Maintain or Replace, Make Fully Informed Decisions

The task of surveying the condition of several selected buildings on a college campus in Somerset was given to Cube Building Consultancy, a measured survey was also called for.

The purpose of the survey was so that the client could make fully qualified decisions regarding whether to refurbish or replace elements of the internal and external fabric of their buildings.  As these buildings were constructed between the 1960’s and the 1990’s both the way in which they were constructed, the materials used, and their condition varied.

By discussing the outcomes and objectives, we were able to send our surveyor to complete the ideal survey for the campus owner’s purposes.

The detail in the condition reports we completed helped them to understand the true situation of both the internal and external fabric of their buildings.

In recent years we’ve found it very advantageous, in certain circumstances and under specific conditions to complete roofline and high level inspections using hi-res drone cameras.   This technology makes it easier and quicker to reach any part of the building, negates the hire of access equipment and dramatically reduces the risk of working at height.  It isn’t always possible, however, when it is, it’s certainly a favoured and highly accurate method.  It was certainly an advantage when surveying all these education buildings.  Far quicker and with no access equipment, therefore less of an investment.

Having completed both surveys Cube Building Consultancy were able to give our client an accurate and valuable breakdown of the investment needed to maintain each of the buildings over the next 25 years.  Which meant that the college was provided with a true basis for establishing a planned maintenance programme for selected assets, allowing them to make fully qualified decisions going forward.