PurposeTo summarise research undertaken by the BRE into the identification and condition assessment, of non‐traditional housing. During the 1980s, defects were discovered in the design and construction of a number of house types designed and built before 1960 and these were subsequently designated as inherently defective under the Housing Defects legislation.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved several years of investigation during which many different types of pre‐cast concrete, in situ‐concrete, steel‐ and timber‐framed housing systems were investigated. This research has culminated in the publication of a major new book and CDROM.FindingsOverall the majority of non‐traditional dwellings have provided levels of performance not very different from many traditionally built dwellings of the same age. However, there are inherent defects with several systems. Some dwellings may be beyond economic repair.Practical implicationsThe surveyor needs to be aware of the system of non‐traditional dwelling under inspection and to understand the likely defects and necessary remedial work.Originality/valueThis research will inform surveyors and home inspectors of the identification of non‐traditional dwellings, modes of failure of various systems, whether economic repair is possible and what remedial action should be proposed.

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The usefulness and the advantages of natural ventilation in the modern world are evident from a number of contemporary structures that use such concepts. Recently BRE constructed a new office and seminar facility (BRE's Environmental Building) which is acting as a model for low-energy and environmentally aware office buildings of the twenty-first century. Subsequently, a research programme was undertaken at BRE for the purpose of taking forward these concepts through an innovative floor system called SINSLAB. Its main objective was to demonstrate that this structural system can be efficiently used for long-span floor construction. The structural floor utilises precast modular construction concepts in a manner advocated by the recent Egan Report. This paper presents the details of the design and construction of a full-scale laboratory model and its successful trials.

This paper deals with an aspect of the enduring implications of the collapse in 1968 of part of Ronan Point, a large panel system (LPS) built dwelling block. While it is commonly recognised that this incident resulted in the introduction of ‘disproportionate collapse’ as a structural concept and changes to the UK Building Regulations in force at the time, the issues relating to the ongoing management of the remaining population of existing LPS dwelling blocks are perhaps less widely appreciated. There are many high-rise LPS dwelling blocks in the UK that are expected to remain in service for an extended period. Block owners have an ongoing responsibility for their safety, which requires their periodic inspection and structural assessment. The guidance historically used for the assessment of such blocks has become outdated by developments since its publication. This paper summarises a programme of work to develop updated technical evaluation criteria and associated guidance for undertaking structural assessment of LPS dwelling blocks for accidental loads. The programme followed the classic forensic engineering process of learning from an unfortunate event to improve engineering practice in the future.

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