Structural Survey: Volume 6 Issue 2
Table of contents
NHBC's licensing scheme for PRC repairs
Derek KettlewellIn 1980 the Building Research Establishment (BRE) was alerted to a potential problem with pre‐cast reinforced concrete (PRC) houses. A fire in an Airey‐type house had exposed the…
The purchase of leasehold flats
Anthony L. PooleThe ownership of flats is a post‐war phenomenon — up to the 1950s the normal practice was to take a lease of, say, seven years at a rack rent and, at the end, depending on…
New materials – Innovations are not a main cause of building failure
George AtkinsonInnovation is often wrongly blamed for building failures. It takes one of two forms:
Flat roof construction
Brian KeyworthThis paper is predominantly concerned with flat roofs of timber construction with which the author is most familiar. The principles discussed are, however, generally applicable to…
Are modern cements better than ancient cements?
Joseph DavidovitsIntroduction How old is concrete? 150 years, 2,000 years or 9,000 years? Since the invention of Portland cement by Aspdin in the early 19th century, concrete has become the most…
Sound insulation – an important aspect of noise control in buildings
W.A. UtleySummary The provision of adequate sound insulation against both internal and external noise is an important aspect of noise control in buildings. This paper describes the basic…
Principles and practice of dilapidations – 2
Ian MelvilleLeaving aside implied obligations of landlords to repair, imposed by statute, the precise words employed in express covenants to repair are of considerable importance. This aspect…
Council liability: the retreat from Anns
M.G. RossIn the three years since the position of local authorities in negligence was last considered in this journal (SS 2/4), there has been a considerable turnaround in judicial…