Prevalence of CO2 from disused mineral mines and the implications for residential buildings: research

In 2017 the NHS Lothian Incident Management Team investigated reported cases of ill health affecting residents of a recently built local authority housing estate. This research is looking for similar incidents and considers implications for building standards.


2 Glossary

Abbreviations

BGS

British Geological Survey

BSi

British Standards Institution

CA

The Coal Authority

CH4

Methane

CIRIA

Construction Industry Research and Information Association

CL:AIRE

Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments

CO

Carbon monoxide

CO2

Carbon dioxide

CSM

Conceptual site model, which represents the characteristics of a site in diagrammatic or written form that shows the possible relationships between contaminant sources, pathways and receptors.

DETR

Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (now Defra)

EA

Environment Agency (environmental regulator covering England)

GIS

Geographical Information System – Digital mapping software to manage complex spatial data

H2S

Hydrogen sulphide

HSE

Health and Safety Executive

IMT report

Gorebridge Report written by the Incident Management Team, NHS Lothian

LA

Local Authority

LDP

Local Development Plan

N2

Nitrogen gas

NHBC

National House Building Council

NQMS

National Quality Mark Scheme for land contamination

NHS

National Health Service

O2

Oxygen

Ppm

Parts per million

RA

Risk assessment

Rn

Radon

SEPA

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

SG

Scottish Government

SO2

Sulphur dioxide

SPR

Source-Pathway-Receptor methodology used to assess land contamination risks as part of development of a conceptual site model

VOCs

Volatile organic compounds

Technical terms

Adit

Horizontal access or drainage passage into a mine

Atmospheric pressure

The pressure excreted by the weight of air in the atmosphere

Characteristic gas situation (CS)

Ground gas regime assumed for design of gas protective measures from the refined conceptual site model after an adequate site investigation (BSi, 2015)

Dewatering

Removal or draining groundwater or surface water from a riverbed, construction site or mine shaft by pumping or evaporation

Drift

Sub-horizontal passageway in a mine that may or may not intersect the surface

Gas resistant membrane

A membrane placed above, below or within the floor slab construction (and walls of a basement) to restrict methane and carbon dioxide migration from the ground into a building (BSi, 2015)

Ground gas

All gases occurring and generated within the ground whether in made ground or natural deposits (BSi, 2015)

Ground investigation

A geotechnical or geological field assessment that is an essential part of a site investigation

Shaft

A long, narrow hole or tunnel that provides access to a mine or provides ventilation

Site investigation

The process of collating information, assessing data, and reporting on risks beneath a site

Solum

The ground on which a building stands

Sump

A device that creates a low-pressure void to draw gas into it and safely vent it away through an exhaust pipe

Verification

The process of demonstrating that the risk has been reduced to meet remediation criteria and objectives (as opposed to the term used by Building Standards)

Vibro-stone column

Crushed stone pillars below a structure that increase the soil’s load-bearing capacity

Contact

Email: sarah.waugh@gov.scot

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