BUILDING CONDITION SURVEYS

Abstract

Doubts have been cast on the quality of buildings constructed in view of the sharp increase in the number of properties plagued by severe building defects in the last few years. These doubts have been confirmed by the collapse of the barely thirteen year old Hotel New World and the news that Hwa Chong Junior College had to be pulled down because of building defects. These have prompted an urgent need for measures to be introduced to ensure that buildings are well taken care of. This dissertation will emphasize on the importance of building inspection in ensuring building safety and in safeguarding the health and welfare of the occupants. Various types of building condition surveys will be highlighted and the procedure in carrying out a survey will be discussed. However, this procedure is not representative of the practices of all building surveyors as each may have their own style of inpecting buildings. In addition, two surveys were carried out to gather the opinion of private property owners and property management and consultant firms on building condition surveys. The responses received were largely in favour of having buildings compulsorily checked. A chapter will be devoted to the discussion on the role played by the competent authority (ie. the Development and Building Control Division) and the legislations administered by it in managing and maintaining the building and common property in Singapore. Generally, it has been discovered that the present legislations are inadequate in ensuring the proper upkeep of buildings and the control by the authority was not stringent. This dissertation will conclude with recommendations to implement building condition surveys in Singapore as a precautionary measure against future hazards together with problems and issues pertaining to the implementation.