Fall Protection Best Practices

Building a new facility or headquarters for your company is an exciting but large task. The planning involved takes months, and whether you’re an employer, a CEO, or the building manager, your job is to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

OSHA requires fall protection for any worker who may be exposed to a fall of four feet or more from at-height working, or from open edges. OSHA has also prioritized ladder fall protection specifically, as injuries and fatalities from ladder falls are some of the most common workplace accidents.

Here’s a reminder of worker rights:

•     Workers are entitled to a safe and healthful workplace.
•     Workers have a right to know about hazardous chemicals.
•     Workers have a right to file a complaint with OSHA.
•     Workers have a right to be free from retaliation for exercising safety and health rights

Learn more about fall protection on our website! 

Trust Innovative Engineering Inc. to Provide Efficient Fall Protection

We’re a trusted resource of facility owners and managers of all sizes, including those with the nation’s largest real estate portfolios. We strive to be a true partner to our clients, providing them with honest assessments, and more importantly, sound solutions.

“Innovative Engineering Inc. (IEI) has been a trusted resource for our structural and parking garage repair and restoration needs for several years. I have personally worked with the firm as long ago as 2001. We have found IEI to be very responsive and easy to work with. Their work has been accurate, thorough, on time, and within budget. We look forward to continuing our relationship with them.”  – Sarah Peek, Emory University Hospital Midtown

Contact us today for our expert advice and knowledge about fall protection, façade inspection, roof inspection, anti-terrorism force protection, and more. Our experts are standing by to help you!

Avoid Cold Weather Damage to Concrete

According to Whitecap.com, “The American Concrete Institute (ACI) defines cold weather concreting as “a period when the ambient temperature is below 40°F (5°C) for three days or more.” The temperature is calculated as an average of the highest and lowest temperature from midnight to midnight.”

Some challenges to overcome related to cold weather concreting are:

• Formation of ice crystals: Ice crystals can stop the hydration process during cold temperatures. If ice crystals slow the creation of calcium silicate hydrate during hydration, the concrete won’t be as strong.
• Increasing set times: Concrete set times are longer in cold weather, so make sure you take this into account during the planning stage. Set times at 30 degrees F can be twice as long as they are at 50 degrees F!
• Cracking: Concrete placed on cold ground can cause cracking. When temperatures warm up, the ground beneath the set concrete thaws and settles. It can shift and cause surface cracks.

What can you do to make sure your concrete work is worth the time you spend on the project? Knowing how to handle cold weather conditions will ensure your project doesn’t face costly setbacks.

We recommend adjusting the mix design to offset the impact of cold weather. Use type III cement (its finer, reacting faster to speed up the hydration process), where strength losses from ice crystals can be counteracted.

Additionally, consider accelerating admixtures which speed up the drying/hydrating process to counteract the impact of the weather. Calcium chloride, sodium nitrate, and calcium nitrate are good options (though calcium chloride shouldn’t be used in reinforced concrete). We also recommend keeping the concrete mix warm with heaters and blankets.

The IEI Advantage: Concrete Restoration

The engineers at IEI specialize in concrete restoration! We’re happy to walk your facility and let you know of any conditions that require immediate attention and what maintenance activities you can perform now to extend the life of your facility. Since the back of IEI business cards contain a crack gauge, one can easily evaluate cracks within your structure. Give us a call today!

Best Practices for Cold Weather Concrete Restoration

With record cold temperatures sweeping across the United States this winter, cold temperature is at the forefront of most people’s minds.

As a building owner or property manager, you’ve likely been thinking about how the weather will be affecting your properties.

If you’re in the middle of a construction or repair project, cold weather can grind any work to a complete halt. However, once you know the challenges of cold weather concreting, you can take steps to account for them.

According to Whitecap.com, “The American Concrete Institute (ACI) defines cold weather concreting as “a period when the ambient temperature is below 40°F (5°C) for three days or more.” The temperature is calculated as an average of the highest and lowest temperature from midnight to midnight.”

Some concrete restoration challenges to overcome related to cold weather concreting are:

• Formation of ice crystals: Ice crystals can stop the hydration process during cold temperatures. If ice crystals slow the creation of calcium silicate hydrate during hydration, the concrete won’t be as strong.
• Increasing set times: Concrete set times are longer in cold weather, so make sure you take this into account during the planning stage. Set times at 30 degrees F can be twice as long as they are at 50 degrees F!
• Cracking: Concrete placed on cold ground can cause cracking. When temperatures warm up, the ground beneath the set concrete thaws and settles. It can shift and cause surface cracks.

What can you do to make sure your concrete work is worth the time you spend on the project? Find out on our website.

The IEI Advantage: Concrete Restoration

The engineers at IEI specialize in concrete restoration! We’re happy to walk your facility and let you know of any conditions that require immediate attention and what maintenance activities you can perform now to extend the life of your facility. Since the back of IEI business cards contain a crack gauge, one can easily evaluate cracks within your structure. Give us a call today!

Relative Costs of Different Roofing Materials

Most moisture problems in a building start at the roof, particularly where the roof meets the wall and penetrations. Good quality roofing is the key to keeping water out of your building and facades!

There is no best type of roof. Selecting the right materials depends on if you’re replacing or constructing a new roof, the condition of the roofing, insulation, and deck, and other variables like climate, foot traffic, and wind exposure.

Average costs for quality materials (as of 2018) are:

• EDPM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer, Synthetic Rubber, (innertube)): Thermosetting – hardens when heated. >15-year life span. $5.50 per square foot.
• PVC (polyvinyl chloride): >15-year life span. 3x thicker than EPDM and plastic single ply sheets. $8.50 per square foot.
• TPO (thermoplastic Olefin): Combination of thermoplastic, elastomer or rubber, and a filler. <15-year lifespan. $7.00 per square foot.

Read the entire article about roof inspection on our website!

Use the IEI Advantage to Protect Your Roof

A roof inspection is recommended twice a year – primarily right before and after winter. However, if your roof is subject to severe weather such as a hailstorm or hurricane, it may be prudent to schedule an inspection to assess any potential damage that may have been caused.

Innovative Engineering Inc.’s Certified Remote Pilots comply with FAA Part 107 Guidelines. They also hold a daylight operations waiver which allows them to fly at night, which is the best time to conduct thermal inspection.

The engineers at IEI have extensive experience with various methods of roof inspection. If you feel that it is time to address any problems (either potential or already confirmed) with the roof of your facility, give IEI a call today. Their engineers will be happy to provide you with a detailed report of any deficiencies that need to be addressed. Contact us today!

Why are Roof Inspections so Important?

Many facilities often go year after year without a proper, comprehensive roof inspection. Managers may assume that the roof is sound and even ignore obvious issues, which will only proceed to become more and more severe.

Symptoms such as cracking, ponding water, and accumulated debris can indicate a significant problem. Regular, proper inspections of your roof can head off a more expensive repair in the future.

Learn why regular roof inspections are so important on our website!

Innovative Engineering Inc.’s Certified Remote Pilots comply with FAA Part 107 Guidelines. They also hold a daylight operations waiver which allows them to fly at night, which is the best time to conduct thermal inspection.

The engineers at IEI have extensive experience with various methods of roof inspection. If you feel that it is time to address any problems (either potential or already confirmed) with the roof of your facility, give IEI a call today. Their engineers will be happy to provide you with a detailed report of any deficiencies that need to be addressed. Contact us today!

How Can Concrete Restoration Prevent Tragedies on Your Property?

What does Florida Bill S.B. 4-D mean for property owners?

SB-4D establishes a new, statewide inspection program that mandates condo and co-op buildings 3 or more stories high to meet new requirements.

Structural inspections are key to making sure your building is properly up to code and complies with the new law. Here’s what you need to do:

• Make sure your structural inspection is performed by a Florida-licensed engineer or architect
• Include visual inspection of primary structural members and systems
• Identify if any structural deterioration is substantial and if it will negatively affect the building’s condition, integrity, or safety of occupants
• Document whether unsafe or dangerous conditions are observed
• Report any items that require maintenance or further inspection
• Report any items that require immediate replacement or repair (including structural components)

Lastly, these (and more) elements of building structure need to be included in the scope of a Structural Integrity Reserve Study:

• Roofs
• Load bearing walls
• Primary structural members
• Floors
• Foundations
• Plumbing

Since the Champlain Towers Collapse in Surfside Florida, we have had numerous requests to perform structural condition assessments.

How can you prevent a tragedy like this occurring at your property?

Prevent Collapse – IEI Concrete Restoration in Atlanta

Spalling and cracking concrete are deterioration problems that need to be addressed immediately. Early repairs and concrete restoration are far less expensive than kicking the can down the road, allowing the repair costs to increase exponentially. When you work with Innovative Engineering, you can feel safe knowing your structure is secure.

IEI’s proven state of the art techniques provide a thorough condition assessment with consistent results. Contact IEI to inspect, report, repair and prevent future damage.

What Florida Bill S.B. 4-D Means for Property Owners

Earlier this year, we talked about the tragedy of the Surfside Condo collapse in Florida. Over the last few years, more catastrophic structural damage cases, concrete restoration, and progressive collapse cases have been in the news. Because of this, building owners are taking a closer look at their building, and lawmakers have also been making changes to prevent this type of tragedy from occurring.

Senate Bill 4-D (“S.B. 4-D”), which was enacted in May 2022 in response to the collapse of Champlain Towers South passed in May 2022, amends the Florida Condominium Act.

Read a summary of the bill on our website!

Since the Champlain Towers Collapse in Surfside Florida, we have had numerous requests to perform structural condition assessments.

How can you prevent a tragedy like this occurring at your property?

Prevent Collapse – IEI Concrete Restoration in Atlanta

Spalling and cracking concrete are deterioration problems that need to be addressed immediately. Early repairs are far less expensive than kicking the can down the road, allowing the repair costs to increase exponentially. When you work with Innovative Engineering, you can feel safe knowing your structure is secure.

IEI’s proven state of the art techniques provide a thorough condition assessment with consistent results. Contact IEI to inspect, report, repair and prevent future damage.