NEWS Offsite group rises to the challenge T T
he Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has produced new guidance to address the technical challenges faced by engineers when designing building services risers. BESA Technical Bulletin TB56/1.2 is the second in a series planned by the Association’s specialist Offsite
Group and provides a snapshot of guidelines, principles, and rules of thumb to be considered as early as possible in the design process for the spatial fit of services inside risers. The group’s first document, released in March, covered service voids and horizontal distribution/modules. This new free to download riser guide emphasises the importance of allowing adequate spatial fit for building services and provides specific advice for engineers whether they are using traditional approaches or modern methods of construction (MMC)/design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA).
It explains the importance of planning the layout and spatial provision within risers as early as possible in the design process. It also shows how well-designed risers allow for more flexibility in building design by enabling
architects and engineers to plan the layout of utilities more efficiently, accommodating the specific needs of the building and its occupants.
The guide covers types, sizes, positions, and co-ordination of riser turnouts on to floor plates, all of which need to be established no later than the end of RIBA Stage 3 as the building form and fabric will be largely set and hard to change after this point. It also emphasises the important part risers play in achieving regulatory compliance and life-safety issues like fire stopping.
Coherent
“A well-planned riser strategy is vital for the efficient distribution of services and to ensure systems can be accessed easily for future maintenance and safety work,” said BESA Offsite Group chair Mark Snell. “A sensible and coherent riser strategy also helps to avoid the problems we often encounter with complex crossovers between services and congested ceiling voids.”
The Building Safety Act - specialist trades must not be forgotten
he new building control regime introduced under the Building Safety Act does not begin and end with Higher Risk Buildings (HRBs), with some fundamental changes applying more broadly, the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) has warned. October 1st marked a key milestone in the implementation of the Act with the Building Safety Regulator commencing its role as the new building control authority for HRBs, which include high-rise residential buildings, hospitals and care homes. However, TICA says the Act’s effect has a much wider impact and includes evidencing that individuals and organisations appointed to undertake work are competent to do, regardless of building type. Competence is already a major talking point among many specialist trades, and it is not uncommon to find them bypassed in the search for greater profit – with TICA having already highlighted examples of pre-insulated pipework systems being used with inadequate fire safety and thermal properties. It says there is an inherent understanding that Tier 1 and
Tier 2 contractors cannot be experts in every specialist trade required on a construction site. However, Tier 1 and Tier 2 contractors will need to evidence that they understand specialist trade competence and specification compliance, and that they are therefore competent to award contracts to specialist trade contractors.
In many cases the expectations placed upon specialist contractors by the Building Safety Act does not reflect the
situation on the ground and the reality facing many TICA members is that they either lose out to a non-spec compliant bid or are encouraged to alter the specification to remain in the race.
TICA is the sole trade association for thermal insulation in the UK and ensuring its members are well equipped to meet their own requirements for evidencing competence is a key priority. It is also working with other industry leaders to ensure that junctions between trades are managed correctly. So, what should Tier 1 or Tier 2 contractors consider when appointing a thermal insulation contractor?
• Compliance with specification (for example, thickness and type of insulation)
• Correctly Carded Workforce (TICA CSCS Thermal Insulator Card)
• Evidence of additional training where required, such as a heat network awareness certification for heat network projects
Build UK chief executive Suzannah Nichol MBE recently emphasised the importance of co-operation, trust and teamwork throughout the supply chain and offered the following analogy: “Just like in a relay race, the baton for building safety needs to be held by someone at all times and properly handed over; if dropped at any point, the team is disqualified. To make it round the track, the team needs to work together, rely on each other, and fine-tune the handover points.”
This elegantly highlights the importance of ensuring a
correct handover at every stage in a construction project. However, we must not forget that specialist trades are also part of the team.
TICA chief executive Marion Marsland said: “The Building Safety Act will generate a huge amount of secondary legislation that specialist contractors must understand. TICA continues to work hard, ensuring our members have the relevant information and knowledge to comply. Our role in specialist ‘Super Sector ‘ defining our sector competency continues, and we hope to complete this work by the end of 2024.”
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Read the latest at:
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10/11/23 16:13 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER DECEMBER 2023 5
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