Web BER is a web-based building condition assessment system that effectively uses the Internet. The system is designed to provide multi-level condition assessment of Federal properties owned and operated by GSA. It allows GSA to identify deficiencies, develop budgets to correct the deficiencies, and prioritize work for one property over another based on physical condition, amount of investment versus projected income, and life cycle analysis. As designed for the Internet, the system is flexible enough to produce a variety of reports. Web technology allows real-time access by GSA organizational components and customers alike. The reports, updates and corrections can be done live while two parties hold a conversation time zones apart.
Buildings are analyzed on four levels. At Level One each building is tabulated by its physical characteristics: size, number of floors, address, tenant, security level, and historic/non-historic status. This data is directly downloaded from GSA’s corporate property database system, STAR, and is a key to the cost modeling that drives Level Two and Three analyses. At Level Two assessment, users answer, over the Web, 26 system-related questions for each building surveyed. Users do not have to be experts in architecture, engineering, or cost estimating professions. Building engineers or technicians may perform the Level Three assessment. They physically inspect the building to answer 37 questions to further refine the analysis of building deficiencies. As strategic priority and resources allow, buildings are selected for a Level Four assessment, a comprehensive Building Engineering Report (BER). Contract or in-house professional architects and engineers perform the Level Four analysis.
For each building assessment, the Web BER generates a Facility Condition Index (FCI), a measure of deficiency value as a fraction of building replacement cost. The FCI conveniently quantifies overall building condition, allowing building comparison and ranking by need for repair. The Web BER facilitates GSA’s strategic planning to prioritize the reinvestment of limited resources in its real property assets.
For more information, contact Mr. Joseph Lawler at (202) 358-3509 or via e-mail at joseph.lawler@gsa.gov.
