Testing the effectiveness of a web-based portal system for the building control sector

Recent tighter legislation and control over issues like sustainability and disability discrimination have resulted in the need for more frequent modifications to building regulations. The challenge for building control websites is to make up-to-date building information more accessible, and to reflect the increasing complexity of the regulations. This paper reports on the content, design and functionality of a portal for the building control sector, primarily developed to aid various stakeholders in determining how relevant building regulations affect their project. The validation of the prototype involved a comparative study of two groups of forty participants to determine their evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed portal in comparison to an existing building control website. The validation was followed by a focus group that examined the potential and limitations of the proposed approach. The findings confirmed that the portal had a positive effect on users' abilities to achieve compliance with building regulations. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.