Built from the PD Sep 2023 deck. Currency review against current ABI/RICS guidance and Subsidence Forum updates flagged for Brad's review before publication.
Modules
What is Subsidence?
Definitions, possible causes, FSA Notice 2012, Barker v Lynch, eleven non-subsidence defects.
Start moduleFoundations & Building Structure
Strip footings, trench fill, raft, pad & beam, piling. Foundation choice by soil bearing capacity. Floor types.
Start moduleSite Investigations
Trial pits, boreholes, hand auger, water testing, watermain testing, shear vane, MacKintosh probe, plasticity charts, Atterberg limits.
Start moduleRoots, Trees & Drainage
Root samples, drainage influence in zone of investigation, arboricultural reports, water-mains contribution.
Start moduleMitigation, Monitoring & Repairs
Resin injection, underpinning, stitching bars, crack and level monitoring (3-monthly typical, weekly only for rapid movement).
Start moduleReporting & Catalyst Workflow
Site plan production, instruction sheet, lab test costs, root sample costs, rate cards, Claimsend lifecycle.
Start module🏆 Capstone
The official Catalyst Subsidence Test Sheet — 10 questions, 80% pass mark. Pass it (and all six Core modules) to earn your course certificate. Two questions are flagged for trainer review.
Take the capstone test →ExpertFurther Knowledge tier
Deeper reference material for surveyors, technical leads, and complex case handlers. Sourced from the Subsidence Handbook 4th Edition (Subsidence Forum + DAC Beachcroft, 2013).
Substructure repairs deep-dive
Traditional underpinning sequence (1.0–1.5 m hit-and-miss, 24h cure, dry pack), pad & beam, driven vs augered mini-piles, anti-heave precautions, resin injection.
Open moduleSuperstructure repairs deep-dive
Material-matched repair, Helibar, Hoopsafe, JCT contracts, reinstatement of finishes, Certificate of Structural Adequacy — what it is and isn't.
Open moduleLegislation
TPO 2012 Regulations + compensation, Highways Act 1980, Party Wall etc Act 1996, CDM, Access to Neighbouring Land Act, Building Regs triggers.
Open moduleRecovery actions
Nuisance vs negligence, evidence pack, foreseeability against LAs vs domestic owners, capacity to sue, limitation, 14 key cases.
Open moduleFOS positions on subsidence
Stabilisation as repair, Sum Insured cap, pre-inception damage, semi-detached neighbour refusal, retaining wall as landslip, tree work cost.
Open moduleABI Subsidence Agreements
Domestic Subsidence "Change of Insurer" decision matrix (8wk / 8wk-1yr / 1yr+), Domestic Tree Root Third-Party Liability Agreement.
Open module