How to prevent a building to collapse?

Several residential properties have been condemned over the past few years. The unfortunate owners and co-owners often lost everything in the adventure.

How do you prevent the collapse of a building, or simply prevent a building from becoming worthless?

 

 

1. Reserve Fund Study

What is a Reserve Fund Study?

A Reserve Fund Study is a document that assesses all the common property and the current funding of a condominium corporation. 

It determines how much money needs to be in the fund to ensure the repairs can be paid for in the future. The reserve fund study must be prepared by a specialist, like an engineer. The board of directors approves the study, then informs owners of the results of the study.

What are The Key Elements That Should be included in a Reserve Fund Study?

Here are the important components of a Reserve Fund Study:

Status report

The Building Status Report is a section based on a visual and tactile inspection of the building. This report identifies the physical condition and quality of the building's assets and components at a particular time using photographs and technical comments. This section contains cost estimates and an indication of short-term corrective actions if necessary.

The Building Condition Report helps the directors of the board and the managers to know the state of repair and condition of the building, and if needed, will be carried out by a building an expert. The Building Condition Report is a prerequisite for conducting the Reserve Fund Study, and the Maintenance Log is required to assist in maintaining the condition of the building.

To avoid a loss of value or collapse of a building, four (4) items should be monitored:

- The Roof

One of the hazards of a leaky roof is that water can damage the interior of the building. Water can infiltrate the roof and lead to the collapse of ceilings and walls, as well as damage to furniture, electronics and other property. Another danger is that a roof leak can cause mould and other pests to grow. If water seeps into the building's insulation, it can make the insulation wet and inefficient, which can lead to the formation of ice dams in winter.

- The Foundations

The condition of a building's foundations is significant because it contributes to the stability of the building. The foundations of a building support the weight of the building and transfer this weight to the floor. If the foundations are in poor condition, the building can be unstable and collapse.

- Indoor parking

The good condition of the concrete is important in an indoor parking lot because it has to be able to withstand the weight of the cars. If the concrete is not in good shape, it may begin to crack, causing problems for the cars parked in it and, even worse, causing the foundation to crack.

- Drainage and French drain

Poor drainage around a building can cause a variety of issues. First, if the water does not drain properly, the ground around the building can become damp and soggy, allowing mould or mildew to grow. Furthermore, if water gathers around the building, the foundations may deteriorate or even collapse. Finally, if the building's water drains improperly, the surrounding soil can become saturated, resulting in flooding.

Planned audit of major structures

The benefits of auditing a building's main assets are numerous. These advantages include improved issue detection and repair, improved safety and security, and improved efficiency and operations.
In many cases, this is the only way to detect major issues before they occur. As a result, it is critical that the Reserve Fund Study include provisions for appropriate audits.

Schedule for replacing or updating major assets

The Reserve Fund Study must include a timetable for replacing or updating the main assets, as well as the costs associated with the work. Without this kind of timeline, each asset will have to be replaced...too late.

Cost forecast for the next 25 years

A critical component of proper building maintenance is having the necessary funds on hand at the right time. A Reserve Fund Study allows you to forecast future investments based on the cost of the work to be done (adjusted for inflation) and investment income. Based on this information, the study proposes a contribution amount for each of the next 25 years in order to ensure that the necessary funds are always available to complete the work.

What software and platforms do professionals used to conduct Reserve Fund Studies?

Engineers and architects use software to create a maintenance log as well as a Reserve Fund Study. When an in-house tool is not available, they typically use one of the following software:

• Reserve study hoa
• AZ reserve Analysts
• Reserve Study Software
• Diy Reserve Study
• fjstrategic
• Win Reserve (arsinc)
• ARPC
• Reserve Analyst
• Prasystem
• Facilities7

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the tools for conducting Reserve Fund Studies?

• The main advantage of these tools is that they have been widely used by professionals for many years. The experience of their users helps to compensate for the shortcomings of these tools.
• The main limitation of the available tools is the ability to generate a paper or PDF report. If you want to use the data, you must copy/paste it and then process it in a spreadsheet or a project manager.
• A paper report (or PDF) does not allow for the report to evolve in response to new data. Because the Reserve Fund Study is generally conducted every five years, inflation, interest rates on investments, professional service costs, equipment rental costs, and material costs can all change dramatically in five years. Furthermore, the majority of tools impose a fixed rate of inflation as well as a fixed rate of return on investments.
• It is unclear whether the Reserve Fund Study takes into account all expenses. My experience has taught me that studies are frequently incomplete. Audits of critical assets are frequently overlooked. Studies frequently concentrate on asset replacements while paying little attention to preventative maintenance.
• The paper report proposes an annual work schedule that must be managed after that. You must transfer the data once more in order to use it later.

 

 

2. Maintenance Log

What is a maintenance log?

The maintenance log is an official document that exists to serve as the building's memory. It must enable, for both, the traceability of the building's history and all operations made on the building.
The maintenance log facilitates the parties to track the evolution of the building over time, identify its flaws, and plan interventions.

What are the most important components of a maintenance log?

• Yearly activities (e.g. Christmas decorations, production of the financial statement or periods of grounds maintenance)
• Regular verifications (e.g. verification of concrete slabs, condition of paint in hallways or PH pool level)
• Maintenance chores (e.g. washing bathrooms or cleaning the swimming pool)
• Unplanned, one-time activities (e.g. changing a broken window or cleaning graffiti)
• Activities to replace or update the main assets as a result of the Reserve Fund Study (e.g. repairing the roof or changing the windows)
• Furthermore, the maintenance log must indicate the work performed and provide proof that the work was completed.

Task distribution on a calendar

Because several tasks can only be completed at certain periods of the year, the maintenance log should ideally include a monthly or weekly task schedule.

 

 

3. Monitoring Tool

Why do we Need a Tracking Tool?

A maintenance log is good; sharing the content is better. There are many reasons why it is important to have an action tool on a building. One is to ensure that information about actions is communicated from one to another in the event of a change of ownership or board of directors. A monitoring tool also allows for real-time communication in between various suppliers, such as the condominium manager.

What should a good activity tracking tool do?

A good intervention monitoring tool should be capable:

• To generate its intervention schedule, extract data directly from the Maintenance Log and the Reserve Fund Study.
• To generate the scheduled date of each intervention based on the Maintenance Log and the Reserve Fund Study, using the seasons and legal holidays as a guide.
• Create a schedule for each of the preliminary steps before major interventions (creation of an estimate, search for suppliers, bids, etc.)
• Indicate the anticipated and actual costs.
• To distinguish between planned and actual dates
• To identify the person in charge of the activity
• Indicate job status
• To enter and read notes
• To prove that the work was carried out
• To share the information between the manager and you

 

 

4. New Platform Generation

Ideally, a platform that combines the generation of the Reserve Fund Study and the maintenance log, along with a monitoring tool that can retrieve data directly from the Reserve Fund Study and maintenance log, would be the best option.

Fortunately, we are witnessing the birth of a new generation of platforms that enable information sharing and dynamic data use. PlanGAB.com stands out in this movement due to its market-specific characteristics.
It can both generate and use various useful documents, manage one or more buildings, manage one or more groups of buildings or buildings under the supervision of co-ownership syndicates, manage employees and collaborators, and generate a task schedule accurate to the hour.

Here are some of PlanGAB's distinguishing features:

• Professionals can use the platform to generate various reports (Reserve Fund Study, maintenance log, etc.).
• A tool for duplicating Reserve Fund Studies in order to create a new study and follow-up on planned activities with actual data for each of the buildings.
• A simulation tool that allows you to determine the short, medium, and long-term financial implications of an option (e.g., major repair or replacement?)
• The Reserve Fund Study and the maintenance log generate an activity schedule that can be adjusted as needed.
• All reports are interactive. They can be changed to reflect the evolution of the buildings.
• Professionals can create a web environment for their customers to access and update their data at their leisure.

These customers can take advantage of the following functions in this environment:

• Created and consult reference sheets
• Create and maintain property improvement wish lists
• Compile a report on all private improvements
• Create Reserve Fund Studies
• Create and maintain maintenance lo
• Make To-do report 
• Manage documents (physical and digital documents)
• Create and maintain calendar of Events

The professional (for example, a condominium manager) and his client agree on an activity schedule (eg: syndicate of condominiums). As a result, responsibility for each activity can be assigned to either the professional or a person related to the client.

Furthermore, the system generates for the user all the possible options for an asset. For example, if there is a swimming pool, PlanGAB will propose all activities related to pool maintenance (eg: painting the concrete, checking the water PH level, when to buy chlorine, plan pool closings and openings, etc.).

This strategy avoids mistakes that can have serious consequences.

 

 

Conclusion

Constructing a sturdy building, choosing the right materials to prevent damage from the weather, and ensuring the stability of the ground where the building is built on are the basics of durable construction.

Unfortunately, that is insufficient.

Monitoring the condition of the building, predicting asset updates, and setting aside the necessary funds are key to preventing serious problems.

The adage is always true: "Better safe than sorry".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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