At every stage of a building’s life cycle, there is the potential for a building to undergo standard wear and tear. Strong winds, heavy rains, excessive heat, and other conditions can cause cracks to form, sealants to tear or delaminate, and more. Over time these issues can lead to building failures that may result in serious damage, with water infiltration being the number 1 source for all construction litigation claims.
The Zero/Six team takes to the air, land, and sea to investigate buildings, spaces, and other environments to resolve conflicts on any specific construction issue. Through a detailed analysis using specific protocols and equipment, the Z6 team can investigate a facility for defect litigation, insurance disputes, and contractor disputes and help find cost-effective alternatives to address the problem. Early identification of damage and the underlying conditions requiring attention and repair is a crucial element to the lifespan, safety, and health of a building.
Recently, Zero/Six was hired by a construction management and project management firm to perform a forensic envelope assessment of the St. Johns Indoor Range and Training Facility to evaluate its ability to withstand the elements using our proprietary testing process.
About the St Johns Indoor Range/Training Facility
The St. Johns Indoor Range and Training Facility is a 35,000-square-foot facility serving the LaPlace, Louisiana community. It is designed to enhance law enforcement training by providing real-world simulations, classrooms, and training to prepare officers for service.
Available courses and simulations at the $10 million facility mimic traffic stop violations, domestic disputes, and conflicts with armed assailants. In addition, the facility contains indoor shooting ranges, a mock jail facility, a fitness center, and a kitchen that can provide culinary skills training for inmates.
Assessments Conducted
The goal was that this facility be assessed for current and potential future issues and to develop an action plan for the building to be protected for long-term use. Specifically, the region is known for its heavy rains and winds, with an annual 63.8 inches of rainfall and temperatures ranging from the 40s to the 90s. Even small cracks or separation of wall trim can cause small leaks to become big problems.
Our assessment of the facility implemented several instruments such as moisture meters, IR cameras, and enhanced video. These tools, along with on-site visual investigations, are typical in the search for current damage and to look for clues and evidence of the previous leakage.
After completing the initial assessment, the team provided a water infiltration testing protocol based on industry standards, conducted testing to determine the exact points of water infiltration, recreated those issues with on-site water testing protocols, and then provided a comprehensive report on our findings.
Reported Findings
The final report detailed several recommendations that included the best possible solutions for the specific structure – and broke down why the systems failed at such an early stage in the life cycle of the building. It also detailed what and where testing occurred with annotated diagrams and photos of the structure and descriptions of the discovered issues.
Contact us today for more information on how Z6 can help determine the causes and solutions to your building envelope issues.
