Can you tell me what specialist services Purcell were appointed to undertake?
- Lead Designer and Consultant for the Fabric Safety survey and repair project.
- Principal Designer
- Sub-consultant appointment of Structural Engineer
How did you ensure that Purcell acted within their agreed scope of services?
I tracked our progress using our activity schedule, which was based upon the employer requirements.
I informed the client via early warning notices of any unforeseen circumstances or additional work required. From these they would decide if they would agree for us to undertake the unplanned work at their cost
Talk me through the process you undertook when carrying out the condition survey?
Desk top study: Check the previous survey and works documents provided by the client.
Check history
Check building materials to understand properties and typical defects.
When on site, I ensured I was wearing the correct PPE for the MEWP surveys.
I attended site with printed elevations of the building, supplied by the client. I worked systematically across the elevations, recording defects on the elevations. I assigned priority of repair to each defect.
I considered PPM requirements while assigning priority of repair to defects.
Talk me through how you assigned priority to each defect?
For each defect, I selected a priority of repair appropriately so the Client could plan repairs accordingly.
The priorties where 0 to 1 years (immediatly / asap), 1-3 years (high importance), 3-10 years, 10+ years.
0-1 years were defects which had the potential to me immediate health and safety risks or risk to the building.
1-3 years - were defects which although not immediate health and safety risks, could turn into high risks soon, or if not repaired within the time frame could turn into larger more expensive defects to rectify. Essential maintenance.
3-10 years - not immedatly hazardous, however the client should be aware and plan for the repairs as it is important maintnenace.
10+ years - nice to have - distant requirement.
Talk me through how you updated the risk management strategy?
As part of Purcell’s professional services and CDM duties, I provided a designers risk register. I included risk relating to access, building fabric, deleterious materials. I updated this on a regular basis throughout the project and presented it to the Project Manager for the Client’s information.
Can you give me examples of health and safety issues that you identified within your designers risk register?
- Asbestos in window putty - R&D surveys required
- Noisy works disrupting the business of the Parlaimentary estate
- Dust from cutting out works
- Covid 19
- Heavy lifting
- Pidgeon guano as risk to site personnell
- Requirement for suitable training for use of MEWP’s
What did the pre-construction information include?
**- Construction Phase Plan
**- Overview of the project
- Health and Safety File first issue
- Environmental restrictions
- Clients conditions and management requirements
- Start and finish dates
Who’s responsibility is it to provide the PCI?
The Client. The PD should assist the Client in preparing this for every Designer and Contractor.
Is the PCI a live document?
Yes. It should be updated when new information as the work progresses and more information is attained.
Talk me through some of the queries you received from the contractor and how you resolved them?
- The contractor notified me that when further defects where found in the stonework during construction. They asked me to attend site to decide how to proceed with repair of the findings.
- The contractor asked me for a specifciation of window film to prevent cracked glass from falling.
- They asked me to approve material samples (stone and mortar) for use in stone indents.
Talk me through the process of issuing an early warning notice?
When an instance that has not been accounted for comes into realisation, contractually, the consultant must raise the issue to the client via an EWNas soon as they know about the issue. This notifies the Client of the issue, and provides a vehicle for them to assess the risks with the consultant. The EWN includes option for notifying the client if the matter could increase the costs, delay the project, or impair the services of the consultant. Following the early warning notice, the consultant may submit a compensation event to to the client for accommodating the change in agreed services mentioned in the EWN.
Talk me through how you prepared your fee quotation for the addition in work?
I used Microsoft excel to prepare a fee quotation. I calculated the amount of time I expected it would take to update the design drawings and repair schedules for each of the Purcell personnel, involved, then added how much time I thought it would take for RIBA Stage 5 input. I multiplied the time by each team members hourly rates to create a compensation event. I reviewed this with the Purcell Partner and submitted to the Client for their review.
Talk me through the repair process involved in securing unstable pieces of stone?
There were a few instances where finials had become loose. These needed re-pinning back to their bases. Some of these did not have any metal bar securing them. Therefore, I referred to the NBS specification I had prepared which included suitable methodology. This involved acquiring a pinning specification from the structural engineer to add into the design drawings. I stated that the threaded stainless steel bar specified by the SE needed to be back filled by resin. I stated that the joint would need to be pointed using an NHL 3.5 lime mortar. As this was just a Fabric Safety project, some pieces of stone were retained for their re-fixing during a fully comprehensive stone repair project.
How did you ensure the repair strategy achieved legislative requirements?
- Our repair strategy was intended to be like-for-like repairs only, therefore the repairs themselves did not require listed building consent.
- The contractors asked me to review the scaffold drawings. I passed them to our structural engineer to provide indpepentant strucutural review. When I looked at the deisgns myself, I saw that the scaffold contractor had specificed threaded masonry anchors to be empedded into the Grade 1 listed stonework. This would require listed building consent. Therefore I asked the scaffolders to re-design the scaffold so they would not require any mansonry anchors. This involed buttressing of the scaffold and hooking a gantry over parapet walls. This prevented a delay in the project and harm to the listed building.
Did you have to obtain listed building consent?
No. The nature of the works were for like for like repair. The works would not change the character of the listed building.
What safety implications did you consider, prior to the of the MEWP?
- Could the working at height be avoided? No it could not.
- I made sure that I undertook a 1 day training course to use a MEWP. This involved harness training and rules for being inthe MEWP basket.
- That I was wearing all correct PPE, inc. harness, tether, hard had, boots, hellow jacket, gloves, safety glasses.
Talk me through the tender process?
- Included as part of the Multi-Disciplinary Design services scope was for Purcell to assist with Procurement of Contractors including input into tender documents and evaluation. The contractors tendering had to price the tender documents which I produced.
- The tender docuements were based of an earlier survey supplied by the client.
- I aided the Client’s tender process by comparing the tender returns.
Why do I want to become a chartered surveyor?
- I believe I have a range of skills that can be beneficial to the profession and built environment
- I want to more responsiblity and develop in my role as a building surveyor.
- I would like to gain trust in the workplace, where Clients, colleagues , contractors and indstury professionals feel they can rely on me becuase of my extertise, supported by professional qualification.
What is the role of the RICS?
To promote the usefulness of the profession to the public advantage in the UK and rest of the world. It focusses on protecting the public and upholding the reputation of the RICS within society.
What are the key functions of the RICS?
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors promotes and enforces the highest professional qualifications and standards in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure.
What is the Royal Charter?
- Sets out difference between a Chartered Surveyor and a surveor
- The Royal Charter sets out Bye-Laws and Regulations for it’s members to abide by.
- Requires RICS to act in the public interest
- It sets a gold standard of excellence and integrity
What are the 5 Principles for Better Regulation?
Proportionality, Accountability, Consistancy, Targeting and Transparancy
