Problem Investigations

Occasionally building owners are faced with problems with a particular building system or component that cannot be easily remedied. Often contractors will be called in to fix the problem, but depending on the source of the problem, the selected contractor may not be the appropriate person. For example, to engage a roofing contractor to fix a “roof leak” which is actually caused by condensation on a piece of mechanical equipment, will typically be a frustrating process. Other times, there may be conflicting opinions from different contractors as to the source of the problem.

In many of these cases, it is necessary to have a building engineer who understands how all systems work and more importantly how they can interact with one another. It is through this knowledge of system operation and how buildings function that less obvious causes of problems can be identified, without the need to undertake various iterations of trial and error repairs.

For example, a problem with condensation on windows may not be a problem with the windows at all. In fact depending upon the building usage, the replacement of older windows with newer windows can sometimes cause a condensation problem that was not there before. In these cases, the source of condensation is not actually the window, but the problem with the ventilation systems in the building or the occupants not utilizing ventilation as required.

Undertaking the problem investigation with a holistic approach and considering all building systems, in terms of how they function and interact, CDW Engineering can often uncover the source of the problem. In some cases, an initial visual assessment may not pin point the exact causes, but can typically eliminate what is not the cause in order that further detailed reviews into the likely causes can be undertaken. These further detailed investigations often do require destructive methods to expose hidden components or potential problems. CDW Engineers are able to undertake these investigations as required, to identify the exact cause and recommend an appropriate remedial strategy.