Traditionally, piled foundations have been considered the preserve of high rise buildings. However, with the continuing drive to build on brownfield land and the likely increase in modern methods of construction (MMC) as we come out of recession challenged to deliver the volumes of homes necessary, housebuilders may want to consider the use of piled foundation systems for low rise developments to take advantage of the benefits they can provide in greater consistency and reducing risk. The NHBC Foundation, recognising that piled foundation systems are perceived by many housebuilders as prohibitively complicated for use in low rise developments and that little or no consolidated information is available to guide them in this area, has launched its latest guide, Efficient design of piled foundations for low-rise housing. The publication provides guidance to housebuilders on: <br> when to consider using piled foundation systems what types of piled foundations to use in particular situations the important design criteria for piled foundations in low-rise housing what information is required from ground investigation in order for specialists to design a serviceable piling system. In order to meet sustainability criteria it also covers the use of energy piles to provide ground source heating and cooling and …