Inspection Flashcards
What is the 4 step process when undertaking an inspection?
- consider your personal safety - know your firms health and safety procedures for a site inspection
- inspection of the local area
- external inspection
- internal inspection
What are key things to take on inspection?
Mobile phone
camera
Tape measure/ laser
Plans
Personal protection equipment
Pen and paper
What are key points to consider in the immediate area when on inspection?
Location
Local facilities
Public transport
Business vibrancy
Contamination
Environmental hazards
Comparable evidence
Local market conditions
Agents boards
What are key points to note on an external inspection
Method of construction
Repair and condition of the exterior
Car parking/ access
Defects/ structural movement
Check site boundaries with OS map
Ways to date the building - land reg
What are key points to note on an internal inspection
Layout and specification
Repair and maintenance
Defects
Services
Statutory compliance - asbestos, building regs, equality act 2010
What are the different inspection purposes
Valuation
Property management
Agency
What are the different types of foundations
Trench or strip footings
Raft
Piled
Pad
What are trench footings
Generally used for residential dwelings for walls and closely spaced columns
What is raft foundations
A slab foundation over the whole site to spread the load for lightweight structures for sandy soil condition
What are piled foundations
Long and slender reinforced concrete cylinders in the ground to deepen strata for load bearing purposes
What are pad foundations
a slab foundation system under individual or groups of columns so that the column load is spread evenly
What are the different types of brickwork
Solid wall construction
Cavity wall construction
What is a solid wall construction
The simplest type of wall is constructed in solid brickwork with headers, normally at least one brick thick and there are different bricklaying patterns incorporating headers, such as Flemish bond, to tie together the layers of brick
What is cavity wall construction
Two layers of brickwork are tired together with metal ties, with a cavity that may be filled with insulation
What are the two types of brick laying
Stretcher: a brick laid horizontally, flat with the long side of the brick exposed on the outer face of the wall
Header: a brick laid flat with the short end of the brick exposed
What is efflorescence
White marks caused by hydroscopic salts in the brick work. it is formed when water reacts with the natural salts
What is spalling
This is damaged brickwork where the surface of the bricks starts to crumble because of freeze/thaw action, after it has become saturated in the winter months
What are retail units primarily constructed of?
Steel or concrete frame
Services capped off
Concrete floor and no suspended ceiling
What are offices primarily constructed of?
Steel or concrete frame
Steel framed buildings have less columns
Concrete framed buildings have more columns, lower ceiling height
What is the institutional specification for offices and what features may be included?
British Council for Offices Guide to Offices Specification 2023
Full access raised floors with floor boxes
Approx. ceiling height of 2.6-2.8m
Maximised opportunities for daylight
A/C and passenger lifts
1 shower per 100 staff
1 cycle storage per 10 staff
What are the different types of air conditioning systems
Variable air volume
Fan coil
Variable refrigerant volume
Static cooling
Mechanical ventilation
Heat recovery systems
Comfort cooling
What is fan coil a/c
Usually 4 pipe
lower initial cost and good flexibility but higher operating and maintenance costs
What is static cooling
Chilled beam and displacement heating
What is mechanical ventilation
When fresh air is moved around the building
What are the types of fit out
Shell and core
Cat A
Cat B
What is a typical construction for industrial buildings
Steel portal frame with insulated profiled steel cladding walls and roof
What are current institutal specifications that may be included for industrial
Minimum 8m clear eaves height
plastic coated steel profiled cladding
full height loading doors
main services capped off
LED lighting
Approx. 40% site coverage
What is an inherent defect
A defect in the design or a material which has always been presentW
What is a latent defect
Fault to the property that could not have been discovered bt a reasonably thorough inspection of the property
If you identify any defects in the property, what are 4 key things you should note
Take a picture of the defect
Try to establish the cause of the damage whilst on site
Inform the client
Recommend advice from a building surveyor
What are three common causes of a defect
Water
Movement
Deterioration of building materials
What is subsidence?
The vertical downward movement of a building founcation caused by the loss of support of the site beneath the foundation. This could be as a result of changes in the underlying ground conditions
What is heave?
The expansion of the round beneath part or all of the building. Could be caused by tree removal and subsequent moisture build up in the soil
What is horizontal crackning?
May indicate cavity wall tie failure in a brick wall
What is shrinkage cracking
In new plasterwork during the drying out process
What is wet rot?
Caused by damp and tinder decay
Signs include wet and soft timber, a high damp meter reading, visible fungal growth and a musty smell
What is dry rot?
Caused inside by fungal attack
Signs include fungus, a strong smell, cracking walls, red spores
What is rising damp
Usually stops 1.5 m above ground level
What is condensation
Caused by a lack of ventilation and background heating
Signs include mould and streaming water on the inside of windows
What are common building defects in period buildings?
Dry rot, wet rot, tile slippage, death watch beetle, damp penetration at roof and ground level, water ingress around door
What are common building defects in modern industrial buildings?
Roof leaks around roof lights, damaged cladding panels, cut edge corrosion, blocked valley gutters, water damage
What are common building defects in modern office buildings?
Damp penetration at roof and ground floor level, water damage from burst pipes, structural movement, damaged cladding and cavity wall tie failure
Is there any guidance notes on contamination?
RICS guidance note: contamination, the environment and sustainability 2010
What does the guidance note state in relation to contatminated land
General principle is that the landowner/ polluter must pay for the remediation
A desk top study to review previous use of site
What are three typical phases of investigation
Phase 1 - review site history with a desk top study and site inspection and investigation
Phase 2 - Investigation to identify nature and extent of contamination with detailed soil samples taken using bore holes
Phase 3 - remediation report setting out remedial options with design requirements and monitoring standards
What are key points to consider when instructed to value a site with contamination
Do not provide any advice until a specialist report is comissioned
Caveat the advice provided with an appropriate disclamer highlighting the issue/use of a special assumption
Deduct the remediation costs from the gross site value
What is land remediation relief?
A form of tax relief that applied to contaminated or derelict land in the UK
It allows companies to claim up to 150% corporation tax deduction for expenditure in remediating the land
What are deleterious materials and signs to potential problems
Can degrade with age causing structural problems
Brown staining on concrete, concrete frame building and 1960’s/1970’s buildings as well as modern buildings
What is an example of deleterious materials
Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC)
High alumina cement
Woodwool shuttering
Calcium chloride
What are three examples of hazardous materials
Asbestos
Lead piping/paint
Radon gas
What is Japanese knotweed?
an invasive plant which can damage hard surfaces such as foundations and tarmac
What problems can Japanese Knotweed cause?
It is not easy to control
Costly to eradicate - specialist company needed
Great concern to property lenders who may refuse a loan if it is located on the property/ nearby
What does Japanese knotweed look like?
Purple/green hollow stemmed with green leaves
How do you remove Japanese knotweed
Disposed of legally by using a chemical treatment, digging it out and removing it from site to a liscenced land fill in accordance with the Environmental act 1990
Is there a statement from RICS regarding Japanese knotweed
RICS Professional Standard: Japanese Knotweed and residential property 2022
What are the repercussions of allowing Japanese knotweed to spread
Maximum fine of £5,000 and/or 6 months prison sentence
What are types of invasive plant species
Hogweed
Himalayan Balsam
Japanese knotweed
Are there any key case studies regarding invasive plant species?
Williams vs Network Rail Infrastructure ltd 2018
Network rail were held liable for the cost of treating the invasive plant plus the damages to the neighbours land
When was 81 Southwark Street built
1965/ renovated 2017
When was the restaurant in the west end built
2010
When was Bakers Row built
1850/ refurbished in 2024
When was the industrial building in Sheppey built
2023
When was the pub built
1890/ refurbished in 2015
Why would you inspect for property management purposes
To check the condition of the property and ensure its being used as per the lease
Why would you inspect for agency purposes
To assess the marketability of the property
Why would you inspect for valuation purposes
To understand all the factors which can influence the valuation of a property
What is included in a desktop inspection
Collate documents such as title plan and floor plan
Look at the local area on google maps
Assess the amenities in the area
How do you externally assess the exterior of the property
Look at it logically from top to bottom
What is the condition of the pub you inspected
Well maintained
In reasonable condition
What are the foundations of 81 Southwark Street
Piled foundations
What is the asbestos register
An asbestos register is a document that lists all identified or presumed asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) within a building
What was the roof type of the industrial building you inspected in Sheppey
Pitched roofs with metal cladding
