How to Navigate this Book ix 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Towards a decarbonised built environment 1 1.2 Responding to climate change 2 1.3 The function and performance of buildings 3 1.4 General principles of construction 6 1.5 Regulations and approvals 11 1.6 Sources of information 13 Further reading 13 Chapter 2 AT A GLANCE 15 2 Site Analysis, Set-Up, Drainage, and Scaffolding 17 2.1 Site analysis 17 2.

2 Site set-up and security 30 2.3 Site drainage 34 2.4 Foul drainage 41 2.5 Scaffolding 68 Further reading 88 Reflective exercises 88 Chapter 3 AT A GLANCE 89 3 Ground Stability and Foundations 91 3.1 Bedrock and soil types 91 3.2 Ground stability 98 3.3 Foundations: functional requirements 101 3.4 Foundation construction 113 3.

5 Strip foundations 124 3.6 Pad foundations 134 3.7 Raft foundations 143 3.8 Short-bored pile foundations 151 3.9 Precast pile and beam foundation systems 153 Further reading 155 Reflective exercises 155 Chapter 4 AT A GLANCE 157 4 Floors 159 4.1 Functional requirements 159 4.2 Ground-supported concrete floor slab 162 4.3 Suspended concrete floor slabs 170 4.

4 Suspended timber ground floors 176 4.5 Reinforced concrete upper floors 179 4.6 Timber upper floors 182 4.7 Floor finishes 190 Further reading 200 Reflective exercises 200 Chapter 5 AT A GLANCE 201 5 Loadbearing Walls 203 5.1 Functional requirements 203 5.2 Walling materials 210 5.3 Mortar 221 5.4 Bonding bricks and blocks 226 5.

5 Damp-proof courses (DPCs) 231 5.6 Solid wall construction 239 5.7 Cavity wall construction 269 5.8 Internal and party walls 291 5.9 Straw wall construction 294 5.10 Earth wall construction 300 5.11 Green (living) walls 304 Further reading 305 Reflective exercises 305 Chapter 6 AT A GLANCE 307 6 Roofs 309 6.1 Functional requirements 309 6.

2 Pitched roofs 313 6.3 Pitched roof coverings 328 6.4 Sheet metal covering to low-pitched roofs 351 6.5 Thermal insulation to pitched roofs 354 6.6 Flat roofs 359 6.7 Timber flat roof construction 362 6.8 Concrete flat roofs 378 6.9 Thermal insulation to flat roofs 381 6.

10 Parapet walls 385 6.11 Green roofs 390 6.12 Roof drainage 394 Further reading 401 Reflective exercises 401 Chapter 7 AT A GLANCE 403 7 Windows 405 7.1 Functional requirements 405 7.2 Window types 430 7.3 Window frames 439 7.4 Glass and glazing 463 7.5 Hardware 481 7.

6 Window cills 483 Further reading 490 Reflective exercises 490 Chapter 8 AT A GLANCE 491 8 Doors 493 8.1 Functional requirements 493 8.2 Door types 498 8.3 Door frames and linings 519 8.4 Hardware 535 Further reading 541 Reflective exercises 541 Chapter 9 AT A GLANCE 543 9 Stairs and Ramps 545 9.1 Functional requirements 545 9.2 Terms, definitions and materials 548 9.3 Types of stairs 557 9.

4 Timber staircases 560 9.5 Stone stairs 571 9.6 Reinforced concrete stairs 571 9.7 Structural glass stairs 576 9.8 Ramps 576 Further reading 579 Reflective exercises 579 Chapter 10 AT A GLANCE 581 10 Surface Finishes 583 10.1 Functional requirements 583 10.2 Wall and ceiling finishes 585 10.3 Skirtings, architraves, and kitchen cabinets 600 10.

4 Tiling to walls 604 10.5 Painting and decorating 605 Further reading 612 Reflective exercises 612 Chapter 11 AT A GLANCE 613 11 Internal Environment and Energy Supply 615 11.1 Principles and performance requirements 615 11.2 Heat loss calculations 617 11.3 Testing and monitoring thermal performance 626 11.4 Indoor climate control 629 11.5 Energy sources 634 11.6 Solid fuel-burning appliances 640 11.

7 Domestic electrical supply and installations 655 11.8 Artificial lighting 677 Further reading 679 Reflective exercises 679 Chapter 12 AT A GLANCE 681 12 Water Supply and Sanitation 683 12.1 Cold water supply and distribution 683 12.2 Hot water supply and distribution 693 12.3 Water services to multi-storey buildings 699 12.4 Pipes for water supply 708 12.5 Sanitary appliances 712 Further reading 733 Reflective exercises 734 Index 735.