Building Regulations functional requirements

The functional requirements of the Building Regulations which includes the provision of adequate fire safety... 

Both of these Building Reguiations iay down certain functional requirements that all buildings must satisfy. In the regulations, these functional requirements are nothing more than brief descriptions of the function of various aspects of the building, for example the Building... 

In order to provide some helpful guidance to designers and constructors, the DCLG issues detailed guidance on how the functional requirements of the Building Regulations may be met. This detailed guidance takes the form of Approved Documents these documents have the same status as all approved Codes of Practice. 

The Schedule to the Building Regulations details a number of functional requirements that any building must satisfy. The schedule is divided into a number of parts. 

PART C Site preparation and resistance to moisture - this part of the Building Regulations details the functional requirements relating to the ground conditions of the building site. There are four requirements ... 

Functional switching is for the user of the electrical installation or equipment. The Building Regulations require that switches and sockets be installed so that all persons, including those whose reach is limited, can reach them. The guidance is shown in Fig. 6.42 and applies to all new dwellings but not to rewires. 

Because of this, in most countries the fire regulations specify periods of fire resistance, as measured in a standard fire-test for load-bearing elements, depending upon the size and function of the building. They tend to concentrate on passive rather than active methods of protection, and the required periods of fire resistance are frequently listed in a tabular format relating periods of fire resistance to maximum compartment dimensions and building height for various types of occupancy. 

A frequent argument is that vented batteries require special battery rooms, but valve-regulated batteries do not. Valve-regulated batteries can be accommodated as one likes but in this sense it is not correct. DIN VDE 0510 does not require separate battery rooms. This is a requirement of the owner/user who wants to have specific protection of the supply system, e.g. in case of fire or unauthorized access. This is to ensure system functionality even in cases of crisis (see DIN VDE 0108 Safety Power Supply Systems for Public Premises , Regulations for Electrotechnical Installations in Buildings.)... 

A state of malfunctioning can also be prevented by blocking the transition from a normal to an abnormal state. This can be done by building a wall about the normal functioning, representing the various types of barriers. The wall effectively constraints performance to that which is intended or required, by means of techniques such as barriers, regulations, procedures, standardisation, etc. 

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