Tender for Moisture Analysis Report to inform S.R. 325

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is seeking tenders from suitably qualified contractors to develop a Moisture Analysis Report covering the moisture resistance of masonry construction in Ireland to inform and support the development of the National Standards Authority of Ireland’s ongoing review of S.R. 325. The Contracting Authority also seeks to expand the scope of its current Technical Guidance Document C, which deals with Site Preparation and Resistance to Moisture, to include a range of wall types appropriate for use in different climatic exposure conditions found in Ireland. The guidance will identify which wall types are appropriate for each geographic exposure zone, how to adjust exposure ratings to allow for locally exacerbating or ameliorating site conditions and/or the types of renders that can be used. The Moisture Analysis Report will inform the development of S.R. 325:2013+A2:2018 in relation to the application of the 2024 Driving Rain Index for Ireland to standard forms of construction used in Ireland. This will assist the National Standards Authority of Ireland’s Masonry Panel to update S.R. 325:2013+A2:2018 in relation to the acceptable geographic spread of different forms of masonry construction, associated forms of pointing and external renderings, based on the updated Driving Rain Index. The Moisture Analysis Report is intended to build on the work of the UK Government in their publication of Table 4 of Approved Document C and enable a similar approach to be adopted in Ireland to determine the performance requirements for different forms of masonry construction based climatic exposure risk. The forms of pointing identified in BS 5628-3: 2005 are a contributory factor in determining the moisture resistance properties of masonry and need to be included. The effects of coatings, particularly hydrophobic coatings, on the moisture resistance of masonry, as measured by the UCD FabTrads research project, are also to be considered. Understanding the impact that exposure to driving rain has on the durability and performance of masonry is key to ensuring that minimum performance standards are achieved over the lifecycle of masonry buildings. Including this information in an updated S.R. 325 will help designers of buildings to establish which forms of masonry construction meet the requirement of Building Regulation D3 for “proper materials” “… which are fit for the use for which they are intended and for the conditions in which they are to be used.” This will provide designers of buildings in Ireland with proscriptive guidance on the forms of masonry construction that are suitable for different exposure risks. It will also help to determine which forms of render may be required to sufficiently improve the performance of masonry to adequately resist the effects of driving rain. The proposed document will enable S.R. 325 to provide the information necessary to enable designers to achieve the performance requirement of Building Regulation C4: “The floors, walls and roof of a building shall be so designed and constructed as to prevent the passage of moisture to the inside of the building or damage to the fabric of the building.” The purpose of this Moisture Analysis Report will be to bridge the current knowledge gap to enable S.R. 325:2013+A2:2018 to be revised to suitably support the decision making of specifiers of masonry construction.