by Brianna Crandall — December 20, 2010—U.K. built environment experts BRE, which celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2011, has made available a new online archive of research and guidance publications offering insight into almost a century of British construction industry history.
The Archive will provide public access to thousands of documents produced by BRE members for construction projects over the period of BRE’s history. The first group of publications in the archive includes nearly a thousand documents comprising:
- Current Papers—720 research project summaries published from 1968-1983
- Digests—130 reviews of then-current building technologies published from 1948-1966
- Overseas Building Notes—125 guidance notes on low-technology building methods suited to conditions in many developing countries, published from 1961-1994.
- Digests—130 reviews of then-current building technologies published from 1948-1966
A further set of more than a thousand documents, including detailed research reports, will be added to the site over the next six months.
BRE notes that much of the information in the documents has been superseded by more recent regulations and standards, but it often provides intriguing details about the research underpinning a number of current practices. The information on contemporary building standards and techniques can, for example, provide valuable insights to those now renovating older buildings.
There will be a small charge for copies of the documents, and the funds generated from this will be used to support initiatives undertaken via the BRE Trust, a charitable organization that works to advance built environment knowledge and communication for public benefit, by supporting research, innovation and education.
