Car park structural safety report finds a readership

CROSS-UK publishes Top 10 most read safety reports of 2024

A notice on the potential dangers of overloaded car parks was among the 10 most read reports produced by Collaborative Reporting on Safer Structures (CROSS-UK) during 2024.

The report reflected concerns about significant increase in the gross weight of vehicles that are able to use multi-storey car parks, leading to fears over safety.

Besides car parks, list of the most popular safety reports from the past 12 months spanned issues such as concerns about competency of engineers, poor quality housing renovations and worries about fire safety.

CROSS-UK is an initiative of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Institution of Fire Engineers.

CROSS-UK seeks to help professionals to make structures safer by publishing safety information based on the reports they receive and information in the public
 

The top 10 most read CROSS Safety Reports of 2024

1. Unqualified engineer's unsafe computer aided design of a retaining wall
Competency (or a lack of it) is a common theme throughout many of the reports we receive, so it’s perhaps no surprise that this takes the number 1 slot. A chartered engineer's check found retaining walls, designed by a person not qualified as a civil or structural engineer and who relied solely on a computer program, to be inadequate. It is likely the walls will need to be demolished and rebuilt.
CROSS Safety Report ID: 1210

2. Critically under designed moment splice connections
During a site visit to a major development of a public building, a reporter found critically under designed moment splice connections located at the midspan of the stringers of three, 9 metre span staircases in this report from August.
CROSS Safety Report ID: 1327

3. Dangerous alteration work results in two terraced houses being demolished
Two mid terrace properties had been underpinned and excavated to form a new basement whilst simultaneously removing internal and rear walls. This left the building in a dangerous condition and subject to a demolition order from the local council.
CROSS Safety Report ID: 1274

4. Sudden collapse of 1850s stone balcony
Back in May, a reporter told CROSS about an incident where a stone balcony collapsed without warning from first floor level onto steps below. Balconies (and their failure) have been a regular feature of past CROSS Reports.
CROSS Safety Report ID: 1279

5. Modular construction design concerns
A reporter highlights concerns regarding fire travel in a modular floor cassette with inbuilt services. In their comments, the CROSS Expert Panel acknowledge that information regarding the fire safety of modular structures is limited and outline a range of design objectives that should be addressed.
CROSS Safety Report ID: 1247

6. Fire protection considerations for roof structures in building design
Published in February, this Report highlights concerns that Approved Document B (ADB) is being misapplied or misinterpreted when applying structural fire protections to a roof structure.
CROSS Safety Report ID: 1249

7. Collapse of concrete canopy over house entrance
A reporter provides details of the sudden collapse of a precast concrete canopy which sat over their front doorway. The canopy was a cantilever and was monolithic with the lintel. The collapse could have led to a fatality or serious injury.
CROSS Safety Report ID: 1344

8. Unusual steelwork connection discovered during fit-out works
A reporter shares that, while involved with the fit-out works of a building, they came across an unusual steelwork connection during the inspection of the existing structure in this Report from May.
CROSS Safety Report ID: 1244

9. Engineer asked to provide calculations for a dangerous refurbishment
A tale of woe that will be familiar to many of our readers. A lay client that is reluctant to accept good advice on the grounds that they know better, and underfunded local authorities unable to respond to reasonable concerns expressed by a professional.
CROSS Safety Report ID: 1295

10. Overloading of older multi storey and underground car parks
In this Report from May a reporter notes that over the last 20 years there has been a significant increase in the gross weight of vehicles that are able to use multi-storey car parks, leading to fears over safety.
CROSS Safety Report ID: 1257