surveys, a Surveyor will not just identify where and why subsidence has occurred, but also look for indicators that may contribute to subsidence in the future. Before providing you with details of what I would look for during a survey (this will be provided in part 2 of the article), I think it is important to first understand exactly what subsidence actually is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Building design should involve careful consideration of the type/load of the building, the type of foundation used and ground bearing capacity and nature of the ground, the height of the water table and so on. These types of investigations should help to ensure that once the building is complete and occupied that it does not move! Subsidence however is not the same as settlement. Settlement usually occurs in new or relatively new buildings. As buildings are very heavy they cause the ground to compact, although this will usually stop after a short period of time. Also, most buildings are constructed in a variety of materials, all of which need to settle and in addition will have different rates of shrinkage. Subsidence occurs when for some reason the load bearing capacity of the ground that a building is placed upon is no longer capable of accommodating that load. The reasons for the change is the load bearing capacity is impacted and this can occur for many different reasons and in some cases, many years after the building was first completed. It is quite feasible for a building to sit quite happily on a piece of ground for many years and due to some of the influences discussed it part 2 of this article, it can start to move.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cracking in buildings occurs for many different reasons so it is fundamentally important that anyone who undertakes inspections or gives advice in respect of cracking should not make rash judgements and should gather all of the evidence before arriving at a possible cause. In order to aid the inspector, which as stated previously, can be a Building Surveyor, it might be necessary to recommend other investigations such as geo-technical surveys to establish ground type, composition, contaminants etc., trial holes to establish foundation depths, CCTV inspection of the drainage system and possibly an arboricultural survey to give advice on any trees that may be an influencing factor. The choice of which investigations are needed will be decided once the inspector has made an initial assessment of the cracking. Therefore, when you see cracking in a building it will not always be, in-fact is unlikely to be subsidence however, this can only be established through a comprehensive building survey and detailed investigations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In Part 2 of this article I will discuss subsidence in more detail and provide information of the things a Building Surveyor will look at to identify when and how subsidence is occurring as well as indicators that may suggest that subsidence can occur in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-81179606223054067262018-03-19T02:08:00.000-07:002018-03-19T02:08:19.385-07:00Stock Condition Surveys - Part 2 – A Consultant’s perspective<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Above all, the success of a stock condition survey will be down to good organisation, management and leadership</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNovC_zGGZ_WI0zjngm56NGEKL4un6rhPBsi15SQ6C-aCUr8Ezpr47_ChGFZIR1yVW3D8Mhvb4gTPkwG1O_NKtYqeZ0AQL4iCLTwCH-yLbAYbI-966Db4vgvKkWXUaxnFxOh6SAf-Ak5w/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="498" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNovC_zGGZ_WI0zjngm56NGEKL4un6rhPBsi15SQ6C-aCUr8Ezpr47_ChGFZIR1yVW3D8Mhvb4gTPkwG1O_NKtYqeZ0AQL4iCLTwCH-yLbAYbI-966Db4vgvKkWXUaxnFxOh6SAf-Ak5w/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Spilled News</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my last article I discussed various reasons that may motivate a Client into undertaking a stock condition survey and identified a number of key factors that need to be considered prior to engaging a Consultant for delivery of the surveys. In this article, after a brief explanation of how data capture has evolved over recent years, I want to view things from ‘the other side of the fence’ and discuss issues that a Consultant may encounter in both the pre and survey stages.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A short history of data capture</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over recent years technology had moved on at a rapid pace and there are now numerous hardware choices and software packages on the market that enable Surveyors to carry out surveys ‘remotely and in real time’. I have been lucky enough to be involved in stock condition surveys over the last 20 years, which initially were all undertaken on site by hand, usually with a pre-prepared proforma. This then developed into the first iteration of electronic data capture in the form Psion handheld’s. These were large ‘bulky’ pieces of equipment which were difficult to navigate through and were extremely limited in their capacity to store data. At the end of each day it was necessary to upload the information from the handheld via a docking station, which often led to ‘technical issues’ which sometimes resulted in data being lost. As you can imagine this was very frustrating. Battery life was also an issue, where it was necessary for us to take back up battery packs to allow us to stay on site for a full day. As technology advanced we started trialling on site data collection with smaller and slimmer PDA’s and Palm Pilots. In the early days these were extremely ‘sluggish’ on site, as the capacity to store data was often limited. I can remember that one of my clients had produced a proforma that required recording of so many attributes that the PDA became unusable. We had to recommend a significant re-drafting of the proforma in order to be able to continue with the survey. Nowadays tablet’s have emerged as the new way of collecting on site data. These have built in camera’s, have much larger built in memories, are light weight and can offer unparalleled back up facilities. With a number of specialist stock survey software packages available we now have both hardware and software to make the whole process faster and more efficient. In addition, Cloud based technologies continue to evolve and these have significantly impacted on data storage and usability of data. It is however worth stating that however advanced hardware and software may become, the accuracy and value of the data will always be relative to the knowledge and expertise of the Surveyor.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinj1FMFs5vMMmYCTsEJdVgbh0dzJuTFCMxuh7bWwScAiBQ0jZNldefIZIByNTgx2y98ToDvqllyry2Vv5SHbVkYp7Iz4obGfSCgbOIDOOWw3vVil9OY15yQOlI6QnMmvW3ly4fCER2pjg/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="499" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinj1FMFs5vMMmYCTsEJdVgbh0dzJuTFCMxuh7bWwScAiBQ0jZNldefIZIByNTgx2y98ToDvqllyry2Vv5SHbVkYp7Iz4obGfSCgbOIDOOWw3vVil9OY15yQOlI6QnMmvW3ly4fCER2pjg/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Journal for Clinical Studies</span></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pre-survey stage</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is highly unlikely that the cost of a stock condition survey will exceed OJEU thresholds (although after Brexit OJEU is unlikely to be an issue) therefore the content of a tender submission will be down to the requirements of each individual Client. At this stage it is vitally important to read the tender documents thoroughly to establish the scope of the survey and therefore assess the resources that will be needed to deliver what the client is expecting. Although very significant, resources will not just relate to the survey team. Purchasing hardware and obtaining software licences can be extremely expensive which if not adequately considered could significantly reduce the profitability for the Consultant. Also, a Client may have their own in-house Asset Management system and if so are likely to require data collected during a stock condition survey to be compatible with their system. There are numerous examples of asset management software such as Orchard or Atrium to name a few, however a Consultant will need to become familiar with a Client’s particular system, which will involve consultation and possible training. In fact establishing a Client’s existing asset management processes and systems is fundamental to helping a Consultant to deliver a successful stock condition survey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The deadline is also fundamentally important in planning the survey and also for fee calculation. A delivery programme should be formulated at the earliest possibly opportunity, working back from the Client’s deadline. The programme should include all pre and post survey activities including consultation with the Client; planning, pilot surveys, training of staff, arranging access, on site surveys, quality assurance checks, moderation and validation, reporting, etc. The amount of inspections that are required (which will be determined by the target sample size) will determine how many surveyors will be needed. It may be that during the preparation of the programme that a Consultant will realise they will need more surveyors than they first thought in order to achieve the deadline. This will subsequently impact on the amount of hardware and software licences that are needed and therefore the fee that is likely to be charged. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Survey stage</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once a Consultant has been awarded a contract to deliver a stock condition survey there are number of things that can be done to ensure that the deadline is met and that the data collected in accurate and consistent:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Good leadership</span></b> – It is extremely important that a Consultant appoints an experienced member of staff to oversee and take charge of the stock survey, right through to completion. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ideally, this individual should have been involved in the tender process and therefore understand the Client’s requirements; be able to manage a large team of surveyors and be able to incorporate and manage a robust quality assurance system and act as liaison with the Client. A Consultant should never underestimate the complexity of delivering a stock condition survey and unless a suitable ‘leader’ is appointed to manage the project, then the whole process can become chaotic and poorly managed and will ultimately result in failure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Training</span></b> – Quality of data and consistency are important in ensuring that the data can be confidently used in the future for a variety of different things. Achieving this however is always one of the biggest challenges a Consultant will face and one of the biggest frustrations that a Client will encounter if the information received is of poor quality. The problem with undertaking any inspection is that different surveyors could inspect exactly the same building but actually produce a different assessment of an element or an attribute. This is human nature and although impossible to avoid, it is possible to manage. What a Consultant should be trying to achieve is for Surveyors to be looking at elements/attributes in the same way and although they may not arrive at identical assessments, they should be very similar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Prior to letting my Surveyors undertake the onsite surveys I would give then lots of information which would include definitions of physical condition, priority, user effect and risk rating etc. (This would vary from survey to survey, depending on the Client brief). The table below provides an example of typical definitions that could be used:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I would then arrange a half day workshop with the whole survey team, where amongst other things we would discuss the definitions and use examples to assess how individual Surveyors would consider a particular element/attribute. During this meeting we would also discuss and use the hardware/software that was going to be used for data collection, discuss access issues, time frames and the quality assurance procedure. These types of meeting are invaluable as it gives the survey team the opportunity to understand what is expected and provide an opportunity to raise any questions they may have.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Quality Assurance Procedures</span></b> – As discussed throughout this article, quality assurance processes are an extremely important part of the whole process. When managing large condition surveys I would spend a few days out on site with each member of the survey team during the first few weeks of the survey. This enabled my Surveyors to ‘iron out’ any uncertainties whilst I was present and to ask further questions as needed. When the data was uploaded I was able to view this through the relevant asset management database and I was able to add filters so that I could generate numerous reports throughout the whole time that the data was being collected. I was then able to question things that appeared to have been missed where data fields were empty, or ask questions where surveyors had identified high priority issues etc. This enabled data to be corrected where necessary and sometimes identified surveyors who I needed to spend more time with who clearly required more training.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To consider every aspect of a stock condition survey in such a short article would be impossible. Hopefully, I have discussed some interesting aspects of what can be a complex process to manage and deliver. Above all, the success of a stock condition survey will be down to good organisation, management and leadership which will incorporate all of the various aspects I have discussed above. Once the process is set up and organised correctly the data collection is usually reasonably straightforward. In order for this to be achieved there needs to be a great deal of planning and consultation many months before the data is collected onsite, if this is not undertaken then a Consultant is likely to encounter serious difficulties in meeting the expectations of their Client</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-61082840314554010532018-03-12T08:19:00.000-07:002018-03-12T08:19:19.036-07:00Stock Condition Surveys – Part 1 - A Client’s Perspective<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Many Client organisations will not have the skills and resources available in-house and will therefore use external consultants for delivery of stock condition surveys due to their scale and complexity. The choice of consultant is fundamentally important to the success of the survey and clients should be very thorough in their selection and procurement processes</span></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeg6O-hD72_OLkWslVO7AlRFyrNunPXgkINgpdGDAkFbFG_vger-1yJbViK41ebt1_M6B15Lj-aYYi3XR8PStN4fhvF5K6Pg1a84Z8GtDsY8fp8qhkH-KjtnXA0DGhfCnHeSTpedoKUg/s1600/Untitled1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="697" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeg6O-hD72_OLkWslVO7AlRFyrNunPXgkINgpdGDAkFbFG_vger-1yJbViK41ebt1_M6B15Lj-aYYi3XR8PStN4fhvF5K6Pg1a84Z8GtDsY8fp8qhkH-KjtnXA0DGhfCnHeSTpedoKUg/s320/Untitled1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Black Cat Building Surveys Ltd</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For many years in my professional career I was responsible for advising, organising and managing numerous large stock condition surveys for a range of Local Authorities and Social Housing Providers. The prime motivation for the stock survey usually revolved around stock transfer, strategic planning related to asset management and business plans, or in the case of schools to follow a prescribed method such as the Department for Education and Skills Asset Management Strategy (now the Department for Education). My initial involvement would always involve helping each of the various clients to understand what they wanted (in most cases there was a lack of real understanding of was required), to set the scope of the surveys, to manage and co-ordinate large survey teams and to present the data in an understandable and usable way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are currently planning for a stock condition survey or maybe you already have one in progress, then there are many different things you need to consider in order to try to ensure that the data collected and indeed the outputs are actually what you intend. I can think of numerous examples where Clients have had difficulty in managing/coping with the vast amount of data that is produced, and once received, they were not exactly sure what to do with it. Over recent years, technology has gone some way to addressing this as data can be collected and collated in ‘real time’ and there are a range of ‘off the shelf’ software packages that will analyse the data and produce all sorts of reports and charts, which are useful as long as the Client knows their output requirements. Therefore, a successful stock survey requires many months of planning and organising. From a Client organisation perspective there needs to be well organised strategic approach establishing precisely what is required and importantly how this will be achieved. The information below identifies some key issues which should be considered:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSzaKnuFpa40zQUwMp7GUQKqsPPdWUTfG3C9hXcP25bw93PBgEryT2SE-EDCwno30OJU2gDwC-CVsgyB8qTyWgDCsOgtsEcTRZTWz6K1I_YwJa5L4dXS5TCVqOA9ZS3C4JrKo0EQqGLc/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSzaKnuFpa40zQUwMp7GUQKqsPPdWUTfG3C9hXcP25bw93PBgEryT2SE-EDCwno30OJU2gDwC-CVsgyB8qTyWgDCsOgtsEcTRZTWz6K1I_YwJa5L4dXS5TCVqOA9ZS3C4JrKo0EQqGLc/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: Homebuying Guide</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">What is the purpose of the Stock Survey?</span> - </b>A very simple question which often produces a variety of different answers. The answer to this will actually set the scope of the survey and will decide the outputs that are required so if there is a lack of clarity at this point then the whole process becomes confused. Therefore will the data be used to plan future work packages, if so, over what period of time? Will the data be used for strategic planning and be incorporated into a business plan? or maybe assessing current and future repairs and maintenance liabilities or consider statutory compliance or possibly a combination of these. These examples are not exhaustive, however demonstrate the wide range of possibilities that a stock condition survey could be used to achieve. It is only possible to move onto the next stage of the process once a Client/organisation can provide a clear answer to this question. Only then is it possible to start to look at the scope of the survey, the attributes to be recorded, the sample size (will this involve cloning?), the required outputs, deadlines and also the available budget (for the condition survey).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I remember one particular organisation I was advising, a Local Authority, who required a stock condition survey for their commercial building stock. This included a range of buildings such as community centres, libraries, leisure centres, offices and numerous other public buildings. In total this amounted to approximately 400 different buildings, so not a large stock survey, but challenging due to the diversity of the building stock. I became involved at a very early stage and it soon became clear that there were differences of opinion in respect of what was required to be achieved within the client organisation itself. One particular senior manager was insistent that the data collected should be used for strategic asset planning and also to assist much lower cost day to day maintenance. This manager was adamant that the survey should record things like door handles, hinges, taps, plugs, sealant etc. therefore taking the required attributes to a ‘micro level’. I highlighted the consequences of this approach in terms of the high cost of each survey due to the amount of time the surveyor would be on site, the difficulty in consistency of recorded information if you provide surveyors with too many choices, and also the limitations of the hardware at the time. In the end I was able to steer this particular client down a much more sensible road however this demonstrates some of the challenges that may be encountered, through lack of understanding and differences of opinion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Choosing the right people</span> - </b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many Client organisations will not have the skills and resources available in-house and will therefore use external consultants for delivery of stock condition surveys due to their scale and complexity. The choice of consultant is fundamentally important to the success of the survey and clients should be very thorough in their selection and procurement processes. Many consultants advertise their experience and skills in delivery of stock condition surveys, however there are some important factors that should be considered when selecting consultants for this type of work:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Resources</span></b> – Based upon what you have detailed in your brief, what resources will the consultant provide to the project to ensure that the data collected will be appropriate and consistent and also achieve the deadline that you have set? It is important to find out precisely who will be carrying out the surveys (ask for CV’s), and who will be responsible for managing/overseeing the survey. Consultants will usually calculate their fee based upon the amount of time they are likely to spend on the project and the level of staff that will be needed. For large stock surveys what tends to happen is that less experienced staff (newly qualified, or those undertaking professional qualification such as APC), are used for the bulk of the surveys and a more senior member of staff is used to oversee the project. This can work as long as the senior member of staff, undertakes robust quality assurance checks of the data being collected and undertakes continual training throughout the process with the surveyors to try to achieve consistency. The whole process can easily break down if a Consultant does not manage the process in this way and will lead to incorrect/inconsistent data being collected. This should never be allowed to happen and is something that a Client should explore during the procurement process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Procurement </span></b>– All Clients will have a budget available for a stock survey and in fact this is something that helps define the scope of the survey. If you want a Consultant to understand what you require, and you want a fee that is reflective of the services that they will provide then you must ensure that your brief is suitably detailed and clear. This probably sounds obvious, however I have prepared endless tenders for many different types of work, where the briefs provided are so vague or poorly written that it is difficult to understand exactly what the Client is looking for making reflective fee calculations very difficult.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Prior to tendering for the ‘main’ stock survey, my advice would be to invite a number of Consultants to tender for a ‘pilot survey’. This will enable each Consultant to demonstrate their resources and capabilities for a small number of surveys, as well as finding out what works, or maybe does not work, before ploughing on with the bulk of the surveys. This exercise could form the first part of the selection process, which should also be preceded by Consultant interviews. This may sound like a lengthy process; however, it is extremely important to appoint the right Consultant. This approach may well reduce the possibility of serious issues arising either during the survey process or when you come to rely on the data that has been collected.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Consultant’s Fee</span></b> – Always analyse precisely what the Consultant has included with their fee. If your tender documentation, including your survey brief are sufficiently detailed then the Consultant should have provided a fee to reflect what you have asked for. If not, and the Consultant has included their own ‘inclusions or interpretations’ then this will make the fee very difficult to compare with other tenders. This should not happen, as this could invalidate a tender, depending upon the method in which tenders were issued. In any event there needs to be a detailed tender analysis in order for a Client to satisfy themselves that the Consultant can provide precisely what they want for the fee they have provided. Never be tempted to look at the headline fee alone, as without looking you cannot know what (or what is not) included within that fee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In my next article I will consider stock condition surveys from a Consultant’s viewpoint and provide some examples of how I used to manage large stock surveys.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O’Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-45714722373961900992018-03-07T02:04:00.000-08:002018-03-07T02:04:29.493-08:00Damp in Buildings – Part 2 – Condensation – How to reduce the risk!<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>There are a few very simple, but nevertheless very effective ways we can reduce the risk of condensation, just by simply being aware of some of the activities we would normally undertake without even thinking</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZOyMmXyEACZLVDsx-FU9PtgPweG_U2E0MvsqIo1TUFO1gXSUqyJxIlZRhFDeuk70nSdgADDIKolmoyxx-Cbk9FwGUbMPwCVhakxFU8hbUhjvvh5m9ZcTLx4_oL2M4phx-Q0g-mliEIo/s1600/condensation-window-words-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="980" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZOyMmXyEACZLVDsx-FU9PtgPweG_U2E0MvsqIo1TUFO1gXSUqyJxIlZRhFDeuk70nSdgADDIKolmoyxx-Cbk9FwGUbMPwCVhakxFU8hbUhjvvh5m9ZcTLx4_oL2M4phx-Q0g-mliEIo/s320/condensation-window-words-edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Homebuilding & Renovating</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In order to understand how to reduce the risk of condensation it is important to first understand how it occurs. If you have not already done so I would recommend reading last week’s article, <i><a href="http://surveyingproperty.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/damp-in-buildings-part-1-condensation.html#.Wp-yimrFKUk" target="_blank">‘How condensation occurs’</a></i>, before going any further. You will then understand that the ‘ingredients’ necessary for condensation to occur are moisture vapour and cool surfaces, which are exacerbated by poor insulation, poor heating and poor ventilation. Cool surfaces could be present due to thermally inefficient walls and surfaces, particularly in older buildings. In fact there are a whole host of reasons why the internal surface temperature of the internal fabric of a building may be cool (walls, windows, ceilings etc.,) including poor maintenance of external walls, rising damp, penetrating damp due to leaking rainwater guttering or downpipes, leaking roofs, single glazed windows, poor weather sealing around openings and cold bridges, which are areas of the building fabric which are less thermally efficient than the surrounding construction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To reduce the risk of condensation occurring there are two primary things we should consider. Firstly, dealing with the root cause of the condensation and secondly, looking at the way we use a building and trying to find ways of reducing the amount of moisture vapour we emit.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0p4jWO7WI3EMRYn2eM-x_pZ8o7AAQkD1o-krxGYjaI68Uno4WaQcmg_-92CM4bg2iq3cMssyx73dx45diyOXiVf0yIJZtF46KrNUOiybu7338C_QXh80c7w66p-aXz6QIxmhorFjlsI4/s1600/78481139_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="350" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0p4jWO7WI3EMRYn2eM-x_pZ8o7AAQkD1o-krxGYjaI68Uno4WaQcmg_-92CM4bg2iq3cMssyx73dx45diyOXiVf0yIJZtF46KrNUOiybu7338C_QXh80c7w66p-aXz6QIxmhorFjlsI4/s320/78481139_XS.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Home Guides - SFGate</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">In order to rectify the problem, we first need to establish the cause. This is where you may need the advice of a Building Surveyor, who will be able to undertake a thorough inspection and establish which factors or combination of factors are contributing to the condensation. This is important because if you do not deal with ALL of the contributing factors, you may slow down the amount of condensation occurring, however you will not actually solve the problem. For example you may decide to improve the heating system, but if you do not deal with the thermally inefficient walls, then all of that increased heat will just disappear through the walls, and will have a limited effect. So depending on what is established as the cause, it may be necessary to increase the internal surface temperature of the walls by either </span><span style="font-size: large;">insulating internally (dry lining) or externally (insulated render system), replacing windows (possibly double or triple glazing), improving ventilation (possibly a mechanical extractor fan) and upgrading the heating system. As you would imagine, this could become very expensive, which highlights why you may need the advice of a professional to ensure that the correct remedial measures are undertaken. All buildings are different and the way we use buildings will also be different, therefore we cannot assume that the cause of condensation and the remedial works required will be the same in every situation.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After dealing with the building itself we must also consider ways in which we can reduce the amount of moisture vapour we emit in buildings. Yes, our human behaviour can have a significant impact on reducing moisture vapour in a building. If we start to think about ways in which we use and occupy our buildings and either do thinks in different ways, or even stop doing them completely, we can significantly reduce the risk of condensation. The best thing of all is that a change of behaviour is absolutely free! There are a few very simple, but nevertheless very effective ways we can achieve this, just by simply being aware of some of the activities we would normally undertake without even thinking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Showering/bathing</span></b>, <b><span style="color: blue;">Washing</span></b> and <span style="color: blue;"><b>Cooking</b></span> are activities that we cannot avoid however all produce large amounts of moisture vapour. We undertake these activities on a day to day basis, however when showering/bathing, try to not leave the shower or bath taps running more than you need, switch them off as soon as you can. If you have extractor fans, ensure that they are working, adequately sized and switched on when needed. You should also ensure that trickle vents in windows are open and that air bricks are not blocked. Although it may be cold outside, when you are leaving the bathroom, open the window to let fresh air in, which will soon clear the moisture vapour by replacing the moisture laden air with new fresher dryer air which will prevent moisture vapour condensing on the walls and windows.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpN_u7cq7IHITXyDwvWi4d9bUbv2blNvbOD9NJsaQ8XtGf1TXX-CgLKzhw0dwsziHFWJif2z_KiHqv8tHW_PtUyCQTwV2EOsMMS0kA4SAng7EcfPFIKzu8UrQgEyp5ynkPGrRUuDIpKto/s1600/why-you-should-not-dry-clothes-on-the-radiator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1200" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpN_u7cq7IHITXyDwvWi4d9bUbv2blNvbOD9NJsaQ8XtGf1TXX-CgLKzhw0dwsziHFWJif2z_KiHqv8tHW_PtUyCQTwV2EOsMMS0kA4SAng7EcfPFIKzu8UrQgEyp5ynkPGrRUuDIpKto/s320/why-you-should-not-dry-clothes-on-the-radiator.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Maxzi</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are using a <b><span style="color: blue;">Tumble Dryer</span></b>, ensure that it is vented to the outside. I have undertaken a number of previous inspections where I have seen the flexible tumble dryer vents extracting into a room, rather than outside. This was due to lack of thought of the location of the tumble dryer and a general lack of understanding on the part of the occupiers. Also, when <b><span style="color: blue;">Drying Clothes</span></b> try to avoid placing them on top of radiators. This is usually done for convenience, however again produces large amounts of moisture vapour. Whenever possible washing should be dried outside, or if weather conditions do not permit this then consider using an appropriately vented tumble dryer, or maybe even a trip to the launderette.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When <b><span style="color: blue;">Cooking</span></b> use an extractor hood if you have one above your cooker and keep lids on saucepans as much as you can. Avoid using <b><span style="color: blue;">Bottled Gas</span></b> and <b><span style="color: blue;">Paraffin Heaters</span></b> these produce large amounts of moisture vapour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally, but very importantly, try to ensure you have a regular flow of fresh air around your house/buildings. This effectively dries out any moisture vapour and prevents it reaching concentration levels where condensation may become an issue. Granted, nobody wants to release all of that lovely heat from a building in the depths of winter, however, opening windows for a short period of time may result in the internal environment becoming temporarily cooler, but it will also significantly help to reduce the risk of condensation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hopefully, now that you know how condensation occurs you can start to thing about ways in which you can help to reduce the risk. In future articles I will discuss other forms of damp in buildings such as rising damp and penetrating damp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O'Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i></span><br />
<br />Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-55217713803885826002018-03-02T04:54:00.002-08:002018-03-07T01:36:00.399-08:00Damp in Buildings – Part 1 – Condensation – How it Occurs<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>If left untreated condensation can become a significant problem so it is important that people understand how it occurs and how to deal with it. Due to the fact that condensation produces water/moisture it can also act as a catalyst for a number of other defects that can be found in buildings</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Bob's Heating & Air Conditioning</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most people will have seen damp in their homes in one form or another, and in fact damp is one of the most common problems encountered in houses. Damp can manifest itself in a number of ways including ‘wet patches’ on surfaces, mould growth and sometimes a musty smell. If left untreated damp can lead to deterioration of internal surfaces and finishes, provide a very unsightly appearance and in certain circumstances lead to health problems, particularly for vulnerable user groups such as the elderly, young children and those with respiratory conditions such as asthma. There are a number of different types of damp that can occur in buildings including rising damp and penetrating damp, however for the purposes of this article I want to focus on condensation.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In order to understand how we can deal with condensation it is important to first understand how it occurs. All air contains a certain amount of ‘invisible’ water vapour. You may not realise it, but as a human beings we are emitting water vapour constantly, you may not see it but it really is happening. Water vapour is also emitted by the activities we undertake in the home including washing, cooking, drying clothes, using portable heaters such as calor gas etc. Basically, there are large volumes of water vapour being emitted in your home and the amount of water vapour that is emitted is determined by the activities that we carry out and the number of people in your house at any particular time. Condensation occurs when this water vapour comes into contact with cooler surfaces and the air no longer has the capacity to hold any more water vapour. In order to understand this we need to first understand relative humidity, which is a generally poorly understood term.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Relative humidity relates to the actual water vapour present in air to that which could be present and is routinely expressed as a percentage. The reason we refer to ‘relative’ humidity is because air has a varying ability to hold moisture vapour depending on temperature. Warm air can hold more water vapour than cold air. Once relative humidity reaches 100% it no longer has the ability to hold any more water vapour and it will start to condense on cooler surfaces (something referred to as ‘Dew Point’), which is the physical change into a liquid (condensation). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As an example, think about your bathroom. When you have a bath or shower, large quantities of water vapour are produced. Sometimes this will develop into a ‘fog/mist’ in the room until you open the window or turn on an extractor fan. Have you ever noticed that you get water developing on your windows and walls? This is condensation. Have you ever wondered why this happens more readily on cold days, and in the warmer months it is hardly noticeable? This is because the air in your bathroom on colder days has less capacity to hold moisture than the air in your bathroom during warmer temperatures (remember warm air can hold more water vapour than cold air). Windows, particularly in older buildings are generally less thermally efficient than the surrounding structure such as the walls. Therefore the internal surface temperature of the windows will be a few degrees cooler than the surface temperature of the walls. This will mean that once dew point occurs (100% relative humidity), it will start to condense on the cooler surfaces first, i.e the windows, before it starts to condense on the surrounding walls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Condensation can occur in any room in a house or within the structure of a house (interstitial condensation), including roof and floor voids, basically anywhere, where there is water vapour and cool surfaces. If left untreated condensation can become a significant problem so it is important that people understand how it occurs and how to deal with it. Due to the fact that condensation produces water/moisture it can also act as a catalyst for a number of other defects that can be found in buildings, namely timber decay such as wet rot or dry rot, as well as causing mould growth and potential health problems. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You do not need to be a damp specialist or a building surveyor to be able to deal with condensation or at least reduce the risk of it occurring. There are numerous products on the market that claim to reduce or remove the risk of condensation in homes including paints and sprays. These types of products may temporarily remove condensation mould that may have already occurred, or cover over damp mould, however the only certain way of removing the risk of condensation is to understand the root cause, which will vary from building to building, and to rectify these root causes. The usual factors that result in condensation are poor thermal insulation, inadequate heating, inadequate ventilation and crucially, the way in which we use our homes, or a combination of these. In the next article I will explain how you can reduce the possibility of condensation in your home and if you already have problems with condensation I will tell you how to deal with it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author: Gary O'Neill</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.</i> </span><br />
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Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-74541852233548555812017-12-08T01:45:00.000-08:002017-12-08T02:15:57.658-08:00Brexit 'deal agreed' - But is it a good deal for the UK?<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">This is a voyage into the unknown which was always going to be complex and challenging. The terms of the divorce were never going to be amicable as Europe cannot be seen to make it easy for the UK as they will clearly want to discourage other European nations from going down a similar road</span></b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gKUkjkSESRQfXtT1ow9NI-emxjitH6y6FbUfrVn2kGah-3WuZjUFQr3Q0SwPaSNDg5vwyaZSro9toaJYbbtVAWfPkU_3RqnvKqCNCqppKu61b_V_UCLMwGoWslg6u1uLTSmUgMGIUOE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-07+at+14.41.57.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1180" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gKUkjkSESRQfXtT1ow9NI-emxjitH6y6FbUfrVn2kGah-3WuZjUFQr3Q0SwPaSNDg5vwyaZSro9toaJYbbtVAWfPkU_3RqnvKqCNCqppKu61b_V_UCLMwGoWslg6u1uLTSmUgMGIUOE/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-12-07+at+14.41.57.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">European Union Experts</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As a member of the British public I am becoming increasingly frustrated by the constant messages coming out of Westminster and Brussels about Brexit. Like most people, I am not party to the Brexit negotiations, so I have to make do with the scraps of information that are constantly thrown at me through the media, which basically tell me nothing. All we seem to be hearing is that <i>‘Britain has made concessions on this and concessions on that’</i>. We hear today that the UK and EU have now agreed a deal for stage one of the negotiations, but how do we know if it is a good deal or not? Have the EU made any concessions? When I think of the Brexit negotiations I get the image of a vulnerable British rabbit encircled by 27 European wolves all waiting to pounce on every whimper that the rabbit makes, until it reaches a point where the rabbit is terrified into conceding for fear of being attacked by the wolves. What I want to know is where is the British Lion that will stand its ground, fight its corner and keep the wolves at bay?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At this moment in time, above everything what we need is strong leadership. You may not like Donald Trump or agree with his approach to politics or agree with his policies, however, there is no doubt that he is in charge and that he is not prepared to be messed around. Teresa May continually told us that she wanted to <i>'strengthen her hand'</i> with Europe and so she called a 'snap' election. This must rate as one of the biggest misjudgements in British political history because, instead of strengthening her hand she ended up cutting one of them off! With the hand that remained she had to hold out the begging bowl to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in order to secure a very slim overall Parliamentary majority. The European Union must have laughed its socks off in the knowledge that they would now be negotiating with a wounded Prime Minister, with limited power who faced opposition from all corners including her own party. Not exactly the strong leadership that we need, is it?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikeWld6_LZ5LiTiz1iLbNPz_eqzZewr3yGTlTCT9zs6wVsyrobTXILgzEQklkrThZEtq_rX5rhi8Zbejx8q9C0IwiwjcQ_MURB4oiqOOyXGAwFmjG8zsSuqGV1qi1HLLMaOl4xEsElPTE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-07+at+14.32.46.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1286" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikeWld6_LZ5LiTiz1iLbNPz_eqzZewr3yGTlTCT9zs6wVsyrobTXILgzEQklkrThZEtq_rX5rhi8Zbejx8q9C0IwiwjcQ_MURB4oiqOOyXGAwFmjG8zsSuqGV1qi1HLLMaOl4xEsElPTE/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-12-07+at+14.32.46.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: Sheet Plant Association</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whether people voted remain or leave is now irrelevant, that debate and that ship has now sailed. There is no point in dwelling on this because on Thursday 23rd June 2016 51.9% of the British public decided to leave Europe, and at 11pm on Friday 29th March 2019 the UK will leave Europe. The triggering of Article 50 seemed to take forever as we were told that the UK wanted to be as <i>‘prepared’</i> as we could before giving formal notice to Europe that we would be parting ways. It took nearly nine months from the referendum before Article 50 was finally triggered on 29th March 2017, giving us two further years to ‘negotiate’ a divorce. This is a voyage into the unknown which was always going to be complex and challenging. The terms of the divorce were never going to be amicable as Europe cannot be seen to make it easy for the UK as they will clearly want to discourage other European nations from going down a similar road.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The economy and particularly trade are topics that continually arise as British industry tries to work out the impact of what Brexit will actually mean for imports/exports and to them and their business in a wider context. Again, the EU ‘<i>dictated</i>’ that the next stage of discussions (including trade) could not take place until we have dealt with three key issues; the rights of EU nationals living in the UK, the financial terms of the exit package and agreement of how to deal with the border between Northern and the Republic of Ireland. You would think with all of the UK concessions we have been hearing (which we have no real details about) that negotiations would have moved much quicker however, to the contrary, we are seeing headlines such as; ‘<i>We can't go on like this': mood of resignation in EU as Brexit talks stutter</i>’ in the Guardian (December 5th 2017) (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/05/we-cant-go-on-like-this-mood-of-resignation-in-eu-as-brexit-talks-stutter" target="_blank">Link</a>). Within the article the current confusion and chaos around Brexit is summed up by a Finnish MEP; <i>‘the government’s weakness was 'a key question' for the EU. 'We are also in a very difficult position because it would not be in our interests to see the whole thing fall apart', 'At the same time … it’s not our duty to help the British government in a negotiation that is between them and us. The bottom line is that the May government is facing an impossible task', adding that promises made to British voters during the referendum campaign and before June’s snap election could not be kept. The government was in 'an ever-worsening, deteriorating cycle'</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is a fact that there will be quite a number of years of ‘transition’ whether the UK strike a complete Brexit deal with the EU or not. It will take the UK and indeed European countries and their economies time to adjust as we get used to the reality of life without each other. Therefore, if we know and accept that there are some turbulent years ahead then the question arises of whether it is in the best interests of the UK to strike a deal with Europe that involves so many concessions that we are effectively still a European nation but without the ‘official membership’. There is plenty in the media about the implications of a ‘no deal scenario’ and yes, this would have serious implications. In the Guardian (December 7th 2017) (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/07/no-deal-brexit-would-be-worst-outcome-possible-for-uk-lords-warn" target="_blank">Link</a>) the House of Lords warn that a ‘no deal’ Brexit would be<i> ‘the worst outcome possible’</i>. Well, maybe it would but at this point in time nobody really knows. What I would like to see and I’m sure many others would share this view, is a British Government that shows some fight, a British Government that stands up for Britain, a British Government than shows leadership and a British Government that provides confidence to the British people that they have a plan in whichever scenario plays out. At present, all we see if confusion, discord and poor leadership which has reached a point where we have no idea what is going on. Sadly, this also seems to be the case for those negotiating Brexit on our behalf! What a sad state of affairs.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-59929516841883120782017-12-04T05:33:00.001-08:002017-12-04T05:33:22.605-08:00Why should we bother with Renewable Energy?<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>If you are hoping that in the future fuel costs will reach a peak and then start to reduce then I am afraid you are going to be bitterly disappointed. There may well be short term reductions, however it is inevitable that fuel costs will not only continue to rise, but rise significantly</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtk0ke4Raf_U-34CVCgxPSmbquWah9lo7oLNS_81tBdpxTISF0iZIQuowWJoiFqOdMfSghvZS7nlNuYrgnTaE22wUnxaxPP-Abm1uHSDxwiGRPDSe_FNoUPKsIhDpZPZFUNhHTWCDtIw/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="619" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtk0ke4Raf_U-34CVCgxPSmbquWah9lo7oLNS_81tBdpxTISF0iZIQuowWJoiFqOdMfSghvZS7nlNuYrgnTaE22wUnxaxPP-Abm1uHSDxwiGRPDSe_FNoUPKsIhDpZPZFUNhHTWCDtIw/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; padding-right: 2px; unicode-bidi: isolate;">Business Standard</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is no shortage of media coverage in respect of the impact of global warming, climate change, energy conservation, sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions and so on........ Our understanding and concern about these issues will vary significantly from those who have a genuine concern about protecting the planet for future generations to those who’s work may be directly related to these issues, right through to those who know very little and even those who make a conscious choice to ignore them! The problem however is that even if you are one of those who fall into the latter categories, it does not change the fact that you will be affected in exactly the same way as everyone else. This is no more starkly demonstrated than in the increased cost of energy over recent years, which have soared to record levels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the last two hundred years we have become dependent on fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal, which has allowed us to develop our world at a staggering pace. All of this development in terms of infrastructure, buildings and the like require large amount of energy, to heat, cool, ventilate, provide light and power etc. If we are to maintain, or more likely increase the rate of development around the world then we also need to consider alternative ways of creating this energy. The problem with fossil fuels is that they are a depleting resource and at some point, in the future it will run out. Now this is unlikely to happen in our generation or indeed generations in the foreseeable future, but one thing is for certain in that at some point, however far in the future, fossil fuels will become incredibly scarce and are likely to run out. If you are under the impression that we should not be concerned about this now, as it will not have any major impact on us in our lifetime then think again!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7Xz8ILdk3UMRkaxDur5elaRdgyR-NiuNBYGpVNLUA1BzwdQKVnhIc6mCTo6h26Ow6c0n4Ex2WJrb4Qe8tJyMDujwoGPxah4215te6nRgP96NT7DItzNIBnzLqJriQQE2w9PKDa4glKw/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="615" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7Xz8ILdk3UMRkaxDur5elaRdgyR-NiuNBYGpVNLUA1BzwdQKVnhIc6mCTo6h26Ow6c0n4Ex2WJrb4Qe8tJyMDujwoGPxah4215te6nRgP96NT7DItzNIBnzLqJriQQE2w9PKDa4glKw/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: Daily Record</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">The problem with anything that is in short supply is that basic economical principles come into play. Fossil fuels are a prime example of this. Remember they are a depleting resource and therefore a commodity in short supply. The impact of this is that when demand is high </span><span style="font-size: large;">(which it always is) and supply is limited (which it is), then market conditions allow energy providers to increase costs as they know that they are providing something that people actually need. The market then adjusts to these increased costs. The Guardian (November 2017) reports; <i>‘Gas and electricity companies have been the biggest culprits for raising prices over the past 20 years, according to an analysis published just a day after utility giant’s SSE and npower revealed plans for a mega-merger – prompting fears of yet more price rises. The research found that the cost of utilities has risen at triple the rate of inflation over the past two decades. The average rise in prices for a basket of goods between 1997 and 2016 was 50.7%, but utility bills went up by 139% – far outstripping the average 78% rise in weekly household income, which has gone up from £316 to £562 over the period’ </i><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/nov/10/gas-electricity-price-rises-triple-rate-inflation-incomes" target="_blank">(Link)</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are hoping that in the future fuel costs will reach a peak and then start to reduce then I am afraid you are going to be bitterly disappointed. There may well be occasional short term reductions, however due to the economical principles described above it is inevitable that fuel cost will not only continue to rise, but rise significantly. Of course, the majority of articles that you will see in the media focus on the damage to the environment caused by greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon, from the burning of fossil fuels. This is something that we need to deal with immediately, however I would suggest that if you were to talk to most people on the high street they would be more concerned about the increase in fuel costs rather than the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The positive thing however, is that if we can create energy by using alternative renewable technologies then we can deal with both issues at the same time!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In future articles I will focus on the use of renewable technologies as a way of impacting on greenhouse gas emissions, however for the remainder of this article I will continue to demonstrate the financial effect of creating and using energy from fossil fuels, which is happening and impacting on us all right now! The Committee on Fuel Poverty annual Report – October 2017 <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652701/CFP_report_formatted_-_final.pdf" target="_blank">(Link)</a>, in its Executive Summary states; <i>‘The Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Fuel Poverty Statistics published in 2017 report the number of households in fuel poverty has increased from 2.38 million in 2014 to 2.50 million in 2015 (the statistics provide data on a two-year time lag). The average fuel poverty gap (this is the average additional amount that fuel-poor households need to spend to meet their energy needs, compared to the national median spend) has only fallen £18 per year from £371 to £353’</i>. The reference to fuel poverty is defined by Poverty.org.uk <a href="http://www.poverty.org.uk/80/index.shtml" target="_blank">(Link)</a> as: <i>‘Households are considered by the Government to be in 'fuel poverty' if they would have to spend more than 10% of their household income on fuel to keep their home in a 'satisfactory' condition. It is thus a measure which compares income with what the fuel costs 'should be' rather than what they actually are. Whether a household is in fuel poverty or not is determined by the interaction of a number of factors, but the three obvious ones are: The cost of energy, the energy efficiency of the property (and therefore, the energy required to heat and power the home) and Household income’.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is abundantly clear that many in the UK are continuing to suffer financial hardship as a result of increasing energy costs, and unless we can find alternative ways of creating and conserving our energy, then this situation is likely to become even more critical. Increased demand for a depleting resource is a recipe for disaster. We therefore have to introduce alternatives, which is now a necessity not a choice. If you are in one of those categories described at the beginning of this article who have not really paid much attention to global issues, perhaps it is now time to think very carefully about how you individually, and all of us collectively can save energy as well as also being open to consider retrofitting of new renewable technologies. This will not only provide benefits from a financial viewpoint, which may not be immediate (although costs associated with enhancements is an article in its own right!), but also from an environmental viewpoint, where we can start to have a real impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice.</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-27286673978157744662016-06-13T00:25:00.002-07:002016-06-13T00:25:14.772-07:00Climate Change and Energy Efficiency – The Challenge of Tackling Older Buildings<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Whether you have your own political views or are sceptical about government policy and initiatives it is important to embrace them as we only have the possibility of making a difference, if we are prepared ‘to give it a go’, after all, we have to start somewhere</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdSXE45B2z3n9A0C-AtAICueMlmo36ggxw5q0VBNe5DyCIUBRO3f92zXiRFNPx6WmO-WLB9oT7Hd5Fbq2ouJiyWXROhPox_0zrVkx6cMEb3urbG79aHyUV3yfRfSMQp3mH0I3qYGHYbg/s1600/green_epc_house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdSXE45B2z3n9A0C-AtAICueMlmo36ggxw5q0VBNe5DyCIUBRO3f92zXiRFNPx6WmO-WLB9oT7Hd5Fbq2ouJiyWXROhPox_0zrVkx6cMEb3urbG79aHyUV3yfRfSMQp3mH0I3qYGHYbg/s1600/green_epc_house.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.cjhole.co.uk/news.html</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Are you aware of the significant impact of climate change on our planet? Are you aware of the major influence that those working in the built environment, could have in dealing with this very serious issue? Or, like many do you really care at all? We are already experiencing the impact of climate change as a result of the way that we have used our planet to a point where many of these changes are now irreversible. The issue now is how we slow down the process and try to protect the environment for future generations. The Environment Agency website (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency">Link</a>), emphasises the human impact on our climate, and portray some very stark and worrying facts:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>‘There is a scientific consensus that the recent observed rise in global temperature can only be explained by the rise in greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Since the industrial revolution, human activity, mostly the burning of fossil fuels, has resulted in the release of large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This is enhancing the greenhouse effect and pushing up global temperatures.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Average global temperatures have already risen approximately one degree Celsius since pre-industrial levels, and even if we could stop emitting all greenhouse gases tomorrow, they would continue to rise by at least a further 0.6 degrees. Limiting temperature rise to below two degrees is the internationally agreed target to avert dangerous climate change.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>There are clear signs that our world is warming. We’ve had markedly higher global average temperatures over the last decade, ice sheets and glaciers are melting and average river water temperatures are increasing. Globally, the hottest ten years on record have all been since 1990, and February 2010 was warmest on record for southern hemisphere’</i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZxSnur62Xokl2Sh1Ny6EKw6GhxNr4gpaCVglffgMNZCSB2OiifRExoiCRaOxIjNJkQCzPVe37ZjG2Qwg9SuW6b9EznHIq7tihQb6eyw7WbXsmwmlCMaUSZW5sirhZqC2jlHc58v5iss/s1600/green_epc_house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZxSnur62Xokl2Sh1Ny6EKw6GhxNr4gpaCVglffgMNZCSB2OiifRExoiCRaOxIjNJkQCzPVe37ZjG2Qwg9SuW6b9EznHIq7tihQb6eyw7WbXsmwmlCMaUSZW5sirhZqC2jlHc58v5iss/s1600/green_epc_house.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.zmescience.com/ecology/environmental-issues</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is therefore clear that action is needed now and whether we like it or not, we must all play our part. Much of this action is actually imposed on us through legislation such as Building Regulations and other initiatives such Code for Sustainable Homes, BREEAM etc. which are primarily voluntary (although funding requirements may in effect make these mandatory). This is fine if we are dealing with new buildings, but how do we deal with the existing varied </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">and largely energy inefficient building stock we have in the UK? These are the types of buildings that waste a great deal of energy through older inefficient elements and therefore readily lose heat through the building fabric, requiring additional heating and therefore more energy to try to achieve acceptable internal temperatures. If we make our buildings more thermally efficient, this heat energy is retained longer in the building, therefore reducing the amount of additional heating we need and subsequently reduces our reliance on fossil fuels.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">According to BBC News (2006), <i>‘Transport consistently grabs the headlines on climate change emissions but buildings pour out about half of the UK's CO2 - 30% from homes, 20% from commercial buildings’</i>. The Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) completed an assessment of a variety of impacts of various sectors may need to prepare, which included the Built Environment: <i>‘The UK’s built environment includes: 27 million homes, commercial and industrial properties, hospitals, schools, other buildings and the wider urban environment. At the current replacement rate, around 70% of buildings that will be in use in the 2050's already exist. </i>It is clear therefore that those working in the built environment have the opportunity of influencing the impact of climate change in all sectors including both new build and existing buildings. This has also been emphasised by the UK government’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% (from the 1990 baseline) by 2050 under the Climate Change Act 2008. In order to achieve this it is necessary to significantly reduce our reliance on depleting resources such as fossil fuels (which emit high quantities of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon) and consider the use of more energy efficient and low carbon ways of creating energy (renewable technologies), making our buildings more thermally efficient in addition to educating people to operate and use buildings more efficiently. This is fundamental to achieving a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and necessary if we are to stand any chance of meeting our targets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The government have set a strategy with the objective of achieving the targets set within the Climate Change Act 2008 (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-the-uk-s-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-80-by-2050">Link</a>). Whether you have your own political views or are sceptical about government policy and initiatives it is important to embrace these policies as we only have the possibility of making a difference, if we are prepared ‘to give it a go’, after all, we have to start somewhere. It is ok to be sceptical, however until policies and initiatives are introduced and tested we have no way of knowing whether they will work or not. I along with many others raised issues with the now demised Green Deal, however I have also gone onto state that I think in principle Green Deal was a good idea undoubtedly needed some re-adjustment to make it more effective. The important thing here is that the UK government decided to tackle poor energy efficiency in existing buildings. However, trying to encourage people to incorporate energy efficient measures and renewable technologies into their buildings is always going to be difficult for a number of reasons. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Green Deal worked on the basis of a low interest loan which is added to fuel bills, for energy efficient enhancements which were recommended by a Green Deal Assessor. The ‘golden rule’ then assumed that the repayments on the loan would not exceed the savings made on the energy bills, therefore the bill payer/s should not notice any difference in the amount they were are paying each month. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is also constructional detailing issues in respect of retrofitting existing and occupied buildings to increase thermal efficiency and also issues in respect of introducing and installing renewable technologies. Once installation of enhancements has been completed it is also necessary to ‘educate’ occupiers to help them to understand how to use them. It is pointless increasing thermal efficiency and installing new technologies into a building if the occupier continues to waste energy because they don’t understand how to use the system correctly. Again, this emphasises the need for a holistic approach to dealing with energy efficiency in existing buildings rather than concentrating on the technologies alone. This is a tough nut to crack with no easy solutions. It will be interesting to see what the government come up with next when trying to tackle energy efficiency in existing buildings.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-76628415166655024282016-06-06T00:03:00.002-07:002016-06-06T00:03:31.465-07:00Quality Assurance - How accurate is your documentation?<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Robust supervision and training of staff will help them to understand the significance of accurate documentation. Organisations should not lose sight of this, particularly in the current economic climate</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source:<span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">www.anarsolutions.com</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In previous articles I have discussed the importance of drawings and the consequences that are likely to occur in a construction project if they contain inaccuracies or omissions. Drawings are one of the main components of tender documents, however, as important as they are, they are only a single component of the documentation. Drawings must reflect precisely the detail contained in the specification, and vice versa. Any conflict between the two will lead to confusion from contractors during the tender period, (assuming that the contractors have read the documentation fully, which does not always happen!), and possibly disputes on site when the selected contractor realises any inconsistency. This can then lead to an embarrassing explanation to the Client, particularly if the contractor tries to claim that his tender price did not include for the inconsistency and ultimately in a dispute for which the Consultant may be held accountable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Consequently, the process of preparing tender documentation and in fact any documentation that is to leave the office, should be undertaken with care and attention, with organisations having robust quality assurance processes to ensure that the documentation is checked at various stages. Junior and new members of staff need to be trained and supervised throughout the whole process so that they understand the significance of preparing tender documentation and that each component cannot and should not be prepared in isolation. Experienced and senior members of staff should not be excluded from the quality assurance process as they too are likely to make errors or omissions. The point is that through the supervision and quality assurance processes, any errors or omissions are identified before the documentation leaves the office.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-S6SrmtHHV5nejm7jI1fhh9JLiTTb3Do_uKW4BMQW9xx6nVKDGRjbRH1TGHoRJSIUR1hgyeOsNZT-CixfLnNVm6040yYLWMKNzBSO99tWyhCBhLJlH8T-R08rm0orVqvUEtrjTD-7ks/s1600/shutterstock_95059924_1024x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-S6SrmtHHV5nejm7jI1fhh9JLiTTb3Do_uKW4BMQW9xx6nVKDGRjbRH1TGHoRJSIUR1hgyeOsNZT-CixfLnNVm6040yYLWMKNzBSO99tWyhCBhLJlH8T-R08rm0orVqvUEtrjTD-7ks/s320/shutterstock_95059924_1024x1024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">builtintelligence.com</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In today's challenging environment where profit margins are tight and staffing levels have been squeezed, it would be very easy to allow documentation to be issued as a result of sometimes poor or non existing supervision and quality assurance procedures. One of my former organisation's quality assurance procedures was that no documentation could leave the office until it has been signed off by a senior manager. I can remember many days when members of staff would pile drawings, specifications and all sorts of other documentation onto my desk for checking. Now considering I still had my own workload, reading through and checking all of this documentation was challenging, however because I was signing the information off I had to take the time too look at it properly, which often meant working long hours, or taking work home. I am sure many reading this article will understand, having been in similar situations themselves. Although it was sometime tempting to skim read documentation and drawings I was always aware of the implications to my organisation and to me personally, if inaccurate documentation was issued. Inevitably, errors in signed off documentation would sometimes be identified, however by adopting robust procedures we kept this to a minimum, and after all we are only human and we will sometimes miss something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those who prepare the documentation often do not appreciate the time that is necessary to read through and check what they have produced. In some circumstances members of staff would bring documentation to me for checking and expect me to look at it, there and then and sign it off immediately, because of an imminent deadline (mostly down to their own poor time management!). This is where mistakes can be made, and any organisation that works in this way or allows this to happen, even in isolated cases, are likely to keep their solicitors very busy! Organisations must have clear policies in place so that everyone understands and complies with quality assurance procedures and also has respect for the time of those who will be checking it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As stated previously robust supervision and training of staff will help everyone (not just technical members of staff), to understand the significance of accurate documentation. Organisations should not lose sight of this, particularly in the current economic climate. Client's are much more likely to cultivate relationships with those who they feel confident will deliver a project effectively and in a professionally manner. Allowing inaccurate documentation to leave your office is not professional and gives a very negative impression. There is a lot of competition out there and it will not take long to sour a relationship, <i>'you're only as good as your last project</i>', comes to mind, so ignore this at your peril.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Above, I have used the example of tender documentation, as from experience I know the problems that can result from in inconsistencies in documentation. Tender documentation is a topic I will cover in more detail in a future article.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog</span><br />
<br />Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-69302427689142575622016-05-22T23:17:00.001-07:002016-05-22T23:17:44.574-07:00How to avoid ‘Cowboy Builders’ – 5 Practical Tips<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Trust is something in which we expect that services provided will be as advertised or discussed and that those who claimed to deliver such services will be competent to do so. Unfortunately, there are endless examples where this trust has been mis-placed, as there are plenty of unscrupulous people out there who are waiting to exploit this situation.</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source:<span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are times when we need to engage the services of a builder, contractor, tradesperson, (call them what you will), when we are considering building work or indeed in the event of an emergency. Selection of ‘the right person’ is often determined by random selection based upon a brief search through Yellow Pages, a quick internet search or a card displayed in a newsagent’s window. This leads to us placing our trust in people we know very little about and allowing then access into our homes/buildings. Trust is something in which we expect that services provided will be as advertised/discussed and that those who claimed to deliver such services will be competent to do so. Unfortunately, there are endless examples where this trust has been mis-placed, as there are plenty of unscrupulous people out there who are waiting to exploit this situation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Knowledge of home repairs and building works is something many people no little to nothing about and therefore prefer to pay to have these types of work carried out. Therefore, if a ‘builder’ is invited to give advice and a quotation, most people will not have the expertise to assess whether the work they are proposing is appropriate or indeed necessary, or whether it represents good value for money or not. So why do we seem to make these rash decisions? This is likely to be due to the urgency of works, our trusting nature, confident, sometimes intimidating behaviour, cheap price etc. It is decisions made on this basis that can lead to very significant problems and disputes, and this approach should be avoided at all costs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In March 2012 the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) published their Home Repairs and Improvements Toolkit which in the introduction states: ‘In the 18 months from January 2009 to September 2010, advice service Consumer Direct received over 146,000 complaints from consumers about problems they had experienced with home repairs and home improvement projects’. As a result the OFT together with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Trading Standards and Local Authority Building Control and Planning departments, launched a campaign to raise awareness amongst consumers around how to manage home repairs and building works. The toolkit considered that raising public awareness through the media would be the most effective way of dealing with this issue, however, below I offer some practical suggestions that should be considered when engaging building and repair works:</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. Do your homework</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Always take the time to do some research to find out about the people you are thinking of using. How long have they been trading?, do they have a website, if so are there examples of their work?, are there previous customer reviews. Have they got a track record for the type of work you require? Do they have the accreditation they claim? If you cannot find this information on-line, then ask for details of previous similar work that has been carried out and contact details. Good builder/tradespeople are proud of their work and would be more than happy for you to talk to their ‘satisfied customers’. If a builder/tradesperson is not willing to provide this information for you then do not employ them!</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. Obtain alternative quotations</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Never appoint a builder/tradesperson on the basis of one quotation. When you go to a supermarket you often have the choice of numerous similar products, which you will assess at in terms of quantity, quality and cost. You will consider these factors and then make an informed choice. This is exactly the same approach you should take when considering home improvements or building works. If you instruct building work from the first quotation you receive it is the same as going into to supermarket and picking up and paying for the first thing you see. How can you be sure you have got good value for money.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. Get things in writing</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All quotations should be received in writing. Failure to receive a written quotation can lead to disputes and misinterpretation in what you ‘thought’ you had been told and what is actually provided. Legally, there is such thing as a verbal contract, the problem is, how can you prove someone had said something, if they are claiming otherwise? Written quotations will avoid this, however it would also be wise to have the quotation broken down into as much detail as possible. A detailed breakdown, with costs attached to each item, will reduce uncertainty, for yourself and the builder. Also, do the costs include VAT?</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4. Payment</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is common practice for a builder/tradesperson to request an upfront payment for ‘materials’. I would suggest that as part of accepting the quotation that you also agree a payment schedule, which will include any upfront payments. Payments should be spread over the duration of the works and based on progress with a final payment held back until the work is complete. Never pay large sums of the works cost upfront. Only pay the builder/tradesperson for the work they have completed. Always be mindful that you are in a position that if the builder/tradesperson failed to complete the works (for whatever reason), have you got enough money left in the project to pay someone else to complete it? If the answer is no then you have probably paid too much too soon.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>5. Never accept cold callers</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Never be tempted into considering ‘deals’ from cold callers. Many of the horror stories we hear relate to those who have felt pressurised into paying for work they did not need, was far too expensive (sometimes extortionate), and completed to a very low standard (or sometimes not completed at all). Avoid cold callers at all costs. We have possibly all been in a situation where we open our front door and are greeted by someone who appears to be plausible and knowledgeable, however do not be fooled! You will undoubtedly be offered the deal of the century, however in life you get what you pay for, so to quote a popular phrase, ‘if it appears to good to be true, it probably is’.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Typical ways in which you may be approached may include:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>‘I am working over the road and noticed that you have some damaged tiles on your roof. While I’m here, I’ve got my ladders and just happen to have some spare tiles, do you want me to take a look?</i> <b>Answer - NO!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>‘I’ve just re-surfaced your neighbour’s driveway and I’ve got materials left over. While I’m here I can do you’re drive for a really cheap price, but I can only do it today. What do you think?</i> <b> Answer – NO!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>‘We are in the area today only and offering significant unrepeatable discounts for a small number of customers who agree for us to use your property for marketing purposes. We will take pictures of the work we do and include it in our marketing literature’</i> –<b> Answer – NO!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>‘You will need to sign up now. The manufactures price is increasing after today’</i> – <b>Answer – NO!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>‘I will give you a good deal for cash’ </i>– <b>Answer – NO! </b>- If this is suggested it should immediately raise alarm bells as, firstly it is illegal and will undoubtedly be work ‘off the books’, thereby avoiding tax and VAT payments. Anyone who is prepared to suggest work in this way is not the type of person you can have an faith or confidence in as there honesty is already compromised.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog</i></span>Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588408373722916436.post-66190546169037869392016-05-16T00:02:00.000-07:002016-05-16T00:02:28.540-07:0010 Tallest Buildings in the World - In Pictures<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The World's 10 Current Completed Tallest Buildings (at May 2016)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In last week’s article I discussed the human desire to construct high rise buildings and posed the question: Is there a limit to how high we can build?’. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), have formulated a list from their database (<a href="http://skyscrapercenter.com/" target="_blank">link</a>) which shows completed, under construction and planned ‘skyscrapers’ over the coming years, demonstrating that construction and demand for high rise buildings is on the increase. This week I wanted to publish details of the 10 current completed highest buildings in the world, as detailed the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) database:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red; line-height: 150%;">Number 1</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Burj Khalifa - </b><b>Dubai - UAE - 828 Metres - 2717 Feet -
163 Floors - Completed 2010 </b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw-XUmfdwiPIhrcTm6Irjpq_nXs5ey1nWQGq4l6EdapBtmN3XrkCtenc3kVacZpmw99p_Nx6cuJMNKUTJgLrlih1VZH644dNWs2ooNX98SKpdJgWGPGVcjUVR4SKZkcvJxn5tzRDBk8g/s1600/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw-XUmfdwiPIhrcTm6Irjpq_nXs5ey1nWQGq4l6EdapBtmN3XrkCtenc3kVacZpmw99p_Nx6cuJMNKUTJgLrlih1VZH644dNWs2ooNX98SKpdJgWGPGVcjUVR4SKZkcvJxn5tzRDBk8g/s640/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">foundtheworld.com</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Number 2</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shanghai Tower - Shanghai - China - 632 Metres - 2073 Feet - 128 Floors - Completed 2015</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxk5P1EOqJyEtqCr1AKCIimynRGDh0yvkTiO9susq_hphKxfaGAWf9TM2qf5ANktyHwje6v-_VnQ7Fuyewt_8lVuovpdV-oeBzWXH-pxugYqKuwHh0i_KhnuIOkmqivVc1SdS6udb57FU/s1600/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxk5P1EOqJyEtqCr1AKCIimynRGDh0yvkTiO9susq_hphKxfaGAWf9TM2qf5ANktyHwje6v-_VnQ7Fuyewt_8lVuovpdV-oeBzWXH-pxugYqKuwHh0i_KhnuIOkmqivVc1SdS6udb57FU/s640/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source:<span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">www.latimes.com</span></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Number 3</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel - Mecca - Saudi Arabia - 601
Metres - 1972 Feet - 120 Floors - Completed 2012</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc15svJCgPFUix8qROptEBiBjNXAvSarWxKBynzDo1qkbbYu-wNptI8lzebs6CrKTJA_rIdv5LTeTSdki68ZrrC1-EFEwSQXXk6-KtrzXA0HD97KM6T0YM4FjksX41m4gLKe8eax7QtHg/s1600/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc15svJCgPFUix8qROptEBiBjNXAvSarWxKBynzDo1qkbbYu-wNptI8lzebs6CrKTJA_rIdv5LTeTSdki68ZrrC1-EFEwSQXXk6-KtrzXA0HD97KM6T0YM4FjksX41m4gLKe8eax7QtHg/s640/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">www.independent.co.uk</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red; line-height: 150%;">Number 4</span></b><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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One World Trade Centre - New York - USA - </span></span></b><b style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">451 Metres - 1776 Feet - 94 Floors
- Completed 2015</span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMxjsY7KdWhpL90OR8A2As2WjcWEyZrvS9b-_p52Ypcyy1ctx9wnberuKuu45A9507tHCSxPwqhAz-iWFhFvWE7QOOn29WMKlEBrvr58-N-aJgPs9VZtmhAQ88KSomEuyvZEoGaDBJZ0/s1600/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMxjsY7KdWhpL90OR8A2As2WjcWEyZrvS9b-_p52Ypcyy1ctx9wnberuKuu45A9507tHCSxPwqhAz-iWFhFvWE7QOOn29WMKlEBrvr58-N-aJgPs9VZtmhAQ88KSomEuyvZEoGaDBJZ0/s640/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">www.aecom.com</span></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Number 5</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Taipei 101 - Taipei - China - 508
Metres - 1667 Feet - 101 Floors - Completed 2004 </span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJxb8JgheyD_NNSEd1T-Lt2CDmNeoAxIQGXx6Q0oAwjqJIQwu7-DOX03lV97urPWwelMK_JQycNzYallvRHfcD3g2i2Bxh-TKltwULqtmN4zS_7nLouC9U92HfSm3oMCDKL9yYnaLXU8/s1600/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJxb8JgheyD_NNSEd1T-Lt2CDmNeoAxIQGXx6Q0oAwjqJIQwu7-DOX03lV97urPWwelMK_JQycNzYallvRHfcD3g2i2Bxh-TKltwULqtmN4zS_7nLouC9U92HfSm3oMCDKL9yYnaLXU8/s640/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">www.taipei-101.com.tw</span></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: red; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Number 6</span></span></b></div>
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Shanghai World Financial Centre - Shanghai - China - </span></span></b><b style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">492 Metres - 1614 Feet - 101 Floors
- Completed 2008</span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCAh3sSm_OOM5MZvml-jQgY4zsJKdRh6lycAwWhNRZWQDjNhM4S_IrwMfM7YxdoCOUZ-YgzWlAhCBsbNAKK_HkCAC1eeXJQEpeQk5fbc1_DU2O7M0REKOWxoYwQKB15U3I-dGuxtaxKI/s1600/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCAh3sSm_OOM5MZvml-jQgY4zsJKdRh6lycAwWhNRZWQDjNhM4S_IrwMfM7YxdoCOUZ-YgzWlAhCBsbNAKK_HkCAC1eeXJQEpeQk5fbc1_DU2O7M0REKOWxoYwQKB15U3I-dGuxtaxKI/s640/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">www.telegraph.co.uk</span></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: red; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Number 7</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">International
Commerce Centre - Hong Kong - 484 Metres - 1588 Feet - 108 Floors
-Completed 2010</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">www.architecturalrecord.com</span></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Numbers 8&9 </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Petronas
Towers - Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia - 452 Metres - 1482 Feet
- 88 Floors -Completed 1998</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirx8aimnL58Vdn4zLqGkCZ_EDWvEuTwbEQzu8tMmvZtlC1oBcdYTt5oLaAWgjTUoShyphenhyphenG4Gj3RScb-DkF_HqgBxkf7qDbGt8zFYQZ7UlsY5SFjlT1cA5s67O8BQliMjkNundjuyi9CphAU/s1600/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirx8aimnL58Vdn4zLqGkCZ_EDWvEuTwbEQzu8tMmvZtlC1oBcdYTt5oLaAWgjTUoShyphenhyphenG4Gj3RScb-DkF_HqgBxkf7qDbGt8zFYQZ7UlsY5SFjlT1cA5s67O8BQliMjkNundjuyi9CphAU/s640/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">blog.123hotels.com</span></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Number 10</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Zifeng
Tower - Nanjing - China - 450 Metres - 1476 Feet - 89 Floors
- Completed 2010 </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGogOf_NCWVYDiyUxAgOjh-r9Pv6dyUFdoqaZVIvxCFdW192ZpWPxrrafls8Vk6y-Hz7V7LUO6SMNdCZTwe1UeK80C21xGWkFfxYUVx4cMqYks1Tjj9IvNFPo3-AXiMZDefEkM6VRohQo/s1600/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGogOf_NCWVYDiyUxAgOjh-r9Pv6dyUFdoqaZVIvxCFdW192ZpWPxrrafls8Vk6y-Hz7V7LUO6SMNdCZTwe1UeK80C21xGWkFfxYUVx4cMqYks1Tjj9IvNFPo3-AXiMZDefEkM6VRohQo/s640/Burj-Khalifa-5.jpg" width="506" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Source :<span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">skyscrapercenter.com</span></span></td></tr>
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Gary O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15686620694822791314noreply@blogger.com0