Details on Visual Inspection and the Submission of the report
Objective:
The emphasis of the inspection is not on the
architectural aspects, but on the structural
elements of the buildings and the surrounding
area so that any misuse, abuse, defect, sign of
structural distress, deformation and deterioration
can be identified. The owner will get the
professional advice from the engineer so as to
initiate further structural investigation or to take
appropriate remedial action.
Visual Inspection
The engineer is expected to carry out, with
reasonable diligence, a visual inspection of :
a. the condition of the structure of the building
- to identify the type of structural defects
- to identify any sign of structural distress
and deformation
- to identify any sign of material deterioration
b. the loading on the structure of the building
- to identify any misuse, abuse and change
of the use which can result in overloading
c. any addition or alteration affecting the
structure of the building
- to identify any addition or alteration which
can result in overloading or adverse effects
on the structure
d. Other conditions that may affect the safety of
the occupants
- to assess the state and condition of the
water tank
- to assess the stability of the surrounding
areas. The condition of slopes and
drainages within the same catchment area
which have a stability effect on the building
should be checked against the overall
stability and functionality. Earth retaining
structures and soil stabilisation within the
building lot boundary should be inspected
against possible failure.
Extent of Inspection
a. Due to the difficulty of access and other
practical problems, it is sometimes not
possible to inspect 100% of all the areas in a
building. The engineer should therefore identify
critical areas of the structure and pay special
attention to them.
b. However, in a building where the loading is
light, where the usage is fairly uniform and
where it is unlikely to subject to overloading, a
reasonable sampling of a certain percentage
of inspection may well suffice. However if the
engineer detects the possibility of abuse or
overloading and detects signs of structural
defects and possible deterioration, he should
consider inspection of the structure in full.
c. In a building where loading is high, the usage
varied and where it is subject to likely abuse
and overloading, the engineer should carry out
inspection of all units or parts of the building.
d. All exposed common areas in any building shall
be inspected fully.
e. All parts of the building with special and critical
structural elements shall be inspected fully.
f. All drain components shall be inspected fully.
g. All slopes should be inspected for signs of
lateral movement and instability if there are
any changes in the condition of the slope.
h. All retaining structures should be checked
against stability, alteration of loading patterns
and the possibility of weakening of the toe due
to other construction activities.
The scope and standard of visual inspection
a. In general, a report on the results of a visual
inspection of a building shall comprise:
i. A detailed record and description of the
visual inspection.
ii. Assessment of the observations in
regard to the condition of the structure
of the building, the loading on the
structure of the building, and any addition
or alteration affecting the structure of the
building. The seriousness of any structural
problems detected should be assessed.
iii. Recommendation by the engineer on
such remedial actions or full structural
investigation to ensure the structural
stability and integrity of the building.
b. A report should therefore reflect that the
engineer has in fact carried out inspection in a
professional manner with reasonable diligence
expected of him as a professional engineer.
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