Moyne Ross / Technical Library
Technical Library
Every part of a building, and how it fails.
One page for each element and space of a building: how it is built, how long it lasts, how it fails, how serious a finding is and what fixes it. Australia, Britain and the United States.
The library
103 pages26 pages
Structure
What holds the building up and keeps the weather out: the ground, the frame, the façade and the roof.
Substructure
Basement, Cellars & Retaining Walls
How do basements and retaining walls fail, and when is a leaning wall dangerous?
Foundations
How do foundations fail, how do you tell subsidence from heave or settlement, and when is underpinning needed?
Slab on Ground
How do ground slabs and warehouse floors fail, and which defects matter?
Sub-floor & Crawlspace
How do sub-floors and crawlspaces fail, and what causes decay and pest damage beneath floors?
Superstructure
Load-Bearing Masonry
How do load-bearing masonry walls fail, and when do alterations or bowing make them unsafe?
Structural Core
How do cores, shear walls and bracing fail, and how do alterations undermine a building's stability?
Structural Frame
How do concrete, steel and timber frames deteriorate, how do you read the cracks, and when is a frame unsafe?
Upper Floor Slabs & Structures
How do upper floors fail, and when does a change of use overload them?
Façades
Architectural & Decorative Features
How do cornices, stone, terracotta and render ornament fail, how do you tell the causes apart, and when is it a public danger?
Building Maintenance Units (BMU)
How do building maintenance units and façade access systems fail, how is their position established, and when are they unusable?
Canopies & Awnings
How do awnings and canopies fail, what are the warning signs, and when is an awning over a footpath unsafe?
Cladding & Wall Systems
How do cladding systems fail, what does each failure look like, and which findings are urgent?
External Coating Systems
How do external paints, renders and protective coatings fail, what does each failure mean, and when does it matter beyond appearance?
Glazing Systems
How do windows, curtain walls and glazed façades fail, what does each failure look like, and when is it urgent?
Masonry/Brickwork
What goes wrong with brick and block façades, what does each defect look like, and how serious is it?
Sealants & Joints
How do façade sealant joints fail, how do you read a failed joint, and when does it need a programme rather than patching?
Verandahs, Balconies & Balustrades
How do balconies, decks and balustrades fail, what are the warning signs, and which findings mean closing them?
Roofs & Rainwater Goods
Chimney Stacks & Flues
How do chimney stacks and flues fail, how do you read a leaning or stained chimney, and when is it dangerous?
Insulation
How does roof insulation fail, how do you tell condensation from a leak, and which insulation findings are hazards?
Plant Screens & Parapets
How do parapets and plant screens fail, how do you read a leaning parapet, and when is it a falling hazard?
Rainwater Systems
How do gutters, box gutters and downpipes fail, and how do you tell a maintenance problem from a capacity problem?
Roof Coverings
How do roof coverings fail, what does each failure look like, and when does a covering need repair rather than replacement?
Roof Safety Systems
How do roof safety systems fail, how do you judge whether a roof can be safely accessed, and what findings stop access?
Roof Structure
How do roof structures fail, what are the warning signs, and when is a sagging or altered roof dangerous?
Skylights, Dormers & Glazed Atria
How do skylights, roof sheets and atrium roofs fail, and when are they a safety hazard?
Waterproofing Membranes
How do flat roof and deck membranes fail, how do you tell a detail failure from a failed roof, and when must a roof be stripped rather than patched?
37 pages
Services
What makes it work: heating and cooling, power, fire safety, water and drainage, and the lifts.
Mechanical Services
Air Handling Units (AHUs)
How do air handling units fail, what does each failure look like, and when do they affect health rather than just comfort?
Building Management & Control System (BMCS)
How do building management systems fail, how do you assess one, and when does obsolescence or cyber exposure force replacement?
Central Cooling Plant
How do chillers and central cooling plant fail, how do you read their operating data, and when does refrigerant rather than wear end their life?
Central Heating Plant
How do boilers and heating systems fail, how do you read the signs, and when does fuel policy change the replacement decision?
Ductwork & Air Distribution
How does ductwork fail, what are the warning signs, and when is it a fire safety issue?
Heat Rejection Plant
How do cooling towers, dry coolers and condensers fail, and what makes a cooling tower a public health item?
Localised HVAC
How do split systems, VRF, rooftop units and heat pumps fail, and when does refrigerant or electronics end their life?
Terminal Units
How do fan coils, VAV boxes and chilled beams fail, and how do you assess hundreds of them?
Ventilation Systems
How do car park, kitchen, laboratory and toilet exhaust systems fail, and which failures are safety findings?
Electrical Services
Communications, Security & Specialist Systems
How do communications, security and specialist building systems fail, and which failures are safety issues?
Emergency Lighting
How does emergency lighting fail, how do you test it, and when is it a life-safety defect?
Emergency Power
How do standby generators and UPS systems fail, and how do you know they will work in an outage?
Lighting
How do lighting installations fail, and when does obsolescence or safety force replacement?
Lighting Control System
How do lighting control systems fail, and how do you tell if they are working?
Lightning Protection
How do lightning protection systems fail, and how do you know a system still protects the building?
Main Electrical Supply
How do main switchboards, transformers and supply equipment fail, and when does capacity rather than condition decide replacement?
Power Distribution
How does power distribution fail, what are the warning signs, and when is rewiring needed?
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
How do rooftop solar systems fail, and what risks do they bring to the roof and building?
Fire Services
Automatic Sprinkler Systems
How do sprinkler systems fail, when is a system no longer adequate for a building, and which findings leave a building unprotected?
Fire Detection & Alarm Systems
How do fire detection and alarm systems fail, when are they at the end of their life, and which findings leave a building unprotected?
Fire Pumping Systems
How do fire pumps fail, how do you prove a pump will deliver in a fire, and which findings leave sprinklers and hydrants without enough water?
Hydrant & Hose Reel Systems
How do hydrant, rising main and hose reel systems fail, and when are they unusable by fire-fighters?
Passive Fire Protection
How does passive fire protection fail, how do you find the breaches, and which findings put lives at risk?
Portable Fire Equipment
How does portable fire equipment fail, and what does it say about a building's fire safety management?
Smoke Management Systems
How do smoke management systems fail, and how do you know they will keep escape routes clear?
Specialist Suppression Systems
How do gaseous, pre-action and other specialist suppression systems fail, and when do agent rules end their life?
Hydraulic Services
Gas Services
How do building gas services fail, and when do they become a safety or decommissioning question?
Hot & Warm Water Plant
How do hot water systems fail, and how do you balance Legionella risk against scalding?
Pumping Systems
How do booster, sump and sewage pumping systems fail, and when do they threaten the building?
Sanitary & Drainage Systems
How do sanitary plumbing and drains fail, and how do you tell a blockage from a defect?
Specialist Hydraulics
How do pools, recycled water systems and water features fail, and which findings are life-safety issues?
Trade Waste Systems
How do grease arrestors and other trade waste devices fail, and when do they put the building in breach?
Water Supply
How do building water supplies fail, and which failures put drinking water quality or the building at risk?
Vertical Transportation
Accessibility Lifts
How do platform lifts and stair lifts fail, and when does a failure make a building inaccessible?
Dock Levellers & Goods Hoists
How do dock levellers and goods hoists fail, and which faults put people at risk?
Escalators & Moving Walks
How do escalators and moving walks fail, and which faults are safety-critical?
Passenger & Goods Lifts
How do lifts fail, when do they need modernisation rather than maintenance, and which faults are safety-critical?
33 pages
Space
What it is used for: the rooms and areas people occupy, judged on whether they still do their job, and the site around them.
Internal Areas
Fireplaces
How do fireplaces and heaters fail, and which findings mean stop using them?
Flooring
How do floor finishes fail, and which flooring findings are safety or neighbour issues?
Integrated Building Systems
How do the interfaces between building systems fail, and why can a building pass every test and still fail in a fire?
Internal Doors & Hardware
How do internal doors and hardware fail, and which door findings are life-safety failures?
Internal Wall & Ceiling Finishes
How do wall and ceiling finishes fail, and when is a ceiling dangerous?
Partitioning Systems
How do internal partitions fail, and when does a partition matter for fire safety?
Specialist & Non-Standard Features
How should bespoke features such as indoor pools, saunas and cellars be recorded and assessed?
Bathrooms & Wet Areas
How do bathrooms and wet areas leak, how do you find the source, and when does resealing stop being enough?
Commercial Kitchens
How do commercial kitchens fail, and which kitchen findings are fire and life-safety risks?
Commercial Office Areas (Base-Build)
How do office floors fail as working space, and how do you tell base-building problems from fit-out drift?
Common Circulation Areas
How do corridors and lift lobbies fail, and when do they stop being safe escape routes?
Common Internal Areas
How do shared areas in apartment buildings fail, and what makes them a collective risk?
Electrical & Communications Risers
How do service risers fail, and why are they a fire safety and capacity issue?
Internal Stairwells
How do stairwells fail as daily stairs and escape routes, and which findings are life-safety failures?
Kitchen
How do residential kitchens fail, and which kitchen findings are safety issues?
Lift Cars & Machine Rooms
How do lift cars, machine rooms and pits fail as spaces, and what does the building control?
Loading Docks & Goods Handling
How do loading docks fail as working spaces, and which dock findings are safety-critical?
Lobbies & Atria
How do lobbies and atria fail, and what makes a large open volume unsafe?
Main Entrance & Reception Areas
How do building entrances and reception areas fail, and which entrance findings are safety issues?
Maintenance Access Areas
How do ceiling voids, hatches, platforms and confined spaces fail, and why does poor access matter?
Plant Rooms
How do plant rooms fail as spaces, and why do replacement routes matter so much?
Public Amenities
How do shared toilets and end-of-trip facilities fail, and when are there too few?
Residential Units/Guest Rooms
How do apartments and guest rooms fail as places to live, and who is responsible in strata buildings?
Retail Tenancies (Base-Build)
How do retail tenancies fail as lettable space, and which tenancy findings belong to the landlord?
Service Corridors
How do back-of-house service corridors fail, and why are they a fire safety concern?
Specialised Occupancy Areas
How do laboratories, clinical spaces and teaching rooms fail, and which findings are safety-critical?
Storage & Archive Areas
How do storerooms and archives fail, and which storage findings are safety issues?
External Elements
Ancillary Structures
How do sheds, carports, shade structures and other minor structures fail, and which findings are hazards?
Fencing, Gates & Signage
How do fences, powered gates and signs fail, and which failures put lives at risk?
Landscaping & Irrigation
How does landscaping affect the building, and which landscape findings are safety issues?
Pavements & Hardstand
How do car parks, driveways and paving fail, and how do you tell surface wear from structural failure?
Recreational Facilities
How do playgrounds, courts and shared recreation facilities fail, and which findings are safety issues?
Stormwater Drainage
How do site stormwater systems fail, and why do buildings flood in large storms?
7 pages
Compliance and environment
What the building owes beyond itself: access, workplace safety and hazardous materials, energy and water.
Building Code Compliance
Disabled Access (DDA)
How do buildings fall short on access, and which access findings create safety or discrimination risk?
Hazardous Materials
Which hazardous materials should be presumed in a building, and when do they become a safety or capital issue?
Occupational Health & Safety (OHS)
Which safety provisions in a building protect occupants and workers, and which gaps are serious hazards?
Environmental
Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging
How does EV charging fail in existing buildings, and what limits how many chargers a building can take?
Energy Efficiency Upgrades
How do energy efficiency upgrades underperform, and when does efficiency become a compliance deadline?
Sub-metering
How do sub-metering systems fail, and when do metering errors become a billing or compliance problem?
Water Conservation
Where do buildings waste water, and how do you find and fix it?
How serious a finding is
Seven gradingsEach page’s “How serious it is” section grades what it describes on the same scale.
- Safety
- Can hurt someone now. Made safe at once.
- Failure
- Failed or failing, and damaging the building. Repaired now.
- Condition
- Distress present and progressing. Repair programmed for the near term.
- Lifecycle
- No current distress; renewal falls due with age and exposure.
- Deadline
- A regulator, ordinance or order sets the date.
- Check
- The sign calls for investigation before works can be sized.
- Nil
- Cosmetic or stable. Routine care only.
Common questions
What is the Technical Library?
A reference page for each element and functional space of a building, from foundations to lifts. Every page answers the same eleven questions, in the same order, for Australia, Britain and the United States.
Does a page tell me the condition of my building?
No. A page describes how an element behaves in general: how it is built, how it fails and what settles a question about it. The condition of a particular building comes from that building, its records and its evidence.
Why are there no prices?
Prices belong to a building, a market and a date. Each page sets out the shape of a cost instead: what drives it, what it usually includes and what tends to be left out.
How are findings graded?
On seven gradings, from safety to nil, set out on this page. Each page’s “How serious it is” section reads its own signs onto them, so the same sign is graded the same way wherever it appears.
Can I cite it, or use it with an AI assistant?
Yes. Every section has its own anchor, so a citation can point to the exact part of a page. The whole library is available as structured data and through the Moyne Ross connector for AI assistants.