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Infrared Thermography is used to diagnose the condition of building components such as roofs, walls, insulation,
and energy losses through air leakage. Moisture damage caused by leaks in the building envelope or by
condensation can be located by non-destructive thermal inspections before building materials become severely degraded.
Thermal imaging is also a useful tool for electrical inspections to locate points of high resistance or overloads
before equipment failure. Infrared thermography is invaluable in mechanical inspections for excessive friction or
overheating of electrical motors or hydraulic systems. Concrete Masonry Units (CMU) or "block walls" can be quickly
inspected for proper placement of grout and rebar, allowing for quality control monitoring during the early phases of construction.
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Commercial and Industrial Roof Inspections:
Flat commercial and industrial roofs are expensive to replace, and, unfortunately, they nearly all leak at some time. Roof moisture
inspections using infrared thermography can help avoid costly repairs and replacements by identifying areas with wet insulation.
Because of the difference in the thermal signature of wet versus dry insulation, suspect areas are marked for repair before extensive
structural damage occurs. New roofs should be inspected after construction to provide a baseline roof report and to insure there are
no leaks while the roof is under warranty. Trending can be accomplished by re-scanning the roof every 2 to 5 years for comparison with
the baseline report. Thermal surveys are also recommended before purchasing a commercial building or before re-roofing over an existing
roof. Preventive maintenance that includes thermal imaging can more than double the life of your roof!
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Electrical Inspections:
Most problems in electrical systems are caused by abnormal heating due to high resistance or excessive current flow.
Infrared thermography is used to quickly locate "hot spots" so repairs can be made before catastrophic failures. Poor
connections, current overload, and phase imbalance problems can be identified safely using non-contact thermal imaging.
Transformers, switches, fuses, circuit breakers, and panel boards can all be inspected using infrared thermography.
Motors can have hundreds of electrical connections that can become loose or faulty. Motors are rated by class for
their maximum operating temperature. Temperatures in excess of these maximum ratings will cause damage to insulation
on the windings, greatly shorting the life of the motor. Thermal imaging can detect problems before costly failures,
thereby reducing down time. Thermal inspections of pumping systems also include an energy efficiency assessment using
the Pumping System Assessment Tool (PSAT) provided by the U.S. Department of Energy. This software tool identifies energy
savings opportunities in pumping systems and quantifies those opportunities in both dollars and electrical energy savings.
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Inspection of Mechanical Systems:
Industrial plants contain a wide variety of equipment with moving parts. Excessive friction found in gears
and bearings, defective heat exchangers, blocked or inadequate fluid flow, and abnormal electrical resistance are
a few of the problems that can be documented with thermal inspections. Images generated during a thermal inspection
provide temperature data that allows for repairs to be prioritized, depending on how critical a failure may be. Refractory
insulation, pipe insulation, tank levels, steam traps, and hydraulic systems can all be inspected using infrared
thermography. Inspections are safe because thermal imaging is non-contact and non-destructive. Because inspections must
be conducted when equipment is in use and under load, there is no costly down time for the facility.
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Evaluation of Concrete Masonry Walls:
One non-traditional use of infrared thermography is to determine if concrete reinforcing (grout and rebar) has been properly
placed in Concrete Masonry Walls (CMU) or "block walls". CMU walls are commonly used to build
schools, grocery stores, and shopping malls. To insure that grout and rebar have been installed, traditional
methods require that ports or holes be cut into the block wall. They are often installed at every lift height
and at all grouted pilaster locations. This method is time consuming, costly, and often requires a dedicated
inspector on the job site. Using infrared thermography, CMU walls can be quickly and economically inspected.
The grouted cells have a distinctly different thermal signature than ungrouted cells. Results of a thermal
inspection provide hard evidence that a building was built to specifications, protecting the architect, structural
engineer, general contractor, and owner from liability.
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Reporting:
Thermal surveys are conducted by qualified Level I or Level II Thermographers based on nationally recognized standards
of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT). All surveys are fully documented with a hard copy report
containing images of problem areas on CD-ROM in a PDF PowerPoint presentation format. Call to discuss how infrared
thermography applies to your Preventive Maintenance Plan.
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