It is estimated that the built environment in Ireland is responsible for approximately one-third of our national greenhouse gas emissions. The Irish Green Building Council has found that producing and transporting construction materials and constructing buildings and infrastructure account for 11% of our national emissions. Therefore, decarbonizing the construction industry is essential in addressing the
The Office of Public Works (OPW) have several regulatory functions under the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act and S.I 122/2010 (Assessment and Management of Flood Risks) Regulations, including Section 50 approval. Section 50 requires that inter alia: “No local authority, railway company, canal company or similar body and no industrial concern may construct any new bridge
Flooding is a natural process. It occurs when a combination of events, including overflow of riverbanks, coastal storms, and deluges on inadequate drainage systems. A flood presents a risk when the potential to damage people, property or the environment arises. Due to the growing consequences of climate change, the frequency and severity of flooding have
Active Travel is the term used to describe travelling under your own energy for a purpose. At its simplest form, it means travelling by walking and cycling. However, given the capital expenditure invested in providing increased infrastructure around motorised transport over the past 30 years, it is difficult for active travel and vulnerable road users
There are encouraging signs that the Irish planning system is edging ever more closely to a digitised submissions procedure. A planning pack can consist of thousands of pages, depending on the scale and complexity of the development. A move away from the cumbersome paper submissions process would be most welcome by designers, planners and architects
The ORS Building Surveying Team regularly carry out property condition surveys adjacent to upgrade works on Ireland’s road network. Clause 136 of the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) Specification document for Road Works Series 100 – CC-SPW-00100 Preliminaries states that property condition surveys must be undertaken on all buildings and structures within 50 metres of the
The energy sector has experienced an increase in fuel costs across the board in the last 12 months, which has prompted many businesses to reevaluate their energy use to find ways to reduce energy costs. The SEAI recently launched the Support Scheme for Energy Audits (SSEA) that allows small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to appoint
A Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) is a review undertaken at a facility to assess the fire risk associated with operations on site. An FRA is a requirement for compliance with EPA licenses and examines potential fire hazards against management measures implemented for the facility’s safe operation. Objectives The purpose of a Fire Risk Assessment is
In recent years there has been irrefutable global interest in environmental protection. “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, “Carbon Footprints”, “Sustainability” were once insignificant terms but are fast becoming some of the most finely considered elements in business today. Information is now at our fingertips with the insurgence of social media platforms in the last decade. Consumers are