Air ventilation is an important element of every building design. It’s the controlled exchange of fresh outdoor air and stale indoor air to reduce moisture and odors while keeping occupants comfortable inside. Your building’s HVAC system and vent fans regulate this exchange — but when...
If you listen closely and watch for the signs, you will hear and see the signs of a building in distress. Whether a newer building or an older one, systems will show signs of distress in several ways. Recognizing these signs and calling on skilled...
Water Leak Testing Curtain Walls AAMA 501.2 testing is a quick way to assess the water-tightness of a curtain wall system. The system can be tested at a rate of approximately 1 linear foot per minute, which may seem slow, but it is...
Years ago, at a Building Science conference, the presenter did an exercise with the group to show the dangers of water intrusion. “Imagine you are a droplet of water. Looking at this structure, how do you get inside?” The question pushed the audience to think...
If you are a building owner or overseeing a new build, you’ve probably heard a lot about energy efficiency and ASTM standards. There are many moving parts when it comes to a new commercial build, and sometimes things like ongoing inspections and quality checks are...
Prior to the enforcement of the American Concrete Institute Design Standard 530, masonry building codes were not held to a national consensus standard for the design of masonry elements. This meant different codes and requirements for engineers and architects and no real standard for cities...
When you look into building diagnostics and testing, you’ll likely come across the letters ASTM. The acronym stands for American Society for Testing Materials but is known most simply as ASTM. Organized in 1898, this international organization is one of the world’s largest standard development...
Each month, utility bills arrive for your commercial building. You open the envelope, read the amount and cut a check. What you might not know is that these bills hold a lot more information about your building than you might think. They are your first...
To understand LEED Version Four and what it means for building projects, we first need to understand the purpose and process of Building Enclosure Commissioning. Building Enclosure Commissioning (sometimes referred to as Building Envelope Commissioning) is the quality-focused process of evaluating the energy performance of...
What is Infrared Technology? Infrared radiation is heat invisible to the naked eye. Infrared cameras sense radiation and then display a visual of thermal patterns. Meaning, in short, trained professionals can use these images to identify heat loss and heat gain. Infrared imaging is typically done...