Glossary

Ozone Depleting Potential, used to define the potency of substances which impact on the ozone layer.

Energy that comes from natural sources, is capable of being generated locally and that can be replenished and is not permanently depleted (e.g. biomass, geothermal heat, solar power, wind power). Most of which do not produce CO2 emissions, unlike fossil fuel.

A senior experienced property professional who is available to an organisation on a full-time, interim or part-time basis to advise upon the strategic aspects of their property. Organisations typically benefit from the OPDs wider property experience without incurring the cost of commitment involved of employing a permanent property director. OPDs work alongside existing senior management team providing best practice advice so reducing property risks and costs. Contact TFT Consult for more details.

The contractors markup for the service or works they have undertaken, included within the contract value.

• A person in receipt of, or entitled to receive the whole or part of the rental profits of land; • A person in possession of land, otherwise known as a mortgagee or as a tenant from year to year or for a lesser term or as a tenant of will; • A purchaser of an interest in land under a contract or purchase or under an agreement for a lease, otherwise than under an agreement for a tenancy from year to year or for a lesser term.

Piping and Instrument Diagram.

This occurs where the employer takes possession of the property before the works are fully completed.

A wall (not being part of the building) which stands on lands of different owners and is used or constructed to be used by separating such adjoining lands, but does not include a wall constructed on the land of one owner the artificially formed support of which projects into the land of another owner.

A party wall and also a floor partition or other structure separating buildings or parts of buildings approached solely by separate staircases or separate entrances.

• a wall which forms part of a building and stands on lands of different owners to a greater extent than the projection of any artificially formed support on which the wall rests, and • so much of a wall not being referred to in paragraph (a) above as separates buildings belonging to different owners.

This Act provides a framework for preventing and resolving disputes in relation to party walls, boundary walls and excavations near neighbouring buildings. It enables development to proceed and is based on some tried and tested provisions of the London Building Acts, which applied in inner London for many decades before the Act came into force across the rest of England and Wales. Anyone intending to carry out work (anywhere in England and Wales) of the kinds described in the Act must give Adjoining Owners notice of their intentions.

The “Passiv haus” concept , attributed to both residential and commercial property is a strigent assessment of new build ( or retrofit via “Ener phit” schemes for existing property ) and strives for super insulated buildings (roughly double or treble for an average development to achieve limited space heating down to 15kwh/m2/annum), excellent heat recovery and ventilation (75% efficient heat exchanger and fans at less than 0.45 whm3), an air tightness layer (air tightness of 0.6 air changes @50 pascals), almost no thermal bridging (less than0.15w/m2k for opaque fabric and 0.8w/mk for windows/ doors), thermal bridging down to 0.01w/m2Kelvin) and an efficient building fabric in regards footprint shape and orientation (to take advantage of solar gain to reduce heating in the shoulder months of winter)

Payment is made under certificates issued by the Contract Administrator every 4 weeks calculated from the date of commencement until practical completion. A further certificate is issued within 14 days of practical completion. The final balance is paid following the issue of the final certificate. The final date for payment of certificates, together with any VAT chargeable to the Employer, is 14 days from the date of the issue of the certificate.

A Prime Cost Sum is the cost of a material or service to be undertaken by a nominated sub-contractor or supplier, excluding any profit or labour costs. See also ‘Provisional Sum’ and ‘Contingency Sum’.

A three-party agreement, which sits alongside a building contract, between the contractor, employer and a surety. The bond provides that the surety will pay a sum of money to the employer in the event of default by the contractor.

Allows rainwater to percolate through into the subbase, discharging it into the storm water sewers in a controlled manner at a limited flow rate. It is intended to reduce loading in traditional sewer systems due to heavy rainfall.

Power Factor Correction.

Perfluorocarbons e.g. R14. Per-fluoro-carbons (PFCs) contain no chlorine and have no known effects on the ozone layer. However, PFCs are greenhouse gases and therefore contribute to climate change.

These create electricity from solar power. They contain a semiconductor material (typically silicon) that releases electrons when exposed to light.

This is one of many coatings that can be applied to profiled metal (usually steel) cladding panels. Plastisol is a trade name plastic coating often seen on the roofs and wall cladding of industrial buildings. Such coatings can fail by ‘peelback’ and cut-edge corrosion.

The sale of a group or number of buildings.

Normally associated with water that is suitable for human consumption.

Principal contractors are usually the main or managing contractor. A key duty is to properly plan, manage and co-ordinate work during the construction phase in order to ensure that the risks are properly controlled. Principal contractors must also comply with the duties placed on all contractors under the Regulations.

The designer (as defined in Regulation 2(1) of the CDM Regulations 2015) with control over the health and safety aspects of the design during the pre-construction phase of the project. The Principal Designer must be appointed in writing by the client. Failure to appoint will mean the client under the regulations is assumed to be acting as the Principal Designer, with the associated legal duties of that role.

There are many different ways to procure construction works, each with their advantages and disadvantages. However, broadly speaking, procurement will usually take one of the following forms: • Traditional – design is separate to and completed prior to, any construction works. The process may take longer, but the Employer maintains control over design quality and cost. • Design & Build – contractor is responsible for both design and construction. Quick and reasonable control over cost, but the Employer has less control over design quality. • Construction Management / Management contracting – The Employer’s consultants are responsible for design, and the main contractor is responsible for defining and managing the procurement of sub-contract works packages. Can be more expensive than other methods, but the process is quick and allows good control over quality.

The professional leadership role for the management of the project team, planning and management of time, cost and quality on a construction project.

A sum included for work which the Employer may or may not decide to have carried out, or which cannot be accurately specified in the original contract documents. See also ‘PC Sum’ and ‘Contingency Sum’.

Pressure Reducing Valve found in water or air systems used to reduce and regulate delivery pressure.

This is the European standard nomenclature for un-plasticised polyvinyl chloride. This material is used as framing for windows, as guttering, downpipes and a number of other building components.

A detailed survey of buildings that spans for, or recurs every five years. Traditionally linked to historic (particularly secular) buildings, these surveys are now completed on buildings of all types and within all sectors. The report identifies the needs of the building fabric, and prioritises recommendations for repair (and conservation works) over the following five years.

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning equipment, can be either fixed or mobile i.e.vehicles.

The accumulation and storage of rainwater for re-use before disposal off-site. Can be as simple as a water-butt attached to rainwater pipes, or dedicated below ground tanks with water being pumped back into the building for re-use.

Residual Current Device, used to protect electrical circuits in distribution boards.

The practice of helping organisations improve the performance of their real estate, primarily through the analysis of the existing real estate issues and risks, and subsequently devising and implementing improvement plans. Organisations typically use the service of a real estate management consultant for a number of reasons, including gaining external and objective advice and access to the consultant’s specialist expertise. Also referred to as Property Management Consultancy, although this term is often confused with property management functions, as opposed to management consultancy functions.

The improvement and modernisation of a building.

Places responsibility for an individual (responsible person) within an organization to carry out risk assessments to identify, manage, and reduce the risk of fire in premises.

An assessment that represents the estimated cost of rebuilding a property following a fire or other similar disaster. This assessment figure is used for insurance purposes.

Humidity level as a % of saturation, at a given temperature.

A repairs notice (or 'Jervis v Harris' notice) records items of disrepair that have occurred during the lease, and requests that the recorded disrepair is remedied. If the tenant fails to perform the repair works within the timescale stipulated by the lease, the landlord can serve notice, then may enter the property to undertake the repairs and reclaim the cost back from the tenant as a debt. The tenant is not able to seek the relief provided by The Leasehold Property (Repairs) Act 1938, and such a notice can be served at any time during the lease term. See also ‘Jervis v Harris’.

A paper, prepared by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, that provides surveyors with recommendations for accepted good practice as followed by competent and conscientious practitioners dealing with dilapidations matters.

A legal right of access over another owner’s land.

A legal right to ‘sufficient’ light to a property. Often mistaken for a right to a view or to sunlight.

Metal rings used for attaching harnesses for window cleaning or other maintenance work.

A licence for erecting scaffold that encroaches or projects onto another person’s land or a public highway.

This is a written and/or photographic record of the condition of a property at a specific time, normally prior to the commencement of a lease. It is primarily used to limit the tenants repairing/reinstatement obligations at the end of the term so that they are only obliged to return the property at the end of the lease in the condition recorded in the schedule. It is normally agreed by the parties and must be appended to, and be clearly referenced within the lease for it to have effect.

Limb 1 which can apply to claims during or after lease end, limits the level of damages that can be claimed by a landlord, which cannot exceed the diminution in the reversionary value of the property caused by breaches of the repairing covenant of a lease. Limb 2 of the same section limits any claim the landlord can make if they intend to substantially alter or redevelop the property at the end of the lease term.

A mechanism in some building contracts that allows the completion of the works in pre-agreed phased sections.

A charge applied, pro rata, to the occupiers of a multi-let or multi-occupied property to cover communal areas and services.

A membrane roofing system that uses synthetic material in flexible sheet or liquid form as an alternative to built-up roofing. Made from a variety of bitumens, polymers, fillers, plasticizers, stabilizers and other additives, single ply roofing products are commonly applied over an insulating material and secured with ballast, mechanical fasteners or an adhesive. Typical products are Sarnafil, Trocal and Icopal.

Standard Method of Measurement of Building Works (SMM), published by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors provides a basis for measuring building works and encompasses good practice within the industry.

Soft Landings requires designers and constructors to spend more time on constructive dialogue with the client, and in setting expectations and performance targets on energy and end-user satisfaction. Soft Landings provide a unifying vehicle for feedback methods such as energy and occupant surveys and assessments such as Design Quality Indicators, Building Performance Evaluation and BREEAM.

Solar thermal systems use energy from the sun to heat water. This replaces other energy sources such as natural gas and electricity as a means of providing hot water to buildings. The most important part of a solar thermal system is the ‘collector’. The collector’s role is to absorb the sun’s energy and efficiently convert it to heat for transfer to the hot water system.

The organisation and design of the interior layout to suit the requirements of the occupier.

This Act establishes legal rights for disabled students in pre- and post-16 education not to be discriminated against in education, training and any services provided wholly or mainly for students. See ‘Access consultancy’.

Foundations in which an assemblage of beams or rods is employed for the purpose of distributing any load.

A document which defines the scope and quality requirements in a building contract.

A defence used by tenants in dilapidations negotiations whereby the landlord cannot recover damages for the remedy of a tenant’s breach if the landlord’s intentions for the property (such as upgrading/replacing any elements that the tenant was only required to repair) nullify the need or real value of the remedial works.

Where a landlord and tenant agree to terminate the tenancy agreement early.

Any person not being a party to the matter appointed or selected under Section 10 to determine disputes in accordance with the procedures set out in this Act.

Put simply, sustainability is providing the best for people and the environment both now, and in the indefinite future."Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." (1987, The Brundtland Report, also known as Our Common Future, published by the World Commission on Environment and Development [part of the United Nations] in 1987). It deals with sustainable development and the change of politics needed for achieving that. The definition of this term in the report is quite well known and often cited).

Commonly known as "Structural Survey" but a "Technical Due Diligence Survey" is an all encompassing inspection and report on the construction and condition of a property and its surroundings. As well as reporting on physical defects, it may also consider mechanical and electrical, legal, health and safety, statutory and environmental issues that affect or may affect the building.

Produced by the Concrete Society, this report is a guide to the design and construction of concrete industrial ground floors. See also ‘Defined Movement Areas’ and ‘Free Movement Areas’.

A person, or persons, holding a tenancy.

A terminal schedule of dilapidations is one prepared within the last three years of a lease, or shortly after the end of the lease term. This schedule will record all breaches of the tenants covenants to repair, decorate, reinstate alterations and comply with statute.

The Energy Act 2011 introduced the concept of minimum energy performance standards and UK government proposals could mean that from April 2018 landlords will be unable to let (or continue to let) a property with an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of an F or G. It is estimated that this could affect 1 in 5 commercial properties.

This legislation required businesses that did not need a fire certificate to conduct a fire risk assessment and broadly bought UK legislation into line with much of Europe. Amended in December 1999, to broaden the scope of the legislation to include businesses that had a fire certificate. This act was replaced by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. See ‘The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005’.

One of the most respected and high profile global ‘standards and membership’ organisations for property professionals. They are an independent voice for property, accountable to both RICS members and the public. www.rics.org

A surveyor selected by the two surveyors appointed to resolve a dispute under Section 10 of the Party Wall etc Act 1996 who can be called upon to resolve differences between the appointed surveyors or owners either during the drafting of the award or after its service.

TM44: Inspection of air conditioning systems was published by CIBSE specifically for use in England and Wales to provide guidance for the inspection of air conditioning systems in accordance with Article 9 of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive(1) (EPBD).

Tri-generation describes the process whereby an absorption chiller uses waste heat from a CHP unit is used to generate chilled water for cooling in summer months.

The U-value measures how well a building component, e.g. a wall, roof or a window, keeps heat inside a building. The lower the value the better the component performs. It is the inverse of the total thermal resistance of a component, element or form, including resistance of internal and external surface boundaries.

The U-value measures how well a building component, e.g. a wall, roof or a window, keeps heat inside a building. The lower the value the better the component performs. It is the inverse of the total thermal resistance of a component, element or form, including resistance of internal and external surface boundaries.

An empty property, which can be offered legally for the exclusive occupation and use by the owners.

A technique for improving value for money on a construction project. It involves subjecting the design proposals to systematic review at each stage of the design process (the concept stage, scheme design, and detailed design) to ensure that the final design meets user requirements, without over-specification, at the lowest possible cost.

A vapour proof membrane to prevent the movement of moisture through building elements e.g., in a roof or in the wall of a timber framed building.

Reduces the diffusion of moisture vapour through a part of the building fabric, particularly insulation.

A change to the work ordered by the Contract Administrator on behalf of the Employer. The Variation may be an addition to or an omission from the originally specified work or the order or period in which it is carried out.

Variable Air Volume, used to define a system whereby the airflow is modulated to maintain a constant space temperature.

A detailed survey procured by the seller of a property for the benefit of a proposed purchaser(s). See ‘Technical Due Diligence Surveys’.

Variable Refrigerant Flow: acronym used to describe a refrigeration system associated with the provision of heating and/or cooling.

Variable Refrigerant Volume: acronym used to describe a refrigeration system associated with the provision of heating and/or cooling.

Variable Speed Drive: varies the output of an electrical motor by varying the supply frequency, sometimes called an inverter (as it inverts the supply frequency).

Variable temperature, used to define LTHW systems that can modulate the output temperature against outside air temperatures.

These roofs have the insulation over the top of the deck, so that the deck is warmed by the interior of the building. A vapour control layer is normally required beneath the insulation to reduce the risk of condensation forming on the underside of the weatherproof layer. Ventilation of the interior of the roof structure is not required. See also ‘Cold Roof’ and ‘Inverted Warm Deck’.

A guarantee given to the purchaser by a company stating that a product is reliable and free from known defects and that the seller will, without charge, repair or replace defective parts within a given time limit and under certain conditions.

Porous and open matrix decking, unsuitable for use as permanent shuttering for in-situ concrete. Classed as a ‘deleterious material’ when used in this situation. The ‘fines’ in the concrete flow into the voids, leaving the aggregate and the reinforcement unbound. This can have structural and fire associated risks.

Cross-linked Polyethylene Insulation, usually associated with mains incoming and LV distribution cables.

Defined as buildings where the CO2 emission is zero or negative across the year.