Site appraisal for construction
Very early appraisals of potential sites for a development may be carried out by a surveyor, before the appointment of the consultant team, during the business justification stage. Appraisal of alternative sites may also be an important part of an environmental impact assessment.
Subsequent site appraisals by the consultant team will obtain details that might not have been available in the site Information provided by the client. They are also an opportunity for the consultant team to familiarise themselves with the site and assess the detailed surveys that might be necessary.
Specific appraisals that might be made by individual consultants include:
- Architect:
- Desktop study of site history.
- Study of site context including access, boundaries, levels, landscape (including possible ecological issues such as the presence of japanese knotweed), transport and traffic and an assessment of neighbouring properties and views.
- Appraisal of possible hazardous substances such as asbestos and other deleterious materials.
- Photographic studies.
- Assessment of the local planning authority's local development plan.
- Climatic conditions.
- Cost consultant:
- Structural engineer:
- Desktop study of geological issues or contaminated land.
- Cursory study of neighbouring or existing structures that might require demolition or might otherwise be impacted by development.
- Desktop study of foundation solutions adopted by adjacent developments.
- Services engineer:
- Location and nature of underground site services.
- Cursory investigation to establish 'cut off' for diversions of existing services.
- Statutory utility drawings for the site.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Alternative site assessment ASA.
- Building People.
- Building survey.
- Conceptual site model.
- Condition.
- Condition survey.
- Contaminated land.
- Demolition.
- Desk study.
- Development appraisal.
- Difference between existing use value and market value.
- Environmental Impact Assessment.
- Feasibility studies.
- Gross development value.
- Ground conditions.
- Insitu testing of soils.
- Laser scanning.
- Property valuation.
- Radon.
- Radon protection for new domestic extensions and conservatories with solid concrete ground floors (GG 73 revised).
- Site information.
- Site investigation.
- Site selection and acquisition.
- Site surveys.
- Soil survey.
- Surveyor.
- Technical due diligence.
- Vendor survey.
Featured articles and news
The continued ISG fall out, where to go?
Support for ISG contractors, companies and employees.
New HES national centre for traditional building retrofit
Announced as HES publishes survey results which reveal strong support for retrofit.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Expected to become one of the largest activities in the global construction industry.
The ECA industry focus video channel
Keeping update with the industry session by session.
Over 25 recorded informations sessions freely available.
AT Awards 2024 ceremony East London October 25th.
Revisiting the AT community at the 2023 awards evening.
The Community Housing Fund and built affordable homes
CLTN reviews the impact of the Fund and calls for extension.
The grading system of the Regulator for Social Housing
A background, an explanation and ten recent enforcements.
Construction, repair and maintenance. Book review.
Putting new life into a city with a 1900 year history.
BSRIA Briefing 2024: Sustainable Futures speakers
Redefining Retrofit for Net Zero Living 22 Nov.
Wall of support for post-Grenfell regulation of electricians
Call for a shake-up of the construction industry highlighted on radio.
Digital sustainability through future AEC tools
Bringing together industry and academia to meet challenges.
Skills gap for net zero highlighted to Minister for Industry
ECA convenes roundtable discussion at Portcullis House.
Evidencing Net Zero with the new UK buildings standard
Pilot version with detailed excel proforma out now!
Scottish Building Safety Levy, in consultation
From direct remediation and the RPDT, to the costs and alternatives.
Waves of warmer homes grants for the rental sector
Boosting energy efficiency standards for all rented homes.
A refocus of the National Planning Policy Framework
Key terms described in brief, as the consultation closes the evening of the 24th.
Fortified farmhouses of the unruly 16th-and 17th-century borders.
Comments