Posts Tagged ‘british standards’

10 recent changes to BS8102 2022 you NEED to know about

Waterproofing standard BS8102 has been revised and the new standard from 2022 has been published this month.

Our MD Ian MacLennan says “We had to change the standards because of the confusion around the grades of waterproofing. We ended up doing a complete revision and added a lot of new best practice guidance. Because the changes are critical and extensive we will provide ongoing support and advice to clients to keep them compliant. Including CPD and training."

As these are our notes, we encourage you to read the standard for yourself and compare, but overall we feel that what we have written will benefit anyone involved in basement waterproofing design.

Just some of the changes to be aware of are:

1. It is now written into the British standard that you need to appoint a waterproofing specialist that is adequately qualified and experienced for that type and size of project and by the technical design stage latest if RIBA stages are being used.

“We would add that they must have PI for waterproofing design, and accept design liability.”

2. Defects owing to design are now mentioned in the British standard.

“You need the qualified, experienced designer from beginning to end to prevent defects .“

3. Twin walls and ICF are now classified as inherently high risk according to the British standard.

4. (If remedial work isn’t possible, the design should be altered.)

“You have to consider the form and feasibility of repair with the design specialist.”

5. The standard says the specialist must have the adequate relevant insurance.

“This is incredibly important, waterproofing specialists taking the liability is critical, no split liability can only protect the client and design team.”

6. Movement joints should not be used below ground unless unavoidable.

“If they absolutely have to be used we can design them but there is lots of advice in the standard. “

7. There is a completely new section on historic buildings.

"We are running a CPD on historic building basement design and compliance with BS8102 2022."

8. A lot of new critical and useful information on Cavity Drain systems.

9. Inverted cavity drain systems. A high-risk scenario in which a specialist is required, IS now written into the standards.

10. A huge section detailing what happens if something goes wrong and remedial works are required. Important information for those considering a less effective waterproofing solution to save costs.

If you want to find out more from an author of the new standard contact us.

We are also offering a free CPD seminar that goes through the new BS8102 : 2002 step by step, book it here.

Our MD Ian MacLennan is on the committee re-writing BS8102 Code of practice

MacLennan’s managing director has been invited to help re-write the BS8102 Code of practice for protection of below ground structures against water from the ground.

Why does this committee need consultant/contractors?

It is our site experience of hundreds of basement waterproofing installations per year and hundreds of investigations of sites, failures, issues that feed the industry with ideas for new products and new processes.

As a company that helps investigate it’s own and others mistakes in a specialist industry, to help come up with robust and sometimes unique ways to solve complex problems we are constantly learning, sharing and discussing these in-depth challenges & solutions to interesting problems. It’s what built our high-class team of specialists that can guide, advise and inform clients with a depth of knowledge that you cannot learn without our experience.

We provide hundreds of basement waterproofing solutions every year and the majority go without a hiccup but we’d be naive and in denial, if we weren’t aware that we work in the construction industry that is constantly evolving and has unique challenges each and every day. But this is also what allows us to be innovative and helpful in efficiently overcoming these stumbling blocks without holding up our client’s programs or compromising the watertight outcome. Access to our specialist skills is key when you are against the clock to deliver a project on time but also need to get the right detailing so you have no area of weakness in your complete waterproofing solution.

All this experience goes into every job we design each and every day, and this is what our MD’s personal current contribution to the current & new BS:8102 advisory committee brings. As you cannot underestimate the value of a genuine specialist with the in-depth knowledge and experience to solve any problem that may come up, as well as having the capability to design & install you a waterproofing solution that is fully fit for purpose. Simplicity is often the key feature of someone at the top of their game as they see clearly what’s needed and quickly eliminate features that have limited value and come with higher risk.

That’s why a company that stands by its solution with a genuine guarantee for workmanship and the design is priceless in a high-risk industry as they are there to help remove your exposure to failure as they will always be there to help at every stage of the process, even after it’s completion. As it pays to never be complacent, always think through a design thoroughly, consider the clients budget to deliver value but without compromise, it’s buildability, to have the capability to communicate everything clearly and informatively. As to be a specialist consultant whether as an individual or a company comes with a responsibility that goes beyond a basic qualification but also covers the experience of the whole team that goes into delivering a full sub-contract package of works.

Inspector allows two-storey Kensington basement despite policy limiting basements to one storey

A planning inspector has granted planning permission on appeal for the construction of a building with a two-storey basement in west London, despite an adopted planning policy restricting basement developments to one storey.

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UK
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The inspector decided that allowing the proposed development would not be contrary to the underlying aims of the relevant policy, which sought to keep the construction impacts on neighbouring homes to acceptable levels.

Sugar Bay Hill Limited (SBH) had proposed to construct a four storey building with two basement levels at the vacant site of the former Kensington Tavern in west London. Commercial uses were proposed for the ground and below-ground levels, with 13 homes to be contained on the upper floors. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea decided to refuse permission for the scheme in January. The Borough had adopted a core strategy policy seeking to limit basement developments to 50% of the open part of any development site and for basements not to comprise more than one storey. In an appeal decision dated 18 September (9-page / 163 KB PDF), planning inspector Peter Rose said he attached significant weight to existing planning permissions for the site which allowed for the same amount of excavation at basement level as the appeal proposal. Rose noted that the only additional excavation that would take place under the appeal scheme would be a small lower basement area and that SBH had provided evidence that this additional excavation would add a maximum of 17 further days of work across a two-year construction period.

The inspector was satisfied that the proposed development “would not significantly harm the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers during the construction period” and was not, therefore, contrary to the underlying aims of the Borough’s basement development policy. Rose considered that the impacts of the development would be “outweighed by the overall net benefits of the scheme”. He noted that, compared to the proposals for the site that had already received permission, the appeal scheme would have greater benefits “with regard to housing and townscape” and offered more beneficial use on its upper floors thanks to the additional lower basement space for commercial uses. Planning expert Victoria Lindsay of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com said: “The construction impact on neighbouring residents and homes from basement development is a key concern for London boroughs at the moment, particularly in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea which is consulting at the moment on a draft Code of Construction Practice. The consultation draft Code of Construction Practice seeks to impose greater controls on hours of construction work and audible noise levels. The Borough is also looking at introducing an Article 4 direction in April 2016 to withdraw permitted development rights for basement development works.”

“Although this appeal decision grants planning permission for a two-storey basement contrary to adopted planning policy, it cannot be taken as a precedent for two-storey basements in the future across the Borough,” said Lindsay. “The inspector clearly placed a great deal of weight on the extant planning permissions for the site permitting the same amount of basement excavation as the appeal proposal and decided that there would be no significant additional construction impact over a two year construction period. Therefore, the purpose of the policy, seeking to keep construction impacts on neighbouring homes to acceptable levels has not been hindered.”

“This appeal decision helps to focus minds on how basement policies should be applied and properly interpreted,” said Marcus Bate, another planning expert at Pinsent Masons. “The size of a proposed basement can be given too much weight in isolation. What really matters is whether the impact on neighbouring living conditions is acceptable. The Inspector rightly recognised that this was the only way to reach a proper balanced judgment in the case.”

Ian MacLennan
CSSW CSRT

Posts Tagged ‘british standards’

10 recent changes to BS8102 2022 you NEED to know about

If you want to find out more from an author of the new standard contact us.

Our MD Ian MacLennan is on the committee re-writing BS8102 Code of practice

Inspector allows two-storey Kensington basement despite policy limiting basements to one storey

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