Diagnosis of the degradation state of building and cost evaluation of induced refurbishment works

In order to make a decision to proceed with any project of building refurbishment, there is a need for a brief but reliable report describing the current state of the building and giving a good estimate of the cost of the various work to be done. Part of the EPIQR methodology and software applies to the specific refurbishment works and cost assessment of building refurbishment needs with respect to energy conservation and indoor environment improvement. To comply with these objectives, more than 800 itemized building refurbishment works were described, adapted to the national characteristics of the seven countries participating in the project and then priced. This paper will describe the methodology used for elaborating the different databases and will present a preliminary exercise intended to compare costs. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.