The International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) recommends regular inspections not to exceed every five years of exterior building facades and appurtenances based on age, material, construction, and environmental conditions in accordance with ASTM E2270 to ensure safety, maintain performance, and protect value.
Building enclosures are designed to shelter the interior of a building from the outside elements. However, as with any system, time, deferred maintenance, weather cycling, construction defects, and other pressures can deteriorate an enclosure’s performance and structural integrity. Weathering, deterioration, and service-life limitations, however small, will eventually grow larger if left untreated, and unfortunately, some failures have resulted in tragedy. The responsibility for public safety and health, an inviolable principle to building enclosure consultants, compels the recommendation to require periodic inspections of buildings facades and their appurtenances.
In 2021, the collapse of a condominium in Surfside, Florida, that tragically caused the death of nearly 100 residents raised the importance of building inspections and maintenance to building owners, occupants, and local officials. While the official investigation into the structural failure is ongoing, history has provided too many unfortunate and no less tragic reminders that in addition to structural failures, building facades and appurtenances can, and will, fail. Clayford Grimm, writing for Construction Specifier magazine in 2000 noted, “Masonry falls off a building façade somewhere in the United States about every three weeks. Over the past few years in the United States, at least 49 such masonry failures have killed 30 persons and injured 81.[1]” While large cities have more buildings, small cities have aging structures as well. For example, in the summer of 2021 resident of Racine, Wisconsin, (pop. 77,081) awoke to find chunks of a marble façade from a vacant historic building on 5th and Main had come crashing down overnight. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.
IIBEC recognizes there is no one-size fits all inspection program that would adequately apply to all localities, however, ASTM E2270, Standard Practice for Periodic Inspection of Building Facades for Unsafe Conditions, provides a framework for local officials to build a program around. ASTM E2270 describes methods and procedures for inspection, evaluation and reporting for periodic inspection of building facades for unsafe conditions and is used by the cities listed below.
Numerous localities have already established inspection programs that meet their jurisdiction’s needs, many of which include all or most of ASTM E2270. Currently, the U.S. cities of Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and St. Louis have ordinances requiring periodic inspections. The Provence of Quebec and the city of Calgary also have ordinances requiring inspections of building facades and appurtenances.
Modern building wall and roof systems can include hundreds to thousands of different parts, making them increasingly complex. Paired with a growing building stock, rapid construction methodologies, an increase in high-rise construction, and high-performance (or low-carbon) buildings has led to a growing awareness of the problems associated with facade failures.
While construction requirements have seen increasing and more rigorous municipal and code standards, time and the elements, will eventually necessitate corrective action. At the end of 2021, the average U.S. commercial building was 53.03 years old, according to research done by Stuart A. Feldstein at SMR Research Corp. While commercial buildings are expected to last for decades, the age suggests additional maintenance and repair will become necessary for many buildings in the coming years.
In addition to protecting the public, regular inspections can also benefit building owners, residents, and the community at large by protecting financial investments and maintaining market values. According to Facilities Management Insights, “…the façade inspection can identify more nuanced water infiltration issues or other façade deficiencies for the building owner. This allows building owners to be proactive in their maintenance efforts and eliminate small problems before they become large problems. It’s much easier and less costly to replace the joint sealants on a building façade elevation or retrofit a metal flashing over an open façade joint, than to perform costly mold remediation and interior repairs related to water infiltration through the building façade.[i]” The article concludes by noting that regular inspections can, “reduce the cost of associated insurance premiums for the property.” Periodic façade inspections are a win for tenants, owners, and the community: residents and tenants are kept comfortable, critical equipment is kept safe, and market values are maintained.
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