Building an Infrastructure Audit

Housing in the modern era is becoming increasingly important to a country's national development as well as its social and cultural growth. House is regarded as the second most important need after food, and it is regarded as one of the most important economic assets in any human society (Smart Facility management, 2009). Internally, accommodation is poised to be the criterion for depicting human creation and culture. In most circumstances, a house that does not call for reflection does not allow for human development under certain conditions. As a result, lodging not only has an effect on man's physical and mental health, but it also has a profound impact on human society and values. Housing profoundly impacts in a broader scope of family and community living standards and wellbeing. Nonetheless, housing is a factor that not only discriminates on human life but also diminishes on the country’s development (Smith, 2016). A house is a mirror of the social system that created it, incorporating its level of development, the degree of civilization, content attached and human development. The essay writes on the building infrastructure audits to depict on condition assessment and asset management plan.

Condition Assessment

The assessment held for a singled detached dwelling. A single family bungalow used during the condition assessment and asset management plan in undertaking the research and developing the report.

Condition Assessment Checklist

Neighborhood Facilities

Building Design

Dwelling Features

Dwelling Facilities

Market/shopping center, Restaurant, Bank, Playground, Health center/clinic, Place of worship, School, Electricity, Pipe-borne water, Refuse disposal and Accessibility

Spatial pattern and Building outlook

Floors, Windows, Wall finishes, Ceiling, Walls, Roofs, Kitchen, toilet and bath fixtures.

Ventilation, Privacy, and Lighting.



Below are the photos were taken during the assessment of the building:

The bungalow assessed is a property located at Brisbane shown in the picture below.





Single detached bungalow dwelling and Interior Roofing



External Roof and Flashings



Eaves, Fascias and barge Boards and Interior Walls



Floors and Kitchen





Bathroom and Exterior Walls



Weep holes and Doors and Windows



External Stairs and Patio



Pergola and Awning



Subfloor and Foundation Construction



Site Driveway





Asset Management Plan

Summary of the Assessment

The objective of the conducted inspection was to provide advice concerning the building's condition as at the time of review. The assessment incorporated observation as a tool of research in identifying the displayed defects, examine them and formulate an opinion about the underlying condition of the building as at the time of inspection. The observed area that demand attention appears under the subheading of this report. Furthermore, some of the initial findings conducted base on the above-listed items on condition assessment. However, one should not rely wholly on the conclusions provided as they are a summary and cannot assume as the primary index of the findings. Also, the order outlined in the report on the appearance of these items does not reflect their importance or value in any way.

VISUAL BUILDING FINDINGS

Property Description

Building type: Single detached bungalow dwelling

External walls materials: the outer wall is constructed from brick veneer and induced with timber framework. The timber frame forms a weatherboard casing.

Roofing: The roof made of a pitched construction. The roof covered with metal trimdeck made of concrete tiles; it is a color bond corrugated sheet.

Internal walls: The inner wall covered with plasterboard designed of asbestos cement sheeting.

Windows: The windows built from timber and aluminum.

Footings and Flooring: the house is built on the combinations of concrete, steel, and timber while the section of the building made of concrete slab.

Extension or Alterations: The initial plan for the building appears to have had the expansion of the rear roofed patio. The owner of the building should consult the local council for more information and get the extension constructed and inspected as well.

Concerns:

Comparing this building to those other of similar age and features would rate this property as an average. Some renovations and maintenances are needed. Please read through the full report and figure out the findings made over the building’s assessment as inspected.

ROOF SYSTEM EXTERNAL

External Roof:

Details on Roofing; the overall roofing is proper and in a hard condition. However, the roofing metal case is rusting in some sections and requires the rust treatment to stop further deterioration. There is need to budget for some replacement sheets or repair. The findings recommend contacting roofing experts for further advice on the same.

Gutters and Downpipes:

Conditions; gutters and downpipes are in practical situations. There are leaks evident to downpipes, and the same appears on the gutters corners and joins. Blocking channels witnessed are caused by the debris built on them and needs clearing to terminate the problem. Also, clearing off this debris will extend the lifespan of the gutters and penetration of water to the roof cavities that supports rusting.

Eaves, Fascias and Barge Boards:

Eaves Condition; eaves poses a fair lining condition even though there are minor defects. Maintenance is required though not that demanding, this will help prevent further corrosion. Application new paints are all it needs to have the good condition held.

Fascias and Bargeboards Condition; there is witnessed a poor condition in the entire fields of fascias/barge boards. The timbers sidelined are coated with wet rot decay matters. There is required new replacement in these areas.

INTERIOR CONDITIONS

Walls (Internal):

Internal Walls Conditions; inner walls poses a good condition. Though there exist minor marks and defecting paint works that can be subject to simple maintenances. The proved to be high moisture readings in the visitor's rooms, sitting room, and store; further investigations recommended to assess the conditions underlying in the bedroom.

Windows:

Conditions: The windows to the building are in a fair condition. The window hardware is also in good condition and stiff enough to last for long. There is no repair needed though maintenance is required to keep them last. The use of double hung windows demands the keen support if it is to have them serve for a long term.

Floors:

Conditions; the ground to the bungalow assessed is good. At the main entrance, there are some fractured tiles and therefore need for replacement. Research showed that moisture could affect tiles. Though there are many other causes to cause of dummy tiles, the report recommends for a further investigation by the expertise in tiles. The extended floor of the entertainment area is quite low, and this can allow the flow of stormwater to the place.

KITCHEN

Kitchen Tiles:

The tiles condition in the kitchen is fair. There are some minimal defects realized and maintenance to the items is necessary to stop further deterioration. Also, recommendations to all splashes back on the kitchen walls to prevent moisture penetration.

Sink and Taps:

There are tap leaks and repair is necessary.

BATHROOMS

Bathroom Details: There is missing an exhaust fan in the bathroom. Timbers used in the window framing and skirting need to be covered or painted to bar moisture from penetrating. Humidity is the cause of wood deterioration. Keep all sealants and grouting to block moisture from entering and damaging.

LAUNDRY

Laundry Condition: the taps and tub in the laundry are serviceable. The cabinet is in a rusting condition and requires replacement.

EXTERIOR

External Walls:

Weep holes; the outer wall covered with garden beds and the foliage that has spread randomly mainly on the front side of the building. There is the need for enough clearance between the weep holes and the lower ground levels. There is need to conduct a clearance minimum of 75mm to depict a neat and attractive scenery. The garden beds and the surrounding foliage should be destroyed to prevent difficulties in dumping and conceal pest attack.

Doors and Windows:

Conditions: The window flashing is missing to the top of the windows. There is need to have the window flashing fixed to prevent water from penetrating through the area. Also, there is the need for the general repair of the screens and window frames.

Water Staining:

The findings showed some timber structures decaying at the front of the building. There is required a maintenance and repair to these faulty timbers.

DECKS, BALCONIES, AWNINGS, PERGOLAS, AND VERANDAHS

Patio:

Defects: Mould was noted to have invaded the ceilings. There is need to inspect on the cause and rectify before they cause massive impacts to the building and the people hosted in the house.

Pergola:

Defects: the applied timbers have signs of wearing out and aging. Moderate decay is also evident in the woods. Repair and maintenance recommended. There is used Oregon timber, recommend the frames replaced by suitable hardwoods for the external building. Consult contractor personnel to determine the extent to which the repair should be necessary, and the costs asserted to the restoration.

Awning:

Defects: there is observed a wood decay to the used structures. Clear sheet roofing is leaking, and the underlying parts are exposed to rusting and rotting. Recommend for changes to replace the transparent roof with a constructed concrete roof above guttering.

SUBFLOOR

Timber pest Attack

Description: there is evident a moderate damage caused by the timber pest attacks to the outside lining timbers. There is required repair. Strongly recommend for an investigation concerning this problem to the building.

SITE

Retaining Walls:

Type and Conditions: the used timber in landscaping is in poor conditions and needs immediate replacement. Serve wood decay and destructions from termite is evident. Refer to timber pest expertise for further information.

Surface Drainage:

Description: the drainage located on the right hand of the building is weak, and there is the need for changes and maintenance to avoid the outbreak of diseases. Drains should be built diverging from the existing tunnels to divert the surface runoff away from the house. Also, the pipes are supposed to connect to the underlaid water drainage system.

Yard and Gardens:

Conditions: there exist mature trees in the nearby to the building. Nearby trees to the house cause gutter blockage by shading leave to the property; at times tree branches may fall on the house during high winds and rainy seasons. All these practices are not conducive to the house, and therefore there is recommended cutting off the nearby trees to the building. The findings suggest for further information from the experienced arborist.

Cracking in any given property may constitute a defect in numerous ways. In most cases, a crack in a building may develop into a more complex error and at times create multiple flaws other than the pursued on in prior (Smith, 2016). For instance, during the eve day of inspection; a detected crack might be the structural defect, an appearance defect or a serviceable defect. Until further information reached, the cause and effects of the break to the building stand unknown. Details of cracks can be availed through onew studies on the same with the help of a Structural Engineer.

As outlined in the above findings of this research, there is need to correct on the observed defects by preventative and maintenance measures. In the recent economy, preventative means has significantly increased as support is becoming the order of the day in every sector operated by the human society (Smart Facility management, 2009). Preventative and maintenance has a lot of importance attached to it and has sawed quite some firms building on the art of repairing and maintaining the existing properties to facilitate its durability. The following are some of the reasons to why preventative and maintenance is necessary:

There is extended lifecycle of the property decreasing the loss of the substantial capital required for current building.

Enhance efficiency of the property keeping it running

Improves on the performers of the asset by increasing on-time operational

Enhances on the internal and external factors such as the improved living standards for the family in the house and the visitors to the place.

Contributes positively to the appearance of the building

Copy of the Completed Inspection Checklist

Item

Good

Fair

Poor

Available/ Not Available

External Roof

√





Available

Gutters and Downpipes



√





Available

Eaves, Fascias and Barge Boards





√



Available

Restaurant







Not Available

Walls (Internal)



√





Available

Windows





√



Available

Floors



√





Available

Kitchen Tiles



√



Available

Playground







Not Available

Sink and Taps





√

Available

Bathroom Details



√



Available

Laundry

√





Available

External Walls

√





Available

Doors and Windows Flashing





√

Not Available

Water Staining





√

Available

Patio



√



Available

Pergola



√



Available

Awning





√

Available

Timber pest Attack







√

Available

Retaining Walls





√

Available

Surface Drainage



√



Available

Yard and Gardens



√



Available



In conclusion, the research held was to depict the building infrastructure audits to depict on condition assessment and asset management plan. The researched revealed that the building inspected was vulnerable to many defects and need a serious repair and maintenance to prevent further deteriorations to have the house serve for an additional long-term as compared to the buildings of the same age and structure. The building as compared to other dwellings regarding acceptability, it is evident that the bungalow is accepted and termed fair and fit in condition for a human inhabit. Findings in this report have implications for the council of lead by the residential planning in the area to reaffirm the needs of the individuals while developing the housing plan. There is the need for the housing planners and other stakeholders in authority to look at the preferences of the dwellers in the planned houses. Social amenities, markets, and other vital industrial centers should be a priority and the security issues while constructing these homes.





































































Reference

Smart Facility management, ‘Preventive Maintenance Checklist’: Buildings. Published on January 01, 2009. Retrieved from Web Nov 29, 2017, https://www.buildings.com/article-details/articleid/6835/title/preventive-maintenance-checklist/viewall/true

Smith, S., ‘The Advantage of Preventive maintenance’: Mintek Mobile Data Solution. Published on September 26, 2016. Retrieved from Web Nov 29, 2017, http://www.mintek.com/blog/eam-cmms/advantages-preventive-maintenance/