Building Envelope
Commissioning
|
Gale has over 30 years of experience in building envelope investigations. The experience gained in determining the cause and origin of building envelope failures supports Gale's credo to "Build it Right the First Time." Consequently, Gale is expanding our services to include various aspects of building envelope commissioning. The success of any exterior building envelope assembly can be attributed to the planning implemented during the initial phases of the design process, and requires the combined efforts of the owner, users, maintenance staff, design team, contractors, and envelope commissioning consultant (Gale).
Building envelope commissioning helps to avoid common issues in building construction including air and water infiltration, indoor air quality issues, mold growth, and energy loss, resulting in reduced energy efficiency, occupant discomfort, and costly contractor call-backs. There are many examples of building envelope failures that cost millions of dollars to remedy. If a commissioning plan provides a systematic quality control process early in the design, these failures can be avoided.
Many new buildings fail to perform as well as expected. According to the Construction Specification Institute, envelope leaks were the primary cause of lawsuits against design architects in 1999. Once construction starts, many contractors are primarily focused on the schedule and budget. Gale’s (Envelope Commissioning Agent) responsibility is to maintain the team’s focus on the critical weather, vapor, insulation, and air barrier roles of the envelope. Our services include:
- Review of Owner Project Requirements (OPR), Basis of Design (BOD), and Design Documents
- Assess constructability and maintenance issues: Can it be built? Will it work? What is the life expectancy?
- Analyze envelope exposure and recommend materials and detailing that address envelope-specific issues
- Hygrothermal analysis of wall and glazing systems (WUFI and THERM)
- Plan water management within the envelope (design below-grade waterproofing, air/vapor barriers, and wall, window, and roof configurations including green roofs)
- Verify compliance with current energy codes and industry standards for envelope and structural assemblies
- Review contractor submittals and shop drawings and coordination
- Verify installation and performance of envelope systems
- Review and test mock-up assembly
- On-site monitoring of roof, wall, window, waterproofing components
- Testing of in-place components: infrared surveys, whole building air-tightness testing (blower door), leak testing
- Develop a building envelope maintenance program and train maintenance staff to implement
The complexity of building envelope designs, the use of new materials, and the high rate of moisture/air infiltration reported to be occurring in new buildings indicates why building envelope commissioning is an essential step in identifying and eliminating potential problems so that your building performs according to Owner's Project Requirements.
Representative Building Envelope Commissioning Projects
[BUILDING ENVELOPE TECHNOLOGY]
|
|
