Facility Condition Assessment (FCA)

Introduction

To proactively manage the University’s facility infrastructure, the Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) Program was launched in 1998. This program systematically evaluates campus facilities, compiling data on deficiencies, asset life expectancy, and future replacement needs. The resulting database provides the foundation for data-driven decisions and prioritized investments necessary to maintain the mission of the University. The FCA Program leverages this data to:
  • Provide campus-wide facility condition data for use in the annual State Capital Outlay report
  • Track changes in condition of our entire portfolio of facilities over time
  • Support long term Campus Planning decisions
  • Develop prioritized project lists by asset type for annual funding consideration
  • Ensure renovation projects are aware of underlying deficiencies that need to be addressed
The FCA database is maintained in the “Planning and Needs Analysis” module within FMS / AiM, but will be converted to a new software platform in the Fall of 2026. The FCA User Guide provides details on how to access the FCA data and generate reports.

FCA Program Coverage and Funding Eligibility

The FCA Program covers only General Fund facilities on the Ann Arbor campus, but works closely with Auxiliary Units across campus, including Michigan Medicine, Student Life, and Athletics. To be eligible for FCA funding, the need must meet the following criteria;
  • Part of a General Fund facility or an exterior element serving campus.
  • Represent a significant repair or replacement cost. Projects less than $50,000 are typically covered by Maintenance Services
  • Repair or replacement of an existing element. Note: Projects that change the use of a space or add new elements are not typically eligible for FCA funding.
  • Building systems and equipment that is directly associated with research are not eligible for FCA funding. Examples include, fume hoods, cold room storage and process chilled water required to cool research equipment.
All projects planned to occur in General Fund buildings are required to reference the FCA database to determine what deferred maintenance items may exist within the project area, and are generally required to add those items to the project scope and fund. The FCA program does not typically provide supplemental funding to active projects to address deferred maintenance items.

Annual Funding and Project Prioritization

The FCA Program receives annual funding at the beginning of each fiscal year for high priority projects. Facilities & Operations staff with specific expertise serve on eleven FCA Committees in order to track and prioritize projects within a certain category. These committees include; HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Exteriors, Roofs, Life Safety, Occupational Safety, Elevators, Site, Chillers and Accessibility. The proposed project lists are developed throughout the year, reviewed during quarterly meetings with Facilities & Operations leadership, and approved shortly after the annual funding amount is finalized in late August of each year. The FCA Program Process Path exhibit lists the committee members as well as additional program information. Prioritization of projects is based on the unique risk and consequence of failure relative to the mission of the university, with an emphasis on safety. Numeric priority designations based on the list below are assigned to all deficiencies within the database.
Priority 1 Critical: Emergent work that requires near-term action to restore building occupancy or address life safety or health issues.
Priority 2 High Priority: Work to be addressed in the short term to prevent;
  • accelerated deterioration of building component or system
  • loss of critical system (services, occupancy, non-life-threatening safety hazard)
  • unacceptably high maintenance, energy and/or other operating costs
  • Conditions from falling below acceptable University standards
Priority 3 Necessary: Deficiency that does not meet the Priority 2 threshold but likely will within a ten year period.
Priority 4 Deferrable: Non-critical items that should be addressed in a future renovation. May include finishes, space improvements, and code driven updates that do not pose a health or safety risk.

Adding an item to the FCA Database

All members of the campus community are encouraged to provide deficiency information. Deficiency Notification Forms should be filled out and sent to the FCA Program Manager and / or the chair of the appropriate committee as shown on the FCA Process Path Exhibit . Staff are encouraged to work with the O&M Engineer assigned to the facility to complete the Deficiency Notification Form. Each committee will review the deficiency, assign a priority, add it to the database, and provide an update to the form’s submitter.

FCA Data Management

Maintaining the accuracy of the data within the FCA database is a critical part of the program. To do so, the following processes have been established.
  • Building Walk Throughs: On a three year rolling basis, Architecture, Engineering, & Construction (AEC) Operation & Maintenance Engineers lead on-site meetings with the Facility Manager, Asset Supervisor, and the Regional Energy Manager to walk the facility, review all current deficiencies within the building, and update the database accordingly.
  • Project Initiation and Closeout: AEC projects are required to review deferred maintenance items for inclusion in the project scope at the onset of each project, discuss and receive approval to omit specific items, and provide an updated list during the closeout stage of the project, at which time the database is updated accordingly.
  • Building Demolition: Deficiencies associated with demolished buildings are removed from the database.
  • New Buildings: At the completion of all new buildings and building additions, all new assets are populated in AiM by the Maintenance Services PM in order to populate asset type, years of serviceable life, and estimated replacement costs. As these assets age and get closer to their expected replacement year, FCA committees review the available asset data and adjust the priority accordingly.
  • Periodic Full Facility Reports: While the FCA Program does not re-survey a set number or percentage of buildings in any given year, facility assessments may occur for specific college or campus planning initiatives.

FCA Program Collaboration

While the FCA Program coverage is limited to General Fund facilities, the program works closely with F&O departments, auxiliary units (Michigan Medicine, Student Life, Athletics), the Provost’s Office, and the Flint / Dearborn campuses to share data and leverage efforts such as the annual sidewalk and asphalt programs where opportunities for economy of scale and improved operational efficiency exist.
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