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RICS APC > Building Pathology > Flashcards

Building Pathology Flashcards

1
Q

Typical defects of 1960’s high-rise office block?

A
  • Structural issues (beams, columns and foundations).
  • Water damage
  • Electrical systems (outdated/unsafe)
  • Plumbing problems
  • HVAC systems
  • Asbestos
  • Lead paint
  • Roofing issues
  • Windows & Doors
  • Foundation settlement
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2
Q

Most common type of wood boring insect

A

Death watch
Furniture beetle
Weevil
Longhorn

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3
Q

Describe wet rot conditions and symptoms

A
  • Moisture content circa 50%
  • damp musty smell
  • Timber soft and spongy
  • Discolouration
  • stains to affected region
  • mycelium may appear
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4
Q

Dry rot conditions and symptoms

A
  • Moisture content ideal = 22%
  • Can occur between 20-30%
  • Soft and spongy timber
    Mycelium can have yellow tinge
  • Mycelium turns grey when older
  • Damp musty smell
  • Fruiting bodies
  • Damages structural strength and spreads via spores (even through walls)
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5
Q

Stages of dry rot?

A
  1. Spores
  2. Hyphae - fine white strands
  3. Mycelium - white appearance
  4. Fruiting bodies
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6
Q

Brown rot =?
White rot =?

A

Brown = dry
White = wet

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7
Q

Issues of dry rot?

A
  • Can be hidden within the timber
  • Damages timber including strength
  • Can spread between timbers
  • Low level of moisture required.
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8
Q

Where would you expect to find rising damp?

A
  • Internal side of external wall
  • Tide mark of circa 1 metre
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9
Q

How can you identify rising damp?

A
  • Tidemarks
  • Paint/skirting board damage
  • salts in plaster
  • damp and musty smell
  • Checking it’s not another issue i.e. misdiagnosis.
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10
Q

How does rising damp occur

A
  • Capillary action
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11
Q

When were DPC’s mandated

A
  • 1875
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12
Q

Health Risks of mould

A
  • Coughing
  • Infection
  • Asthma
  • Allergic reaction
  • Carcinogenic
  • Depression
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13
Q

Common causes of spalled bricks?

A
  • Moisture
  • Rain
  • Snow
  • Soil
  • Freezing
  • Heat
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14
Q

Issue with organic growth on walls

A
  • trap water
  • frost damage
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15
Q

Subsidence v settlement

A

Subsidence - Supporting soil moves away from support allowing structure to move

Settlement - structure moves soil due to application of load

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16
Q

Explain sequence to underpin strip foundation?

A
  • Mass concrete underpinning: excavate underneath, reach stable stratum, fill with concrete
  • Cantilever needle beam
  • Pier and beam
  • Mini pad
17
Q

What is high alumina cement and what are the issues

A
  • Cement widely used in structural concrete
  • Susceptible to crystalline rearrangement when exposed to water for long periods of time
  • Leads to building collapse - e.g. swimming pool 1975?
18
Q

What is meant by concrete cancer

A

Name for steel reinforcement expanding due to rust and displaces surrounding concrete.

19
Q

Explain carbonation OF concrete

A

Chemical reaction which produces carbonates. This changes ph of concrete and if oxygen/water available leads to corrosion of steel.

Design regulations requires high strength - less porous concrete to protect this from occurring.

20
Q

How does sulphate attack affect concrete?

A

Reaction of sulphate ions with calcium hydroxide and calcium aluminate hydrate to form gypsum and ettringite.
- Leads to expansion, cracking, strength loss and disintegration

21
Q

What is ASR?

A

Alkali silica reaction i.e. concrete cancer

22
Q

Defects of calcium silicate bricks

A
  • More affected by shrinkage
  • Less fire resistant
  • Reduced water resitance
23
Q

What is cold bridging?

A

An area in a building where a gap occurs in the building’s insulation. These areas will be prone to condensation.

24
Q

Why do buildings crack?

A

Subsidence
Thermal movement
settlement
Heave - soil movement upwards
Loading
weather/weathering
Tree Roots
Sulphate attack
wall tie corrosion
Regent street disease

25
Q

Name some causes of stepped cracking in brickwork

A

Subsidence
Heave
Structural Movement
Overloading

26
Q

How can a cracked/spalled brick be repaired

A

Replace with chisel and hammer
potential use of brick slip
possible filler products

27
Q

Common defects of sheet lead coverings?

A

Interstitial condensation
poor workmanship
cracking
thermal movement, wrinkling/cracking
Insufficient overlap
Insufficient fall
general age/wear
corrosion due to acidic run off
Corrosion due to intersitital condensation
Excessive bay size
Incorrect fixings
Incorrect underlay
Junction problems: drips and rolls

28
Q

What do lead codes refer to?

A

Thickness

29
Q

What is a tingle

A

Strap to keep slate in place

30
Q

Common slate roof defects?

A

Missing and slipped tiles
Broken slates
Nail sickness
Delamination
Flashing damage

31
Q

Problems associated from using two different metals next to each other?

A

Bimetalic corrosion - aluminium and copper

32
Q

How can stonework be repaired

A

Complete replacement
Indenting = local replacement
PLastic repairs - small localised repair ‘architectural dentistry’
chemical treament
cleaning

33
Q

Deleterious Materials

A

Materials or building techniques dangerous to health/environmentally unfriendly:
- asbestos
- lead
- silica dust
- hair plaster
- urea formalydehyde
- Mercury

34
Q

Basement Waterproofing techniques

A

Type A - Barrier protection
Type B - Structural protection
Type C - Drained protection

35
Q

Party wall year introduced?

A

1996

36
Q

Notification Requirement for Party Wall

A

Adjacent excavations
Line of junction
Structural party wall

37
Q

Party wall notices timeline?

A

Structural 2 months
Adjacent exc. & line of junction - 1 month

RICS APC (8 decks)

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