Subsidence and Settlement

This course considers the causes and symptoms of subsidence and settlement in buildings, the damage they cause and current best practice in remediation.

Damage resulting from movement caused by subsidence and settlement remains one of the principal problems with buildings. Property professionals, owners and occupiers need to be able to recognise when defects are caused by movement, diagnose the cause or causes, make judgements as to whether corrective action is necessary or desirable, understand the extent to which the risk can be insured and, where appropriate and affordable, implement solutions.

The course covers:

• subsidence – definition and insurance
• settlement – definition and insurance
• structural defects that result
• causes of movement
• inherent weaknesses
• external factors
• clays and soils
• measurement and monitoring
• new approaches to remediation

Dr Maciek Kawecki qualified as a mining engineer and had extensive experience lecturing in Western Australia before returning to the UK in 1990. He worked as a loss adjuster before setting up Subsidence Management Ltd. He is an accredited Expert Witness of the Law Society in matters relating to subsidence, heave, landslip and tree root nuisance.

Back to full 2013 programme of CPD courses for property professionals