TRAINING QUESTIONS FOR BUILDING REGULATIONS IN ENGLAND & WALES

June

Approved Documents

Ventilation, Parts F1 and F2.
Hygiene, Parts G1, G2, G3.
Building Regulations
Building Act Sections 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14

Ventilation, Parts F1 & F2.

1. A House Owner intends to convert the integral garage into a bedroom room and a storage room. The converted garage will be entered from the existing hallway and be split into two rooms with a short passage. The garage door will be converted into windows and the storage room will get light from the use of glass blocks. If the storage room is big enough to have a bed, is it acceptable not to be provided with any ventilation? What are the ventilation requirements for the bedroom window?
2. A house owner wants to install a wc and wash basin on the ground floor under the stairs. It is not possible to install a window. What options are available for adequate ventilation?
3. A room is to be converted into a bathroom. Does a mechanical fan have to be installed? The owner points out that there is already a large window.
   (In considering your answer see also Approved Document J1 paragraph 3.2).
4. A new house is being built with Georgian style sash windows. As the window can be opened slightly to give background ventilation, is there a need for any other type of background ventilation? What are the alternative ways of getting background ventilation?
5. An extension is to be built at the rear of a house. This means that one room will not have windows opening directly to the outside air. Is it acceptable to ventilate the inner room through the extension? It is proposed to put doors to separate the inner room from the extension. What precautions are necessary?
6. A new shopping mall is to be built. Ignoring the requirements for emergency smoke ventilation in the event of fire, what are the minimum requirements for ventilation of the main mall space?
7. A new office block is to have mechanical ventilation of the occupiable rooms. What is the required air flow if light smoking is to be allowed in the offices?
8. A basement car park is to be provided with mechanical ventilation. How many air changes per hour are required for normal ventilation?
   (See Approved Document B3 paragraph 12.7 for a fire condition).
9. An office building is under construction. You go on the roof and notice that the air inlet for the mechanical ventilation system is next to the air-conditioning evaporative cooling tower. What is the problem with this design solution?
10. A new loft conversion is to be done in an existing pitched roof of a house. What are the ventilation requirements to prevent excessive condensation forming?
11. A house owner intends to change the style of his ground floor front room window to be a bay window. Is it necessary to ventilate the small roof void of the bay window over the insulated ceiling?
12. A rear extension to a terraced house is to have a flat roof with insulation between timber rafters. If the presence of neighbours extensions prevents side to side ventilation, how can adequate cross-ventilation be provided?
13. A builder proposes to provide a vapour check between the plasterboad and the timber joists of a loft conversion to reduce the amount of moisture reaching the void. This is proposed to compensate for the difficulty in venting the void at the roof hips of a semi-detached house. Is this acceptable?
14. A large roof light interupts the air flow up the slope of a loft conversion. The builder proposes doubling up the rafters either side of the roof light and notching the top face of the doubled up rafters to allow the air to flow around the roof light. Is this acceptable?

Hygiene, Parts G1, G2, G3

15. A house owner proposes putting a wc in the ground floor under the stairs. There is insufficient room for a hand basin in the proposed wc compartment. The owner points out that as the kitchen sink is in the next room off the hall, people could always wash their hands in the sink. What is the problem with this proposal?
16. A sports ground pavilion is to have a room provided for new water closets. Basins are provided for people to wash their hands in cold water. Does hot water need to be provided as well?
17. A semi-basement flat is to be formed in a house. It is proposed to provide the only wc in the flat by the use of a macerator and pump small bore system. Is this acceptable? Would it make a difference if a maisonette was proposed instead and the ground floor accomodation already had a normal wc?
18. A new development is to have a ground and first floor restaurant. It is expected to have 5 kitchen staff and to cater for 100 clients. It is assumed that 50% of these are to be male and 50% female. How many sanitary conveniences need to be provided under the Building Regulations? Assume the architect will wish to save space by using urinals instead of WCs.
19. It is proposed to only have a shower in a new small flat. Is this acceptable or is a bath required?
20. A hot water storage vessel has been installed in a new loft conversion. The system is of the unvented type. You note that the tundish seems to be more than 500mm away from the temperature relief valve. You also note that the metal discharge pipe does not carry on down the building to a trapped gully but would discharge water over the front footpath. Explain why these deviances from the approved document are health and safety issues?
21. A new block of flats has small unvented storage vessels providing hot water in each of the flats. Assuming that each of the vessels is less than 15 litres, is this exempt from control under the building regulations? If so why?

Building Regulations

22. If a new block of flats were proposed what is the maximum number of storeys that Charges Table 1 applies?
23. If a loft conversion included a bathroom, would that additional work mean that an additional Charge be required to the loft conversion? Would it make any difference if the new bathroom was to be on the existing first floor rather than in the new loft conversion?
24. A bungalow is to be built in the future but first a drain run is to be constructed as enabling works. A building notice is submitted for the drain run. Should the charge be based on the cost of the work of installing the drain (schedule 3), or on the number of dwellings (Schedule 1)?

Building Act 1984

Section 1

25. Does the Secretary of State have power to make Building Regulations to secure quality construction?

Section 2

26. Can the building regulations impose continuing requirements on owners and occupiers of buildings which were not on errection subject to building regulations?

Section 6

27. Can Approved Documents be prepared by a non-government body?

Section 8

28. Can both Local Authorities and / or the Secretary of State relax or dispense with a building regulations requirement if they consider that the requirement would be unreasonable in the circumstances? If so is any consultation needed?
29. Why might it be preferable to apply for a Determination (Section 16(10)) than a relaxation?
30. If the Local Authority refuses a relaxation application, how long is an applicant allowed to appeal to the Secretary of State (see Section 39)?

Section 9

31. If a Section 36 Notice or Injunction has been served, is it still possible to apply for a relaxation or dispensation?

Section 10

32. Under what circumstances does an applicant have to pay for an advertisement in a local newspaper at least 21 days before deciding an application for a relaxation or appeal?
33. Under what circumstances does a neighbouring owner and occupier have to be notified?
34. Would it be necessary for the Local Authority to consult the Fire Brigade (in London the London Fire & Civil Defence Authority)? (See Section 15)

Section 12

35. Does the Secretary of State issue Type Approvals?

Section 13

36. Has the Secretary of State delegated his power to issue type Approvals to any Body?

Section 14

37. When does the Secretary of state consult the Building Regulations Advisory Committee? What is this body?

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