BRE TRUST S Publication PROGRAMMES : Progress Reports to End June 2011
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BRE TRUST’S Publication PROGRAMMES : Progress Reports to end June 2011
This report is a summary of progress and developments in the Trust’s publication programmes to end of June 2011.
Topics covered are as follows:
A. Progress Report Q1 2011/12
B. NHBC Foundation publications
C. Publications progress on the 2011/12 call
A Progress Report Q1 2011/12
Recently published
April 2011
Dynamic comfort criteria for structures. Breeze. FB 33
The effects of vibration are increasingly important in the design of buildings and building elements. Modern, lighter buildings respond more to imposed vibration, so people are more likely to experience vibration. This BRE Trust Report distils the themes and disparate (sometimes conflicting) acceleration comfort criteria associated with building vibration. It considers the Eurocodes, British and ISO Standards, and other sources of information.
The status of dynamic testing is discussed, as well as the underlying principles of common test methods. Practical advice is included, and full-scale measurements presented that illustrate the issues.
This technical review is aimed at building designers, consultants, architects and structural engineers. By presenting all the relevant acceleration criteria in one document in a logical and concise way, it is hoped that the complex and interlinking nature of this subject will be better understood.
May 2011
Airtightness in commercial and public buildings. 3rd edition. Jaggs and Scivyer. FB 35
The only guide that provides comprehensive practical guidance on airtightness and detailing for commercial and public buildings and other non-domestic buildings. Provides generic examples of frequently occurring air leakage paths and practical guidance on methods and materials suitable for sealing common construction detailing. The guidance also covers managing the airtightness process from design through construction and airtightness compliance testing to handover.
Alkali-activated binder concretes in construction. Dunster et al. IP 4/11
Alkali-activated binders have many cost and durability benefits. Their manufacture uses less energy and produces less carbon dioxide than conventional Portland cement. They are based on minimally processed industrial by-products, which significantly reduces the carbon footprint of concretes made from them. BRE-led research has shown that alkali-activated binder concretes can be used on a commercial scale to produce durable concrete products with physical properties that are comparable to or better than those of equivalent Portland cement concrete. This paper provides an introduction to the technology and reviews the benefits of and barriers to wider adoption of these systems. It also presents the results of industrial-scale production trials.
BRE Trust Review 2010
The BRE Trust Review 2010 presents a summary of the year’s activities and achievements. The main focus is on short papers from BRE, BRE Global and the five BRE Centres of Excellence, summarising research projects funded by BRE Trust in 2010. The papers demonstrate the breadth and scope of the research that is being supported by the Trust.
Wind microclimate around buildings. Digest. Paul Blackmore. Revision of Digest. DG 520
Tall buildings can deflect high-level wind down towards the ground, producing unpleasant and sometimes dangerous wind conditions in adjoining pedestrian areas. Architects, developers and planners must aim to provide a safe and comfortable wind microclimate in open-air pedestrian areas around buildings.
This Digest brings together the latest information on wind environment around buildings to assist building designers, planners, developers and building control officers. The general principles of wind flow around buildings and techniques for mitigating unacceptable wind speeds are discussed and advice is given on the methods and criteria for assessing pedestrian wind comfort. Guidance on the advantages and disadvantages of the different measurement techniques is also provided.
This Digest replaces Digest 390, which is now withdrawn.
June 2011
Fire performance of light steel-framed buildings. Lennon and Hopkin. IP 6/11
This Information Paper discusses the performance in fire of light steel-framed (LSF) buildings constructed from cold-formed steel. It highlights areas where designers and manufacturers may need to look beyond a simple reliance on standard fire test data and consider issues of detailing which may be critical to the performance of the building system in a real fire. Sources of design guidance are identified and the literature on LSF structures in fire is summarised. The paper aims to give designers, insurers and regulators a better understanding of the important considerations when LSF systems are used in the construction of buildings.
Timber cladding. Reynolds and Holland. DG 521
Timber cladding is an attractive and sustainable method of providing weather resistance to a building, but has weathering characteristics and a vulnerability to deterioration that need to be anticipated to obtain best performance. Correct fixing and appropriate architectural detailing help to ensure long service life. In addition to naturally durable or preservative-treated timber, chemically or thermally modified wood can also be used for cladding. This Digest provides information on the design and performance of timber cladding, including material selection and detailing.
Water mist fire protection in offices. Experimental testing and development of a test protocol. Annable and Jackman. FB 34
This report provides research information and data to assist with understanding the mechanisms for successful water mist fire protection systems in offices.
Water mist systems are increasingly being used in the UK for to protect buildings, including commercial premises such as hotels, offices and retail units, from fire by limiting the extent of fire damage and waste of resources, time, salvage and re-instatement operations. However, acceptability of water mist systems is often unproven, the limits of their effectiveness are largely unknown and acceptance criteria are not well established. Successful performance can only be achieved by carefully engineered designs to meet particular applications. This study:
- characterises the mechanisms and factors that govern their effectiveness
- defines a fire test protocol for evaluating systems for commercial offices
- addresses some of the gaps in knowledge.
It is only with this knowledge and understanding that fixed water mist suppression systems can be assessed and confidence given that they will be effective in protecting property and life.
The following two BRE publications which were not funded by the Trust were also produced in the first quarter and are included here for information.
Carbon footprinting and labelling of construction products. Doran and Anderson. IP 5/11
The terms ‘carbon footprinting’ and ‘carbon labelling’ are in common use in the construction industry, but can be confused and misinterpreted. This Information Paper defines the terms in the context of construction products, and outlines the life-cycle assessment (LCA) principles that underpin them. This is followed by a review of associated standards, codes, other schemes and resources. The use of carbon footprinting and labelling in the construction industry is then considered, along with relevant organisations, products and construction specifications, and ‘whole building’ assessment.
This Information Paper is intended to be a resource for architects, constructors, manufacturers, suppliers, academics and regulators so that better-informed decisions can be made about construction products.
Structural fire engineering. Lennon. Co-publication ICE Publishing and IHS BRE Press
Structural Fire Engineering provides comprehensive and practical design guidance on the application of structural fire engineering to specialist structural engineers. The chapters provide an insight into the explanation of the structural fire engineering design process, its position within the regulatory system and guidance on the selection of appropriate partial factors for the fire limit state for variations in material properties and loading. The book places structural fire engineering design procedures within a context and framework which will be familiar to many readers. The information on standard methods of test and assessment and their function within the regulatory framework provides a broader perspective to the design standards.
Approved drafts with ihs bre press for editing/publishing
Biomass energy. Suttie. FB
Biomass systems: Key factors for successful installations. Thorne. IP
Cross-laminated timber. A Sutton, D Black and P Walker
Design of durable concrete structures. Matthews. FB
Environmental impact of cladding. FB
Environmental impact of floor finishes. FB
Environmental impact of insulation. FB
Flood resilient building. 2-part DG. Garvin
Ground source heat pumps / low temperature systems: Key factors/successful installations. Thorne. IP
Hemp lime. A Sutton, D Black and P Walker
Implementation guide to district heating. FB. Wiltshire
Large-scale low-carbon heating: Key factors for successful installations. Thorne. IP
LED lighting: A review of the current market and future developments. Graves. FB
Lessons learned from community-based microgen projects. Munzinger et al.
Natural fibre insulation. A Sutton, D Black and P Walker
Photovoltaic systems on dwellings: Key factors for successful installations. Pester and Thorne. IP
Radon in the workplace 2nd edition. Scivyer. FB
Service life prediction for timber cladding. Suttie, DG
Site layout planning for daylight and sunlight. Littlefair. BR 209, 2nd edition
Smart meters and smart energy networks for domestic dwellings. Mike Perry.
Solar thermal systems: Key factors for successful installations. Thorne. IP
Straw bale. A Sutton, D Black and P Walker
Structural appraisal of existing buildings / change of use. S Matthews. Rev DG 366, 4! parts
Structural appraisal of existing buildings. 4-part DG. Matthews
Structural assessment of existing large panel system (LPS) dwelling blocks. Matthews
Unfired clay brick. A Sutton, D Black and P Walker
U-value conventions in practice. FB. Doran
Ventilation measurement Upton and Kukadia. IP
The following drafts have been received for BRE publications not funded by the Trust
Rainwater harvesting. Trotman and Griggs. Good Building Guide
With IHS BRE press and approved, but images not yet received
Evacuating people with impaired mobility from buildings Crowder Charters
External fire spread performance of cladding systems on multi-storey buildings. Colwell. FB
Fire performance of external thermal insulation for walls of multistorey buildings. Colwell, Rev BR 135
Fire performance of roofs - a guide to test methods and approvals. Colwell. DG
Performance of photovoltaic systems in non-domestic buildings. Pester et al. FB
Building4Change
Building4Change now has
· Just over 29,500 visitors per month to the website
· 80,000 page impressions per month (pages read)
· Average time spent reading the site each month is 25 minutes (which is exceptionally good)
· Receiving favourable feedback from industry, eg: “they're getting some great CEO interviews. Previous one with Jay Wyper, MD for Hines Europe, was excellent.”
· The website has well over 700 followers on Twitter, and Building4Change is about to be named in the top 100 sources of built environment news
B. NHBC Foundation Publications
Published
Sustainable Drainage Systems for housing. NF 22. July 2010
Ageing and airtightness. NF 24. January 2011
Ground-related requirements for new housing. Workshop report. Lychgate. NF 32. June 2011
Home sale and handover. NF 26. January 2011
Introduction to Feed-in Tariffs. NF 23. January 2011
Management of post-completion repairs. NF 25. January 2011
Water consumption in sustainable new homes, NF 29. March 2011
Being edited
Energy efficient appliances and controls, Tilford and Holleron
Low or zero carbon cooking appliances, Pope, Gemmell, Balson
Guide to installation of renewable energy systems on roofs of residential buildings. Blackmore
Fire performance of new residential buildings. Lennon and Hopkin
C. Publications progress on the 2011/12 call
Overall 26 essay plans out of a possible 45 have been delivered for review and approval. The overall spend on the 2011/12 programme for the first quarter was just over 20% of the full year budget which is very encouraging.
BRE Trust Secretariat
July 2011
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