The Role of Building Sciences in Predictive Maintenance Programs

Phillip C. McMullan

Thermo-Scan Inspections, Carmel, Indiana

ABSTRACT

Following California’s lead, Congress has indicated plans to introduce legislation to require EPA to set national

guidelines for what levels of toxic mold (stachybotrys spp.) constitute a “health risk”. Best’s Review, an insurance

industry publication, recently reported at a national mo ld symposium, sponsored by the Property Loss Research

Bureau, that attorneys for the insurance industry encouraged insurance companies to pursue subrogation in mold

claims. From claims of health troubles to damage to buildings, mold poses a growing problem.

For over twenty years infrared thermography has been used to diagnose building components. Roofs, walls and

structural components in addition to the electrical and mechanical systems have all been included in the list of uses

for thermal imaging. However, as building sciences have matured and infrared cameras, also known as thermal

imagers have improved, the use of nondestructive thermal imaging to examine the building envelope for potential

mold causing water leaks provides the opportunity to expand the role of predictive maintenance in facilities.

Water intrusion is the most significant factor in building premature deterioration. In addition to contributing to the

growth of mold, water penetration of building materials can reduce insulation effectiveness, corrode metals and

cause the chemical breakdown of many organic materials. Rain penetration is not the only source of moisture;

condensation, ground water and facility processes can all contribute to moisture in the building envelope.

The amount of effort and expense that can be justified to identify and minimize water penetration is changing.

Given that insurance companies intend to purse subrogation in mold claims, the facility manager who fails to

recognize and act upon a water penetration situation may well be held liable for damages.

This paper will detail the procedures of non-destructive evaluation on a variety of buildings and report the findings

of these inspections.

Keywords:

Building Sciences, Building Envelope, IR inspection, IR thermography, Moisture, Mold

1.

INTRODUCTION

If building components are to be incorporated into a facility predictive maintenance program, it is important to

define the scope of the inspections to be performed. For purposes of this paper let us limit our scope to potential

sources for excess moisture or water in facilities. The most common sources are as follows:

~ Roof Leaks ~ HVAC Condensation ~ Plumbing Leaks

~ Construction Defects ~ Production Processes ~ Environmental Factors

Each of these areas is self explanatory perhaps with the exception of environmental factors. Include are floods, site

drainage, high groundwater table and climate. The impact of these environmental factors will vary depending on the

goal of the inspection program. If that goal involves reducing the growth of mold, environmental factors such as

climate play a big part in the program. For example, mold growth is facilitated by heat and humidity. Temperatures

between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit along with relative humidity in excess of sixty percent are factors th at support

mold growth.

Given this information certain production processes or operations, which produce both heat and moisture, should

also be analyzed to determine the extent of inspection and monitoring required to make decisions on moisture

remediation. These additional monitoring efforts would be in addition to or in conjunction with current predictive

maintenance programs. Depending on the construction type and use of a facility, the biggest concern from excessive

moisture can range from structural building damage in a factory setting to sick building syndrome from black mold

(aspergillus variecolor) in school and office buildings.