Building Regulations for Temporary Buildings

Along with Planning Permission, Building Regulations for Temporary Buildings is one of the most common questions asked on this topic.

Essentially though it’s a very simple matter and it all comes down to the structural safety, integrity and strength of a building, primarily in relation to snow and wind loadings.

As a business looking to use temporary buildings how do you know what Building Codes the building should be adhering to and why is it so important to make sure you have the strongest and structurally sound building possible?

In relation to the Building Regulations for temporary building structural integrity and strength of the frame, it should be engineered to and be compliant with BS6399, BS590 and BS8118 or In relation to the Building Regulations for temporary building structural integrity and strength of the frame, it should be engineered to and be compliant with BS6399, BS590 and BS8118 or EURO CODE BS EN 1991,1993 & 1999. BS6399 in relation to loadings is one of the primary requirements when it comes to safety. And in summary it means the structure will be able to withstand the maximum snow and wind loadings in the UK.

Most credible suppliers won’t provide buildings that don’t comply to this code. However, beware of factors such as marquee frames and hire stock.

On first appearance the frame of a clear-span aluminium marquee looks much like that of a temporary building. It isn’t. The size of the profile is much smaller and lighter and it won’t be suitable or safe for long term use. It certainly won’t come anywhere near to BS6399 compliance.

Temporary buildings that are rented from Hire Stock can also be questionable. These can often be a miss-match of components and fittings used with an old frame that might have seen decades of use already; putting a serious question mark over its structural integrity.

As it’s often impossible to know how old a building from Hire Stock is, whether you’re hiring or buying it, there is an argument to say avoid altogether and in order to comply fully, only ever use a new building.

One of the best ways is to buy a new factory direct building made for your site and project.

HTS will go even one better here and engineer a temporary building that not only meets the generic BS6399 Building Regulations, but one that is built to meet the structural calculations that are specific to the actual site. This is particularly pertinent for sites that are at a high altitude or coastal regions.

Safety, obviously. And from that, quality, longevity, sustainable business success and so on. Full compliance will also meet the approval of your local Building Control and save any issues of potentially having to dismantle and remove the structure.

But it’s surprising how many businesses and suppliers are prepared to cut corners to reduce costs. The short-term cost saving though of buying a non-compliant, essentially ‘weak’ structure, could be lost 100 times over if the worst was to happen. Site accidents or even fatalities could be the end of a business that’s found negligible. Then there’s stock damage or complete loss of stock, delayed lead times, customer loyalty and on it goes.

Despite this, some organisations are still prepared to take the risk. It’s a big risk though and it’s not one we at HTS are prepared to take.

The whole ethos of HTS is one of quality and safety and this starts with our product – our buildings and workmanship. And, because we are the industry manufacturer, our premium and customised quality and safety doesn’t come at a premium price. We can supply the safest and strongest temporary building at the most affordable trade prices, that are custom designed and engineered for site and project specifics.