Document Q's Flashcards
1
Q
What are the RICS Rules of Conduct?
A
- They support positive change in the built and natural environments, through promoting and enforcing the highest ethical standards.
- The rules of conduct are based on ethical principles of honesty, integrity, competence, service, respect and responsibility.
- The rules of conduct set out five rules which provide a structure for making ethical decisions about how to behave as a professional.
- The rules apply to ALL RICS members and firms who are regulated by RICS no matter where they work, although firms and members must consider geographical legal obligations that apply to them.
2
Q
Why are the RICS Rules of conduct in place? What are the RICS Rules of Conduct?
A
- They support positive change in the built and natural environments, through promoting and enforcing the highest ethical standards.
- The rules of conduct set out five rules which provide a structure for making ethical decisions about how to behave as a professional.
- The rules apply to ALL RICS members and firms who are regulated by RICS no matter where they work, although firms and members must consider geographical legal obligations that apply to them.
3
Q
Why did RICS implement the new Rules of Conduct?
A
- A simpler structure. We have made it easier for RICS members and firms to understand our rules, providing more confidence for clients and the public.
- Clear examples. To help support members’ professional judgement, each Rule is illustrated with examples of how members and firms can behave to comply with the Rule. There are also 12 case studies showing real-life application of the Rules.
- Focusing on respect, diversity and inclusion. Whether it’s encouraging diversity and inclusion, or tackling modern slavery, respect and courtesy underpin all our professional ethics.
- Understanding evolving technology. The Rules highlight the importance of understanding the evolving use of data and technology, and the associated benefits and risks.
- Tackling global challenges. The Rules show that ethical practice by RICS members and firms has an important role when it comes to global challenges, including creating sustainable development and tackling climate change.
4
Q
What are the 5 rules that make up the RICS Rules of Conduct?
A
Rule 1 - Members and firms must be honest, act with integrity and comply with their professional obligations. including obligations to RICS.
Rule 2 - Members and firms must maintain their professional competence and ensure that services are provided by competent individuals who have the necessary expertise.
Rule 3 - Members and firms must provide good-quality and diligent service.
Rule 4 - Members and firms must treat others with respect and encourage diversity and inclusion.
Rule 5 - Members and firms must act in the public interest, take responsibility for their actions and act to prevent harm and maintain public confidence in the profession.
5
Q
Give some example behaviours of each of the RICS Rule of Conduct
A
Rule 1:
- Members and firms identify actual and potential conflicts of interest throughout a professional assignment and do not provide advice or services where a conflict of interest or a significant risk of one arises, unless they do so in accordance with the current edition of Conflicts of interest, RICS professional statement.
- Members and firms do not allow themselves to be influenced improperly by others (as a result of, for example, giving or receiving work referrals, gifts, hospitality or payments) or by their own self-interest.
- Members and firms do not mislead others by their actions or omissions, or by being complicit in the actions or omissions of others.
- Members and firms do not allow themselves to be influenced improperly by others (as a result of, for example, giving or receiving work referrals, gifts, hospitality or payments) or by their own self-interest.
Rule 2
- Members and firms only undertake work that they have the knowledge, skills and resources to carry out competently.
- Members and firms supervise any employees undertaking work for them and ensure that these employees have the necessary knowledge, skills and resources to do their tasks competently.
Rule 3
- Members and firms understand clients’ needs and objectives before accepting any professional work.
- Members and firms agree with clients the scope of the service to be provided and its limitations, and timescales for the work.
- Firms inform clients that they are regulated by RICS and that they may need to disclose records to RICS where required for regulatory purposes.
Rule 4
- Members and firms respect the rights of others and treat others with courtesy.
- Members and firms treat everyone fairly and do not discriminate against anyone on any improper grounds, including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
- Members and firms do not bully, victimise or harass anyone.
Rule 5
- Members and firms question practices and decisions that they suspect are not right, and raise concerns with colleagues, senior management, clients, RICS or any other appropriate person, body or organisation where they believe in good faith that it is necessary to do so. Firms provide processes to allow and support individuals within the firm to raise concerns with senior management.
- Members and firms support directors, partners, employees, colleagues or clients who have acted in good faith to report concerns.
6
Q
What CPD have you undertaken with regards to ethics?
A
- RICS ethics test.
- Private study – I have familiarised myself with the RICS rules of conduct for members and firms.
7
Q
What reasoned professional advise did the EPC specialist give to you client for the warehouse in Tottenham?
A
8
Q
What is your firms’ complaints handling procedure?
A
- Person who receives the complaint is to document it if made in writing including the time and date, but if made orally they must create a written record and then confirm with the person making the complaint that it is correct.
- Complaint is then handed to the job director who will pass it to our complaints handling officer Alex Brown, a Director in our Bristol office.
- The complaint will be reviewed and considered as soon as possible, but a full response or update with the progression of the complaint is to be given to the individual within 28 days.
- If an agreement cannot be made on how to solve the complaint then they individual has the opportunity to refer it to the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution.
9
Q
Who are the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution? What service do they provide for your complaints handling procedure?
A
- Independent non-profit organisation registered as a charity – provide ADR services.
- For Hollis they provide Adjudication services through their bespoke Independent Adjudication Scheme for the Royal Institution for chartered surveyors.
- Decision is not legally binding so plaintiff can reject the decision and then undertake litigation (court proceedings).
10
Q
What is a complaints handling procedure?
A
- Formal procedur for clients to raise a complaints. This may include ADR and relevant timescales for the process.
11
Q
What must a complaints handling procedure include?
A
- Stipulated as a requirement under professional obligations in the RICS rule of conduct appendix.
- A form to fill out
- Redress mechanism
- Details should be issued to clients with the terms of business
- Clear, quick, transparent and impartial and free of charge
- Names and contact details of nominated investigating person must be stated
- Complaint must be investigated within 28 days
- All complaints and progress and outcomes must be recorded
- Advise PI insurers of a complaint
- Two stages: 1 – consideration, 2 – referral to third
12
Q
Do all firms have to have a complaints handling procedure?
A
- Yes, it is a professional obligation that firms have to RICS and is stated in the appendix of the RICS Rules of Conduct.
- The RICS Guidance Note on Complaints Handling states what a complaints handling procedure should have.
13
Q
What is a conflict of interest?
A
- A conflict of interest occurs when an individual’s personal interests – family, friendships, financial, or social factors – could compromise his or her judgment, decisions, or actions in the workplace.
14
Q
What are the three types of conflict of interest according to the RICS Conflicts of Interest Guidance note?
A
- Party conflict: a situation in which the duty of an RICS member or a regulated firm to act in the interests of a client or other party in a professional assignment conflicts with a duty owed to another client or party in relation to the same or a related professional assignment.
- Own Interest Conflict: a situation in which the duty of an RICS member or a regulated firm to act in the interests of a client in a professional assignment conflicts with the interests of that same RICS member/ firm
- Confidential Information Conflict: a conflict between the duty of an RICS member to provide material information to one client, and the duty of that RICS member or of a regulated firm to another client to keep that same information confidential.
15
Q
How would you proceed if a client was insistent that you continued to work for them despite a conflict of interest?
A
- Check their understanding of reduced impartiality
- Seek letter of instruction to continue
- Agree working procedures to manage the conflict
- Keep them updated of any risks
- Seek informed consent
16
Q
What does informed consent mean?
A
Consent given willingly by a party who may be affected by a Conflict of Interest, that party having demonstrated that they understand:
- There is a Conflict of Interest or a significant risk of a Conflict of Interest and;
- The facts known by the RICS member that are material to the Conflict of Interest.
- What that Conflict of Interest is or may be and how that a Conflict of Interest may affect the ability of the member or firm to advise or act fully in the interests of a client.
17
Q
What are ethics?
A
Moral principles that govern an individual’s behaviour.
18
Q
What does it mean to act ethically as a Chartered Surveyor?
A
Acting ethically means complying with standards and ensuring that you are acting on behalf of your clients best interests.
19
Q
If faced with a situation that you felt was unethical, how would you proceed?
A
- Reviewing the RICS Rules of Conduct
Using the decision tree:
- Do I have sufficient facts?
- Is the matter legal?
- Is it in line with RICS Professional and Ethical Standards?
- Have I consulted with appropriate people?
- Do I have clear reasoning in reaching my decision?
- Would I be content for my actions to be made public?
- If answered no to any of the above, I would not proceed with the situation alone and would consult senior staff with direction on how to proceed.
20
Q
You advised that the dilapidation claim should be revised following the landlord’s change of intentions for the property, what changes were these? How did it affect the claim?
A
- The landlord had confirmed that they wished to demolish part of the ancillary accommodation that had been extended in the past and was demised to the tenant under the terms of the lease so costs for decorations and plaster repairs works would fall away to these areas.
- Additionally, they wanted to replace the existing roller shutter door with an insulated sectional door, therefore the repair and decoration works to the door could not be claimed for.
- Finally, the roof was to be oversheeted hich would supersede cleaning work to the asbestos cement roof valueless.
- The reduction in the cost of the claim was £8,000 - £5K cleaning asbestos roof sheets, £900 decoration to the roller shutter door and £2,000 for the portion of the ancillary being demolished.
- Further to appointing a contractor for the works, I issued the pricing document along with a revised schedule of dilapidations with the confirmed costs and items removed the items that would be superseded. The preliminaries were calculated on a pro-rata basis of the contract sum which I confirmed to the tenant’s surveyor.
21
Q
What would you do if the client pressed you to not inform the tenant of their new intentions for the property and instead pursue the original dilaps settlement?
A
- I would decline and state that intentionally making false statements, if found out the tenant will be able to overturn any settlement reached on the basis of false statements. Additionally the landlord / surveyor in question could be investigated by the proper authorities and could be found of committing a criminal offence under the Fraud Act 2006. Under the act this would be deemed as false misrepresentation and could lead to conviction with a maximum 12 month prison sentence or to a substantial fine.
22
Q
What is the Dilapidations Protocol (The pre-action protocol for damages in relation to the physical state of a commercial property at the termination of a tenancy)?
A
- Protocol applies to commercial property in England and Wales.
- Sets out the conduct that the courts would normally expect perspective parties to follow prior to the commencement of proceedings.
- Establishes a reasonable process and timetable for the exchange of information relevant to a dispute.
- Sets standards for the quality of schedules and quantified demands and for the conduct of pre-action negotiations.
23
Q
What are the main objectives of the dilapidations protocol?
A
- To encourage the exchange of early and full information relating to a dispute.
- To enable the parties to avoid litigation by agreeing a settlement of the dispute before proceedings are commenced.
- To support efficient management of proceedings where litigation cannot be avoided.
24
Q
What is the full name of name of the dilapidations protocol?
A
The pre-action protocol for damages in relation to the physical state of commercial property at the termination of a tenancy.
25
Q
What is the timeline in relation to the dilapidations protocol?
A
- Schedule issued by landlord/surveyor within 56 days after termination of the tenancy.
- Quantified demand issued within 56 days after termination of the tenancy.
- Tenant issues response within 56 days of receipt of the schedule.
- Parties encouraged to meet on site on without prejudice basis 28 days after responding to the quantified demand.
- Negotiations.
- Quantification of loss.
- Stocktake.
- Court proceedings.
26
Q
How does the protocol set out the standard / quality of schedules?
A
- Schedule should set out all breaches, the works required to remedy the breach and associated costings.
- Breaches should be separated into categories; reinstatement, redecoration, repair and statutory issues.
- If the landlord issues schedule before termination of the tenancy they should: confirm the situation remains as stated or send further schedule within a reasonable time (56 days).
- The schedule should be endorsed by the person who created it and the endorsement should confirm that in their opinion:
- All works in the schedule are reasonably required to remedy the breaches.
- Full account has been taken of the landlords’ intentions for the property.
- The costings are reasonable.
27
Q
What is a quantified demand?
A
- A document that gives a summery of the claim but includes additional information that the surveyor may not be party to:
- Details of the landlord, tenant and property.
- Lease details.
- Position regarding VAT.
- Summary of known facts including the landlord’s intention for the property.
- Summary of monetary sums.
- Confirmation that the landlord and / or his advisers are happy to attend meetings.
28
Q
What is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974?
A
- It is the primary / overarching piece of legislation for occupational H&S in the UK.
- It sets sets out general duties which
- Employers have towards employees and members of the public.
- Employees have to themselves and each other.
- Certain self-employed have towards themselves and each other.
29
Q
What is the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015?
A
- Regulations that ensure the health and safety issues are properly considered during a projects’ development so that the risk of harm to those who build, use or maintain structures is reduced.
30
Q
What are a client / employer’s duties under CDM 2015?
A
- Check competence.
- Ensure management arrangements.
- Ensure sufficient time and resources.
- Provide PCI
- Appoint PD where more than one contractor.
- Appoint Principal Contractor where more than one contractor.
- Ensure Construction Phase Plan is drawn up prior to works commencement.
- Ensure there are adequate welfare facilities on site.
- Ensure that H&S file prepared by PD (or PC).
- Retain and provide access to H&S file.
- F10 - someone else can on their behalf.
31
Q
What are a designers duties under CDM 2015?
A
- Eliminate hazards and reduce risk during the design stage.
- Provide information about residual risks.
- Ensure that the client is aware of their duties.
- Provide information needed for the H&S file.
32
Q
What are the principal contractor’s responsibilities under CDM 2015?
A
- Plan manage and monitor H&S on site.
- Prepare and issue CPP.
- Provide welfare.
- Liaise with the PD.
- Secure the site.
- Provide H&S file if PD appointment ended sooner than completion of works.
33
Q
What are the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012?
A
- Regulations that impose legal duty on those who own, occupy and manage or have responsibilities for the premises that may contain asbestos.
- Regulations state that the duty holder is responsible for managing asbestos: duty holder is the owner of the non-domestic premises or the person or organisation that has clear responsibility for the maintenance or repair of the non-domestic premises e.g a tenant through a tenancy agreement.
34
Q
What is a risk assessment?
A
- An assessment of identifying risks, determining their likelihood and severity and then eliminating or mitigating those risks to reduce their likelihood and severity if they do occur.
- 3 key processes:
- Identify all risks.
- Decide the likelihood and severity of each risk.
- Take action to eliminate the hazard or if not possible put in procedures to control the risk.
35
Q
What are your employer’s lone working procedures?
A
- Try to avoid lone working where possible, especially when attending vacant sites
- Always ensure you have your company mobile phone on you at all times when working away from the office and the battery is charged
- Always carry your personal alarm with you when working away from the office
- Always attend site within working hours. Your line manager needs to approve any visits outside of working hours
- Always make sure your calendar in Microsoft Outlook is up to date and each business related appointment is listed
- Advise your secretary if you attending site and are lone working - attending site without a Hollis colleague
- You must contact your secretary once you have safely completed your lone working appointment
- If you were scheduled to return to the office but are not going to, call your secretary and advise
36
Q
What is the RICS Surveying Safely Guidance Note?
A
- Personal and corporate responsibility
- Legal considerations and duties
- Assessing hazards and risks
- Property professionals places of work
- Occupational health
- Visiting premises and sites.
37
Q
What is the risk control hierarchy in relation to risk assessments? (Elephants Should Eat Apples Properly)
A
- Elimination - redesign the activity or substitute so that the hazard is removed or eliminated e.g use drone for roof inspections to prevent need to work at height.
- Substitution - Replace the materials used or the proposed work process with a less hazardous one. For example, use pre-prepared components rather than fabricating/cutting on site.
- Engineering controls: Use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls where you cannot avoid working at height. Install or use additional machinery such as local exhaust ventilation to control risks from dust or fumes.
- Administrative controls - Identifying and implement the procedures needed to work safely. For example, reducing the need for lone working or ensuring the work is completed in daylight; reducing the time workers are exposed to hazards (e.g. by job rotation); prohibiting use of mobile phones in hazardous areas.
- Personal protective clothes and equipment - After all the previous measures have been tried and found ineffective in controlling risks to a reasonably practicable level must personal protective equipment (PPE) be used. For example, where you cannot eliminate the risk of a fall, use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall.
38
Q
What is a Construction Phase Plan?
A
- The construction phase plan (CPP) records arrangements for managing significant health and safety risks associated with the construction of the project and is the basis for communicating those arrangements to those involved in the construction phase.
- It outlines the health and safety arrangements and site rules taking into account any industrial activities taking place on site, and, where applicable, must include specific measures concerning any work involving the particular risks.
- Required under the CDM regulations.
39
Q
What would you find in a Construction Phase Plan?
A
- Description of the works – what risks are identified as part of the works.
- Management of the works - Communication information (project directory and emergency out of hours contacts), working hours, training (toolbox talks and site inductions), welfare facilities, emergency procedures (nearest A&E), emergency, evacuation plan, site waste management plan.
- Information on how significant site risks will be managed – site traffic management plan, handling of deliveries, site set-up (contractor’s compound), noisy works (abide by LA rules).
40
Q
What amendments have you picked up on / requested to be made by contractors?
A
- No inclusion of a traffic management plan for a site in Chessington
- Management of deliveries also wasn’t suitable as they proposed to bring them through the front entrance which would be used by other tenants that occupied other floors of the premises.
41
Q
What are a designers duties under CDM 2015?
A
- Eliminate hazards and reduce risk during the design stage.
- Provide information about residual risks.
- Ensure that the client is aware of their duties.
- Provide information needed for the H&S file.
42
Q
Give an example of when you have undertake your duties under the CDM regs
A
- Eliminate hazards and reduce risk during the design stage: specified cold liquid roof covering instead of reinforced bitumen so no hot works were required / using water based paints.
- Provide information on residual risk: provide all information necessary to the principal designer from client and on site inspections with regards to residual risks which they can then incorporate into the CPP.
43
Q
What advice specifically did you give your client at Marlborough Grove with regards to their duties under the Control of Asbestos Regulations?
A
- I advised that the regulations state that the duty holder is responsible for managing asbestos: I explained that the duty holder is the owner of the non-domestic premises or the person that has clear responsibility for the maintenance or repair of the non-domestic premises. As the unit was untenanted, they were the duty holder who had responsibility for the managing asbestos and as the unit was constructed prior to 2000 it was likely that additional asbestos would be present in the premises.
44
Q
What other types of asbestos survey are there?
A
- Management Survey: Standard type of survey. It’s purpose is to locate, as far is reasonably practical, the presence and extent of any suspected ACMs. The surveys involve minor intrusive works.
- Refurbishment and Demolition Survey: Required before any refurbishment or demolition work is carried out. Used to locate and describe as far as is reasonably practical all ACMs in the areas where the refurbishment is to take place / whole building is being demolished. Full intrusive to allow surveying of all areas.
45
Q
When have you ever reported back to a client with safety issues?
A
- I provide updates on my meeting minutes which are issued to the client under a specific health and safety heading.
- I reported on a site in Hemel Hempstead that the roofing sub-contractor was storing numerous GRP oversheets on the roof that posed a threat to anyone below if they were to fall off the roof. I highlighted this to the site manager and stated that the sheets should be handled up to the roof one by one as they were installed and should be stored at ground floor level. This was then noted in my meeting minutes and issued to the client.
46
Q
How do you monitor that the contractor is abiding to H&S on site?
A
47
Q
What is a risk assessment?
A
- An assessment of identifying risks, determining their likelihood and severity and then eliminating or mitigating those risks to reduce their likelihood and severity if they do occur.
- 3 key processes:
- Identify all risks.
- Decide the likelihood and severity of each risk.
Take action to eliminate the hazard or if not possible put in procedures to control the risk
48
Q
What kinds of risks would be included within a site risk assessment?
A
- Lone working.
- Vehicle movement.
- Exposure to ACMs.
- Low lighting levels.
- Needles / drug paraphernalia.
49
Q
Why is it important to understand a client’s requirements before undertaking an inspection?
A
- To ensure that they receive the service that they require and also to manage their expectations and ultimately client experience. This will be done by:
- Confirm standard terms of business: limitations and scope of the survey, level of liability including confirmation that the firm / surveyor has appropriate PII, involvement of other consultants, timescales for report turnaround, whether disbursements will be included in the fee, whether specialist means of access required (MEWP etc).
50
Q
What equipment may you take on site to aid an inspection?
A
- Borescope
- Protimeter
- Torch
- Speedy carbide test.
- Disto.
- Measuring tape.
- Camera
- Phone
- Portable charger.
51
Q
How does a carbide meter work? What are its’ pros/cons?
A
- Sample of mortar, plaster or brick taken drilled and weighed.
- Sample then placed in one chamber, a weighed amount of calcium carbide powder is placed in a separate chamber.
- Container then shaken to allow mixing of two materials. The amount of acetylene gas produced indicates the amount of moisture present.
- Pros: accurate.
- Disadvantages: intrusive, more time consuming that protimeter.
52
Q
What is a protimeter? What are its’ pros/cons?
A
- Measures level of conductivity, water has high conductivity so increases the reading when present.
- Pros: Quick, non-intrusive (relatively).
- Disadvantages: Calibrated for timber, can give false high readings from highly conductive materials such as salts, foil backed plasterboard and black ash mortar.
53
Q
What information would you extract from lease documentation to inform what information needs to be recorded for a dilapidations inspection?
A
- Look at the demise plans to see where the demise extends to.
- Confirm whether the lease is IRL or FRI.
- Look at the definition of the demise – what is included, for example if floor coverings are included.
54
Q
For your schedule of condition of the Georgian manor house in Berkshire, were any parts listed? Provide some background on the property.
A
- The Property is Grade II listed. The entire building is Grade II listed and therefore according to listing practice the listing includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
- For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
- Grade II listed neo-Georgian mansion.
- Built in 1931 by Sir Hugo Cunliffe-Owen where it replaced a former mansion.
- He was a Director of an American tobacco company.
- The estate was sold to the crown then the building used as a Civil Defence College until 1950.
55
Q
What act governs listed buildings and conservation areas?
A
- Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
- The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013.
56
Q
I see you have experience with historical buildings, what is the effect of a building being listed? What would you have to do prior to carrying out works on a listed building? What is the listing process in England?
A
- If a building is listed it allows the local authority to review proposals for alterations to a listed building before works are carried out.
- Listed building consent would be required prior to undertaking any works - this is a online application that is submitted on the planning portal.
- Listing grades are:
Grade I: buildings of exceptional interest.
Grade II*: buildings of particular importance.
Grade II: buildings of special interest.
57
Q
Talk me through how you approached your site inspection for the vendors survey in Southampton from the point of arriving on site
A
- Met with the site contact to ensure they knew I was on site and signed in.
- Requested for any on site information the contact had so they could gather while I undertook the inspection.
- Had the contact confirm all site risks and any areas that were prohibited and whether I would need escorting (I didn’t).
- Walked the site externally to gather bearings.
- Inspected the building from the top down - started with roof.
- Elevations - elemental breakdown and description of main elements, form of construction and finishes. Then noted any significant defects (£5K or more) and looking for any health and safety issues / fire issues. No M&E engineer instructed so elemental breakdown of services from a building surveyor’s point of view - high level description, visual condition and age.
- Hardstandings, boundaries and means of access - elemental breakdown and description of elements (parking provisions, lighting etc), any major defects, checked for any legal / title issues with regards to access e.g shared access or presence of UKPN power station on site, noted accessibility generally and and issues, any environmental issues - checked for any invasive species etc.
- Same process but working from top down again. Opened up easily accessible areas to gain insight into construction - lifted ceiling tiles to conclude a insitu cast concrete floor to the FF ancillary and then inspected the main open plan retail area.
58
Q
What defects did you find during your TDD inspection in Southampton? Explain the causes of each of these
A
- Widespread peeling and delamination of the PVF2 coating
- Gutters choked with vegetation and mud / silt
- Widespread delamination of decorative coating to purlins internally
59
Q
What was the EPC rating of the Southampton property? What advise did you give within the Vendor’s report regarding the EPC?
A
- B41 and didn’t expire for another 5 years.
- Advised that the property’s EPC was compliant with current regulations as it was way above the required rating of E and would not be affected by the changes imposed on 1 April 2023 (all properties even with existing leases will need to achieve an E).
60
Q
What are some common defects that you would find in residential buildings?
A
61
Q
What are some common defects you would find in industrial buildings?
A
62
Q
What are some common defects that you would find in office buildings?
A
63
Q
What is wet rot? How would you identify it? How would you treat it? What would happen if it was left (prognosis)?
A
- Most common type is Ciniophora Puteana (known as cellar fungus).
- Highly vulnerable to fluctuations in moisture and thrives in timber with 50-60% moisture content.
- Identified by
- Surface cracks that follow the line of the timber grain.
- Thread-like strands of hyphae which are yellowish and become darker brown with age.
- Fruiting body rarely found.
- If fruiting body is present (usually outdoors) it is this olive brown plate irregular in shape with a knobbly texture.
- Treatment:
1. Locate and eliminate source of moisture.
2. Promote rapid drying.
3. Determine extent of damage.
4. Remove timber 500mm beyond affected areas.
5. Treat infected timbers and install new pre-treated timber. - Not as severe structurally as dry rot but can eventually cause failure.
64
Q
What material would you refer to for the treatment of wet rot?
A
- BRE Digest 345 – Wet rots: recognition and control.
65
Q
What is dry rot? How would you identify it? How would you treat it? What would happen if left (prognosis)?
A
- Timber decaying fungus (Serpula Lacrymans) that digests softwood and hardwood timber, reducing its structural integrity.
- Is not found in nature – only in internal timber constructions.
- Identifiable by:
1. Timber can crumble.
2. Mushroom odour.
3. Dull brown colour.
4. Defined cuboidal cracking.
5. White, fluffy mycelium or can be pearly grey and white sheets (depends on humidity).
6. Pancake shaped / bracket shaped fruiting bodies with white edges and rusty red colouration (spores). - Treated in accordance with BRE Digest 345.
1. Locate and eliminate source of moisture - survey structure and identify issues (defective plumbing, rainwater goods, damaged rendering, defective roof coverings etc).
2. Promote rapid drying - Heat the building and allow sufficient ventilation. Can use dehumidifiers but ventilation will need to be reduced to work. Remove floorboards adjacent to wet walls if necessary and increase / ensure sub floor ventilation - can even install heavy gauged polythene sheeting to oversite where floor is particularly wide.
3. Determine full extent of the outbreak - survey visually but also use screwdriver to detect softened wood. Where timber floor joists are suspected to be infected and embedded in walls plaster will need to be removed. Skirting boards and floor boards may also need to be removed.
4. Consult a structural engineer if structural timbers are suspected to be compromised.
5. Remove rotten wood - cut away 450mm beyond furthest extent of infected timber. Treat walls with fungicidal fluid. Apply sound timbers with preservative via repeat application to drilled holes, application of proprietary pasts of insertion of borate rods to ensure deep penetration. Then install new pre-treated timber.
6. Monitor.
Prognosis:
- Left untreated it will spread to other timbers through masonry and plaster and caused structural failure.
66
Q
What material would you refer to for treatment of dry rot?
A
BRE Digest 299: Dry rot: its recognition and control.
67
Q
What causes spalling brickwork?
A
- Incorrect application of cement pointing: In solid wall buildings, if lime based mortar is replaced with cement mortar the mortar joints cannot release the interstitial moisture within the wall, it therefore is released through the brickwork which leads to spalling due to excess moisture release and makes the bricks more susceptible to freeze thaw as they have a higher moisture content.
- Freeze thaw: Water absorbed through the porous surface of the bricks and then expands upon freezing.
- Crystallisation of salts (cryptoflorescence): this occurs just below the surface of the bricks leading to spalling. Occurs from large build up of salts and usually occurs where older, weaker bricks are re-used inappropriately in areas of excess dampness (at ground level which is susceptible to splashback - should use engineering bricks).
68
Q
What is damp?
A
Whereby the level if moisture inside a building reaches a level that causes building defects such as staining of decorative finishes, mould growth, frost damage and sulphate attack
69
Q
What are the different types of damp in buildings?
A
- Condensation.
- Rising damp
- Penetrating damp
70
Q
What is cut edge corrosion? What causes it? How would you remedy it?
A
- Caused by cutting each profiled metal roof sheet to length, causes micro cracking of the protective corrosion which lead to corrosion of underlying metal in presence of moisture.
- Can be caused by moisture being trapped in lap joints (held by capillary pressure) – breaks down protective coating.
- Dirt traps can occur at edge of sheet (if levels off) which can lead to further dirt and moisture build up = deterioration of protective coating + corrosion.
- Issue treated by cleaning the affected area (chemical cleaner/blast cleaning etc) then applying silicone based paint system over priming layer according to manufacturer’s instructions. E.g Girosil Edge RC-E.
71
Q
What defects are associated with GRP rooflights?
A
- Loss of transparency, embrittlement etc caused by ultraviolet light breaking down polymers in the rooflight plastic.
- Incorrect installation: 2 lines of sealant should be installed to each end of a rooflight (usually recommended by manufacturer’s).
- Embrittlement of foam fillers by UV degradation.
72
Q
What are the stages of plastisol coating deterioration?
A
- Loss of colour
- Caulking
- Delamination
73
Q
When have you appointed CCTV drainage surveys? Give an example.
A
- I have instructed these for both TDD surveys and also for project work when undertaking the designer role.
- For the refurbishment of a industrial unit in Grays, Essex I instructed a CCTV survey. The survey confirmed £7k damage – included unmaintained oil interceptor tanks, cracked pipework, root ingress to pipework and cracked / displaced man hole covers.
74
Q
When have you instructed structural engineers?
A
- To undertake a load assessment, warehouse in Tottenham – could be done from existing as built engineering drawings and specification for new solar PV system.
- For undertaking an assessment of a failed retaining wall to the side of an industrial unit in Leatherhead:
- The mass concrete retaining wall (with no observable reinforcement) had cracked and come away from the adjacent concrete pathway which exhibited subsidence and cracking. I instructed a structural engineer to undertake intrusive trial pit investiagation and to confirm the cause of the failure and recommended remedial works. The report concluded:
- Although previous reports note subsidence, the retaining wall appears to have been designed
- as an anchored wall with rebar ties connected into the concrete path. It is possible the failure
- may be due to soil erosion and tie failure. However, subsidence cannot be fully discounted.
- The CCTV survey notes no structural failings of pipework and it is unlikely that this is causing
- or exacerbating the issue.
- There are young trees growing approximately halfway along the length of the wall and path.
- There is noticeable cracking in this area potentially due to root growth under the retaining wall
- and path. We recommend that these trees and their roots should be removed prior to/or part of
- any remedial work undertaken.
- It is our opinion that the north eastern portion of the wall has failed leading to displacement of
- surrounding soils causing the concrete path to crack and degrade.
- The failed portion of the wall will need to be saw cut, broken out and replaced with a suitable
- retaining wall structure. Either a king post wall or insitu RC retaining wall could be considered.
- Due to accessibility to the area, it is our opinion that a king post wall is the most suitable solution.
75
Q
What causes ponding on roofs?
A
- Tapered insulation or roof deck not laid to correct falls (timber firrings used to set roof deck falls).
- Deflection of timber roof deck - through reduction in structural integrity of structural timbers - rot / insect infestation.
- Blocked rainwater goods.
- Subsidence / heave.
76
Q
Why did you recommend wholesale replacement of the roof covering at St. Leonards?
A
- I actually recommended that some opening up works were conducted internally to determine the extent of the water ingress and extent of damage to the structural timber and roof deck.
- After inspection it was apparent the entire roof deck was saturated and rotten in widespread areas and would require wholesale replacement.
- As the existing reinforced bitumen felt roof covering showed widespread developed crazing and isolated blistering it was clear that it was at the end of its life and would therefore require replacement too.
- I consulted the BRE Good Repair Guide - Flat Roofs: making repairs to bitumen felt and mastic asphalt roofs.
77
Q
How did you know that you were dealing with penetrating damp with the property at Hastings and not condensation or rising damp?
A
- It was clear to see that the roof covering had failed in numerous areas and water could be seen dripping through the underside of the roof deck. There was also staining and areas of plasterboard soffit that were saturated and had fallen in isolated areas.
- Rising damp would have been localised to the walls and tide marks would have likely been present to a height of circa 1.3m with spoilt decorative finishes, staining and blown plaster below.
- Condensation was present to the internal windows but I believe this was a result of the building being unheated, unventilated and having excess water vapour from the penetrating damp.
78
Q
How did you know that you were dealing with penetrating damp to the internal elevation of the property in Hastings (not the roof)?
A
- The staining and deterioration to the internal plasterboard / decorative finishes was patchy and concentrated in numerous areas along the length of the elevation. If it was rising damp I would expect to see a linear tide line around 1.3 m max height.
- I was lucky that the second time that I visited the property there had been a sustained period of rainfall and I could see that the areas of staining observed previously had darken.
79
Q
Were there any other options for the penetrating damp?
A
- Simply grade back the earth.
80
Q
What are the main ways you can eradicate JK?
A
Dig and dump (excavation of the plant and roots)
- JK infested soil excavated (up to 3m vertically and 7m horizontally from the area of growth), removed off site and disposed in an appropriately licenced waste management facility as it is classed as controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
- Benefits: quick, no restrictions on site for development, works can continue on site immediately.
- Drawbacks: Expensive (£70 per tonne), reduced valuable landfill capacity (should be last resort), increases risk of spread (disturbing the plant through excavation)
On-site burial
- Trench is excavated on the site in suitable location and JK then excavated and buried in the trench which will need to have at least 5m of overburden. Unless JK can be buried with 5m of overburden then a specialist root barrier membrane must be used to partly or full encapsulate the JK. Area is then monitored for at least two successive growth seasons and treated with herbicides if needed.
- Benefits: More cost effective than dig and dump, works can continue immediately, quick to remove.
- Drawbacks: Need suitable set aside area where the JK will not be disturbed, can’t be used if water table is high (allows distribution of JK into waterways), if root barrier used it needs to be installed correctly as any weaknesses / tears can be exploited by JK, JK can be accidently spread during excavation.
Herbicidal treatment
- Herbicides applied to JK usually combined application of spraying and stem injection.
- Benefits: Cost effective, can be carried out in situ (less risk of spread), quickly reduces spread and ability to impact structures, can be used on restricted sites that don’t have a set aside area.
- Drawbacks: JK remains in situ do could be disturbed and spread (particularly if works being carried out), not appropriate for sites where there is planned development (excavation), take several years to achieve complete eradication with two years of monitoring to ensure growth has ceased.
Other options:
- Biological control - testing being undertaken - still not used.
- Screening / sifting - JK excavated along with soil which is then sifted to separate rhizomes which are disposed of appropriately, the soil is then screened and stored on site in a suitable location, treated with herbicide and monitored.
81
Q
What did you do / what did you advise for the JK removal at Barking?
A
- I advised my client that if the JK was not treated it could continue to spread and damage the adjacent hardstanding and security hut by exploiting structural weaknesses and causing cracking in addition to causing cracking of mains water and drainage pipework which I know were in close proximity to the infested area.
- I also advised that the client that under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 they were obligated to control its spread and prevent spread onto neighbouring properties.
- I then considered the potential remedial options but recommended that herbicidal treatment should be utilised on the basis that the site had a high water table and no suitable area to dispose of the JK to allow on site burial and also that excavation should be used as a last resort, would be considerably more expensive and may lead to further spread of the JK.
- I advised that the client that as JK had been identified, the client should instruct a JK contractor to map the entire site to confirm the extent of the growth and make sure there were no other areas of infestation.
- I also advised that the client should ensure that they had a 10-year guarantee with the treatment to give comfort to the incoming tenant on a 10 year FRI-lease.
82
Q
What are the main forms of JCT contract that you know?
A
- JCT Intermediate Building Contract, 2016 (+with contractor’s design portion).
- JCT Minor Works Building Contract 2016 (+with contractor’s design portion).
- JCT Design and Build.
- Management Building Contract 2016.
- Measured Term Contract 2016.
83
Q
What is the importance of contract selection?
A
- Contract selection is critical as different contracts are suitable for different scenarios and will dictate the success of a project. First the procurement method should be chosen, then a contract should be selected after considering the following:
- Nature of the works.
- Measure of control that the client wants over the works.
- Accountability – does the employer want a single or multiple point.
- Certainty of final cost.
- Programme.
84
Q
What is procurement?
A
- The overall act of obtaining goods and services from external sources (for example a building contractor) and includes decision making with regards to how the goods are to be acquired by reviewing a client’s requirements (i.e time, quality and cost). and their attitude to risk.
85
Q
What are the main procurement routes?
A
- Traditional.
- Design and build (single and two stage).
- Management Contracting.
- Construction Management.
- Framework agreements.
- Partnering.
86
Q
What is an extension of time?
A
- A contract provision that allows adjustment of the contractual completion date.
- It reserves the right of the employer to claim liquidated damages in the event that the contractor is unable to complete the works by the completion date for a reason that is partly due to the employers
- It also protects the contractor as if granted it relieves the contractor of their liability to pay liquidated damages.
- If the completion date could not be adjusted, then the contractor would only have the complete the works with a ‘reasonable time’ (time at large).
