Investigation of Wind Induced Failure of Buildings and Structures
Whether it be wind, snow or rain, the weather can have a significant impact on buildings and infrastructure, causing structural damage or flooding.
Investigating The Causes Of Vehicle Fires
An absolute must when avoiding vehicle fires, is for any driver to check that the vehicle is safe to drive. UK Government regulations state that the duties of a motorist include:
Registering the vehicle with the DVLA
Keeping the vehicle’s tax up to date
Obtaining a current MOT certificate
Maintaining the roadworthy condition of a vehicle
Having a minimum third-party insurance that covers use of the vehicle
Wearing a Helmet When Cycling Might Just Save Your Life
One might think that in today’s Health and Safety conscious society there would be universal support for the wearing of cycle helmets. However, amongst the cycling community, opinion remains sharply divided on the issue of making helmet use mandatory. Advocates for the wearing of cycle helmets have rider safety as their primary concern, but critics claim that making helmet use compulsory will discourage people from cycling, meaning that those who choose not to would miss out on the health benefits that regular cycling can offer.
Water Damage in Basements – Part I: Ingress
Basement construction has become more common, both in new developments and beneath existing buildings, as basements provide an increased floor area for the same footprint of the main, above-ground building.
Water Damage In Basements Part II: Drainage
It is widely reported that climate change will result in an increased flood risk in the UK, with wetter winters and more intense summer thunderstorms.
Protecting Against the Dangers of Electrical Arc Flash
Arc flash, sometimes known as electrical flashover, is a low impedance short circuit that causes a very high current flow.
Pressure, Pushing Down On Me
Everyone knows what an explosion is, but what about its opposite, an implosion? An explosion occurs when a large amount of energy is released into a small volume in a very short time, but what happens in an implosion? Put simply, an implosion is the opposite of an explosion, matter and energy collapse inward and all implosions are caused by some form of pressure acting from the outside on an object. If that pressure is greater than the pressure within the object, without adequate support, the object will collapse. This is a real risk in process industries (and submarines!).
Improving Building Investigation Efficiency with Targeted Survey Systems
Sometimes building owners, asset managers or maintenance teams have to face a harsh reality when it comes to managing, maintaining and monitoring their assets. For example, what if a Housing Association has discovered cracking in the render of the external wall insulation system on some of their 1000+ properties? If the cracking is caught at an early stage, it could be easy and inexpensive to repair, but if left exposed to the elements unchecked, the repair bills could be costly. A different example could be a portfolio manager who has just acquired hundreds of properties across a low-medium seismicity zone (i.e. risk of earthquake). Could it still be considered negligent to not assess the risk of these buildings collapsing during a foreseeable earthquake? In some situations, it would not be acceptable to simply survey a sample of the buildings, as it is possible that these surveys could miss the buildings with the most significant damage. With these types of investigations only a review of every building will suffice; however, sometimes resources, availability and costs are limited so a full investigation cannot be carried out on every single building or asset.
Looking into Glazing Failures
Looking into Glazing Failures: Glass isn’t traditionally seen as structural. Glazing failures can stem from construction, damage, or design flaws.
Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC) Pipework: The Problems
CPVC is a type of thermoplastic that was introduced for potable plumbing in 1959 and is now also extensively used in fire suppression systems.