Inspections Flashcards
Why do we inspect?
To gather accurate information to aid in decision making
What was the Suzy Lamplugh case?
Suzy Lamplugh was a British Estate Agent who went missing July 1986. She was due to show a Mr Kipper round a house in Shorrold Road. The case remains unsolved. She was declared dead, presumed murdered in 1993.
What is the suggested process of undertaking an inspection? (9)
”- Am I competent to undertake the inspection
- Am I properly insured
- What kind of survey
- Whats the purpose
- Consider your personal safety, know firms H&S procedures for site inspection - Desktop review
- What equipment
- Inspection of the local area
- External Inspection
- Internal Inspection
“
What is the measurement of a brick UK?
215 x 102.5 x 65
What is a stretcher?
The longest side of the brick which is put parallel to the face of the work
What is a header?
The shorter face of the brick as seen in the elevation
What is subsidence?
- Vertical downward movement of a building foundation caused by a loss of support under the foundation
- Downward vertical movement of the earths surface
What is wet rot?
Wet and soft timber, a high damp meter reading, visible fungal growth and a musty smell.
What is dry rot?
Caused by fungal attacks. Signs include fungus known as mycelium which spreads across the wood in fine, fluffy white strands and orange mushroom like fruiting bodies. It destroys timber and masonry.
What causes wet rot?
Damp and timber decay.
What is heave?
The expansion of the ground beneath part or all of the building. This could be caused by the removal of trees and the subsequent moisture build up
What are the purposes of an inspection?
“-Valuation (valuation influencers)
- Property management (policing the lease)
- Agency (marketability issues)”
What was the Roberts v J Hampson & Co case and what date?
1988/1989 - Defendant carried out a mortgage valuation and drew attention to limited dampness and rot, and recommended the property as suitable for maximum advance. Judge accepted that a mortgage valuation involves a limited inspection but cautioned that a surveyor’s obligation is the taking reasonable care
What to take on an inspection?
”- Mobile phone
- Camera
- Measuring device
- Files/plans and supporting information
- PPE (high vis jacket, steel-toe capped boots, ear defenders, goggles)”
What do you consider in the immediate area?
”- Location/aspect/local facilities/public transport/pitch/footfall
- Contamination/environmental hazards/flooding
- Comparable evidence/vacancies/agents boards “
What do you consider on the external inspection?
”- Method of construction
- Repair and condition of the exterior
- Car parking/access/loading arrangements
- Defects/structural movement
- Check site boundaries with OS Map or Title Plan “
How can you work out the date of the building?
“-Ask the client
- Look at planning portal
- Land Registry “
What to look out for on an internal inspection?
”- Layout and specification
- Repair and maintenance
- Defects
- Services
- Statutory compliance, ie. Asbestos, building regulation, H&S
- Fixtures and fittings
- Compliance with lease obligations”
What are the four common types of foundations?
”- Trench or strip footings (generally residential dwellings)
- Raft (spreads load for lightweight structures)
- Piled (long and slender reinforced concrete cylinders)
- Pad (a slab foundation system)”
What are the different types of brickwork?
”- Solid wall construction
- Cavity wall construction
- Stretcher (laid horizontally)
- Header (short end of brick exposed)”
What is efflorescence?
White marks caused by hydroscopic salts in the brick work.
What is spalling?
Damaged brickwork where the surface of the brickwork starts to crumble because of freeze/thaw action.
What is the typical construction of new shop units?
”- Steel or concrete frames
- Services capped off
- Concrete floor and no suspended ceiling “
How would you check the method of construction of a new office building?
Check the architect’s drawings and specification or building manual
What’s the difference between steel or concete framed construction?
”- Steel - less columns, wider span between
- Concrete frame buildings usually have more columns, lower floor heights and shorter span between columns”
What defines the institutional specification for offices?
British Council for Offices Guide to Office Specification, 2019
What is the current specification for offices?
”- Full access raised floor with floor boxes
- Approximate ceiling height of 2.6-2.8m
- Ceiling void of 350mm and raised floor void of 150mm
- Maximized opportunities for daylighting with 300-500 lux average
- Approximate floor loading of 2.5 to 3.00 kN/sqm
- Air con & double glazed windows
- Passenger lifts
- Planning grid of 1.5 x1.5
- 1 cycle space per 10 staff and 1 shower per 100 staff
- 8m2 to 10m2 general workspace density”
What are the different types of office fit outs?
”- Shell and core - common areas completed and the office floor areas are left as a shell ready for fit out
- Category A - as above
- Category B - complete the fit out to the occupiers specific requirements
- Cellular offices are normally set out on a 1.5m planning grid
“
What is the normal space allowance for office use?
Approx 1 person for 7.5-9.25 sqm
What is the typical industrial construction?
A steel portal frame building with insulated profiled steel cladding walls and roof
What are the current institutional specifications for industrial/warehouse units?
“-Minimum 8m clear eaves height with 10% roof lights
- Minimum 30KN/sqm floor loading
- Full height loading doors (electrically operated)
- 3 phase electricity power (415 volts)
- 5-10% office content and WC facilities
- Main services capped off
- Approx site covers off 40%”
How do you look for defects?
Start from the roof and work down in a logical sequence.
What is an inherent defect?
A defect which is a defect in the design or a material, which has always been present.
What is a latent defect?
Is a fault that could not have been discovered by a reasonably thorough inspection of the property.
Who would you check warranties with?
The contractor and professional team.
What is the purpose of a snagging list?
Compiles a list of defects not picked up by the contractor and should be rectified prior to a certificate of practical completion being issued. It can help to avoid conflict and claims long after completion.
What should you do if you come across a defect?
“1. Take photographs of the defect.
2. Try to establish the cause of damage whilst on site.
3. Inform your client of your investigations.
4. Recommend specialist advice from a building surveyor or in the case of movement, a structural engineer”
What are the types of specialists you could refer your client to?
”- Chartered Building Surveyor
- Chartered Environmental Surveyor
- Asbestos Consultant
- Structural Surveyor”
What are the three common causes of defect?
”- Movement
- Water
- Defective/non-performance/detoriation of Building materials”
What can cause horizontal cracking brickwork?
It may indicate there is a cavity tie wall failure.
What is shrinkage cracking?
Occurs in new plasterwork during the drying out process.
What can also cause damp?
Leaking/plumbing/air con/pipework
At what height does rising damp normally stop?
1.5m above ground level.
What can cause condensation and what are the signs?
Lack of ventilation and background heating. Signs include mould and streaming water on the inside of windows/walls
What are common building defects of period reidential office and shop buildings?
”- Dry rot
- Wet rot
- Tile slippage on the roof
- Death watch beetle
- Damp penetration
- Water ingress around openings”
What are common building defects in industrial buildings?
”- Roof leaks around roof lights
- Damaged cladding panels
- Cut edge erosion
- Blocked valley gutters
- Burst pipes”
What are common modern office buildings?
”- Damp penetration at roof and ground level
- Water damage from burst pipes and air con
- Structural movement
- Damaged cladding
- Cavity wall tie failure”
What is the key legislation linked with Contamination?
Environmental Protection Act 1990
Is there any RICS Guidance Notes on Contamination?
RICS Guidance Note ‘Contamination, the Environment and Sustainability, 2010 (3rd Edition)’
What are the main principles contained within the RICS Guidance Note ‘Contamination, the Environment and Sustainability, 2010 (3rd Edition)?
”- Surveyors must understand obligations, their responsibilities and comply with the law
- Generally polluter or the landowner pays for their remediation
- Contamination can be caused by heavy metals, radon and methane gas etc
- Signs of contamination: oil drums, sibsidence, underground tanks, bare ground “
What are the three phases of inspection linked with contamination?
“1. Review site history with desktop study plus site and investigation.
2. Investiagtion to identify nature and extent of contamination with detailed soil sampls taken using bore holes (intrusive)
3. Remediation report setting out remedial options “
What should you do if you suspect contamination of a site?
”- Suggest specialist report and get it carried out before providing advice.
- Caveat within the advice an appropriate disclaimer
- Deduct the remediation cost from the gross site value”
What is the Land Remediation Relief (LRR)?
Form of tax relief for contaminated or derelict land. Companies can claim up to 150% corporation tax for expenditure in remediating contamined sites, or sites affected by Japanese knotweed
Name some deletrious materials
”- High alumina cement
- Woodwool Shuttering
- Calcium Chloride “
What’s the harm of deletrious materials?
They can degrade with age causing structural problems. Brown staining on concrete can be a tell-tale sign
What is a hazardous material?
A material that is harmful to health
Provide some examples of hazardous materials
”- Asbestos
- Leadpiping/lead paint
- Radon Gas
“
How to identify Asbestos?
“Recommend an asbestos report is carried out. Check any existing reports or registers
“
What is surface water?
Runs off in to the water course, such as soak away or storm drain
What is foul water?
Drains from soil pipes into a sewerage system
What is the RICS Guidance Note on Japanese Knotweed?
A draft guidance note Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property, 1st Edition January 2022, effective from March 2022)
What is Japanese Knotweed?
Invasive plant that can damage hard surfaces such as foundations and tarmac
What are the dangers of Japanese Knotweed?
”- Not easy to control
- Costly to eradicate
- Specialist company is needed to remove it
- Property lenders may refuse a loan if is is identified on a property”
What does Japanese Knotweed look like?
Purple/green hollow stem and green leaves
How is Japanese Knotweed disposed?
Disposed legally using chemical treatment, digging it out, removing it from the site to a licencsed landfill site - in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990
Under what Act is it criminal offence to allow Japanese Knotweed to spread and what is the punishment?
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Unlimited fine and/or 2 year prison sentence
What is a case involving Japanese Knotweed and what are the details?
“Williams v Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd, 2018.
Court of Appeal held that Network Rail were liable for the cost of treating the invasive plant plus damages for the loss of use and enjoyment of their neighbours property even after the plant was treated. “
Name two other invasive plants apart from Japanese Knotweed
Hogweed and Himalayan Balsam
How would my inspection technique vary for different purposes?
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What did you do pre inspection?
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How old was the building?
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Tell me about a defect you have come across
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How did I ensure my safety?
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How do you undertake an inspection?
- Personally I would prefer to undertake an inspection of a building from the top down
- I would normally walk around the building externally a couple of times first to get my bearings and get an initial understanding
- I would look for indication of age, construction and additions
What risk do you need to consider with inspections?
- Lone working
- Asbestos
- Accessing roofs and roof spaces at height
- Access roof spaces
- Hazards with empty and derelict properties
- Confined spaces
How does a laser disto work?
Sines a laser beam at the surface and measures the time taken to hit the surface
What are the key elements of a building that you would look to survey?
- Roof
- Walls and cladding
- Rainwater Goods
- Windows, doors and joinery
- Structural frame
- Substructure / basements
- Floors
- Finishes
- Internal walls/partitions
- Staircases
