Commercial properties require high maintenance by expert professionals. Whether the property is a high-end retail space, a housing project or an office building, each building needs inspections that highlights any structural problems in the building. Maintaining the structural integrity of a building is very important. Every commercial property must follow the guidelines described in ASTM E 2018 standard. A commercial property needs regular assessment by experts; they are required to document every problem they find within a structure of any commercial building.
To check the integrity of a commercial building there are several tests that look for failures within the structure. Once the faults are identified, they must be rectified before the damage to the building becomes too severe. Experts usually look for the following problems when assessing the structural integrity of the building.
Structural Faults in Steel
Steel is one of the most essential components of every commercial and residential property. Steel has a varying chemical composition, heat treatment, and manufacturing techniques that allows steel to be used in different parts of the building. When steel is incorporated within a building for commercial use, it can lead to the following issues in its structure.
- Failure in welded areas
- Crippling or bucking of large sections
- Beams with lateral support
Problems Associated with Concrete
Concrete is another essential component that is frequently used in a commercial property. During inspection to measure the integrity of the property, the inspection team will look for any changes in the chemical composition, they check for cracks, damage caused by harsh weather conditions, damage to the concrete structure by chloride and sulfate, furthermore, the inspection will reveal any voids that may have bacterial fermentation.
Faults Found in Masonry
Masonry includes the most common construction materials such as marble, granite, bricks, cast stone travertine and other similar stones and materials. If the commercial property is constructed by the brick and joint structure then an inspection could reveal the problem in the framework. The inspection team will look for large cracks, moisture buildup, corrosion, shrinkage, and shortening caused by walls that run in the same direction.
Commercial property requires regular inspections to help maintain the integrity of the entire building. These inspections are necessary because a weak structure can be catastrophic during extreme weather conditions like hurricanes.