Stewart Handrahan M.Eng., P.Eng. Synergy Partners
Reserve Funds
Reserve Fund Planning for Skyscrapers
Tall residential condominiums have been commonplace in Ontario since the 1960s. Until recently such buildings have typically been under 40-storeys, with designs focused on conventional construction methods. Over time, engineering and construction professionals in Ontario have developed the know-how to repair the aging building stock. Because we’ve been repairing these conventional buildings for so long the methods of repair and expected costs are relatively well established so budgeting for future repairs and replacements (i.e. reserve fund planning) has become streamlined. The recent trend, especially in the GTA, has been for condo developers to build taller and more complex structures. These skyscraping condos are different. With 60+ stories becoming the norm, these buildings tend to have iconic architectural features, complex mechanical systems, and are often located at prominent downtown intersections where commercial office towers once dominated. Naturally, some may assume that these skyscrapers will be cost-effective to re-
pair on a per unit or square footage basis as there intuitively must be efficiencies of scale. Unfortunately, when it comes to skyscrapers the scale is sometimes working against us. In some cases, the design almost seems not to have considered the need for future maintenance/renewal work at all.
dential buildings. The bad news is that curtain wall systems can be much costlier to repair or renew than window-wall systems. Accessing walls to complete repairs can prove challenging for very tall buildings (more on this later). It will be common for wall retrofit/renewal costs at skyscrapers to exceed $20 million.
What’s the difference? These new skyscraper condos are different in several ways, including:
2. Roofs Although roofing assemblies are much the same as with conventional buildings, replacement costs on a square footage basis will be higher because hoisting materials to the roof may prove to be challenging, especially if there are wind restrictions for hoist equipment, or if material needs to be hoisted several times (e.g. up and over terraced roofs to get to the main roof).
1. Building Envelope The building envelope will always represent a significant proportion of reserve fund expenditures within the life of a building. Skyscrapers are certainly no different. Shorter buildings typically employed brick masonry, precast panels, or window-wall systems. Skyscrapers are more often clad with curtain wall systems, which have been the norm for office towers for decades. The good news? Good quality curtain wall systems can often be longer-lasting and better performing cladding systems than windowwall systems seen at most modern resi-
3. Mechanical Equipment When buildings are under construction access and craning logistics related to installing mechanical equipment are straightforward and relatively inexpensive because the tower crane used to build the building can be used to hoist the equipment and the building encloCONDOVOICE SPRING 2020
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