A. BUILDING STRUCTURE & MATERIALS (1–25)
1. What are the main types of building foundations?
Shallow (strip, pad, raft) and deep (piles, caissons), chosen based on ground conditions and load.
2. When is a raft foundation appropriate?
When ground has low bearing capacity but uniform conditions, distributing loads across a large area.
3. Advantages of using concrete?
Durability, fire resistance, thermal mass, mouldability.
4. Disadvantages of concrete?
High carbon footprint, slow curing, cracking risk.
5. What causes concrete shrinkage?
Loss of moisture, poor curing, incorrect mix design.
6. What reinforcement types are used in concrete?
Rebar, mesh, fibres (steel, polypropylene, glass).
7. What are the advantages of steel frames?
High strength-to-weight ratio, speed of erection, long spans.
8. Common steel defects?
Corrosion, buckling, fire susceptibility.
9. How is steel protected from fire?
Intumescent paint, fire boarding, concrete encasement.
10. Typical load-bearing wall materials?
Brickwork, blockwork, concrete, timber.
11. What is differential settlement?
Uneven settlement causing structural cracking or distortion.
12. What causes subsidence?
Tree roots, leaking drains, shrinkable clay, groundwater changes.
13. What is heave?
Ground swelling due to wetting, opposite of subsidence.
14. What are modular buildings?
Offsite-manufactured units assembled onsite, improving speed and quality.
15. Benefits of modular construction?
Reduced waste, high quality, faster programme, less disruption.
16. What causes brick efflorescence?
Salt crystals forming on surfaces due to moisture movement.
17. What is a cavity wall?
Two leaves with a gap to prevent moisture penetration and improve thermal performance.
18. When use a retaining wall?
Where soil is retained at different levels—required for basements, landscaping.
19. Types of retaining walls?
Gravity, cantilever, sheet pile, anchored.
20. What is temporary works?
Short-term structures supporting construction (scaffolding, shoring).
21. What is a movement joint?
Allows building movement due to temperature, moisture, or settlement.
22. Types of cladding systems?
Curtain walling, rainscreen systems, sandwich panels.
23. What is a rainscreen façade?
Outer cladding with ventilated cavity and weather-resistant inner leaf.
24. What is cold bridging?
Thermal path allowing heat loss through conductive elements.
25. How do you prevent cold bridging?
Insulation continuity, thermal breaks, proper detailing.
B. ROOFING (26–40)
26. Main roof types?
Flat, pitched, green roofs, warm roofs, cold roofs.
27. What is a warm roof?
Insulation above structure—prevents condensation.
28. What is a cold roof?
Insulation below roof deck—risk of condensation if ventilation inadequate.
29. Causes of flat roof failure?
Poor drainage, membrane puncture, UV damage, ponding.
30. Types of roof membranes?
EPDM, TPO, bitumen, GRP.
31. What is a green roof?
Vegetated system providing insulation, drainage, biodiversity.
32. Advantages of pitched roofs?
Better drainage, longer lifespan, less maintenance.
33. What is roof ventilation needed for?
Preventing condensation, mould, timber decay.
34. What is a parapet?
Low wall at roof edge, often requiring waterproof upstands.
35. What is flashing?
Weatherproof detailing at junctions (roof/wall, chimneys).
36. What is a roof U-value?
Measure of heat loss—lower is better.
37. Common pitched roofing materials?
Slate, tiles, metal sheets.
38. Why do flat roofs need a fall?
Minimum 1:80 to avoid ponding.
39. What is roof load?
Dead load, live load, wind load, snow load.
40. What causes roof leaks?
Failed joints, penetrations, poor detailing, blocked outlets.
C. BUILDING SERVICES – MEP (41–60)
41. What are the main building services?
Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire, lifts, ICT.
42. What is HVAC?
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning for indoor comfort.
43. What is a heat pump?
Transfers heat from air/ground to heat water or provide cooling.
44. Advantages of heat pumps?
Energy efficient, low carbon, renewable.
45. Disadvantages of heat pumps?
High capital cost, reduced efficiency in cold weather.
46. What is a VRF/VRV system?
Variable refrigerant flow system for zoned heating/cooling.
47. What is mechanical ventilation?
Fans extract stale air and supply fresh air.
48. What is natural ventilation?
Wind and thermal forces provide airflow via openings.
49. What is an MVHR system?
Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery—recovers heat from exhaust air.
50. What is a BMS?
Building Management System controlling MEP services.
51. What causes poor indoor air quality?
Poor ventilation, VOCs, mould, dust.
52. What is luminance?
Brightness of a light source.
53. What are LED advantages?
Low energy use, longer lifespan, reduced heat.
54. What is a fire damper?
Stops fire spreading through ductwork.
55. What is a sprinkler system?
Fire suppression via water discharge.
56. Fire categories?
Class A (solids), B (liquids), C (gases), D (metals), F (cooking oils).
57. What is an electrical load centre?
Hub distributing power across circuits.
58. What is PPM?
Planned Preventative Maintenance—scheduled MEP servicing.
59. What is potable water?
Safe for drinking.
60. What causes legionella?
Stagnant hot water, poor maintenance—risk prevented by hot water temps >60°C.
D. ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES & SUSTAINABILITY (61–80)
61. What is embodied carbon?
Carbon emitted in material extraction, manufacture, transport.
62. What is operational carbon?
Carbon emitted through building use (heating, electricity).
63. What are renewable energy systems?
Solar PV, solar thermal, heat pumps, biomass, wind.
64. Benefits of solar PV?
Low carbon, low maintenance, energy generation.
65. Limitations of solar PV?
Weather-dependent, roof orientation, upfront cost.
66. What is BREEAM?
Environmental certification rating (Pass–Outstanding).
67. Key BREEAM categories?
Energy, water, transport, pollution, materials, waste.
68. What is LEED?
US-based sustainability rating.
69. What is airtightness testing?
Measures air leakage through building envelope.
70. What is thermal mass?
Ability of materials to store heat, moderating internal temperatures.
71. What is a U-value?
Rate of heat transfer—lower means better insulation.
72. What is an air source heat pump COP?
Coefficient of Performance—heat output vs electricity input.
73. Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) examples?
Swales, permeable paving, green roofs, attenuation tanks.
74. Purpose of SuDS?
Manage stormwater, reduce flooding, improve biodiversity.
75. What is rainwater harvesting?
Collecting and reusing rainwater for non-potable uses.
76. What is greywater recycling?
Reusing water from baths/showers for flushing or irrigation.
77. What is a thermal bridge?
Point of higher heat loss through structural element.
78. What is circular economy?
Designing out waste—reuse, recycle, repurpose.
79. What is lifecycle costing?
Evaluating costs across design, construction, operation, and disposal.
80. What is a fabric-first approach?
Improving insulation and airtightness before renewable technologies.
E. DEFECTS & PATHOLOGY (81–100)
81. What causes damp?
Penetrating, rising, condensation.
82. What is penetrating damp?
Water ingress through walls or roofs.
83. Causes of penetrating damp?
Cracked render, faulty gutters, defective flashings.
84. What is rising damp?
Moisture wicking up walls via capillary action.
85. How is rising damp prevented?
Damp-proof course (DPC).
86. What is condensation?
Warm moist air meeting cold surfaces.
87. How to reduce condensation?
Ventilation, heating consistency, insulation.
88. What is spalling?
Surface breaking away—often due to frost or corrosion.
89. What is dry rot?
Fungal decay in timbers—requires moisture and spreads aggressively.
90. What is wet rot?
Localized timber decay from consistent moisture.
91. What causes roof tile slip?
Failed nails, weathering, poor fixings.
92. What causes cavity wall tie failure?
Corroded metal ties expanding and cracking mortar.
93. Symptoms of subsidence?
Diagonal cracks, sticking doors/windows, sloping floors.
94. What causes heave?
Clay soil swelling after moisture increase.
95. What is carbonation of concrete?
CO₂ penetrating concrete, reducing pH, causing reinforcement corrosion.
96. What is thermal cracking?
Cracks caused by temperature differentials.
97. What is sulphate attack?
Chemical reaction causing mortar/concrete expansion and cracking.
98. What causes timber insect attack?
Beetles (woodworm) laying eggs in damp timber.
99. What is a cold roof defect risk?
Interstitial condensation due to poor ventilation.
100. What causes flat roof blisters?
Trapped moisture expanding under heat.
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