A Report by GRLA Building Envelope Sciences Assistant Project Manager, Robert Gutmann
Masonry buildings, like any other building type, require routine maintenance. Proper maintenance of a masonry façade can increase the longevity of the building by decades, which is evident in many historic buildings throughout the world. Failure to properly maintain a masonry building goes beyond aesthetics and has fundamental safety and risk management implications.
To fully understand the condition of the masonry façade, routine inspections should be done to determine the overall condition. Building Envelope Forensic Services is one of many tools that GRLA’s Building Envelope Sciences Department is able to provide.
Recent events spotlight the need for routine maintenance and inspection. Tragically, on May 20, 2019, an aspiring concert pianist suffered serious injuries, including needing a finger amputated, after the façade of an Allston, MA restaurant collapsed on her last fall. This ultimately led to legal actions being taken against the business, the building’s owner, and its property manager.
“It’s a fundamental requirement of owning a piece of property – you have to maintain it in a safe condition,” according to Boston Inspectional Services Commissioner William Christopher Jr. (Full Boston Globe Story)
The City of Boston Municipal Code is very clear in the requirement for inspections for an occupied building, 70 feet or taller, is at least once every five years. In nearby Brookline, the requirement is an inspection for all buildings three stories or taller or that have parapets or facades of masonry or concrete. This proactive approach was the direct result of a partial collapse at a residential building. The above-mentioned collapse in Allston was a one-story building, which currently is exempt from all inspection regulations. It is the responsibility of owners of smaller buildings to secure inspections and repairs as needed.
GRLA’s Building Envelope Science group can provide inspections and recommendations to ensure your property’s safety and continued desired aesthetic. Those included are:
1. Visual Inspection
The simplest and least expensive is a visual inspection that involves visually inspecting the façade existing conditions and marking up a defect inspection sheet. GRLA pulls from decades of experience and resources, such as The Brick Industry Association or the Masonry Institute of America, to analyze the data in determining the overall condition of the façade to suggest a maintenance program that fits both building needs and your budget.
2. Monitoring
Monitoring is another way to evaluate the existing conditions. The most common way to do this by setting up instruments that can measure changes in the façade. The uploaded photo is an example of crack monitoring. Depending on the type of crack, how the crack migrates though the façade, how large the crack is, and what type of movement the crack exhibits will help aid us in determine what the best repair are needed.
3. Water Testing
Another type of inspection is water testing. At its basic form water is applied in a controlled, systematic fashion to determine where the source of a leak may be coming from. This is an important tool when working around transitions between windows, doors, balconies, and other penetrations, like pipes. Data, such as testing duration, water volume, location, and other information, is collected to determine how well the masonry wall assembly performs.
4. Invasive / Exploratory Testing
A fourth type of inspection is typically called an invasive or exploratory test. This involves removal of the outer wythe masonry bricks or masonry veneer to visually inspect the inner backup wall or interior wythe depending on the type of masonry wall construction. This is done by carefully removing bricks so that they can be reused.
Once an existing condition assessment has been performed, the collected information can be used to quantify the severity and frequency at which repairs are needed. With this information, GRLA’s Building Envelope Sciences Department can generate a preventative maintenance plan with cost estimates.
Spring marks an ideal time for building owners and facility managers to survey their buildings and structures for any damage that may have resulted from the cold winter weather and freeze-thaw cycle. Please contact us with any inspection or maintenance needs you have.
Additional resources:
· ASTM E2270 Standard Practice for Periodic Inspection of Building Facades for Unsafe Conditions