- Overview
- Syllabus
- Instructor
Overview
This course is held online over 5 days on the following schedule (All times in Eastern Time Zone):
10:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern (Will include the usual breaks)
After participating in this course, you will be able to:
- Follow the visual inspection methods used by specialists
- Use the latest destructive and non-destructive investigation techniques when conducting a building condition survey
- Select destructive and non-destructive testing techniques based on their strengths and limitations, and suitability to your concrete, steel, timber and masonry structures
- Interpret building system results
- Assess the useful life of the building systems and the whole building
Description:
As buildings age, those responsible for them must get involved with condition surveys. These individuals have to evaluate materials, conduct destructive or non-destructive tests, evaluate results and decide on the necessary actions for structural rehabilitation. This course explains the step-by-step procedures for conducting a condition survey of concrete, steel, timber and masonry structures, HVAC, mould, plumbing, electrical and fire safety systems.
The strengths and limitations of destructive and non-destructive techniques, along with their suitability for a variety of situations, are discussed.
Course Outline:
- Assessing Building Conditions
- Structural Condition of Wood, Steel and Concrete
- Masonry Structures
- Foundations
- Building Envelope: Testing and Monitoring
- Roofing, Doors and Windows
- Mould
- Site Elements and Life Expectancy
- Fire Safety
- HVAC Components and Plumbing Systems
- Electrical Systems
- Workshops
- Facility Condition Index
- Review Building Condition Assessment Reports and Case Studies
Who Should Attend:
Structural Engineers • Project Engineers and Managers • Consulting Engineers • Designers • Facility Supervisors and Managers • Building Services Managers • Technicians and Technologists • Capital Asset Personnel • Inspection Personnel • Architects
Special Feature:
Condition surveys of each building element will be presented. Participants will take part in discussions to develop check lists for condition survey inspections and building condition assessments.
Time: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern Time
Please note: You can check other time zones here.
Syllabus
Day I
Welcome, Introduction, Workshop Preview, Learning Outcomes and the Assessment Method
Assessing Condition of a Building
- Objective for building condition assessments
- Procedures and checklists for assessing buildings
- A comprehensive study of condition survey of a building
- Examples of assessing various building components
Structural Condition Assessment and Evaluation of Wood Structures
- Wood as a construction material, pressure treated wood
- Visual inspection of columns, beams, fasteners and connectors, structural panels, glue laminated timber and metal plate connected wood trusses
- Material evaluation
- Destructive and nondestructive testing
- Strength considerations
- Assessing the risk of failure
- Case Study
- Checklist for wood structures
Refreshments and Networking
Structural Condition Assessment and Evaluation of Wood Structures (Continued)
Structural Condition Assessment and Evaluation of Steel Structures
- Types of damage: corrosion, structural deficiencies and distress
- Visual inspection of columns, beams and trusses
- Material evaluation
- Destructive and nondestructive testing techniques
- Performance rating of components
- Upgrading of existing structures
- Reporting data reduction
- Case Study
- Checklist for steel structures
Lunch
Structural Condition Assessment and Evaluation of Steel Structures (Continued)
Refreshments and Networking
Structural Condition Assessment and Evaluation of Masonry Structures
- Types of damage: dampness, spalling, efflorescence, corrosion of ties, structural deficiencies & distress
- Visual inspection of load bearing walls, columns and brick veneer
- Material evaluation
- Destructive and nondestructive testing
- Statistical evaluation of test data
- Strength considerations
- Assessing the risk of failure
- Reporting-data reduction
- Case Study
- Checklist for masonry structures
Adjournment
Day II
Structural Condition Assessment and Evaluation of Concrete Structures
- Causes of concrete deterioration: frost action, chemical attack, alkali-aggregate reaction, mechanical abrasion, non-uniform volume change, corrosion of embedded reinforcement
- Types of damage: cracking, water leakage, staining, corrosion-related damage, structural deficiencies and distress, fire damage
- Visual inspection of columns, beams, slabs, parking garages
- Material evaluation
- Destructive and nondestructive testing
- Statistical evaluation of test data
- Strength considerations
- Durability considerations
- Assessing the risk of failure
- Reporting-data reduction
- Case Study
- Checklist for concrete structures
Refreshments and Networking
Foundation
- Soil type and bearing capacity
- Soil modifications
- Type of foundation-shallow or deep
- Foundation cracks/repairs
- Foundation settlement
Case Study
- Checklist for foundations
Lunch
Testing and Monitoring Building Envelope
- Standard, non-destructive testing and monitoring of building envelopes will be discussed encompassing the techniques and advantages of ground penetrating radar and impact-echo to evaluate building envelope conditions including:
- Standard tests: testing brick mortar in the field, testing vapour pressure in the field
- NDT tests: general principles of ground penetrating radar, general principles and uses of impact-echo testing, comparison of the two NDT methods using case histories: evaluating the presence of cracking in stone masonry, evaluating the presence of voids in solid masonry units, evaluating the internal deterioration of historical masonry
- Monitoring buildings including: stress, crack and building envelope movement-methods and accuracies moisture-methods and accuracies
- Case Study
Refreshments and Networking
Roofing
- Inspection
- Warranties
- Condition - membrane, aluminum/copper sheets
- Repairs and Replacements
- Case Study
- Checklist for Roofs
Adjournment
Day III
Doors and Windows
- Procedure for Inspection
- Deterioration
- Repairs or Replacement decision
- Case Study
- Checklist for Doors and Windows
Refreshments and Networking
Mould
- Areas of highwater episode potential
- Musty odor
- Floor coverings with water damage
- Behind wall paper
- Ventilation equipment: filters, insulation, ducts, fan rooms
- Humidification units
- Case Study
- Checklist for Mould
Lunch
Site Elements
- Parking lot, pavement, lights, signs, parking meters, drainage, fire hydrant,
- Substation, water and electricity hookups
- Condition survey and corrective action
- Case Study
- Checklist for Site Elements
Refreshments and Networking
Fire Safety
- Life safety and property protection
- Containment
- Early warning system
- Fire alarm
- Egress
- Suppression
- Checklist for Fire Safety
Adjournment
Day IV
Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning
- System type- air furnace, central hot water boilers, electric furnaces, forced air, ducted forced air, hot water, cooling tower, humidifiers, evaporators, and condensers, evaporative coolers
- Condition assessment of components
- Tests
- Assessing the risk of failure
- Reporting-data reduction
- Case Study
- Checklist for HVAC
Refreshments and Networking
Plumbing System
- Fixtures, drains and vents
- Domestic hot and cold water piping systems
- Sump and ejector pumps
- Hydronic systems
- Plumbing system materials and valves
- Checklist for Plumbing
Electrical System
- Single and three phase wiring
- Metering arrangements
- Fuse panels and circuit breakers
- Transformers
- Feeders and services
- Subsystems: fire alarm system, life safety system, emergency lighting, emergency power
- Case Study
- Checklist for Electrical
Lunch
Case Study at Venue Location
Workshop
- Check Lists
- Documentation Collection
- Notes
- Tables
Adjournment
Day V
Life Expectancy
- Calculating expected useful life of a building from the expected lie of its components
- Case Study
Refreshments and Networking
Written Report and Presentation
- General condition report for the owner
- Introduction to the report
- Order of magnitude estimate for required repairs
- Unpredictable repair
- Descriptive text for each element
- Appendices: pictures, maintenance recommendations, glossary
- Presentation
- Case Study
Lunch
Facility Condition Index
- Overview
- Deferred Maintenance Costs
- Case Study
Refreshments and Networking
Building Condition Assessments
- Overview
- The Process
- The Tables
- The Report
- Case Study
Questions and Answers and Feedback to Participants on Achievement of Learning Outcomes
Concluding Remarks and Final Adjournment
Instructor

Martin Gerskup, B. Arch, OAA, MAIBC, and MRAIC
Martin has over 35 years of experience and is the president of BEST Consultants Martin Gerskup Architect Inc. He specializes in the field of investigative architecture and building science with particular emphasis on the resolution of problems affecting the building envelope. Martin is a member of the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) and has served in various capacities on the Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC) Board of Directors from 1991 to 1997. He was president of OBEC from 1993 to 1994 and a member of council for the OAA from 2003 to 2005, and was a member of the ULC Thermal Insulation Committee. During his tenure on council at the OAA, Mr. Gerskup was Chair of the Discipline Committee while also serving on the following committees: Practice Committee, Registration Committee, Public Interest Review Committee, Communications Committee, and the University Liaison Task Group. In addition to authoring and presenting many technical papers on the subject of building science, Mr. Gerskup has taught as an assistant adjunct professor and tutor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design from 1999 to 2001, and at the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Ryerson University in 2002.NOT INTERESTED IN THIS COURSE?
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Fee & Credits
$2995 + taxes
- 3.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
- 35 Professional Development Hours (PDHs)
- ECAA Annual Professional Development Points
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