Unites States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Toxic Substances
Office of
Toxic Substances
Washington, D.C. 20460
EPA 560/5-88-010
September 1988
Additional Analysis of
EPA's 1984 Asbestos
Survey Data
s -v
.xv""^< —vr«
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FINAL REPORT
ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS OF EPA'S
1984 ASBESTOS SURVEY DATA
By
John Rogers
Westat, Inc.
1650 Research Boulevard
Rockville, Maryland 20850
September 1988
This work was conducted under
Battelle Subcontract No. J-1008(0725)-504 of
EPA Contract 68-02-4243
BATTELLE
Columbus Division - Washington Operations
2030 M Street N. W.
Washington, D. C. 20036
EPA Task Managers: Joan Blake, Bradley Schultz
EPA Project Officer: Mary Frankenberry
Design and Development Branch
Exposure Evaluation Division
Office of Toxic Substances
Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances
US Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D. C. 20460
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DISCLAIMER
This report was prepared under contract to an agency
of the United States Government. Neither the United
States Government nor any of its employees,
contractors, subcontractors, or their employees makes
any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any
legal liability or responsibility for any third
party's use or the results of such use of any
information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed
in this report, or represents that its use by such
third party would not infringe on privately owned
rights.
Publication of the data in this document does not
signify that the contents necessarily reflect the
joint or separate views and policies of each
cosponsoring agency. Mention of trade names or
compiercial products does not constitute endorsement or
recommendation for use.
ii
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author of this report would like to thank all those whose
efforts contributed to the success and completion of this task:
Pat Leydig, Judith Strenio, Steve Dietz, and Sandy Gallagher
of Westat;
Cindy Stroup, Betsy Dutrow, Edie Sterrett, and Joe Breen from
EPA; and
Jean Chesson, Jeff Hatfield, and Barbara Leczynski of
Battelle.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xi
I. INTRODUCTION 1
A. Background 1
B. Objectives of the additional analysis 3
C. Overview of the report 4
II. CONCLUSIONS 5
III. STATISTICAL METHODS AND INTERPRETATION 11
A. Summary of the survey procedures 11
B. Condition codes 13
C. Relationship to AHERA 15
D. Statistical methods 16
E. Interpretation 18
IV. RESULTS 19
A. Introduction to the tables 19
B. Asbestos-containing friable material of any type 27
C. Sprayed- or trowelled-on asbestos material 34
D. Asbestos-containing pipe wrap and boiler insulation . . 44
E. Asbestos-containing friable material in public
areas 51
F. Asbestos-containing friable material in fan and
boiler rooms 58
G. Asbestos-containing ceiling tile 65
APPENDIX A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FROM THE NATIONAL SURVEY 67
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Page
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Description of the condition codes assigned by the two
Field Inspectors 14
Table 2 Guide to Locating Tables 21
Table 3
Table 4
Table 5
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. falling into categories defined by
building types, presence of friable material, and
presence of asbestos-containing friable material.
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. falling into categories defined by
building height, presence of friable material, and
presence of asbestos-containing friable material.
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with at least some friable material
falling into categories defined by material type,
presence of asbestos, and condition
. 23
. 24
25
Table 6
Table 7
Table 8
Estimated percent of buildings in the continental U.S.
with at least some friable material falling into
categories defined by material type, presence of
asbestos, and condition 26
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material of any type (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM
and by type of building 28
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material of any type (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM
and by building height 29
Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing friable material of any
type with the condition indicated (ACFM), by condition
of the ACFM and by type of building 30
Table 10 Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing friable material of any
type (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by building
height 31
Table 9
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Page
Table 11 Estimated floor area of buildings (in 1,000,000's of
square feet) in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material of any type (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by type of building
32
Table 12 Estimated floor area of buildings (in 1,000,000's of
square feet) in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material of any type (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by building height
33
Table 13 Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing sprayed- or
trowelled-on friable material (ACFM), by condition of
the ACFM and by type of building 36
Table 14 Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing sprayed- or
trowelled-on friable material (ACFM), by condition of
the ACFM and by building height 37
Table 15 Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing sprayed- or trowelled-on
friable material (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and
by type of building 38
Table 16 Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing sprayed- or trowelled-on
friable material (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and
by building height 39
Table 17 Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000's of square feet)
of buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing sprayed- or trowelled-on friable material
(ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by type of
building
40
Table 18 Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000's of square feet)
of buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing sprayed- or trowelled-on asbestos material
(ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by building
height
41
Table 19 Estimated surface area (in 1,000,000's of square feet)
of asbestos-containing sprayed- or trowelled-on
friable material in buildings in the continental U. S.
(ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by type of
building 42
vii
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Page
Table 20 Estimated surface area (in I,000,000's of square feet)
of asbestos-containing sprayed- or trowelled-on
friable material in buildings in the continental U. S.
(ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by building
height 43
Table 21 Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing pipe wrap
and boiler insulation (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM
and by type of building 45
Table 22 Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing pipe wrap
and boiler insulation (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM
and by building height 46
Table 23 Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing pipe wrap and boiler
insulation by condition of the asbestos-containing
friable material (ACFM) and by type of building. ...
47
Table 24 Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing pipe wrap and boiler
insulation (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by
building height
48
Table 25 Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000's of square feet)
of buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing pipe wrap and boiler insulation (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by type of building 49
Table 26 Estimated floor area (in I,000,000's of square feet)
of buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing pipe wrap and boiler insulation (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by building height 50
Table 27 Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material in public areas (ACFM), by condition of the
ACFM and by type of building 52
Table 28 Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material in public areas (ACFM), by condition of the
ACFM and by building height
53
Table 29 Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing friable material in
public areas with the condition indicated (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by type of building
54
Vlll
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Page
Table 30 Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing friable material in
public areas with the condition indicated (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by building height 55
Table 31 Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000's of square feet)
of buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material in public areas (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by type of building 56
Table 32 Estimated floor area of buildings (in 1,000,000 's of
square feet) in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material in public areas (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by building height 57
Table 33 Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material in fan and boiler rooms (ACFM), by condition
of the ACFM and by type of building 59
Table 34 Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material in fan and boiler rooms (ACFM), by condition
of the ACFM and by building height 60
Table 35 Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing friable material in fan
and boiler rooms with the condition indicated (ACFM),
by condition of the ACFM and by type of building.
61
Table 36 Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing friable material in fan
and boiler rooms with the condition indicated (ACFM),
by condition of the ACFM and by building height
62
Table 37 Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000's of square feet)
of buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material in fan and boiler rooms
(ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by type of
building
63
Table 38 Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000's of square feet)
of buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material in fan and boiler rooms
(ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by building
height
64
IX
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of
Toxic Substances (OTS) has an ongoing program concerning asbestos
in public buildings. As part of this program, OTS completed the
Asbestos in Buildings survey1 in 1984. This survey of 231 public
and commercial buildings in the continental U. S. produced
estimates of the number and percent of buildings with asbestos-
containing friable material2 (ACFM); the square footage of such
material; and the percent asbestos content of the material. The
data collection for the survey included information on the
physical condition of the ACFM. However, due to limited
resources, these condition data were not analyzed as part of the
original survey data analysis.
In 1986, Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency
Response Act (AHERA) requiring EPA to regulate asbestos in the
nation's schools and to report to Congress on the condition of
asbestos-containing materials in commercial buildings and the
likelihood that persons occupying such buildings are, or might be,
exposed to asbestos fibers. Since the Asbestos in Buildings
survey collected data related to likelihood of exposure, this
additional analysis of the survey data by material condition code
was completed to support EPA's report to Congress in response to
AHERA.
The objective of this additional analysis of the survey data
was to provide estimates for the number of buildings, floor area
of buildings, and surface area of ACFM in buildings with either
(a) any ACFM , (b) damaged ACFM, or (c) significantly damaged
ACFM. These estimates are broken down into categories by type of
asbestos-containing material, type of building, and height of
building.
The major findings are summarized below. As used in this
report, the term asbestos-containing friable material refers
1ASBESTOS IN BUILDINGS: A National Survey of Asbestos-Containing Friable
Materialar EPA 560/5-84-006, United States Environmental Protection Agency,
Office of Toxic Substances, Washington, D. C. 20460, October 1984
2Friable material is material which can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to
powder by hand pressure.
XI
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collectively to sprayed-on or troweled-on friable material,
ceiling tile-3, and/or pipe and boiler insulation. Results
pertaining to one of these types of material specifically
reference the particular material type. The term "All Buildings"
refers to estimates based on survey data appropriately weighted to
the defined target universe of Federal buildings, residential
buildings with 10 or more dwelling units, and privately owned
buildings for non-residential purposes. There are several
important exclusions from this universe: primary and secondary
schools (which are studied and regulated under a separate EPA
program); buildings owned or occupied primarily by agencies of
state and local governments; buildings built after January 1,
1979; vacant buildings; and buildings owned or operated by the
military. There are estimated to be 3.6 million buildings
represented by the survey results.
The figures given here are estimates and, as such, are
imperfect measures. In general, survey estimates are subject to
sampling error and non-sampling error. Ranges given in
parentheses following the estimates represent 95 percent
confidence intervals for the estimates based on the sampling
error. This means that there is only a five percent chance that
the actual values for the entire U. S. population fall outside
this range. Qualitative conclusions comparing building type and
building height categories are based on the patterns of the data
across categories and have no associated confidence probability.
Non-sampling error includes potential sources of bias introduced
by substitution of buildings, misclassification, laboratory error,
and errors in data collection, transcription, keypunching, etc.
There is no evidence that non-sampling errors have contributed any
substantial bias to the estimates.
The buildings in the survey were classified as containing
damaged or significantly damaged ACFM based on the condition code
which is defined on a relative scale from I (Best) to 5 (Worst).
Damaged ACFM is defined as having a condition code of 3, 4, or 5,
and significantly damaged asbestos having a code of 5. The
categories of "Damaged" and "Significantly Damaged" correspond
3Ceiling tile is usually categorized as "miscellaneous material" (e.g., the
AHERA rule), and generally regarded as non-friable unless deteriorated or
damaged. In this report ceiling tile is considered a friable material to be
consistent with the original survey report.
Xll
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approximately to the categories of "Moderate Damage" and
"Significant Damage" respectively, as used in EPA's "Guidance for
Assessing and Managing Exposure to Asbestos in Buildings."4 Note
that a building is classified by the most damaged asbestos-
containing material of the type being tabulated and that a
building can be counted in several categories. Thus, a building
with significantly damaged material will be counted in tabulations
for buildings with significantly damaged material, buildings with
damaged material and buildings with any ACFM. Since the amount of
damaged material in a building was not recorded, a building with
some damaged material (at least some material with condition codes
3, 4, or 5) may also contain material in good condition (condition
codes 1 and 2). Similarly, a building with some significantly
damaged material may also have material in good or moderately
damaged (condition codes 3 and 4) condition.
SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDINGS
Overall
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with any asbestos-
containing friable material by condition of material is:
Present 733 (499-966)
Some Damaged Material 501 (201-801)
Some Significantly Damaged Material 317 (<679)
o The percentage of buildings with any asbestos-containing
friable material by condition of material is:
Present 20% (14-27%)
Some Damaged Material 14% (6-22%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 9% (<19%)
o Taller buildings are more likely to have asbestos-containing
friable material.
^GUIDANCE FOR ASSESSING AND MANAGING EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS IN BUILDINGS by Dale
Keyes, Bertram Price and Jean Chesson, prepared for the EPA Office of Toxic
Substances by Battelle - Washington Operations, 2030 M Street, NW, Washington,
DC 20036, November 7, 1986 Draft.
xiii
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o Most buildings with asbestos-containing friable material are
private non-residential buildings, about half of which have
one or two floors and half have three or more floors. (Note
that private non-residential buildings and buildings of one
or two floors are also the most common types of building
covered by the survey.)
Sprayed— or trowelled—on material
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
sprayed- or trowelled-on material by condition of material
is:
Present 192 (18-365)
Some Damaged Material 55 (<129)
Some significantly Damaged Material <.5 (<1)
o The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing sprayed-
or trowelled-on material by condition of material is:
Present 5% (.5-10%)
Some Damaged Material 2% (<4%)
Some significantly Damaged Material <.5% (<.5%)
o Most of the buildings with asbestos-containing sprayed- or
trowelled-on friable material have one or two floors or are
commercial/private non-residential. Note that private non-
residential buildings and buildings of one or two floors are
the most common types of building represented by the survey.
o Most of the floor area associated with buildings with
asbestos-containing sprayed- or trowelled-on friable material
is in high-rise buildings (8 or more floors).
Pipe wrap and boiler insulation
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
pipe wrap and boiler insulation by condition of material is:
Present 563 (239-888)
Some Damaged Material 453 (112-793)
Some significantly Damaged Material 317 (<679)
o The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing pipe
wrap and boiler insulation by condition of material is:
Present 16% (7-25%)
Some Damaged Material 13% (3-22%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 9% (<19%)
xiv
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Roughly fifty-eight percent of buildings with pipe wrap or
boiler insulation have asbestos-containing pipe wrap or
boiler insulation.
Of the buildings with asbestos-containing pipe wrap and
boiler insulation, most appear to have damaged asbestos-
containing pipe wrap or boiler insulation.
All of the 19 high-rise buildings (8 or more floors) in the
sample had asbestos-containing pipe wrap or boiler
insulation.
ACFM in Public Areas
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
friable material in public areas by condition of material is:
Present 454 (337-531)
Some Damaged Material 272 (160-384)
Some significantly Damaged Material 85 (<227)
o The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing friable
material in public areas by condition of material is:
Present 13% (10-15%)
Damaged Material 8% (4-11%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 2% (<7%)
o The ACFM in public areas occurs mostly in private non-
residential buildings with one or two floors. Note that
private non-residential buildings and buildings of one or two
floors are the most common types of building represented by
the survey.
o A higher percentage of high-rises have ACFM in public areas
than do buildings with one or two floors.
ACFM in Fan/Boiler Rooms
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
friable material in fan/boiler rooms by condition of material
is:
Present 462 (145-779)
Some Damaged Material 360 (33-688)
Some significantly Damaged Material 282 (<618)
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The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing friable
material in fan/boiler rooms by condition of material is:
Present 13% (4-22%)
Some Damaged Material 10% (1-19%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 8% (<18%)
ACFM in fan/boiler rooms is often significantly damaged.
Most friable material in fan/boiler rooms has asbestos
(including both damaged and undamaged material).
Taller buildings are more likely to have asbestos-containing
friable material in fan/boiler rooms.
Most of the buildings with asbestos-containing friable
material in fan/boiler rooms have three or more floors even
though most buildings covered by the survey have one or two
floors.
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I. INTRODUCTION
A. Background
Asbestos-containing materials were widely used in building
construction until the mid 1970's. Through normal wear and tear
or when such materials are disturbed, asbestos fibers may be
dislodged and become airborne. The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has long been concerned about potential health risks
from exposure to airborne asbestos fibers.
EPA responded to this situation in several ways. Under EPA's
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
(NESHAP)(40 CFR 61, Subpart M), EPA banned the use of all sprayed-
on asbestos-containing friable materials in new construction
beginning in 1979. Under the Toxic Substances Control Act, EPA
promulgated the Asbestos-in-Schools Identification and
Notification Rule in 1982 as part of a program to protect the
nation's school children from this potential health hazard. As a
result of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986
(AHERA), EPA promulgated rules, on October 17, 1987, for the
regulation of asbestos in schools.
In 1984 the EPA Office of Toxic Substances completed the
Asbestos in Buildings survey^ to determine the extent to which
asbestos-containing friable materials are present in public and
commercial buildings. The national survey defined friable
materials as including sprayed-on or trowelled-on friable
material, ceiling tiles, pipe wrap, and boiler insulation.
Specifically, through on-site inspections of a nationally
representative sample of buildings, estimates were obtained for:
5ASBESTQS IN BUILDINGS: A National Survey of Asbestos-Containing Friable
Materials. EPA 560/5-84-006, United States Environmental Protection Agency,
Office of Toxic Substances, Washington, D. C. 20460, October 1984
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o Number of public and commercial buildings which have
asbestos-containing friable materials;
o Square feet of ACFM material in such buildings**; and
o The percentage of asbestos in the material.
In addition separate estimates were made for different building
types:
o Privately-owned nonresidential buildings;
o Federally-owned or leased buildings;
o Apartment buildings with 10 or more dwelling units;
o All non-residential buildings; and
o All buildings in the survey.
Secondary estimates were tabulated by type of building
material, building height, and building age. Regional estimates
or comparisons were not made, since the sample was not large
enough to allow for separate estimates by region.
As part of the Asbestos in Buildings survey, the survey field
staff recorded data on the condition of asbestos-containing
friable material in the buildings inspected. Due to limited
resources, these data were not analyzed for the 1984 Asbestos in
Buildings survey report.
Congress passed the AHERA in October 1986. This act required
EPA to promulgate rules for the regulation of asbestos in schools
and to submit a report to Congress (under Section 213 of AHERA)
within 360 days of enactment of the AHERA legislation which would:
o Assess the extent to which asbestos-containing materials
are present in commercial and public buildings;
o Assess the condition of asbestos-containing material in
commercial buildings; and
o Assess the likelihood that persons occupying such
buildings, including service and maintenance personnel,
are, or may be, exposed to asbestos fibers.
Following this mandate, in October 1987 EPA promulgated rules
for the regulation of asbestos in schools, and in February 1988
6This report uses English units rather than metric to be consistent with the
Asbestos in Buildings report.
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EPA submitted its report to Congress7 to address the issues raised
in section 213 of AHERA. EPA felt the data from the 1984 Asbestos
in Buildings survey provided valuable information to address
several issues raised in AHERA. Therefore an additional analysis
of the condition data was performed and is presented in this
report.
B. Objectives of the additional analysis
The primary objective of this report is to analyze data
collected in the 1984 survey on the condition of asbestos-
containing friable material. Three categories of ACFM are
defined: present, damaged, and significantly damaged. The
prevalence of material in each category is estimated by the
following four measures:
o Number of public and commercial buildings which have
such materials;
o Square feet of the material in such buildings;
o Floor area in such buildings; and
o Surface area of the asbestos-containing friable
material, where possible.
These four estimates are tabulated separately for the
following types of asbestos-containing materials:
o Sprayed- or troweled-on friable materials;
o Ceiling tile;
o Pipe wrap and insulation found in fan and boiler rooms;
o Friable material in public areas;
o Friable material in fan and/or boiler rooms; and
o All materials combined.
7EPA study of Asbestos-containing Materials in Public Buildings. A Report to
Congress, u. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D. C., February,
1988.
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The statistical analysis included separate estimates by:
o Building type:
Privately-owned, nonresidential buildings;
Federally owned or leased buildings;
Apartment buildings with 10 or more dwelling units;
and
All buildings in the survey.
o Building height:
One or two floors;
Three to seven floors; and
Eight or more floors.
o Age of buildings.
Because of concern at EPA about possible asbestos in high-
rise buildings, and concern about maintenance workers reflected in
AHERA, some analysis categories have been slightly modified from
the original survey report. Specifically, building height is
divided into three categories to provide information on high-rises
(defined as having 8 or more floors) and estimates are provided
for two additional categories of material— ACFM in public areas
and ACFM in fan and boiler rooms.
C. Overview of the report
Section 2 summarizes the major findings of the additional
analyses. Section 3 gives background on the data base and
statistical methods. Section 4 gives the detailed tables of
results.
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II. CONCLUSIONS
The major conclusions of the additional analysis follow.
They are grouped by type of material and location. The first set
of conclusions groups the main conclusions of all types of
material.
MAJOR CONCLUSIONS FOR ASBESTOS-CONTAINING FRIABLE MATERIAL OF ANY
TYPE
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
friable material of any type by condition of material is:
Present 733 (499-966)
Some Damaged Material 501 (201-801)
Some significantly Damaged Material 317 (<679)
o The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing friable
material of any type by condition of material is:
Present 20% (14-27%)
Some Damaged Material 14% (6-22%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 9% (<19%)
o Taller buildings are more likely to have asbestos-containing
friable material.
o Most buildings with asbestos-containing friable material are
private non-residential buildings, about half of which have
one or two floors and half have three or more floors. Note
that private non-residential buildings and buildings of one
or two floors are the most common types of building
represented by the survey.
MAJOR CONCLUSIONS FOR SPRAYED- OR TROWELED-ON ASBESTOS-CONTAINING
FRIABLE MATERIAL
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
sprayed- or trowelled-on material by condition of material
is:
Present 192 (18-365)
Some Damaged Material 55 (<129)
Some significantly Damaged Material <.5 (<1)
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The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing sprayed-
or trowelled-on material by condition of material is:
Present 5% (0.5%-10%)
Some Damaged Material 2% (<4%)
Some significantly Damaged Material <.5% (<.5%)
There are so few buildings with damaged sprayed- or
trowelled-on ACFM in the sample that a comparison of this
damaged material by building type or height is not reliable.
Most of the buildings with asbestos-containing sprayed- or
trowelled-on friable material have one or two floors or are
commercial/private non-residential. Note that private non-
residential buildings and buildings of one or two floors are
the most common types of building represented by the survey.
Forty-one percent of high-rise buildings have asbestos-
containing sprayed- or trowelled-on friable material, a much
higher rate than the five percent for all buildings in the
survey.
Most of the surface area of the damaged asbestos-containing
sprayed- or trowelled-on friable material is in buildings
with one or two floors.
Most of the floor area associated with buildings with
asbestos-containing sprayed- or trowelled-on friable material
is in high-rise buildings (8 or more floors).
For buildings with asbestos-containing sprayed- or troweled-
on friable material the ratio of surface area of material to
floor area of the buildings decreases with increasing
building height category.
MAJOR CONCLUSIONS FOR ASBESTOS-CONTAINING PIPE WRAP AND BOILER
INSULATION
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
pipe wrap and boiler insulation by condition of material is:
Present 563 (239-888)
Some Damaged Material 453 (112-793)
Some significantly Damaged Material 317 (<679)
o The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing pipe
wrap and boiler insulation by condition of material is:
i-
Present 16% (7-25%)
Some Damaged Material 13% (3-22%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 9% (<19%)
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Federal and residential buildings are more likely to have
asbestos-containing pipe wrap or boiler insulation than
private non-residential buildings.
Presence of asbestos-containing pipe wrap or boiler
insulation is more strongly related to building height than
building type.
Most of the buildings with asbestos-containing pipe wrap or
boiler insulation have three to seven floors, unlike the
overall distribution of buildings which is dominated by one
and two floor buildings.
Roughly 58 percent of buildings with pipe wrap or boiler
insulation have asbestos-containing pipe wrap or boiler
insulation.
Of the buildings with asbestos-containing pipe wrap and
boiler insulation, most appear to have damaged asbestos-
containing pipe wrap or boiler insulation.
All of the 19 high-rise buildings (8 or more floors) in the
sample had asbestos-containing pipe wrap or boiler
insulation.
MAJOR CONCLUSIONS FOR ASBESTOS-CONTAINING FRIABLE MATERIAL IN
PUBLIC AREAS
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
friable material in public areas by condition of material is:
Present 454 (337-531)
Some Damaged Material 272 (160-384)
Some significantly Damaged Material 85 (<227)
o The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing friable
material in public areas by condition of material is:
Present ^ 13% (10-15%)
Damaged Material 8% (4-11%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 2% (<7%)
o The ACFM in public areas occurs mostly in private non-
residential buildings with one or two floors. Note that
private non-residential buildings and buildings of one or two
floors are the most common types of building represented by
the survey.
o Federal and residential buildings are more likely to have
ACFM in public areas than are private non-residential
buildings.
-------
A higher percentage of high-rises have ACFM in public areas
than do buildings with one or two floors.
MAJOR CONCLUSIONS FOR ASBESTOS-CONTAINING FRIABLE MATERIAL IN FAN
AND BOILER ROOMS
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
friable material in fan/boiler rooms by condition of material
is :
Present 462 (145-779)
Some Damaged Material 360 (33-688)
Some significantly Damaged Material 282 (<618)
o The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing friable
material in fan/boiler rooms by condition of material is:
Present 13% (4-22%)
Some Damaged Material 10% (1-19%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 8% (<18%)
o Taller buildings are more likely to have asbestos-containing
friable material in fan/boiler rooms.
o Most of the buildings with asbestos-containing friable
material in fan/boiler rooms have three or more floors even
though most buildings covered by the survey have one or two
floors.
o ACFM in fan/boiler rooms is often significantly damaged.
o Most friable material in fan/boiler rooms has asbestos
(including both damaged and undamaged material).
o Most buildings with friable material in fan/boiler rooms have
damaged ACFM in those fan/boiler rooms. This relationship is
stronger in high-rises.
MAJOR CONCLUSIONS FOR ASBESTOS-CONTAINING CEILING TILE
While an estimated 62 percent of buildings have ceiling tile,
only 0.1 percent of buildings have asbestos-containing ceiling
tile and fewer still have damaged asbestos-containing ceiling
tile. Thus the survey sample has little useful information about
the condition or description of buildings with asbestos-containing
ceiling tile other than that there are few such buildings.
Therefore, no estimates are presented for asbestos-containing
ceiling tile separately, although the available data are included
in the tables for asbestos-containing friable material of any type
and asbestos-containing friable materials in public areas. No
8
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buildings in the sample had asbestos-containing ceiling tile in
fan or boiler rooms.
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This page left blank intentionally.
10
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Ill. STATISTICAL METHODS AND INTERPRETATION
A. Summary of the survey procedures
The 231 buildings selected for this survey form a nationally-
representative/ probability sample of all buildings in the target
universe. The methods used to develop sampling frames and select
the sampled buildings are discussed in detail in the Asbestos in
Buildings survey report referenced (Sections 4 and 5, and
Appendices). The survey site visits were conducted during 1983.
The sample frame was developed from lists of buildings compiled in
the period 1980 to 1983, depending on the source. The date at
which the frame was current does not affect the results since only
buildings built prior to 1979 were considered for the survey.
The target population consisted of buildings in the
continental United States falling into one of three strata, with
certain general exclusions. Buildings with mixed use were
classified by the use which occupied at least half of the
building. The three strata are:
1. Federal Government — Owned or operated by a civilian
agency of the Federal Government.
2. Residential — A rental apartment building with 10 or
more dwelling units.
3. Commercial/private non-residential — A privately-owned
building used for nonresidential purposes. Includes
commercial retail and office space and buildings such as
churches, auditoriums, etc.
The exclusions to the study universe are:
1. Buildings built after January 1, 1979 — These buildings
were banned by law from containing any asbestos-
containing sprayed-on or troweled-on materials.
2. Vacant buildings and warehouses — These buildings were
excluded because they were not occupied.
3. Buildings owned or operated by the military.
11
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4 . Elementary and secondary schools — Schools are studied
and regulated under a separate EPA program.
5. State and local government buildings — There is no
reason to believe that these buildings are different in
terms of asbestos-containing friable materials from
other buildings surveyed and adequately represented in
the Federal Government and non-residential samples.
Based on the Asbestos in Buildings survey report, these
buildings are estimated to comprise less than 2.5
percent of all buildings.
The data presented in this report are based on a sample
survey. Advantages of such data include: a defined target
universe to which estimates apply; specified and uniform building
inspections, definitions, and decisions as to material being
studied; controlled laboratory analyses with an explicit quality
control plan; and the ability to measure the sampling error of the
estimates.
As with all survey data, the estimates are subject to
sampling error, which has been estimated from the survey data and
is presented in terms of 95 percent confidence limits for
important estimates. Some readers may find the confidence bounds
in this survey to be too wide for their purposes. The width of
the confidence intervals is determined by the sample design and
the sample size. The sample design and sample size chosen for the
survey were adequate for the objectives of the original survey,
which did not specify the confidence interval width of estimates
for damaged and significantly damaged material. The statistical
analysis plan for the additional analysis included the estimation
of sampling error and confidence intervals for the more important
estimates of the additional analysis.
In-addition to sampling error, the data will also be subject
to non-sampling error, such as frame errors, potential bias
introduced by substitution of buildings, inspection or laboratory
error, and errors in data collection, transcription, keypunching,
etc. The quality assurance plan provided ways of guarding against
such errors and in some cases measures of the extent of such
errors. There is no evidence that non-sampling errors have
contributed any substantial bias to the estimates. In particular,
substitution of buildings, a potential source of non-sampling
error, was minimal because of the excellent response rate of the
12
-------
original sample^. Another possible source of non-sampling error,
misclassification of the condition, is discussed in the next
section.
B. Condition codes
The condition of the asbestos was rated in the field by the
two field inspectors. The same condition codes were used whether
the area was within a fan/boiler room or outside of the fan/boiler
room. The condition code from the survey is defined on a relative
scale from 1 (Best) to 5 (Worst), with no associated quantitative
descriptions for each code. The two field inspectors were
contacted by telephone in 1987 to determine, as best as possible,
a description of the ACFM for each condition code used in the
original and to assess the consistency between raters. The
inspectors descriptions of condition codes, though somewhat vague
due to the passage of time, are given in Table 1.
The inspectors were also asked to relate the Asbestos in
Buildings survey condition codes to the categories used in the
EPA's document, "Guidance for Assessing and Managing Exposure to
Asbestos in Buildings."9 Both surveyors used the same ratings.
These are:
Hazard Condition Category Survey Condition Code
Good Condition 1 and 2
Moderate Damage 3 and 4
Significant Damage 5
The data analysis reported here used survey condition codes
of 3, 4, and 5 for damaged ACFM asbestos, and condition code 5 for
significantly damaged ACFM. Note that a building is classified by
the most damaged asbestos-containing material of the type being
tabulated and that a building can be counted in several
8The response rate overall was 88%, with 100% response rate for Federal
buildings and 83% for non-Federal buildings.
9GUIDANCE FOR ASSESSING AND MANAGING EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS IN BUILDINGS.
SEVENTH DRAFT REPORT by Dale Keyes, Bertram Price and Jean Chesson, prepared
for EPA Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances by Battelle - Washington
Operations, 2030 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
13
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Table 1 Description of the condition codes assigned by the two
field inspectors.
Survey
Condition Code
Inspector's Description
1
2
Excellent: no damage at all.
Very good: 0-10% damaged.
Surfacing: small area with water spots
or flaking
Pipe wrap: hole or tear
Good: 0-10% damaged (perhaps should be 10-15%)
Surfacing: larger area damaged,
some loose, falling off.
Fair: 10-50% damaged
(perhaps should be 15-50%)
Pipe wrap: tape coming off pipe,
lot of exposure
Poor: 50-100% damaged. Material flakes
spontaneously, much damage.
Survey
Condition Code
Inspector's Description
Surfacing: no damage, "feels clean".
Pipe wrap: painted, no damage.
Surfacing: some damage, sloughing,
minor water spots, or other blemish
Pipe wrap: a few "dings".
Surfacing: average condition,
some degradation of binder.
Pipe wrap: average wear.
Surfacing: no doubt about the
need to do something.
Pipe wrap: "ratty".
Surfacing: very far gone.
Pipe wrap: very "ratty".
14
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categories. Thus, a building with significantly damaged material
will be counted in tabulations for buildings with significantly
damaged material, buildings with damaged material and buildings
with any ACFM. Since the amount of damaged material in a building
was not recorded, a building with some damaged material (at least
some material with condition codes 3, 4, or 5) may also contain
material in good condition (condition codes 1 and 2). Similarly,
a building with some significantly damaged material may also have
material in good or moderately damaged (condition codes 3 and 4)
condition.
Because the condition codes are defined on a relative scale,
the interpretation of the estimates and the confidence intervals
(based only on sampling error only) depends on a subjective
evaluation of the accuracy and usefulness of the condition codes.
This subjective evaluation will depend on the information in
Table 1 and the extent to which it is believed that the inspectors
can reliably distinguish different condition categories.
C. Relationship to AHERA
The language of AHERA uses the phrase "likelihood of
exposure"; however, this term is not defined in the legislation.
Nevertheless, from common usage we might reasonably make the
following statements about the likelihood of exposure to asbestos
fibers:
Other things being equalf the likelihood of exposure to
asbestos fibers increases as:
o The number of buildings with asbestos increases;
o The amount of asbestos in the buildings increases;
o Damage to the asbestos material increases;
o The asbestos content of the material increases;
o The number of occupants in the building increases;
o The proximity to air flows which might disturb
loose asbestos particles increases; and
o The usage of asbestos-containing work spaces
increases.
The Asbestos in Buildings survey data provide information
related to the first four items above. If we can assume that the
number of people in a building is roughly proportional to the
15
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floor area of the building, the survey also provides information
related to the fifth item. The asbestos content of the material
is addressed in the Asbestos in Buildings survey report (pages 7
through 15).
This report provides data on the following measures:
o Number of buildings;
o Surface area of sprayed- or trowelled-on ACFM; and
o Square feet of floor area in buildings with ACFM.
Considered as measures of "likelihood of exposure" each of these
measures might have the following interpretations:
(1) The presence/absence of damaged ACFM in a building —
This measure of exposure is the same regardless of the
number of people in the building, the amount of asbestos
in the building or the size of the building. Therefore,
it measures exposure for an occupant exposed to the most
damaged asbestos material in the building (see tables
for Number of Buildings and Percentage of Buildings).
(2) The amount of damaged asbestos-containing friable
material in the building (square feet surface area of
ACFM) — This measure of exposure is the same regardless
of the size of the building or the number of occupants.
If the number of asbestos fibers released is
proportional to the surface area of the ACFM, this
measures the aggregate exposure of all people in the
building to fibers from damaged asbestos (see tables for
Surface Area of Friable Material).
(3) The square feet of floor area for buildings with damaged
asbestos-containing friable material — This measure of
exposure is the same regardless of the amount or type of
ACFM in the building. If the number of people in the
building is proportional to the floor area, this
measures the number of people in the building who might
be exposed to fibers from damaged asbestos (see tables
for Floor Area of Buildings).
D. Statistical methods
The calculation of the numbers in the tables followed the
same basic procedures as used in the Asbestos in Buildings survey
analysis. The sampling weights from the survey were used to
calculate national statistical estimates. Confidence intervals
were calculated using the method of balanced repeated replication,
16
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Because five percent of the condition codes are missing in
the original data base, the calculations for damaged and
significantly damaged material required adjustments. The national
estimates of the surface area of sprayed- or trowelled-on ACFM
were made by assuming that the distribution of condition codes for
the sample areas with missing condition codes is the same as for
sample areas with known condition codes. The national estimates
for number of buildings and floor area were made by assuming that
the fraction of buildings with a specific characteristic is the
same for buildings with missing condition codes and buildings with
known condition codes. The distribution of the missing condition
codes were assumed the same for all building heights and types.
Due to differing patterns of missing condition codes for
different types of ACFM, the procedures used for imputation
resulted in slightly inconsistent results between different types
of ACFM. For instance, the number of buildings with any
significantly damaged asbestos-containing friable material and
with one or two floors is estimated as 107 thousand. The
corresponding number that contain just pipe wrap and boiler
insulation is 108 thousand. Logic would indicate that the number
of buildings with asbestos-containing pipe wrap and boiler
insulation is less than or equal to the number with any ACFM. The
difference is due to differing patterns of missing condition codes
between buildings with any ACFM and those with just asbestos-
containing pipe wrap and boiler insulation. The differences are
small compared to the associated sampling error of the estimates.
The quality of the numbers presented in the tables was
checked by using uniform procedures for calculating all tables,
checking intermediate results, comparing the results to comparable
values from the Asbestos in.Buildings survey report, and double
checking the printed values. The only discrepancy identified was
a difference in the third decimal place between the number of 1 or
2 floor buildings with ACFM as reported here and in the Asbestos
in Buildings survey report. The difference may be due to rounding
error. After review, the number reported here was determined to
be correct.
17
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E. Interpretation
Confidence intervals have been calculated for the statistical
estimates for all buildings. Where available from the 1984
Asbestos in Buildings survey report, other confidence intervals
are also provided. The confidence intervals are shown in
parentheses after the associated estimate.
Confidence intervals have not been calculated for the
categorical breakdowns by type of building or height of building.
For some categories of buildings, particularly buildings with
eight or more floors, there are relatively few buildings in the
survey data, and thus the estimates will have large confidence
intervals. Qualitative conclusions reported for these categories
of buildings are based on the patterns of the data across
categories and approximate confidence intervals based on the
marginal confidence intervals and the number of buildings in the
sample in each building category. These qualitative conclusions
have no associated confidence probability.
18
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IV. pESULTS
A. Introduction to the tables
This section presents the results of the additional analysis
of data collected in the national survey. The analysis focused on
the condition of asbestos-containing materials in different types
of buildings.
Some findings of the national survey put these figures in
perspective.
o There are roughly 3.6 million buildings nationally in
the universe represented by the survey.
o Of these buildings, approximately 2.7 million have
sprayed- or trowelled-on friable materials, or friable
materials used in pipe wrap, boiler insulation, or
ceiling tiles.
o Of the buildings with friable materials, roughly 733
thousand have asbestos-containing friable material.
This report focuses on the 733 thousand buildings nationally with
asbestos-containing friable material.
Corresponding to the national figures above, there were 231
buildings surveyed, of which 189 had friable material and 97 had
asbestos-containing friable material. Of those with asbestos-
containing friable material, 59 had damaged ACFM and 13 had
significantly damaged ACFM.
Organization of the tables
The first four tables provide background for the main
results. Tables 3 and 4 present the number of buildings overall,
the number with friable material, and the number with asbestos-
containing friable material by building type and height.
19
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Tables 5 and 6 allow a comparison between different types of
material. These tables present the number of buildings and
percentage of buildings with different types of friable, asbestos-
containing friable, and damaged asbestos-containing friable
materials. The data in these tables appear elsewhere in the
report.
Tables 7 through 38 are organized to allow comparison of all
material, damaged material, and significantly damaged material.
Each table describes the data for only one type of material and
one summary statistic. The results are broken down by building
type and height.
The types of material are:
o All friable materials;
o Sprayed- or trowelled-on friable material (in public
areas);
o Pipe wrap and boiler insulation (in both public areas
and fan and boiler rooms);
o Friable material in public areas (includes sprayed- or
trowelled-on friable material, ceiling tiles, and pipe
wrap outside of fan and boiler rooms);
o Friable material in fan/boiler rooms; and
o Ceiling tile (in public areas).
National estimates are presented for the following summary
statistics:
o Number of buildings;
o Percentage of buildings;
o Floor area of building; and
o Surface area of sprayed- or trowelled-on friable
material.
Note that a building is categorized by the ACFM in the worst
condition. Also note that the floor area of buildings with ACFM
should not be confused with the surface area of sprayed- or
trowelled-on friable material in public areas, which may occupy a
very small proportion of the building.
The tables of percentages show the number of buildings as a
percentage of buildings with the height or type indicated, as
opposed to a percentage of all buildings. The percentages will
20
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therefore not add to the corresponding percentage for
Buildings."
'All
Table 2 provides a guide to locating tables by category of
ACFM, measure, and building classification factors. This is a
comprehensive table indexing tables 7 through 38 of the report.
Table 2 Guide to locating tables.
Building Classification Factors
C.a1-g>aorv of ACFM
Measure
Building Type Height
Any Type
Sprayed- or Trowelled-
on Friable Material
Pipe Wrap and Boiler
Insulation
Public Areas
Fan/Boiler Rooms
Number
Percent
Floor Area
Surface Area
Number
Percent
Floor Area
Surface Area
Number
Percent
Floor Area
Surface Area
Number
Percent
Floor Area
Surface Area
Number
Percent
Floor Area
Surface Area
Table 7
Table 9
Table 11
Table 13
Table 15
Table 17
Table 19
Table 21
Table 23
Table 25
Table 27
Table 29
Table 31
Table 33
Table 35
Table 37
Table 8
Table 10
Table 12
Table 14
Table 16
Table 18
Table 20
Table 22
Table 24
Table 26
Table 28
Table 30
Table 32
Table 34
Table 36
Table 38
Additional Comments
21
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Based on the survey data and additional analysis, pipe wrap
and boiler insulation (damaged or not) is more prevalent than
sprayed- or trowelled-on asbestos-containing friable material.
However, it is difficult to compare the likelihood of exposure
attributable to the two types of material. Other factors must
also be considered:
o Typical asbestos fiber content of pipe wrap is 70
percent. Typical asbestos content of sprayed- or
trowelled-on asbestos-containing friable material is 14
percent.
o The surface area of exposed sprayed- or trowelled-on
asbestos-containing friable material may be much greater
than the surface area of exposed pipe wrap and boiler
insulation.
The analysis of the data by age of the buildings and
condition of the asbestos-containing friable material was
completed; however those results are not shown here because:
o The distribution of ACFM by building age is presented in
the Asbestos in Buildings survey report (pages 7
through 20); and
o The only conclusion to be drawn from the breakdown by
condition of the ACFM was that the likelihood of damage
to the material increases with age.
22
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Table 3
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. falling into categories defined by
building types, presence of friable material/ and
presence of asbestos-containing friable material. (See
notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Building Description
All
Buildings
35
(20-49)
350
(269-432)
3221
3606
(3533-3680)
Buildings
with Friable
Material
32
263
2360
2656
Buildings
with
ACFM
14
(8-20)
208
(119-297)
511
(274-748)
733
(499-966)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
23
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Table 4
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. falling into categories defined by
building height, presence of friable material, and
presence of asbestos-containing friable material. (See
notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Building Description
All
Buildings
3080
(2750-3411)
498
28
3606
(3533-3680)
Buildings
with Friable
Material
2189
439
28
2656
Buildings
with
ACFM
353
(232-473)
352
28
733
(499-966)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
24
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Table 5
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with at least some friable material
falling into categories defined by material type,
presence of asbestos, and condition. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Type of Material
Sprayed- or
Trowelled-on Material
Ceiling Tile
Pipe Wrap and
Boiler Insulation
Friable Material
in Public Areas
Friable Material
in Fan Boiler Rooms
Any Friable Material
Material Description
Any
Friable
Material
697
2217
971
2600
468
2656
Asbestos-
Containing
Friable
Material
192
(18-365)
2
(<6)
563
(239-888)
454
(499-966)
462
(145-779)
733
(499-966)
Damaged
ACFM
55
(<129)
<2
453
(112-793)
272
(160-384)
360
(33-688)
501
(201-801)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Columns will not add.
25
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Table 6
Estimated percent of buildings in the continental
U.S. with at least some friable material falling into
categories defined by material type, presence of
asbestos, and condition. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Type of Material
Sprayed- or
Trowelled-on Material
Ceiling Tile
Pipe Wrap and
Boiler Insulation
Friable Material
in Public Areas
Friable Material
in Fan Boiler Rooms
Any Friable Material
Material Description
Any
Friable
Material
19%
62%
27%
72%
13%
74%
Asbestos-
Containing
Friable
Material
5%
(.5-10%)
.1%
(<.2%)
16%
(7-25%)
13%
(10-15%)
13%
(4-22%)
20%
(14-27%)
Damaged
ACFM
2%
(<4%)
<.!%
13%
(3-22%)
8%
(4-11%)
10%
(1-19%)
14%
(6-22%)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns will not add.
<.!% indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the
actual value in the universe is small and cannot be
estimated from the survey data.
26
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B. Asbestos—containing friable material of any type
This section presents estimates for the number (Tables 7
and 8) and percentage (Tables 9 and 10) of buildings with any
asbestos-containing materials. It also presents the floor area of
those buildings (Tables 11 and 12). Highlights of the findings on
asbestos-containing friable materials are:
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
friable material of any type by condition of material is:
Present 733 (499-966)
Some Damaged Material 501 (201-801)
Some significantly Damaged Material 317 (<679)
o The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing friable
material of any type by condition of material is:
Present 20% (14-27%)
Some Damaged Material 14% (6-22%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 9% (<19%)
o Taller buildings are more likely to have asbestos-containing
friable material.
o Most buildings with asbestos-containing friable material are
private non-residential buildings/ about half of which have
one or two floors and half have three or more floors. Note
that private non-residential buildings and buildings of one
or two floors are the most common types of building
represented by the survey.
27
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Table 7
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material of any type (ACFM) , by condition of the ACFM
and by type of building. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
14
(8-20)
208
(119-297)
511
(274-748)
733
(499-966)
Some or All
Damaged
5
80
416
501
(201-801)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5
7
310
317
«679)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
28
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Table 8
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material of any type (ACFM) , by condition of the ACFM
and by building height. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
353
(232-473)
352
28
733
(499-966)
Some or All
Damaged
209
270
22
501
(201-801)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
106
208
3
317
«679)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3/ 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
29
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Table 9
Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing friable material of
any type with the condition indicated (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by type of building. (See
notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
39%
(29-48%)
59%
(45-74%)
16%
(9-23%)
20%
(14-27%)
Some or All
Damaged
14%
23%
13%
14%
(6-22%)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
1%
2%
10%
9%
(<19%)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns will not add.
30
-------
Table 10 Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing friable material of
any type (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by
building height. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
11%
71%
100%
20%
(14-27%)
Some or All
Damaged
7%
54%
78%
14%
(6-22%)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
3%
42%
9%
9%
(<19%)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns will not add.
31
-------
Table 11
Estimated floor area of buildings (in 1,000,000's of
square feet) in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material of any type (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by type of building. (See
notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-res ident ial
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
588
5741
12312
18641
(11740-25540)
Some or All
Damaged
271
3114
9645
13030
(8914-17146)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
7
324
6681
7012
(4062-9961)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
32
-------
Table 12 Estimated floor area of buildings (in I,000,000's of
square feet) in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material of any type (ACFM) , by
condition of the ACFM and by building height. (See
notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
6138
7137
5366
18641
(11740-25540)
Some or All
Damaged
3180
5376
4474
13030
(8914-17146)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
1189
3347
2475
7012
(4062-9961)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
33
-------
C. SPraved- or trowelled-nn asbestos material
This section presents estimates for the number (Tables 13
and 14) and percentage (Tables 15 and 16) of buildings with
asbestos-containing sprayed- or troweled-on friable materials. It
also presents the floor area of those buildings (Tables 17 and 18)
and surface area of the material (Tables 19 and 20). Highlights
of the findings on asbestos-containing sprayed- or troweled-on
friable materials are:
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
sprayed- or trowelled-on material by condition of material
is:
Present 192 (18-365)
Some Damaged Material 55 (<129)
Some significantly Damaged Material <.5 (<1)
o The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing sprayed-
or trowelled-on material by condition of material is:
Present 5% (0.5%-10%)
Some Damaged Material 2% (<4%)
Some significantly Damaged Material <.5% (<.5%)
o There are so few buildings with damaged sprayed- or
trowelled-on ACFM in the sample that a comparison of this
damaged material by building type or height is not reliable.
o Most of the buildings with asbestos-containing sprayed- or
trowelled-on friable material have one or two floors or are
commercial/private non-residential. Note that private non-
residential buildings and buildings of one or two floors are
the most common types of building represented by the survey.
o Forty-one percent of high-rise buildings have asbestos-
containing sprayed- or trowelled-on friable material, a much
higher rate than the five percent for all buildings in the
survey.
o Most of the surface area of the damaged asbestos-containing
sprayed- or trowelled-on friable material is in buildings
with one or two floors.
34
-------
Most of the floor area associated with buildings with
asbestos-containing sprayed- or trowelled-on friable material
is in high-rise buildings (8 or more floors).
For buildings with asbestos-containing sprayed- or troweled-
on friable material the ratio of surface area of material to
floor area of the buildings decreases with increasing
building height category.
35
-------
Table 13
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing sprayed- or
trowelled-on friable material (ACFM), by condition
of the ACFM and by type of building. (See notes
below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
5
«10)
64
(34-94)
122
(<275)
192
(18-365)
Some or All
Damaged
<.5
7
47
55
(<129)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5
<.5
<.5
<.5
«D
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
36
-------
Table 14
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing sprayed- or
trowelled-on friable material (ACFM), by condition
of the ACFM and by building height. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
165
(7-324)
14
12
192
(18-365)
Some or All
Damaged
48
4
3
55
(<129)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5
<.5
<.5
<.5
«D
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
37
-------
Table 15
Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing sprayed- or trowelled-
on friable material (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM
and by type of building. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
16%
(<33%)
18%
(10-27%)
4%
(<9%)
5%
(0.5-10%)
Some or All
Damaged
<.5%
2%
1%
2%
«4%)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5%
<.5%
<.5%
<.5%
(<.5%)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns will not add.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
38
-------
Table 16
Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing sprayed- or trowelled-
on friable material (ACFM) , by condition of the ACFM
and by building height. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
5%
3%
41%
5%
(0.5-10%)
Some or All
Damaged
2%
1%
10%
2%
(<4%)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5%
<.5%
1%
<.5%
(<.5%)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns will not add.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
39
-------
Table 17
Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000's of square feet) of
buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing sprayed- or trowelled-on friable
material (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by type
of building. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
210
1063
4383
5656
(<12908)
Some or All
Damaged
13
174
911
1097
(<2808)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5
<.5
16
16
(<51)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3/ 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
40
-------
Table 18
Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000 's of square feet) of
buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing sprayed- or trowelled-on asbestos
material (ACFM) , by condition of the ACFM and by
building height. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
1788
541
3326
5656
(<12908)
Some or All
Damaged
755
69
274
1097
(<2808)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5
<.5
16
16
(<51)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
41
-------
Table 19
Estimated surface area (in 1,000,000's of square feet)
of asbestos-containing sprayed- or trowelled-on
friable material in buildings in the continental U. S
(ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by type of
building. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
71
537
576
1184
(406-1961)
Some or All
Damaged
2
63
296
361
(Oil)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5
<.5
2
2
«7)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
42
-------
Table 20
Estimated surface area (in 1, 000, 000 's of square feet)
of asbestos-containing sprayed- or trowelled-on
friable material in buildings in the continental U. S.
(ACFM) , by condition of the ACFM and by building
height. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
859
174
151
1184
(406-1961)
Some or All
Damaged
288
42
31
361
(Oil)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5
<.5
2
2
(<7)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
43
-------
D. AsbestQS-CQntaininq pipe wrap and boiler insulation
This section presents estimates for the number (Tables 21
and 22) and percentage (Tables 23 and 24) of buildings with
asbestos-containing pipe wrap and boiler insulation (whether in
fan/boiler rooms or public areas). It also presents the floor
area of those buildings (Tables 25 and 26). Highlights of the
findings on asbestos-containing pipe wrap and boiler insulation
are:
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
pipe wrap and boiler insulation by condition of material is:
Present 563 (239-888)
Some Damaged Material 453 (112-793)
Some significantly Damaged Material 317 (<679)
o The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing pipe
wrap and boiler insulation by condition of material is:
Present 16% (7-25%)
Some Damaged Material 13% (3-22%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 9% (<19%)
o Federal and residential buildings are more likely to have
asbestos-containing pipe wrap or boiler insulation than
private non-residential buildings.
o Presence of asbestos-containing pipe wrap or boiler
insulation is more strongly related to building height than
building type.
o Most of the buildings with asbestos-containing pipe wrap or
boiler insulation have three to seven floors, unlike the
overall distribution of buildings which is dominated by one
and two floor buildings.
o Roughly 58 percent of buildings with pipe wrap or boiler
insulation have asbestos-containing pipe wrap or boiler
insulation.
o Of the buildings with asbestos-containing pipe wrap and
boiler insulation, most appear to have damaged asbestos-
containing pipe wrap or boiler insulation.
o All of the 19 high-rise buildings (8 or more floors) in the
sample had asbestos-containing pipe wrap or boiler
insulation.
44
-------
Table 21
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing pipe wrap
and boiler insulation (ACFM), by condition of the
ACFM and by type of building. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Private
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
9
(<18)
155
(66-243)
400
(76-724)
563
(239-888)
Some or All
Damaged
5
76
372
453
(112-793)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5
7
310
317
(<679)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
45
-------
Table 22
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing pipe wrap
and boiler insulation (ACFM), by condition of the
ACFM and by building height. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
191
344
28
563
(239-888)
Some or All
Damaged
165
266
22
453
(112-793)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
107
209
2
317
(<679)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
46
-------
Table 23
Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing pipe wrap and boiler
insulation by condition of the asbestos-containing
friable material (ACFM) and by type of building.
(See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
25%
(8-41%)
44%
(26-62%)
12%
(2-22%)
16%
(7-25%)
Some or All
Damaged
14%
22%
12%
13%
(3-22%)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
1%
2%
10%
9%
(<19%)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns will not add.
47
-------
Table 24
Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing pipe wrap and boiler
insulation (ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by
building height. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
6%
69%
100%
16%
(7-25%)
Some or All
Damaged
5%
53%
78%
13%
(3-22%)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
3%
42%
5%
9%
(<19%)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns will not add.
48
-------
Table 25
Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000's of square feet) of
buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing pipe wrap and boiler insulation (ACFM),
by condition of the ACFM and by type of building.
(See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
461
5140
11196
16791
(10930-22670)
Some or All
Damaged
265
3051
9051
12366
(8261-16472)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
8
335
6672
7015
(4005-10026)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
49
-------
Table 26
Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000's of square feet) of
buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing pipe wrap and boiler insulation (ACFM),
by condition of the ACFM and by building height. (See
notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
4468
6963
5366
16797
(10930-22670)
Some or All
Damaged
2583
5307
4476
12366
(8261-16472)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
1256
3359
2400
7015
(4005-10026)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; actual
value may not be zero.
50
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E. Asbestos-containing friable material in public areas
This section presents estimates for the number (Tables 27
and 28) and percentage (Tables 29 and 30) of buildings with
asbestos-containing friable material in public areas. It also
presents the floor area of those buildings (Tables 31 and 32) .
Highlights of the findings on asbestos-containing friable material
in public areas are:
o The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
friable material in public areas by condition of material is:
Present 454 (337-531)
Some Damaged Material 272 (160-384)
Some significantly Damaged Material 85 (<227)
o The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing friable
material in public areas by condition of material is:
Present 13% (10-15%)
Damaged Material 8% (4-11%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 2% (<7%)
o The ACFM in public areas occurs mostly in private non-
residential buildings with one or two floors. Note that
private non-residential buildings and buildings of one or two
floors are the most common types of building represented by
the survey.
o Federal and residential buildings are more likely to have
ACFM in public areas than are private non-residential
buildings.
o A higher percentage of high-rises have ACFM in public areas
than do buildings with one or two floors.
51
-------
Table 27
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material in public areas (ACFM), by condition of the
ACFM and by type of building. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
12
135
307
454
(337-531)
Some or All
Damaged
4
51
217
272
(160-384)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5
<.5
85
85
(<227)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
52
-------
Table 28 Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material in public areas (ACFM), by condition of the
ACFM and by building height. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
285
143
26
454
(337-531)
Some or All
Damaged
152
104
16
272
(160-384)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
67
17
1
85
(<227)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
53
-------
Table 29
Estimated percentage of buildinga In the continental
U.S. with aabeatoa-oontaining friable material in
public areae with the condition indicated (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by type of building. (See
notea below)
(95% confidence interval! are ahown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildinga
Condition of ACFM
Present
33%
39%
10%
13%
(10-15%)
Some or All
Damaged
11%
15%
7%
8%
(4-11%)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<,3%
<.5%
3%
2%
«7%>
Notea:
Aabeatoa-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged la defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged ia defined by a condition code of 5,
Missing condition codea have been imputed (aee section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns will not add.
<.S indicates few or no occurrences in the sample/ the actual
value in the universe ia small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
-------
Table 30 Estimated percentage of buildinga In the continent.-)
U.S. with aabestoe-oontalning friable material in
public areaa with the condition Indicated (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by building height, (sew
notea below)
(95% confidence tnteivala are shown in parenthea^a)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Moors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
9%
29%
94%
13%
(10-15%)
Some or All
Damaged
5%
21%
55%
8%
(4-11%)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
2%
:i%
2%
2%
(<7%)
Notes:
Aabeatoa-containing friable material has more than 1%
aabeatoa.
Damaged ia defined by condition codea of <, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5,
Miaaing condition codea have been imputed (see section IH.D)
to get national totals.
Columns will not add.
55
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Table 31
Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000's of square feet) of
buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material in public areas (ACFM),
by condition of the ACFM and by type of building.
(See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
506
3861
9321
13688
(7856-19521)
Some or All
Damaged
189
1970
7056
9215
(5103-13326)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
4
<.5
2519
2523
(<5349)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
56
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Table 32
Estimated floor area of buildings (in 1,000,000's of
square feet) in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material in public areas (ACFM),
by condition of the ACFM and by building height. (See
notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
4338
4120
5230
13688
(7856-19521)
Some or All
Damaged
2344
3102
3769
9215
(5103-13326)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
962
1358
203
2523
(<5349)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
57
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F. Asbestos-containing friable material in fan and boiler rooms
This section presents estimates for the number (Tables 33
and 34) and percentage (Tables 35 and 36) of buildings with
asbestos-containing friable material in fan and boiler rooms. It
also presents the floor area of those buildings (Tables 37
and 38). Highlights of the findings on asbestos-containing
friable material in fan and boiler rooms are:
The number of buildings (in 1,000's) with asbestos-containing
friable material in fan/boiler rooms by condition of material
is:
Present 462 (145-779)
Some Damaged Material 360 (33-688)
Some significantly Damaged Material 282 (<618)
The percentage of buildings with asbestos-containing friable
material in fan/boiler rooms by condition of material is:
Present 13% (4-22%)
Some Damaged Material 10% (1-19%)
Some significantly Damaged Material 8% (<18%)
Taller buildings are more likely to have asbestos-containing
friable material in fan/boiler rooms.
Most of the buildings with asbestos-containing friable
material in fan/boiler rooms have three or more floors even
though most buildings covered by the survey have one or two
floors.
Most buildings with ACFM in fan/boiler rooms have
significantly damaged ACFM in fan/boiler rooms.
Most friable material in fan/boiler rooms has asbestos
(including both damaged and undamaged material).
Most buildings with friable material in fan/boiler rooms have
damaged ACFM in those fan/boiler rooms. This relationship is
stronger in high-rises.
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Table 33
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material in fan and boiler rooms (ACFM), by
condition of the ACFM and by type of building. (See
notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
6
117
339
462
(145-779)
Some or All
Damaged
2
42
316
360
(33-688)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5
7
275
282
(<618)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
59
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Table 34
Estimated number of buildings (in 1,000's) in the
continental U.S. with asbestos-containing friable
material in fan and boiler rooms (ACFM) , by
condition of the ACFM and by building height. (See
notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
118
320
24
462
(145-779)
Some or All
Damaged
97
241
22
360
(33-688)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
81
200
2
282
(<618)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
60
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Table 35
Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing friable material in fan
and boiler rooms with the condition indicated (ACFM),
by condition of the ACFM and by type of building.
(See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
18%
33%
11%
13%
(4-22%)
Some or All
Damaged
7%
12%
10%
10%
(1-19%)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
<.5%
2%
9%
8%
(<18%)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns will not add.
<.5 indicates few or no occurrences in the sample; the actual
value in the universe is small and cannot be estimated
from the survey data.
61
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Table 36
Estimated percentage of buildings in the continental
U.S. with asbestos-containing friable material in fan
and boiler rooms with the condition indicated (ACFM) ,
by condition of the ACFM and by building height. (See
notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
4%
64%
86%
13%
(4-22%)
Some or All
Damaged
3%
48%
77%
10%
(1-19%)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
3%
40%
6%
8%
(<18%)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns will not add.
62
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Table 37
Estimated floor area (in 1,000,000's of square feet) of
buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material in fan and boiler rooms
(ACFM) , by condition of the ACFM and by type of
building. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Type
Federal
Residential
(10+ rental units)
Commercial
Non-residential
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
317
3946
10045
14309
(9052-19566)
Some or All
Damaged
148
2296
8298
10743
(7337-14148)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
1
337
5733
6071
(2296-9847)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
63
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Table 38
Estimated floor area (in I,000,000's of square feet) of
buildings in the continental U.S. with asbestos-
containing friable material in fan and boiler rooms
(ACFM), by condition of the ACFM and by building
height. (See notes below)
(95% confidence intervals are shown in parentheses)
Building Height
1 or 2 Floors
3 to 7 Floors
8 or more Floors
All Buildings
Condition of ACFM
Present
3128
6551
4631
14309
(9052-19566)
Some or All
Damaged
1545
4790
4408
10743
(7337-14148)
Some or All
Significantly
Damaged
994
2682
2396
6071
(2296-9847)
Notes:
Asbestos-containing friable material has more than 1%
asbestos.
Damaged is defined by condition codes of 3, 4, or 5.
Significantly damaged is defined by a condition code of 5.
Missing condition codes have been imputed (see section III.D)
to get national totals.
Columns may not add due to rounding.
64
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G. Asbestos-containing ceiling tile
While an estimated 62 percent of buildings have ceiling tile,
only 0.1 percent of buildings have asbestos-containing ceiling
tile and fewer still have damaged asbestos-containing ceiling
tile. Thus the survey sample has little useful information about
the condition or description of buildings with asbestos-containing
ceiling tile other than that there are few such buildings.
Therefore no estimates are presented for asbestos-containing
ceiling tile separately, although the available data are included
in the tables for asbestos-containing friable material of any type
(section IV.B) and asbestos-containing friable materials in public
areas (section IV.E). No buildings in the sample had asbestos-
containing ceiling tile in fan or boiler rooms.
65
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66
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APPENDIX A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FROM THE NATIONAL SURVEY
ASBESTOS IN BUILDINGS: A National Survey of
Asbestos-Containing Friable Materials
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D. C. 20460, October 1984
EPA 560/5-84-006
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Toxic
Substances (OTS) has an ongoing program concerning asbestos in
buildings. As part of this program, a national survey of
materials in buildings was conducted. The survey was an effort to
deal with the broad problem of public exposure to asbestos-
containing friable materials. Previous estimates of the number of
buildings that contain asbestos ranged from 5 to 45 percent with
an unknown degree of accuracy because they were based on anecdotal
information or expert opinion. No valid national estimates had
been generated and this wide range did not satisfy the Agency's
information needs. Thus, a national survey was undertaken to
produce more precise and statistically valid estimates with a
known degree of accuracy that can be used to support OTS'
technical assistance and regulatory programs.
The survey's primary objective was to determine the extent of
the use of friable asbestos-containing materials in buildings and
the amount of asbestos in them. A secondary objective was to
determine how many buildings have asbestos-containing floor and
ceiling tiles and the approximate square footage of each. To
accomplish these objectives, the survey was designed to: (1)
estimate the number and percent of buildings with asbestos-
containing friable material; (2) estimate the square footage of
such material; and (3) estimate the percent asbestos content of
the material. The estimates were to be made at specified levels
of accuracy, and estimates of their precision were also to be
made. These estimates were made for three types of buildings:
Federal government (owned or operated by a civilian agency);
residential (with 10 or more rental units); and private
nonresidential (largely commercial—office, retail and other).
Additional information was gathered including data on ceiling
tile, pipe or boiler insulation, floor tile and building
characteristics.
The survey involved five major areas of work: the
development of a survey design, the design and implementation of a
quality assurance program, the execution of a field survey, the
laboratory analysis of field samples, and the statistical analysis
and interpretation of the data.
67
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The study was conducted in 10 sites (cities or groups of
counties) chosen with probability sampling to represent the
continental U.S. A total of 231 buildings was inspected, with
about half being private nonresidential, one-quarter residential,
and one-quarter Federal government. A total of 1,514 bulk samples
was taken. The sample of buildings was chosen so that separate
estimates could be made for each type of building. Although
survey participation was not mandatory, a high rate of cooperation
was achieved — 88 percent of initially sampled eligible buildings
were inspected. Replacements for those buildings that did not
participate were identified and substituted.
Each sampled building was thoroughly inspected for the
presence of materials which might contain asbestos: sprayed- or
troweled-on friable materials, ceiling tile, pipe and boiler
insulation, and vinyl floor tile. A bulk sample was taken of any
such material found, and all bulk samples except floor tile
samples were analyzed for asbestos content. Pipe wrap was sampled
at elbows, pipe ends and damaged spots, to estimate asbestos
content of exposed material. Undamaged material not at elbows or
valves may have lower percent asbestos content. The analysis was
carried out using Polarized Light Microscopy; the identity of the
fibers was determined by optical characteristics according to an
established protocol. Vinyl floor tile was sampled whenever
found. The results of those analyses are not yet available, and
will be presented in a separate publication. During the building
inspection, auxiliary data such as date of construction and number
of floors was also recorded.
The major study findings are summarized below. The term
asbestos-containing friable material refers collectively to
sprayed- or troweled-on friable material, ceiling tile, and/or
pipe and boiler insulation. Results pertaining to one of these
types of material specifically reference the particular material
type. The term "all buildings" refers to estimates based on
survey data appropriately weighted to the defined target universe.
There are two important exclusions from this universe. One is
primary and secondary schools, which are studied and regulated
under a separate EPA program. The other excluded buildings are
those owned or occupied primarily by agencies of state or local
governments, which may be a sizable number of buildings (there are
no published estimates of the exact number).
The figures given here are estimates and, as such, are
imperfect measures. In general, survey estimates are subject to
sampling error and non-sampling error. Ranges given in
parentheses following estimates represent the 95 percent
confidence limits for the estimates due to sampling error. This
means that there is only a five percent chance that actual values
fcill outside of this range. Potential sources of non-sampling
error are discussed in Section 3.
68
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About 20 percent (14-27%) of all buildings have some
type of asbestos-containing friable material. This
represents 733,000 (499,000-966,000) buildings.
Five percent (0.5-10%) of buildings have asbestos-
containing sprayed- or troweled-on friable material,
accounting for 192,000 (18,000-365,000) buildings.
Sixteen percent (6-25%) of buildings, or 563,000
(239,000-888,000) buildings have asbestos-containing
pipe and boiler insulation. This material is generally
limited to closed, restricted-access areas rather than
offices or other highly-used space.
The amount of sprayed- or troweled-on asbestos-
containing material is estimated at 1,184 million square
feet (406-1,961 million square feet).
The average percent asbestos content (weighted by square
footage of material) in asbestos-containing sprayed- or
troweled-on friable material was 14 percent (7-21%) .
For asbestos-containing pipe and boiler insulation
material, the average percent asbestos content was 70
percent (66-74%).
Rental residential and Federal government buildings had
a higher incidence of asbestos-containing friable
materials than private nonresidential buildings. These
two types of buildings account for 11 percent of the
total population of buildings.
Very few buildings had asbestos-containing ceiling tile
(less than 0.5% of buildings). The square footage of
asbestos-containing ceiling tile is also low, an
estimated 3.6 million square feet (less than 7.8 million
square feet), and the average asbestos content of the
asbestos-containing ceiling tile that was found was
quite low, averaging three percent (less than 8%) .
Buildings built in the sixties are more likely to have
asbestos-containing sprayed- or troweled-on friable
material (15% of such buildings do), than other
buildings. It appears that the extensive use of
asbestos-containing sprayed-on friable material would
have continued and perhaps increased in the 1970's had
not the EPA banned the use of those materials for all
but decorative purposes in 1973. In 1978, the EPA
banned all other uses of these materials. Older
buildings are more likely than newer ones to have
asbestos-containing pipe and boiler insulation.
No significant differences in percent asbestos content
were found by building height or construction type
(masonry, frame, or steel beam).
69
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The quality assurance program covered all aspects of the
study. Personnel working on the study were chosen for their
qualifications and experience and were given specific training in
survey tasks. Protocols and manuals were prepared and followed
for every aspect of the work. The fieldwork was conducted with
extensive telephone supervision and site visits. The laboratory
analysis had both internal and external laboratory checks with
excellent agreement.
70
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50272->01
REPORT DOCUMENTATION
PAGE
1. REPORT NO.
EPA 560/5-88-010
2.
3- Recipient*• Accession No.
4. Title and Subtitle
Additional Analysis of
EPA's 1984 Asbestos Survey Data
5. Report Date
September 1988
JbhnRogers
8. Performing Organization Rept. No.
9. Performing Organization Name and Addresa
Westat, Inc.
1650 Research Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20850
10. Pro|eet/Task/Work Unit No.
11. Contract'C) or Grant(G) No.
(C)
EPA No. 68-02-4243
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