Precise design and construction in all phases of the project
Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) is a quality-based process that ensures that the design and construction of a building’s exterior components meet performance expectations. This process involves evaluating elements like insulation, air barriers, and moisture protection. By verifying the integrity of the building envelope, potential energy waste and water infiltration issues can be identified and rectified early on.
BECx commissioning benefits the entire project team by reducing risk, improving durability, providing vetted designs, validating performance, and reducing long-term costs, including maintenance costs.
A successful building project depends on the interconnected chain of design strategies, construction practices, jobsite supervision, and the operation and maintenance of the building. The increasing complexity of building enclosures requires precise design and construction that can often involve the incorporation of several trades and manufacturers. Without proper quality overview of a neutral party to monitor the project phases, issues can occur within the building enclosure and material interfaces that may otherwise go unnoticed. Starting with pre-design all the way through post-occupancy, the Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) process validates that the design, construction, and maintenance of exterior wall, roofing, fenestration, and foundation components of a building meet the quality and objectives of the building owners for an overall lower life-cycle cost.
The BECx process can help prevent potential problems through proactive quality control techniques such as peer review of design documents and contractor submittals. It also validates the performance of enclosure systems through field testing and mock-up installations. The training, documentation, and records of the design, construction, and testing that are developed through the BECx process help to facilitate the operation and maintenance of the facility into the future. Using these methods, Inspec can be the link that connects the chain of design, construction, and the operation of an effective building envelope to meet the objectives of the owner.
What Distinguishes Inspec from Other Firms?
It is much less complicated and less costly to discover building enclosure problems before they occur, rather than after they have been concealed and affect the building systems and occupants. The majority of Inspec’s work involves solving performance-related problems with existing facilities, giving us a unique insight on commissioning enclosures of new buildings. We understand where common performance problems are likely to arise and we also understand where the uncommon problems can be. Inspec’s experience provides an advantage in the BECx process in the following ways:
- This practical hands-on experience on literally thousands of projects a year makes us an outstanding resource for owners, designers, and contractors during the design and construction of new facilities.
- Our team members have daily involvement with building owners and managers working to determine the cause of current performance problems and developing long-term solutions.
- We know what works, what doesn’t work, the life expectancy of various systems, and the maintenance requirements related to various materials and detail choices. This experience factors into not just the design and cost of the initial construction, but also the long term cost of ownership and performance of the facility.
Inspec’s staff of experienced consultants provide services including:
- Developing Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) plans
- Design Review
- Construction Observation
- Field Performance Testing & Verification
