Areas of concern for savvy building managers can generally be divided into:
- Building condition issues
- Hazardous materials issues
1. Building Condition Issues
- Structure: foundations, pillars, steel elements
- Roof: insulation, leaks, etc.
- Slab: fissuring, upheaval, etc.
- Mechanical equipment: ventilation, elevators, etc.
- Exterior elements: brick, cladding, etc. 4-storey+ façades must be inspected
- Exterior flatworks: parking, sidewalks,
- Multilevel parking structures must be inspected regularly, by law
- Environmental liabilities related to soil issues are a paramount consideration in selling or buying buildings
SOLROC can assist building managers with:
- Property condition assessment (PCA), to help establish maintenance cost
- Façades and multilevel parking inspections, to comply with Quebec "Régie du bâtiment" stringent rules
- Environmental studies
- Slab and foundation assessments
2. Hazardous Materials Issues
- asbestos-containing materials (ACM) : asbestos is found in abundance of pre-1999 buildings
- lead: is found in older paint, pipe soldering, batteries, etc., a concern whenever sand-blasting is considered
- silica: is found in concrete, tiles, roughcast, etc., only a concern upon demolition
- mercury is found in neon lights, thermostats, contact switches, etc. these must be replaces
- polychlorinated biphenyls: in transformers, oil, wires, etc. (PCB), to handle with care
- radon: found in approximately 10% of buildings in Québec, old or new, a lung cancer risk, far more important than asbestos
- COV, formaldehyde: in solvents and insulating foams - but usually the tenant's result of spraying paints, printing or using copiers
- Mold enhancing moisture: leaks, infiltrations or condensation that will often lead to mold issues under certain conditions
Depending on the use of the building, other specific substances may put the dwellers at risk:
- Acrylonitrile: found in plastic plants and chemical products manufacturing
- Arsenic: in mining processes and in some herbicides (golf courses)
- Benzene: mostly in combustion engines or in organic chemistry
- Cokeoven emissions: in coal plants
- Ethylene oxide: in sterilisation processes
- Isocyanates: paper, textile, in polyurethanes
- Vinyl chloride: in chemistry and in PVC manufacturing
SOLROC is providing clients with:
- Asbestos compliant inspections and Registers (for sprayed-on and pipe insulation with asbestos)
- Pre-demolition asbestos characterization (CNESST Compliant)
- Pre-acquisition asbestos appraisal
- Air quality assessment, compliant with IAQA (Indoor Air Quality Association) standards
- Mold studies
- Designated Substances Surveys and other Hazmat investigations
- Radon inspection and mitigation