Roofs
A look at the principles of roof construction, failure and investigation - from thatch to metal roofs. Featuring the largest lead roof project in the UK and the largest zinc roof project in Europe.

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Walls
 A look at the construction of various types of walls, from a stone castle in Ireland to polystyrene houses in the United States. A strong emphasis throughout on tracking down the true causes of damp, featuring many of Mike’s pioneering techniques.

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Floors and Basements
From Roman floors to basements in Venice, a look at all floor types from suspended to solid and how they fail. Includes an in-depth look at the best way to keep basements dry, with an emphasis on managing damp, rather than ‘curing’ it.

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Flooding
Floods are a force of nature and therefore cannot be entirely avoided. But they can be mitigated against and their passing needs to be dealt with in a timely and effective manner. How do we know when a house is truly dry? And why are floods becoming an increasing problem? Examples from recently flood-struck Carlisle and the canals of Venice shed light on these questions.

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Drainage and Services
Drains are a hidden world. How can you find out whether drains or water supplies are leaking? Where are they? Who is responsible for them? How can they be repaired? This programme delves into this hidden world and brings back the answers.
   
1. The worst laid plans
 
• Case study of mains incorrectly laid under road
• Who is responsible for road mains?
2. An elegant mistake
 
• Case study of poorly designed plumbing in tower block
3. What’s under the floor?
 
• Under floor leaks in timber and solid floors
4. Boxed in
 
• Problems with hidden drainage in tower block
5. Detecting mains leaks
 
• Chemical test
• Listening stick
• Mains access cover inspection
• Siphon test
6. Into the hidden world – day 1
 
• A site visit with Ansa
• Methods for dealing with drains in-situ
• CCTV
• Water jetting
• Invert levels and sufficient falls
• Detecting services
• Discussion of pipe-bursting and impact-moleing
7. The root cause
 
• Tree roots and over-planting
8. Into the hidden world – day 2
 
• A second site visit with Ansa
• Root cutters
• Pipe lining
• Discussion of re-rounding
• Health & safety issues
9. Simple Drain checks
 
• Flush test
• Pressure test
10. Rainfall & ground water
 
• Part H of Building Regulations
• Ground water measurement
11. Flood drainage
 
• Case study in Snowdonia
12. SUDS – The future of drainage
 
• Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems
Bonus Section
 
• Extreme insulation in Scandinavia – resulting problems
• An American on-site building survey
• Hong Kong ruins – a trip round some Chang Dynasty ruins with Bill Greaves, Senior Projects Officer, Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Dept.
   
 
       
   

Law and Litigation Programme
What are the precedents that govern liability in cases of building failure? What are the relevant cases? What will surveyors be asked in court? What evidence is required? This programme covers all current pertinent legislation and features a dramatised re-enactment of the landmark case on the use of building pathology evidence in court.

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