A newly published ASTM International guide provides standard notation, syntax and symbols for façade inspections while a second guide has been proposed to standardize how drones are used for façade inspections.
The first standard (E3036, Guide for Notating Façade Conditions in the Field) will save time by providing a common way to use and understand symbols, according to ASTM member Michael Petermann, a principal at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates.
A second standard, also from ASTM’s task group on façade inspections, is being developed: Guide for Visual Inspection of Building Facades Using Drones (WK52572). The task group hopes this guide will address the growing need for camera-equipped drones to document façade conditions through video and still photography.
The proposed standard will likely include general guidance for safety, a protocol for video-scanning façades, storage of scan results for future use and more.
In the United States, nine cities require periodic façade inspections to uncover unsafe conditions and prevent collapse in about 18,000 buildings.
