Glossary

BBA (British Board of Agrément) accreditation
Set up by the Government in 1966 to encourage innovation in building by issuing appraisal certificates for inventions and practices, based on an agrément board founded in France in 1958. The BBA is a member of the European Union of Agrément (UEAtc), which exists to enable appraisals in one country to be used in another. Under BBA assessment, the Yorkon building system has undergone rigorous structural tests - giving you the assurance that your building will provide outstanding performance

Buildoffsite
An alliance of clients, developers, contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, government, advisors and researchers forming an industry-wide campaigning organisation that promotes greater uptake of off-site techniques by UK construction.

Building Approvals
Approval of a project for a particular building (including an office building) is obtained from the local planning authority, often the district council offices.

Building Module
The self-contained volumetric element of a building. Typically room-sized, a building module has its own superstructure and is manufactured off-site. It is attached to or placed inside the main building structure and is typically used to house plant and services, washrooms and for similar relatively complex purposes. Alternative term for ‘pod’ but also sometimes used to describe units that make up the whole building.

Building Regulations
British national regulations, that superseded local by-laws, were first put into operation in 1966 and metricated in 1972. This made the building laws uniform throughout the country.

Building System
Any pre-engineered method of building that has a pre-defined scope and configuration limits. Building systems can be volumetric, panel, stick build or hybrid.

DDA
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) aims to end the discrimination which many disabled people face. This Act gives disabled people rights in the areas of employment, buying or renting land or property, and access to goods, facilities, buildings and services.

Fasciae
A fabricated piece of plastisol-coated steel sheet, which is fitted to the perimeter of the roof and conceals the gutters behind it.

Intermediate Fasciae
A fabricated piece of plastisol-coated steel sheet, which is fitted to the perimeter of the building between the storeys on two, three, and four-storey buildings.

LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board)
The Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) is part of BRE Certification, the UK's leading centre for construction and fire expertise, providing consultancy and information services to customers world-wide.

Modular Building
Modular construction involves the manufacture of a building off-site in a controlled factory environment. The steel-framed modules are fitted with all electrics, plumbing, heating, doors, windows and internal finishes before they leave our manufacturing centre, improving quality and reducing programme times. The modules are then delivered to site by road, where they are craned onto pre-prepared foundations in just a few days, saving time and money - and reducing on-site disruption.

Modular Building Systems
A standardised module designed to be added to or used as part of an arrangement of building modules to form a connected whole.

Modern Methods of Construction
Term recently adopted by the OPDM (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) that refers to a variety of innovative build approaches including Off-site construction.

Off-site construction
This refers to that part of the construction process that is carried out away from the building site, such as in a factory. The approach requires a change from a traditional building process towards a manufacturing process.

Structure
The load-bearing part of a building.

Thermal door break
Part of the door jamb design, this feature reduces the transfer of hot or cold air between the exterior and interior of each building.

Trunking, three-compartment
All cabling is concealed in plastic trunking that runs around the rooms. The system allows for adaptable room layouts.

Volumetric module construction
A modular building system that makes any size or internal layout of building possible.

Warm-deck roof construction
The roof construction on all Yorkon buildings is fully insulated, which means no condensation on the inside. It promotes the retention of heat and contributes to a pleasant working environment.