Technical due diligence and building surveying for commercial property

417 Pages·2019·46.327 MB·English

by  Tagg, Adrian

TECHNICAL

DUE DILIGENCE

and

BUILDING SURVEYING

FOR COMMERCIAL
PROPERTY
Technical Due Diligence and Building Surveying for Commercial Property is the first book to
introduce the process of technical due diligence (TDD) and examine the role of the building
surveyor within the commercial property sector. The book outlines the processes that the
surveyor must go through when performing a TDD inspection and report and, most importantly,
covers in detail the typical pathology and defects encountered during TDD.
Performing a TDD survey involves collecting, analysing and reporting on a huge amount of
information, often under specific contractual conditions. The book covers everything the surveyor
needs to know in order to do a proper job and includes analysis of materials, life cycles and
potential defects on an elemental basis, with detail on individual components where necessary.
Coverage includes:
• an introduction to the TDD process and types of commercial buildings encountered
• chapters outlining the life cycle and defects of: structures, roofs, facades, finishes and services
• hundreds of illustrations and photographs of defects, real-world case studies and suggestions
for further reading
• a final chapter covering legal issues and technical details.
This book fills a clear gap in the literature and is the first fully illustrated book on TDD dedicated
to commercial building stock. It will help students and professionals to understand the process,
the science involved and the reasons why defects occur, as well as their evolution and long-term
impact.
Adrian Tagg (MRICS) is a lecturer in Building Surveying at the University of Reading, UK.
He also runs TechDD Ltd and has over a decade of experience delivering technical due diligence
to international investors making acquisitions in Northern Europe.

TECHNICAL

DUE DILIGENCE

and

BUILDING SURVEYING

FOR COMMERCIAL
PROPERTY
Adrian Tagg
First published 2019
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2019 Adrian Tagg
The right of Adrian Tagg to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Tagg, Adrian, author.
Title: Technical due diligence and building surveying for commercial property
/ Adrian Tagg.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2018.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018004695 | ISBN 9781138745179 (hbk : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781138745186 (pbk : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315180717 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Commercial buildings–Surveys.
Classification: LCC TH4311 .T34 2018 | DDC 692/.5–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018004695
ISBN: 978-1-138-74517-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-74518-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-18071-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Myriad Pro
by Alex Lazarou
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
1 Introduction 1
2 Process overview 13
3 Contract instruction 29
4 Commercial sectors 41
5 Roofs 69
6 Structure 147
7 Facades 197
8 Finishes 291
9 Building services 327
10 External areas 351
11 Legal/technical 373
Index 401
v

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank a number of individuals and companies who have helped to
facilitate or contributed to this book.
Individuals
Christian Deprez
José Galeote
Tom Goodhand
Geert Lybeer
Gregory Martin
Christopher Mitchell
Dennis Wilkinson
Paul Wright
Companies
Geert Lybeer bvba
Paragon BC
SECO Belgium SA/NV
Tech DD Ltd
Widnell Europe SA/NV
Further thanks are given for the support and encouragement of family, friends and colleagues
(you know who you are).
In memory of Eddie Blake.
vii
Photo courtesy of Widnell Europe.
1

Introduction
Defining technical due diligence and commercial surveying
In the context of real estate acquisition, management and disposal, technical due diligence
(TDD) is the term used globally to describe what is essentially a commercial building survey.
Although it is a widely used term there appears to be a lack of clarity or consistency in what this
actually covers; indeed there is often a bespoke nature to TDD instruction, tailored to specific
client needs, sector norms or individual investment strategies. ‘It’s like beginning your geography
homework on a Sunday evening knowing it has to be handed in the next day’ is the way TDD
has been quite poignantly described by a high-profile chartered building surveyor – needless to
say, not actively working within this field.
In essence, there is often a huge amount of information to collect, analyse, process and
report within very short timescales. This is often done on buildings or portfolios which represent
very high investment values. In short, it certainly is not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’ and often the first
question upon receiving TDD instruction is ‘Where to start?’.
The guidance notes published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
concerned with commercial surveying/TDD provide an essential framework or aide-memoire
detailing the principal actions and considerations in this specialist area of operation. There are
also numerous published works concerned with building pathology or aspects of commercial
surveying. However, there appears to be little available reference information or detailed
analysis of the process of TDD in this specific context or the individual construction elements
and components which should be inspected. Also, although there are some excellent text or
reference books in the field of building surveying, these appear mostly to be in the context of
residential properties. Furthermore, there exist significant and important publications, including
RICS guidance notes, which deal with specific legal or technical aspects of building surveying
from a more ‘commercial’ perspective. These address individual specialisms, but in isolation,
despite them often being ‘picked up’ as part of the TDD process. In essence, it is important for
the TDD process to provide a global overview of a commercial asset yet, where necessary, have
the information or detail to go down to component level as and when required. It is a facet of
building surveying that embodies a ‘Jack of all trades’ approach in the provision of advice that
encompasses many aspects of commercial surveying practice, but rather than detailing these in
isolation, it seeks to deliver a ‘joined up’ opinion, allowing clients to make an informed decision.
This book will seek to introduce the reader to the process of TDD and, as well as discussing
this, it will also analyse the role of the building surveyor within this commercial environment.
Importantly, this book will look beyond the process of TDD and into the application of the skills
and knowledge required to perform this task. It will also analyse materials, component life cycles
and potential defects on an elemental basis as well as at individual component level, detailing
the potential impacts on the TDD process as well as offering insights into advising clients.
1