Spectator Terrace Barriers

Partial underpinning of semidetached houses With reference to previous correspondence (20 April and 18 May), Tom Hill, of Hampton- Upon-Thames, introduces the question of provisions which may be included in house deeds to safeguard owners’ interests where raft foundations are shared: This problem requires provision in the house deeds. The raft foundation causes one house to be structurally dependent on the other, similar to flats where owners share floors. Covenants are required to safeguard the interests of both owners. Verulam

CISC (which now stands for the forum for NVQs/SVQs at professional, managerial and technical levels in planning, construction, property and related engineering services) has drawn up a set of occupational standards for use within the area of their remit. What people do in these areas has been laid out in the form of a map of functions. A ‘function’ is an outcome of a work activity intended to be described independently of the process of achieving it. One’s ability to achieve the required standard of performance at work (i.e. one’s competence) will be measured against performance in relation to these functions. A set of such outcomes will form a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ). Professor I.A. MacLeod

This paper is intended to provide background information on National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) as they are likely to affect the Institution of Structural Engineers and, in particular, its role as a qualifying body for the profession of structural engineering. As a general introduction to the topic, I quote the introduction and the fundamental criteria from the Guide to National Vocational Qualifications published by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ) in March 1991. The acronyms ‘NVQ’ and ‘NCVQ’ are but two to digest in tackling this topic; there are also many new terms employed in place of otherwise familiar ones. Annoying as this may be, it provides a common vocabulary for a wide range of different areas of employment covered by NVQs. In this paper, I shall be concentrating attention on the construction industry. B. Simpson