appendix c a - prospect house building condition survey · maintenance should be carried out in...

PROSPECT HOUSE

SERVICES CONDITION SURVEY SUMMARY REPORT

SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE LIMITED

COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE

MAY 2012

SERVICES CONDITION SUMMARY REPORT PROSPECT HOUSE

COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE PAGE 2

© COPYRIGHT 2012 SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE LIMITED

1 CONTENT

1 CONTENT 2

2 INTRODUCTION 3

2.1 INTRODUCTIONS 3

2.2 SURVEY METHODOLOGY 3

2.3 WEATHER 3

2.4 COST & PROPERTY REPORTS 3

3 CONDITION SUMMARY 4

3.1 WATER SUPPLY 4

3.1.1 Figure 1- Third Floor at Top of Stairs, East Wing 4

3.2 POWER 5

3.2.1 Figure 2- Front Elevation of Dorman Smith Switchgear 5

3.2.2 Figure 3- Merlin Gerin Isobar 4 Evo Distribution Boards 6

3.2.3 Figure 4- Merlin Gerin Isobar 4 Evo Distribution Boards – Inspection and Testing Evidence Sticker. 6

3.3 LIFTS 7

3.3.1 Figure 5- Lift – Entrance Area 7

3.3.2 Figure 6- Lift – Office Area 7

3.3.3 Figure 7- Unprotected in Plant Room - BT Lift Lines for Emergency Call function 8

3.4 GENERAL MATTERS 9

3.4.1 Figure 8- Fire Alarm Cabling – Plastic retainers 9

3.4.2 Figure 9- Staining on ceiling tiles – further investigation required 10

3.4.3 Figure 10- Stand alone heating unit 11

3.4.4 Figure 11- Canteen 12

4 APPENDIX A – LIMITATIONS 13




2 INTRODUCTION

2.1 INTRODUCTIONS Spatial Intelligence and their services surveying partner, GSL Associates have been instructed by Scarborough Borough Council to carry out a survey in order to establish the status of Prospect House Building Services.

This report offers a summary of our findings following a data collection exercise, photographic and services condition survey of the premises.

There is no depository database in place to manage the data so the output will be in the form of a structured spreadsheet and this report.

For clarity explanations of terms, reference to paragraphs will be inserted in the right hand margin.

2.2 SURVEY METHODOLOGY The premises were visited by survey technicians from GSL Associates during the week commencing 16th April 2012. Following the site visit a desktop based assessment reviewing collected defect data, ground and roof photos was carried out. All identified work was then entered in the agreed spreadsheet format.

During the visit we were afforded access by the Site Manager and site staff.

2.3 WEATHER The weather at the time of the survey was light intermittent rain and clear.

2.4 COST & PROPERTY REPORTS Block table reports in section 5 of the Condition Summary report have been produced using pivot tables on the structured spreadsheet data. They are standard reports containing priority and condition grading. The cost information is considered to be ‘order of cost’ or approximate estimates and include for preliminaries and such like. Costs include for like for like replacement over a 25 year time period.

Commissioning and servicing works have not been included for as it is felt that these will be in line with general maintenance costs as the equipment was maintained fully whilst the building was occupied and has been visited regularly since vacation. These costs will only be for bringing the building back in line with current legislation regarding testing and commissioning and will not include the costing for any works which may be required as a result of the change of use by Scarborough Borough Council.

If Scarborough Borough Council wish to appoint ourselves to establish the entire costs for moving offices, including the occupancy costs, change of use costs and move costs, we are more than willing to discuss what services we can provide to ensure a smooth and successful transition from the current location to Prospect House.

At the management level the reports can be used to assess the estate as a whole for strategic planning in the next 25 years.

At a local level they can be used to see the potential major spends expected in the next 3 year maintenance window.




3 CONDITION SUMMARY

3.1 WATER SUPPLY

3.1.1 Figure 1- Third Floor at Top of Stairs, East Wing

There are two tanks located in the building for domestic cold water services. These are located separately, one in the East and one in the West at the top of the stairs.

The tanks are one piece by Decca plastics and have a 3750 litre nominal capacity.

Current guidelines recommend that the stored water and make up temperatures are monitored every 6 months. Tanks and associated down services are to be cleaned and chlorinated and Inlet and Outlet pipework should be on opposite sides of the tanks to ensure good flow through and prevent stagnation.

A Legionella Test was carried out on 22 March 2004 which identified moderate sediment in the base of the tank. This was assumed to be as a result of the inlet and outlet pipework being located on the same side of the tank which would not provide a through flow of water. This 'defect' was rated to have a low legionella risk, however, it was still recommended that the inlet and outlet pipework be re-configured to opposite sides of the tanks to ensure a good through flow of water and a reduction in sedimentation and the possibility of stagnation.

This recommendation had not taken place as can be seen in the above photograph.

The staircases of which the tanks are at the top of, are glazed and are subjected to quite considerable solar gain during prolonged sunny spells which has the potential to raise the temperature of the water contained in the tanks.

If the water in the tanks warms up to a temperature above 20 degrees celcius, this would increase the risk of legionella.

Cold water temperatures should be less than 20 celcius at the outlets after 2 minutes and there should not be more than a 2 degrees celcius rise in the cold water supply. This should be monitored and recorded monthly.




There is no evidence that this has taken place.

A programme to reduce the risk of legionella should be adopted to regularly check the water quality and temperature after the entire system has been flushed through with chlorinated water in accordance with current guidelines and if the building is left inactive, the programme should also include regular purging of the system to maintain the low risk of legionella.

3.2 POWER

3.2.1 Figure 2- Front Elevation of Dorman Smith Switchgear

The above switchgear does not have any data recording when it was serviced or whether it is contained within a service agreement. It would appear to be operational and there are no signs limiting access to the room containing this and other electrical distribution panels.

Maintenance should be carried out in accordance with BS : 6423: 1983 – Maintenance of Electrical Switchgear and Control gear up to and including 650 volts and full records should be kept of all maintenance work done and fault rectification. These records cannot be located.

There is however, some evidence that testing has been carried out as all Distribution Boards located floor by floor have a sticker which indicates that the Distribution Board has been inspected and tested for Electrical Safety by NIC EIC Approved Electrical Test and Inspection Specialists – refer Figure 3 and 4 below.

As it is a legal requirement to keep all maintenance work done and fault rectification and the fact that any testing probably took place August 2008, as evidenced by the DB stickers, and there is a lack of paperwork in support of any testing and maintenance, all electrical installations are required to be tested and commissioned in order to start a new maintenance programme and recording strategy.




3.2.2 Figure 3- Merlin Gerin Isobar 4 Evo Distribution Boards

The Distribution boards above appear to have been inspected and tested for electrical safety.

3.2.3 Figure 4- Merlin Gerin Isobar 4 Evo Distribution Boards – Inspection and Testing Evidence Sticker.




3.3 LIFTS

3.3.1 Figure 5- Lift – Entrance Area

3.3.2 Figure 6- Lift – Office Area

The lifts were inspected in line with current regulations as far as allowed for frequent inspections by someone other than an approved engineer, and the lifts appeared to be in full working order. However, this inspection is limited and does not include the braking mechanism, motor, cables and the emergency call system. These elements have to be demonstrable as being maintained and serviced before the lifts are allowed to be used.

It is therefore recommended that the lifts are closed and rendered inactive, until such time as a full service is successfully completed and all paperwork and maintenance and inspection strategy is in place.




3.3.3 Figure 7- Unprotected in Plant Room - BT Lift Lines for Emergency Call function

The communications lines for the emergency call function for the lifts are located in the plant room and were unprotected from impact damage, which could potentially render the lifts inoperable. There was no evidence near this unit of any testing.




3.4 GENERAL MATTERS

3.4.1 Figure 8- Fire Alarm Cabling – Plastic retainers

Regulations stipulate that retaining fasteners for fire alarm cabling is to be metal if suspended below something and plastic if it is on top of something. There are a number of locations where the opposite would appear to be the case. An example of this is in Figure 8 above, where it would appear to indicate black plastic retainers instead of metal; however, confirmation that this is the case would be required prior to any rectification of the retention system.




3.4.2 Figure 9- Staining on ceiling tiles – further investigation required

There were a number of ceiling tiles throughout the building that had limited isolated stains on them that appeared to have come from above. It is believed there could be a number of explanations for this and two main contenders.

Explanation 1 – the Building contains air which has moisture in it. In ordinary conditions, the temperature of the building is maintained at such a level as to ensure all the moisture in the air stays there. When the buildings heating and cooling system was turned off and the building became dormant, the temperature in the building was allowed to drop sufficiently enough to cross the Dew Point Threshold. This is the temperature at which the air cannot hold the water anymore and condenses out on cold surfaces. Above the ceilings there are some cold condensate drain pipes that could have acted as the surface on which condensation took place, and over time, this lead to the limited amount of staining witnessed.

Explanation 2 – above the ceilings are pipes and services that carry water to and from units. These pipes have bends, junctions, joints and couplings, which may have allowed a small amount of water to escape after the building had been made dormant.




3.4.3 Figure 10- Stand alone heating unit

The buildings' environment is controlled by a building management system which should aim to balance and control the climate inside the building so that the building occupants are able to go about their daily work in a comfortable environment.

There are a number of standalone heating units located around the building which would indicate that the original intention of the building management system was not achieved and additional 'booster' units were required to provide the shortfall. This would be of concern as the original specification was not fit for purpose for the original building user and as such, may not be suitable for potential future users. This would have to be confirmed by further testing and commissioning of the environmental system as a whole.




3.4.4 Figure 11- Canteen

The canteen is on the ground floor and is open plan. The ground floor is of a solid construction, whereas the upper floors have access floors. There is a number of services e.g. domestic power sockets located around the perimeter of the room. If this room was to be re-used as office accommodation, whereby services would be required in the middle of the room, a system of service poles coming down from the ceiling would possibly have to be adopted which would create additional issues with the existing suspended ceiling system.




4 APPENDIX A – LIMITATIONS

This report is based on visual inspection of the readily accessible areas of the property. No steps were taken to expose elements of the structure otherwise concealed or to remove surface finishes for examination of underlying elements.

This report summarises the condition of the property at the time of the inspection and gives an indication as to the cause of identified defects and prescribed remedies.

We have not carried out a Mechanical or Electrical survey, or checked the design of the building services in anyway by calculation or other means.

We have not carried out sampling or testing of any services.

We were not instructed to make arrangements for specialist surveys of the drainage installations or water distribution or any other services for these to be tested by specialists. We have, however, made recommendations where we believe that tests should be carried out.

Any comments in this report regarding the compliance of the property with current legislation and statutory requirements are to be taken as a guide. Where we have suggested that there may be contraventions, comments from the appropriate authority should be sought to assess the scope of the remedial work or corrective measures needed to meet the requirements.

CONDITION SUMMARY REPORT PROSPECT HOUSE, SCARBOROUGH



PROSPECT HOUSE, SCARBOROUGH

CONDITION SURVEY SUMMARY REPORT

BUILDING FABRIC

SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE LIMITED

COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE

MAY 2012




5 CONTENTS

1 CONTENTS 2

2 INTRODUCTION 3

2.1 INTRODUCTIONS 3

2.2 SURVEY METHODOLOGY 3

2.3 WEATHER 3

2.4 COST & PROPERTY REPORTS 3

3 CONDITION SUMMARY 4

3.1 PROSPECT HOUSE-GENERALLY 4

3.1.1 Building Fabric 4

3.1.2 Mechanical & Electrical 6

3.1.3 Internal Areas 6

3.1.4 External Works 7

4 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 9

5 BUILDING DATA 10

6 APPENDIX A – LIMITATIONS 11




6 INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTIONS 1. Scarborough Borough Council is carrying out condition surveys under the Government’s

Asset Management Planning System (AMP) to effectively manage the property.

2. Spatial Intelligence and their building surveying partner, Measured View Consulting Limited, have been instructed by Scarborough BC to carry out this survey.

3. The Local Authority is looking to acquire this building and this condition survey forms part of the Council’s data collection exercise.

4. This report offers a summary of our findings following a data collection exercise, photographic and condition survey.

5. There is no depository database in place to manage the data so the output will be in the form of a structured spreadsheet and this report.

6. For clarity explanations of terms and/or reference to paragraphs will be inserted in to the right hand margin.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY 1. The premises were visited by survey technicians from Spatial Intelligence during the week

commencing 23rd April 2012. Following the site visit a desktop based assessment reviewing collected defect data, ground and roof photos was carried out. All identified work was then entered in the agreed spreadsheet format.

2. The premises were then also visited by Vernon Bardsley MRICS on 26th April 2012.

3. During the visit we were afforded access to all parts of the building.

4. Spatial Intelligence has used the 12 standard elements, sub-elements and attributes issued by the DfE. This methodology and list were taken forward as the basis for these particular surveys and extracted for this more detailed survey of the windows.

5. An M&E survey and report has also been commissioned and will be issued under separate cover

WEATHER 1. The weather at the time of the survey was heavy rain and had been for several days previous.

COST & PROPERTY REPORTS 2. Block table reports in Section 5 have been produced using pivot tables on the structured

spreadsheet data. They are standard reports containing priority, condition grading and cost information. This report includes a basic summary table of block-wide, condition grades and costs.

3. The costs shown in the tables are for the works and include contingencies, preliminary costs and fees. Costs including a percentage for each of these are shown in the spreadsheet data.

4. Costings given in this report are considered to be “order of costs” or approximate estimates. Costs include for the like for like replacement of repair, where practicable, for each element.

5. At a management level the report can be used to assess the block for future strategic planning and funding bids over 25 years.

6. At a local level they can be used to see the potential major spends expected in the next 3 year maintenance window.




7 CONDITION SUMMARY

7.1 PROSPECT HOUSE-GENERALLY

Prospect House, Scarborough YO11 3YU is a substantial modern building, built approximately 10 years ago and ranged over a ground and two upper floors. A plant room occupies the third floor and the roof space.

Generally the construction consists of structural steel framing with glazed panels and windows with a combination of brickwork, blockwork and rendered finishes on all elevations. The building is capped by a combination of flat (shallow pitched) and barrel vaulted roofs which are all clad in profiled sheet steel coverings with integral insulation.

The building occupies a prominent site on the main A64 into Scarborough and surrounding industrial areas.

The site has extensive hard and soft landscaped areas and car parking for approximately 153 vehicles.

7.1.1 Building Fabric

Defects are noted on the flat and barrel-vaulted roof coverings. Some poor attempts to repair holes, poor fixings and pipe penetration have been made previously.




Of longer term concerns are the lack of mechanical fixings over the whole roof and the start of cut edge corrosion- particularly on the barrel-vaulted roof.

The perimeter and internal gutters also give rise to concerns in the longer term. The gutters need cleaning now to ensure proper operation. However in the longer term there may need to be extensive re-lining work to extend their life and improve their operation.

Two asphalt covered plinths containing roof-mounted plant are sagging and whilst the waterproofing currently remains intact, the asphalt will need replacement in 3-5 years

The access doors to roof mounted plant need to be repaired and decorated to extend their life.

All visible elevations containing brickwork, blockwork, render and artificial stone details throughout the building are suffering from abnormal and accelerated weathering and pollution erosion. This is due to a lack of robust weathering details such as drips and overhangs

The reconstituted stonework details including string courses and copings are suffering the worst. This is almost certainly due to the relatively poor standard of stone casting resulting in a very porous material. Coupled with this, the pointing to the string course and copings is also very soft.

This defect has resulted in the severe wetting of all elevations, substantial moss and algae growth and unsightly staining to many details. It may well lead to accelerated deterioration of the stone work.

Remedial work to the stone details, cover panels, cills, drips etc should be carried out

In addition all elevations should be cleaned using non-abrasive methods and then treated with an anti-fungal solution.

The start of corrosion is also observed on the ‘false’ balconies on the North elevations and with the worst corrosion showing on the window cleaning cradle frame. This steelwork will need to be re-coated within the next 2 -3 years.




7.1.2 Mechanical & Electrical

All M&E matters within this building are covered under a separate report

7.1.3 Internal Areas

In the main, most internal areas are in good condition with the appearance of generally under-used spaces.

The first floor open plan offices appear to have been most heavily used and there needs to be redecoration and re-carpeting of this floor. The replacement of carpet tiles on this floor is quite extensive.

Throughout the building and particularly in the Reception Area and second floor open plan offices the suspended ceiling tiles are stained either by water ingress or the movement of dirty air. A substantial number of affected tiles should be replaced

The water ingress might well be leaking pipework but more likely to be condensation drips from pipework or the steel structural frame within the ceiling void




There are two vertical service risers which run on all floors throughout the building. It is unclear what the fire protection specification should be for these areas. However wall and floor penetrations; the fire rating of the doors; the specification of the floor construction and the fact that the pervious tenant has stored flammable materials on the first floor; all call into question the fire performance of this element.

A defect in the showers on the ground floor has resulted in water damage to the finishes at low level in an isolated area in the Restaurant.

The building has been unoccupied for some time – probably 18 months or more – and there are signs throughout the building of the deterioration of many of the sanitary appliances and kitchen/servery area. All WC’s, basins, showers and the kitchen areas would benefit from a deep clean and an overhaul to ensure full operation to hygienic standards.

7.1.4 External Works

General the soft landscaping and planting is of a low-maintenance type and is in good condition.

However, there are remedial works required to the hard landscaping.

Paving slabs used around the building are an imitation Yorkstone which typically has an uneven, rivened finish.

In front of the main entrance and also outside the restaurant the slabs are very uneven, loose in places and badly affected by moss. These areas should be relayed.

The Yorkstone slabs are also delaminating in a number of places. It is unclear if this is a defect due to frost action or a ‘design feature’ of the artificial stone.




Blockwork to the east elevation and close-by the generator building is uneven and prone to flooding. Once again there is a high incidence of moss growth. This area should also be relayed.

All of the paths and paving around the site are suffering from substantial moss and algae growth making the slabs both unsightly and giving rise to possible slipping hazards. All pavings should be fully cleaned and treated with an anti-fungal solution.

The tarmac to the car park is generally in a serviceable condition. However here too, moss growth is extensive. This area could also be treated, however once the car park is returned to full use the moss should be stripped off naturally.

The line marking to the car park generally and the junction at the entrance barrier is worn and should be renewed




8 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Generally, although currently unoccupied, the building is in a satisfactory condition with all floors offering open plan offices, cellular offices, staff and sanitary facilities.

Remedial work to the floor, ceiling finishes and decorations are required internally to the first floor.

There are a substantial amount of the former tenant’s fixtures and fittings left in situ

The external envelope whilst generally satisfactory has some features which may have an adverse affect on the building in the longer term.

These issues include:

The specification, fixity and details of the roof

The guttering and rainwater disposal

The wetting and poor detailing of the stonework and all main elevations

Deterioration of metalwork

The fire integrity of the service risers should be confirmed and if required, improved

Externally there are remedial works required to blockwork and concrete slabbed paths and again the heavy moss growth and very wet conditions is of some concern.

The design of any adaptations for future occupancy is outside the remit of this report. However we would comment that any proposals to alter the internal layout or use of the building are likely to have an adverse effect on many of its main construction and services elements

Whilst the purpose of this report is to comment only on the defects as observed, we would consider that the layout and facilities within this substantial building make it suitable for use as a Headquarters building.




BUILDING DATA

Priority Element 1 2 3 4+ Grand TotalRoof £1300.00 £69550.00 £2373.93 £73,223.93Floors & Stairs £70,075.21 £130,000.00 £200,075.21Ceilings £7,837.29 £7,837.29External Walls, Doors & Windows £1560.00 £7540.00 £5200.00 £14,300.00Internal Walls & Doors £9100.00 £390.00 £9,490.00Sanitary Services £4290.00 £4,290.00Mechanical Services £292,500.00 £292,500.00Electrical Services £101,000.00 £101.000.00Redecorations £25,734.91 £353.28 £162,500.00 £188,588.19External Areas £27,581.19 £4,290.00 £31,871.19Fixed Furniture £6500.00 £26,000.00 £32,500.00Grand Total £120,406.40 £110,662.20 £12,607.21 £666,500.00 £956,075.80




9 APPENDIX A – LIMITATIONS

1. This report is based on visual inspection of the readily accessible areas of the property. No steps were taken to expose elements of the structure otherwise concealed or to remove surface finishes for examination of underlying elements.

2. This report summarises the condition of the property at the time of the inspection and gives an indication as to the cause of identified defects and prescribed remedies.

3. We have not carried out a structural survey or checked the design of the building in anyway whatsoever by calculation or other means.

4. We have not carried out sampling or testing to establish the level of Radon gas present within the building or established whether or not there are any contaminants, Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) or hazardous materials present in the building, soil, or sub-strata. We have not undertaken any concrete tests and thus are unable to confirm the presence of high alumina cement, calcium chloride, carbonation of concrete or insufficient depth or concrete cover to reinforcement.

5. No specialist inspections of the plumbing, heating, drainage and electrical installations have been arranged and we are therefore unable to confirm they are free from defect and in full working order.

6. All dimensions in this report are of an approximate nature and should be taken as a guide to the position and size of items only. Reference to the drawn CAD plots should be made for more accurate dimensions and details.

7. We were not instructed to make arrangements for specialist surveys of the drainage installations or water distribution or for these to be tested by specialists. We have, however, made recommendations where we believe that tests should be carried out.

8. Any comments in this report regarding the compliance of the property with current legislation and statutory requirements are to be taken as a guide. Where we have suggested that there may be contraventions, comments from the appropriate authority should be sought to assess the scope of the remedial work or corrective measures needed to meet the requirements.

appendix c a - prospect house building condition survey · maintenance should be carried out in...

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