Inspection Flashcards
Characteristics and impacts of Japanese knotweed
Non native invasive
Fast growing
Green, 7-8 feet tall, white flowers in the base of leaf
Dies back in winter and comes back in spring/early summer
Impacts
Displaced native fauna
Nuisance to control
Structural defects
What is the 4 step process for inspections?
Personal safety
Inspection on local area
External inspection
Internal inspection
What 6 things should you take on an inspection?
Mobile phone
Camera
Tape measure/laser
Plans and other information
PPE
Pen and paper/ipad
What 6 things should you consider on an external inspection
Method of construction
Repair and condition
Car park/access/loading arrangements
Defects/structural movement
Check site boundaries against plans
Check age of building - planning consent, land reg, architectural style
Which 7 things should you consider on an internal inspection
Layout and spec
Repair and maintenance
Defects
Services-age and condition
Compliance like asbestos, building regs, equality act
Fixtures fittings and improvements
Compliance with lease obligation
What are the four types of foundation
Trench
Raft
Piled
Pad
What are white marks in the brick work and why is it caused?
Efflorescence
Hydroscopic salts in the brick work when water reacts with natural salts
What is the process of bricks crumbling due to freeze thaw action?
Spalling
What is an institutional spec for a shop? 4 points
Steel or concrete frame
Services capped off
Concrete floor and no suspended ceiling
Let as a shell condition ready for fit out
What is the traditional spec for offices as defined in the British council for offices specification 2019? Name 6
Full access raised floors with floor boxes
Approximate ceiling height of 2.6-2.8m
Ceiling void of 350mm and raised floor void of 150mm
2.5 to 3 kn/sq m floor loading
Air conditioning
Double glazed windows
Passenger lifts
Max depth 12-15m shallow plan
1 cycle space per 10 staff
1 shower per 100 staff
Workspace density 8-10sq m
Name types of fit out and what they are for
Shell and core - where common parts of the building are completed and the office floor areas are left as shell
Cat A fit out - such as to a grade A spec as above
Category B fit out - to complete the fit out of the occupiers specific requirements, such as the installation of cellular offices, enhances finishes and IT
What’s the standard spec for a warehouse ?
Steel portal frame with insulated steel cladding
Min 8m clear height
10% roof lights
Min 30kn/sq m
Full height loading doors
3 phase electricity power
5-10% office content and WC
Main services capped off
Approximate site cover of 40%
LED lighting
What is an inherent defect?
Defect in the design or a material which has always been present
What is a latent defect?
A fault to the property that couldn’t have been discovered through inspection of the property
What’s the difference between subsidence and heave?
Subsidence is down movement of a foundation due to ground conditions
Heave is expansion of the ground underneath because of tree roots or moisture build up
If you saw a horizontal crack in the brickwork what might it indicate?
Cavity wall tie failure
What’s the difference between wet rot and dry rot?
Wet rot = damp and timber decay. Wet and soft timber
Dry rot = fungal attack. Fungus spreading and cracking/crumbling of timber
How high does rising damp rise to
1.5m above ground level
Name some common defects for offices/shops/resi? 6
Dry rot
Wet rot
Tile slippage
Damp
Water ingress
Structural movement
Name some common defects on modern industrial
Roof leaks around roof lights
Damaged cladding panels
Cut edge corrosion
Blocked gutters
Water damage
Name some common defects in modern offices
Damp penetration
Water damage
Structural movement
Damaged cladding
Cavity wall tie failure
What are deletious materials ? Provide an example?
Materials which can degrade over time causing structural problems
Brown stains on concrete
Name 3 hazardous materials ?
Asbestos
Lead piping or paint
Radon gas
Who should dispose of Japanese knotweed? Where should it go?
Specialist contractors
Licensed landfill site
What is the fine for allowing Japanese knotweed to spread?
£5,000 or 6 months in prison
Name 3 types of invasive plant
Hogweed
Himalayan balsam
Japanese knotweed
