The legislator does not require much more in such an important matter as technical inspections of large buildings. Therefore, the inspections are often quite superficial, and its users – employees, customers, guests – believe that it is technically efficient and safe. But will even the most careful builder learn the history of a building from just a visual inspection?
DANGEROUS BECAUSE INVISIBLE
Many changes in the building substance occur under the influence of time and changing weather conditions. Some are caused by hidden defects of materials or installation errors. From the floor level, it is impossible to see undone screws or deformations with the naked eye. The picture above shows just such a case.
It is therefore absolutely crucial to know how a structure behaves under different loads. It allows you to determine whether the strength of the structure is correct. Whether there were no incidents during its operation which could have weakened it. It is especially important for roofs in large buildings. Why? Because these are buildings exposed to atmospheric conditions, first of all to snowfall or rainfall.
TECHNICAL INSPECTIONS OF LARGE BUILDINGS: THE SOONER THE BETTER
Providing real-time information on the performance of a structure allows building managers to reliably assess the safety of the building, people and property. Subsequent analysis of the results serves to make more informed recommendations on the operation of the property – e.g. a hall, warehouse, logistics centre or shopping mall.
The following diagrams show the roof’s reaction to daily temperature changes. One of the diagrams shows the results of measurements of an undamaged system – as a mild thermal amplitude.
INNOVATION TO THE RESCUE
The second graph concerns the same system in the same building, but with visible damage. As can be seen, damaged structures are more susceptible to thermal loads. The measurements were taken in July, when the roof heats up to tens of degrees during the day and cools down at night with the same speed. Such large temperature fluctuations are not indifferent to the roof and its durability
Using modern technological solutions – such as the structure monitoring system from Sense Monitoring – you can have constant access to critical information about the roof. This information is not only useful for technical inspections of large buildings.
Summary, technical inspections by a certified structural engineer should not be neglected. During such an inspection, however, it is possible to reflect on events over the entire period of use and see much more than the human eye can see. You can ask the specialists from Sense Monitoring – Smart Roofs about providing such information.
