Facilities Check List
Practical, step-by-step guides for the busy FM
February 1999
Taking Field Notes and Documenting Field Conditions
Thereare many occasions when you may be called upon to take field measurements.The most basic decision is when to measure space. You may not always havemuch discretion on the timing, but we will discuss some common situationsand the best time to take measurements in each one. Fewer physicalobstacles allow more accurate measurement.
- For new leasedspace – when studs are in place and gypsum board is installed on one sideonly
- For existing built-out space – as early as possible,preferably before any group takes occupancy
- For existing, occupiedspace – when space can be surveyed without interfering with businessoperations (nights or weekends, or when a big departmental conference isgoing on elsewhere)
The need to measure and document fieldconditions is becoming more common, as retrofit and renovation projectsoutnumber new construction. Your work may become the foundation for a fullset of construction documents prepared by others. Thus, good field notesand measuring techniques are critical. Following are some tips on how toavoid the most common errors in field measurement:
- Overallspace – Draw the overall room or space shape first, in pencil. Use gridpaper if you like, but note the number of squares to the inch so that thegrid will be compatible with the scale used for thedrawing.
- Dimension strings – On your sketch plan, set up overalldimension strings outside the boundaries of the space first; use overalldimensions to check the accuracy of the sum of all internal measurements;put dimension strings in place before adding other notes to thesketch.
- Perpendicularity – Check if walls are square and parallelby comparing diagonals for rectangular spaces (they should be identical ifwalls are truly square).
- Existing conditions at window walls andcore – Note window ledges that project into the space; column offsets; unitventilators; public corridors. Photographs are invaluable as memory joggersof field conditions you want to recall after the site visit. A few picturescan save you a costly, time-consuming trip back to the site. Recollectionsof the site are also much more reliably captured by pictures than by averbal explanation.
- Picking the right measuring point – The mostcommon mistake is measuring from the wrong point. You must also know whyyou are measuring – for construction, for calculating leasable area, or forcode compliance. Each purpose has a different set of rules and measuringpoints usually differ. It is critical to know whether you are measuringfrom the face of the wall, a door jamb, a windowsill, or the face of astud. These assumptions make a big difference to a builder or buildinglessor. Remember to note wall thicknesses.
- When you cannot reachthe measuring point – If furniture or other objects obstruct your measuringpoint, you must work around them. You may need to take a measurement fromthe nearest point and estimate the remaining distance. If so, note this atthe appropriate place on the plan. Working in pairs makes the job easier.Do not hesitate to ask for a ladder and a helper if you are alone; if nohelp is available, you can always use a well-placed screwdriver wedgedbehind a baseboard to hold one end of the tape measure.
- Enteringdata – If you are working in pairs, one of you should read each dimensionaloud; the other should write it down and read the number back aloud, toavoid errors.
In many situations, precise measurementis unnecessary or impossible due to time constraints. Such instances mightinclude unplanned space surveys, on-the-spot walk-throughs with the boss,or rough calculations of square-foot area for planning purposes.Thefollowing lists some guidelines for making rough measurements withoutinstruments. Look for building components that are modular; they vary frombuilding to building:
- Ceiling tiles in North Americanbuildings are usually 2 ft. by 4 ft.Counting them and calculating theirarea is the most common method for roughing out room dimensions.
- Columnspacing is usually uniform on interior bays. (But, be very careful to besure the bays really are uniform.)
- Window mullion spacing on anoutside wall is usually uniform.
- Concrete block length and height -vertical masonry courses are usually 8 in. high.
- Beware of brick;there are too many variations in size and mortar joints to make themreliable as measurement guides.
- Vinyl floor tiles are often 9 in.by 9 in. or 12 in. by 12 in.; check your own situation.
- Prefab wallpanels are often a standardized width.
This installment of FM Check List is adapted from BOMI Institute’s BuildingDesign and Maintenance course, (www.bomi-edu.org/12061.html), arequirement in the Systems Maintenance Administrator (SMA) designationprogram.
