Facility condition assessment
Encyclopedia
Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) is an industry term that describes the process of a qualified group of trained industry professionals performing an analysis of the condition of a group of facilities that may vary in terms of age, design, construction methods, and materials. The industry professionals are typically engineers of various disciplines and skilled-trade technicians, but architects are sometimes used as well.
This analysis can be done by walk-through inspection, mathematical modeling (see Mathematical Model), or a combination of both. But the most accurate way of determining the condition requires walk-through to collect baseline data.
This analysis can be performed on government/public, commercial, and private facilities. Commercial property assessments are more product/service driven, and private inspections are typical of home inspections. ASTM 2018 is a guide for Property Condition Assessments, or PCA, and is used in the Commercial environment.
Another sort of facility assessment is a Building Inspection. Most often, the job of a building inspector is looking at a single facility that is needed or required to be in compliance with a building permit, or with a set of codes or statutory requirements.
When referenced today, the term FCA describes work accomplished for Federal, State, and local government agencies or entities.
In the 1970s the term Facility Audit was commonly used. The term Facility Audit was later phased-out as it suggested a review of the way a facility manager spent money on the facility; something that might be done by an ‘Auditor’. Modern-day FCA work took on its current form around the time of the founding of the International Facility Management Association
(IFMA) in 1980, although the two were not related.
What did enable FCA to become useful was the dramatic reduction in the size of computers, coupled with a rapid increase in speed and storage. This helped create the product known as a Computerized Maintenance Management System
, or CMMS.
The first publication that described the use of FCA data, financial modeling, and the use of CMMS application was “Managing the Facilities Portfolio”, published by the National Association of College University Business Officers. The principal author of that book was Applied Management Engineering, Inc. of Virginia Beach, Virginia
.
As technology has advanced, Facility Condition Assessment Modeling has become more recognized in the condition assessment industry. In 2007, Graphic Systems, Inc., following research they had performed for the United States Federal Government, published a white paper on Condition Indices and Strategic Planning, demonstrating the value that strategic condition assessment modeling and the theoretical condition index can offer to traditional visual condition assessment programs.
Once the estimates are prepared, the a user is left with potentially 1,000’s of line items that need to be sorted, grouped together, and presented in a useful format. It is typical this format will adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Construction Specifications Institute
.
At the point, computerized assistance makes the product usable and changes the nature of the FCA service from pure engineering and management, to an amalgam of engineering, management, and technology.
Mostly facility-intensive organization such as military bases, college and universities, and city and state governments need to develop a budget that allocates money for maintenance and repair. The FCA data is used by people or organizations (e.g. Board of Directors, Commissioners, Trustees, etc.) that must make these decisions as to how to distribute financial resources for facilities along with other needs of the organization. Frequently these people or organizations rely upon facility or building metrics
for year-to-year comparisons.
A good example of a facility metric that can be generated by the FCA is the Facility Condition Index, or FCI. The FCI can be further used in the development and usage of Building Information Modeling
for existing buildings.
This analysis can be done by walk-through inspection, mathematical modeling (see Mathematical Model), or a combination of both. But the most accurate way of determining the condition requires walk-through to collect baseline data.
This analysis can be performed on government/public, commercial, and private facilities. Commercial property assessments are more product/service driven, and private inspections are typical of home inspections. ASTM 2018 is a guide for Property Condition Assessments, or PCA, and is used in the Commercial environment.
Another sort of facility assessment is a Building Inspection. Most often, the job of a building inspector is looking at a single facility that is needed or required to be in compliance with a building permit, or with a set of codes or statutory requirements.
When referenced today, the term FCA describes work accomplished for Federal, State, and local government agencies or entities.
History
Architectural and Engineering (A&E) firms, or organizations, have assessed facilities as apart of their duties since those professions were conceived and formalized. The end product was usually an extensive narrative, supplemented with drawings and photographs, as to what conditions were observed, with a summary budget for correction of all deficiencies.In the 1970s the term Facility Audit was commonly used. The term Facility Audit was later phased-out as it suggested a review of the way a facility manager spent money on the facility; something that might be done by an ‘Auditor’. Modern-day FCA work took on its current form around the time of the founding of the International Facility Management Association
International Facility Management Association
The International Facility Management Association is a professional association for facility professionals IFMA headquarters is located in Houston, Texas....
(IFMA) in 1980, although the two were not related.
What did enable FCA to become useful was the dramatic reduction in the size of computers, coupled with a rapid increase in speed and storage. This helped create the product known as a Computerized Maintenance Management System
Computerized Maintenance Management System
Computerized maintenance management system is also known as enterprise asset management and computerized maintenance management information system ....
, or CMMS.
The first publication that described the use of FCA data, financial modeling, and the use of CMMS application was “Managing the Facilities Portfolio”, published by the National Association of College University Business Officers. The principal author of that book was Applied Management Engineering, Inc. of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
.
As technology has advanced, Facility Condition Assessment Modeling has become more recognized in the condition assessment industry. In 2007, Graphic Systems, Inc., following research they had performed for the United States Federal Government, published a white paper on Condition Indices and Strategic Planning, demonstrating the value that strategic condition assessment modeling and the theoretical condition index can offer to traditional visual condition assessment programs.
Application
Once the walk-through data has been collected, appropriate estimates to correct the deficiencies should be prepared.Once the estimates are prepared, the a user is left with potentially 1,000’s of line items that need to be sorted, grouped together, and presented in a useful format. It is typical this format will adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Construction Specifications Institute
Construction Specifications Institute
The Construction Specifications Institute is an organization that maintains and advances the standardization of construction language as pertains to building specifications...
.
At the point, computerized assistance makes the product usable and changes the nature of the FCA service from pure engineering and management, to an amalgam of engineering, management, and technology.
Mostly facility-intensive organization such as military bases, college and universities, and city and state governments need to develop a budget that allocates money for maintenance and repair. The FCA data is used by people or organizations (e.g. Board of Directors, Commissioners, Trustees, etc.) that must make these decisions as to how to distribute financial resources for facilities along with other needs of the organization. Frequently these people or organizations rely upon facility or building metrics
Metric (mathematics)
In mathematics, a metric or distance function is a function which defines a distance between elements of a set. A set with a metric is called a metric space. A metric induces a topology on a set but not all topologies can be generated by a metric...
for year-to-year comparisons.
A good example of a facility metric that can be generated by the FCA is the Facility Condition Index, or FCI. The FCI can be further used in the development and usage of Building Information Modeling
Building Information Modeling
Building information modeling is the process of generating and managing building data during its life cycle.BIM involves representing a design as objects – vague and undefined, generic or product-specific, solid shapes or void-space oriented , that carry their geometry, relations and attributes...
for existing buildings.
External links
- Managing the Facilities Portfolio, National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)
- Plan, Predict, and Prevent: Special Report 62, American Public Works Association
- Strategic Assessment Model (SAM), Higher Education Facilities Officers: APPA
See also
- Metrics
- Building Information ModelingBuilding Information ModelingBuilding information modeling is the process of generating and managing building data during its life cycle.BIM involves representing a design as objects – vague and undefined, generic or product-specific, solid shapes or void-space oriented , that carry their geometry, relations and attributes...
- Computerized Maintenance Management SystemComputerized Maintenance Management SystemComputerized maintenance management system is also known as enterprise asset management and computerized maintenance management information system ....
- Construction Specifications InstituteConstruction Specifications InstituteThe Construction Specifications Institute is an organization that maintains and advances the standardization of construction language as pertains to building specifications...