Approved Document C
The first set of national building standards was introduced in 1965. Now known as the building regulations, they set out:
- What qualifies as 'building work' and so fall under the control of the regulations.
- What types of buildings are exempt.
- The notification procedures that must be followed when starting, carrying out, and completing building work.
- Requirements for specific aspects of building design and construction.
The 'approved documents' provide guidance for how the building regulations can be satisfied in common building situations. There is no obligation to adopt the solutions presented in the approved documents, the building regulations can be satisfied in other ways.
Approved Document C: Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture, was last published in 2013.
It covers the weather-tightness and water-tightness of buildings, subsoil drainage, site preparation, and measures to deal with contaminated land, radon, methane, and other site related hazardous and dangerous substances.
In terms of resistance to moisture, the regulations state that the building should be protected from harmful effects caused by:
- Ground moisture.
- Precipitation including wind-driven spray.
- Interstitial and surface condensation.
- Spillage of water from, or associated with, sanitary fittings or fixed appliances.
It defines a ‘contaminant’ as ‘any substance which is or may become harmful to persons or buildings, including substances which are corrosive, explosive, flammable, radioactive or toxic’; and lists examples of sites likely to contain contaminants, including:
- Animal and animal products processing works.
- Asbestos works.
- Ceramics and asphalt manufacturing works.
- Chemical works.
- Dockyards and dockland.
- Gas works.
- Landfill and other waste disposal sites.
- Oil storage and distribution sites.
- Power stations.
- Scrap yards.
- Sewage works.
- Texile and dye works.
The content of the Approved Document includes:
- Section 1: Clearance or treatment of unsuitable material – This includes guidance on various site investigation measures and types of unsuitable material.
- Section 2: Resistance to contaminants – This includes risk assessment and remedial guidance on solid and liquid contaminants, methane and other gases from the ground, and radon.
- Section 3: Subsoil drainage.
- Section 4: Floors – This includes guidance and technical solutions for ground supported floors, suspended timber ground floors, suspended concrete ground floors, floors exposed from below, and resistance to surface condensation and mould growth.
- Section 5: Walls – This includes guidance and technical solutions for internal and external walls (moisture from the ground), external walls (moisture from outside), solid external walls, cavity external walls, cavity insulation, framed external walls, cracking of external walls, impervious cladding systems, joints between doors and windows, door thresholds, and resistance of external walls to damage from interstitial condensation, surface condensation and mould growth.
- Section 6: Roofs – This includes guidance and technical solutions for roof resistance to damage from moisture from outside, interstitial condensation, surface condensation and mould growth.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Approved documents.
- Approved Document D.
- Approved Document F.
- Approved Document H.
- Brownfield land.
- Building Regulations.
- Condensation.
- Contaminated land.
- Cover systems for land regeneration - thickness of cover systems for contaminated land (BR465).
- Deleterious materials.
- Ground conditions.
- Hazardous substances.
- Mould growth.
- Radon.
- Radon: Guidance on protective measures for new buildings BR 211.
- Types of damp-proof courses.
Featured articles and news
Specifying rendered external wall insulation for fire safety
How to interrogate the evidence provided to the specifier.
The benefits of writing articles for your organisation
How to create a profile for your organisation and publish for free.
No Falls Week. The importance of safe working at height
What to expect and what is on offer to avoid accidents.
Scottish Government action to reach net-zero targets
Retrofit expert group highlight critical actions needed.
A forward thinking, inclusive global community of members.
From engineered product life-spans, to their extension.
Circular economy in the built environment
A brief description from 2021. Where are we now?
Mental Health Awareness Week with ABS
Architects Benevolent Society programme of activity.
CLC publishes domestic retrofit competency framework
Roadmap of Skills for net zero.
May 13-19: Moving more for our mental health.
Understanding is key to conservation.
Open industry engagement survey seeks responses
Institutions and the importance of engagement.
National Retrofit Hub unveils new guide
Digital Building Logbooks and Retrofit: An Introduction.
Enhancing construction site reporting efficiency
Through digitisation and the digital revolution.