Investigation and Examination

Barrier Sciences Group uses a science-based approach to provide customers with a menu of quality services.  Everything we do is rooted in ethical business practices, and our primary focus is always on our customer’s specific challenges and attendant remedies.

The BSG team consists of a group of experienced engineers, architectural technologists, energy auditors, and thermographers - all of them highly trained (and certified) and with a passion for enhancing the operational performance and energy profile of the building.

The BSG approach is comprehensive and methodical.  Our 8-point building performance analysis - investigation, assessment, recommendation, initialization, management, inspection, confirmation and testing - is based on proven methodology and years of experience.

Barrier Sciences Group is always on the lookout for new technologies and approaches.  And when it comes to building envelope deep energy retrofit and weatherization, the BSG team is at the forefront - with a solution-oriented approach that addresses the challenges.

For Barrier Sciences Group, the emphasis is on effective information gathering, because sound information makes for better decision-making.  Whatever your challenges might be - thermal issues; air-barrier problems; basic weatherization - our objective is to resolve the challenges effectively.  The BSG team will recommend the most cost-efficient remedy, or remedies, and an implementation scheme to resolve the building envelope issues. 

A building “system” is affected by both predictable and unpredictable impacts.  For BSG to accurately determine the effects of these impacts, the team undertakes a 3 STEP building investigation.  It’s systematic, in order to explore every possibility, yet flexible enough to make adjustments as the investigative process proceeds.  Flexibility is key because findings may show that the cause of a particular problem is not as apparent as the symptom.

Investigative Step 1

In-depth interviews are commenced with the building owner, the building user, and/or the maintenance personnel.  The BSG team assesses how specific problems are impacting the building structure and the occupants.  Based on the interviews, the investigation continues with a building inspection, including current conditions and problem areas.  The team then forms an initial hypothesis based on all data. Since every building is a complex “system”, the more the team knows during investigation, the better chance for a successful outcome.

Investigative Step 2

With an initial hypothesis in place (from Step 1) a number of testing actions are executed, in direct relation to the problems that have been encountered.   It’s at this stage that the BSG team will want to confirm the efficacy of the initial hypothesis, or perhaps discover additional, but different, causes.  For accurateness, testing at this stage follows a proven format and established protocols.  Test results from Investigative Step 2 will be used as a yardstick for comparative, or final testing, in the future.

Investigative Step 3

Barrier Services Group staff composes a summary report that reflects all findings to date.   All of the data is compiled:  personal interviews – various test results - field observations - and other relevant information.  At this point, the summary report is ready to be assessed by senior BSG team members.  Using this process, the team avoids jumping to conclusions (based on the obvious) and avoids any tendency to make presumptuous decisions.  BSG decisions are made based on reliable, trustworthy and verified information.

Learn more about BSGs energy management services.