Inspection and Measurement Flashcards
1
Q
What sort of due diligence might you take prior to inspection?
A
- Make sure have up-to-date plans
- Read and reviewed the lease to check the provisions
- Look up comparable evidence prior to inspection so can externally inspect
2
Q
How would you check the accuracy of your distometer?
A
I would get a meter plus ruler and measure against that distance. If it is not accurate, I would re-calibrate it.
3
Q
Other than footfall what else might you consider around the local area?
A
-Local facilities, public transport, business vibrancy , agents boards and comparable evidence
4
Q
How often should you get asbestos surveys carried out?
A
At least annually if asbestos is present at the property
5
Q
What would you consider for internal inspections?
Internal
A
- Layout
- Repair and maintenance
- Defects
- Services
- Stat. compliance
- Compliance with lease
6
Q
What would you consider for external inspections?
A
- Method of construction
- Repair and condition
- Car parking
- Defects
- Site boundaries
7
Q
What is an M & E survey?
A
Mechanical and electrical survey is a survey of the plant and machinery in buildings for example air conditioning.
8
Q
What constitutes institutional standard?
A
- Rectangular in shape to allow for efficient use of space and easy access.
- High ceilings – for ample storage – in this case was 8.3m
- Security feature - I noted security cameras/perimetre fencing
- Good EPC
- In this case I said in my submission that the property had narrow access and small yard
9
Q
What is a typical yard depth for an industrial unit and what was it for Avonmouth?
A
Depending on the size but for a small single storey unit, typically 20 m and for a large multi-storey up to 60m.
Avonmouth was 37m
10
Q
Bristol – was does VPS2 of the red book relate to?
A
- Inspection, investigations and records
- A proper record must be kept of inspections and investigations, and of other key inputs, in an appropriate business format.
11
Q
What was the leak in relation to for the office in the city?
A
The leak was from the roof – a problem with the seal.
12
Q
What did you note down on the inspection for the industrial unit in Bristol?
A
- Specification
- Condition
- Car parking
- Yard depth
- Office ratio
- Eaves height
13
Q
What did you note down on the retail inspection in Fulham, how did this differ from Ind/Offices?
A
- The condition
- Zoning
- Specification
- Footfall
Differ from the ind and offices as don’t tend to note down the footfall, zoning and the frontage.
14
Q
What is the RICS Code of Measuring practise (2015)?
A
Code of measuring practise applies to all building except offices and residential
15
Q
What is the RICS Property Measurement 2nd Edition (2018)
A
- Sets out the requirement of RICS members and firms in relation to property measurement.
- Standards and requirements for International Measurement Standards (IMPS)
- Application of IMPS
16
Q
What are some of the differences between NIA and IPMS 3
A
In IMPS 3 you would include all pillars and areas under 1.5m, you would take the measurement from the internal dominant face.
17
Q
What is the internal dominant face?
A
Internal Dominant Face - Point on a wall that occupies more than 50% of wall to ceiling height.
18
Q
What areas does IPMS cover?
A
Office and residential
IPMS 2 - Office – basis of measurement GIA
IPMS 3 – Office – basis of measurement NIA
IPMS 2 – Residential – basis of measurement GIA
IPMS 3A – Residential – an external measurement of the area in exclusive occupation
IPMS 3B – Residential - an internal measurement including internal
walls, etc
IPMS 3C Residential - an internal measurement excluding internal
walls, etc
19
Q
Industrial unit – Hayes- what measurement did you use for the offices?
A
GIA – as that is the basis for rating.
20
Q
Industrial unit Hayes – what is was the eaves height and loading bay measurements?
A
Industrial unit Hayes – what is was the eaves height and loading bay measurements?
21
Q
What is the eaves height?
A
Is the distance from the ground to the lowest point of the roof eaves
22
Q
What is the problem with using scaled plans?
A
Inaccuracy/tenant may have changed the property.
23
Q
What is the difference between NIA and GIA
A
GIA is the area of the building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls of each floor. It includes all areas of the building
NIA is the usable area within a building measure to the internal face of the perimeter wall of each floor. it excludes areas that are not usable like stairs, lifts, cleaners cupboard, plant rooms and WCS.
24
Q
On the office inspection at Datchet what did you note down?
A
- They layout of the property
- Condition
- Fixtures/fittings
- Environmental considerations like noise
- Security
- Parking
25
What types of damp there are?
Wet rot
Dry rot – caused by a fungal attack
Condensation – caused by a lack of ventilation
Rising damp - stops around 1.5m ground level
Damp cause by leaking plumbing/pipework
Penetration
26
What risk assessment did you carry out?
1. Identify the hazards at present
2. Identify the people at risk from the hazards
3. Evaluate the risk
4. Record the findings on a suitable form
5. Review the risk assessment regularly
27
What is RIDDOR?
Reporting of injuries, disease and dangerous occurrences regulations
28
What measurement would you use for residential?
IPMS3
29
In IPMS3b what do you exclude?
External walls.
Columns.
Open light wells and the upper level voids of an atrium.
Any ground level areas or structures beyond the external wall such as sheltered areas, external walkways and external loading bays.
Temporary mezzanines.
30
When would you measure GEA?
Town planning, council tax valuations and building cost estimates for houses
31
How would you date a building?
- Ask the client
- Research planning consent
- Land Reg
- Architectural style/design
32
What are the different types of inspection purposes
- Valuation
- Property management
- Agency
33
What types of foundations are there of a property?
1. Trench or strip footings - generally used for residential dwellings, for walls and closely spaced columns
2. Raft - a slab foundation over the whole site to spread the load for lightweight structures
3. Piled - Long and slender reinforced concrete cylinders in the ground to deeper strata when less good load bearing ground conditions
4. Pad - a slab foundation system under individual or groups of columns so that the column load is spread evenly
34
What type of brickwork is there?
Solid brick construction -simplest construction
Cavity wall construction - in a cavity wall, two layers of brickwork are tied together with metal ties with a cavity that may be filled with insulation
Bricks
- stretcher - a brick laid horizontally, flat with the long side of the brick exposed
- Header - a brick laid flat with the short end of the brick exposed
35
What is efforesence?
White marks caused by hydroscopic salts in the brickwork
36
What is spalling?
Damage to brickwork where the surface of the brick starts to crumble because of the freeze/thaw action after winter months
37
What is an intuitional standard of shops?
- Steel or concrete frame
- services are capped off
- concrete floor and no suspended ceilings
- let in shell condition with no shop front
38
What is an institutional standard of office?
- raised floor with floor boxes
- Approx ceiling height of 2.6-2.8m
- ceiling void of 350mm an raised floor void of 150mm
- maximised opportunities for daylight, with 300-599 lux average
- Approx floor loading of 2.5-3 kilonewton/ sq m
- Air conditioning
- Passenger lift
- 1 cycle space per 10 staff and 1 shower per 100 staff
- 8 sq m to 10 sqm general workspace density
39
Talk through XX office specification?
- Open plan office
- passenger lift
- Raised floor with floor boxes
- Light space
- Suspended ceiling - with a height of 2.6
40
Do you know different types of AC units?
VAV- Variable Air volume ( highest capital cost but normally most flexible)
Fan coil- Usually 4 pipe (lower initial cost but higher operating and maintenance costs)
VRV - Variable refrigerant volume (lower capital cost but higher running and maintenance costs)
Static cooling- a natural approach to climate control with lower capital and running costs)
Comfort cooling - a simple form of air-cooling system
41
What are the different types of fit-out?
Shell and core - common parts are complete and office parts are left as shell ready for occupier fit out
Category A fit out - such as to Grade A specification (as institutional standard)
Category B - to complete the fit out of the occupiers specific requirement
42
What is an institutional standard of industrial?
- Min 8m clear eaves height
- Min 30 Kilonewtons per sq m floor loading
- Full height loading door
- 3 phase power (415 volts)
-5-10% office content
- Main services capped off
- Approx 40% site cover
-LED lighting
43
What's 3 phase power?
Three phase and single phase are electricity supplies and it’s the amount of power that is different. A single phase supply is smaller and most domestic houses with gas central heating need single phase and have this as standard. If you require two or more electricity meters then you need a three phase supply.
44
How do you look for building defects?
Start from the roof and work your way down
45
What's an inherent defect?
a defect in the design or material which has always been present
46
What's a latent defect?
is a fault to the property that could not be identified by a an inspection i.e. not visible
47
What should you do if you identify a defect?
1. take a photograph
2. try to establish the cause of the damage on site
3. inform your client of your finding
4. recommend to get advice from a building surveyor
48
What are the common causes of defect?
1. Movement
2. Water
3. Defective/non performance/deterioration of building materials
49
What are some common defects of period residential/office/shop
Dry rot
Wet Rot
Tile slippage on the roof
Death watch beetles
Water ingress around floor and window opening
Structural movement
50
What are some common defects of modern industrial units?
Roof leaks around the roof lights
Damage to cladding panels
Blocked gutters
Water damage from guttering or burst pipes
51
What are some common defects of modern office units?
Damp penetration at roof or ground floor level
Water damage from burst pipes or AC
Damaged cladding
Cavity wall tie failure
Efflorescence and poor mortar joints in brickwork
52
What is RAAC?
reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete
RAAC is a lightweight, ‘bubbly’ form of concrete commonly used in construction between the 1950s and mid-1990s.
Experts say the building material is less durable than reinforced concrete and deteriorates over time, so is susceptible to sudden failure.
The danger has previously been considered so great that a number of schools have had to close, either fully or partly, while others have required emergency propping up owing to fears of collapse.
The material is also prone to collapse when wet, which can happen if there are leaks in a building’s roof.
53
What might horizontal cracking of brickwork represent?
Indicate cavity wall tie failure
Thermal expansion might also cause cracks
54
What is subsidence?
the vertical downward movement of a building foundation caused by a loss of the support of the site beneath the foundation.
55
What would you exclude in GIA?
Exclude canopies, fire esacpes and covered ways
56
If a retail unit is tenanted with full height partioning how can you estimate the actual built width
Remove ceiling tile
Try and get behind the partioning (gaps)
Inspect the basement and first floor
Scale from floor plans
57
What is Zone A?
area in terms of Zone A
58
What do you exclude in NIA offices?
WC
Stairwells and lift
Metre cupboard
Area less than 1.5m
cleaners cupboard
permante circulation space
Measurement should be taken from the glazing if it is full height glazing
59
How do you measure land?
Check boundaries accurately on the site with an OS plan and or land registry document
A trundle wheel
1 acres if 0.4046 hectares
60
In your office example, City of London what obligations did the occupier have?
Occupiers Liability Act 1957
Regulates the liability of occupiers and others for injuries caused to lawful visitors
61
Why is inspection important
Our clients rely on our advice and we are obliged to provide a high standard of service. Need to inspect so we have full and accurate information on which to base our recommendations
62
How do inspections differ for management / valuation / agency purposes?
Valuation inspection – consider valuations influencers, e.g tenure, location, form of construction, defects
Management inspection – essentially policing the lease, e.g statutory compliance, occupational compliance, maintenance and repair. If property not occupied, responsibility also extends to checking the building is not at risk from vandalism/damage, checking services etc
Agency – looking at the marketability, e.g specification, local area, flexibility and configuration of floor plates
63
What are the key provisions of the RICS Surveying Safely Guidance Note?
Defines the concept of a ‘safe person’, provides guidance and good practice principles on a variety of key H&S issues, such as workplace health and safety, occupational hygiene and health, fire safety
Also provides guidance on legal considerations and duties and provides an audit template to assist members
64
How would you mitigate risk on site?
Ensuring I carried out / reviewed a risk assessment beforehand and identified key risks; take correct PPE; behave in accordance with the site rules and remember the concept of a ‘safe person’ as per Surveying Safely, 2018; dynamic risk assessment
65
What would you do if you came across asbestos on site?
I would vacate the site immediately and only take a picture if it was not going to cause any additional harm to myself / anyone else. I would inform my client of my suspicion and recommend they seek specialist advice
66
Prior to inspection how would you check if there was asbestos in a building?
Check the Asbestos Register
Would be aware of anything pre-2000
67
What is a likely material to obtain asbestos?
Loose fill asbestos can be under floorboards, between cavity walls
Also on the underside of roofs – sprayed coatings used to insulate, and fire protection on steel / reinforced concrete beams
68
How would you identify cavity wall tie failure?
Horizontal cracking in the brickwork
69
Is there anything you could spot on inspection that would make it unsuitable for loan security?
Contamination – can be a reason for the refusal of a loan, for example Japanese Knotweed
I would ensure I did not report until a specialist report had been commissioned; caveat with the use of a disclaimer to highlight the issue and/or use of special assumption; remediation costs would be deducted from the gross site value
70
What legislation governs fire safety? Is there any other guidance?
For non-domestic properties – Fire Safety Order 2005, which has an emphasis on fire prevention and the need for fire precautions, including good record keeping, policies and procedures. ‘Responsible Person’ defined as the employer or occupier who control the property, or the owner if vacant
Fire Safety is also covered in Part B of the Building Regulations
For residential properties – The Fire Safety Act, 2021, relates to multi-occupied residential buildings.
Building Safety Bill, 2021, establishes a tighter regulatory regime for buildings over 18 metres high. It will implement the Hackitt Review (2018) recommendations and strengthen the accountability and duties for those responsible for safety of high-rise buildings, but also residents’ ability to contribute to maintaining safety and a national framework to ensure the suitability of construction products
71
Does RICS provide guidance on Japanese Knotweed?
Japanese knotweed and residential property 2022
72
What would you do if you inspected a vacant building you were managing and there were squatters?
I would not conduct the inspection and inform my client immediately. Squatting is a criminal offence and therefore the landlord would rely on common law power to use ‘reasonable’ force to remove the trespassers from the land through a bailiff of court proceedings.
73
How do you look for contamination on site?
Having regard to RICS Guidance Note (2015) ‘Contamination, the Environment and Sustainability’. I would review the previous site uses / local history before going to site. I could identify potential contamination on site by the following evidence: oil tankers, subsidence of ground, chemicals, underground tanks, bare ground. If I suspected any contamination I would recommend my client to commission a specialist report.
74
Why is damp an issue?
Damp can cause have serious impacts on human health, notably the lungs, and can cause health and breathing issues.
Damp can also create rot which can threaten the structural integrity of buildings
75
Can you provide an example of when you have adhered to one on the principles in the guidance note? (Surveying Safely)
Concept of a ‘safe person’ – always adhere to this on inspection and consider the health and safety of both myself and others
76
What is a dynamic risk assessment?
A dynamic risk assessment is the process of mentally observing and assessing the risk whilst on site, to identify and remove potential risks. Allows quick decisions to be made and reinforces the concept of a ‘safe person’
77
What information do you request prior to inspection?
Information on Asbestos Register, floor plans, any information required for the inspection. Ask building manager if there is anything happening on site that I should be aware of / would need PPE for
78
How often does a hard hat need to be replaced?
Every 5 years
79
How would you know if a building contains asbestos?
Anything constructed prior to 2000 I would be aware of – always request Asbestos Register details
80
How do you produce a schedule of condition?
I would not be qualified to carry out a schedule of condition, but I am aware they contain a written statement of the buildings condition and photographs to evidence
81
I would not be qualified to carry out a schedule of condition, but I am aware they contain a written statement of the buildings condition and photographs to evidence
Subsidence is the downward movement – cracks may appear as a result of underlying ground conditions
82
What rots and causes rising damp?
Damp proof course- at the base of the building
83
What are other hazardous matetials?
Asbestos
Radon Gas
84
What are some disposal courses of water?
Surface water - storm drain, soak away
Foul water - Sewage system
85
How to tell the difference between steel and concrete frame?
Steel you have less columns and wider span between columns
86
What are the eaves height?
Distance between the structural floor and underside of the roof covering.
87
Datchet - what's included in the fire safety?
Under the Fire Safety Order, the responsible person must carry out regular review if fire risk assessment.
Carry out a fire risk assessment.
- Include checking the fire alarm regularly.
- Checking emergency exit lighting
- Have appropriate fire evacuation route in place
88
Datchet - How often does a fire risk assessment need to be carried out?
- Annually
- But if made an major changes to the property, should consider updating it
89
What’s included in a M & E survey?
Review of all the plant and machinery to ensure it is compliant and safe includes air conditioning unit and lift shafts.
90
What other compliance might you require for commercial landlord?
PAT test – advised very 6 to 12 months.
91
What goes into an asbestos management survey?
The Survey must locate ACM that could be damaged or disturbed by normal activities, by foreseeable maintenance, or by installing new equipment. It involves minor intrusion and minor asbestos disturbance to make a Materials Assessment. This shows the ability of ACM, if disturbed, to release fibres into the air. It guides the client, eg in prioritising any remedial work.
Provide the surveyor with the site layout, building plans, building specifications or architect's drawings, and any history of asbestos work. Point out your site hazards, including means of safe access to heights. Provide keys, etc.
92
Whats the difference in % between GIA and GEA?
Normally 2-3%
93
When would you use GIA?
Industrial/warehouse
Rating
Retail warehouse
94
When would you use GEA?
Town planning, council tax valuations & cost estimates for houses
95
Does IMPS form exactly GIA and NIA and GEA?
No don't exactly correspond
Brings in internal dominant face
