Commercial Roof Inspection Spring Checklist

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 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.

As we transition into springtime, there are so many areas of your roof that may need attention after a long winter. For a full inspection, you should hire a professional. In the meantime, make it a point to give attention to these areas:

1. Check for dirt and debris on the roof and/or in drains and gutters.
2. Look for visible weather or impact damage.
3.  Check for pooling water or ponding/water stains.

There are many more potential signs of damage that could appear when you do a thorough roof inspection. 

Read the full article about roof inspection on our website!

Use the IEI Advantage to Protect Your Roof

We recommend a roof inspection 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 potential damage.

Contact us today!

What are My Fall Protection Responsibilities as an Owner?

Data from 2018 suggests the top 4 fatalities reported on construction sites (excluding transportation) are:

•  Falls – falls from roof, ladders, scaffolding (most fatalities are the result of falls from between 11 feet and 20 feet)
• Struck by object – flying objects from power tools, falling tools or material knocked off an unprotected edge, swinging radius of crane, rolling into or over by heavy equipment
• Electrocutions – for electrical workers – electrical equipment and wiring; for non-electrical workers – contact with overhead power lines by heavy equipment
• Caught in/between – caught in or compressed by equipment or objects, stuck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment or material

With a Managed Fall Protection Program, you are committing to providing a safe work environment for all employees working at heights and exposed to fall hazards. Penalties for not following OSHA regulations can be severe, and employers who have never been inspected by OSHA can still be found liable in civil court if they fail to observe OSHA requirements.

As an employer, you’re obligated to:

•     Be aware of hazards to your own employees
•     Be aware of hazards to other employees not created by tenant or contractor
•     Disclose known hazards like asbestos, mold, and lead
•     Have permanent fall protection and davits

Eliminate, Prevent, Control and Warn

Remember: your obligation as an owner, property manager, architect, planner, or engineer is to incorporate safe design measures to eliminate, prevent, or otherwise control fall hazards in the design phase.

To eliminate any fall hazards, working from the ground or locating equipment in interstitial space is the most effective. Preventing falls using guardrails, covers, barriers, and flat surfaces is also effective. Least effective but still viable options are using fall arrest and nets (not a cure all, as everything must work perfectly to prevent fatality), and finally warning, which is essentially no protection and relying on worker behavior and human nature only.

Read 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!

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!