Glossary

Air change rates; the number of times the volume of air is changed over a period of time - normally 1hr.

Air Circuit Breaker, usually found as a main circuit breaker to switchboards connected to the incoming main.

Providing professional advice to meet the legislative requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

A statement, usually with a building control or planning application, which explains why you have decided to adopt particular solutions to meet the regulatory requirements for accessibility.

The examination of existing buildings, or proposals for building works to assess their accessibility at the early design stage, in respect of the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. See ‘Access consultancy’.

Aluminium Composite Material – commonly used as a cladding for buildings, as part of a rainscreen cladding system.

Asbestos containing material. See also ‘Aluminium Composite Material’.

The purchase or procurement of real estate.

A legal process in which an adjudicator reviews evidence from the opposing parties to come to a decision on the rights of the parties involved without involving the courts. This decision is binding unless subsequent arbitration or litigation is involved. Adjudication is a relatively quick process - the award must be made within 28 days of the case being referred to the adjudicator.

A binding agreement setting out the rights and obligations between a landlord and tenant before entering into a lease.

Air Handling Unit, required to deliver filtered and tempered fresh air to a building.

Procedures for settling disputes by means other than litigation. Examples include arbitration, conciliation, mediation, negotiation, conflict resolution.

The in-depth dispute resolution method between conflicting parties controlled by an arbitrator. An arbitrator is an independent person to whom the parties have referred their dispute, and is controlled by Common Law or Statute. The determination is agreed by both parties and is based on the legal rights of the parties.

A carcinogenic fibrous material that comes in three principal types (Amosite, Crocidolite and Chrysotile) and was formerly used as a construction material. The use, supply and importation of asbestos and asbestos containing materials has been banned for all but a few exceptions by the Asbestos (Prohibition) Regulations. Common uses in buildings included: asbestos cement board, corrugated roofing sheets, pipe lagging and other insulation, Artex ceiling coating, floor tiles, flash guards in older electrical equipment.

A document containing the results of an asbestos survey. The document highlights the location, type and condition of asbestos products within a property and forms part of the asbestos management plan for the property. The register must be accessible to all users and contractors at the property, including the emergency services.

Survey to determine presence, type and condition of asbestos containing materials within premises. There are now two types of survey: Management survey (formerly ‘Type 1’ and ‘Type 2’) and Refurbishment and Demolition survey (formerly ‘Type 3’).

Where the lessee parts with his whole interest to the purchaser (assignee) who assumes his place. Such an assignee is bound, as long as he holds the leasehold interest, to observe and perform all the covenants binding on the assignor (vendor) contained within the lease.

The Base Date is stated in the building contract particulars and is often about 7 days before the date of submission of tenders. The main purpose of the Base Date is determining what fluctuations are payable, if applicable.

A semi-compressed fibrous material board or slab used for the insulation of roofs, walls and ceilings.

Building Information Modelling: Involves the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of a facility, for use as a shared information resource through design, construction, use and eventual disposal of the structure/building.

Renewable organic matter that can be used as fuel. It is living or recently dead material – wood and other plant matter, or even animal waste.

A Building Management System is a computer-based control system installed in buildings that controls and monitors its mechanical and electrical equipment such as lighting, power and security systems.

The line that separates a property’s ownership from its neighbours.

The dispute between two neighbouring property owners over the legal position of the boundary between them. See ‘Neighbourly issues’.

The failure of either party to comply with a covenant of their lease.

The contractual entitlement in a lease for one party (or both) to terminate the lease prior to the expiry date. Lease break provisions will have certain conditions attached that, as a minimum, normally comprise the payment of rent, insurance etc and yielding up of the demise with vacant possession. Often, the clause may contain more onerous conditions that need to be met.

Repels water that penetrates an outer cladding material but is permeable to water vapour escaping from the interior of a structure.

Thin sections of brick, used to cover over the semi-protruding face of the structure behind, whilst giving the appearance of continuous brickwork. Brick slips often fail due to inadequate fixing, or failure of the fixings, or inadequate/omitted movement joints. Brick slips are still used, but the mechanical fixing must be corrosion resistant and have a design life not less than that of the brick slip.

Advice or methods to reduce construction problems and costs, and make the work itself more straightforward and safe.

A comprehensive and detailed inspection reporting on the condition of a property. Refer to RICS Guidance Note.

Means an owner of land who wishes to exercise rights under the Party Wall etc Act 1996.

The critical examination and diagnostic evaluation of building defects.

Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) is a form of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) that can be used at any point in a building's life to assess its energy performance, occupant comfort and make comparisons with design targets.

An inspection and written report detailing the construction of a property and all its defects. Commonly referred to as "Pre-acquisition" or "Structural Survey" but now developing into "Technical Due Diligence Survey". Refer to RICS Guidance Note.

The man-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from personal shelters to neighbourhoods to large-scale civic surroundings.

Describes systems of rolled bituminous felt roof coverings comprising 2 or more layers, usually a base layer as a vapour control layer, an underlayer and a mineral-faced cap sheet. Insulation can be incorporated within the build-up.

A lowered part of a ceiling, usually to accommodate structures and services.

Computer assisted design.

Vessel for heating a liquid, normally via another medium such as steam or hot water. A domestic hot water cylinder is a typical example.

A structural member, which is fixed at one end and is free at the other.

A capital allowance is effectively a reduction in the level of corporation tax whereby a certain percentage of the capital asset's cost is permitted as a capital allowance to be set against the tax liability during the accounting period in which it was purchased.

The value of an asset as distinct from its rental value.

Carbon capture, carbon sequestration and carbon capture and storage (CCS) are all terms to describe relatively new technologies designed to let major producers of CO2 emissions, such as fossil fuel burning power stations, prevent the CO2 they create being released into the atmosphere. Instead, it is stored by being injected into underground or undersea geological formations.

The Carbon Trust is a world-leading organisation helping businesses, governments and the public sector to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy through carbon reduction, energy-saving strategies and commercialising low carbon technologies. The trust receives government funding and then offers low cost finance (they do not actually provide grants) to business to assist them in lowering their energy usage. These loans are termed as Energy Efficiency Financing. In Wales and Northern Ireland the loans are interest free.

Retrospective injection of insulation into the cavity of a cavity wall to increase the thermal insultation of the wall.

Closed Circuit Television. Often used in security systems in and around buildings. Also often used to investigate the condition of underground drainage pipework.

Non-statutory role to provide the client with a key project adviser in respect of design and construction and health and safety, and to assist the client in discharging their statutory duties under the CDM Regulations 2015.

Chloroflurocarbons eg R11 and R12, banned from use in refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) equipment. These most harmful ozone-depleting substances (e.g. CFCs like R12) were banned in the 1990s.

This is the current recommended direct lighting standard in open plan offices. This replaces Lighting Guide 3 (LG3) and is more properly known as the Society of Light and Lighting SLL LG7.

The Trust recruits young people with a good standard of basic qualifications straight from schools and careers services. Contact your local careers adviser to find out if your school or college is affiliated with the Trust.

Active chilled beams operate in the same principle as the passive with the exception of having fresh air ducted to it. Rather than air being drawn into the beam by buoyancy it is induced by the ducted air.

Long rectangular units located at high level circulate chilled water in finned pipes and provide cooling. Convection occurs with warm rising air being cooled by the chilled beams.

Also referred to as cogeneration (or cogen), a system that recovers the heat produced as a by-product of electricity generation instead of simply venting it via cooling towers. This recovered heat can then be used for domestic or industrial heating close to the plant.

Chilled Water, associated with cooling systems, typically circulated via pumps to chillers and terminal units that condition space temperature.

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers is the standard setter and authority on building services engineering.

A client is an organisation or individual for whom a construction project is carried out under the CDM Regulations 2015. This now includes domestic clients.

Flat or low pitched roof with the thermal insulation below the deck so the deck is not warmed by the building. They usually have an airspace above the insulation. A vapour control layer beneath the thermal insulation reduces the risk of condensation occurring on the underside of the weatherproof layer, but difficulties in the integrity of the vapour control layer leads to the need to ventilate the air space to reduce risk of condensation.

A contract which grants a third party rights collateral (parallel) to rights which exist under a contract entered into by two other, separate parties, such as a right to claim for breach of contract. For example, on a building project, the main contractor, sub contractor and consultants have a direct contract with a developer, but also enter into a collateral warranty with subsequent purchasers or tenants. See ‘Contracts (Rights of Third Parties Act) 1999’.

Documented process of verifying that equipment and systems are installed according to specifications, placing them into active service and verifying proper operation.

Under Regulation 8 ‘General Duties’ of CDM 2015, an organisation or individual must have the skills, knowledge, and experience and, if they are an organisation, the organisation capability, necessary to fulfil the role that they are appointed to undertake, in a manner that secures the health and safety of any person affected by the project.

A simple cost effective form of suspended floor construction comprising a profiled metal deck providing permanent framework for an in-situ concrete slab.

Prefabricated Cladding panels consisting of a sandwich of insulation material, between an inner and outer metal or plastic skin. They have been used in the internal and external construction of commercial buildings, particularly food-related premises, for at least the last 20 years. Certain types of insulation used in the core of the panels are highly flammable and if there is a fire, it can spread very quickly between the outer skins. Many insurance companies are now increasing the cost of cover to premises containing some types of composite panel.

Prefabricated bonded composite insulated roof sheet panel with a single ply roof membrane bonded to the panel off-site. Membrane joints are hot welded on site. The panels have a metal tray liner soffit.

A condensing boiler captures and uses energy contained in the water vapour given off when gas or oil is burned. In a non-condensing boiler this vapour leaves via a heat-resistant gas tube, or flue, and its energy is wasted. A condensing boiler cools the combustion gases sufficiently that the water vapour condenses back into liquid and its heat is recaptured.

Areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. These areas are designated by the local planning authority.

These came into force on 6 April 2015 and replaced Construction (Design and Management) Regulation 2007. The key aim of CDM 2015 is to integrate health and safety into the management of the project and to encourage everyone involved to work together to: a. Improve the planning and management of projects from the very start; b. Identify hazards early on, so they can be eliminated or reduced at the design or panel stage and the remining risks can be properly managed; c. Target effort where it can do the most good in terms of health and safety; and d. Discourage unnecessary bureaucracy. Further regulation – specific definitions are set out at Regulation 2 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

The Construction Act defines construction contracts. It gives parties to the construction contract obligations and rights which cannot be removed, regardless of the contract terms.

A joint made during the placing of concrete for convenience of working or to allow for shrinkage of bays.

A figure that is included within the cost of a project, to allow for any uncertainty which may arise during the works. See also ‘PC Sum’ and ‘Provisional Sum’.

Engaged by the Employer to advise on and administer the Contract. The Contract Administrator (CA) is paid by the Employer and advises the Employer on all matters in connection with the building work. The CA administers the Contract on behalf of the Employer. However in the following matters he acts independently as between the Employer and the Contractor: • in issuing payment certificates; • in valuing any variations or any work instructed in respect of Provisional Sums included in the Contract Documents; • in giving any extension to the time stated in the Contract Particulars for the completion of the building work; • in certifying the date of practical completion and the date when in his opinion all defects which appear during the Rectification Period have been made good.

Under the Contract only the Contract Administrator can issue instructions to the Contractor; although the Employer is paying for the building work he is not entitled to give any instructions direct to the Contractor in connection with it. If the Employer wishes to make any change to the work or the manner in which it is being carried out, he must ask the Contract Administrator to give the necessary instructions to the Contractor.

This Act allows third parties to be conferred rights under a contract to which they are not a party. However, the burden of the contract cannot be conveyed to a third party under the Act. The Act applies to contracts entered into after 11 May 2000. For contracts entered into between 11 November 1999 and 10 May 2000, the Act only applies if the contract so provides. A third party may enforce the terms of the contract if: (1) The contract expressly provides for it, or (2) The term purports to confer benefit on the third party unless it appears that the parties did not intend the term to be enforceable by the third party. See ‘Collateral warranty’.

Legislation that provides an explicit duty to manage asbestos. The duty is on all those who have responsibility for the maintenance and/or repair of non-domestic premises. See ‘Asbestos consultancy’.

'Coefficient of Performance' of a refrigeration machine is the ratio of the energy removed at the evaporator (refrigeration effect) to the energy supplied to the compressor.

A written agreement (generally a clause within a lease) between two or more persons, whereby either party promises to perform or give something to the other or abstain from the performance of certain things, i.e. repair, reinstatement of alterations etc.

A licence to allow a tower crane jib to oversail adjoining property. The licence will usually indemnify the adjoining property owners from any damage and may compensate them. See ‘Neighbourly issues’.

The driveway section outside the front of a building and in the public road.

Constant Temperature, used to define Low Temperature Hot Water (LTHW) systems that deliver a constant supply temperature to a heating circuit.

A non-load-bearing wall, often of glass and steel or aluminium framing, fixed to the outside of a building as a cladding.

Cold Water Services, can also be prefixed with a D to define a domestic scenario.

A layer of impervious material placed in a masonry wall at floor or wall junctions to prevent the migration of moisture.

A water and vapour proof membrane laid under solid floors and connected to the DPC to prevent the migration of water into a building.

The date by which the Contractor is required to finish the work. This is the date stated in the Contract Particulars or as extended by the Contract Administrator.

The date certified by the Contract Administrator when in his opinion the Contractor actually finishes the work to all practical intents and purposes.

A modern and cheaper method of insurance reinstatement cover for buildings, avoiding the need to predict inflation over the year of cover (the last day being the worst case loss) and over to the period to demolish, redesign, procure and rebuild. The sum insured is based upon a professional Reinstatement Cost Assessment (RCA) at the last day of cover (Day One). See ‘Reinstatement cost assessments’.

Decibels weighted to the 'A' scale, used to measure a perceived level of noise.

Direct Digital Control is the terminology used to define the various architectures, hardware components and software associated with Energy Management Systems (EMS) or Building Management Systems (BMS).

A short section of pipe in a water generation or distribution system through which water does not circulate.

A Display Energy Certificate (DEC) is required for all public buildings and those occupied by public authorities which have a total useful area greater than 1000m2 and provide a public service to a large number of people and therefore frequently visited by those people (e.g. a school, hospital, government or local authority building).

Defects in the work which appear during the Rectification Period are required to be put right by the Contractor before he is entitled to be paid the balance of the monies due to him under the Contract. Formerly known as the Defects Liability Period.

An area defined within warehouses where material handling equipment (MHE) uses fixed paths, usually between high-level storage racking. Regularity of the floor is critical in these areas. See ‘Free-movement areas’.

‘Harmful’ materials. When relating to buildings they generally include: (1) High Alumina cement (HAC) (2) Asbestos (3) Chlorides (4) Woodwool slabs as permanent shuttering. Lists of deleterious materials can be far more extensive.

This is the whole area included and governed by the lease.

A construction procurement method where the contractor is employed to design a building using predefined criteria and also build it. With this form of procurement, the contractor takes on the design and construction risks. However, any client changes will attract a cost premium. There are slight variations on this procurement route, including ‘develop and construct’ and ‘design, build and operate’. The client should employ an ‘employers agent’ to manage the process. Collateral warranties are usually required from the design team to the client, future purchasers or tenants. See ‘Develop and construct’, ‘Design, build and operate’, ‘employer’s agent’ and ‘Collateral warranty’.

A construction procurement method where the contractor designs and constructs a building as well as operating, maintaining and servicing the building for a pre-agreed fee once completed.

Designers are those who have a trade or business which involves them in: a. Preparing designs for construction work, including variations. This includes preparing drawings, design details, specifications, bills of quantities and the specification (or prohibition) of articles and substances as well as all the related analysis, calculations and preparatory work; or b. Arranging for their employees or other people under their control to prepare designs relating to a structural part of the structure. Designers therefore include architects, civil and structural engineers, building surveyors, landscape architects, other consultants, manufacturers and design practices contributing to, or having overall responsibility for, any part of the design, for example drainage engineers designing the drainage for a new development.

A construction procurement method where the client designs a building up to say, scheme design stage, and then the contractor takes responsibility to develop the scheme to detailed design and construct the building. See ‘Collateral warranty’.

This is the monitoring of the performance of a third party implementing a development/building project in accordance with the terms of a Development, Funding or Lease Agreement. JV/Partnership or Funding Agreement. Tuffin Ferraby Taylor have completed numerous monitoring and managing projects for various parties including tenants and funding institutions. Now often referred to as Technical Due Diligence Project Monitoring.

The uneven settlement of different parts of a building.

A device on a light fitting to scatter light and reduce glare.