Report

Mission abroad

Florian Osswalt

Host supervisor: Robert Burke

Hand in: 11/05/2015 Cesfa 2013/2016

Florian Osswalt Watts Group PLC

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Abstract

Nowadays an engineer has to be able to work worldwide. This is why the engineer title is

only delivered to students with a minimum English level fixed by the TOEIC. The aim of

this internship abroad is to give us the opportunity to prove our ability to work in a foreign

country. This work period is mandatory to obtain the engineer diploma.

The search for this internship was a demonstration of commitment and dedication to find

a company within the building industry in London, on my own, without having any internal

contacts.

During ten weeks, I found myself immersed in a different work environment, speaking

another language. Despite the mandatory aspect, I expected from this experience to end

up with the language skills necessary to work in a foreign country.

The aim of this internship for me is to be able to fully integrate myself within a foreign

company, understand its systems and work environment, and be able to do productive

work.

This report summarizes what I have learned during these ten weeks with Watts Group,

comprising of the company’s history and structure, the activities I got involved with and

my views of this internship abroad.


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Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1

1. The company: Watts Group PLC ________________________________________________ 2

1.1 History _______________________________________________________________________ 2

1.2 Overview _____________________________________________________________________ 3

2. Activities __________________________________________________________________ 6

2.1 Services ______________________________________________________________________ 6

Building Surveying ____________________________________________________________________________ 6

Project Management __________________________________________________________________________ 7

Cost Consultancy _____________________________________________________________________________ 8

2.2 Sectors_______________________________________________________________________ 9

Education ___________________________________________________________________________________ 9

Commercial ________________________________________________________________________________ 10

Public sector ________________________________________________________________________________ 10

Historic ____________________________________________________________________________________ 11

Industrial __________________________________________________________________________________ 11

Retail _____________________________________________________________________________________ 12

Residential _________________________________________________________________________________ 12

2.3 My role _____________________________________________________________________ 13

Project management at King’s College Hospital ____________________________________________________ 13

Dilapidation inspections at Welling & Knebworth __________________________________________________ 16

Building Reinstatement Valuation ______________________________________________________________ 18

Planned Preventative Maintenance at Sadler’s Wells Theatre ________________________________________ 19

Schedule of Condition at the Walkie Talkie Tower’s Sky Garden ______________________________________ 21

RICS meetings ______________________________________________________________________________ 22

Pathology Inspection at Woodford Green ________________________________________________________ 23

3. Working abroad____________________________________________________________ 27

3.1 Work within the company ______________________________________________________ 27

Traditional (Design-bid-build) __________________________________________________________________ 27

Measurement (`remeasurement` or `measure and value`) ___________________________________________ 28

Design and build ____________________________________________________________________________ 29

Construction Management ____________________________________________________________________ 30

3.2 Finding the internship and life abroad ____________________________________________ 31

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 32

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………33


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Introduction

I have spent ten weeks working with Watts Group as part of my engineer formation. This

experience abroad will be summarized in this report highlighting the major aspects of

what I have learned. Through this report I expect to show my ability to adapt in a foreign

work environment and to find a place within the company.

The first part of this report will be about the company; its history from creation to present;

its place and role within the construction industry; and its economic development.

The second part will highlight the company’s main activities and my role as an employee;

introducing the different services and sectors; and developing some of my activities.

The third and final part will be a reflection of this experience; how I managed to find the

internship; my view of the work environment; and more generally the life abroad.


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1. The company: Watts Group PLC

1.1 History

Ted Watts founded “Edward Watts & Company” in 1967. The practice became Watts &

Pelling in 1972. Five years later, following further expansion, Watts and Partners was

born. As the company continued to grow, the need for a corporate identity became more

pressing, leading to its rebranding as Watts in 2006 before final incorporation into Watts

Group PLC on 2 March 2006.

In 1982, the three offices in South London amalgamated, moving to a disused church on

Independents Road, Blackheath. Until 1983, Watts concentrated on housing-related

services and government contracts (local and central). However, in 1983, a positive move

was made into the commercial market, concentrating on funding institutions and property

investors. This diversification, required additional premises, so in July 1983, a central

London office was opened in Suffolk Street, SW1. Two further central offices quickly

followed and, in October 1989, all three were combined and relocated to 11 Haymarket.

Since 2005, all London personnel have worked from our current office in the City, 1 Great

Tower Street.

Watts opened its first national office in Glasgow in 1991. Offices in Manchester, Bristol,

and Belfast quickly followed with Leeds opening in 1998. As business grew, the company

increased its presence in Scotland through an office in Edinburgh, while enhancing its

regional network by opening another office in Birmingham in 2006.

In addition to this UK-based expansion, their reputation and business success led them

into Europe. Watts opened an office in Dublin in 1999, one in Madrid in 2001 and

following a successful period in a strategic alliance, Watts opened an office in Paris in

2003. European expansion continued in 2006, with the addition of offices in Berlin and

Munich, while 2007 saw their network strengthen further as they opened offices in

Barcelona, Stockholm, Düsseldorf and The Hague. 2008 saw further consolidation as they

opened offices in Frankfurt and Vienna, and moved into the Balkan States with the

addition of an office in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The recent global financial crisis (described as the worst recession in sixty years) had a

devastating impact on the property and construction industry, across all sectors, and has

inevitably affected Watts. In reaction to this, Watts have refocused our efforts within the

UK market, with an emphasis on developing their core strengths and expanding our

existing customer base at grassroots level.


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Turnover was in the region of £2,000 in first year of trading. By 1983, turnover had

reached £1m and it passed the £10m milestone in 1999. For 2007 to 2009, the annual

turnover exceeded £20m. Despite unprecedentedly difficult trading conditions over the

past four years, Watts continues to maintain a secure and stable presence within the

industry.

1.2 Overview

Watts is a leading independent consultancy delivering world-class technical services to the

property and construction industries in the UK. They are strongly focused on three specific

service offerings: technical due diligence, project management and consultancy, offering

advice at every stage of the property lifecycle. The scope of their services covers the

complete spectrum of building and cost consultancy, commercial building surveying,

building pathology and statutory compliance. Watts responds to the individual needs of

owners, investors, occupiers, developers and building managers. Their staffs have

extensive experience of working across the whole range of commercial, industrial, retail,

residential, public and historic building types.

During the last four decades, Watts has developed its service offering to meet the

constantly changing needs of their clients (see Figure 2). The business is now recognised

as a leader in the field of technical due diligence and project management services to the

property and construction industry across the UK. Furthermore, Watts takes an active role

in setting the standards within the profession.

The group services are enhanced by environmental, health and quality management

systems and are supported by integrated corporate services comprising: an active

information and research unit; an academy that focuses on ongoing education and internal

technical and professional development, and a marketing/public relations capability that

manages the production of its flagship technical resources: Watts Pocket Handbook Online

and the Watts Bulletin.

Watts holds its values of honesty, responsibility and progression at a premium, enabling

their clients to make the right property decisions worldwide. Watts offers UK-wide

coverage to its clients with offices in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow,

Leeds, London, and Manchester (see figure 1). Watts also has strategic alliances with

several other firms throughout continental Europe.


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Figure 1 Offices locations

Staff Grade 1 May 2014 1 May 2013 1 May 2012 1 May 2011 1 May 2010

Director: 26 33 32 29 43

Associate: 17 17 25 21 28

Level 2: 19 12 9 8 10

Level 1: 13 13 18 19 35

Graduate: 13 17 10 7 15

Support Staff

(inc. Corporate Services): 33 32 37 37 50

Total 121 124 129 121 181

Figure 2 Staff


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Figure 3 Main Clients


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2. Activities

Watts Group PLC works in several services and sectors across the building industry. Before

introducing my role within the company, a quick overview of the company’s activities is

necessary to understand the organisation of Watts Group PLC. After presenting the three

services and various sectors of activity, I will explain my tasks carried out during my

internship and their place within this organisation.

2.1 Services

Building Surveying

Building surveyors provide professional advice on property and construction. They work on

the design and development of new buildings as well as the restoration and maintenance

of existing ones. This is a very wide field and may include advising on various aspects of

buildings at different stages. Building surveyors often work on preventative measures to

keep buildings in good condition and look for ways to make buildings sustainable. They

may be called upon to give evidence in court in cases where building regulations have

been breached and as expert witnesses on building defects and dilapidations. A building

surveyor is a professional trained in understanding and interpreting building law. He or she

is authorised to assess building plans with a view to ensuring they are compliant with the

Building Regulations. In addition to having recognised qualifications, a building surveyor

must be registered and must have appropriate insurance.

Building surveyors are responsible for making sure that buildings are safe, accessible and

energy efficient and therefore have an impact on the design, planning and functionality of

buildings. They interact with other professionals such as engineers, architects and builders

to ensure that buildings are designed and constructed to comply with building regulations.

They are experts in building legislation, technical codes and construction standards; they

detect and diagnose problems with design issues, construction techniques and materials,

and undertake the inspection process from foundations through to completion.


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Watts provides its clients with practical and bespoke professional advice in the following

service areas:

- Building Inspections & Defect Analysis

- Technical Due Diligence for purchasers and vendors

- Contract Administration

- Dilapidations

- Party Wall Matters

- Planned Maintenance

- Project Design

- Rights to Light

Watts works to maximise the value to clients involved at every stage of the property life

cycle; from business case to development and refurbishment, compliance audits, repairs

and strategic advice on sales and building.

Project Management

The project management team is responsible for controlling projects in the land, property

and construction industries. They are also responsible for coordinating the entire

development process to maximise efficiency, economy, communication and successful

completion of each specific project. Watts’ approach is focused on leveraging performance

in three key areas of a project:

• Managing the risks and opportunities;

• Managing the product (delivering best value); and

• Managing the people.

Watts’ approach also ensures that one of its directors is designated as commission

manager, to provide competent professional project control and co-ordination from

inception to completion. In this way project managers are able to actively manage the

time, cost and quality elements of the scheme at both the day-to-day and strategic levels.

More specifically, managers are responsible for:

• Establishing a high performing, well balanced team (including advising on the selection

and appointment of any specialists)

• Chairing meetings and monitoring/reporting progress

• Controlling risk management, value engineering and cost control procedures


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• Liaising with the client and key project stakeholders (including, where appropriate, end

users, members of the public, other consultants, statutory bodies etc.)

• Directing any procurement required (including, where appropriate, the placing of

adverts, tender evaluation and contractor selection/recommendation).

Complex projects demand robust procedures to ensure the scheme is designed, developed

and delivered within established budgets and timelines. Watts rely on just four key

documents to control and deliver the projects:

• Master client briefing document

• Master programme

• Master budget and expenditure schedule

• Project execution plan

Ultimately, all these elements manifest themselves into delivery of the best possible

building design and specification.

Cost Consultancy

Watts’ quantity surveyors are concerned with the financial issues of construction projects.

Their objectives can vary, depending upon the role being performed, but the key objective

of best value is a constant theme. The role of Watts’ quantity surveyors has increased in

scope, to take on the broader issues of management and project delivery as well as

playing an active part in the construction process. The National Quantity Surveying and

Monitoring team, which encompass the cost consultancy and development monitoring

personnel, are a forward thinking UK-wide group who are able to combine the traditional

skills of quantity surveying with the ever-changing requirements of today's market. The

team draws on experience from a range of projects in the public, private and charity

sectors and works closely with other property and construction consultancy teams in Watts

- another vast repository of up-to-date information and advice. Watts’ core service offering

includes:

• Feasibility cost advice

• Pre-contract cost control

• Procurement and partnering advice

• Tender and contract documentation


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• Negotiation of building contracts.

• Post-contract cost control, including recommendations for payment.

• Preparation of final accounts.

• Value management and engineering.

• Economic appraisal

• Risk assessments

• Reinstatement cost assessment/building reinstatement valuations (BRVs)

• Assistance in adjudication, arbitration and litigation

• Assistance in claims negotiations for/with loss adjusters.

Clearly all stages of the construction process are important, but time invested at the pre-

contract/feasibility stages is vital. In this way Watts can ensure that the overall scheme is

right, the approved budget has the correct tolerances and the delivery stage runs

smoothly as the identified risks are managed effectively, not designed out later at the

client’s expense.

2.2 Sectors

Education

In the wake of the comprehensive spending review, further education colleges and

universities are faced with a 25% reduction in the further education budget by 2015. This,

combined with the threat of new immigration limits reducing the flow of international

higher education students coming to the UK, presents a real test for colleges and

universities. In response to the reduction in the further education budget, the upkeep and

maintenance of higher education buildings are likely to be brought into sharp focus in

establishing whether overheads can be reduced through efficiency savings.

Watts has a specialist education team which has led, reviewed, managed and supported

numerous higher education programmes and projects. By working in partnership with its

higher education clients, Watts have been able to both inform and transform the way that

services are delivered to their customers, and achieve a cost efficient solution.


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Commercial

The economic challenges facing the commercial property sector have prompted changes

to business requirements. Understanding the right balance between cost and added value

is paramount to successful asset acquisition, management and disposal. Maximising

portfolio value from existing property must be adequately planned to reduce risk and cost

and a stronger emphasis is emerging on building management and refurbishment.

With a track record spanning more than 45 years, Watts has built a strong reputation for

providing independent, specialist advice to the commercial property sector, including

offices and mixed use developments.

Working across the Group’s UK-wide office network, Watts' commercial team is able to

offer advice at every stage of the property life cycle, including project management, the

provision of building surveys, planned preventative maintenance, sustainability, M&E

engineering and technical consultancy services. Clients range from property investors and

developers to building owners, landlords and occupiers.

Public sector

The provision of independent professional property advice to public sector clients, as well

as those organisations that are publicly funded, has always been a core aspect of Watts’

service offering. With extensive experience across a wide range of projects and services

for central and local government, (particularly higher education and schools, the Ministry

of Defence and the police), Watts has developed an enviable reputation for client-focused

delivery.

As a multi-discipline property consultancy, Watts is able to deliver a comprehensive range

of professional services including technical and environmental due diligence, project

management, planned preventative maintenance, sustainability advice, M&E engineering

and technical consultancy.

Watts’ dedicated public sector team is already working with 20-plus local authorities and

more than 15 universities. The team is committed to expanding its UK-wide presence, and

maximising the company’s profile in this extensive and wide-ranging market.


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Historic

Preserving and maintaining built heritage requires a level of expert knowledge, skill and

care which results from experience and dedication. Inappropriate methods of repair and a

lack of understanding of the behaviour of materials are common causes of defects in

historic buildings, and may lead to damage or the loss of important historic elements.

Watts provides specialist conservation advice to a wide range of clients who are

responsible for the practical care of historic buildings, including central government, local

authorities, independent schools, theatres, hotels and property investors and managers.

Watts has the capability to deliver the complete spectrum of historic building services,

including historic building surveys, quadrennial and quinquennial inspections and reports,

planned maintenance, post-fire damage reconstruction, restoration of historic facades,

planning and Listed Building Consent applications, specialist project management and

contract administration services, defect analysis, archival research and above ground

archaeology.

Watts’ building conservation team has a full understanding of the need for sympathetic

repair with minimal intervention to the building fabric to prevent deterioration and prolong

the life of our cultural and natural heritage.

Industrial

As a multi-disciplinary property consultancy, Watts offers a comprehensive range of

professional services to the industrial sector including, Technical and Environmental Due

Diligence, New Build and Refurbishment Project Management and Monitoring,

Dilapidations and Defect Analysis.

Via its extensive office network, the company works with property investors, owners and

occupiers across all industrial building types including, estates, warehouses, sheds and

distribution centres throughout the UK.

Watts’ industrial specialists have extensive technical expertise, twinned with local

knowledge, and are ideally placed to advise on the most cost effective way to improve

older industrial property to help investors and owners capitalise on the need for industrial

space once recovery is underway.


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Retail

With its network of offices throughout the UK, Watts is well-placed to provide a consistent

and rapid response to high street and out-of-town retail clients as well as pubs,

restaurants and landlords.

There continues to be cautious expansion among major retailers, with the large

supermarkets driving forward their building programmes.

Services include undertaking schedules of condition for acquisition or lease purposes,

engineering advice, planned preventative maintenance and environmental guidance on

aspects such as compliance with European legislation.

A retail forum, which includes representatives from each of the company’s regional offices,

has been established to actively support clients, wherever they are located.

Demonstrating Watts’ commitment to the sector, the forum and office network are

matched to the regional spread of clients, enabling staff to service projects rapidly and

effectively.

Residential

Watts has provided professional advice to the residential property sector for more than 45

years. Residential teams operate throughout its network of offices and have considerable

experience of social housing, senior living and student accommodation sectors.

Watts’ specialist education team, comprising project managers, building surveyors and

cost consultants, delivers services across all aspects of the university estate, from property

acquisition, refurbishment, defect analysis, dilapidations and redevelopment.

Within the senior living sector, Watts is able to offer advice at every stage of the property

life cycle, including cost consultancy, building surveys, planned preventative maintenance,

project management, employer’s agent, sustainability, and technical consultancy services.


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2.3 My role

Project management at King’s College Hospital

I have spent a few days on site at King’s College Hospital located in Denmark Hill (South

of London). During these days I have been introduced to the work being carried out on

site. There are two projects undertaken by Watts as the project manager on this site.

The first one is the Critical Care Unit extension (CCU) and the other one is the Helipad. For

the extension of the CCU, 3 storeys will be built on top the existing 2 storey buildings. The

structure of the new floors will be made of steel. The load of the new structure will rest on

surrounding pilings to avoid any effect on the existing building. On this project I have

been introduced to several aspects of the construction.

The piling

Figure 4 Piling at KCH

As said previously, the new structure will rest on pilings (see Figure 4); here is the method

used for this project.

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Method:

- Digging: the first step is to excavate the soil in the piling area to make sure that

there isn’t an electrical cable, water pipe or gas conduct.

- The soil is then put back in place.

- A steel tube is placed where the pile will be done. The length of this tube equals

the depth of the soil excavated and put back in place previously. This tube will

operate as a drill stirring and will ensure that the moved soil doesn’t collapse during

the drilling.

- The drilling is the next step. Considering the depth of the piles (up to 20 meters)

and the surrounding building, the drill is made of several pieces put back together

during the operation.

- The excavated soil is removed from the site.

- Then the rebar cage is placed in the drilled area.

- Grout is then poured inside. Grout is made only with cement and water and unlike

concrete, it doesn’t contain any aggregate. This will avoid any segregation (when

the aggregate falls at the bottom leaving a poorly resistant concrete above).

- Once done, the steel tube is removed and the pile is left to consolidate and dry.

- The last step is to break the surplus of grout above the determined level. The grout

will be taken down by drilling leaving the steel bars apparent above. These bars will

assure a connection before the pile and the pile cap.

- A pile cap will be created above several piles (the number of piles and dimensions

of the pile cap varies). A steel rebar cage will be placed before the concrete is

placed to form the pile cap.

Several tests are done regarding the piles.

- Integrity test: An impact is made with a hammer on the pile. Several captors will

then interpret the wave propagation to determine the condition and quality of the

grout in the pile.

- Slump test: The fresh grout is placed inside a cone on a flat surface. The cone is

then removed and we can see how the grout reacts in terms of collapsing. The

length from the top of the cone to the top of the collapsed grout will indicate the

workability of the grout.

- Cubes: Samples from the grout are placed into cubic casts and sent to an

independent laboratory where they will be tested, mostly regarding the

compressive strength.

- Load test: A sample pile is made (which will not take part of the building

substructure) to be tested. A heavy weight is applied on top of the pile in order to

determine the length of the pre-test level to the post-test level.


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Crack monitoring Tell-tale

Working in proximity of existing buildings may lead to potential damaging. Once a crack is

discovered it is hard to see if it is expanding. On this site, a Tell-tale is used on cracks.

This device is composed of two rulers put on each side of a red line. If the crack expands,

we can see it and measure the length.

Site surveying

A Total Station Theodolite (TST) with Electronic Distance meter (EDM) is used in order to

determine the position of new elements on site. To set it, a couple of benchmarks can be

used to determine the position of the TST. The more benchmarks, the more precise the

location will be. After that the elements can be placed by working out the distance on the

drawings. The TST also indicate angles and levels.

The second project is the Helipad. On top of the existing 10 storey building, a steel frame

helipad will be build.

Aluminium structure of the Helipad

Placed on top of the existing 10 storey building, the structure of the Helipad is made of

aluminium (see Figure 5). The main benefits include its lighter weight; this will allow a

minimal impact on the existing building. It is also less electrically conductive, which means

less chance of conducting the electricity towards the building in case of a thunder bolt.

The negative side is that it is not possible to weld aluminium on site.

Figure 5 Helipad at KCH


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Wind

To ensure the building is stable against wind with the new Helipad, braces will be created

on the south and north side of the building. For now the contractor’s temporary

accommodation are located at the exact same place so a temporary system is being set up

to protect from any winds. Props are placed inside the staircase from the ground floor

until the fourth floor. There is one prop in every corner and they go through the concrete

slab. Every four meters they are sealed to the wall.

Dilapidation inspections at Welling & Knebworth

Figure 6 Inspection at Knebworth

Owners of commercial buildings rarely occupy their buildings and the majority are let to

commercial occupiers tied into a lease agreement of some kind. With this comes the need

to deal with repairing obligations during the lease term (interim basis) and at lease end

situations (terminal or final basis). Due to the present downturn in the economy, tenants

are looking to exercise break options in their current leases resulting in Landlords taking a

greater interest in dilapidations issues. Landlords are now looking to enforce repairing

covenants in full to ensure that they are in a position to offer fully repaired buildings to

incoming tenants, having ensured works are carried out or having secured adequate

damages from outgoing tenants.

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Landlords benefit by:

- Reducing the risk of inheriting hidden costs at lease end

- Reducing the extent of disrepair to the building through the service of an interim

schedule during the term

- Ensuring compliance with the lease obligations with regard to the type of

development involved

- Achieving a comprehensive and fair settlement at lease termination

Tenants benefit by:

- Budgeting appropriately for any dilapidations liabilities (based on an Anticipated

Dilapidations Liability report)

- Having a planned exit strategy aimed to minimise their dilapidations liability at lease

termination

The service

- Preparation and negotiation of dilapidation schedules for owners/landlords

- Defence and negotiation of dilapidation claims for tenants

- Preparing schedules of condition for new leases

- Procurement of building works in compliance with repairing covenants

- Checking, approving and monitoring tenants’ alteration work

- Detailed analysis of service charge accounts and negotiations

- Strategic dilapidations advice on:

o tenants’ liability on expiration of the lease term;

o operation of break clauses; and

o repairing covenants in new leases.

- Acting as expert witness and court appointed expert in arbitration and litigation

My role on these two projects was to take measurements in order to produce a lump sum

of the work to be carried out. To do so I had to draw each room with the locations of

windows and doors. With those notes I was then able to find out the area of floors,

ceilings, walls, windows and doors. We then have to find out using the lease and every

document available, what needs to be redecorated, replaced or removed. Using a BCIS

pricing book, we can apply rates on every item to come up with the final lump sum.


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Building Reinstatement Valuation

A reinstatement valuation is an estimation of the cost of rebuilding a property following

total destruction. Property insurance provides peace of mind that important assets are

adequately covered in the event of loss or damage. A property insurance valuation

removes the burden of proof from the insured, who can now quickly satisfy ‘proof of loss’

requirements. An accurate assessment of the cost of reinstating the insured building can

save the costs of unnecessarily high premium rates or risk of under insurance.

Benefits of BRVs are:

- Protects the insured against risk of under insurance or any knock-on effect of being

under insured

- Eliminates over insurance, and higher premiums

- Provides an independent assessment of the property and detailed supporting

information

- Removes the burden of proof from the insured and also puts them in a strong

position when discussing with third parties (Leasehold tenants etc.)

- Eliminates any conflict of interest – we are fully independent

- Verifies exactly what is being insured

- Provides a benchmark

Watts’ approach may include:

- Site survey and inspection of the property

- Compilation of details and photographic records

- Estimation assessment using in-house expertise and comparison with current in-

house cost analysis and published cost databases

- Surveys undertaken by Chartered Building Surveyors and Cost Assessments

undertaken by Chartered Quantity Surveyors

- Liaison with insurer or broker


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Planned Preventative Maintenance at Sadler’s Wells Theatre

Figure 7 Inspection at Sadlers's Wells Theatre

The maintenance of complex buildings and portfolios can be a major and unpredictable

cost headache for building and facilities managers. Taking control of the process to secure

adequate funds in advance, and then directing them to the optimum effect in meeting

business need, calls for a strategic and systematic approach.

Property managers frequently face the following key challenges:

- Understanding the financial implications of maintenance activities

- Identifying a maintenance policy. Many planned maintenance polices have evolved

over the years and often do not reflect the occupier’s business or the use of the

buildings

- Setting realistic budgets so that maintenance activities can be fully implemented

without compromising quality

- Implementing an Asset Management System and keeping it up to date with reliable

information

- Monitoring maintenance activities to ensure best value and quality


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The overriding factor for many is that planned maintenance will reduce costs. Typically

savings of between 12-18% can be achieved over reactive maintenance. In addition, the

following benefits can be realised:

- Prevents large scale failure: A £650,000 roof timber replacement could have been

prevented by a gutter cleaning regime of £1,000 a year

- Better performance: plant and equipment become energy efficient and service lives

can be extended

- Minimises downtime and disruption: particularly important for education, leisure

and retail sectors Increases user/occupant satisfaction

- Meets manufacturer warranties requirements

- Ensures health and safety compliance

- Adds value to preserve and enhance property assets

Watts offers a comprehensive planned preventative maintenance service at every stage of

the property life cycle, comprising:

Strategic

- Preparing a strategic maintenance policy and defining aims and objectives

- Financial planning/forecasting and advising on funding options available

- Determining the priority and standards of maintenance activities

- Setting benchmarking criteria and identify programme options

- Setting timeframes and benchmarking criteria

- Advising on appropriate procurement strategy

- Providing advice on possible tax relief in the form of VAT allowances

Technical

- Experts in carrying out condition assessments of building fabric as well as

mechanical and electrical engineering services

- Reliable and consistent cost information

- Understanding the nature of component failure, causes and remedies

- Technical audit of existing survey data (both hardcopy and maintenance software

packages)

- Experienced in specifying maintenance work

Managerial

- Procuring and supervising maintenance activities

- Managing and reviewing budgets and costings

- Technical audits and monitoring performance


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Sadler's Wells Theatre (see Figure 7) is a performing arts venue located in Rosebery

Avenue, Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington. The present day theatre is the

sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500 seat main

auditorium and the Lilian Baylis Studio, with extensive rehearsal rooms and technical

facilities also housed within the site. During our inspection we met with the project

manager of the last building project, the maintenance and IT manager, and the manager

of the theatre. The aim of these meetings was to get as much information as possible

about the fabric of the building and the future projects that may cause changes to the

fabric. We found out that the building is a concrete frame with brick external cladding. The

floors are composite concrete (Holorib). Composite slabs comprise reinforced concrete

cast on top of profiled steel decking.

Schedule of Condition at the Walkie Talkie Tower’s Sky Garden

A Schedule of Condition is a document produced after a site inspection in order to define

the state of a building’s fabric at a certain time. The schedule of condition records, in

writing and photographs, the state of repair of various areas of the building. In this case,

the landlord of the Walkie Talkie’s Sky Garden (see Figure 8) called Watts to carry out this

job. The Sky Garden is located on the top floors of one of the tallest buildings in London.

This place is often rented for different events. One previous event caused the landlord to

pay for repair works after a party that caused damages to the fabric. Watts was then

called prior to an event to check the state of the fabric and called back the next day to

evaluate potential damages. The inspection can take several hours depending on the size

and complexity of the building. To avoid wasting time, a process has to be followed step

by step detailing every part of the fabric. This includes the floors, walls and ceilings. Every

item has to be carefully inspected and photos have to be taken to prove the state of each

element. Watts is acting as an impartial consultant and won’t take any side in case of an

argument regardless on which side is paying for the inspection.


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Figure 8 Sky Garden at Walkie Talkie tower

RICS meetings

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is an independent, representative

professional body which regulates construction and property professionals in the United

Kingdom and other countries around the world. Members and Fellows of RICS are entitled

to describe themselves as Chartered Surveyors and use post nominal letters MRICS and

FRICS after their names.

RICS provides education and training standards, protects consumers with strict codes of

practice and advises governments and business. RICS provides expertise in matters

involving fixed assets, including but not limited to land and real property.

In order to join the institution, applicants must hand in an Assessment of Professional

Competence (APC) about their work experience and do an oral interview. The meetings

are also part of the requirement for every soon to be members to understand the RICS

way of working. Members also attend meetings to keep up to date with new laws and

regulations.

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The first meeting I attended was about Professional and Ethical Standards. The main goals

for a RICS member are to act with integrity, offer a high standard of service, promote

trust in the profession, treat others with respect and take responsibility. The APC

requirements are defined into 3 levels. The first level is `Knowledge’, the second one is

`Practical application’ and the third one is `Impartial’.

The second meeting I attended was about sustainability. Sustainable development can be

defined as the development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising

the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The meeting was set as an open

discussion about this subject where every attendee was asked questions about

sustainability.

Pathology Inspection at Woodford Green

A pathology inspection is to be carried out in case of a defect spotted in a building. In this

case, a residential building was inspected regarding water ingress into several flats.

The tower block has ground, first and eleven upper storeys providing a total of 113 flats

(see Figure 9). The building has a complex plan with pentagonal towers on the four

corners with recessed flush panels between them. It has an in-situ reinforced concrete

frame. The majority of the elevations (those containing window openings) are flush, and

clad with storey height glass reinforced plastic (GRP) panels with vertical and horizontal

joints sealed with a sealant. From the maintenance appraisal plan that during the external

refurbishment works in 2008 it became apparent that the cladding does not contain any

insulation and the hollow glass reinforced panels are fixed to a timber frame secured to

the reinforced concrete substructure.


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Figure 9 Woodford Green - Front elevation

The instruction was to investigate and report on the leaking PVCu windows including

recommendations and budget costings. During the investigation, a small section of timber

batten and plasterboard ceiling above the window was removed in order to take

measurements (see Figures 10 & 11). When the batten and plasterboard was removed, a

distinct cold air current could be felt in the exposed cavity proving that there are gaps in

the sealed façade through which rainwater may enter in the appropriate circumstances.

When examined via the window opening, parts of the sealant of the vertical joint between

the window and the exposed concrete structure are not fully adhered to the eroded face

of the GRP panel and could be lifted with a knife blade. The void behind the GRP panels is

not insulated and the panel is secured to a timber frame. There are also galvanised Z

brackets securing the frame. The plasterboard ceiling is plain without a foil-backing and

the 40mm void to the underside of the concrete floor slab is insulated with Rockwool. The

wall plasterboard is also plain and appears to have a clear polythene sheet lining between

it and the timber framing, presumably as a vapour barrier. The narrow strip of wall above


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the window head does not have this polythene. Recommendations were given that the

silicone joints should be stripped and replaced, ideally with two parallel sealed joints, the

inner as a fail-safe and the external outer sacrificial. After the investigation, I worked out

the amount of sealing needed via the drawings provided. Approximate budget costs will

then be calculated for the recommended repairs.

During the investigation, it was not possible to determine whether there is any fire barrier

between the edge of the external floor slab and the GRP panels, but judging from the

obvious air current mentioned before, this is not likely or at least not complete. The

concern is that fire and smoke can in theory enter this void and thus spread, by passing

flats on different floors.

In connection with this, a smoke test has been proposed to see whether smoke passes

vertically between two flats. To do so, we would need to form an opening circa maximum

200mm x 200mm in the plasterboard wall lining of the flat above just above skirting level

to enable the examination of the concealed framework and the fire stopping provision at

floor level between the two flats. Directly under this opening in the flat underneath, we

need to remove a further section of timber cover batten over the windows to allow the

nozzle of a smoke canister to be inserted. A controlled amount of smoke will then be

released into the void above the window head to see whether this can pass into the flat

above, monitored via the newly formed opening in the plasterboard. If smoke does enter,

then a further similar hole will be frilled elsewhere, probably at the corner over the area

where part of the batten had been removed previously. We will also monitor through the

open window of both flats to see if any smoke is seen escaping to the outside via the

external cladding.


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Figure 10 Woodford Green - Flat inspection 1

Figure 11 Woodford Green - Flat inspection 2


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3. Working abroad

3.1 Work within the company

Having studying in the UK before, the language didn’t come up as a barrier in the work

place. The main difficulty was understanding technical terms during inspections or on the

building site but everyone was always willing to explain. The work environment didn’t

appear to me as different from the French environment. Working in Paris or in London

seems quite similar as they are both large cities where people from different backgrounds

and origins work together. Coming from a civil engineering/project management

background, I was well aware of the building industry. Working in England was most

different in terms of the contract processes. Below is a summary of the different

procurement routes with brief description.

Traditional (Design-bid-build)

o Most common in the UK

o Least risk approach

o Design completed before tenders are invited

o Contractor assumes responsibility and financial risk for the construction of

the building

o Client takes the responsibility and risk for the design and for the

performance of the design team

o Clients have direct contractual relationships with the design team

Advantages:

o Competitive fairness, as all tendering contractors are bidding on the same

basis

o Most employers and contractors are familiar with this route

o High degree of design and product control/selection

o Robust variation control

o Direct employer relationship with designers


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Disadvantages:

o Speed up the process (providing incomplete tender documents) leads to less

cost and time certainty

o Overall project duration is longer than other routes

o No input into design or planning by the contractor who is no appointed at

the design stage

o Strategy based upon price competition which can result in adversarial

relationships developing

Measurement (`remeasurement` or `measure and value`)

o Variant to the traditional route

o Occasionally used

o Work carried out is measured and valued at prices for each type of work

tendered by the contractor

o The contract is not a lump sum arrangement, the bill of quantities

constitutes a schedule of rates for each unit or item

o Most effective use is where the work has been substantially designed but

final detail has not been completed (civil engineering projects, a tender

based on drawings and a bill of approximate quantities)

Advantages:

o Shorten overall programme (later aspects of the design still ongoing as the

works progress on site)

o Competitive prices

o Procedures well know, particularly in civil engineering projects

o Changes may be made easily

Disadvantages:

o Poor certainty of price

o No contractor involved in early planning or design stage

o Potential adversarial relationships to develop


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Design and build

o Single contractor assuming the risk and responsibility for designing and

building the project

o Fixed-price lump sum

o Construction can start before all the detailed design is completed

o Contractors may use their own internal resources for undertaking the design

or outsource this to one or more external consultancy firms

o Sometimes the contractor will be left to interpret the requirements of the

client and provide the building as a complete package

o Frequently, the client will employ a design team to carry out some

preliminary work and prepare the project brief and other tender documents

Advantages:

o Client has only to deal with one firm, giving single point responsibility , and

significantly reducing the need to commit resources and time to contracting

with designers and contractors separately

o Enable an integrated constructor contribution to the design and project

planning

o Price certainty is generally obtained before construction starts

o Total project time of design and construction route may be reduce because

of overlapping activities

Disadvantages:

o Difficulties can be experienced by clients in preparing an adequate and

sufficiently comprehensive brief

o The client is required to commit to a concept design at an early stage, often

before the detailed designs are completed

o Bids are difficult to compare: each design will be different, and prices and

the project programme will vary between design

o There is no design evaluation unless separate consultants are appointed by

the client for this purpose

o Client changes to the scope of the project can be expensive


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Construction Management

o The client employs a Construction manager to manage, programme and co-

ordinate the design and construction activities and to facilitate collaboration

o Construction is carried out by trade contractors through direct contracts with

the client for distinct trade or work packages

Advantages

o The client is more in control of the process. The client has better cost and

budgetary control, and there is a higher degree of control due to the project

being broken down into trade packages

o There is a fully integrated design and construction process

o The construction manager acts on the client's behalf whereas a traditional

contractor primarily acts in its own interests

o The process is very flexible, and therefore changes to suit the client's

requirements are relatively easy to accommodate

o There is a reduced potential for claims

Disadvantages

o The project needs to be sufficiently large or complex to be cost effective

o The process requires the client to have mechanisms for entering into direct

contracts with trade contractors and for making monthly payments to many

individual contractors

o The client needs to have the necessary experience and internal management

ability to operate this procurement process

o The client retains the contract risk of non-performance of the trade

contractors

o The client retains responsibility for the design team performance


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3.2 Finding the internship and life abroad

I started my research to find my internship in October 2014. I was looking for one in

London with a company working in the building industry. I then excluded every placement

within universities or research centres. Knowing my destination, I searched for companies

in London for a few weeks in order to create a list of potential contacts. I ended up with a

list of fifty companies. Adapting my cover letter, I started emailing every one of them.

Most of them never replied, some negatively replied and the first one to reply positively

was Robert Burke, Director of the London branch of Watts Group. I found Watts Group

through its website and I was interested by this diverse company and mostly by their

project management service which relates to my current position. After several emails with

Robert Burke, we agreed on a ten week work placement during which I would experience

working with different services.

Having spent nine months in the UK studying at Northumbria University in Newcastle, I

adapted quickly to the English language. I stayed in Farringdon, situated close to King’s

Cross station and located in central London. The office is located in the City, an area of

offices surrounded by skyscrapers such as the Shard or the Walkie Talkie tower.


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CONCLUSION

This internship was the ideal opportunity to adapt myself in another work environment,

practicing my English skills. It was a challenge to find a company in London without

having any contacts in the country. I managed to work with Watts Group, a well-respected

group dealing with different aspects of the building industry such as building surveying,

quantity surveying and project management. During these ten weeks I discovered a new

perception of the building industry. My goal was to integrate myself into the team and

help by being productive. I think I achieved it by working with building surveyors on

different inspections including dilapidation, schedule of condition and planned

maintenance. I had diverse experiences working with the project management team on

site and with the cost consultancy team at the office, where I helped with building

reinstatement valuations and updating pricing data for the company.

This work placement was a good way to experience working abroad and led me to believe

that I could work in the UK in the future.


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Bibliography

Watts Group Website, http://www.watts.co.uk/

RICS Website, http://www.rics.org/uk/

Watts Group Intranet

Watts Pocket Handbook 2011

http://www.watts.co.uk/

http://www.rics.org/uk/

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