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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.

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      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeJul 21st 2021
     
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jul/21/owners-of-low-rise-flats-freed-from-wall-safety-certificate-need

    "people living in blocks below 18 metres in height will no longer be advised to have an external wall survey, or EWS1 certificate, before they sell their flats, which has been standard since Grenfell"

    18m! = 6 storeys! Is that 'low-rise'? Is this a good idea? Or another Jenrick/Tory vote-pleaser?
    • CommentAuthorowlman
    • CommentTimeJul 22nd 2021 edited
     
    <blockquote><cite>Posted By: fostertom</cite>

    18m! = 6 storeys! Is that 'low-rise'?

    I way understand, if it can be reached with a fire rescue ladder it's low rise, but no official definition, i think.
    • CommentAuthorCliff Pope
    • CommentTimeJul 22nd 2021
     
  1.  
    Meanwhile over on twitter: https://twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1417595661139255300?s=20

    "Richmond House had no cladding problems and it was 10m. It still burnt down. Ministers have indicated that smaller buildings are less dangerous and residents are less at risk. No-one died that night but an expert we've spoken to say that that might have been different had the fire started in another part of the building.

    In any case, as I say, the effect on the lives of the leaseholders has been profound. Save Grenfell, very often when we're talking about the building safety crisis the consequences are a hypothetical. Not so here. It quite literally burnt down with defective building elements, elements which no-one knew about, which got past the building safety regime."
    •  
      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeJul 22nd 2021
     
    18m, 10m, is a pretty good height to create a chimney effect, unlike (perhaps) 6m/2storey.
    The only ' less dangerous and residents are less at risk' aspect is that the entire occupancy of such a block can be evacuated by ladder (?).
  2.  
    Is exemption from the EWS1 certificate for low rise a good thing - IMO probably yes.
    But first was the Grenfell fire properly nailed down as to the cause.
    I don't know at the moment if the insulation used was inherently dangerous or just dangerous in that situation.
    Was the design of the cladding inherently flawed
    Or was the workmanship of the referb below standard such that hazards were created.
    If the cause (or causes) are known then it should be possible to easily identify high and low rise flats that could have the specific issue(s) and address those flats leaving all others alone.
    • CommentAuthorRobL
    • CommentTimeJul 22nd 2021
     
    I understand there were so many faults it's hard to believe, lots of blame to hand out:
    Insulation formula possibly different to that approved
    Air gap to cladding (standard practice!)
    Cladding could burn too
    No firestops between floors using rockwool

    Is it because the cladding is quick to apply that it seems ubiquitous on high rise? but is render with no airgap that bad? Rockwool isn't that hard to use, it would never burn then!
    • CommentAuthorArtiglio
    • CommentTimeJul 22nd 2021
     
    Hopefully its a case of the people that matter took the time to read Dr. Barbara Lanes report on Grenfell and as a result are undoing some of the knee jerk decisions made by those that didn’t read it and instead followed the herd.
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