Don't scratch the surface

It's one of the most impressive feats in inner-city refurb work: hollowing out the core of an old building while retaining a façade as fragile as an eggshell.

Not only is it often the key to planning consent, it's also potentially very dangerous to the public.

Funny, then, that no code of practice has existed to light the way. Until now, that is.

In partnership with the HSE, CIRIA has published a best practice guide entitled Retention of Masonry Facades. It's a dense but very readable exploration of the issues surrounding this field of work, including actual case studies from Leeds, Bristol, London and Sydney, Australia.

It includes London's Lion Plaza project, a job that involved retaining a 250m wedge of façade at the busy corner of Threadneedle and Old Broad streets. Despite recent difficulties in that project, it remains an admirable accomplishment.

It also details information on planning and strategy, health and safety issues, investigations of the façade and adjacent structure and the design of the façade retention structure.

There is also a site handbook covering the practicalities of working on a façade retention site. It covers all the issues likely to be encountered by temporary works co-ordinators, site agents, structural engineers, planning supervisors and safety advisers when working with façades.

Masonry façade retention - Best practice guide (C579) is priced at £55 to members and £110 to others. The site handbook (C589) is £20 and £40. To buy these publications visit the Ciria website, www.ciria.org