TRAINING QUESTIONS FOR BUILDING CONTROL

February

Steel Beam

Approved Documents, Part A3 Workmanship
Building Regulations 7, 8, 9, 10 & Schedule 2
Building Act Sections 3, 4, 5, 45, 87, 31, 126, 127

Loading & Ground Movement, A1 & A2

  1. A 2 storey detached house has the back wall 10m from the front wall. There is a large drawing room which extends from front to back walls. The flank wall, which is part of this room, has a chimney breast at mid-point and it is proposed to remove this breast to make the wall 10m long continuous from front to back. How thick would the wall have to be for this to be acceptable?


  2. A builder proposes building a cavity brick wall with the width of the cavity wall 100mm so that he can retain a 50mm residual cavity after inserting a 50mm insulating board. What type of cavity tie can be used and what spacing should be used? What is the minimum length of cavity wall tie that can be used?


  3. A builder wants to raise the height of a parapet wall for architectural reasons. What is the maximum height a 215mm thick wall can be raised to?


  4. A builder wishes to build a single storey extension to a house with a door leading to a rear garden. How close can the door be to the flank wall? Give reasons.


  5. An extension is to be built to a house. What type of lateral support restraint should be provided to:


    1. Flank walls, and
    2. Rear wall.


  6. In a loft conversion it is necessary to raise a chimney using London Stock Brickwork. If the overall width of the chimney at roof level is 400mm what is the maximum height above the level of highest intersection with the roof?


  7. It is proposed to replace a roof covering with a material of a lighter weight. What should be checked? What if the roof material had been heavier? What if the roof material is the same weight?


  8. A new floor is proposed for a house to span 4.0m. The builder wants to space the joists at 400mm centres to tie up with the chipboard flooring sheets which are 1.2m x 2.4m. What size should the joists be? If an Office use were proposed would this make a difference?


  9. An owner wants to remove the ceiling joists over his bedroom, to insulate the pitched rafters above and install a large Velux roof window so that they can lie in bed and see the stars. What are the structural problems with this proposal and how could they be addressed?


  10. An owner wants to take out the rear wall of his 2 story terraced house and support the upper storey on a steel beam spanning from party wall to party wall. He also intends to build a ground floor extension so that there will be one large room at the rear of his property. What is the problem with this proposal and does the building regulations allow us to address the issue?


  11. A builder has excavated foundations. Trees have been cut down near the extension. What would you look for before passing excavation as OK?


  12. What is the minimum depth of foundation in a clay soil? What is the typical clay bearing capacity? What is the minimum depth of foundation in sandy gravel? What is the typical bearing capacity?


  13. A piling company is to install bored piles in clay. What is the LDSA recommended method for calculating capacity of the piles?


  14. A builder is doing underpinning and asks you to check if the underpin that is ready for inspection is OK? What would you look for?

    15. Disproportionate Collapse, Part A3

  15. What is the height of building when this requirement applies? What is involved in this requirement?

  16. An Architect asks does his project of a new shopping mall roof with a 10metre span have to comply with Part A4 requirements for disproportionate collapse?

    Workmanship (Regulation 7 Approved Document)

  17. What is the status of an Agrement Certificate?


  18. What is an EC mark?

    Building Regulations

  19. A steel beam is to be installed to support a roof in a loft conversion. The calculations submitted show that the beam is strong enough but when using "Superbeam" to check the calculations the programme warns that the deflection is excessive. What considerations would you need to make to decide if this complied or not with the Building Regulations?


  20. A person proposes to build a detached garage for one car only? Would it be exempt?


  21. A builder intends to provide a conservatory at first floor level? If the floor area is 10.0sq.m, is it exempt from Building Regulations?


  22. A carport is to be built between two semi-detached houses and a rear extension to one of the houses. Is it exempt? If so why?


  23. A new house is being built with a glazed porch. There is to be a radiator in the porch. Would the porch be exempt?


  24. A 4 storey timber building 100m x 20m is to be erected as hospitality boxes on Ealing Common for a 2 week fair. Is the building exempt? If so why?


  25. A factory owner is decamping the office staff into "Port-a-cabins" on the site for the extent of building works refurbishing the factory. Are these "Port-a-cabins" exempt?


  26. If an owner felt it was unreasonable to require part of the Building Regulations to their building could they apply to a Local authority for a relaxation?


  27. An owner wants to change his concrete door lintels that are showing rust stains. Assuming that the lintel is supporting the wall above is this work controllable? Why?


    28. Building Act 1984

  28. A school is to have building work done. The Architect telephones and asks is a School exempt from control by Local Authority Building Control? The Architect asks does Section 4 of the Act exempt the school? Is this correct?


  29. The British Airports Authority is going to refurbish some offices for their own use in a local street. Their Architect telephones to ask are not BAA exempt from control?


  30. The Ministry of Defence has bought an office block in Ealing and their Architect is claiming Crown Exemption from the refurbishment works intended. Is this correct?


  31. A Builder is working to approved plans. He asks can he make a change to some of the details? What should be done to not negate the approval?


  32. In a Plan Approval is the specification and calculations included in the term "plans"?

Safety Instructions

When should the following be used:

  1. safety helmets,
  2. safety boots, and
  3. Safety waistcoats?

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Updated on 2nd January 2001 by Robert Hunter-Jones MSc CEng MICE MIStructE FRICS