Commercial · Central London
Central London Office — Cat B Refurbishment Survey Above an Occupied Trading Floor
A financial services tenant needed a refurbishment survey for a Cat B fit-out on the two floors directly above an occupied 24-hour trading floor.
Project anonymised by sector and region. Named version available on request once the client has confirmed publication consent.

Property overview
1980s central London office building with raised access floors, suspended ceilings and multiple riser routes, tenanted across all floors.
Challenge
Any dust or vibration event would disrupt trading below, and access was limited to overnight windows with strict noise limits.
Survey undertaken
Refurbishment survey to HSG264 covering all planned Cat B disturbance zones — ceiling voids, risers, raised floor voids and MEP interfaces.
Materials identified
- AIB soffit boards and riser panels
- Vinyl floor tiles and bitumen adhesives beneath raised floor
- Historic textured coatings retained above later suspended ceilings
Laboratory testing
72 bulk samples analysed to UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 with priority overnight turnaround.
Our solution
Elements phased inspections into overnight windows, used low-impact micro-opening techniques and coordinated with the base build FM team on containment and dust control.
Outcome
The tenant's Cat B fit-out proceeded on programme; base-build FM team retained a clean audit trail of controls used above the trading floor.
Results at a glance
- Trading floor operations uninterrupted
- Refurbishment survey complete within 2 weeks
- Clear register for the fit-out contractor
- No dust or vibration events reported
Timeline
5 overnight visits over 2 weeks
Report turnaround
Draft within 5 working days; final within 10
Related guides & tools
Want to discuss a similar project?
Talk to a senior consultant — no obligation, straight-talking scoping advice.
Related case studies
Selected because they share sector, property type or service scope.
Explore further
Related guides, tools & services
Deep-dive resources that connect to the sector, property type and materials in this case study.
Property Type
Commercial Offices — Property Type Hub
Commercial office asbestos: where it typically sits in 1960s–90s office stock, how survey scope differs across Cat A shells, Cat B fit-outs and dilapidations, and the right survey for each scenario.
ReadIndustry
Schools — Industry Hub
Independent, DfE-aligned asbestos consultancy for UK schools, academies and multi-academy trusts. Management surveys, refurbishment surveys, annual re-inspections and duty-to-manage support from senior consultants who never quote for removal.
ReadIndustry
Offices — Industry Hub
Independent asbestos surveys for offices, HQs, managed workspaces and multi-let workplaces across the UK. Pre-fit-out, dilapidations, CAT-A and CAT-B refurbishment surveys and portfolio management for landlords, tenants and agents.
ReadIndustry
Hospitals — Industry Hub
Independent asbestos consultancy for NHS trusts, private hospitals and clinical estates. Ward-live management surveys, refurbishment surveys, backlog maintenance support and 24/7 emergency response — all UKAS 17025 accredited.
ReadProperty Type
Edwardian Properties — Property Type Hub
Edwardian houses span the arrival of commercial asbestos cement into UK construction. Where original AC sheeting sits, what post-war retrofits typically added, and the survey we recommend before you start work.
ReadIndustry
Care Homes — Industry Hub
Independent asbestos surveys and duty-to-manage support for UK care homes, nursing homes and supported-living providers. Resident-safe scheduling, CAR 2012 compliance, refurbishment surveys and 24/7 incident response.
Read