building condition survey

huangyhg

building condition survey
hi everyone,
i just picked up a job that i wanted to bounce off you guys first before i just jump right in.
i'm tasked to complete a building condition survey.  anyone have any experience doing these?  anything i should really be looking for?  these are circa 1880 buildings.
thanks!  erik
i've got a damage survey for condominiums that i will post later... copy not at the office.
dik
i love doing these!  here's a short list, off the top of my head:
* water damage or intrusion at the roof, walls, windows, etc
* ends of wood beams at exterior walls - condition, rot, etc
* obvious signs of foundation damage (cracks in walls, settling, water intrusion in basement)
* mold or mildew on structural members
you should make clear with the owner what you will and will not cover.  for example, will you have a mechanical consultant looking at the hvac and plumbing?  will you have an electrical consultant looking at panel boxes, wiring, and lighting?  are you evaluating the building for compliance with ada?  i could go on and on.
daveatkins
there is an astm standard for a baseline property condition assessment.  it is astm e2018.  it has a suggested report format, a list of items to cover, the qualifications of the observer, etc.
use this in conjunction with asce 11.
i've done hundreds of these.  they can be great, or you can incur a bunch of liability if you don't know what you're doing.
ron is correct--astm e2018 is the "bible" for pca's.
but it is so thorough.  i doubt anyone ever does every item.
daveatkins
attached files
attached file
the above files are my own work and can be used freely by anyone. modify to suit your needs and use at your own risk. liability is always an issue when dealing with this type of thing and latent problems should be checked for.  the answers for the questionaire can be a lead to other more serious deficiencies.
dik
thanks everyone for the great information!  this is perfect.
so, to reduce liability, it falls on the engineer to document as much as possible, right?
i figure i can try and be as comprehensive as possible, so that the owners know that any problems were either there to begin with, or the result of the contractors constructing nearby.   
eelssm,
as noted previously there will still be a lot of caveats that you need to put into your report.
that it is only a visual survey, not a check for code conformance, not including elect,mech,drainage e.t.c. e.t.c.
take photographs of every defect spotted and include in your report referenced on a plan. general photos should be taken too so any future works can be compared to its current layout.
be aware that cracks often do not turn out very clear in photos.