{"id":730356,"date":"2024-02-19T08:35:15","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T08:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=730356"},"modified":"2024-02-19T08:35:15","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T08:35:15","slug":"the-regs-first-principles-cladding-and-the-building-regs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/opinion\/the-regs-first-principles-cladding-and-the-building-regs","title":{"rendered":"The Regs: First principles \u2013\u00a0cladding and the Building Regs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Building Safety Act has changed the way in which you should be approaching design and it\u2019s important from the outset to think about what parts of the Regs will apply to the element you are designing, what risks are associated with it and how you will go about reducing them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Part A: Structure<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

This is an area where often little thought is given to compliance, especially on smaller projects, where it is assumed the structural engineer will pick it up. But will they? Have you considered this a risk area and have you asked them to design the cladding fixing system? Cladding can take many forms, such as tiling, timber weather boards, stone panels, calcium silicate sheets, ribbed metal, etc. What if one of those materials were to fall from the building, or be damaged by differential movement? Are you planning on using mechanical fixings, or are you using an adhesive, and just how will those lovely pistol bricks be supported? In short, fixing systems should definitely be up there on your risk register.<\/span><\/p>\n

Part B: Fire<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s often thought that, if the building is under 18m in height and more than 1m away from the boundary, there are no limitations and you can design what you like. Wrong! While Regulation 7 and the ban on combustible material applies to buildings over 18m tall, the requirement to minimise fire spread applies to all buildings. Here are some key sections:<\/span><\/p>\n

Clause 10.4<\/i> In relation to buildings of any height or use, consideration should be given to the choice of materials used for the external wall, or attachments to the wall (eg balconies), to reduce the risk of fire spread over the wall.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clause 10.7<\/i> In buildings that include a \u2018residential\u2019 purpose with a storey 11m or more in height any insulation product, filler material such as the core materials of metal composite panels, sandwich panels and window spandrel panels etc used in the construction of an external wall should be Class A2-s1 d0 or better. (so while you can still use, say, timber frame in a building between 11m and 18m, there are limitations on the other materials used in the external wall).<\/span><\/p>\n

Clause 11.7<\/i> Where a fire-resisting external wall has an external surface material that is worse than Class B-s3 d2 and is more than 1mm thick, that part of the wall should be classified as an unprotected area equating to half its area and separation distances checked accordingly. (eg if you are using thick combustible products, they can have excessive radiation effects on adjoining buildings, so not only do you need to consider an internal fire radiating across a boundary, you should also consider an external one.) Also don\u2019t forget that you will need to design cavity barriers and fire stopping for any cavities or penetrations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Part C: Resistance to moisture<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Approved Document C requires you to consider more than just rain hitting the cladding. In fact, you should be looking at:<\/span><\/p>\n

a) moisture emanating from the ground or groundwater
\n<\/span>b) precipitation and wind-driven spray
\n<\/span>c) interstitial and surface condensation, and
\n<\/span>d) spillage from sanitary fittings or fixed appliances.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consideration should also be given to the risks from any potential movement, joints between window and door frames and thresholds, the risk of interstitial condensation and the risk of surface condensation or mould growth. This should extend to protection to the top of walls (coping stones), intersections between key elements (such as where a roof abuts a wall) and any services or structure that bridge a cavity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Part E: Resistance to sound<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A common point of failure arises in office-to-resi conversions where the existing fa\u00e7ade has to be retained and internal separating walls meet it, so don\u2019t forget to detail those as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Part L: Conservation of fuel and power<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Cladding helps prevent heat loss, so insulation is incorporated. But you will also need to think about designing out cold bridges, continuity of insulation, air-tightness and the proportion of glazing in your fa\u00e7ade.<\/span><\/p>\n

Part O: Overheating<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Not only does a fa\u00e7ade need to keep the heat in \u2013 it also needs to keep the heat out. If you are designing multiple plots on the same site, remember that one size does not fit all and that orientation can have a huge effect on overheating, so especially be wary of using standard house types and thinking that further design isn\u2019t required.<\/span><\/p>\n

Part Q: Security<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Part Q doesn\u2019t only apply to doors and windows. There is also a requirement that lightweight framed walls should incorporate a resilient layer to reduce the risk of anyone breaking through the wall and accessing the locking system. The resilient layer should be timber sheathing at least 9mm thick, expanded metal or a similar resilient material. The resilient layer should be to the full height of the door and extend 600mm either side of the door set.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So, there you have it: a quick run-down of some of the key design risks identified within the Building Regulations that you need to consider. Maybe it\u2019s worth going back and just double-checking you haven\u2019t missed anything before you sign that declaration to evidence you have completed your cladding design and it complies with the Regs!<\/span><\/p>\n

Geoff Wilkinson is managing director of approved inspectors Wilkinson Construction Consultants www.wilkinsoncc.co.uk<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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