This guidance presents practical considerations for the verification of existing buildings. It provides a comprehensive overview of the considerations and methodologies needed for a building’s ongoing use and future reuse.
Verification considers the appraisal of the building’s current condition, capacity for adaptation and/or its integrity/safety. The guidance sets out a step-by-step process spanning 12 chapters; from initial structural desk study and research, the first visual inspection, the methodology and considerations for any intrusive investigation works and testing, analysis of the findings, and finally the reporting of outcomes.
Alongside the verification process, it also provides some guidance on best practice for intervention works and covers the ongoing management of building structures to reduce risks. It focuses on those situations where there is a need to calculate capacity and condition, and provides a strategy to intervene for buildings where there is a deficiency. There is a particular emphasis on building structures from the 1950s onwards.