Condition assessment model for residential apartments

Abstract

Condition assessment of buildings is a major issue facing public and private sectors in Lebanon, and its buildings are becoming aged. The primary obstacle blocking the development of effective planning strategies is the lack of condition assessment models of residential apartments. The purpose of this study was to develop an assessment method of a residential apartment rehabilitation needs. This model is called ARDM (Apartment Rehabilitation Decision Model) where the process evaluates the different functional criteria for an apartment mainly: Structural, Architectural, Mechanical and Electrical where each is subdivided into sub categories. The ARDM is used to diagnose a specific apartment and assess the condition of each discipline on a scale from 0% to 100% representing the percentage of defect. Based on the ARDM, the condition of the apartment and rehabilitation cost could be calculated using Lebanons local material and labor costs. It also determines the monthly payments depending on the priority of rehabilitation and the owners financial situation. For that reason, it was found to implement life cycle cost analysis to determine the cash flow of rehabilitation over a certain period for the owner to be able to know the exact total cost and compare to the market value price. It was considered that an apartment needs rehabilitation if it would not comply with the functional requirements determined by good practices of design and construction. The functional requirements considered were: safety requirements, health and comfort requirements and use adequacy requirements. Functional requirements may not be satisfied due to design problems, building defects, lack of maintenance or inappropriate use. Three assessments on three different apartments were carried out. The results of this study were: a checklist to register the information obtained during inspections; instructions on how to conduct the inspection and fill in the checklist; a computer tool to record the checklists and suggest the rehabilitation needs in a three level scale (minor, medium or severe rehabilitation). The main conclusions drawn from the study were: the method is applicable to different apartments regardless of use, construction date or construction process; it can be applied easily by evaluators who receive a short training course; it delivers results that correctly convey the rehabilitation level and would be the first assessment tool developed in Lebanon.