ABSTRACT
In direct contrast to the structure of a commercial building, which is mostly concealed, the facades are generally visible when undertaking a commercial building survey or TDD. However, the visible part of a facade or cladding often only relates to the aesthetic, and while this has historically and continues to be one of the primary purposes, there are other, unseen functional requirements. The wide variety of building types within the different commercial sectors and the age span, which can be in excess of 150 years for ‘normal’ commercial properties, mean that the surveyor needs extensive knowledge of construction technology to advise on the past, present and future.
