Approved Documents, Parts C & D
Building Regulations 2000 17, 18, 19,
Building Act Sections 32, 35, 36, 37 to 43

Part C, Site Preparation and Moisture Resistance

1. An architect telephones you. He is proposing to build 5 new houses on land near an old landfill site. He says the nearest house will be about 240m away from the edge of the old site. The site investigation report showed the methane level to be less than 1% by volume and the Carbon Dioxide was showed as 2% by volume. What precautions are necessary?
2. A new block of flats is to be built on the site of an old tannery. You notice this on the Ordnance Survey maps while checking for sewer locations on the Map of Sewers. Who is required to be notified to comply with the Approved Document?
3. A research reporter telephones you and asks what the London Borough of Ealing is doing to ensure that the buildings in Ealing are not affected by Radon Gas?
4. A storage shed for paint drums is being erected over yard concrete. The concrete yard has taken the weight of vehicles for many years and they do not want to replace it. The Architect asks does the floor and walls have to be protected against the damp to comply with the Approved Document?
5. A Builder is proposing to have a suspended timber ground floor. Does he have to have a damp proof membrane under the ground cover?
6. A terrace building 5m wide is to have a suspended timber ground floor. 9" x 6" clay airbricks are proposed (2,580 sq.mm. holes). What spacing should the bricks be installed at on the opposite faces? If 9" x 3" Louvered UPVC airbricks were proposed instead could that be accepted?
7. An extension to a house is to be built with cavity walls. The builder proposes to use a cavity tray damp proof course in the external walls. What needs to be done at the ends of the cavity tray? If a cavity tray is not to be provided how far below the dpc must the cavity be carried down?
8. A concrete coping is being laid on top of a party wall between extensions. You notice that there is no dpc under the coping. Is this OK?
9. An owner of a fifth floor flat telephones you. He has damp coming through his 9" solid brick walls. He and his landlord are in dispute as to who is liable to put matters right. He thinks the landlord should render the brickwork externally as shown in Diagram 14 of the Approved Document C4. He has noted, however, that reference is made to DD 93: 1984. Please can you explain what this is about?
10. A full plan application shows an extension with a cavity wall that is to have partial fill insulation. If the cavity is 100mm and the insulation 60mm is that acceptable for rain penetration?
11. A new 4-story office building has pre-cast concrete floors and brick/block cavity walls. If it is proposed to use a bitumen felt dpc in the walls 150mm above ground level, is there a problem?

Part D, Cavity Insulation

1. An owner of a timber-framed house with brick cladding has noticed that there is a cavity between the timber work and the brickwork. To improve thermal insulation they wish to have the cavity filled with urea-formaldehyde foam. Is this acceptable?

Building Regulations

1. A Full plan application for change of use of a small dwelling house to an office was made and the plans passed. On the application form a request for a completion certificate was made. When doing a final completion survey you realise that the existing floor joists are only sufficient for domestic use but could not take the office live load. Are you required to give a completion certificate not withstanding the lack of strengthening to the floor joists?
2. A Full plan application for change of use of a small dwelling house to an office was made and the plans passed. On the application form a request for a completion certificate was made. When doing a final completion survey you realise that the Means of Escape in case of fire are inadequate. Are you required to give a completion certificate not withstanding the lack of safety?
3. You go to site to check a dpm. The polythene looks very thin but is coloured blue and marked "dpm". What could you do to check it out?

Building Act 1984

1. Three years ago a full plan application was made and the plans passed. The owner now intends to start work and telephones in to ask for a site inspection to be made when the builder starts work. In the last three years the Building Regulations have been changed. Can the owner still build to the standards shown on the passed plans?
2. A developer in the borough is making a habit of not notifying Building Control when doing building work. Several times the enforcement team have had to turn up when alarmed neighbours have complained at the way work was being done. If it was decided to take the developer to the Magistrates Court for not notifying Building Control under what Section could this be done and what is the Regulation that has been contravened? What is the Penalty if found guilty?
3. An owner of a house has converted the building into two flats without installing sound insulation. After a warning letter was sent, the owner is defiant and states that the required sound insulation will not be installed. Under what section could enforcement action be taken? Is there a time limit from when the flat is completed to take legal action?
4. A disco club has carried out a refurbishment of its premises. In a site inspection it is noticed that a fire escape door has been sealed up. When questioned the owner claims that this part of the building had been completed 7 months ago. What enforcement action could be taken?

If the owner disputes the need for the fire escape what action could the owner take?

5. An owner is doing structural alterations to a ground floor flat. After a couple of inspections it becomes impossible to gain access. The neighbour informs that the owner has gone abroard.

A year later the owner returns and is looking for a completion certificate. The surveyor asks for the end of the beam to be exposed so that the size can be determined.

Upon inspecting the beam, it is observed that the beam is undersized. Not-with-standing that a year has past there is a health and safety danger to the occupiers of the flat above.

The owner states that as it has held up for over a year there is no need to change the beam. What action could be taken to ensure an adequately strong beam is installed?

6. An owner is to build an indoor swimming pool in the garden as an extension to the house. On plans submitted the ground bearing concrete slab around the pool does not show the provision of a damp proof membrane. When it is pointed out that the Approved Documents guidance shows the need for a damp proof membane, the owner writes in requesting a relaxation of the building regulations on the basis that this is a silly requirement next to a pool of water. Under what legislation can a Local Authority Building Control relax the Building Regulations? If the LABC refuses to relax the building regulations, what appeals are available to the owner? Are there any costs involved in making an appeal?

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