Associated completed a 3-year program that studied risk assessment processes used on more than 250 buildings for factors related to climate change. We then developed a workable software model for consistently assessing risk that leverages non-technical building inspectors and engineering expertise. The software program computes risk based on inspection data and provides a risk assessment scorecard for each building.
Building operators are tasked to periodically assess their buildings using the inspection app, which is built for Android tablets. The step-by-step wizard guides the inspector through the questions and validates data entry. The inspection data are then synchronized with the central database to become available to all users, including the administration and engineering departments.
The building scorecard summarizes factors such as permafrost, snow-loading, as built designs, sun-exposure, wind direction, and other characteristics related to the building. The scorecard flags areas of concern and allows the engineering department to triage building maintenance and activities to reduce risk over the long term.