Guideline for Condition Assessment of the Building Envelope : Standards ASCE/SEI 30-14

Prepared by the Subcommittee on Condition Assessment of the Building Envelope of the Committee on Structural Condition Assessment and Rehabilitation of Buildings of the Codes and Standards Activities Division of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE Guideline on Condition Assessment of the Building Envelope, ASCE/SEI 30-14, provides a guideline and methodology for assessing the condition and performance of existing building envelope systems and components, as well as identifying problematic and dysfunctional elements. The adaptive reuse, rehabilitation, and improvement of existing buildings include an accurate assessment of the building envelope. Failures of the building envelope can result not only in structural damage but also in safety or health problems. Proper evaluation of the building envelope is often the first step toward stabilization and rehabilitation of a building. Revised and reorganized, Standard ASCE/SEI 30-14 includes a new section on fabric structures and updates to figures and referenced standards. By compiling basic information, procedures, and references into a single volume, this Standard assists an investigator to develop a logical approach to assessing the building envelope and to focus on the underlying causes of deficiencies and distress rather than outward symptoms. This Standard updates and replaces the previous Standard ASCE/SEI 30-00. A companion standard, Guideline for Structural Condition Assessment of Existing Buildings, Standard 11, addresses the structural assessment of existing buildings. Standard ASCE/SEI 30-14 serves structural engineers, design professionals, code officials, and building owners in evaluating the envelope systems of existing buildings.