Inspection L3 Flashcards
What is radon?
- Natural, radioactive, odourless and tasteless gas
- Low levels in outside air but collects in enclosed places like buildings
What is the risk of radon exposure?
Long term exposure increases risk of lung cancer
How is radon mitigated in buildings?
- New buildings can have radon-proof membrane installed in floor structure
- Radon sump - small cavity in floor with pump drawing air from it
- Improved ventilation
What items would you take with you on an inspection?
- Mobile phone
- Camera
- Tape measure/laser (to be regularly calibrated by checking accuracy with a tape measure and results recorded)
- File, plans, and other supporting information
- Personal protection equipment (PPE) such as a fluorescent jacket, steel-toed boots, non-slip soled shoes, ear defenders, gloves, goggles and hard hat
- Pen and paper / Dictaphone / iPad
Which RICS guidance notes relate to the inspection competency?
- Asbestos: legal requirements and best practice for property professionals and clients 4th Edition, May 2021
- Environmental risks and global real estate 1st Edition, November 2018
- Dilapidations in England and Wales 7th Edition, 2016
- Surveying safely: health and safety principles for property professionals 2nd Edition, November 2018
According to VPGA 8, what matters can impact the markets perception on value?
(a) Surrounding area, communications and facilities
(b) Characteristics of the property
- dimensions, areas and uses(s) of constituent elements
- age, construction and nature of buildings or structures
- accessibility both for occupiers and for visitors
- Installations, amenities and services
- fixtures, fittings and improvements
- plant and equipment that would normally form an integral part of the building
(c) Characteristics of the site
- natural hazards such as ground instability, mining or mineral extraction, risk
of flooding
- non-natural hazards such as ground contamination
(d) Potential for development or redevelopment
- any physical restrictions on further development, if appropriate
According to the RICS professional standards and guidance: environmental risks and global real estate, 1st Edition (2018), what factors can negatively impact a valuation?
- Contamination
- Flooding
- Asbestos
- Invasive non-native species
- High voltage overhead tension lines
- Telecommunication base stations
- Solar farms
- Wind farms
- Mineral and shallow mine workings
- Hydraulic fracturing and other energy recovery methods
- Natural subsidence risk
- Radon affected areas
- Waste management processes
- Illegal waste dumping
- Ozone depleting substances
- Energy performance ratings
- Earthquake-prone and geo-thermal areas
Name some common Asbestos Containing Materials
- Asbestos insulation
- Asbestos coatings
- Asbestos insulation board (AIB)
- Asbestos cement
- Textured decorative coatings
- Thermoplastic floor covering
Name some other deleterious materials
- high alumina concrete
- calcium chloride cement
- mundic (in Devon and Cornwall)
What is high alumina cement and what are its risks?
- its rapid strength development made it popular from 1950 to 1970
- mainly used in pre-cast beams
- mineralogical ´conversion´ sometimes caused reductions in concrete strength and increased vulnerability to chemical attack
- some buildings collapsed in the 1970s and it was banned
What is calcium chloride cement and what are its risks?
- used as an accelerating admixture in concrete up until the mid-1970s
- causes corrosion to embedded metal
- outlawed in May 1977
What is Mundic and what are its risks?
- a mineral in mine waste in Devon and Cornwall
- used as aggregate in concrete blocks and concrete construction mainly between 1900 and 1950
- chemical changes causes the concrete to deteriorate
What needs to be completed before visiting a premises or site?
- should carry out a pre-assessment of the hazards and risks likely to be encountered
- including the requirement for appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
What matters need to be considered before visiting a premises or site?
- Travel
- Lone working
- Condition of the property
- Occupation
- Activity
- Site rules and welfare
- Roofs
- High structures
- Dangerous substances
- Diseases
- Special access
- Special risks
- Access equipment
- Other equipment
- Environmental matters
16 Personal matters
What matters should be considered during a site inspection?
- Structural stability
- Timbers, glass and sharp objects
- Roofs
- Unsafe atmospheres
- Danger from live and unsecured services
- Radio frequency (RF) hazards
- Slip and trip hazards
- Falls from height
- Hidden traps, ducts and openings
- Impact of other people/animals on the property
- Contamination
- Rural environments
- Adverse weather conditions
- Vermin and birds
What are key signs of structural instability that should be looked for on inspection?
I am aware of the chance of partial or total collapse of:
- chimney stacks, gable walls or parapets
- leaning, bulged and unrestrained walls (including boundary walls)
- rotten or corroded beams and columns
- roofs and floors and
- corroded metal fire escapes, platforms, balconies and walkways.
What timbers, glass and sharp objects should be looked out for on inspection?
- rotten and broken floors and staircases
- projecting nails and screws, broken glass
- loose glazing in windows, partitions, walls and doors
- sharp edges and projecting objects.
What are examples of unsafe atmospheres that should be considered during inspection?
- confined spaces with insufficient oxygen
- rotting vegetation
- stores containing flammable materials
- excessive mould or fungi growth
- insecticides, herbicides and fungicides
- gas build-up in subfloor voids
How should the risk of falls from height be assessed when working on site?
Assess the risk of work including:
- using ladders, step ups, etc.
- working near unprotected edges
- use of mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs), scaffolds and access towers and
- working near excavations or shafts.
What are some examples of hidden traps, ducts and openings that you may come across on inspection?
- lift and service shafts, stairwells and other unguarded openings
- manholes
- surfaces concealed by debris or standing water
What are the risks associated with other people or animals that may be encountered on property inspections?
- squatters and trespassers or dogs
- aggressive tenants or property owners
What are the contamination risks that need to be considered on property inspections?
- asbestos, lead and other substances hazardous to health
- chemicals in storage or that have leaked
- contaminated water supplies and
- contaminated air-conditioning systems (legionella bacteria)
What are headers and stretchers?
Stretcher - a brick laid horizontally, flat with the long side of the brick exposed on the outer face of a wall
Header - a brick laid flat with the short end of the brick exposed
What is English Bond brickwork?
Brick formation where each course consists of either headers or stretchers
What is Flemish Bond brickwork?
Brick formation where the headers and stretchers alternate in each course of bricks
What is a solid wall?
Typically two bricks wide, no gaps in between and alternative mix of headers and stretchers
How thick is a solid brick wall?
230mm or 9 inches thick with plaster finish
What is a cavity wall?
Two skins or leaves of brickwork with 50-75mm cavity
How thick is a cavity wall?
280mm (11 inches) thick with plaster finish
How can it be determined if a brick wall is of solid or cavity construction?
From an external inspection:
Presence of headers - solid wall
Absence of headers - cavity wall
What are cavity wall ties?
- Used to join two leaves of cavity wall together providing additional support
- Prevents water from transferring to the outside of the wall
- Twist at centre means water drips down through cavity
What are the different types of cavity wall ties?
- Butterfly
- Vertical twist
- Double triangular
What size is standard brick?
215 x 102.5 x 65mm
What size is a standard block?
440 x 100 x 215mm
What is a rafter and purlin roof?
Roof constructed with purlins and rafters
What are rafters?
Beams of a roof that are angled upward from the ground, and meet at top of gable at ridge beam
What are purlins?
The horizontal beams of a roof that are used for structural support
What is a roof truss?
Structure that consists of wood or steel joined in triangular shape to support weight of roof
What are the different types of roof truss?
- Monopitch
- Asymmetrical
- Attic truss
What is a building frame?
- Structure in which weight is carried by skeleton or framework
- Usually use steel or reinforced concrete
What are the characteristics of a Grade / Class A office?
- located in the most desirable areas
- new or highly maintained structures
- steel or reinforced concrete frame
- fully accessed raised floors with 150mm void
- suspended ceilings with void of 350mm
- 2.6m clear floor to ceiling height
- the latest elevator and HVAC systems
- LG7 compliant lighting
- exceptional disability access
- excellent BREEAM rating
- high energy performance rating
- on-site car-parking
- cycle racks, lockers and male and female shower facilities
- high profile reception area
- food court / café / restaurant / coffee shop
- gymnasium
- high-tech security
What are the characteristics of a Grade / Class B office?
- former Grade / Class A properties aged by 10 to 20 years
- well maintained
- elevator and HVAC systems are functional but no longer industry leading
What are the characteristics of a Grade / Class C office?
- located in the less desirable areas
- much older than Class A or B buildings
- out-of-date furnishings
- poor maintenance services
- no elevators or decent disabled access
What is a portal frame?
- Type of structural frame with beams supported by columns at either end
- Typically spans 15-50m
What are portal frame structures typically used for?
Low rise structures like industrial and warehouse buildings
What are the benefits of a portal frame structure?
Large spaces can be enclosed with little use of material (lower costs)
What is considered optimal site cover for an industrial development?
40%, as 50% upwards will likely lead to congestion
What is the floor loading requirement for industrial buildings?
40KN/sqm
What is typical office coverage for industrial properties?
10% of total floor area
What is the typical fit out of industrial properties?
Roller shutter doors, dock levellers, landscaped to site perimeter, office area may have carpet but rest is concrete screed floor
What is a dock leveller?
- used to bridge the difference in height and distance between the warehouse floor and vehicle in the most efficient way.
- It is a height-adjustable platform used to ensure smooth transition between dock and truck which helps prevent forklift accidents that can cause serious injuries and forklift damages.
Talk me through a typical retail premises
- Location is of paramount importance
- 100%, 90%, 75% etc position
- “prime”, “secondary” and “tertiary” often used
- a modern retail unit is a rectangle with a depth 3 to 4 times the width with no changes in floor level
- tenants usually responsible for the fit-out including the shop front
- the majority of retailers require staff and stockroom facilities either at the rear of the unit or in the basement or upper floor
Where will brickwork typically crack?
Along mortar joints and at narrowest section
What are the 4 types of cracking typically seen in brickwork construction?
- Horizontal line
- Triangular
- Stepped
- Cracking running to floor level
What is horizontal line cracking indicative of?
Cavity wall tie failure
What is triangular cracking indicative of?
Lintel failure
What is stepped cracking indicative of?
Structural failure
What is cracking running down to ground level indicative of?
Below ground movement
What are the 4 causes of damp?
- Penetrating
- Rising
- Condensation
- Plumbing failure
What are the three causes of rising damp?
- No damp proof course
- Failed damp proof course
- Bridged damp proof course
Where should the damp proof course be located?
should be 150 mm (2 courses of brick) above the external site
What is a sign of condensation in a property?
Black mould growth
What considerations should be made on an inspection of the local area?
- Location / aspect / local facilities / public transport business vibrancy
- Contamination / environmental hazards / flooding / high voltage power lines / electricity substations
- Comparable evidence / local market conditions / agents’ boards
What considerations should be made when undertaking an external inspection?
- Method of construction (make sure you know these)
- Repair and condition of the exterior (describe from the roof downwards)
- Car Parking / access / loading arrangements
- Defects / structural movement
- Check site boundaries with OS map and / or Title plan
- Ways to date the building
How can the age of a building be assessed?
- Asking the client
- Researching the date of planning consent or building regulations approval
- The Land Registry
- Local historical records
- Architectural style
- The Architect’s certificate of practical completion
What considerations should be made when undertaking an internal inspection?
- Layout and specification - flexibility and obsolescence
- Repair and maintenance
- Defects
- Services - age and condition
- Statutory compliance e.g. asbestos, building regulations, H&S, Equality Act 2010, fire safety and planning
- Fixtures and fittings and improvements
- Compliance with lease obligations
What are the different inspection purposes?
- Valuation (valuation influencers)
- Property management (policing the lease)
- Agency (marketability issues)
What should be considered during a valuation inspection?
Location, tenure, form of construction, defects, condition, occupation details
What should be considered during a property management inspection if occupied?
Lease compliance, statutory compliance, state of the building, requirement for repairs/redecoration, user and details of the actual occupier
What should be considered during a property management inspection if unoccupied?
Statutory compliance, state of the building, repair and maintenance issues, security arrangements, landscaping, risk of vandalism and damage to the building
What should be considered during an agency inspection?
Current condition of the building, repair and maintenance issues, statutory compliance, services, presentation of the accommodation and flexibility of the accommodation and its marketability
What are the four common forms of foundation?
- trench or strip footings
- raft
- piled
- pad
What is trench or strip footing foundation, and what are they used for?
- Shallow foundation that avoids bricklaying below ground by filling trench with concrete.
- Generally used for residential dwellings, for walls and closely spaced columns.
What is a raft foundation and when are they used?
- Shallow, slab foundation reinforced by concrete slabs of uniform thickness
- To spread the load for lightweight structures such as for made up/remediated land and sandy soil conditions
What is a piled foundation and when are they used?
- Long, slender reinforced concrete cylinders (piles) in the ground to deeper strata when less good load-bearing ground conditions/high loads
- Used for large structures
What is a pad foundation?
- A slab foundation system under individual or groups of columns so that the column load is spread evenly
-Generally shallow, pads support single-point loads like columns and frames
What is efflorescence?
White marks caused by hydroscopic salts in the brick work
What is spalling?
Surface of brick starts to crumble due to freeze/thaw action after it saturated in winter months
What is the typical specification of new retail units?
- Most new shop units are constructed either of a steel or concrete frame
- Services capped off
- Concrete floor and no suspended ceiling
- Let in a shell condition with no shop front, ready for the retailers’ fitting out works
What are the two main methods of construction of new office buildings?
- Steel or concrete frame
- Steel frame - less columns and wider span between columns
- Concrete frame - more columns, lower floor heights and shorter span between columns
What are the different types of air conditioning systems?
- VAV - high cost but flexible
- Fan Coil - low cost initially but high running cost
- Mechanical Ventilation - fresh air is moved around the building
What is R22 refrigerant?
- Colourless gas used in refrigerant air conditioning
- Illegal as it is a greenhouse gas with high global warming implications
What are the types of fit out for offices?
Shell and core, category A (Grade A), category B (complete the fit out as per occupier specification)
What is the basic construction of an industrial or warehouse premises?
Steel portal frame, profile steel cladding
What are the current institutional specifications for industrial property?
40KN/sqm floor loading, full height loading doors, 3 phase electricity, 10% office content, 8m clear eaves height, main services capped off, site cover of 40%
What is an inherent defect?
Defect in design or material that has always been present
What is a latent defect?
Hidden or concealed defect that could not have been discovered during a reasonable inspection
What would you do if you identified a building defect during an inspection?
Take photo, try to establish cause, inform client, recommend specialist advice from building surveyor or structural engineer
What are the three common causes of defect?
Movement, water and defective materials
What are the different types of movement?
Subsidence, heave, cracking and thermal expansion
What is subsidence?
The vertical downward movement of a building foundation caused by the loss of support beneath the foundation
What is heave?
Upward movement of ground beneath part or all of the building EG tree removal or moisture build up
What is wet rot?
Fungal attack that effects timber when it becomes damp - wet, soft timber, visible fungal growth, poor structural stability
What is dry rot?
Wood decay caused by fungi that spread their spores and destroy the timber as spores continue to germinate and grow into mycelium
What are common defects in period residential, office and shop buildings?
Dry rot, wet rot, tile slip on roof, damp penetration, water ingress around door, structural movement around windows
What are common defects in modern industrial buildings?
Roof leaks, damaged cladding, water damage from burst pipes, cracking in brick work
What are common defects in modern office buildings?
Damp penetration, water damage from burst pipes, cavity wall tie failure, poor mortar joints, damaged cladding, structural movement
How can contamination exist at a property?
Radon gas, methane gas, diesel, oil
What are contamination signs that a surveyor should look out for?
Oil, evidence of chemicals
What are three typical phases of investigation for contamination?
Review site history, investigate to identify extent of contamination (can take soil samples), remediation report setting out options and monitoring
When instructed to value a contaminated site, what approaches should be considered?
Do not provide advice until received specialist report, caveat advice with appropriate disclaimer highlighting assumptions, deduct remediation costs from gross site value
What is Land Remediation Relief?
Form of tax relief that applies to contaminated or derelict land in the UK
What are deleterious/hazardous materials?
Materials that are harmful to health
What are signs that deleterious materials are present?
Brown staining on concrete
Examples of deleterious materials?
High alumina cement, calcium chloride cement, mundic, asbestos, radon gas
What should you do if you discover hazardous materials on inspection?
Recommend specialist report and make appropriate assumptions as required
What should you do if you discover asbestos?
- Check asbestos register to confirm it is on record, if not then instruct asbestos survey
- If undisturbed, then does not need to be removed
What is Japanese Knotweed?
Fast growing plant, where stem growth goes deep underground
Why is Japanese Knotweed a concern for property owners and managers?
- Difficult to control, expensive to eradicate (need specialist), damages hard surfaces, foundations and tarmac
- Lenders may refuse a loan if it is present at the property
What does Japanese Knotweed look like?
Purple stems, green leaves, white flower produced in late summer and early autumn
What are consequences of letting Japanese Knotweed spread?
- Criminal offence under Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
- Local Authority can issue Antisocial Behaviour Order (ASBO) and fines
What are invasive species that property owners and managers should be aware of?
Japanese Knotweed, Hybrid Knotweed
How is damp measured?
Damp meter
What is 3 phase power and why is it needed in industrial properties?
Accommodates higher loads, and lots of electrical equipment needs it EG plant and heavy machinery, heating systems, A/C systems and motors/pumps
What RICS publication relates to asbestos?
Asbestos Legal Requirements and Best Practice for Property Professionals and Clients, 4th Edition 2021
What RICS publication relates to Japanese knotweed?
Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property, 1st Edition 2022
Why do you need to inspect for Valuation purposes?
It is required in the Red Book
What do you look for when inspecting for management purposes?
Any breach of the lease
Give example of breach of repairing liability?
Smashed window, pot holes etc
What due diligence would you carry out prior to inspection?
- Desktop inspection and then external inspection
- Adhere to RICS surveying safely
What safety equipment might you have with you?
Mobile phone, steel toe capped boots, hard hat, hi viz jacket, rubber soled shoes for inspecting a roof
Describe a typical industrial warehouse?
Steel portal frame, profile steel cladding, roller shutter doors, concrete screed floor, 10% office space, utility services might be capped off (gas and water), 3 phase electricity in place if Grade A, 40KN per sqm floor loading capacity
Describe a Grade A office?
Suspended ceiling with 350mm void, raised floors with 150mm void, lift that is compliant with Equality Act (2010) - brail and low down buttons, LED lighting
What have you noted on inspection of a retail unit?
Location, the frontage to depth ratio, the fit out
How do you identify rising damp?
Does not go above 1.5m
How do you prevent damp penetration?
Ensure gutters are cleared of leaves
EG ‘please talk me through a typical management inspection’
- Primary function is to check tenants are still there!
- External inspections quarterly
- Internal inspections annually
- Looking for breaches of tenant covenants
- Disrepair
- Unauthorised alterations
- Unauthorised sharing of possession
EG ‘how did your inspection for valuation differ from your management inspection?’
Valuation inspection looks for:
Surrounding area, communications and facilities
Characteristics of the property
- Dimensions
- Areas and use
- Age
- Construction
- Accessibility
- Installations, amenities, services
- Fixtures, fittings and improvements
- Equipment
Characteristics of site
- Natural hazards EG ground instability, mineral extraction, risk of flooding
- Non-natural hazards like ground contamination (black oily puddle, or dead flowers, or fly tipping)
