There are many risks associated with construction – and not all of them involve the safety of the crew.
A construction firm must cover all of its bases when it comes to protecting its crew, the neighboring properties and occupants, and its reputation.
One of the ways these goals can be accomplished is by retaining existing conditions documentation services.
In the following article, we’ll define this service, highlight its key benefits and tell you why Saltus Construction Monitoring Services is the right choice for existing conditions documentation.
What is Existing Conditions Documentation?
Before your demolition, excavating, foundation or major construction project begins, a team of certified third-party specialists arrive on site to assess the current conditions of the buildings in the surrounding area.
The specialists visit each respective building to physically inspect it for any issues that could be potentially impacted by vibrations caused by the impending construction. Such issues include building cracks (especially in the foundation), structure settling, and any signs of damage (cracked or broken windows, etc0>
In addition to inspecting each building’s exterior and interior, the specialists also look for issues related to the individual property’s parking lots, garages, sidewalks and any retaining structures.
During the inspection process, the specialist will document all existing issues via highly detailed written reports and corresponding photographs. They also locate any areas of the properties where Crack Gauges are needed to track any movement during construction.
When the construction project ends, the specialists may also return to the site to perform a follow-up inspection of the surrounding properties’ physical condition. Onece again they’ll carry out a series of written and photographic documentation of the previously identified issues. Then they will compare the pre- and post-construction documentation to determine if any changes have occurred.
How Does Existing Conditions Documentation Help Your Firm?
While Existing Conditions Documentation is necessary for construction firms working near MTA subway structures and/or landmark properties and historic districts (in accordance with TPPN 10/88 policy requirements), other firms may not be aware of this service. Or, they may not see the value in documentation.
However, all construction companies can greatly benefit from documenting the physical condition of the structures and properties within their construction zone.
Existing Conditions Documentation services help:
- Minimize Risk – If pre-construction documentation and/or monitoring during construction identifies an issue that could negatively impact the structural integrity or the property and/or jeopardize the occupants of the building, then proper measures can be taken to prevent or minimize these risks.
- Lower Expenses – If undocumented issues exist in the neighboring properties, the cost of the project may increase significantly if construction activities exacerbate the existing issues. Documenting existing issues in the surrounding structures before and after construction helps reduce expenses related to these issues.
- Avoid Liability – Should the owner of a neighboring property attempt to claim that the construction project damaged their building, a construction firm can rely on the pre- and post-construction documentation to refute this claim and avoid liability and litigation.
Why Choose Saltus For Existing Conditions Documentation Services?
As you can see, documentation of surrounding properties’ physical condition before and after construction has many benefits. It minimizes risks to the properties and their occupants, lowers operating and legal costs for firms, and protects firms from possible lawsuits.
If your firm requires existing conditions documentation in NYC or the Eastern Seaboard, trust Saltus Construction Monitoring Services to deliver accurate analysis and detailed reporting of all existing issues.
Our certified technicians not only have years of experience supplying our clients with careful written and photographic documentation of existing issues in neighboring structures, they’re also highly skilled at identifying potential problems that may require monitoring during construction.
The result: peace of mind for your firm and protection from potential liability.
Contact us today to learn more about our Existing Conditions Documentation services.