Building Science Engineering

Professional Engineering services specializing in building restoration and improvement. Practical solutions and sensible plans by listening to client objectives.

Our services:

• Building Restoration Design
• Condition Assessments
• Construction Review
• Litigation Support
• Performance Audits
• Repair Planning
• Reserve Fund Studies
• Specifications and Tendering
• Due Diligence
• Capital Expenditure Planning

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BUILDING RESTORATION DESIGN

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• Bonarme Inc. provides designs services for the building restoration design, rehabilitation and repair of your buildings, structures and property. This includes the structural rehabilitation of structures and buildings such as foundations, parking garages, floor slabs, balconies and walls for materials such as reinforced concrete, structural steel, masonry and timber.
• Building envelope restoration design services includes repairs to masonry, precast concrete, Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS), metal cladding, caulking, windows and roofing. Repair design services also include site components such as retaining walls, asphalt pavement and concrete garbage pads.
• Restoration design can be provided for any type of building including residential, commercial, industrial and institutional however Bonarme Inc specialize in multi-unit high-rise and low-rise residential buildings. We also have extensive experience in the restoration of buildings and houses following fires, collapses and other types of insurance claim damage.
• These services can be provided as part of the second stage of services following a Condition Assessment or with its own investigation component built-in. Designs typically include specifications, drawings and repair details. Where Building Permits are required our designs will be suitable for permit application. Bonarme Inc. is qualified by the Province of Ontario as a Qualified Designer (with BCIN) in relation to the Ontario Building Code for Complex Buildings, Large Buildings, Small Buildings, Houses and Structural Design.

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CONDITION ASSESMENTS

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Bonarme Inc. Conducts Condition Assessments of buildings and structures. Detailed condition surveys can be carried out of various building components such as parking garages, balconies, wall systems, roofing, windows and pavement or a complete review of the entire building can be conducted.

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Assessments can include a wide range of tasks including visual inspections (using swing stages and other access equipment if necessary), destructive investigation, materials testing, thermographic scans, air and water leakage testing, and structural or building envelope analysis.

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We will customize your Condition Assessment to suit your needs and goals. Reports will include an analysis of the findings, discussions of repair alternatives, budget cost estimates and prioritized recommendations.

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CONSTRUCTION REVIEW

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Bonarme Inc. provides construction review and contract administration services that include periodic inspection of the work to protect owner interests and report that it is being completed in accordance with specifications and drawings. The frequency of these inspections is customized to suit project/client objectives.

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Prior to commencing construction, Bonarme Inc. prepare contract documents, assist in the application of the building permit and conduct a photographic survey of the property to ensure that it is restored to an equal or better condition than before work started.

Construction materials, samples and mock-ups are reviewed during the course of the work. Where appropriate, materials and components are tested for conformance with the specifications. Material manufacturers are brought in to review surface preparations and material applications.

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Regular meetings are held on site with the contractor and the owner’s representative including a pre- construction meeting and a final inspection meeting. Meetings during the work are used to update the owner with progress of the work. For unit price contracts, repair quantities are measured by Bonarme Inc to form the basis of contractor invoices and to monitor the project budget.

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Contract administration services include ensuring the contractor submits all required documentation such as WSIB certificates, insurance certificates, bonds, substantial performance publication certificate and warranties. Bonarme Inc. will review the contractor’s invoices to ensure the owner never pays for more work than has been completed. As the project nears completion we will declare substantial performance and monitor the completion of work including deficiencies and clean- up.

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PERFORMANCE AUDITS

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Performance Audits are required by the Condominium Act to be carried out for the common elements of new condominiums. These Audits are intended to identify warrantable claims against the Builder before the expiry of the one-year general warranty.

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Our Performance Audits conform to the requirements of the Condominium Act and include a review of the drawings and specifications and other construction documentation. Questionnaires are prepared and sent to all of the unit owners. The questionnaire results are reviewed and summarized while looking for trends and common construction issues being reported by the owners.

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A comprehensive inspection of the buildings and property is carried out to identify deficiencies in the common element components. Destructive or intrusive investigation is included where requested to address specific problem areas. This type of work may include an elevator audit, materials testing, test cuts through wall or roof assemblies and thermographic scans.

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We forward the Performance Audit Study to the Warranty Corporation to ensure they receive it prior to expiry of the first year warranty. Two-year and 7-year Performance Audits can also be carried out as requested to ensure additional construction deficiencies that are not initially apparent are covered under the respective extended warranties.

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After the Audit has been issued Bonarme Inc is available to provide additional services such as review of builder repairs, attendance at common element and conciliation meetings and expert testimony at appeal hearings.

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REPAIR PLANNING

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Bonarme Inc. use their building engineering experience to assist in Repair Planning through Reserve Fund Studies for condominiums and co-operative housing properties and Building Condition Assessment or Capital Expenditure Plan for rental or investment properties.

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Our physical inspection of the property is customized to suit an owner’s individual needs. Our engineers assess potential future expenditures related to each building component included in the Study which may recommend budgeting for the complete replacement of a component or a major repair or retrofit. Repair Plans can be established for short or long term strategies. Recommendations for interim maintenance can also be included to safely reduce or defer potential large repair projects.

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Detailed Repair Plans can be prepared for individual building components such as a parking garage which may consist of several individual structural elements including various suspended slabs, walls, columns, ramps and stairwells.

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RESERVE FUND STUDIES

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Bonarme Inc. performs Reserve Fund Studies for Condominium Corporations on a daily basis and as such forms part of our core business.

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We have performed over 200 Reserve Fund Studies for a variety of condominium types including high-rise residential, townhome, vacant land, commercial and industrial.

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Types of Studies include

• Complete Comprehensive Reserve Fund Studies (Class 1)
• Updates with Site Inspection (Class 2) and
• Updates without Site Inspection (Class 3)

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Each of our studies complies with the requirements of the Condominium Act. Our services include a review of condominium documents including the Declaration and condominium boundaries, financial statements and maintenance history. A physical inspection of the common element components of the property for Class 1 and Class 2 Studies is carried out. This would include sample locations of accessible areas.

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Our financial analysis compares the condominium’s current status of the reserve fund with the anticipated future expenditures based on the physical inspection. Using our Reserve Fund Study analysis software, we are able to determine if your Reserve Fund is under or over funded. Various financial plans are presented in draft form for review and discussion by Property Management and the Board of Directors.

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If necessary, our Engineers will attend Board Meetings to review the various options. Revised drafts can be prepared if they fit within the physical inspection and financial parameters.

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Upon acceptance by the Board, we prepare Form 15 and other final documentation. Tables are included in the back of the Study for Management to track future reserve fund study expenditures until the next Update. All information is archived electronically enabling us to perform cost effective Reserve Fund Study Updates.

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SPECIFICATIONS AND TENDERING

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Bonarme Inc. carefully prepares technical engineering specifications which are customized to suit individual restoration projects.

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Our specifications have developed from over decades of experience in various projects and are formatted to suit Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) contracts.

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These can accommodate both Stipulated Price and Unit Price contracts. Typical technical specifications include the following:

• Aluminum Balcony Railings
• Metal Cladding
• Roof Safety Anchors
• Steel Railings & Guards
• Tennis Courts
• Various Waterproofing & Roofing Systems
• Vinyl & Wood Siding
• Windows & Doors
• Aluminum Balcony Railings
• Asphalt and Concrete Pavement
• Caulking
• Drains
• Electrical and Glycol Ramp Heating Systems
• Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS)
• Expansion Joints
• Interior & Exterior Painting
• Masonry Repairs

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Once specifications and drawings are completed, they will be suitable for Building Permit Application and Tendering to contractors. Bonarme Inc. will conduct Site Meetings with the qualified contractors selected to bid the project.

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Once the tenders have been received, we will analyze the bids and provide you with our recommendation for award of a contract. Upon selection of the successful contractor, Bonarme Inc. can prepare contract documents which will be based on the technical specifications and drawings.

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CAPITAL EXPENDITURE PLANNING

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Bonarme Inc. provides services related to Capital Expenditure Planning for buildings of various types. This can take the form of Reserve Fund Studies for condominiums and co-operative housing properties or a Building Condition Assessment for rental or investment properties.

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These exercises include a physical inspection of the property which assesses the condition and prioritizes various building and site components and can be customized to suit an owner’s individual needs.

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Building components can include but are not limited to:

• Structural such as garages or balconies
• Building Envelope
• Windows & Exterior Doors
• Interior Finishes
• Mechanical Systems
• Electrical Components
• Site Finishes & Storm Drainage
• Environmental
• levators

Our engineers assess the potential future expenditures related to each building component included in the Study. This may include recommending the complete replacement of a component or a major repair or retrofit. The analysis typically forecasts a period of 5 years from the date of the inspection but can project much further to over 30 years such as for Reserve Fund Studies. Our final reports will outline the various major building components and the related anticipated future capital expenditures in a concise easy-to-follow format.

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