Deterioration agents and their effects

Physical changes - Early indication of deterioration

Dry & wet rot
Sulphate attack, efflorescence, crystallization

Question 1:
Scienario: There is a wall crack that occurred in someones property, which the building owner
has no idea of the cause (not sure if its structural failure or non-structural failure, it may be
caused by adjacent work which might have not been granted permission by local authority.)
As a building surveyor, you are asked to deal with the case. What are the steps of the procedure
to be done for the professional building condition survey?
1. Specify the scope of work: (what to cover, what to observe, cost planning, etc.)
2. Propose scope of work;
3. Parameters of the crack;
4. Learn the propertys location, orientation, history, site, key plan, chronology, maintenance, etc.
5. Access the building, check and search for building defects, observe building elements such as
openings, analyse the cause;
6. Give remedial advice (state the cause, e.g. settlement; the impact of the defect on building:
short term and long term)

Question 2: Rising dampness (from businessmens point of view)

1. Different properties, users expectation and issue?
2. How to rectify rising dampness? How to use surveying apparatus?