Building Evaluation for Adaptive Reuse and Preservation

An architect and engineer must consider many aspects of any building that is being evaluated for an adaptive re-use project. Careful and precise evaluation of an existing building's structure, systems and materials are necessary for both design considerations and for financial feasibility analysis.

Building Evaluation for Adaptive Reuse and Preservation is a professional guide to evaluating structural and material integrity of existing buildings and covers everything from foundation issues to decorative details, identifying the causes of building failures as well as techniques for repair. The book considers building assessment issues for structures of different scales: midsize commercial, small commercial and residential buildings.

Building repairs on adaptive re-use or historic preservation projects are an essential consideration in the financial outlook of a project, and this book details each step in the assessment process in an easy-to-understand way.

About the Authors

J Stanley Rabun, PhD, PE, RA, is a professor at the University of Tennessee. As an architect and structural engineer, he has designed many residential and commercial buildings and continues to consult on a wide array of projects. Dr. Rabun also serves as an expert witness in construction accidents and building failures, testifying on cases involving water leakage and mold. Dr. Rabun is the author of Structural Analysis of Historic Buildings (Wiley).

Richard Kelso, PhD, PE, is a mechanical engineer and a professor at the University of Tennessee. A partner in a consulting engineering firm for more than 25 years, Dr. Kelso serves as an expert witness in construction accidents and building failures, testifying on cases involving HVAC systems and mold.

Table of Contents

• Chapter One: Architectural Character.
• Chapter Two: Survey of Existing Conditions.
• Chapter Three: Electrical Systems.
• Chapter Four: Mechanical Systems.
• Chapter Five: Plumbing, Bathrooms, Accessibility & Fire Systems.
• Chapter Six: Sustainability.
• Chapter Seven: Proforma Analysis.
• Chapter Eight: Testing.