Building Science and Forensics
“Good buildings come from good people, and all problems are solved by good design.”
– Stephen Gardiner
Building Science Expertise
CR-BPS applies sound building science principles in all areas of service to guarantee a successful outcome for contractors, developers, construction companies, local units of government, academic institutions, and more. Our highly qualified building science team focuses on all aspects of a building’s systems to predict, prevent, and remedy poor performance or failures, ensuring durability, practicality, sustainability, resiliency, and comfort. We diagnose, analyze, test and verify the cause of as-built problems and/or potential design problems as early in the development of the project as possible to help our clients save money and time.
We have earned our industry reputation as one of the best in the business by constantly updating our expertise and skill sets, keeping up with industry best practices and technologies, and applying the practical experience that comes from working hard to solve problems.
CR-BPS specializes in the following areas of service:
Forensics and Diagnostics
We offer building forensics and field-testing services to investigate, diagnose, solve, and prevent building performance problems. Our forensic and diagnostic services include moisture mapping and investigation to solve water intrusion, building assemblies’ damage, microbial or mold problems, air leakage rate testing (blower door), infrared thermography scanning, building assembly analysis, and computer modeling.
Energy and Enclosure Analysis
Operational and Embodied Energy Analysis
To help achieve the most energy efficient, low carbon and durable building possible, we provide a variety of operational and embodied energy use models, building enclosure inspections, and energy rating deliverables during both design and construction.
CR-BPS is certified in the following specialties:
Type |
Commercial |
Residential |
RESNET HERS Rater | • | • |
ENERGY STAR Rater | • | • |
ENERGY STAR Partner | • | • |
DOE NZERH Partner | • | • |
Phius Rater | • | • |
Phius Verifier | • | • |
ENERGY STAR Multifamily Rater | • | • |
Passive House Consulting | • | • |
LCA (Life Cycle Assessments) | • | • |
Environmental Rating Systems
Additionally, we provide a wide variety of sustainability, resiliency/adaptation, wellness or carbon reduction rating system services. We also counsel clients in certification and document many common rating systems such as:
- LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design)
- Enterprise Green Communities and Respective Overlays
- B3 (Building, Benchmarks and Beyond)
- ILDI (International Living Future Institute/Living Building Challenge)
- WELL (Health-Safety Rating)
- Green Globe
- (NGBS) ICC National Green Building Standard
- ASHRAE 189.1
- IgCC (International Code Councils Green Construction Code)
We also provide air leakage rate testing (blower door) and analysis infrared thermography scanning; thermal bypass checklist inspection; building control layer inspection (water, air, vapor, thermal); weatherization system inspection; building enclosure commissioning; combustion zone analysis; and hygrothermal and building energy modeling.
Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx)
Our ongoing quality assurance process BECx ensures that our clients’ requirements have been successfully achieved at the completion of each project. We implement custom BECx in the predesign phase of each project and continue through occupancy and beyond. BECx is not a single task clearance, or a simple performance test. Instead, BECx incorporates a series of checks throughout the timeline to make sure that quality assurance is a continual focus, leading to tremendous energy savings, emissions reduction, and cost savings.
CR-BPS uses BECx on all projects, regardless of their size and complexity. Whether used informally to diagnose and analyze existing problems, or formally when clients contract with us to be part of a complex project with multiple interdisciplinary teams, our services prevent costly mistakes and lost time. The end result is a more durable, sustainable and environmentally friendly project.
Accreditations
CR-BPS is accredited through the University of Wisconsin College of Engineering as a Building Enclosure Commissioning Process Provider and accredited in Commissioning Authority + Building Enclosure with the designation of BECxP and CxA+BE
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