DEVELOPMENT OF A DECISION MAKING TOOL FOR THE CONDITION ASSESSMENT OF BUILDING

Abstract

The degradation and deterioration process occurring in buildings is physically inevitable. Inadequate maintenance, physical ageing and environment are the main causes for it. The condition assessment of a buildings such as its structural and non-structural components, Architectural treatments, Interior decorations and Exterior finishing, are helpful for valuation, repair, rehabilitation, strengthening, renovation and upgrading work. This will determine whether or not a distressed building should be demolished to build back better or whether it will be cost-effective to either repair or rebuild it, in the context of overall safety. The building is assessed in two categories, First one is categories from the exterior finishes due to distress or deterioration, and the second one is from the damageability of structural components due to lack of workmanship, deficiency of design and use of poor material. Development of a decision making tool for condition assessment of building has been attempted for easy and quick assessment for the types of deterioration, degradation, degree of damageability, durability, life of structure and approximate cost of repair. In this tool grade are points introduced for the condition of buildings components, The tool would be useful for building owners, Contractors and chartered engineers. One can identify the types of deterioration with variety of sample photographs and causes of deteriorations, and can get the cost of repair by inputting the quantity of deterioration and its classification. An example study has been conducted to validate the decision making tool for the condition assessment of building.