Structural Survey and the Internet

Structural Survey

ISSN: 0263-080X

Article publication date: 1 March 1998

58

Citation

Todd, S. (1998), "Structural Survey and the Internet", Structural Survey, Vol. 16 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ss.1998.11016aag.001

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 1998, MCB UP Limited


Structural Survey and the Internet

Stephen Todd

The Web site information below only includes sites where there has been a significant change since the last journal issue and other new interesting sources of information. If there are any other interesting sites that you have found useful, please e-mail me at S.Todd@env-man. salford.ac.uk

Updates on previous sites

The Building Research Establishment( http://www.bre.co.uk/ )

The site was last updated in September 1977 and is now divided into:

  • Press releases.

  • Publications (a "free" newsletter is now also included with links to an online edition of BRE News of Construction Research and publications for sale). These publications contain PDF™ files which are readable with a downloadable Adobe Reader™.

  • Coming events.

  • Work program.

  • About BRE.

  • Fire Research Station.

  • Environmental Schemes.

The RICS Web Site( http://www.rics.org.uk/)

This key reference site includes information on land, property and construction and now contains approximately 2,000 pages. The site is divided into:

  • The RICS.

  • The RICS directory.

  • Publications.

  • Careers.

  • Press releases.

  • RICS Library.

  • CPD/Events.

  • Research.

  • IT.

  • Parliamentary.

  • What's New.

  • CSM.

The "What's New" page is updated as changes occur and there is a search facility and an index. The site now includes an electronic version of the RICS Directory where it is possible to search by firm's name, area, postcode and specialisation. The site also includes a link to an on-line version of Chartered Surveyor Monthly.

The Building Centre(http://www.buildingcentre.co.uk/)

The Building Centre offers:

  • Building Centre Consultancy Centre (e.g. database design and electronic storage of information)

  • Building Bookshop (under construction to provide a comprehensive listing of publications on all aspects of construction)

  • Building Centre Trust.

  • Education Activities.

  • Exhibitions.

  • Information Exchange.

  • Market Research Information.

  • Product Finder Service.

  • Technical Library.

CIRIA( http://www.ciria.org.uk/ )

This Web site has been relaunched in a format without using frames. CIRIA focuses on giving best practice guidance to professionals that is authoritative and relevant. The main areas covered include construction practice, building design and materials management and productivity, ground engineering, water engineering and environmental issues. The site includes the following menu:

  • Introduction.

  • Mission.

  • Themes.

  • Services.

  • Participation.

  • Research.

  • Publications.

  • Events.

  • News releases.

  • Committees.

  • Feedback.

Other sites

The Health and Safety Executive( http://www.ciria.org.uk/ )

This interesting site includes:

  • What we do (Annual reports, summary and regulation).

  • Contacts for enquiries.

  • Publications and videos.

  • Information about risks at work.

  • Information about different workplaces.

  • Freedom of information.

  • Press releases.

  • HSE statistics.

  • Research (new).

  • Information from HSE divisions.

  • Current events (new).

  • What's new.

The search facility allows users to search for documents held on other UK Government Servers as well as those belonging to HSE. This means that this can be the starting point for finding UK National and Local Government information published on the Web.

Estates Today( http://www.estatestoday.co.uk/)

This site gives a wide range of commercial property services including:

  • UK property news which is updated daily.

  • Website directory which links to 2,030 commercial property resources from 39 countries.

  • UK Planning which gives status details on over 2,000 UK Development Plans.

  • UK Rents giving rental details for 99 UK locations which can be downloaded to a spreadsheet.

  • UK Deals which allows the user to search a selection of UK industrial property transactions.

Edinburgh Engineering Virtual Library (EEVL)( http://www.eevl.ac.uk/)

This well-designed site provides a free gateway and centralised access point to useful networked information resources in engineering. The subjects covered include:

  • Chemical Engineering.

  • Civil Engineering

  • Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering

  • Engineering Design

  • Environmental Engineering

  • Materials Engineering

  • Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

  • Petroleum and Offshore Engineering

The searchable and browsable database also contains links to other sources of information.

(Information supplied by Roderick MacLeod of Heriot-Watt University ( R.A.MacLeod@hw.ac.uk)

Building Conservation(http://www.buildingconservation.com/ )

This is the Internet version of The Building Conservation Directory which is a guide to UK-based specialist consultants, conservators and suppliers of products and services for the conservation of historic buildings. The main menu appears as:

  • Conservation Techniques.

  • Courses and Training.

  • Organisations' Directory ­ The Building Conservation Directory, The Conservation and Repair of Ecclesiastical Buildings and Sources of Grants for Building Conservation.

The Conservation Techniques area currently includes information on Damp and Decay, Leadwork, Lime, Stone Cleaning and Structural Movement with a series of short, well-written "electronic papers" on these subjects.

Related articles