Inspections

Question 1

What is the most important thing to do prior to inspection?

Answer 1

H&S risk assessment & your due diligence on building

Question 2

How would you check the age of a property?

Answer 2

• Lease/historic deeds
• records of Practical completion
• Plans
• Planning history
• speak to local people/landlord/tenant
  -B regs history

Question 3

type of foundations used on unstable ground?

Answer 3

Raft
Piled
Pad

Question 4

What is a deleterious material?

Answer 4

Degrade with age causing structural problems (and may also be harmful to health)

Question 5

Midhurst White bricks, also known as calcium silicate bricks

Answer 5

Thermal movement is likely to be about 1.5 times that of clay brickwork. Calcium silicate brickwork, unlike clay, usually undergoes an initial irreversible shrinkage on laying (clay brickwork tends to expand)

Question 6

What is a latent defect?

Answer 6

Something that could not have been discovered by a reasonably thorough inspection

Question 7

What should you do if you identify a defect when inspecting?

Answer 7

Note observations & take photos, try to identify cause, inform client and recommend specialist advice

Question 8

what is meaning of competence?

Answer 8

Competence’ is often defined as having sufficient knowledge, experience and ability to carry out duties in relation to specific tasks, the risks that those tasks entail, recognising one’s
limitations and taking appropriate action in order to prevent harm to those carrying out the tasks or those who may be affected

Question 9

To protect a prospective purchaser of a renovated property, a surveyor should do what ?
(Hart V Large)

Answer 9

1. Spell out any limitation on the advice given and, if necessary, recommend further investigation
2. Be particularly alert to any signs of inadequate design or faulty workmanship - could it mean further hidden issues?
3. Draw attention to protections available to the purchaser, including a Practical completion certificates/professional consultants certificates (PCC)

Question 10

McGlyn v Waltham

Answer 10

Revolves around inspecting construction work.
- The frequency and duration of inspections should be tailored to the nature of the works going on at the site from time to time.

• Depending on the importance of the particular element or stage of the works, the inspecting professional can instruct the contractor not to cover up the relevant elements of the work until they have been inspected.
• The mere fact that defective work is carried out and covered up between inspections will not automatically amount to a defence to an alleged failure on the part of the Architect to carry out proper inspections.