PASSIVE HOUSE

Ms. Fleming
 Leaving Certificate
Question 1

a) Shown in the pictures below is a

passive house. The house is constructed
on good ground therefore, there is a
strip foundation used. To a scale 1:10
construct the cross section detail of a
concrete block foundation 300mm above
floor level.

b) Indicate clearly on your drawing the

technical specifications necessary to
ensure a wall (block frame) is suitable
as a passive build.
 Solution to Question

Passive Concrete Foundation

SolidWorks

Drawing Detail Model

Traditional vs Passive Housing
Criteria for Passive House
The aims of the passive house standard are to
increase comfort, lower monthly costs, maintain a
high property value and have a low environmental
impact.

Passive house must have:

• A very low energy usage (heating, hot water,

electricity)

• Airtightness

• Well insulated

• No thermal bridges

• Compact building form

 Passive Foundations
• In traditional foundations the concrete is in contact with the subsoil, whose
temperature can affect the foundation and the rising walls.

• Foundations for a passive build are highly insulated to prevent cold bridging,
something that is not done for traditional builds. This creates a break between the
concrete, surrounding soil and the internal floor, and prevents heat loss through
the foundations.

Normal Foundation Passive Foundation

Passive walls
• For walls to reach passive standard, they must be airtight with high levels of insulation. To
ensure walls are airtight, they should have plaster finish with no breaks or cracks.
Junctions must be taped to prevent air leakage. Creating this airtightness and increasing
levels of insulation eliminates thermal bridges and air passage routes.
 Airtightness
• A layer in the house which stops the movement of air.

• Prevents cold from penetrating. ( Cold bridging must be prevented with

extra insulation).

• Floor, external wall, window cills, windows, eaves of roof & doors must be
sealed with tape to prevent leakage.

• The radon barrier and plaster also provides air tightness (unless broken).
Stairs
Ms. Fleming
 Domestic Staircase
• The main function of a set of stairs is to provide a safe, comfortable and easy way to
walk between floors.

• To be strong enough to support the loads it has to carry.

• Should be safe for all users.

• Meet all building regulations.

• Be easy to climb

• Aesthetically pleasing
 Stairs Terminology
Handrail- the rail you hold on to when going up and down
the stairs. It is fixed to the newel posts and runs parallel Handrail
to the string.

Baluster- vertical member that is placed between the

string and handrail.

Newel Post- the post that the string is joined to. These
posts support the handrail and can be found at the top and
bottom of the stairs. Step

String- long diagonal members of the stairs that support

the steps.
Two types: Closed string and cut string.
Tread
Closed string- steps are housed within the string.
Cut string- a portion of the string is cut away and the
tread us placed on top. Baluster
Tread- part of the stair that you tread on.
Step- A component that divides the large vertical distance String
between floors into smaller vertical distances. The step Riser
itself comprises the tread and the riser.
Newel Post
Riser- the vertical component at the back of each tread
• Balustrade- the framework comprising the handrail and
balusters.

• Going- the horizontal distance between the front face of one

riser and the front face of the next riser.

• Rise- the vertical distance between the top surface of one tread
and the top surface of the next tread.

• Pitch- the angle of the staircase. The pitch is measured

between a line connecting the nosing's of all treads in any one
flight and the ground.

• Flight- A series of steps with a landing. For safety reasons each

flight must have no more than 16 steps.

• Nosing- small protrusion above each riser. Part of the tread.

Designed to make you lift your foot so you wont stub your toe
when climbing the stairs
 Types of Staircase
Quarter turn
stairs:
Flights are
Half turn stairs-
90° to each
Has a landing with other with
two flights. When you
landing
walk upstairs you do
flights.
a U-turn on the
landing.

Spiral:
used where
space is
• Straight flight: extremely
No twists or limited.
turns. It rises Steps wind
from one floor to around a
another in a central
straight line. Max axis.
16 steps in a
flight.
 Stair Safety & Building Regulations
• Max Rise- 220mm (ideal 175mm)

• Min Going- 220mm

Twice the rise + the going should be between 550mm and 700mm.
Eg: Rise= 175 Going= 250
2x175 + 250 = 600mm.

• Headroom between the pitch line and the ceiling must be at least 2 metres.

• Handrail height 840-900mm

• Max pitch of the stairs angle 42° (35° is best)

• Balusters gap must be less than 100mm.

• 16 steps max between landings – anymore and a person would need rest.
 Stair Construction
• Made from-Pine, ash or oak

• 3 Main parts- Closed string,

Open string and steps.

• Wedges & glue blocks prevent

the tread and riser moving.

• Tread and riser joined

together to increase strength
(Housing joint)

Closed string stair construction Wedges and

blocks glued on
the underside of
stairs.
Calculation Questions
Sample step1
• Two floors are 2700mm apart. Calculate the rise and going of a staircase
that meets all building regulations.

• Find the number of steps that divides into the total rise. We divide the total
rise by the max number of steps (16).
• 2700 = 168.75mm
16

Even though 168.75mm meets the building regulations, its too difficult to
adhere to a measurement this precise in the construction of a stairs. So
we divide by 15 steps.

2700= 180mm
15
Step 2 sample question
• Now we have a rise we must calculate the going using the following formula:

• 2R+G= 550-700mm

• 2(180)+(optimal going)= 550-700mm

360+250= 610mm

Max rise= 220 (our rise= 180mm)

Min going= 220 (our going= 250mm)

Planning Permission
Ms. Fleming
Planning Permission
➢ Before undertakingmost construction projects you will need
Planning Permission to do so.
➢ Theplanning process is set down by the Planning and
Developments Act.
➢ This allows the government to anticipate and control growth
in an area and is starting point for providing services there.
➢ Planning permission is granted by the Local Authority. (City,
town or county council).
➢ Planning permission needs to be obtained for any significant
building project.
➢ Itis an offence to carry out any work that requires planning
permission, without first obtaining planning permission.

➢ E.g. Heavy fines, imprisonment, Demolition/ reversal of

works.
Types of Planning Permission
1. Full Permission- Gives full permission to build specific structure. Expires
after 5 years.

2. Outline Permission- Does not allow you to build but indicates that the
planning authorities would be likely to grant planning permission. Expires
after 3 years.

3. Permission following the grant of outline permission- Only granted

where outline permission already exists. Expires after 5 years. Applied for
when you are ready to go ahead with your design and have all the required
documentation needed for full permission.

4. Retention- permission necessary to retain unauthorised developments (eg:

prevent a house without planning permission n being knocked). The
planning authority may refuse this request and order demolition.
Planning Stakeholders
• Developer- Person or company seeking planning
• Local planning authority- The planning office of the area where the
development is to take place.
• General public- Individuals, groups or associations with an interest in the
development.
• An Bord Pleanala- any person or developer wishing to object to a proposed
development does this through their local authority. All appeals to decisions
made by the local authority are directed to An Bord Pleanala, whose decision
is final, except on points of law.
• EPA- involved when an Interrogated Pollution Prevention Control (IPPC)
license is required for the development. The role of the EPA is to access,
license, enforce and monitor environmental issues.
• An Taisce- Aims to conserve the country's built and natural heritage.
Planning Process
Timescale Actions
Beginning Application for Planning Permission in local
paper and site notice.
Within 2 Weeks Applicants submits permission application
and fee, as well as all necessary documents
and drawings.
2-5 Weeks Application considered by local authority,
including all submissions and objectives.
5-8 Weeks Local authority issues notice of their decision
or asks for more information.
4 Weeks after the notice of decision If the authority had issued notice granting
permission and no appeal is made, the
authority will grant permission.
Items required for Planning Permission

• Site notice

• Newspaper notice

• Planning application form

• Site location map (6

copies)
• Site layout map (6 copies)

• Drawings and
specifications (6 copies)

• Percolation/ text result

• Planning fee
Planning Documentation
Site Notice
• The notice must be securely fixed near the main entrance to the land and other
entrances or parts of the site adjoining the public road so it can be clearly visible
to passers-by.
• The site notice serves as a public notice of intention to seek planning.
• The site notice must remain in place on the land for a period of 5 weeks from the
date of receipt of the planning application by the planning authority and shall
be renewed or replaced if it is removed or becomes defaced or illegible within
that period.

Newspaper Notice

• You must give a public notice of your proposals before making an

application.
• This must be done by placing a notice in the local paper and putting up a
site notice that can be clearly read.
• The planning application must reach the local authority within 2 weeks
of the original date of the newspaper to be considered valid.
• The site notice must remain in place for at least 5 weeks from the date of
receipt of the planning application.
 Site Location Map

• A site location map identifies the location

of the site in relation to the local area.
• The scale should be no more than 1:1000
in built-up areas or 1:2500 in other areas.
• The map should be marked and coloured
to show boundaries. The site location map
should be an Ordnance survey map.
Site Layout Map
• A site layout map is different from a site location map.

• The map highlights location of building on the site, water

supply, sewage system and access roads.

• The site boundary should be clearly delineated in red, and

buildings, roads, boundaries, septic tanks and percolation
areas, bored walls, significant tree stands and other
features on or adjoining in the vicinity of the land or
structure to which the application relates shall be shown.

• The scale of this map must be 1:500