Baffled and bewildered

A. The various procurement options reflect fundamental differences in the allocation of risk and responsibility. Procurement methods can be broadly classified under four headings: traditional, design and build, management contracting, and construction management. Each method has its own variations. To decide which is best for your project, you need to identify the key variables:

• The contractual relationships between parties
  
• The level of responsibility the contractor, including trade contractors, has for design
  
• The method of reimbursing the contractor, including trade contractors.

Consider all the characteristics of your project and compare them with the characteristics of the various procurement methods (see table) to find the best fit.

Identify the most important characteristics before going on to consider any secondary or peripheral issues.

Q. My company is building a new school. Does emergency lighting have to be provided and, if so, where should it be located? And what about the associated residential accommodation?

A. A school has to have escape lighting for all escape routes and accommodation. There are just two exceptions: accommodation open on one side for viewing sport or entertainment during normal daylight hours, and parts of buildings with natural light that are used only during normal school hours. External escape routes are acceptable.

The standards for installing escape lighting systems are given in BS 5266: Part 1.

If there is residential accommodation with the school, it will need escape lighting in all common escape routes.

For further details, view the Building Regulations' approved documents at www.safety.odpm.gov.uk/bregs/brads.htm.

Q. The building We have been putting up has been completed but the brickwork has become stained with damp in places. The client wants to have a colour applied to produce a uniform appearance but the contractor believes it is better to wait until the staining has dried out. Is he right?

A. There are many different reasons for the bricks to become stained - poor quality, excessive water contact, rain, presence of salts, etc.

In the absence of the material testing reports, other relevant information and physical inspection, it is always impossible to give an informed opinion on such matters.

Having said that, though, I suggest that you carefully examine the bricks and the relevant documentation to work out just what it is that has caused the stains before deciding what to do about them.

For further information and to back up your case, it would be prudent to log onto the website www.brick.org.uk and search for the document entitled "Cleaning of Clay Bricks". This report offers good guidance on the many issues linked with brick including stains and how to remove them.

For further information, contact the Brick Development Association, Woodside House, Winkfield, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 2DX.

Tel 01344 885651, fax 01344 890129 or email brick@brick.org.uk.