Buildings

 
 

Building regulations

What is the purpose of the Regulations?

To secure reasonable standards of:

  • health and safety for persons in or about buildings (and any others who may be affected by buildings, or matters connected with buildings).
  • energy conservation.
  • access and facilities for people with disabilities.

What building work is controlled by the Regulations?

  • The erection or extension of a building.
  • The provision of a controlled service or fitting e.g. sanitary pipework, drainage, heat producing appliances.
  • The material alteration of a building, or a controlled service or fitting.
  • Work required to be undertaken as a result of a material change of use. (see below)
  • The insertion of insulation material into the cavity wall of a building.
  • Work involving the underpinning of a building.
  • All new electrical wiring or electrical components for a house, flat or small commercial premise linked to domestic accommodation must be designed and installed in accordance with Part P of the Building Regulations

A material change of use is:-

Where there is a change in the purposes for which or in the circumstances in which a building is used, so that after the change the building or part of the building-

  • is used as a dwelling, where previously it was not;
  • contains a flat, where previously it did not, or a building containing flats is altered so that there are more or less flats than existed previously;
  • is used as a hotel or boarding house, where previously it was not;
  • is used as an institution, where previously it was not;
  • is used as a public building where previously it was not;
  • is not an 'exempt building' where previously it was.
  • When a material change of use takes place, the building, or affected part, needs to be upgraded to satisfy certain important parts of the Regulations. Fire safety, ventilation provision and energy conservation applies to all the cases above. Structure, weather resistance, fire spread and sound insulation apply in specific cases.

What are the technical requirements?

The technical requirements of the Regulations and guidance on how to meet those requirements are contained in Approved Documents published by HMSO and listed as follows:-

Approved Documents

Part A: Structure - a building needs to be designed in accordance with codes of practice so that dead, imposed and wind loads are safely transmitted through the structure to the ground, without causing deflection or deformation which would impair the stability of it, or adjacent buildings (A1). Consideration also needs to be given to the effects of ground movements (A2) and disproportionate collapse (A3).

Part B: Fire Safety - this is the largest of the Approved Documents as the subject is both wide-ranging and complex. There are five requirements which, when taken together, aim to ensure that a fire in a building will not endanger the safety of it's occupants, it's neighbours or firefighters.

All buildings (except HM Prisons!) need to be designed and constructed to have a means of escape in case of fire to a place of safety outside the building (B1). Internal wall and ceiling surfaces need to be of materials that resist the spread of flame over their surfaces and do not release excessive heat once ignited (B2). The structure of the building needs to have sufficient fire resistance to maintain it's stability for a reasonable period (B3). To prevent fire spreading easily within a building, and to other buildings, fire separations and cavity barriers need to be provided (B3). The external surfaces of walls and roofs need to be of materials, which will restrict the spread of fire over them (B4). The building needs to provide the fire brigade with access and facilities to fight a fire (B5).

Part C: Site Preparation and Resistance to Moisture - a building needs to be able to protect it's occupants from the effects of hazardous materials (e.g. Radon) and other substances in the ground (C1 and C2), and from dampness arising from moisture in the ground (C3) and the weather (C4).

Part D: Toxic Substances - toxic fumes from cavity wall insulation must not permeate into any occupied building.

Part E: Resistance to the Passage of Sound - one of the major complaints against our neighbours is when unwanted noise disturbs us in our homes. Walls separating any building, or part, from dwellings need to resist the transmission of airborne sound (E1). Floors or stairs separating any space from a dwelling need to resist the transmission of airborne sound (E2). Floors or stairs separating any space from a dwelling below the space need to resist the transmission of impact sound (E3).

Part F: Ventilation - the occupants of a building need to be provided with sufficient natural or mechanical ventilation (F1) and certain roof voids need to be ventilated to prevent excessive condensation forming (F2).

Part G: Hygiene - the occupants of buildings must be provided with the use of sufficient sanitary conveniences and washing facilities (G1), and with hot and cold water in dwellings (G2). Unvented hot water storage systems need to be safely installed (G3).

Part H: Drainage and Waste Disposal - foul water (H1) and rainwater from roofs (H3) need to be provided with adequate drainage systems. Where a septic tank, cesspool or settlement tank is provided it needs to be adequately sited, constructed and ventilated (H2). Adequate storage of solid waste needs to be provided (H4).

Part J: Heat Producing Appliances - fires and boilers burning solid fuel, oil or gas, and incinerators need to be supplied with; sufficient air to permit efficient combustion and exhaust (J1), adequate flues or chimneys to discharge the products of combustion to the outside air (J2), and suitably constructed fire places and flues to reduce the risk of the building catching fire (J3).

Part K: Stairs, Ramps and Guards - most accidents within buildings happen on, or around, changes in level. Stairs, ladders and ramps forming part of a building need to be designed and constructed to offer safety to users moving between levels of the building (K1). Guarding should be provided to protect the users from the risk of falling from stairs, ramps, floors and balconies and from any roof where people normally have access (K2). Where vehicles have access to any floor, ramp or roof, barriers to protect people in or about the building should be provided (K3).

Part L: Conservation of Fuel and Power - although it is not a matter of health and safety, the Government considers that energy conservation is important enough to be controlled by the Building Regulations. This can be achieved; by limiting heat loss through the walls, roofs, and floors of buildings, by providing thermostatic and timing controls for space and water heating systems, by insulating hot water vessels and pipes, and hot air ducts, and by installing efficient artificial lighting systems.

Part M: Access and Facilities for Disabled People - this requirement was made to ensure that new buildings are constructed to give the same rights as able bodied people to those unfortunate enough to have impaired mobility, hearing or sight. Provision needs to be made; to allow easy access into and about a building (M2), for suitable sanitary conveniences for disabled people (M3) and for special spaces for disabled people where audience or spectator seating is provided (M4).

Part N: Glazing - Materials and Protection - where people are likely to come into contact with glazing in or about a building provision needs to be made to ensure they are not injured by it. This can be achieved by either providing safety glass which will not break on impact, or will break in a way which is unlikely to cause injury, or by shielding the glass against contact (N1). Transparent glazing may need to incorporate features to make it apparent if the danger of collision exists (N2).

It is important to remember that the contents of the Approved Documents are only guidance - it is not cast in stone and there is more than one way to skin a cat!