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This paper sets out to analyse and interpret factors which bear upon building components and to explore underlying relationships among the number of building components forming a construction entity. The research hypothesis was set as follows: building surveyors do not agree in assessing the strength of each of design, construction, age, changing standards and vandalism as a causative factor for defects on building components. Previous studies have established the factors pertaining to defects in the building structure. What is in dispute is the extent to which these factors are important in causing defects. The objective of the study presented in this paper is therefore to assess the impact of each of five key factors ‐ design, construction, standards, vandalism and age ‐ on 28 selected building components with the aid of questionnaire information provided by 45 local authority building surveyors involved in the day‐to‐day diagnosis of defects in public housing stock. In so doing, the tangible influence of the factors in terms of how they affect defect causation in building components for the sample is established.

This paper seeks to present the second part of research funded by the RICS Education Trust to investigate the impact of the 2001 education reforms on Building Surveying. The first part of the research involved the collection of data from university course leaders.

This research involved the collection of data from large national, mainly London‐based, employers of building surveyors at a focus group meeting.

The paper finds that issues of concern to these employers include the extent of construction technology knowledge of graduates, the delivery of contract administration, the placement year, post‐graduate conversion courses and the high referral rate for the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC). Recommendations include advice to universities on the design of building surveying undergraduate and conversion courses, a call for further research on the high APC referral rate, and greater liaison between industry and universities.

The main limitation of the research is that the employers from whom data were collected were mainly large, national firms. Further research would be required to elicit the views of smaller regional organisations.

Both parts of this RICS Education Trust funded research provides a foundation for the Building Surveying Faculty of the RICS to complete their review of the education and training of building surveyors.

The research provides useful data on the impact of RICS education reform on building surveying, but mainly large, national firms.

Many facilities management professionals originally graduated from a building surveying course. The high referral rate of the professional body pre‐qualification assessment process for building surveyors and other criticisms of graduates have led many to question whether building surveying education is fit for purpose. This paper seeks to address these issues.

Previous research on this subject has concentrated on obtaining the views of course providers and employers. The approach adopted for this study has been an on‐line survey of recent UK building surveying graduates. A 30 per cent response rate resulted in 806 graduates undertaking the survey.

Most graduates had studied a full‐time undergraduate course, three‐quarters had gained some form of placement or work‐experience during their studies, the mode of the year of graduation was 2004 and 65 per cent of the sample work in private practice. The survey reveals concerns over non‐coverage of some of the professional body's pre‐qualification competencies. The most useful subjects studied by graduates were construction technology and building pathology and the least useful was economics. The top two omitted subjects from courses were contract administration and dilapidations – both core areas of work. Skills development was weaker on postgraduate than undergraduate courses.

Those designing HE building surveying courses can refer to the results of this study to ensure that their curricula remain relevant and current to the needs of industry.

This study into building surveying education has been undertaken at a time when many UK universities are reviewing their course provision to ensure that they are well placed to survive the massive upheaval imposed by government funding cuts and changes in student finance. This study with its large sample size will be of assistance to those reviewing building surveying courses.

This paper presents the findings of a research project which investigates the market for the chartered building surveyor to act as the “panel expert” for insurance companies in domestic subsidence claims cases. The key players in the process of a claim are considered and hypotheses, that building surveyors are discriminated against in favour of engineers, and that this is due to the training of each profession, are stated. The hypotheses are tested by questionnaire studies of building surveying firms, insurance companies, loss adjusters and higher education institutions. The hypotheses are largely confirmed but the results throw interesting light on the subject. The paper concludes with recommendations for professional bodies and universities to assist those surveyors wishing to practise in an increasingly important area of work.

The British countryman is a well‐known figure; his rugged, obstinate nature, unyielding and tough; his part in the development of the nation, its history, not confined to the valley meadows and pastures and uplands, but nobly played in battles and campaigns of long ago. His “better half”—a term as true of yeoman stock as of any other—is less well known. She is as important a part of country life as her spouse; in some fields, her contribution has been even greater. He may grow the food, but she is the provider of meals, dishes, specialties, the innovating genius to whom most if not all British food products, mostly with regional names and now well‐placed in the advertising armentarium of massive food manufacturers, are due. A few of them are centuries old. Nor does she lack the business acumen of her man; hens, ducks, geese, their eggs, cut flowers, the produce of the kitchen garden, she may do a brisk trade in these at the gate or back door. The recent astronomical price of potatoes brought her a handsome bonus. If the basic needs of the French national dietary are due to the genius of the chef de cuisine, much of the British diet is due to that of the countrywoman.

Cunninman tripped silently up the stairs into the daylight in Mornington Crescent. He was lucky; since the GLC and London Transport had made over the Underground to the sponsored lines, only Corngold Northern had survived the collapse of the Latin American loans market. B.Cal maintained links to Gatwick and Heathrow, but the commuter lines had gone.