Introduction
Buildings and the built environment are essential for the survival of individuals and cultures. The effective and efficient investigation and remediation of failures in buildings and the built environment is therefore also essential. This is an increasing problem in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world, especially under accelerated changes in occupancy, and under the stresses of climate change.
The BP24 conference is intended to develop and promote the application of Building Pathology as a holistic subject for the investigation, diagnosis, prognosis, and remediation of failures in buildings and the built environment; based on the understanding of buildings as complex systems evolving over time. This allows a holistic approach to risk identification and cost-effective risk management for failures in all new, refurbished, and historic buildings, and in the built environment.
Here, a ‘silo mentality’ has predominated in the past, which has often resulted in remedial and other interventions causing unforeseen, but not unforeseeable problems.
It is proposed that all building professionals and managers should therefore have at least a basic understanding of the principles of Building Pathology, in the same way that they have a basic understanding of Health & Safety risk management. This is increasingly important internationally, and especially in the UK with the recent provisions of the CDM regulations, the Building Safety Act 2022, and changes in the Building Regulations. This therefore represents an opportunity for individuals and organisations that can provide a wide range of information and services to their clients, backed by independent expert investigation and advice based on a holistic understanding of Building Pathology.
Participants
Participation in BP24 will be by invitation, and will include Building Professionals Researchers, representatives of Professional and Trade Institutions, Property Owners, Insurers, Regulators, and Managers, who are active in the investigation or application of Building Pathology.
What is our aim?
“The need to understand how buildings react to changing environmental conditions and meet the demands of contemporary society has become of growing importance as we seek to make better use of our existing buildings and design new buildings that will offer improved durability and resilience in the future. We cannot continue with existing ways of design and construction, or place reliance on outdated myths or assumptions, if positive change is to occur.
BP24 follows the theme of earlier Building Pathology conferences run by Hutton + Rostron in addressing subjects that are of current interest or concern to academics and professionals working in the built environment, offering an opportunity to discuss pressing issues and promote interdisciplinary change and collaboration.”
Dr David Watt
Hutton + Rostron Environmental Investigations Limited
Visiting Professor at Oxford Brookes University
Key Subjects
The BP24 conference will consist of a program of informal and formal presentations by participants eminent in their fields, of 15 to 30m minutes followed by open discussions of 15 to 20 minutes, over the two days of the conference. There will also be opportunities for ‘breakout’ sessions for special interest groups, and a Conference Dinner for conference participants and Guests.
BP24 will cover a range of subjects relevant to Building Pathology, with presentations and engagement by leading academic researchers and built environment practitioners, including:
- Climate change
- Flooding
- Building performance
- Building surveys and assessments
- Building Regulation, Building Safety and Building Control
- Fire safety
- Retrofit
- Dampness
- Mould and health impacts
- Timber decay
- Craft training
- Community engagement
- Interstitial Condensation
- Decay to new Timber and CLT Buildings
- Concrete Failures
- Insurance and litigation
- Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
- Repurposing of Historic Structures and Building Stocks
