The Building Regulations: Explained and Illustrated

M. J. Billington, BSc, MRICS, MIoR, who has worked on various editions of this book since 1986, is a Chartered Building Surveyor. He was formerly Senior Lecturer in building control and construction at De Montfort University, Leicester, before leaving to join the private sector, where he continued to act as visiting lecturer at a number of universities. Currently he is Managing Director of Construction Auditing Services Ltd, a company that specialises in latent defects technical auditing, and is Chairman of Certass Ltd, one of the leading Building Regulations Competent Persons Schemes for building fabric. Mike is a regular contributor to Knights Building Regulations and is widely published in the fields of building control and building surveying. S. P. Barnshaw, BSc(Hons), MRICS, C.Build E, FCABE is Associate Director - Technical at jhai Limited. Qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and Chartered Building Engineer, Stephen has 30 years experience in the building surveying and building control profession. He has managed services within the private and public sectors and worked on a wide range of high profile buildings and frameworks. He has also been involved in professional training for many years and is Chair of an RICS professional membership panel. K. T. Bright, MSc, FRICS, FBEng, MCIOB, NRAC (Consultant), is Emeritus Professor of Inclusive Environments at the University of Reading and Visiting Professor of Inclusive Environments in the School of Art and Design at the University of Ulster. He has published widely in academic and practice journals and is the author and editor of several highly regarded reference books related to the development of inclusive environments. A. Crooks, FRICS, C.BuildE, FCABE, MIFireE is Chief Executive at jhai limited, one of the UK's largest approved inspectors. Andrew is a Chartered Surveyor, Chartered Building and Fire Engineer and has 25 years of industry experience delivering services within the private and public sectors on a wide range of buildings and frameworks. He is an RICS and CABE professional membership Chairman and Assessor and a member of the CICAIR Ltd Committees relating to the regulation of Approved Inspectors.

About the author xi Preface to the fourteenth edition xiii Acknowledgements xvii I Legal and administrative 1 Building control: An overview 1.1 1.1 Introduction 1.1 1.2 The Building Act 1984 1.2 1.3 The linked powers 1.3 1.4 Building Regulations 1.4 1.5 Building Regulations: Exemptions 1.6 1.6 Dangerous structures, etc. 1.10 1.7 Other legislation 1.12 2 The Building Regulations and Approved Documents 2.1 2.1 Introduction 2.1 2.2 Division of the Regulations 2.1 2.3 Approved Documents 2.6 2.4 Definitions in the Regulations 2.10 2.5 Exempt buildings and work 2.17 2.6 Application of the Regulations 2.19 2.7 Regulation requirements 2.24 2.8 Schedule 1: Technical requirements 2.25 2.9 Relaxation of regulation requirements 2.26 2.10 Type relaxations 2.27 2.11 Continuing requirements 2.28 2.12 Testing and sampling 2.28 2.13 Testing and Commissioning 2.29 2.14 Unauthorised building work 2.30 2.15 Contravening works 2.31 3 Local authority control 3.1 3.1 Introduction 3.1 3.2 The local authority 3.2 3.3 Building notice procedure 3.2 3.4 Exemptions from the requirement to give a building notice or deposit full plans 3.4 3.5 Deposit of plans 3.4 3.6 Notice requirements 3.7 3.7 Completion certificate 3.9 4 Private certification 4.1 4.1 Introduction 4.1 4.2 Insurance requirements 4.2 4.3 Approval of inspectors 4.4 4.4 Approved persons and self ]certification by competent persons 4.8 4.5 Self ]certification schemes and the Approved Inspector 4.8 4.6 Independence of Approved Inspectors 4.9 4.7 Approval of public bodies 4.9 4.8 Private certification procedure 4.10 4.9 Plans certificates 4.19 4.10 Final certificates 4.20 4.11 Public body's notices and certificates 4.21 4.12 Prescribed forms 4.21 5 Work under the supervision of a competent person 5.1 5.1 Introduction 5.1 5.2 Principles of self ]certification 5.2 5.3 Benefits of competent person schemes 5.2 5.4 Joining a competent person scheme 5.5 5.5 Legislative background 5.6 5.6 Building regulation requirements 5.6 5.7 Self ]assessment 5.11 5.8 Non ]notification 5.12 5.9 Regulation 20 applied to local authorities 5.14 5.10 Regulation 20 applied to Approved Inspectors 5.14 5.11 Approval of competent person schemes 5.14 II Technical 6 Structural stability (Part A) 6.1 6.1 Introduction 6.1 6.2 Loading 6.2 6.3 Ground movement 6.3 6.4 Guidance on structural design in buildings of all types 6.3 6.5 Structural requirements in existing buildings subject to change of use 6.7 6.6 Design of structural members in houses and other small buildings 6.8 6.7 Buttressing walls, piers and chimneys 6.25 6.8 External wall cladding 6.48 6.9 Replacement of roof coverings 6.51 6.10 Disproportionate collapse 6.52 7 Part 7 - Fire (Part B) 7.1 7.1 Introduction 7.1 7.2 Terminology 7.6 7.3 Occupancy classifications: Purpose groups etc. 7.16 7.4 Rules for measurement 7.21 7.5 Means of warning and escape in case of fire 7.25 7.6 Means of escape 7.26 7.7 Interpretation of AD B1 7.28 7.8 General requirements for means of warning and escape 7.31 7.9 Rules for measurement for means of escape 7.33 7.10 Fire alarm and fire detection systems 7.37 7.11 Sprinkler systems 7.44 7.12 Means of escape in dwellinghouses 7.46 7.13 Flats and maisonettes 7.54 7.14 Means of escape from buildings other than dwellinghouses, flats and maisonettes 7.73 7.15 General recommendations common to all buildings except dwellinghouses 7.96 7.16 Alternative approach to the provision of means of escape in selected premises 7.103 7.17 Internal fire spread (linings) 7.112 7.18 Internal fire spread (structure) 7.125 7.19 Fire resistance and structural stability 7.125 7.20 Compartment walls and f