Building Condition Survey

1 is a senior lecturer in the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia). He is also a registered building surveyor in Malaysia. His research interests are building performance ...

Calatayud in NE Spain is an historically important city built on recent alluvial deposits underlain by gypsum and other soluble rocks. Since its foundation by the Muslims in 716 AD, the city development has been strongly influenced by geohazards including flooding, subsidence and slope movements. Most of the flooding problems have been mitigated by diversion of the local drainage. However, dissolution of the evaporite bedrock in the urban areas continually causes subsidence and triggers rock-falls from the gypsum cliffs ...

Historic buildings are old aged buildings that have a unique architecture which relates to its history and events of the construction. Historic buildings usually experience physical defects like cracks, peeling paints, decays and others. The main factor that contributes to these defects is building dampness. Most decisions that have been made to overcome dampness are ad hoc decisions. It is because by looking at the current situation there is no comprehensive scientific research in explaining the exact factor of dampness. Most of the scientific research done cannot be comprehended by contractors because the procedure used is ambiguous. As a result, faulty in the repair works will occur and lead to severe effects in which the same or even worse defects or damages can happen in the future. The goals of this study are to investigate the dampness problems on the historic buildings and introduce a straightforward procedure in investigating the building dampness. There are four processes of investigation used in this study which are visual inspection, a test that will not damage the building, a test that will damage the building (lab test) and comprehensive research. All of these processes have been completed in UK. A comprehensive or detailed research will be conducted by experimenting and the data will be analysed thoroughly. Through the research that has been done, one simple method in inspecting the dampness of the building will be presented. In addition, one method or technique in analysing the dampness will be presented manually in order to be understood and followed without difficulty.

Here is presented just an overview concerning a methodological proposal baptized (by myself) Organised Visual Observation (OVO) thought to implement, in practice, the condition assessment and survey phases, in particular the preliminary conservation investigation on site (or in front of the object) commonly known as visual examination.

Interview to the inventor of the OVO methodology, created to support the phases of condition assessment in the field of cultural heritage.
The interview tells why did the methodology, how it has developed over the first ten years of experimentation and application in the context of ICCROM training projects.

Intervista all’ideatore della metodologia OVO, creata per supportare le fasi di condition assessment nel campo della conservazione dei beni culturali.
L’intervista racconta perché è nata la metodologia, come si è sviluppata nel corso dei primi dieci anni di sperimentazione e applicazione nell’ambito di progetti di formazione dell’ICCROM.

O Método de Avaliação das Necessidade de Reabilitação estabelece um conjunto de procedimentos que permite determinar as necessidades de reabilitação de um edifício de modo a dotá-lo de características que assegurem a satisfação das exigências funcionais num nível não inferior ao estabelecido na legislação aplicável ou convencionado pelas regras da boa prática. A satisfação das exigências funcionais pode estar comprometida por anomalias construtivas e/ou espaciais. Da aplicação do método resulta informação que permite avaliar a viabilidade do edifício.

This paper presents a comparative analysis of methods used in European countries to assess buildings' condition. The following methods were compared: a Portuguese method to assess buildings condition, an English housing health and safety rating system, a French method to assess buildings that may be declared inhabitable, a Dutch standard about buildings condition assessment and the assessment methods developed within the European projects EPIQR & TOBUS. The comparative analysis included three tasks. First, each of the methods was described separately. Then, the main features of the methods were compared. Finally, some guidelines to improve the Portuguese method were drawn.

Neste artigo são descritos e comparados três métodos de avaliação do estado de conservação dos edifícios, desenvolvidos no LNEC na última década: «Metodologia de Certificação das Condições Mínimas de Habitabilidade», «Método de Avaliação do Estado de Conservação dos Imóveis» e «Método de Avaliação das Necessidades de Reabilitação». Em complemento, apresenta-se uma análise prospectiva das possibilidades de aplicação destes métodos.

Face à degradação do parque edificado e à necessidade de alterar o paradigma da construção em Portugal, a reabilitação começou a assumir, no início do século XXI, uma crescente importância nos vários programas de governo. Com vista a apoiar a implementação das políticas públicas de reabilitação do parque edificado, foi desenvolvida pelo Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (LNEC), na última década, uma linha de investigação sobre o tema da «Avaliação do Estado da Conservação de Edifícios».

An experiment to investigate and quantify reliability in collection condition surveys was carried out with 33 professional conservators assessing 20 objects of various materials. Data were analysed using several reliability indices, particularly Krippendorff's alpha. The quantified reliability level (0.372 alpha) was halfway between levels considered acceptable in other fields and chance agreement. Responses demonstrated, in addition to individual differences, the main reasons for low reliability; ambiguity in survey form definitions, the broadness of the term 'condition', high levels of deterioration, and the professional roles of surveyors. Some existing explanations for disagreement, particularly institutional differences, were not found to have a significant effect on reliability, and object complexity and experience in conservation were found to have only a limited effect. Three factorssurveyors, objects, and survey forms -and the relationships between them, are reviewed in order to determine evidence-based recommendations for increasing reliability.

The purpose of this study was to develop an assessment method of a building rehabilitation needs. It was considered that a building needs rehabilitation if it would not comply with the functional requirements defined in Portuguese legislation or determined by good practices of design and construction. The functional requirements considered were: safety requirements, health and comfort requirements and use adequacy requirements. Functional requirements may not be satisfied due to design problems, building defects, lack of maintenance or inappropriate use. It was developed in the Portuguese National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC) the Assessment Method for Building Rehabilitation Needs (MANR). The following tasks were carried out: analysis of Portuguese and foreign assessment methods for buildings condition; definition of assessment criteria; selection of functional elements of dwellings and buildings; establishment of weighting coefficients for the functional elements; defini...

The purpose of the paper is to describe the main functional elements with defects in illegal residential buildings. Three research questions are addressed: What are the main functional elements with defects in buildings and in dwellings? What are the main defects found? In which way these defects affect the use of buildings? The defects were identified during a survey to the building stock of the Cova da Moura District (Amadora, Portugal), carried out in 2008. This district is made of illegal constructions, occupies an area of 16.5 ha and has approximately 5,000 inhabitants. During the survey 833 buildings and 1884 units were inspected. The main results are: a) only 13% of these building presented defects in the building structure; b) about 60% of the buildings have defects in the roofing systems (e.g., damp and mould, infiltrations); c) more than 84% of the dwellings have defects in the technical installation such as gas or electrical installations most of them classified as severe...

No âmbito da revisão do regime de arrendamento urbano (NRAU) publicada pela Lei n.º 6/2006, de 27 de fevereiro, foi desenvolvido, no Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, o Método de Avaliação do Estado de Conservação de imóveis (MAEC). O MAEC é uma metodologia que, baseada numa avaliação visual das anomalias que afetam cada elemento construtivo e equipamento de um imóvel, permite a classificação do estado de conservação da unidade avaliada, numa escala de cinco categorias: «excelente», «bom», «médio», «mau» e «péssimo»; esta metodologia entrou em vigor em novembro de 2006, com a publicação da Portaria n.º 1192-B/2006, de 4 de novembro. Com a revisão do regime jurídico de arrendamento urbano, aprovada pela Lei n.º 32/2012, de 14 de agosto, a atualização das rendas antigas deixou de está estar sujeita à avaliação do locado com o MAEC. No âmbito do NRAU, a avaliação do estado de conservação realizada com o MAEC permitia a determinação de um coeficiente de conservação dos locados, ...

O Método de Avaliação do Estado de Conservação de imóveis (MAEC) foi desenvolvido no âmbito da revisão do Regime de Arrendamento Urbano (NRAU), em 2006, para efeitos de atualização de rendas. Este método permite determinar, de forma expedita, o estado de conservação de edifícios, mediante a realização de inspeções visuais ao local, efetuadas por técnicos qualificados. Durante os primeiros quatro anos de implementação, foram inspecionados mais de 30 000 locados com este método e estavam inscritos para a realização desta atividade mais de 2400 técnicos; estes valores atestam a importância desta atividade e a efetiva implementação deste método. A presente comunicação tem por objetivo apresentar uma análise comparativa entre o MAEC e diversos outros métodos europeus utilizados no mesmo âmbito. Para o efeito, o estudo foi dividido em duas fases: (i) levantamento e análise de diferentes métodos de avaliação do estado de conservação europeus; (ii) comparação dos métodos tendo em consideraç...

In order to make the most of the digital outsourced documents, based on new technologies (e.g.: 3D LASER scanners, photogrammetry, etc.), a new approach was followed and a new ad hoc information system was implemented. The obtained product allow to the final user to reuse and manage the digital documents providing graphic tools and an integrated specific database to manage the entire documentation and conservation process, starting from the condition assessment until the conservation / restoration work. The system is organised on two main modules: Archaeology and Conservation. This paper focus on the features and the advantages of the second one. In particular it is emphasized its logical organisation, the possibility to easily mapping by using a very precise 3D metric platform, to benefit of the integrated relational database which allows to well organise, compare, keep and manage different kind of information at different level. Conservation module can manage along the time the conservation process of a site, monuments, object or excavation and conservation work in progress. An alternative approach called OVO by the author of this paper, force the surveyor to observe and describe the entity decomposing it on functional components, materials and construction techniques. Some integrated tools as the "ICOMOS-ISCS Illustrated glossary … " help the user to describe pathologies with a unified approach and terminology. Also the conservation project phase is strongly supported to envision future intervention and cost. A final section is devoted to record the conservation/restoration work already done or in progress. All information areas of the conservation module are interconnected to each other to allows to the system a complete interchange of graphic and alphanumeric data. The conservation module it self is connected to the archaeological one to create an interdisciplinary daily tool.

Neste artigo são descritos e comparados três métodos de avaliação do estado de conservação dos edifícios, desenvolvidos no LNEC na última década: «Metodologia de Certificação das Condições Mínimas de Habitabilidade», «Método de Avaliação do Estado de Conservação dos Imóveis» e «Método de Avaliação das Necessidades de Reabilitação». Em complemento, apresenta-se uma análise prospectiva das possibilidades de aplicação destes métodos.

O Metodo de Avaliacao das Necessidade de Reabilitacao (MANR) estabelece um conjunto de procedimentos que permite determinar as necessidades de reabilitacao de um edificio de modo a dota-lo de caracteristicas que assegurem a satisfacao das exigencias funcionais num nivel nao inferior ao estabelecido na legislacao aplicavel ou convencionado pelas regras da boa pratica. A satisfacao das exigencias funcionais pode estar comprometida por anomalias construtivas e/ou espaciais. Da aplicacao do metodo resulta informacao que permite avaliar a viabilidade de cada edificio. O MANR foi desenvolvido no Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil no âmbito da iniciativa “Bairros Criticos”. Nesta comunicacao apresentam-se o modelo de avaliacao, os criterios de avaliacao, a formula de calculo e os instrumentos de aplicacao do MANR.

The purpose of the paper is to describe the main functional elements with defects in illegal residential buildings. Three research questions are addressed: What are the main functional elements with defects in buildings and in dwellings? What are the main defects found? In which way these defects affect the use of buildings? The defects were identified during a survey to the building stock of the Cova da Moura District (Amadora, Portugal), carried out in 2008. This district is made of illegal constructions, occupies an area of 16.5 ha and has approximately 5,000 inhabitants. During the survey 833 buildings and 1884 units were inspected. The main results are: a) only 13% of these building presented defects in the building structure; b) about 60% of the buildings have defects in the roofing systems (e.g., damp and mould, infiltrations); c) more than 84% of the dwellings have defects in the technical installation such as gas or electrical installations most of them classified as severe...

Purpose: This paper discusses a method for assessing the condition of buildings. The method was developed in Portugal as part of a new Urban Tenancy Regime approved in 2006. Methodology/Approach: The method was developed in six phases, namely: definition of objectives; analysis of existing instruments; formulation of the proposal; discussions with organizations in the rented sector; pilot; and technical presentations of the final version.

The purpose of this study was to develop an assessment method of a building rehabilitation needs. It was considered that a building needs rehabilitation if it would not comply with the functional requirements defined in Portuguese legislation or determined by good practices of design and construction. The functional requirements considered were: safety requirements, health and comfort requirements and use adequacy requirements. Functional requirements may not be satisfied due to design problems, building defects, lack of maintenance or inappropriate use. It was developed in the Portuguese National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC) the Assessment Method for Building Rehabilitation Needs (MANR). The following tasks were carried out: analysis of Portuguese and foreign assessment methods for buildings condition; definition of assessment criteria; selection of functional elements of dwellings and buildings; establishment of weighting coefficients for the functional elements; defini...

The purpose of the paper is to describe the main spatial defects in illegal residential buildings. Three research questions are addressed: What are the main spatial defects of the dwellings? What are the main spatial defects in the relation between buildings? What is the impact of spatial defects to the minimum habitability conditions of dwellings?