Measurement

Question 1

Can you explain what GIA is?

Answer 1

Gross Internal Area is the area of a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level.

Question 2

When might you use GIA?

Answer 2

• Building cost estimation.
• Estate agency and valuation.
• Calculation of service charges.

Question 3

How does GIA differ to NIA?

Answer 3

Net Internal Area is the usable area within a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level.

Question 4

What is GEA?

Answer 4

Gross External Area is the area of a building measured externally at each floor level.

Includes:

• Perimeter wall thicknesses.
• Areas occupied by internal walls.
• Columns, piers, stairwells, lift-wells and the like.

Question 5

When might you use GEA?

Answer 5

• Town planning – basis of measurement for planning applications.
• Rating and council tax.
• Building cost estimation – Preferred method for costing of residential buildings for insurance purposes.

Question 6

What is cubic content?

Answer 6

The product of Gross Internal Area and the internal height.

Question 7

What is clear internal height?

Answer 7

The height between the structural floor surface and the underside of the lowest point of the structural ceiling or roof.

Question 8

What is the difference between metric and imperial measurements?

Answer 8

• Metric is generally used in the UK (metre, millimetre, gram, litre etc.)
• Imperial measurements are generally used in the USA (mile, yard, foot, inch, pound, gallon etc.)

Question 9

What is IPMS?

Answer 9

• IPMS stands for the International Property Measurement Standards.
• The IPMS is a coalition of 80 global professional organisations that was first formed in 2013 when it produced its first version of its measurement standards.
• There were various versions of the standards that are targeted at industry specific sectors such as: - o IPMS Office. o IPMS Residential. o IPMS Retail.
• IPMS All Buildings was introduced in January 2023 and now supersedes all previous standards.
• The RICS has been a pivotal member of the coalition since its inception and provided consultation and advice to its members.

Question 10

What is IPMS All Buildings?

Answer 10

• Provides one shared international standard for property measurement.
• Supersedes all previous editions of IPMS.
• IPMS have the flexibility to measure only part of a building or to holistically measure all the areas in the building and allocate these areas into separate components.
• Applicable to all types of buildings regardless of their use.
• Effective from 15 January 2023.

Question 11

What are the requirements for using IPMS?

Answer 11

• RICS members are to advise their clients on the benefits of using IPMS.
• It is understood that IPMS may not be suitable for all circumstances.
• RICS members must document their reason for departure from IPMS.
• Adopting IPM terms when calculating or reporting the area of office and residential floor space on an IPMS basis is mandatory.

Question 12

What are the different parts to IPMS All Buildings?

Answer 12

• IPMS 1 – External – the floor Area for all or part of a Building measured to its external boundary
• IPMS 2 – Internal – the floor Area for all or part of a Building measured to its internal boundary
• IPMS 3A – Exclusive Occupation External - the Floor Area available on an exclusive basis to an occupier measured to the external boundary of the Building
• IPMS 3B – Exclusive Occupation Internal - the Floor Area available on an exclusive basis to an occupier and where appropriate, measured to the internal boundary of the Building
• IPMS 4A – a selected measured Floor Area which includes internal Walls and Columns
• IPMS 4B – a selected measured Floor Area which excludes internal Walls and Columns

Question 13

How would you calculate the area of a room if you are undertaking the measurement?

Answer 13

Measure length and width of room (from internal dominant faces) and multiply them.

Question 14

Can you explain why it is important that buildings are built within the required tolerances?

Answer 14

• To ensure that buildings are structurally sound.
• Buildings built out of tolerance may present difficulties when fitting out and attaching components.

Question 15

What limitations may you encounter with a 3D scanner when measuring?

Answer 15

• Potentially more time consuming to collect and process data than carrying out measurements manually.
• Difficulty in measuring restricted spaces.
• Sensitive to reflective surfaces.
• Potential for inaccuracies due to blockages.

Question 16

Do you know what the internal dominant face is?

Answer 16

The internal dominant face (IDF) is the inside surface area comprising more than 50% of the lowest 2.75m measured vertically from the structural floor surface, or to the ceiling if lower, for each Wall Section.

Question 17

What are component areas?

Answer 17

• One of the main elements into which the floor area of a building can be divided (e.g. living space, circulation area, hygiene areas).
• Component areas of multiple use are to be stated according to its principal use.

Question 18

What are common facilities?

Answer 18

Those parts of a building providing shared facilities that typically do not change over time including circulation areas, stairs, escalators, lifts and motor rooms, toilets, plant rooms, cleaners cupboards, fire refuge areas, maintenance rooms and unallocated parking spaces.

Question 19

What is a finished surface?

Answer 19

The wall surface directly above the horizontal wallfloor junction ignoring skirting boards cable trunking heating and cooling units and pipework.

Question 20

What is an IDF wall section?

Answer 20

Internal finish of a section of an external wall ignoring any section columns that is either recessed from or protrudes from its adjacent section.

Question 21

What are the limitations of using a laser distometer?

Answer 21

• Lasers do not work well in bright sunlight, as it can be hard to see the laser beam. Using a long tape measure can overcome the issue or by shadowing the target area.
• When using a laser to measure to a dark surface, the measuring time can increase leading to inaccurate measurements. Taking a sheet of A4 white paper to site can be used as a measuring target.
• Lasers may be inaccurate when measuring to colourless liquids, glass, styrofoam, permeable or high gloss surfaces.
• A tape measure is more suitable for measuring very short distances.

Question 22

How accurate are laser distometers?

Answer 22

Laser distometers are typically accurate to within 1.5mm or less over distances up to 200m, although this will depend on the device used.

Question 23

What might you use to measure external distances?

Answer 23

• A trundle wheel.
• Measuring/trundle wheels have a counting mechanism that counts the number of rotations and uses the circumference of the wheel to calculate the distance covered.

Question 24

How can you ensure accuracy when taking measurements?

Answer 24

• Calibrate equipment before use.
• Use the most appropriate measuring equipment depending on the measurement to be taken and external / internal conditions.
• Taking check measurements.
• making sure the laser or tape is measuring from the correct surfaces.
• Comparing measurements taken on site to scale floorplans.

Question 25

What may constitute a limited use area within a building?

Answer 25

• Areas within limited head height.
• Areas with limited natural light.
• Areas below ground.

Question 26

At what height are areas of buildings (in some jurisdictions) classed as limited use?

Answer 26

1.5m.

Question 27

How would you measure part of a building, such as a chimney, where there is no access to take a physical measurement?

Answer 27

Counting of brickwork and mortar joints.

Question 28

What are the nominal dimensions of a brick?

Answer 28

215 x 102.5 x 65mm

Question 29

What are the nominal dimensions of a concrete block?

Answer 29

215 x 100 x 440mm

Question 30

What is the typical dimension of a mortar joint?

Answer 30

10mm.

Question 31

How do you check the thickness of external walls and what are the typical thicknesses for walls of cavity and solid construction?

Answer 31

• Measure the depth of reveals.
• Measure the internal and external lengths of a wall up to the corners. The difference between the two is the width of the wall.
• Modern cavity walls are circa 300mm. Some modern cavities can be up to 150mm (uplift to Part L), resulting in walls being around 350mm thick.
• Traditional walls of solid construction are circa 215mm (1 brick thick) or 330mm (1 and a half brick thick).

Question 32

How would you check measurement against a scale floorplan?

Answer 32

• The plans will have a scale bar on them.
• Print the drawings off using the correct size of paper and use a scale ruler to measure the distances.
• The distances can be cross checked with the dimensions taken on site.

Question 33

If a drawing has a scale of 1:100, what does 1mm on the drawing represent in real life?

Answer 33

100mm.

Question 34

What RICS Guidance is there regarding measurement?

Answer 34

• Code of Measuring Practice – 6th edition, May 2016 (Guidance Note)
• RICS Property Measurement – 2nd edition, Jan 2018 (Professional Statement)
• RICS New Rules of Measurement – 3rd edition, October 2021 (Guidance Note)

Question 35

Are there any buildings which you would not use code of measuring practice for?

Answer 35

• Offices
• Residential

Question 36

If the IPMS is not used when it should be, what should you do?

Answer 36

RICS members are expected to advise their client or employer on the benefits of using IPMS. However, it is understood that IPMS is not suitable in all circumstances and in these circumstances RICS members must document the reason for departure.

Question 37

What process was followed when taking internal area measurements at Hedon Road, Hull / IPL Plastics, Rotherham?

Answer 37

Stage 1: Determine the IPMS 2 Boundary. The Boundary of IPMS 2 for each level is determined by considering the following in sequential order:

• 1. Notional Boundary - Identify any agreed Notional Boundaries that differ from the IDF or External Floor Area;
• 2. External Floor Area - Identify any External Floor Areas and establish Boundary lines along the floor-Balustrade junction, but not beyond the outside edge of the floor construction and up to the IPMS 1 External Wall Boundary;
• 3. Internal Dominant Face (IDF) - Identify the IDF line of all External Walls.

Stage 2: Other Considerations

Stage 3: Measure and calculate the areas included in IPMS 2

Stage 4: Areas Included in IPMS 2 but Reported Separately

Question 38

At Hedon Road, Hull, how did you use the measurements taken to quantify costs associated with repair, reinstatement and redecoration works?

Answer 38

• The measurements taken on site were applied to market rates for different types of work, such as redecoration internally and undertaking cut edge corrosion works.
• I had assistance from a quantity surveyor colleague to determine costs based on the measurements recorded on site.

Question 39

How did you cross check your measurements from Hedon Road with scale floor plans?

Answer 39

• The floor plans were printed off using the correct paper size for the drawing.
• The drawings included a scale bar and a scale ruler was used to measure the distances on the drawing before being checked against the measurements taken on site.

Question 40

What does the acronym ‘CROME’ stand for within the context of International Cost Management Standards (ICMS)?

Answer 40

• C: Construction costs
• R: Renewal costs
• O: Operation and occupancy costs
• M: Maintenance costs and
• E: Environmental and/or end of life costs.