Documentation of Existing Facade Condtions in the Field
A Comparison of Two Methods



Back in the office, photos were sorted, sleeved and labeled with sequential numbers that appear on the elevations in the final report. This is a tedious, time-consuming process, especially when deliverables include 5 or 6 sets of 500 photos. Furthermore, to refer from the elevation to a specific photo is simple, but to determine where a photo is on the drawing requires some searching.

While these methods for investigating facade condition were effective, we sought to improve upon them by developing a system of integrating data collection in a digital format with increased capabilities and options for presentation and interpretation. The objectives of what I called "direct digital input of facade survey data" were to:

• Facilitate and streamline note-taking in the field.
• Save technicians time both in the field and office.
• Eliminate transcriptive and interpretive errors in the office.
• Reduce repetitive manual labor or tedious tasks in report preparation.
• Maximize the utility of our final product by providing more accessible and useful condition reports.