Technical guidance used as part of the Building Regulations approval process include Approved Documents, British Standards and other technical information that are essential to the building control process.  Technical guidance is used by building control surveyors to determine if a design or constructed building meets the minimum requirements.  These requirements and guidance often contain no precise explanation of what will acceptable to building control surveyors for bespoke designs or building works and as such an informed determination must be made.

To assist our building control surveyors in making determinations on compliance with Building Regulations we have daily discussions and hold regular technical meetings.  At these times we consider matters that are open to interpretation and provide our own internal guidance to allow our surveyors to make an informed and professional decision.  We believe that some of this internal guidance will be useful for all building consultants and contractors and have included a list of matters recently been discussed together with a summary and brief conclusion;

Part A - Pile Testing Requirements - Considered the need for load and integrity testing.   This would be to suit quality of site investigation, site ground conditions, factor of safety used, number of piles, type of piles, etc.  Testing should be considered as part of the approval process with the specialist design engineer and number and type of tests included in the design stage approval.

Part B - Loft Conversions - Considered if existing doors enclosing the protected stair could be retained.  Subject to individual assessment on site to determine door structure quality and fit some doors could be retained that did not provide the guidance fire resistance provided that suitable additional fire detecton or suppression was installed as part of a fire engineered type design.  Any variations to guidance to be clearly stated by designer and any accepted to be included in the design stage approval.

Part B - Loft Conversions - Considered if open plan protected stairs would be acceptable.  Subject to individual assessment as part of a fire engineered type design open plan stairs may be accepted.  General principles may need to include the provision of sprinklers, additional fire detection, escape windows, etc.  The designer must provide a fire engineered design that confirms how any variations to arroved document guidance would not result in lower life safety standards.

Part B - Travel Distances - Considered if means of escape travel distances could be extended.  Travel distances in approved document B can be extended subject to individual assessment and consideration of fire risk, building type, level of detection, suppression and management, etc as BS9999 or fire engineered design.  If extended travel distances are approved the reasons for this should be clearly stated in the design proposal and fire authority consultation.

Part C - Site Investigation Requirements -  Considered the need for different types of site and contamination investigation for new buildings and extensions.  All new buildings need some form of site investigation that should be the subject of risk assessment by the designers.  The most simple would be desk study and a limited number of trial pits (suitable for works proposed) with appropriate contamination testing.  Unless the building is on a site with known ground conditions and a low risk of contamination presence (indicated from desk study) site investigation with contamination testing should be required.

Part K - Stair and Guarding Climbability / 100mm Sphere Rule - Considered the need for stairs and guarding to be non-climbable where a building may be used by children under 5 years of age.  This requirement applies to internal and external parts of all dwellings and other buildings that may have unsupervised young children (assembly buildings, some retail premises, leisure centres, nurserys, etc).  There are no determinations that relax this important safety requirement.

Part L - Use of Multi Foil Type Insulation Products - Considered if acceptable to use and with or without additional insulation products.  All multi foil products that have BBA certification / other Regulation 7 certification and confirm U values are acheived in accordance with government test criteria will be acceptable.  Subject to individual assessment and in limited situations (such as loft conversions or limited headroom applications) it is possible for multi foil products to be used with a lower level of additional insulation. 

If you would like to discuss any matter listed above further please contact the Gloucester office and ask for Paul Hughes.

If you require any technical advice in the meantime please contact one of our offices.