The UK Construction Blog

Removal of step-ladders means that staff cannot reach works which are high on the shelves of Duke Humfrey’s library, the oldest reading room in the building.

Students said that they were being denied access to books, some of which have been on the shelf for 400 years, which could prove valuable to their research.

Kelsey Williams,  a 21ear old art history student, was told he could not read a copy of the book ‘Delitiae poetarum Scotorum’; a history of Christian persecution. The nearest known copy of the book was at the British Library, in London.

He said: “Access to these books is necessary for my research and when I do eventually consult a copy, I will be forced to waste a day travelling to London and looking at the one in the British Library.

“It is madness because I can practically see the Bodleian’s copy every time I walk into Duke Humfrey’s.”

Students requesting books on the top shelf are given a notice by staff which reads: “Unable to fetch book kept on top shelf in gallery. Due to new health and safety measures, step ladders can no longer be used.”

Laurence Benson, the library’s director of administration and finance, said the books were accessed from a narrow balcony that is 400 years old and “quite uneven”.

He said: “The balcony has a low rail and we have been instructed by the health and safety office that this increases the risk to those on the balcony.

“As part of the process the restriction on the use of ladders on the balcony has been introduced. The library would prefer to keep the books in their original historic location, where they have been safely consulted for 400 years prior to the instructions from the Health and Safety office.”

Mr Benson said the university was complying with working at height regulations introduced three years ago.

The possibility of moving the books to another part of the library was being considered, he said. The material in the books, including theology, philosophy and astronomy, was available digitally, Mr Benson added.

The university said last night that it had found another copy of the book ‘Delitiae poetarum Scotorum’ in Oxford, which meant Mr Williams, would not have to travel to the British Library.

The library recently invited Consultants to provide advice on a more modern ladder solution to enable safe access to high book shelves. Preserving the aesthetic appeal of the product so as not to look too out of place in the historic environment will be an important consideration.

Oxford University - Duke Humfrey's library

IP Explanation and Ratings

EN 60529 outlines an international classification system for the sealing effectiveness of enclosures
of electrical equipment against the intrusion into the equipment of foreign bodies (i.e. tools, dust, fingers) and moisture. This classification system utilizes the letters “IP” (“Ingress Protection”) followed by two or three digits. (A third digit is sometimes used. An “x” is used for one of the digits if there is only one class of protection; i.e. IPX4 which addresses moisture resistance only.)

Degrees of Protection – First Digit
The first digit of the IP code indicates the degree that persons are protected against contact with moving parts (other than smooth rotating shafts, etc.) and the degree that equipment is protected against solid foreign bodies intruding into an enclosure.

0 No special protection
1 Protection from a large part of the body such as a hand (but no protection from deliberate
access); from solid objects greater than 50mm in diameter.
2 Protection against fingers or other object not greater than 80mm in length and 12mm in
diameter.
3 Protection from entry by tools, wires, etc., with a diameter of thickness greater than
1.0mm.
4 Protection from entry by solid objects with a diameter or thickness greater than 1.0mm
5 Protection from the amount of dust that would interfere with the operation of the
equipment.
6 Dust tight.

Degrees of Protection – Second Digit
The second digit indicates the degree of protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against the harmful entry of various forms of moisture (e.g. dripping, spraying, submersion, etc.)
0 No special protection
1 Protection from dripping water.
2 Protection from vertically dripping water.
3 Protection from sprayed water.
4 Protection from splashed water.
5 Protection from water projected from a nozzle
6 Protection against heavy seas, or powerful jets of water.
7 Protection against immersion.
8 Protection against complete, continuous submersion in water.

Submersion depth and time must be specified by the end-user. The requirement must be more
onerous than IP67

The IP Code Symbols
The chart below illustrates the use of special symbols in the IP classification system. In the “1st
digit” column, note the grid-like symbols next to numbers 5 and 6. In the “2nd digit” column numbers 3-8 are symbolised by teardrop shaped symbols, sometimes enclosed in a box or a triangle, sometimes unenclosed (#7-8). These symbols can be placed on equipment to illustrate the IP protection provided.

IP Ratings

Samsung Q1 and Q1 ULTRA Powerbank Extended Battery

Gives approximately an extra 9 hours survey or working time

Also acts as a charger for the onboard battery and fits neatly into your pocket while surveying.

Manufacture Ref: AA-PL0UC8B/E or BA96-0314A

Powerbank Extended Battery

Samsung exemplifies technological determination and progressive ideals. From technology to business to the philanthropy, Samsung has become a world leader for which the possibilities are truly endless.

Run Time (Up To) 9 hour(s)

Technology Lithium Ion

Product Type Ultra Mobile PC battery

Compatibility PC

Manufacturer Samsung

Model AA-PL0UC8B or BA96-0314A

Packaged Quantity 1

Product Line Samsung Power Bank Extended Battery Pack

A fantastic add on to your Mobile Surveying Solution, giving up to 9 hours extra surveying time on site. Can also be used to power your Q1 and Q1 ULTRA for playing DVD’s and general computing works.

These batteries are traditionally very hard to get hold of for some reason, but we found that Mobile CAD Surveying have them in stock most of the time and if they are not in stcok can usually get hold of them within about 7 days.

Samsung Q1 Powerbank Extended Battery

House prices rose by 2.6 per cent in May, the first increase in four months and the biggest jump since October 2002, this gives further hope that the market could be nearing the bottom, this is according to new figures from Halifax.

Last month’s increase takes the price of the average British home to just over £158,000, and compares to the 1.2 per cent price rise that Nationwide reported for May recently.

Halifax cautioned that it was “important not to place too much weight on any one month’s figures” and emphasised that the average UK house price in the three months to May was still 3.1 per cent lower than the figure for the previous 12 weeks.

Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, described the rise as a “real eye opener”, but said: “We remain sceptical that house prices have bottomed out.”

“Sharply higher and rising unemployment, very low wage growth and an unwillingness of many people to commit to buying a house when they still have serious concerns about the outlook are all factors that are likely to continue to weigh down on the housing market for some time to come.”

Last month’s house price rise represents an easing of the annual decline, the annual house price decline fell to 16.3 per cent in May, its lowest level since December, this compares to a 17.7 per cent annual decline in April and a 17.7 per cent drop at the peak in February.

The CIPS/Markit barometer’s headline reading climbed to 51.7 last month, from 48.7 in April, taking it above the key 50 mark that signals expansion.

The latest house price figures emerge a day after a survey suggested that the key services sector, which accounts for nearly three quarters of Britain’s GDP, grew last month for the first time in more than a year.

Growing signs that the economy’s slump could be easing mean that the Bank of England could pause this month in its aggressive eight-month campaign to jump-start economic growth.

It is widely expected that the Bank will keep the interest rate at the historic low of 0.5 per cent when it announces its decision at midday, and maintain its scheme to pump money into the economy at £125 billion, through a process known as quantitative easing.

New construction jobs could be created throughout the UK if more money was pledged to the development of windfarm projects. The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) has said that, so far, all investment in wind projects had come from private capital. “There has been no government investment involving windfarms, it is not subsidised in any way,” a BWEA spokesman said. “So what we need to understand is there is an appetite there amongst industry and private investors to deploy more wind energy.” The BWEA’s comments come after energy consultancy company TNEI launched a new software system which looks set to help companies in the design and construction of new windfarms.

A number of EU member states, including the UK, have signed up to the Renewable Energy Directive, which means that Britain will see an eight-fold increase in renewable energy consumption by 2020 from the current levels.

It is hoped that 20 per cent of the UK’s energy will be generated from a renewable source in 11 years’ time.

Robert Stern from Yale University has been parachuted into the midst of a prestigious competition for Oxford University because of  a “deadlock” over whether to chose a modern or classical architect.

The original shortlist for the £30 million Institute of Public Policy —  part of a wider £1.25 billion new university campus — featured Make and Dixon Jones, Wilkinson Eyre,  alongside traditionalist firms such as  Stanhope Gate and John Simpson & Partners.

But the university was split between the Dixon Jones and John Simpson proposals and now hopes that Robert Stern who is the dean of Yale’s School of Architecture and describes himself as a “modern traditionalist”, may well be able to appease both sides — as well as the Russian oligarch believed to be funding the building.

“There was a feeling that Robert Stern could break the deadlock as he straddled both camps,” a source said.

The project to build a new university campus on the former site of Oxford’s Radcliffe Infirmary was meant to demonstrate the university’s ability to match the Ivy League by building a new campus using private money, the project is planned to be carried out over the next 20 years.

However,  it has made little progress since Rafael Viñoly was hired in 2005 to draw up a masterplan, the latest incarnation of which was described late last year by Cabe as a “wholly inadequate framework for development” due to lack of context and long-term thinking.

A public exhibition of the Institute of Public Policy proposals, due to be held next week, was cancelled earlier this week with no explanation.

Robert Stern has never built in the UK, but has masterminded the redevelopment of Yale and has designed many libraries, courthouses and university buildings across the United States as well as masterplanning the town of Celebration in Florida for the Walt Disney Company, and the regeneration of New York’s Times Square.

There is also concern about other aspects of the campus development with critics claiming the commercial direction of the architecture as a whole is “more suited to a business park”.

The university has launched a fundraising drive, headed by philanthropist Vivien Duffield, to pay for university expansion but Duffield has yet to commit to funding a new £180 million Humanities Building, designed by Bennetts Associates because of concerns over the design including an underground library.

“Vivien doesn’t feel this is the kind of architecture she wants to sponsor.”

A spokesperson for the Clore Duffield Foundation confirmed it had considered a donation towards the humanities building, but had not yet reached agreement. “No contribution has been confirmed to any part of the project,” they said.

A university spokesperson refused to discuss the competition for the Institute of Public Policy or the funding of the Humanities Building, saying: “The university is currently taking a conservative view of any commitments on major capital projects until the global crisis works through the economy.

“Raising money for the first buildings to go up on the site is under way, but no projects have been confirmed as definite.”

Robert Stern’s office said that under the terms of his contract with Oxford University he could not comment.

On the launch its new five-year strategy for safety in Great Britain, the HSE said it would make all its documents – including codes of practice – freely available in a bid to help SMEs improve safety standards in their businesses.

The documents, which are usually purchased by small and medium-sized firms, are currently only available in paid-for hardcopies.

HSE chairperson Judith Hackitt stated it may take a few months to get all the information uploaded to the regulator’s website, but she hoped it would go some way to addressing the problems the HSE has in reaching small business.

The safety body is also asking organisations to sign up to its new strategy, which has already been signed by firms including Corus, BAA and BT.