Knowledge

With rising damp almost eliminated in English housing, condensation is now the major source of unwanted dampness in homes. It can lead to mould growth, health issues for occupants and additional maintenance costs. This programme looks at the conditions that give rise to condensation, its impact upon dwellings, and what can be done to rectify its negative effects. It also addresses different forms of condensation, discussing surface and interstitial condensation.

Unlocking the value of the UK's waste will require investment of at least ten to twenty billion pounds in infrastructure over the period to 2020.

The programme looks at who counts as a contractor, their responsibilities under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and under other health and safety legislation. Allison Connick, Director of Safety and Environment for CB Richard Ellis, talks us through the issues.

Competence in health, safety and welfare risk management issues is a key part of becoming a chartered civil engineer. This studio-based discussion shows how these key requirements can be met by the aspiring chartered civil engineer.

Just over a year ago, the updated and revised CDM Regulations came into force. The aim of the change was to provide more clarification and detail, leaving less room for debate! In this programme we’re going to look at whether they’ve been a success and following on from that how designers can use the regulations as a springboard to achieve better, innovative and indeed, safer designs.

Interviewed in the studio, Jonathan Small QC and Oliver Radley-Gardner of Falcon Chambers consider the important topics in current telecoms law. They discuss the issues surrounding the leasehold enfranchisement valuations, take a look at the mismatch between current landlord and tenant legislation and the Telecoms Code, and consider the implications of the Human Rights Act.

The UK’s long industrial history means that there is a substantial legacy of former industrial land ripe for regeneration. South Wales was once an area synonymous with heavy industry – with the plant at Ebbw Vale once the largest steelworks in Europe. The plant survived until closure five years ago – and today the site is home to one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects. This programme looks at the project to prepare the site for development.

TRADA Technology's Dr John Williams looks at historic timbers and the methods used to inspect them. There are, he argues, a number of good reasons to recycle and re-use our heritage buildings.

Dr John Williams, Senior Technical Consultant, TRADA Technology explains some of the options for non-destructive assessment of timber strength and condition in historic building.

The programme places BIM in its context as a technical response to attempts to increase coordination in architectural design, outlining the JCT's recent Constructing Excellence Contract and explaining BS 1192 Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information published in 2007.

In this exclusive interview conducted at the 2009 International Construction Information Society (ICIS) conference, RIBA Enterprises CEO Richard Waterhouse interviews Jacob Mehus, Director of Marketing of Standards Norway, on how he sees building information modelling (BIM) developing in Norway.

In this exclusive interview conducted at the 2009 International Construction Information Society (ICIS) conference, RIBA Enterprises CEO Richard Waterhouse interviews Maartin van Hezik, Managing Director of STABU, on how he sees building information modelling (BIM) developing in the Netherlands.