RAAC Assessment in Theale

Inside the assessment

The assessment takes the survey record for the building in Theale, panel by panel, and turns it into engineering conclusions. Each panel is classified on its condition, bearing, cracking, deflection and exposure to water, with reference to the current Institution of Structural Engineers guidance on RAAC. The assessment states which panels can remain in use as they are, which need propping or restricted use now, which should be monitored, and which need intervention.

It then answers the question the budget depends on: can this roof be strengthened in place, or does it need to come out? Where strengthening is viable, the assessment says so and sets out what the scheme would need to achieve.

RAAC risk categories and what they mean for Theale

The Institution of Structural Engineers guidance places RAAC panels in risk categories from those needing no immediate action to those needing action now. The category depends on condition, bearing, deflection, cracking and exposure to water, which is why an assessment needs an inspection with measurements behind it, not a walk-through. For a school, academy, hospital or council building in Theale, the assessment sets out which category each panel falls in, what that requires, and how the roof can be managed, monitored or strengthened so the building stays in use. The assessment is signed by a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers and is priced per building; a visual survey alone starts from £395.

RAAC assessment: how to get started in Theale

Three pieces of information get a RAAC assessment in Theale moving: the age of the building, the type of roof, and any drawings or previous reports you hold. With those we can say whether the building is a realistic RAAC candidate, what the visit would involve, and how long it would take. For estates spread across Theale, Calcot and Reading, we plan the visits as one programme so that nothing is missed and nothing is surveyed twice.

Turnaround, sign-off and insurance

For a building in Theale, we can usually be on site in Berkshire within one to two days, and the report follows within five working days of the site visit, depending on the size of the survey and the level of detail required. Every assessment is signed by a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers, which is what trusts, NHS estates, insurers and funders look for. Professional indemnity insurance is held to a maximum of £10 million, with public and employers' liability arranged on a per-site basis. Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire are local to us, and we work across the UK.