This document provides an overview of key building structure, finishes, and site components that facilities managers are responsible for maintaining, including the roof, exterior walls, windows and doors, structural frame, foundations, elevators, parking areas, storm water drainage systems, landscaping, and irrigation systems. For each component, the document outlines relevant details about materials, typical issues that may arise, and maintenance considerations. The goal is to properly care for these elements to allow buildings and sites to last for decades with proper upkeep and repairs.

1. Facilities Management and Design
Chapter 11
Building Structure, Finishes and Site

2. Roof
 Critical building component
 Flat or Sloped
 Deck
 Covering
 Roofing felt
 Flashing

3. Exterior walls
 Enclose structure
 Supports roof (low rise)
 Should last for many decades if properly
maintained
 Painting
 Cleaning
 Inspection

4. Windows and Doors
 Window types
– Fixed
– Casement
– vertically hung
 Glazing
– single
– double
 Doors types
– Wooden
– Metal
– Solid
– Hollow
– some are mostly glass (revolving doors, for example)

5. Structural frame
 Skeleton of building
– should be inspected at least once a year
 Walls (low rise)
 Concrete/Steel superstructures (high rise)

6. Foundations
 usually stone or concrete
 rests on a solid, underground footing base
 frost walls
 drainage
 carries a building's dead and live loads
– Dead load (building’s weight)
– Live load (dead load + people, furniture, natural
stresses)

7. Elevators
 Cable
– Elevator shaft
– Car or cab
– Guide rails
– Cables
– Counterweights
– Safety devices
– Elevator motor
 Hydraulic
 Much of the maintenance is done by the
manufacturer

8. Parking areas
 Concrete
– mixture of paste and aggregates
– hardens through hydration
– tensile strength
– Deterioration
 Crazing
 Leaching
 freeze/thaw cycles
 Spalling
 Asphalt
– mixture of asphalt, cement and aggregate
– typical problems caused by poorly
compacted soil underneath
– surface failures caused by
 weathering or wearing
 insufficient asphalt
 too much asphalt
 unstable mixtures
 poor drainage
 Structural features
– Subgrade
– Subbase
– Surface course
 Layout considerations
 overall dimensions
 parking controls for managing traffic
 well-defined entrances and exits
 acceleration/deceleration lanes
 number of parking spaces
 Maintenance issues
– surface cleaning
– Inspections
– Waterproofing
– minor repairs of cracks
– structural repairs
– snow and ice removal

9. Parking Lots and ADA requirements
 a specified number of parking spaces (depending on
the total number of parking spaces) must be
“accessible”
 requirements include
– width of parking spaces
– access aisles
– accessible routes
– accessible parking spaces in valet parking facilities
– passenger loading zones must also be accessible
Total # spaces Req’d Spaces
1 to 25 1
26 to 50 2
51 to 75 3
76 to 100 4
101 to 150 5
151 to 200 6
201 to 300 7
301 to 400 8
401 to 500 9
501 to 1000 2% of total
1001 + 20, plus 1 for ea 100

10. Storm water drainage systems
 designed to carry rain water away from the property
 sheet flow
 open-channel flow
 underground drainage facilities should be built to last
at least 50 years

11. Landscaping and grounds
 Often outsourced
 Sets visual tone for property
 Curb appeal
 Maintenance
– Planting
– Mowing
– Fertilizing
– Pruning
– Watering
– Work varies with the season and climate

12. Irrigation systems
 Provides water for the grounds
 Overwatering should be avoided
 Sources of water
– potable water system
– stored supply (lake, underground tank)
– nearby stream or river
– gray water
 Sprinkler heads
 Mist applicators