Getting Beneath the Surface with Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation

NDT&E can be used to “see through” roofs, walls, and floors to detect water, metal, and missing material. It can help scope, characterize, and pinpoint leaks, energy loss, and other problems prior to commencing a building’s exterior repair campaign.

It’s an effective tool in assessing facades and roofs on older buildings as well as on newly constructed buildings that are not performing properly. It can detect moisture penetration and accumulation, and verify construction of building components which are otherwise hidden from view. As one example of its benefits, an entire roof can be scanned for water infiltration using electrical moisture scanners, while a typical probe cut will only provide information about a limited area.

Want to know more about what Non-Destructive Testing & Evaluation can do for you? We have the man with the answers. Barry Drogin, SUPERSTRUCTURES Director of NDT&E, has been presenting an educational seminar at property management firms around the city -- Brown Harris Stevens, Douglas Elliman, and Halstead are among the firms which have hosted this informative session.

SUPERSTRUCTURES has available in-house a broad range of technologies from which it can choose the appropriate technique for a specific construction type. Barry has established an NDT&E laboratory -- current areas of research include new applications of active thermography, new leak detection techniques, and structural health monitoring using wireless remote sensors.

The NDT&E seminar for property managers is the latest in a series of client-specific seminars tailored for owners, architects, structural engineers, and contractors. If you are interested in any of these seminars, or have a question on how testing might help your project, contact Barry. You may also find helpful information at our website dedicated to testing and evaluation:  www.superstructures-te.com

Working in the industry since 1995, Barry has published and presented papers on cutting-edge technologies and served on numerous national committees. He is currently providing testing services under term contracts with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York and the New York City School Construction Authority in addition to supporting the projects of many other public agencies and dozens of architectural and engineering firms.

NDT&E tools in use, left to right: Impact echo, ground penetrating radar, covermeter. At right: Locations of horizontal and vertical rebar marked.