Performing infrared imaging and analysis on buildings or structures is challenging on a good day. More often than
not, scanning an entire multi-story building will take several days. It requires patience from the thermographer
because he has to let the sun to do its job solar loading the building, or, he may have to wait for the building to radiate
its solar load in the cool of the evening. Usually this takes a "whatever the study requires" state of mind and the days
are long. An experienced eye is also required to understand the nuances of construction and subtle temperature variations as
they appear in an infrared image. Even with optimal conditions and a good uniform solar load, a strong thermographic
indication can trip you up when it travels around a corner or into shadows. This condition can frustrate the
thermographer, and also make the job longer because he has to wait for the sun to load into the next area of interest to
chase out the indication. How do you get around this?
This paper presents thermographic techniques to help image indications that run from uniform solar load around
corners or through shadows.
Water Intrusion with resulting damage is too common in many of today's newly constructed buildings. On the positive side of this problem, the original drawings and contractors are generally available to resolve the issues. At the very least, comparable materials are available so that the building can be repaired. With older buildings however this process is not so easy. Depending on how old the building actually is, the original builders usually are retired or deceased and the drawings of the building no longer exist. Needless-to-say, when a vintage building has water intrusion problems, investigation of the causes can be very challenging requiring different test methods to find a solution. This is the case with the study presented in this paper.
The project undertaken was a circa 1920s building. Over 70-some years, this building had gone through multiple facade modifications and structural additions. So, not surprising, there was a history of water intrusion problems with deterioration of the interior walls and connected flooring. During the Florida rainy season, the most recent severe water intrusion leant to further damage of the same areas. This damage prompted an overall assessment of the building for the extent of structural deterioration. This was requested by its owner for safety compliance. This paper presents the results of the infrared study performed as well as a borescopic/visual examination on the 1920s brick over terra cotta block structure.
In the state of Florida, explosive population increases have promoted monumental efforts by the building industry to keep up with the demand for public facilities such as schools, hospitals and multiple story housing (condominiums). The onslaught has brought with it various industry-related problems, one of which is interior building permeation more commonly known as moisture intrusion. External Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) and stucco veneer buildings are cost efficient and follow the guidelines for ever shortening construction timeframes; which is part of the reason for failures found through thermographic analysis. This combined with the underlying structural building components and their differential thermal expansion known as the Coefficient of Expansion loan themselves to the problematic conditions observed in numerous projects throughout the southeast. Hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, heavy humidity and other forms of atmospheric conditions found in the southeast (and more so in Florida), accelerate the aging process of the two aforementioned systems. These, combined with the factors described above have brought the investigation of the two systems to the forefront of countless building owners. This paper presents thermographic examples of case studies performed within the state of Florida and is presented raise concerned awareness over the extent of damage that can occur when EIFS and stucco systems fail.
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