Thermographic Assessment Specification Requirements for Commissioning and Building Condition Applications

The National Master Specification Secretariat (NMS) Directorate, through consultations with the building industry and departmental experts in Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) has developed four sections for commonly implemented infrared thermographic services associated with building construction and maintenance. These include inspection services for building envelopes, roofs, mechanical equipment, and electrical systems. The NMS is the generic specification format used extensively in the Canadian construction industry for the preparation of specifications used in bid documents for new and retrofitted commercial building projects. It uses the same format as the comparable specification systems found in the USA.

This paper introduces the thermographic assessment sections and discusses the relevant information in each section that is pertinent to each type of inspection service. These sections have been developed to include all aspects of such services and are all encompassing in their scope. Users of the NMS generic format are free to use and modify any part of these sections that are relevant to their building project. Building owners and property managers can also employ the specification format to call up services for building condition studies. Although the NMS sections have been developed for use in commercial buildings, the residential construction industry can modify any section for their use. This paper will discuss these differences and provide suggestions for the development of such a residential specification format.