Inspection - Summary of Experience Flashcards
When did RICS Surveying Safely come into effect?
1st February 2019
Can you give me some examples of invasive species?
- Japanese knotweed
- Grey squirrel
- Giant hogweed
What are the risks of radon exposure?
long term exposure - cancer risk
What is radon?
Natural gas
- radioactive
- odourless
- tasteless
Low levels in outside air - collects in buildings
How is radon mitigated?
Works - Ventilation and sealing hatches
- Radon pump
What are the procedures necessary when undertaking inspections?
- Pre-assessment of hazards and risks likely
- PPE requirement
Examples of common Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs)?
- Corrugated roofing
- Insulation
- Asbestos cement
- Fire blankets
How much notice is ‘good time’ when undertaking an inspection?
At least 2 days
What needs to be considered before visiting site?
- Lone working
- Property condition
- Occupation
- Dangerous substances
- Access equipment
- Documentation (TS, arrears report)
- Weather conditions
What H+S matters should be considered during an inspection?
- Structural stability
- Sharp objects
- Slip/trip hazards
- Hidden traps/openings
- Contamination
What is mundic?
Deterioration of concrete - due to decomposition of mineral constituents within aggregate (Originated from Cornwall and is evident in many buildings in the southwest of England)
What is high alumina cement?
Rapid strength used in precast beams (1950s-1970s)
- Building collapses 1970s and resultant ban
What is calcium chloride cement?
Accelerating admixture in concrete until 1970s
- Caused corrosion in embedded materials and outlawed in 1977
Tell me the key signs of structural instability?
- Leaning walls
- Rotton beams/columns
- Corroded metal fire escapes
What is Workman’s lone working policy?
in accordance with surveying safely
- Charged phone
- Diarise
- Inform colleagues
- Risk assessments
Which objects should be looked out for on inspection?
- Rotten/broken floors
- Sharp objects
- Broken windows
What other items apart from PPE and your phone do you take with your on your inspection?
- Measuring device
- Property files (lease, title plan)
- Pen/paper
What is efflorescence?
White marks on brick - caused by reaction between salts used in bricks and water
What is spalling?
Damaged bricks - bricks starts to crumble from freeze/thaw
What are the encountered risks associated with people/animals ?
- Squatters/trespassers
- Aggressive tenants
- Dogs
Are there any contamination risks within properties?
- Asbestos
- Chemicals
- Legionella (A/C / water)
Can you give me an example of PPE that may be necessary on site?
- Steel toe cap boots
- Safety goggle
- ## Hard hat
Can you provide examples of unsafe environments or atmospheres?
- Confined spaces (lack of oxygen)
- Rotting vegetation
- Flammable material stores
- Excessive mould/fungi
What is English bond brickwork?
Brick formation - each bond consists of either headers or stretchers (NOT BOTH ON SAME BOND)
What would you do if you noted unauthorised occupation or alteration within the tenant’s demise?
1) Take photos
2) Check the lease
4) Inform tenant
3) Inform client / solicitors (If necessary) - Serve notice on breach
What is flemish bond brickwork?
Brick formation - headers and stretchers alternate next to each other
What is a solid wall?
External walls of a building that have no gaps (flemish) - two bricks wide
How can you tell if brick is solid or cavity from external inspection?
Solid wall = presence of headers
Cavity wall = absence of headers
What is a cavity wall?
Two layers of bricks with gaps in between of between 50-70cm
What is a rafter?
wooden roof beams angled upwards from the ground that meet at top of gable at ridge beam
Can you tell me the standard brick size?
215mm x 102.5mm x 65mm
Can you tell me the standard block size?
440mm X 215mm X 100mm
What is a purlin?
Horizontal beams in a roof used for structural support
Where does brickwork typically crack?
Along mortar joints as this is the weakest point
What is a roof truss?
Structure that consists of pieces of straight wood or steel joined together in triangular shapes to support the weight of the roof
What does horizontal line cracking indicate?
Cavity wall tie failure
What are the 4 types of cracking?
- Horizontal line
- Triangular
- Stair step
- Cracking running down to floor level
What does triangular cracking indicate?
Lintel failure
What does cracking to ground level indicate?
Below ground movement (foundations)
What does stair stepped cracking indicate?
Structural failure
What is in your inspection report?
- Date/address/purpose
- Photos
- Condition of property
- Tenant compliance with lease
- Any maintenance issues
What is the floor loading requirement for industrial buildings?
40kn/m2
What is the spec of a grade A office?
- Desirable area
- Steel/reinforced concrete frame
- Raised floor - 150mm void
- Suspended ceiling - 350mm void
- HVAC, LED lighting
- High EPC
- Car parking / Cycle rack
- Shower
What is the spec of a grade B office?
Was Grade A 20 years ago
- Well maintained
- Partitions
- Kitchen area
- Systems functional but no longer industry leading
What is the spec of a grade C office?
- located in less desirable area
- Older than grade A and B
- Out of date furnishings
What is a portal frame? - What are they used for?
Structural frame whereby beams are supported by columns at either end
- Joints between beam and column rigid so bending movement is transferred to columns
USE FOR LOW RIS/INDUSTRIAL-WAREHOUSE BUILDINGS
What are benefits of using a portal frame?
Can enclose large spaces with little use of material (therefore lower costs)
What is the typical industrial fit out?
- Concrete screed floor - office may have carpet
- Roller shutter doors
- Dock levellers (hydraulic and manual)
- Landscaping to site perimeter
- 40kn/m2
- 10% office (kitchen/toilet)
- Mezzanine
- Partitions
What are the four common forms of foundation?
- Trench/strip footings
- Raft
- Piled
- Pad
I can see at 148-170 Ilford High Road there was an issue with damp. Please can you take me through the 4 types of damp?
- Penetrating damp
- Rising damp
- Condensation damp
- Plumbing failure
Please can you confirm what caused the damp at 148-170 Ilford High Road and also name the 3 other causes of damp?
Penetrative damp caused this (gutter had failed)
- No damp proof course
- Failed damp proof course
- Bridged damp proof course
How is damp measured?
Using a moisture/damp meter
How did you identify the damp at 148-170 Ilford High Road?
Visibly the wall was moist. This was confirmed by the use of a moisture meter
- Was a slightly musty smell
- Cracking of the interior paintwork
How do you prevent penetrative damp?
Regular guttering, downpipe, roof and window maintenance
What was considered during (upon arrival) these property management inspections? (examples of Ilford, Horsham and Lea Bridge)
- Risks and hazards
- Working from height
- Working conditions
- Impact of people and animals
- Unsafe atmospheres
What is considered during a valuation inspection?
Aspects that impact value
- Area
- Age/construction
- Environ risks
- Sustainability
- Occupation/tenure
What was the risk of having fading zebra crossings at Lea Bridge Road?
Can lead to accidents
- H+S risks as road users unaware of crossing areas
- Property can’t be used properly - Chaos
What do you do if you discover asbestos?
No need to remove if undisturbed
- Check asbestos register
- Advise client and instruct inspection survey
What is japanese knotweed?
Fast growing, clump-forming dense plant, white flower blooming in late summer/autumn
- Deeply penetrating underground stems
- Invasive non-native species
What are the issues that japanese knotweed can bring?
- Difficult to control
- Expensive to eradicate - need specialist
- Damages foundations
- Lenders may refuse loan if evident at prop
Is there any RICS publications relating to Japanese knotweed?
RICS Guidance Note: Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property (1st Edition) 2022
What is wet/dry rot and the difference between them?
Wet rot = caused by damp and timber decay (visible fungal growth and musty smell)
Dry rot = caused inside by fungal attack - cracks paintwork and can destroy timber and masonry
What are the two main methods of construction for new office buildings?
Steel frame = less columns + wider frame
Concrete frame = more columns, less height
What are the types of AC systems?
HVAC - Heating ventilation air con
VAV - variable air volume
VRV - variable refrigerant volume
fan coil - use coil and fan to heal cool room
What is R22 refrigerant?
A refrigerant
- Odourless
- Low temperature
- Heavier than air
- Highly Flammable
Use and replacement illegal from 01/01/2015 - Existing R22 must be modified to become more efficient
What considerations did you take into account prior to undertaking an external/internal inspection like at Unit D/Lea Bridge Road/Ilford High Road?
- Travel to site
- Purpose of my visit (general internal/external inspection
- Working alone
- That is was occupied
- Wearing PPE
- Prior access granted to demise
- Dangerous substances - T building supplies wholesaler
Can you take me through what you did when you found the issue during the inspection at Unit D, Foundry Lane?
1) Took photos and cordoned off the site
2) Assessed the title plan - No confirmation on this so enlisted the assistance of solicitor
3) Solicitor confirmed LL responsibility
4) Undertook repair - Confirmed with client and neighbouring property owner
What are the different types of building movement?
- Subsidence
- Heave -
- Cracking
- Thermal expansion
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
- EPCs
- Radon affected areas
- Natural subsidence risk
- Invasive non-native species
- Solar and wind farms
What is an inherent defect?
Defect in design or material that has always been present
What is a latent defect?
A fault in the property that could not have been discovered through a reasonably thorough inspection
Three common types of defect?
- Movement
- Water
- Defective materials
What are the different types of building movement?
- Subsidence
- Heave
- Cracking
- Thermal Expansion
How should the risk of falls from height be assessed when working on site?
- Using ladders / step-ups
- Avoid working near unprotected areas
What are the different types of roof truss?
- Monopitch
- Asymmetrical
- Attic
What is a building frame?
Structure which weight is carried by a skeleton or framework rather than being supported by walls (steel/concrete)
What is the construction of Lea Bridge Road?
Retail supermarket - Modern industrial building
- Steel portal frame
- Surround glass windows - double glazed
- Metal sheet cladding
- Loading door to the exterior
- Minimal/no partitions
What is heave?
Expansion of the ground beneath part or the whole of the building - opposite of subsidence
What is subsidence?
Vertical downwards movement of the ground under a property
What is land remediation relief?
Form of tax relief applying to contaminated or derelict land in the UK
What would you do if you discovered hazardous materials on an inspection?
Recommend specialist report and make assumptions where required
Why do you need to inspect properties for valuation purposes?
Required under the Red Book
What do you look for when inspecting for management purposes?
- If occupied - Any lease breach
- Condition of building
- H&S compliance (unoccupied)
- Ready to let procedure (unoccupied)
- Maintenance (unoccupied)
What due diligence do you undertake prior to inspection?
- Desktop inspection then external inspection
- Adhere to RICS surveying safely
How do you prevent damp penetration?
Ensure gutters are cleared of leaves
How did your inspections at example properties differ from your management inspection?
No they were management inspections
- I inspected properties both internally and externally looking for breaches of tenant covenants
How do you inspect externally?
- Method of construction
- Age of building
- Car parking
- Defects
- Site boundary
- Repair and condition of exterior
How do you inspect internally?
- Repairs
- Defects
- Age/quality of services
- Tenant activity - use, alterations
What common defects are you aware of in old industrial buildings?
- Structural movement
- Asbestos or lead paint?
- Roof leaks
- Damp/moisture
What common defects are you aware of in modern industrial buildings?
- Leaking gutters
- Damaged cladding
- Cracking in brickwork
What legislation covers inspection?
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
What should be considered in an inspection for vacant purposes?
Factors that can influence value
- Location
- Tenure
- Construction
- Defects
- Occupation details - previous
How can you assess the age of a building?
- Speak with the client
- Look at the building type
- Look at planning history
Can you talk me through any key issues raised in Surveying Safely?
- Risk assessments - before visits to identify hazards
- Absestos awareness - alert surveyors dangers of asbestos
- Lone working - guidance on safety precautions
- PPE - Stresses importance of wearing appropriate PPE
When was asbestos outlawed?
1999
What do you look for in a dilapidations inspection?
- Conditions of ceiling/walls/window/floor/fixtures
- Look for damp/structural damage
- Attend with BS for competency
What are cavity wall ties?
Ties bringing together the two layers of the wall
- Butterfly
- Vertical twist
- Double triangular
What is an apex?
Highest point of building or top of pitched roof
What are the fit out types for an office?
Grade A/B/C
What is shell and core?
State of a building after completion - area left as shell before fit out (no lighting/AC etc)
What is an appropriate floor loading for an office?
2.5-3kn/m2 plus 1 for partitioning
What is a dock leveller?
A platform used to bridge difference in height and distance between warehouse floor and vehicle
What are the consequences for allowing Japanese knotweed to grow?
Criminal offence - Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
- Fines and prison sentence if severe enough
Tell me about the construction of one of your building examples?
Unit D, Foundry Lane
- Metal sheet roofing - Plastic roof windows
- Ancillary office space - Plasterboard walls
- Aluminium cladding
- Solid breezeblock and brick cavity wall the bottom 1.75m
How do you identify rising damp?
It doesn’t go above 1.5m
What is RICS surveying safely?
professional standard
- Layouts out H&S principles for firms and individuals
- Introduced safe person concept
What is the safe person concept?
Each individual assumes behavioural responsibility for their own, their colleagues and others health and safety while at work
What does RICS Surveying Safely say about lone inspections?
- Not ideal to be alone going to vacant props
- Inspection date to be put in diary with prop address and ETA
- Confirm when leave and when they come back
What does retail construction look like Ilford High Road?
Traditional brick construction
- Early to mid 1900s
- Solid wall formation
- Asbestos roofing was previously removed in 2010s
What is thermal expansion?
Variations in temperature of a structure can result in thermal movements of its parts
What other RICS guidance is there on inspection?
- RICS guidance note: Asbestos: legal requirements and best practice for property professionals and clients (4th Edition) 2021
- RICS professional standard: Environmental risks and global real estate (1st Edition) November 2018
- RICS guidance note: Dilapidations in England and Wales (7th Edition) 2016
What does the case of Jervis v Harris mean to you?
Clause in a lease which permits the LL to undertake works, and charge this back to the tenant
- Benefits LL as can undertake during the lease avoiding the need for dilaps at end of term
- Costs recoverable as a debt and doesn’t limit damages under s18 of L and T Act 1927
- Bypasses Leasehold Prop Repairs Act 1938
What is a MEWP?
Mobile elevated working platform
- Used for working at height
What is a deleterious material?
Dangerous materials that are prohibited for use in a project
E.G.
- RAAC - Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
- High Alumina Cement Concrete
- Calcium Chloride Cement
What are the defects on modern industrial buildings?
- Damaged cladding
- Roof leaks - From roof lights/poor guttering
- Damp
- Structural movement
What are the 3 phases of contamination for investigation?
- Review site
- Investigate with specialist
- Implement plan
What is 3 phase power?
Accommodates higher loads for heavy machinery, heating system
- Used to power systems that require heavy loads
What are raft foundations?
Industrial/warehouse
- Shallow, slab foundation reinforced by concrete slabs of uniform thickness
- Spreads weight of a building over larger area
- Reinforced concrete sits on top of soil like a raft
- Not for clay soils and these move and crack shallow slabs
What are pile foundations?
Used for large structures
- Long, slender reinforced concrete cyclinders or beams
- Embedded upright in ground
- Used when soil is weaker
- Piles buried very deep
What are pad foundations?
- Shallow
- Pads support single-point loads (e.g columns/frames)
- Extend beyond building to provide greater strength
What are trench/strip?
Residential/retail building
- Shallow foundation avoiding bricklaying below ground
- Quick and easy
- To be used in areas where soil has good drainage otherwise water can pond in foundations, weakening them over time
What document would benefit you when a T takes on a lease to ensure it remains in a good state of repair?
Schedule of Condition
What is a goad plan?
Birds eye view of a retail centre - not to scale
What frequency do you inspect your tenancies, and how is this determined?
Quarterly
- Insurer requirement
- Client requirement
- Firms requirement
What is the difference between CAT A and CAT B?
CAT A = Basic finish of a space provided by landlord (elec and mechanics installed but not ready to be used as office yet)
CAT B = Fully operational working environment, ready for tenants to move in (plug and play)
What is the floor to ceiling height of an office?
Average 2.6m
What are the checklist points for inspection reports under surveying safely?
- Travelling to and from site
- Lone working
- Condition of property
- Occupation
- Activity (Nature of occupation)
- Site rules and welfare
- Roofs
- High structures
- Dangerous substances
- Diseases (e.g. legionella)
- Special access
- Special risks
- Access equipment
- Other equipment (PPE)
- Environmental matters
- Personal matters (e.g. disability)
How did the solicitor attain that it was the landlord responsibility to maintain the perimeter wall?
The wall was actually situated within the land under my clients ownership.
How can you tell it is Japanese Knotweed?
- Creamy white flowers – At end of summer
- Shovel shaped leaves
- Bamboo like stems
What are hazardous materials?
Items with the potential to cause harm to humans, animals or the environment
- Radon
- R22
- Asbestos
- Lead paint
What are the different types of maintenance?
- Planned
- Cyclical
- Ongoing
What is a scott schedule?
Used for a dispute over dilapidations
- Extended version of the schedule of dilapidations prepared by the landlord, enabling the tenant to respond to the position
- Used when dispute ends up in court
You have read and understood RICS Surveying Safely, Can you name sections of Surveying Safely?
- Health and Safety requirements of firms and individuals
- Hazard and Risk Assessment
- Fire Safety Checks
- Contractor Management
- Residential section
How did you know your building was a steel portal frame?
Distinct columns and a pitched roof
What are the two types of asbestos survey?
- R&D - Refurb and Demolition
- Management
What is the case relating to Suzy Lamplugh?
She was a property agent - Went to take someone around a property
- Went missing and was never found
- Point about lone inspection and access - due diligence and risk assessments before attending
What is a typical shop unit fit-out?
- Rectangle with depth 3 to 4 times the width
- No changes in floor level
- Staff and stockroom facilities provided
How does a chiller work?
It is a refrigeration system used to lower the temperature of spaces by processing fluids and removing heat from the system, transferring it elsewhere (Moves it externally).
Name some common defects for modern office buildings?
- Cavity wall tie failure
- Damp from roof and ground
- Water ingress
How is damp a health and safety risk? What are the risks of damp?
- Respiratory issues if left untreated
- Issues with the building and instability
What are prime office London yields?
4-4.25% in the West End
5.75% in the city
What are yields for London industrial?
5.54%
How high up should a damp proof course go?
No higher than 150mm - Ensures enough elevation against standing water or rainfall splashback
What are the 3 types of brick?
Common - not aesthetic and usually covered/used for shared walls (generally red toned)
Facing - Seen on outside of walls and have softer edges
Engineering - Used in foundations/underground work and have high compressive strength
What is the standard eaves height for industrial buildings?
5.6m
What is a fan coil?
Device that heats or cools the air in a room or small area of a building.
What is VAV?
Variable Air Volume
- Adjusts amount and temp of air to control comfort and air quality of a building
What is VRF?
Variable Refrigerant Flow
- Uses HVAC technology, refrigerant to regulate temp in individual zones in a building
What is a ground source heat pump?
Renewable energy heating system that uses the earth’s natural heat to heat a building and provide hot water
What is a air source heat pump?
- Absorb heat from air using liquid
- Compress liquid to increase temp
- Heat transferred to home’s heating + hot water system
What are the key sections of surveying safely 2nd ed 2018?
Glossary
Introduction
1) Responsibilities for RICS members and firms
3) Assessing hazards and risks
5) Occupational hygiene and health
6) Visiting premises or sites
7) Fire safety
8) Residential surveying
9) Contractor procurement
Does Grade A relate to industrial?
No
What is a listed building, and how would I know if my building is listed?
Buildings/structures with particular architectural or cultural historic significance
Grade 1 = Some historical interest
Grade 2 = More historical interest
Would find them on the Historic England listed building search
Could you not have assessed the damp?
- I undertook an initial inspection, which was confirmed through building surveyors
- Through the cracked downpipe and water leakage I could confirm the cause
How did you provide advice to your client at Lea Bridge Road?
- Identified during FRI inspection report (send this over to my client yearly, alongside previous report)
- I provided strategic advice on that although it may not be constituted a large repair item, the lack of repair could cause serious H+S issues and ramifications for T and L if not upkept and an incident occurred
Why did you instruct a solicitor at Foundry Lane for the wall issue?
I wanted the confirmation on a potential title of the wall, as I am aware of the potential issues with party walls. Thankfully, the solicitors were able to confirm that it was a boundary wall within my clients ownership
How did you show your knowledge and advice to your client here if you used solicitors at Foundry Lane?
It was my initial opinion that from a review of the title documents that this was my clients responsibility to repair, and I have experience and competence of reviewing these documents, however, as this was a potential legal matter, the involvement of solicitors was imperative.
