DISCOUNT PLANS LTD

We advised the client to apply for a build over agreement even if Thames water has no records, it's compulsory to get this done to get the approval from the development team as they will need to see the alternative construction methods involved in agreeing on the foundation methods proposed. An Engineer was introduced to design a Pad and Steel Beam arrangement that involved steel beams sitting on mass concrete pad foundations to accommodate the external extension cavity walls as a means of support. This method was introduced to avoid any loading from the extension away from the drainage system. New drawings were designed showing connection detailing and a full set of calculations were produced for building control to approve. Thames water agreed on the design and issued a certificate of acceptance and the project started. There was a slight delay in getting these elements resolved due to various parties being involved, causing a pause on the build until all was accepted by Thames water and building control departments. The Engineer needed to be paid for his services for designing the pad and beam design so additional money was spent on engineering input, this design was unavoidable and needed to be done anyway regardless of spotting drainage issues at any given time. The Architect when designing extensions designs the foundations to be a standard strip footing type being 1000mm deep by 600mm wide. It is never the case where a Pad and beam design is designed by the Architects as the Engineer needs to design the size of the beams and arrangement as this is his area of expertise. It is also not the job of the Architect to carry out a drainage survey to establish the drainage layout, this is the job of a drainage company that carry out CCTV drainage reports which will be of cost to the homeowner.