Foundations & Groundworks
110 sources in the library on foundations & groundworks, 12 on this page cited in a published note. Each one says what the document covers and what it is good for. Name a source to see which document it is and where to read it. One at a time. Page 1 of 3.
- very strong RN-3SXGDU cited
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The GOV.UK page for Approved Document C, published 3 September 2013, ISBN 978 1 85946 509 7, covering site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture, with a separate FAQ document (ISBN 978-1-4098-4805-9). Since April 2023 the Building Safety Regulator has a duty under the Building Safety Act 2022 to keep building safety and standards in England under review, including advising on Approved Document updates. The linked PDF gives the figures a damp note needs: paragraph 5.5 says a wall meets the requirement if it has a damp-proof course of bituminous material, polyethylene, engineering bricks or slates in cement mortar, or any other material that prevents the passage of moisture, continuous with any damp-proof membrane in the floors; for an external wall the damp-proof course should be at least 150mm above the level of the adjoining ground; and for an external cavity wall the cavity should be taken down at least 225mm below the lowest damp-proof course, or a damp-proof tray provided, with weep holes every 900mm and stop ends plus at least two weep holes where the tray does not run the full length. Paragraph 5.6 accepts the alternative of BS 8215 clauses 4 and 5 for damp-proof course design and installation, and BS 8102 for protection against water from the ground.
Cited in Cladding and Render: The Complete UK Guide (2026), EPS vs XPS Insulation: Which & Where, Roof Felt (Underlay) Replacement: Cost & Signs It's Failing.
- very strong RN-Z6AXUW cited
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK)
The full Approved Document A PDF, which carries the deemed-to-satisfy tables a domestic project is checked against. Section 2E covers foundations of plain concrete: paragraph 2E3 gives the recommended minimum widths of strip foundations in Table 10, keyed to ground type and total load of loadbearing walling per linear metre. Table 10 sets, for rock (not inferior to sandstone, limestone or firm chalk, requiring at least a pneumatic or mechanically operated pick to excavate), a width equal to the width of the wall at every load. For medium dense gravel or sand (requires a pick to excavate, a 50mm square wooden peg hard to drive beyond 150mm) and for stiff clay or stiff sandy clay (can be indented slightly by the thumb), the minimum widths are 250mm at 20 kN per linear metre, 300mm at 30, 400mm at 40, 500mm at 50, 600mm at 60 and 650mm at 70. Firm clay and firm sandy clay (thumb makes an impression easily) start at 300mm. The document also covers minimum depth of strip foundations, wall thickness rules for residential buildings up to three storeys (paragraph 2C10 covers internal loadbearing walls in brickwork or blockwork), buttressing, lateral support by floors and at roof level, interruption of lateral support, wall cladding in Section 3, and Section 5 on reducing sensitivity to disproportionate collapse with the building consequence classes.
Cited in Adding an Ensuite: Cost, Layout & Plumbing, Adding Porch, Annexe & Granny Flat: Cost, Planning & Rules, Bin & Bike Storage Ideas and 37 more.
- very strong RN-3IM9B0 cited
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK)
The statutory guidance to Part A of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010, 2013 edition (published 1 September 2013, ISBN 978 1 85946 508 0). It covers the loadings on a building and the construction of the structural elements including foundations, walls, floors, roofs and chimneys, and it is the document that carries the deemed-to-satisfy sizes for masonry wall thickness, strip foundation widths, lintel and beam bearings and lateral restraint. PDF attachment: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80437640f0b623026927b2/BR_PDF_AD_A_2013.pdf (5.33 MB).
- strong RN-YR2URM cited
BSI
the standard a bar bending schedule is drawn up to, including the shape codes it uses
Cited in Rebar & Steel Mesh: Sizes, Grades & When You Need Them.
- strong RN-02VRB9 cited
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT (marked Under Review). BS EN 13670:2009 was published 28 February 2010, is identical to EN 13670:2009 and sits under ICS 91.080.40. It specifies the execution (workmanship) requirements for concrete structures in buildings and other engineering works, covering falsework and formwork, reinforcement and prestressing, concreting, curing, inspection and permitted geometric tolerances, for reinforced, prestressed and precast concrete. It is the site counterpart to design under BS EN 1992-1-1 and to the concrete specification standards BS EN 206 and BS 8500, so a note describing how a slab or foundation should actually be placed and cured should cite BS EN 13670 rather than the design code. It replaced the execution content previously carried in the withdrawn BS 8110. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the tolerance tables are paywalled.
Cited in Rebar & Steel Mesh: Sizes, Grades & When You Need Them.
- strong RN-B6U1Z6 cited
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT but time limited. BS EN 1992-1-1:2004+A1:2014 (originally published 23 December 2004) is Eurocode 2, the limit state design code for plain, reinforced and prestressed concrete structures in normal and lightweight aggregate concrete, with specific rules for buildings; it works alongside BS EN 1990 for the basis of design and must be read with the UK National Annex, NA+A2:2014. It superseded ENV 1992-1-1, 1992-1-3, 1992-1-4, 1992-1-5, 1992-1-6 and 1992-3. It does NOT cover plain reinforcement, structural fire design (that is BS EN 1992-1-2), bridges, dams or offshore structures. Important for dating a note: the second generation Eurocode BS EN 1992-1-1:2023 has been published, and BSI will withdraw the UK adoptions of the first generation Eurocodes on 30 March 2028, so any note relying on the 2004+A1:2014 edition has a known expiry date. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status, supersessions and scope; the design rules are paywalled.
Cited in Rebar & Steel Mesh: Sizes, Grades & When You Need Them.
- strong RN-6RE0OY cited
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT. BS EN 772-1:2011+A1:2015 (base edition published 31 May 2011, ISBN 978 0 580 84584 0, identical to EN 772-1:2011+A1:2015) supersedes BS EN 772-1:2000 and is part one of the BS EN 772 test series for masonry units. It specifies specimen preparation and conditioning and the compression test method used to determine the compressive strength of bricks and blocks, the figure quoted in N/mm2 that decides whether a unit is suitable for a given structural application. It is the test standard that sits behind the product specifications in the BS EN 771 series (BS EN 771-1 clay units, BS EN 771-3 aggregate concrete units, BS EN 771-4 autoclaved aerated concrete), and it replaced the strength testing formerly given inside the withdrawn British product standards such as BS 3921 for clay bricks. Other parts of the series cover dimensions (BS EN 772-16) and bending tensile strength. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the method is paywalled.
- strong RN-3B3DX9 cited
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT, and it is the replacement for a standard the notes still cite. BS EN ISO 16535:2019 was published 31 July 2019 and expressly supersedes BS EN 12087:2013, which is WITHDRAWN. It specifies the equipment and procedure for determining the long term water absorption of thermal insulating products, giving two methods: method 1 partial immersion and method 2 total immersion. This is the test behind the WL(T) declared value used to compare rigid boards for below ground, inverted roof and perimeter use, which is why extruded polystyrene (XPS) is specified below damp proof level rather than expanded polystyrene or unfaced PIR. Any note citing BS EN 12087 for water absorption of insulation should be corrected to BS EN ISO 16535. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status, the supersession of BS EN 12087:2013 and the two methods; the procedure detail is paywalled.
Cited in EPS vs XPS Insulation: Which & Where.
- strong RN-T7FK3M cited
BSI (BSI Knowledge catalogue)
Dated 1 January 2006 with amendment A3 in 2016, this specifies requirements for ribbed weldable reinforcing steel for concrete structures, delivered as bar, coil or decoiled product. It provides for three steel grades, all with a characteristic yield strength of 500 MPa but differing in ductility: B500A, B500B and B500C. This is the source for why UK rebar is labelled B500B and what that designation guarantees. Weldability for all grades is specified through chemical composition, in particular the carbon equivalent value. Steel produced by re-rolling finished products, or by rolling material whose metallurgical history is not fully documented or known, is expressly not covered by the standard.
Cited in Rebar & Steel Mesh: Sizes, Grades & When You Need Them, Structural Materials: The Complete Guide.
- strong RN-EU4DHI cited
BSI (BSI Knowledge catalogue)
Dated 28 February 1991, this contains recommendations for the selection, design and installation of damp proof courses in both solid and cavity masonry construction, and is the code behind DPC practice referenced alongside Approved Document C. Its scope notes mark the boundaries clearly: BS 8215 does not cover waterproofing of underground structures such as basements where water is under hydrostatic pressure (see BS 8102), does not deal with the installation of chemical DPCs (see BS 6576), does not cover control of condensation (see BS 5250) and does not cover surface treatment of masonry with water repellents (see BS 6477). Those cross references are useful for a note that needs to say which standard governs which damp problem.
Cited in Cavity Wall Insulation Materials Compared, Efflorescence & White Staining on Brick.
- strong RN-0NVA8H cited
BSI (BSI Knowledge catalogue)
The European standard for concrete, first published 31 December 2013 and amended in 2016. It is the standard that defines the compressive strength classes written as C20/25, C25/30, C30/37 and so on, where the first figure is the characteristic cylinder strength and the second the characteristic cube strength in N/mm2 at 28 days, and it sets the exposure classes, consistence classes and conformity rules that a ready mixed concrete delivery ticket is written against. In the UK it is used together with the complementary standard BS 8500.
Cited in Structural Materials: The Complete Guide.
- good RN-6AG77Y cited
The Concrete Centre (Mineral Products Association)
Explains how concrete is specified in the UK to BS 8500:2023, which has two parts: BS 8500-1:2023 sets out five ways to specify concrete (designated, designed, prescribed, standardized prescribed and proprietary) and BS 8500-2:2023 sets the requirements on the concrete producer for constituent materials and production. The November 2023 revision expanded lower carbon options by adopting the multi-component cements of BS EN 197-5:2021, allowing up to 65 per cent of the CEM I to be substituted with two or more additions. On durability it removed the minimum cement content and maximum water to cement ratio limiting values for carbonation induced corrosion, and for chloride exposure classes XD and XS it kept minimum strength requirements but removed the cement content and water to cement ratio limits. Durability of ternary combinations is now handled through a Combined Performance Category using chloride diffusion ratings 1 to 4 and sulfate resistance ratings A to G. Names GEN, RC and FND as the designated concrete families.
Cited in Structural Materials: The Complete Guide.
- very strong RN-2BAKGJ
National Highways (Standards for Highways)
This is the specification that the term MOT Type 1 actually comes from: Clause 803 of Series 800 of the Specification for Highway Works. Clause 803.1 states Type 1 unbound mixture shall be made from crushed rock, crushed slag, crushed concrete, recycled aggregates, manufactured aggregates or well burnt non-plastic shale, and may contain up to 10 per cent by mass of natural sand passing the 4 mm test sieve, with crushed gravel permitted only where contract Appendix 7/1 allows. Clause 803.2 requires the mixture to meet BS EN 13285 and Table 8/1, with grading summarised in Table 8/6a, which sets 100 per cent passing 63 mm, 75 to 99 per cent passing 31.5 mm, 43 to 81 per cent passing 16 mm, 23 to 66 per cent passing 8 mm, 12 to 53 per cent passing 4 mm, 6 to 42 per cent passing 2 mm, 3 to 32 per cent passing 1 mm and 0 to 9 per cent passing 0.063 mm. Table 8/6b applies only to trench reinstatements and narrow widenings less than 1 m. Note this PDF is the November 2021 revision and carries a superseded watermark, so quote the clause and revision date together.
- very strong RN-1H8UHK
UK Health Security Agency (UKradon)
Gives a floor-type and concentration decision table for remediation. For a solid floor under 500 Bq per cubic metre the recommended solutions, best first, are a radon sump or positive ventilation; for a solid floor over 500 the answer is a radon sump. For a suspended floor under 500 it is natural under-floor ventilation or positive ventilation; over 500, mechanical under-floor ventilation or natural under-floor ventilation. Warns explicitly that simple actions such as sealing around loft hatches, sealing large openings in floors and extra ventilation do not reduce radon levels on their own, and that completely sealing floors is difficult and can cause rot in wooden floors. Names an active radon sump fitted with a fan as the most effective method, working best under solid floors and under suspended floors where the ground is covered with concrete or a membrane. Advises contacting UKHSA for levels above 1000 Bq per cubic metre, and the local council Environmental Health Department for advice.
- very strong RN-6PQK9U
UK Health Security Agency (UKradon)
UKHSA recommends that radon levels be reduced in homes where the average exceeds 200 becquerels per cubic metre, the Action Level, and states that this recommendation is endorsed by Government. The Action Level refers to the annual average concentration, so a valid measurement uses two detectors, one in a bedroom and one in a living room, left in place for three months to average out short-term fluctuations. Separately defines a Target Level of 100 Bq per cubic metre as the ideal outcome of remediation in existing buildings and of protective measures in new buildings, and advises that where a result falls between the Target and Action Levels action to reduce the level should still be considered, especially where a smoker or ex-smoker lives in the home. Radon is described as a colourless, odourless radioactive gas formed by decay of naturally occurring uranium in rocks and soils.
- very strong RN-5QBSUB
UK Health Security Agency (UKradon)
The UKHSA radon mapping service, the authority for whether a property sits in a radon Affected Area and therefore whether radon protection measures are needed under Approved Document C. UKHSA has published reports containing radon Affected Area maps for the whole of the United Kingdom, most recently updated on 22 October 2025 when the Isle of Man was added. On the interactive map the darker the colour the greater the chance of a higher radon level, ranging from fewer than one home in a hundred in the white areas to greater than one in three in the darkest areas. The page carries an important caveat: the map should not be used for basements, cellars or underground sites, which need separate consideration whatever the mapped band.
- very strong RN-0226KN
Environment Agency (GOV.UK)
The Environment Agency guidance on how to assess and manage the risks from historic land contamination, produced with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, SEPA and Natural Resources Wales. LCRM runs in four sequential stages set out as separate documents: Before you start, Stage 1 risk assessment, Stage 2 options appraisal, and Stage 3 remediation and verification. It is the framework a contaminated land condition on a planning permission or an Approved Document C contaminants assessment is discharged against, and it points to jurisdiction-specific guidance for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- very strong RN-GWB58E
Scottish Government
What has to come out of the ground before a floor goes in, in Scotland. Standard 3.1 requires the building to be designed and constructed so there is no threat to it or to occupants' health from harmful or dangerous substances, and names the categories: corrosive, explosive, flammable, radioactive or toxic materials, deposits of faecal or animal matter, and gases with hazardous characteristics, specifically flammable, explosive, toxic and asphyxiating gases including methane and carbon dioxide. Before construction, unsuitable material including turf, vegetable matter, wood, roots and topsoil must be removed from under the footprint of the building and the immediately adjoining ground, to a depth that prevents later growth that could damage the building. The solum, the prepared ground beneath a suspended floor, should be treated to prevent vegetable growth and to reduce evaporation of moisture from the ground, which is the Scottish version of the site covering requirement. Where gas is present the remedial recommendation is that the construction be free from unventilated voids. Cited documents: BS 10175:2001 investigation of potentially contaminated sites, BS 5930:1999 site investigations, BRE BR 255:1994 performance of building materials in contaminated land, and PAN 33 development of contaminated land.
- very strong RN-NNXJYS
Scottish Government
The standard behind subsoil drainage under a new or replaced ground floor in Scotland. Standard 3.3 requires the building to be designed and constructed so there is no threat to the building or to occupants' health from flooding and the accumulation of groundwater. The site must be assessed for existing groundwater levels and seasonal fluctuation before construction, and where accumulating groundwater could affect the structure or penetrate the building, subsoil drainage or other dewatering treatment must be provided. The handbook lists the purposes of that drainage as improving ground stability, preventing surface flooding, reducing subsoil water pressure that causes dampness, protecting foundations and preventing frost heave damage, and directs field drain design to BS 8301:1985 clause 10. Where a site carries flood risk, that risk should be assessed so mitigation can be designed in, and resilient materials and details used to limit structural and material damage. Cited guidance: PAN 69 Planning and Building Standards Advice on Flooding, CIRIA C624 (2004) Development and Flood Risk, CIRIA (May 2007) Improving the Flood Performance of New Buildings, and Design Guidance on Flood Damage to Dwellings (1996).
- very strong RN-4KIEKS
Scottish Government (gov.scot)
SCOTLAND. Standard 3.2 requires protection from radon and sets the action level at 200 becquerels per cubic metre, the level above which radon in homes should be reduced. Clause 3.2.1 defines a radon probability area as one where tests show 1 per cent of existing dwellings are likely to exceed 200 Bq/m3, mapped in the Indicative Atlas of Radon in Scotland published July 2011 by the Health Protection Agency and the British Geological Survey on the UKradon website, with per-property radon risk reports available from the same source. Clause 3.2.2 requires protective work where a dwelling is to be located or extended on ground designated as a radon probability area or where radon is known to exist, so an extension in Scotland can trigger radon measures that an England-based note would attribute to Approved Document C.
- strong RN-4PFJ8L
BRE Group
The catalogue of BRE Digests, Good Building Guides and reports that building professionals cite, with document numbers, authors, dates and prices, which lets a note reference the correct BRE publication rather than BRE in general. Titles include Rising damp in walls: diagnosis and treatment (DG 245, 2007, 15 pounds), Assessment of damage in low-rise buildings with particular reference to progressive foundation movement (DG 251, revised 1995, 15 pounds), Foundation movement and remedial underpinning in low-rise buildings (BR 184, 1991, 35 pounds), Recognising wood rot and insect damage in buildings 3rd edition (BR 453, 2003, 37.50 pounds), Radon: guidance on protective measures for new buildings including supplementary advice for extensions, conversions and refurbishment projects, 2023 edition (75 pounds), Site layout planning for daylight and sunlight: a guide to good practice (BR 209, 2022 edition, 75 pounds, superseding the 2011 edition), External fire spread: building separation and boundary distances (BR 187 2nd edition, 55 pounds) and Wind loads on roof-mounted photovoltaic and solar thermal systems (DG 489, revised 2014, 24 pounds). The BRE U-value Calculator is listed at 0 pounds plus VAT.
- strong RN-AWIY25
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: WITHDRAWN, and very recently: 27 March 2025. BS 4483:2005 was published 30 September 2005 and specified factory produced, machine welded steel fabric (mesh) sheets for reinforcing concrete, made from ribbed bar to BS 4449:2005 or, for the wrapping fabrics D49 and D98, from wire to BS 4482. It is the standard behind the A142, A193, A252 and A393 mesh references that every concrete slab and driveway note quotes. Because it was withdrawn in March 2025 this is a live correction: notes specifying A142 or A393 mesh to BS 4483 should be checked against the current specification, with product conformity now sitting under BS EN 10080 for weldable reinforcing steel. Catalogue page confirms number, title, publication date, withdrawal date and scope, and names D49 and D98 wrapping fabrics, but does not name the replacement standard.
- strong RN-LOZAWU
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT, and unusually for a 1984 standard the BSI catalogue page shows no withdrawal date. BS 6515:1984 was published 28 September 1984 and specifies polyethylene sheet used as a damp proof course in masonry, covering material composition, specimen preparation, permeability measurement and the test procedures for the impermeable sheet. It is the product standard behind the black polythene DPC roll sold by every builders merchant, and it sits alongside BS 8215:1991, the code of practice for design and installation of damp proof courses in masonry construction, and BS 6576 for chemical DPCs in existing walls. Note the distinction a note should keep: BS 6515 is a damp proof COURSE in a wall, not a damp proof MEMBRANE under a floor slab, which is a different product covered by BS 8102 and the gas and moisture membrane standards. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; requirements are paywalled.
- strong RN-NIFJ8S
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT. BS 8485:2015+A1:2019 was published 31 January 2019 and supersedes BS 8485:2015, which is withdrawn. It gives recommendations on ground gas site characterisation, risk assessment and the choice and design of integral gas protective measures to stop methane and carbon dioxide entering new buildings and to provide a safe internal environment, for designers, regulators and constructors. The A1:2019 revision added more detail on interpreting gas monitoring data and assigning the gas screening value, defined four building types with amended gas protection scores for the characteristic situations, added recommendations for reporting protection measures at design, installation and post construction verification stages, and added worked examples. It does NOT cover other hazardous ground gases (radon is separate, under BRE guidance and Approved Document C) nor methane and carbon dioxide arising from the building's intended use. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the scoring tables are paywalled.
- strong RN-6SUN79
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT. BS EN 12878:2014 was published 30 April 2014 and supersedes BS EN 12878:2005. It specifies the requirements and test methods for pigments used to colour building materials based on cement, or on cement and lime, covering single pigments, pigment blends, pigment and extender blends in powder or granular form, and aqueous preparations, and it tests for durability, corrosion resistance (that the pigment does not attack the reinforcement or the matrix), heat stability, weather resistance and light fastness. This is the standard a note should cite when telling a reader that coloured mortar, coloured render or coloured concrete must use a pigment fit for a cementitious matrix rather than a general purpose colourant, and it is the reference for why cheap pigments fade or cause efflorescence. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the test detail is paywalled.
- strong RN-DP7TIT
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT (marked Under Review). BS EN 13242:2002+A1:2007 was published 12 December 2002 and was amended in May 2008 to incorporate CEN amendment A1:2007. It specifies the properties required of aggregates obtained from natural, manufactured or recycled materials for use in unbound and hydraulically bound materials in civil engineering work and road construction, covering grading, particle shape, resistance to fragmentation, resistance to wear, and chemical and durability requirements. This is the standard behind MOT Type 1 and Type 3 sub base and the recycled equivalents used under a driveway or patio: a note specifying a compacted granular sub base should cite BS EN 13242 for the aggregate and the Specification for Highway Works Series 800 for the Type 1 grading itself. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, amendment, status and scope; the property tables are paywalled.
- strong RN-GRZKQJ
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT (marked Under Review). BS EN 1340:2003 was published 25 April 2003 and covers unreinforced, cement bound precast concrete kerb units, channels and complementary fittings for use in trafficked paved areas and roof coverings, specifying materials, properties, requirements and test methods along with product marking and evaluation of conformity. It deliberately does NOT prescribe cross sections, shapes or dimensions beyond tolerances, and it does not deal with kerb tactility or visibility, so a note about a dropped kerb crossover cannot take the kerb profile from this standard: profiles come from the highway authority's own specification. It is the concrete counterpart to BS EN 1341 for natural stone slabs and BS EN 1338 for concrete block paving. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the requirement tables are paywalled.
- strong RN-PGM57T
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT. BS EN 14647:2005 was published 22 February 2006 and gives the general definition of calcium aluminate cement and its composition, together with the mechanical, physical and chemical requirements, the conformity criteria and the related production rules. It excludes calcium aluminate cement used as a constituent of formulated products for specialised applications such as dry mixes, which matters because most rapid setting repair and screed products are formulated mixes rather than the cement itself. It is the standard to cite when a note distinguishes calcium aluminate (high alumina) cement from common cements to BS EN 197-1 and masonry cement to BS EN 413-1; UK notes should also record that high alumina cement concrete has been prohibited for structural use in buildings since the 1970s because of conversion, so this standard covers a material with restricted structural application. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the requirements are paywalled.
- strong RN-ASG0MX
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT (marked Under Review). BS EN 14967:2006 was published 30 June 2009 and specifies the characteristics of flexible bitumen sheets intended for use as damp proof courses in buildings, setting out product types, characteristics and test methods with evaluation of conformity, marking, labelling and packaging. Its scope explicitly EXCLUDES preformed cavity trays, copings and flashings, which is a distinction a note should keep when describing a retrofitted cavity tray above an extension abutment. It is the modern European counterpart to the old British bitumen DPC standard BS 6398:1983 and sits beside BS 6515:1984 for polyethylene DPCs, with design and installation in BS 8215:1991. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; the characteristic tables are paywalled.
- strong RN-XS4XXQ
BSI (British Standards Institution)
STATUS: CURRENT (marked Under Review). BS EN 413-1:2011 was published 30 June 2011 and supersedes BS EN 413-1:2004, which is withdrawn. It defines the composition and specifications of masonry cement, the cement made specifically for mortar for bricklaying, blocklaying, rendering and plastering, which contains air entraining additives to improve workability and frost resistance after hydration. It sets physical, mechanical and chemical requirements, defines strength classes (the 2011 edition introduced the air entrained class MC 22.5) and gives the conformity criteria. This is the standard to cite when a note distinguishes masonry cement from ordinary Portland cement to BS EN 197-1: they are different products with different standards, and masonry cement should not be dosed with extra plasticiser as if it were OPC. Part 2 (BS EN 413-2:2016) gives the test methods. Catalogue page confirms number, title, date, status and scope; requirements tables are paywalled.
- strong RN-2LJB46
BSI (BSI Knowledge catalogue)
Dated 30 November 2011, this is the UK code of practice for the structural design of low-rise housing without recourse to full engineering design. Its scope covers the stability of the structure, site investigation, and the foundations and ground floor slabs used in construction, with foundations comprising strip footings or trench fill in normal ground being the only types described. Notes in the scope state that BS 8103-1 does not cover basement design (though a single level basement providing a firm platform at ground level may allow the standard to be used for the superstructure above), and that proprietary housing systems and timber, steel or concrete framed houses are outside its scope. This is the standard that sits behind the deemed-to-satisfy foundation and stability rules a domestic builder works to.
- strong RN-GV27ML
BSI (BSI Knowledge catalogue)
ISBN 978 0 580 60699 1, published by BSI and dated 1 January 2006. This is the companion standard to BS 4449 that specifies how reinforcement is scheduled, dimensioned, bent and cut, covering the shape codes, bending radii, dimensional tolerances and marking used on a UK bar bending schedule. Its listed descriptors cover reinforcing steels, shape, dimensions, bending radius, cutting, dimensional tolerances, marking and labels, under ICS codes 77.140.15 (steels for reinforcement of concrete) and 91.080.40 (concrete structures), committee ISE/104. It is the reference for what a shape code such as 00, 11 or 21 on a rebar schedule means.
- strong RN-GVL3ME
BSI (BSI Knowledge catalogue)
The standard that defines what the cement types mean, dated 28 February 2019 for the current version of the 2011 standard. Its scope defines and specifies 27 distinct common cements, 7 sulfate resisting common cements, 3 distinct low early strength blast furnace cements and 2 sulfate resisting low early strength blast furnace cements, together with their constituents. Each cement definition includes the proportions in which the constituents are combined and the requirements those constituents must meet, across a range of nine strength classes. This is the authority for CEM I being Portland cement and for the CEM II to CEM V families, and for the 32,5, 42,5 and 52,5 strength class numbers with their N and R early strength suffixes that appear on a UK cement bag.
- strong RN-R25BHU
LABC Warranty (MD Insurance Services Limited)
Warranty provider technical requirements for foundations, covering mass fill, strip, piles, raft, engineered fill, vibratory ground improvement, and trees and clay. Key figures: all foundations must bear onto virgin stable subsoil with a minimum depth of 450mm from finished ground level to underside to avoid frost action; mass fill foundations must be a minimum 600mm wide for external walls, reducing to 450mm for single leaf internal walls up to 150mm thick, with a 150mm projection each side and the foundation centred under the wall; concrete filling to the cavity is kept a minimum 225mm below DPC. Low rise structures are designed so maximum settlement does not exceed 25mm, with a design limit for maximum tilt of 1/500. In cohesive soils with trees present: heave protection is required where foundation depth exceeds 1.5m, short bored piles with ground beams are recommended beyond 2m, and depths beyond 2.5m are outside the online foundation depth calculator and must be a piled engineered solution designed by a chartered structural engineer. Foundations must also be below the invert level of any adjacent drain or sewer.
- strong RN-9GB5I7
United Utilities
A sewerage undertaker setting out its own build-over process, which is the practical authority for the consent a homeowner actually needs (the Water UK Sewerage Sector Guidance covers adoption, not build-over). The page states that United Utilities approval is required for building works within 3 metres of a public sewer or lateral drain. On access, it requires sufficient access points to the affected sewer, meaning manholes and rodding points; states that ideally buildings and extensions should not be sited where they would remove an existing point of access; and requires access points to be easily accessible and visible for use in an emergency. Where ground conditions are poor, the developer must arrange special design and construction plans so the pipe is protected from any risk of damage. On the route through building control, it explains that building control inspectors operating under the United Utilities Protocol agreement can approve build-overs that meet set criteria, and that where a proposal does not fit those criteria the inspector escalates it so United Utilities can deal with the developer directly, which is why a homeowner may find the sewer question handled inside their Building Regulations application rather than as a separate approach to the water company.
- good RN-NWBGX4
CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association)
The reference for what happens when an excavation goes below the water table, which is the hidden cost driver in basement digs and deep foundations on wet ground. CIRIA C750, Groundwater control: design and practice, second edition, published April 2016, 205 pages, ISBN 978-0-86017-755-5, authors Preene, Roberts and Powrie. Paywalled at GBP 110 excluding VAT (GBP 55 for members) with a minimum order of five copies, so only the catalogue page and a PDF excerpt are public. The page states the core proposition plainly: whenever an excavation is made below the water table there is a risk that it will become unstable or flood unless measures are taken to control groundwater in the surrounding soil. Scope covers the potential effect of groundwater on construction works, groundwater control and dewatering techniques as temporary works, safety management and contractual matters, legal and environmental issues, site investigation requirements, and design methods for groundwater control schemes.
- good RN-5DEQ2D
CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association)
The reference work behind every soakaway, permeable driveway and garden drainage decision in the UK, and the document local authority drainage officers work from. CIRIA C753, The SuDS Manual, published December 2015, 964 pages in PDF, ISBN 978-0-86017-759-3, authors Woods Ballard, Wilson, Udale-Clarke, Illman, Scott, Ashley and Kellagher. It is free to CIRIA members and GBP 25 excluding VAT to non-members, so the full text is behind a login but the catalogue page confirms scope and status. It replaced the 2007 SuDS Manual (C697), and the page states expressly that in delivering SuDS there is a requirement to meet the framework set out by the government non-statutory technical standards, which C753 complements while going further to support cost-effective delivery of multiple benefits. It covers planning, design, construction, management and maintenance of SuDS. Cite it as the technical authority when a note explains why a permeable or drained-to-a-soakaway driveway avoids the planning consequence of an impermeable one.
- good RN-BTTT08
CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association)
The standard reference a structural engineer uses to design an embedded retaining wall, which is what a basement dig or a deep terraced garden retaining structure actually needs. CIRIA C760, Guidance on embedded retaining wall design, published February 2017, 471 pages, ISBN 978-0-86017-764-7, authors Gaba, Hardy, Doughty, Powrie and Selemetas. It is paywalled at GBP 170 excluding VAT (GBP 85 for members) with a minimum order of five copies, so only the catalogue page and a PDF excerpt are public. Scope confirmed on the page: selection and design of VERTICAL EMBEDDED retaining walls to satisfy the Eurocodes, covering temporary and permanent cantilever, anchored, single-propped and multi-propped walls embedded in soft soils, stiff clays, other competent soils and soft rocks. The page also states it clarifies areas of ambiguity and common misunderstandings in applying the Eurocodes to embedded retaining walls and sets out an unambiguous method for applying the Observational Method. Note the scope limit: this is not the reference for a low garden gravity or masonry retaining wall.
- good RN-F4L7WS
CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association)
The UK code of practice for making an existing home resistant to and recoverable from flooding, and free to download after sign-in, which makes it unusually accessible for a CIRIA title. The C790 project produced four outputs a note can name separately: C790A, the Code of practice for property flood resilience, Edition 2, which sets six standards specifying what should be achieved; C790B, Guidance on the code of practice, explaining how each of the six standards should be met across the stages of a property flood resilience delivery process; C790C, Making your property more flood resilient, written for households and businesses; and C790D, Guidance for local authority planners. The code draws the distinction a renovation note should use: resistance measures reduce the amount of water entering a building, and recoverability measures limit the damage caused once water is inside, with the aim of reducing damage and speeding up recovery and reoccupation.
- good RN-FITI8H
The Concrete Society
The index to the Concrete Society technical library and the place to check a concrete claim against an industry-independent source. Four publication families are listed: Technical Reports giving in-depth guidance on design, construction, maintenance and innovation (for example TR43, Post-tensioned concrete floors design handbook, at GBP 85 full price and GBP 51 to members, and Discussion Document DD51 on calcined clay as a supplementary cementitious material, free to all); Good Concrete Guides on practical aspects (GCG8, Concrete practice, and GCG11, Digital monitoring and measurement of fresh concrete); Advice Sheets on specific topics such as no-fines concrete and brushed and tamped surface finishes; and Fingertips, short free reference pages covering masonry densities, cold joints, consistence tolerance and the slump test, floated and trowelled finishes, core testing for compressive strength, delamination of concrete floor surfaces and hot weather concreting. The Society also runs an advisory service of engineers and concrete technologists giving impartial advice to members, including desk studies and site visits. The Fingertips pages are the freely readable part and carry real figures; the Technical Reports are mostly paid.