Assessment task details and instructions
You are a Property Professional working for a Salford based firm of Chartered Building Surveyors.

A client has recently purchased a 1965 built four storey in-situ concrete car park, with retail units on the ground floor, unseen at auction. This is located on West Street in Blackpool, Lancashire, UK and the client has since discovered two issues regarding its condition which require further investigation and remediation.

The car park is clad externally by dressed sandstone blocks with thin mortar joints and glazed aluminium framed windows to all sides (See Plate 3) except the East side on Corporation Street which also has some large openings in the external wall which remain open except for vertical RC louvers which extend over two stories. All elements of the façade are in good condition to all sides of the structure. The main frame of the structure and the floors are all reinforced in situ concrete.

The client does not own any of the retail units on the ground floor. The access to the car park is by a concrete ramp situated on West Street itself.

Issue 1) The roof level (4th Floor) is made from reinforced in situ concrete panels and is open to the elements. This level also has parking access for customer vehicles as illustrated in photo 1 below. The roof level is covered with several old layers of bitumen based felt and puddles of water are evident on this surface. Tears and blisters are evident in the bitumen in various locations across the roof.

Issue 2) The internal parking level immediately below the roof level (3rd Floor) has severe spalling evident to its ceiling beams (see photo 2) as well as to its columns and ceiling soffit. This appears to be a long-term problem and the spalled concrete appears normal in all respects except for evidence of rust staining. Other levels in the car park also have smaller localised patches of spalling to their ceiling soffits and to some columns but not to the same extent as the third floor.

The client wishes you to prepare a report addressing the following three requirements.

A) Identify the most likely reasons for the deterioration of the bitumen felt roof covering in issue one and explain the deterioration mechanisms involved. Predict the likely progression of this deterioration without intervention in the scenario given. (30%)

B) Identify and outline in full what you suspect are the most likely reasons for the deterioration of the ceiling beams in issue two – as seen in photo 2. Identify any laboratory tests you feel are required in order to confirm your assessment of the most likely deterioration mechanisms. Predict the likely progression of this deterioration without intervention in the scenario given (30%)

C) Offer your solutions for remedial actions to rectify the deterioration arising from issues one and two and to limit further risk of the same failures occurring in this location in the future. Note that the client wishes to keep disruption to the car park to a minimum and does not have ownership to the retail units on the ground floor. (40%)
Clearly state any assumptions you have made.

Photo 1 Location of the car park on the right with roof level parking evident. The image is orientated with North to the immediate top of the photo. (Google Maps Image Accessed on 21/12/2019)

Photo 2 Spalled beam on the underside of the roof level. Photographed from the floor of level 3 looking up at the ceiling of the 4th floor roof deck. To the left is a column. (Pye, 2019)

Photo 3 West elevation of the car park on Market Street, Blackpool, Lancashire. The red element is colour contrast aluminium sheeting & is not structural. The sandstone cladding and aluminium window frames are evident in this image and are in good condition. (Google Image Accessed on 21/12/2019)

Photo 4 East elevation on Corporation Street, Blackpool, Lancashire showing the reinforced concrete louvers to the openings. The red element is colour contrast aluminium sheeting & is not structural. (Google Maps 21/12/2019)

Sample Solution