Building Audit and Post-Occupancy Evaluation Report

This report presents a detailed building audit of 138 Broomdykes Drive, Beaconsfield, QLD 4740, focusing on building maintenance and post-occupancy evaluation. The report includes an executive summary, methodology, and findings related to the building's condition, utilizing qualitative analysis and referencing existing academic research. The audit assessed the building's structural integrity, electrical systems, roofing, and interior/exterior finishes, identifying issues such as structural damage, moisture staining, cracked roof tiles, and outdated paint. Recommendations for repairs, replacements, and maintenance are provided, along with cost estimations. The report also addresses the causes of building deterioration, including poor design, construction, maintenance, and management, and explains the benefits of a well-managed building audit program in budget planning and minimizing operational disruptions. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of post-occupancy evaluations for governments, property owners, and developers to improve building design and delivery processes, ensuring user needs and sustainability are met.

Building Life Cycle Maintenance
Assignment 3
Due Date 14 October 2019
Weight: 35%

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Proper care and maintenance of buildings is key to ensuring the buildings attain their
anticipated lifespan. This assignment task basically concentrates on performing a
building audit on 138 Broomdykes drive, Beaconsfield QLD 4740, determining the issue
which promotes building deterioration, as well as determining the relevancy of the post-
occupancy evaluation to various stakeholders such as the governments and property
developers. The methodology applied in meeting the various objectives of the research
is qualitative analyses, where assorted information is obtained from research which had
been conducted by other academicians before. From the results obtained, conducting a
well-planned building audit program, building maintenance, as well as post-occupancy
evaluation, these are essential for improving the performance of buildings.
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Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................1
QUESTION 1.............................................................................................................................................3
Brief summary.......................................................................................................................................3
Introduction............................................................................................................................................3
Question 2.................................................................................................................................................9
Part (a)...................................................................................................................................................9
Part (b).................................................................................................................................................11
Question 3...............................................................................................................................................12
Conclusion...............................................................................................................................................13
References..............................................................................................................................................14
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QUESTION 1
Brief summary
The 138 Broomdykes drive, Beaconsfield QLD 4740 building is an aging building that
requires some resources in order to conform to the changing demands for residential
buildings. From the findings conducted, the overall condition of the building in terms of
the facility condition index rating is 85% as compared to the anticipated level of 95%.
Introduction
138 Broomdykes drive, Beaconsfield QLD 4740 has an extensive space, and it is made
up of a dwelling of 3 bedrooms and one bathroom as illustrated by the photos below.
Front Rear Kitchen
Bathroom Laundry Pool
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Shed
In this report, the conditions of the various building assets are provided, and
conclusions drawn from their condition assessment. Recommendations are then
provided which can be put into consideration for future budgeting and maintenance
purposes.
Methodology
There are areas of the building which can not be assessedd, thus, the backlog
maintenance estimates should not be considered as the exact measures. Nonetheless,
the figures thereof offer an extensive indication of the various conditions for the building
sections and can be utilized in allocating funds as well as prioritizing the future work
programs (Ahzahar et al., 2011). The estimates were acquired through audits that were
completed by external consultants. Attached is an inspection checklist for the building
sections.
Desktop analysis was utilized in generating the rehabilitation approximations.
The general conditions
Structural damage- there was a possibility of structural damage to the roof truss,
however, further inspection would be required by an authorized builder/carpenter on the
areas which are not easily accessible to determine the extent if any of the damage. The
recommendation is seeking the services of a licensed and practicing builder/carpenter
on the roof truss.
Conditions promoting the structural damage
There was the presence of environmental factors that promote the occurrence of the
structural damage. Around the sewer vent pipe, moisture staining was easily visible. An
investigation into the cause of the leaking needs to be done, as well as further
monitoring on the changes which need to be made (Alam & Alam, 2017).
Some of the roof tiles have cracked, and it is strongly recommended that replacement
needs to be done to prevent the penetration of water into the roof void. Also, a licensed
and practicing roof tiler should be contacted.
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In terms of the downlights they actually lack sufficient clearance according to the as/nzs
60598.1 they require 200 millimeters clearance in their thermal insulation and the
structural members (Aral, 2017).
Electrical description
The electrical connection in the building is an overhead connection. when the
switchboard was opened, all the wiring systems inside were made of copper wire.
Recommendations
The incandescent lamps, on the other hand, require a 100 mm clearance, thus, it is
recommended to install led bulbs (Boyeena & Goteti, 2011).
The grounding electrode needs to be repaired with immediate effect as it can be very
risky. The cost to be incurred in conducting that is very minimal.
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Roofing ]
The roofing is covered by a metal frame. At the time of inspection, the roofing had no
leaks, and therefore considered as structurally sound.
Recommendation
An infrared survey of the roofing is recommended in order to determine all the areas
which require repair. The roofing leakages needs to be repaired, and will approximately
cost $ 2000.
Interior
Most of the wall finishes in the interior is made plasterboard. On the roof ceilings, there
were no stains were noted. It was noted that the paint on the walls and skirting boards is
dated. The recommendations are that the walls and skirting boards are repainted.
(Edirisinghe et al., 2017). This will cost approximately$ 2500 on the higher side.
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Exterior
Majorly, the exterior walls are made of brick veneer and concrete block, with double
glazed window units. At the north facing, a concrete sidewalk is poured. Generally, the
exterior is in good condition and well maintained. The windows, overhead doors,
grading as well as elevated platforms are in good conditions. However, on the rear entry
door, some evidence of rust were noticed.
The recommendation is that this door needs to be replaced, and is deemed to cost $
500.
Closing remarks.
This report details the conditions of the major components of the 138 broomdykes drive,
Beaconsfield QLD 4740 building. Should there be any questions, feel free to contact
us.
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Question 2
Part (a)
Issues which results in building deterioration
Generally, deterioration of buildings has to do with exposure to various elements.it is
therefore of importance for builders to consider various building materials and the
nature of the land before designing any structure (Göçer et al., 2015). By extension, the
errors arise from a lack of keen attention on minor details and inadequate structural
design. Some of the issues which promote the building deterioration includes poor
design, poor construction and detailing, poor maintenance management and poor
building management. Poor design
Poor design easily results in a localized concentration of increased stress in the
structural members. The high stresses consequently lead to cracking and allowance of
chemicals and water to pass through the material (Jiboye et al., 2012). However, it
might not result in structural failure, but eventually will result in the deterioration of the
concrete material, and eventually the whole of the building. The poor designs can be
prevented through a thorough review of the design calculations. Some instances of
poor design which results in deteriorations include:
 Replacement of concrete which does not match the plan dimensions
 Inadequate reinforcement at the openings and the corners
 Lack of adequate deflections provisions
 Lack of adequate drainage provisions (Ma et al., 2012)
 Inadequate travel provision in the expansion joints.
 Neglecting the creep joints.
Poor design affects the overall performance of the building in very many ways. The
building is deemed to last for a period shorter than the recommended time and its useful
life may not be realized (Menezes et al., 2012). Poor construction and detailing
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Poor construction and detailing make the concrete to be exposed to greater stress
which it can not handle. These kinds of designs are characterized by cracking of
concrete or spalling. Normally, the compressive stress and the torsion and tensile
stresses are always very high which becomes unbearable to the building (Nowotarski &
Gajzler, 2019). A careful review of the design calculations as well as a thorough review
of the various figures needs to be conducted for the purposes of preventing building
deterioration resulting from the poor construction and detailing. With the poor
construction and detailing, the overall building performance is affected negatively as the
building is likely not last for the duration which it is intended to last. Poor maintenance management
Building maintenance from the definitions implies controlling the conditions of the
building as well as the services so that the ability to service the building remains within
acceptable limits. It is generally conducted with the aims of protecting the building
alongside its engineering services, reducing the breakdown time and increasing its
utilization, and ensuring safety within the building. When all these are poorly managed,
it is no doubt that the building will deteriorate within a short span of time (Patil, 2012).
Thus, it is the work of the maintenance engineers to properly coordinate how the
building is maintained in order to prolong the lifespan of the building. Further, when the
building is under poor maintenance management, the overall performance of the
building is negatively affected, and if t is used for commercial purposes, it might not
attract many clients. Poor building management
The building management encompasses every other person who resides or performs
any duty around the building. Majorly, a number of these persons, say for example the
workers are very ignorant of the various risks and hazards which the buildings are
exposed to. They do not really understand that moisture and water have a great effect
on the concrete materials, and thus detailed design needs to be conducted to overcome
the deterioration factors. It is, therefore, the duty of the site managers to properly
coordinate the management of the buildings so that factors that might promote
deterioration of the building are eliminated (Preiser, 2013). For instance, daily cleaning,
supervision, and maintenance of various facilities within the building is key to ensuring
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that the building management performs its duties. Poor building management, just like
other factors above, is likely to affect the performance of the building in a negative
manner.
Part (b)
How a well-managed building audit program can assist:
 In budget planning
A well-managed building audit program will involve a detailed inspection of the various
components of a building. It involves calculations and analysis of the various building
parameters and then gives various recommendations. Ordinarily, most of the
recommendations are on parts which need to be improved and gives a rough
approximation of the cost which might be incurred. The costs are premier of establishing
a detailed budget plan (Preiser et al., 2015).
 Minimize building operation disruption
Buildings which are not maintained results into deterioration, which eventually leads to
demolition and reconstruction of the building. When this happens, the operation within
the building is halted. However, with a proper building audit program various
recommendation, on areas which need to be improved is provided. These areas can be
improved one by one without disrupting the normal operations of the building.
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Question 3
Why governments, property owners and developers should consider adopting
poe’s as a part of their building delivery and design process.
By definition, post-occupancy evaluation refers to the architectural process of
determining the manner in which buildings promote the well-being and productivity, of
all stakeholders. After a survey has been conducted, recommendations are generated
which can be of importance in improving the work or for future construction projects
(Preiser et al., 2015). The post-occupancy evaluation also goes beyond the
environment surrounding the buildings, and it is applicable at all stages of a building’s
life cycle. By extension, the water and energy requirements are also evaluated. The
evaluation process gives responses as to whether the needs of the project has been
satisfactorily met as well as the needs of the new users.
Having delved into the background of the post-occupancy evaluation, it is clearly
significant that the property owners, governments as well as the developers incorporate
the poes in their building design and delivery process (Wong & Fan, 2013). The poes
will ensure that the requirements of the project, as well as the occupants, are
satisfactorily met and that the future design requirements are taken into consideration.
With the evaluation of the energy and water performance, it is easy to offer alternatives
that are pro-sustainability and eco-green.
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Conclusion
The performance of buildings depends on a number of factors. Basically, these factors
are determined after the building has been structurally designed. By implication, the
maintenance of the buildings. Proper building maintained is key towards attaining the
design objectives of a building and ensuring that the building attains its lifespan. This
assignment has looked into various issues that results in building deterioration and
sickness, and basically, it comes from exposure to various elements. It is therefore
advisable to adopt various measures such as proper building audit programs and post-
occupancy evaluation practices in order to achieve the building objectives. By
extensions, the most targeted group are the governments, property owners as well as
the property developers, as these kinds of initiatives assist them in not only attaining the
building objectives but also offers future strategies for the structural designs.
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References
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