PE Inspection Flashcards
Which of these might be purposes for inspection?
- Valuation
- Checking lease compliance
- Checking statutory compliance
- Assessing repair and condition
- Assessing marketability
- Risk assessment
- Professional advice
What is the most important thing to do prior to inspection?
- Health and safety risk assessment
How would you check access requirements/obligations for an occupier property (and make sure you get it right first time)?
Check the lease
Which would be the most logical inspection methodology?
Surrounding area, external, internal
Where would you look in the Red Book Global for information on inspection?
VPS2
What factors might you observe on an inspection that affect value?
- Location
- Design
- Specification
- Age
- Construction
- Repair/condition
How would you check the age of a property?
- Architect’s plans
- Historic maps
- Planning history
- Building Regulations history
- Record of Practical Completion
- Lease (and historic deeds)
- Speak to the landlord/tenant/local people
- Date plaque or similar on the buiding
How might you recognise a Victorian property?
Bay windows iron railings, coloured solid wall brickword, sash windows
What type of foundations might be used on unstable ground/land with poor load bearing capacity?
- Raft
- Piled
- Pad
What are the dimensions of a brick?
215mm x 102.5mm x 65mm
How would you recognise a brick cavity wall?
Stretcher board
Evidence of cavity ties etc
What is spalling?
Flaking brickwork
What might you note observations of in the surounding area?
- Location
- Aspect
- Local facilities
- Public transport
- Contamination/environmental hazards
- Flooding
- High voltage power lines
- Comparables
- Local market conditions
- Agents’ boards
How might you check a site boundary?
OS map
Title plan
Lease plan
What is a deleterious material?
Degrade with age causing structural problems (and may also be harmful to health)
What are deleterious materials?
Cladding, e.g. Grenfell Tower
High Alumnia Cement
Calcium chloride
Mundic
Regent Street disease
What is High Alumnia Cement?
Material banned in 1970s with poor srength and vulnerability to chemical attack
What is Calcium chloride?
Material used until 1970s, used to accelerate hardening of concrete but corroded steel reinforcement
What is Regent Street disease?
Corrosion of steel frame leading to expansion and cracking, common from 1905
What are examples of hazardous materials (i.e. harmful to health)?
- Asbestos
- Wood wool slabs
- Lead piping
Does the RICS provide any guidance on contamination?
Understand obligations
Know responsiblities
Comply with the law
Recommend specialist advice where appropriate
Generally, what should you do as a surveyor in relation to contamination?
Understand obligations
Know responsilbities
Comply with the law
Recommend specialist advice where appropriate
What key legislation relates to contamination?
Environmental Protection Act 1990
What is the key principle relating to comination?
Polluter pays, but if not possible to identify the owner is responsible
What are signs of contamination?
Evidence of chemicals
Oils
Subsidence
Underground tanks
Bare ground
Vegetation
Landfill
What is an EIA?
Environmental Impact Assessment - assesses impacts of a project on the environment, together with social, economic and environmental aspects
What is Radon and where might it be found?
Radioactive gas due to natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water whihc can lead to cancer through long-term exposure
Why is Japanese Knotweed problematic?
Hard to control
Damages surfaces
Costly to eradicate
Offence to grow in the wild
Could get an ASBO if it’s found on neighbouring land
What is a latent defect?
Something that could not have been discovered by a reasonably thorough inspection
What does the Defective Premises Act 1972 say?
Landlord owes a duty of care, as is reasonable in the circumstances, to all people who might reasonably be expected to be affected by defects in the premises
What is subsidence?
Vertical downward movement of foundations due to reduced ground support
What might be caused by a fungal attack?
Dry rot
What defects might you find in a period building?
Rot
Tile slippage
Death watch beetle
Damp penetration at roof and ground level
Water ingress around openings
Structural movement/settlement
What should you do if you identify a defect when inspecting?
Note observation & take photos, try to identify cause, inform client and recommend specailist advice
Surface water?
Surface water runs into water course, e.g. soakaway, storm drain
Foul water?
Foul water drains from soil pipes int sewage system
What might you find in retail shell specification?
Concrete floor
Capped services
No suspended ceiling
No shop front
Ready to receive fit out works
How might you identify a concrete framed office?
More columns
Narrower span
Lower floor heights
What does Category B mean in terms of office space?
Completely fitted out to occupier’s requirements
What is found in Grace A office?
Passenger lift
Double glazing
12-15m depth to allow for natural light
LG7 compliant lighting
Suspended ceilings
Fully access raised floors with floor boxes
Air conditioning
1 person to 80-100 sq ft (or 1-200sq ft on Greenfield sites)
What is a risk relating to air conditioning?
R22 now banned - exsting equipment can still be used but not repaired/topped up
What might you find in a B8 distribution unit of institutional specification?
Clear rectangular spaec
Min 6m clear eaves height (up to 18m for modern racking)
Min 30KN psm floor loading, ideally 50KN psm
Plastic coated steel profiled cladding with brick/block walls
Full height loading electrically operated doors
3 Phase electricity (415V)
5-10% office content and WC facilities
Capped services
10% roof lights
45% site cover
What statutory compliance issues might you look for when inspecting?
Asbestos
Building Regulations
H&S
Fire Regulations
Equality Act
Planning
What are three types of obsolescence?
Physical
Functional
Economic
Which section(s) of the Red Book Global relate to inspections?
VPS 2 and VPGA 8
When were the Control of Asbestos Regulations last updated?
2012
What is the current RICS guidance relating to asbestos?
Guidance Note Asbestos: legal requirements and best practice for property professionals and clients UK 4th edition
