Building Due Diligence Services
DSI performs hands on engineering due diligence and failure inspection and analysis of commercial building’s water and waste water distribution piping systems on a national basis with the focus on…
- Discovering system problems
- Providing alternative solutions
- Reducing replacement costs
- Restoring and extending the life of piping systems and equipment
Some of the most well respected commercial investors and management companies utilize DSI’s condition assessment for pre-acquisition, alternative approach cost saving programs, long term asset management and financing purposes.
Project Experience…
Over the last 33 years, DSI has performed hundreds of building’s piping systems physical condition inspections and evaluations of the following property types…
- Hospitals
- Hospitality and resort properties
- Apartments (high rise and low rise)
- Airport terminals
- Office buildings
- Stadiums
- Universities
- Regional malls
- Industrial facilities
- Equity Residential Properties
DSI has conducted dozens of piping system analysis and evaluations for Equity Residential Properties… one of the evaluations was at Harbor Pointe Apartments in Milwaukee, WI. A 30 year old, 360 unit complex divided into 9 buildings. Harbor Pointe suffered with brown water and pinhole leaks, which began appearing 4 years after it was completed. An analysis indicated the water distribution piping was not properly galvanized.
DSI saved Harbor Pointe and Equity Residential Properties $1,100,000 by developing a coating to seal the pipe leaks and stop the brown water complaints and double the fixture flow rates. DSI also isolated the serious problem areas within each piping system and managed a phased repair or replacement project with minimum interference to the tenants.
Security Properties, Inc.
1212 South Michigan is a 30 floor, 33 year old apartment building with 330 apartments. When DSI became involved, 1212’s owners had taken bids to completely re-pipe the building. DSI analyzed the piping system, revised the re-piping to replace only identified problem sections of pipe saving the building $1,240,000.
EPT Property Investments (Lead Free Water)
Country Corners, a 372 unit apartment complex outside of Washington, D.C., was in the process of selling the complex (for condo conversions) when the sale was put on hold by the buyer because random water testing results by the lender indicated high lead levels in the drinking water distribution piping. Before the property could be sold, the lead in the drinking water had to be reliably brought well below the EPA’s “take action” level of 15 parts per billion. The buyer wanted the drinking water piping in the complex replaced at a cost of $1,230,000. DSI was brought in to find an alternate to pipe replacement. DSI isolated 273 problem fixtures and analyzed every apartment’s fixtures (system) that actually had high lead levels. Once all 1,860 fixtures were analyzed, DSI developed a permanent alternative solution to re-piping that saved the seller $990,000 and allowed the sale to close on time.
Albert Kahn Associates
Recommended DSI to General Motors to evaluate all of the carious piping distribution systems within its 79 year old, 1,800,000 square foot world head quarters building. Before DSI’s physical investigation, Albert Kahn had estimated the required repairs and upgrades needed to bring the various piping distribution systems up to a standard that would allow the building to be sold. Albert Kahn had studied the GM building, analyzed all of the available drawings and had estimated the required upgrades and repairs to be 22 to 25 million dollars. DSI completed a hand on inspection and developed a plan that reduced the needed upgrades and repairs to 7 million dollars… a savings of 18 million dollars.
Royal Oak Schools in Michigan (60 Million Dollar District Renovation Bond)
DSI helped Royal Oak Schools save over $3,100,000 in the district’s building piping systems renovation program.
DSI…
- Went through all of the piping system distribution systems (including steam, condensate and natural gas lines) to identify and tag what portions of piping could be saved within each system.
- Corrected distribution flow and temperature problems
- Tagged, identified and developed drawings for the problem pipe to be removed. DSI actually measured, color coated and calculated the scrap valve of the valves, fittings, and pipe to be removed and monitored the demolition.
- Became so familiar with all of the various mechanical systems to be renovated, repaired or replaced, the architects and the school used DSI for conducting all of the contractor system pre-bidding walk throughs to save time and ensure continuity with in the bidding.
- Verified pipe chase locations, riser locations, roof drains, sanitary waste vents and clean outs physically and on drawings.
- Removed corrosion scale from the original pipe (in good condition) to restore original flow rates.
- Identified, cleaned and repaired sanitary waste vents and sanitary sumps to reduce replacement costs.
- Corrected retention pond flooding issues that had existed for over ten years.
University of Michigan Burn Center (UMHBC)
The 250,000 square feet of UMHBC was experiencing piping leaks, brown water, poor or reduced flow in their galvanized domestic hot water and therapeutic water systems. The cost of repiping, including shut down, cost of moving patients, repiping, repainting, etc., was established at 6.9 million dollars. The University hired DSI to analyze the system and find an alternative to total replacement. The hospital had planned to build a new burn center, which would be ready to occupy in five (5) years. The University wanted to avoid repiping the building they were leaving. They needed to invest the 6.9 million into the new building. The hospital’s objective was to stop the leaks and improve the water quality and water flow to the patient and treatment equipment to the health department’s satisfaction for an additional five (5) years. DSI analyzed the system, developed a program that consisted of strategic pipe and valve replacement combined with some pipe cleaning and corrosion control treatment to stop red water and arrest existing corrosion (all of which was performed without moving a patient) for a cost of $491,959.