ASTM_E_2841_-_11.pdf

Designation:E284111Standard Guide forConducting Inspections of Building Facades for UnsafeConditions1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2841;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This guide is intended to establish procedures andmethodologies for conducting inspections of building facadesincluding those that meet inspection criteria for compliancewith Practice E2270.For the purposes outlined in this guide,unsafe conditions are hazards which could result from loss offacade materials.1.2 Investigative techniques discussed may be intrusive,disruptive or destructive.It is the responsibility of the investi-gator to establish the limitations of use,to anticipate and adviseof the destructive nature of some procedures,and to plan forpatching and selective reconstruction as necessary.1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regardedas standard.No other units of measurement are included in thisstandard.1.4 This standard may involve hazardous materials,operations,and equipment.This standard does not purport toaddress all of the safety problems associated with its use.Establish appropriate safety and health practices and deter-mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.Awareness of safety and familiarity with safe procedures areparticularly important for aboveground operations on theexterior of a building and destructive investigative proceduresthat typically are associated with the work described in thisstandard.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E631 Terminology of Building ConstructionsE2270 Practice for Periodic Inspection of Building Facadesfor Unsafe ConditionsE2505 Practice for Industrial Rope Access2.2 SEI/ASCE Standards:3SEI/ASCE 7 Minimum Design Loads for Building andOther StructuresSEI/ASCE 37 Design Loads on Structures During Construc-tion3.Terminology3.1 DefinitionsFor definitions of general terms,refer toTerminology E631.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 facadea wall system including its exterior andinterior components,fenestration,structural components,andcomponents for maintaining the building interior environment(also called building facade).3.2.2 sheds:3.2.2.1 sidewalk sheda shed erected along a sidewalk toprotection pedestrians from overhead construction.3.2.2.2 light-duty sheda sidewalk shed designed to sup-port a live-load of 150 psf and as such not intended for materialor debris storage.3.2.2.3 heavy-duty sheda sidewalk shed designed to sup-port a live-load of 300 psf and may be used for the storage ofmaterial or debris subject to weight limitations.4.Significance and Use4.1 This guide is intended to provide building professionalswith a methodology for conducting periodic condition assess-ments of building facades,for the purpose of determining ifconditions exist in the subject facades that represent hazards topersons or property.It addresses the performance expectationsand service history of a facade,the various components of afacade,and the interaction between these components andadjacent construction to provide a stable and reliable enclosuresystem.This guide was written as a parallel document toPractice E2270.Practice E2270 is written in the imperativeform as a Standard Practice and is designed for adoption byspecifying authorities.This guide is intended as a dissemina-tion of explicit knowledge gained from experience of conduct-ing periodic facade inspections.Implicit in this guide are1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on Performanceof Buildings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E06.55 on ExteriorBuilding Wall Systems.Current edition approved Dec.1,2011.Published January 2012.DOI:10.1520/E2841-11.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from American Society of Civil Engineers(ASCE),1801 AlexanderBell Dr.,Reston,VA 20191,http:/www.asce.org.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 general facade inspection techniques that have been tailored forperiodic inspections.These tips and techniques are shared toprovide a comprehensive template from which a facade inspec-tion program can be tailored.4.1.1 QualificationsUse of this guide requires knowledgeof basic physics,construction and building exterior wall designprinciples and practices.4.1.2 ApplicationThe sequential activities describedherein are intended to produce a complete and comprehensiveevaluation program,but all activities may not be applicable ornecessary for a particular evaluation program.It