Building Pathology, Certificate

There are essentially two dimensions to the building surveying profession – the organisation of building work (mainly to maintain, extend, adapt or improve existing buildings) and the assessment of the condition of existing buildings. The diagnosis of building defects, which will be the focus of this module, is an essential part of the second aspect of the building surveyor’s work and this subject area is often referred to as ‘building pathology’.

This module is drawn from our suite of Real Estate masters programmes. The core knowledge and skill areas required to undertake this work are an understanding of basic building technology and how buildings and materials fail. The overall aim of this module is for you to learn the principles of structural failure, the structural properties of the main building materials and how materials deteriorate as a result of various environmental factors (mostly associated with water). In addition you will learn about the various types of inspection that the building surveyor undertakes. You will also consider the roles of the building surveyor in preparing schedules of dilapidations and acting as an expert witness.

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The following are the key components of this module:

• an introduction to building pathology
• the nature of core knowledge required
• types of inspection
• the equipment used by surveyors
• building movement and diagnosis of cracking
• dampness and condensation
• timber infestation and decay
• concrete failure
• building surveys (preparation, inspection and the report)
• intermediate level surveys – (the RICS Homebuyer Survey and the Home Condition Report)
• flood damage to buildings
• advanced inspection techniques
• the surveyor acting as an expert witness
• preparation of schedules of dilapidations.