Inspection Flashcards

1
Q

What your you look for when inspecting the outside of a building?

A
Method of construction 
Repair and condition of the exterior 
Car parking/ access/ loading arrangements 
Defects/ structural movement 
Site boundaries on title plan
Age
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2
Q

What types of foundation are you aware off?

A

Trench/ strip footings
Raft
Piled
Pad

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3
Q

What is a trench foundation?

A

Also called strip footings

Used in resi for walls and closely spaced columns

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4
Q

What is a raft foundation?

A

A slab foundation spread over whole site to spread the load of light weight structures

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5
Q

What is piled foundation?

A

Long slender reinforced cylinders in the ground.

Used for high loads or less good ground conditions

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6
Q

What is a pad foundation?

A

A slab foundation under individual columns so load is spread evenly

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7
Q

What is the size of a brick

A

215 x 102.5 x 65

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8
Q

What types of walls are there?

A

Solid wall construction

Cavity wall construction

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9
Q

What is a solid wall construction?

A

Simplest type of wall with with headers, normally at least 1 brick thick

Flemish bond
English bond

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10
Q

What is a cavity wall construction?

A

2 layers of brickwork tied together with metal ties.

Installation in between

Evidence would include air brick or weep holes

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11
Q

If you saw white marks on brick what would it be?

A

Efflorescence

Caused when salts in the brick work reacts with water.

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12
Q

If brick work was crumbling what could it be a result of?

A

Spalling

Due to freeze/ thaw action

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13
Q

What is the specification of a grade A office building?

A
New AC
Suspended ceiling - 350mm
LG7 lighting
Double glazed windows
Raised floor - 150mm
Good natural light
2.5-3 KN/ Sq M
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14
Q

What is the standard specification of an industrial unit?

A
Steal frame
Min 8m clear eaves hight
Min 30KN/ Sq M floor loading
Plastic coated steel cladding
Brick work up to 2m
Full hight loading doors
5-10% offices
Approximate site cover of 40%
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15
Q

What types of AC are you aware of?

A

Variable Air Volume (VAV) - highest capital cost but most flexible.

Fan Coil - cheap and flexible but expensive to manage

Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) - cheap but expensive to manage

Static Cooling (chilled beams) - low capital and running cost but not flexible

Comfort cooling - basic

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16
Q

What is R22?

A

R22 gas was made illegal to repair/ maintain in 2015 after a 10 year fading out period

Damages the ozone when released into the air

The EC Ozone Regulation

17
Q

How would you find out the age of a building?

A

Ask client
Look at planning records
Land registry
Architectural style ( compare with comps)

18
Q

How would you describe the construction method at Eldon house?

A

Concrete frame with solid Flemish bond wall on a pad foundation

The Eldon street elevation has a portland Stone facade and the Wilson street elevation is exposed red brick

19
Q

What is a latent defect?

A

A fault in a property that could not have been discovered through reasonably thorough inspection

20
Q

What is an inherent defect?

A

A defect in the design or material which has always been there

21
Q

What would you do if you identified a defect on inspection?

A

Take photo
Try and establish the cause while on site
Inform client
Recommend specialist advice

22
Q

What are the three main causes of defect?

A

Water
Movement
Deterioration of building material

23
Q

What is the vertical downwards movement of a building and what is it caused by?

A

Subsidence

Loss of support on the site beneath the foundation

24
Q

What is the expansion of the ground beneath a building?

A

Heave

Could be caused by tree removal

25
Q

What would horizontal cracking in brickwork be?

A

Cavity wall tie failure

26
Q

What is rising damp?

A

Moisture rising up the bricks in a building similar stopping around 1.5m

27
Q

What defect would you likely find at Eldon House?

A
Dry rot (fungal)
Wet rot
Tile slippage
Damp penetration at roof and ground floor level
Water ingress around doors and windows
Subsidence
End of terrace
28
Q

What is deleterious material?

A

Can degrade with age causing structural problems

Brown stain on concrete

High alumina cement (HAC)
1950/60/70

29
Q

What act deals with contamination?

A

Environmental Protection Act 1990

30
Q

How would you investigate contamination?

A

3 phases

  1. Review site history with desktop study and site inspection
  2. Investigation to identify nature and extent of contamination with detailed soil samples
  3. Remediation report