Citation
Todd, S. (2009), "Internet review", Structural Survey, Vol. 27 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ss.2009.11027cag.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Internet review
Article Type: Internet review From: Structural Survey, Volume 27, Issue 3
The web site information included below includes two key and other informative sites. If there are any other interesting sites or sources of information that you have found useful, please e-mail me at s.todd@salford.ac.uk
Building Research Establishment
The Latest News section includes the following information.
G. Park Blue Planet achieves first ever BREEAM Outstanding
This 35,500 m2 North Staffordshire distribution centre has achieved the highest ever BREEAM 2008 rating and is projected to save up to £300,000 a year in running costs. This was achieved by scoring credits in four areas of BREEAM and achieving an exceptional standard of sustainability as a carbon positive development. It is projected to save up to £300,000 per year in reduced running costs as a result of the environmental features incorporated into its design. This shows that achieving a high BREEAM rating improves return on investment. The new BREEAM Outstanding rating was introduced in August 2008 to recognise a new standard of sustainability for exemplary developments. A score of 85 per cent must be obtained to achieve Outstanding, compared to 70 per cent for an Excellent rating. There are also higher minimum standards under Outstanding – for example ten of the 15 available credits for reducing CO2 emissions must be achieved, compared to the six required for an Excellent rating. The key design includes:
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Energy. The target is to have a carbon-positive development. The whole development will be powered through a biomass plant located on one edge of the site to provide heating and electricity. In addition, photovoltaics are installed on one part of the roof and electro-kinetic road plates are set within internal roads to generate electricity from vehicles entering or leaving the site. Energy efficiency measures are adopted throughout.
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Water. Besides having water-efficient fittings, a rainwater harvesting system is installed to collect roof water and re-use in the building. The rest of the roof water and surface water will be diverted to balancing ponds created on site, which will also act as ecological features.
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Materials. The majority of materials used in the building are either A or A+ rated in BRE Global’s Green Guide to Specification. Most of the building materials are sourced from suppliers with an Environmental Management System in place and all timber is FSC certified. All internal finishes have very low levels of volatile organics.
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Waste. The development targets zero waste sent to landfill. The waste tonnage generated on-site is so minimal and any waste that is generated will be recycled. Most major suppliers are committed to retain their own waste for recycling.
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Ecology. The site is brownfield and a significant ecology enhancement plan is in place. The landscaping plan includes a number of native species to be added to the site, which will be maintained and managed throughout the life of the project.
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Local community. The green spaces and habitats within the development will be accessible to the public. In addition, the development will create training and development opportunities in an area that has been abandoned for many years. Although the development is currently not within proximity of existing public transport, new bus stops are planned for the road leading to the site, which will contribute to a greener transport strategy for future building users and the wider public.
BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings around the world, with over 110,000 buildings certified and over half a million registered. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de facto measure used to describe a building’s environmental performance. Credits are awarded in eight categories according to performance. These credits are then added together to produce a single overall score on a scale of Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding, which is also reflected in a star rating from one to five stars. The operation of BREEAM is overseen by an independent Sustainability Board, representing a wide cross-section of construction industry stakeholders.
Campus M Business Park, Munich achieves BREEAM Excellent
Campus M Business Park in Munich has achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating at no extra cost. The development is part of the Am Moosfeld Business Park, an office and technology park in the eastern district of Munich, approximately 4 km from the city centre. Campus M consists of four buildings, BT 1 to BT4, together with multi-storey parking, making a total rentable area of 18,500 m2. The development scored particularly well in the Management (88.89 per cent), Health and Wellbeing (84.62 per cent) and Energy and Transport (83.33 per cent) sections of BREEAM. Key features of the development are:
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The building is entirely naturally ventilated with high frequency lighting and high levels of natural daylight, with workstations at most 7 metres from a window.
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Low energy usage meeting the requirements of the German energy saving regulations EnEV2004.
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Excellent public transport links and extensive cyclist facilities and showers.
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Storage areas for recyclable waste in the basement.
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Highly efficient gas condensing boilers providing the space heating.
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Re-use of an existing site, which involved the specialist disposal of contaminated material.
Aggregate Industries achieves a Global first with their Responsible Sourcing Certification
Aggregate Industries is the first company to be approved to BES 6001 and achieved a “Very Good” rating on four of their product groups on their Newbold Quarry site. Products are assessed by looking at existing quality, environmental, health and safety management systems together with other important criteria. including:
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global warming emissions;
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minimising raw material usage;
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labour practice;
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biodiversity; and
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social dimensions and impacts
BES 6001 Framework Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction products is an independent third-party certification scheme which aims to assess responsible sourcing policies and practices throughout the supply chain of any construction product. Requirements for demonstrating compliance with the Framework Standard fall within three categories:
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organisational management;
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supply chain management; and
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environmental and social issues.
Certain requirements are compulsory, with additional points available from a range of issues to achieve higher performance levels. Products are rated as Pass, Good, Very Good or Excellent depending on the number of optional points achieved. Certification options include:
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head organisation with multiple sites and products;
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multiple products within a single organisation;
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single product within a single organisation; and
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sector-specific standards are also being developed.
FireGrid
FireGrid is a new system which has been developed to help the fire and rescue services save lives and reduce damage to property. A continuous demand for ever safer buildings, which are also more sustainable and efficient, means that the approach to fire safety is constantly evolving. With UK fire-related deaths in 2006 the lowest since 1959, this approach is clearly working – but 491 fatalities show that there is still room for improvement. When fire fighters arrive at the scene of a fire they often do not know the exact size of the blaze, how it is likely to spread, how the structural integrity of the building will be affected, or how its occupants will react. It is often said that if information available at the time of a major fire could have been made known to the emergency services when they arrived at the scene, the incident might have been handled differently. Such information includes that derived from sophisticated computer modelling tools used in building design to establish in-use fire strategies. The FireGrid project is developing an integrated emergency response system that, when there is a fire, will capture data from building sensors, assess its validity and accuracy and use it to steer faster than real-time computer modelling of the fire. These allow, for example, the egress of occupants to be modelled to calculate times for total evacuation. Fire growth can be predicted to define potential hazards and to compute the impact of the fire on the structure. Weaknesses can be identified and corrected before the structure is built and optimal management strategies can be organised. This means that fire fighters can now be provided with information – previously only available in hindsight – about the likely spread of the fire as well as the structural response of the building and the reaction of its occupants before such events unfold.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The main menu is structured as:
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About us.
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Newsroom.
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Services.
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Using a Surveyor.
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Members.
Information is split into five main sections:
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Global intelligence, trusted advice – Includes details of all the latest market surveys, economic insights and reports from the world of property:
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RICS Residential Lettings Survey, January 2009;
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RICS Global Estate Weekly;
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RICS UK Housing Market Survey February 2009; and
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Key findings of the 2009 Salary Survey.
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Setting and maintaining standards:
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Our role;
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What our members do;
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RICS courses;
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Working here;
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Regulating the profession;
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Protecting the public;
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Training – APC; and
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Training – ATC.
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Corporate citizenship:
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Disaster management;
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Sustainability;
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Better regulation;
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Raising the ratio; and
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Home buying reform.
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The very best advice:
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Flooding;
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Buying a home;
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Selling your home;
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Property surveys; and
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Phil Spencer on the House podcasts.
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Local insight – global vision – insightful and useful research:
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What is the effect on portfolios of the time-varying correlation of real estate and company stocks?
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Mortgage markets worldwide.
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The potential of Synthetic Aperture Radar for assessing carbon storage in savannah woodlands.
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Green Street
There are four million homes maintained and managed by housing associations and local authorities. If these valuable assets are to meet the changing needs of residents and local communities now and in the future, their environmental performance needs to be carefully considered and improved. The government-appointed Sustainable Task Group in their latest report recommend action be taken to reduce the impact of existing buildings, and point to Green Street as one of the ways to do this. A wealth of information is available on this issue from many sources. For the first time Green Street has begun to bring this information together in one place to make it easier for you to make the improvements. Green Street contains detailed information and advice on why and how to take action to improve your homes in the following areas:
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energy efficiency;
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water efficiency;
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material use;
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waste reduction;
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health and wellbeing;
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residents’ lifestyle; and
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the overall environmental improvement of your stock.
When you visit Green Street you will find a range of homes to reflect the general stock. There are eight different house and flat types on show. You can find information by house type, or more generally on any of the above issues.
Green Street also collates information on:
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standards;
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costs;
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funding; and
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procurement.
It also highlights real action through case studies. You can search by house type, environmental issues, specific features and many others.
York Minster
This interesting web site’s main menu includes:
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Worship and spirituality.
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Visiting the minister.
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Learning and education.
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Being involved.
The Homepage links to:
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Glass conservation – York has more medieval stained glass than any other city in the UK, with the Minster as the jewel in the crown. With 128 medieval windows, the Minster has more glass than any other single British building. The Great East Window is the single largest medieval stained glass window in the country and has been called “the Sistine Chapel of stained glass”. It is possible to attend a “Glass Conservation Tour”.
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Donate to York Minister.
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Environmental policy.
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Prayer box.
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Archbishop Sentamu.
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Minster shop.
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York Minster Revealed – The York Minster Revealed project is supported by a £10m earmarked grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The aims of the project are to:
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develop programmes of crafts training in stone masonry and stained glass conservation;
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provide intellectual access to all areas of the Minster;
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encourage enjoyment, use and understanding of York Minster;
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improve physical access;
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improve the Stonegate approach to the Minster; and
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repair and conserve the stonework of the Minster’s East Front in order to secure the building for future generations and reveal the full glory of the earliest known example of English art by a named artist.
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Minster community.
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Minister podcasts.
English Heritage
English Heritage is the government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment. English Heritage exists to protect and promote England’s spectacular historic environment and ensure that its past is researched and understood.
The homepage links to information on:
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Days out and events.
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Research and conservation.
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Learning and resources.
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St George’s Day.
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Festival of History 2009-03-30 Constructive Conservation.
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Women’s history.
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Featured news:
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Blue Plaque for doctors who founded Peckham Pioneer Health Centre;
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First national survey of conservation areas at risk; and
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Queen Victoria’s painting comes back to Osborne House after more than 100 years.
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Heritage at risk.
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Young history presenter.
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Theft of lead guidance.
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Image shop.
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Climate change web site.
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New discovery visits.
The Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust’s mission is to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies. The Carbon Trust was set up in 2001 and offers support for business to reduce carbon emissions:
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Calculate your carbon footprint.
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Carbon saving advice.
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Carbon surveys.
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Interest-free loans.
The main menu is structured as:
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Insights. Explaining issues and opportunities:
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Climate change.
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Policy and regulation.
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Institutional investors.
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Solutions. Delivering practical solutions.
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Why save carbon.
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Carbon-saving advice by sector.
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Interest-free loans.
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Apply for a carbon survey.
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Carbon footprinting.
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Private sector carbon management.
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Public sector carbon management.
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Help for small businesses.
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Innovations. Developing low carbon technologies.
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Applied research.
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Technology acceleration.
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Incubator.
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Directed research.
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Enterprises. Developing low carbon enterprises.
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Carbon Trust Enterprises Ltd.
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Insource Energy.
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Partnerships for Renewables.
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Connective Energy.
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Carbon Reduction Label.
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Carbon Trust Standard.
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Investments. Financing low carbon businesses.
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Introduction.
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Investment criteria.
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Co-investor.
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Portfolio.
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TRADA
The main menu of this web site includes:
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Technical information:
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Library.
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Timber species database.
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Research.
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Request advice.
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Software toolbox.
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Detail drawings.
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Model specification clauses.
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Choose and use.
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Construction industry forecasts.
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Regulations and codes:
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Case studies.
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Membership.
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Bookshop.
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Training.
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News.
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Events.
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Suppliers directory.
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Commercial services.
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FAQs.
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Stephen Todd