Paterson Group

Solution Oriented Engineering

Building Envelope Engineering

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Building Envelope Engineering

Our Building Science division completes many studies and services related to building envelope engineering in accordance with industry and ASTM standards. Our experienced staff complete thorough reviews to assess building envelope condition for a variety of building types.

Building Envelope Engineering Services

Brick Masonry Restoration

Brick masonry rehabilitation is not like other cladding renewal work, so it requires specialized expertise related to brick masonry. Even a supposedly simple issue of brick cracking is likely to have an important engineering reason for the experienced deterioration. Paterson’s building envelope professionals understand the nature of brick masonry design and performance, so Paterson is well suited to take care of your brick masonry rehabilitation needs. Services can include investigations, testing, design development, specifications, tendering, site inspections and contract administration.

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Roof Anchor Design & Load Testing

Full engineering services for the review and in situ load testing of new and existing safety roof anchors and anchor bolts installations. Roof anchor design, including anchor type and layout, to satisfy appropriate safety standards and Building Code requirements. Preparation of detailed technical specifications, tendering and obtaining bids from qualified contractors, construction site review and reporting, and contract administration for roof anchor installation project.

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Railing and Guard Design & Load Testing

Full engineering services for the review and in situ load testing of new and existing balcony railing and other railing installations. Design consultation to assist Owners in making decisions pertaining to the replacement of railings, including for railing type and materials. Preparation of detailed technical specifications, tendering and obtaining bids from qualified contractors, construction site review and reporting, and contract administration for railing replacement project. Assisting Owners and Contractors in obtaining Building Permits for new railings.

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Load Testing

Paterson provides a variety of in situ load testing services including, roof anchor testing, balcony railing testing, anchor bolt testing in concrete and masonry, roof wind uplift resistance testing, concrete coating (e.g., traffic bearing membrane) adhesion testing and, bond strength of concrete topping or concrete repair materials, to name a few.

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New Construction: Consults & Quality Assurance Inspections

Each inspection consists of a review of construction procedures to assess quality of installations and conformance with contract documents. All inspections include a field inspection report, to summarize the work inspected, report non-conformance items and outline any instructions provided to the contractor.

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Major Renovations: Consults and Quality Assurance Inspections

Large scale building renovations can involve building envelope elements and/or structural elements, and all such renovations must concurrently maintain the integrity of the existing, provide quality design and performance of new elements, and ensure reliable tie-in of existing and new elements. Paterson’s building envelope and structural professionals can perform the services needed to ensure a quality project, from pre-design assessments and building envelope design review, to design, specifications and quality assurance inspections.

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Building Envelope Design Review & Consults

For new construction and major renovation projects, Paterson can act as the specialized Building Envelope (B.E.) Consultant during design development and construction. This role includes performing a detailed review of all building envelope detailing and specifications, as a ‘second set of eyes’ in support of the design architect and/or owner, to help ensure that all details are well designed before construction begins, and to share this responsibility with the B.E. Consultant. Services also include review of hygrothermal design, for compliance with SB-10 requirements.

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Insulation & Air/Vapour Retarder Consults & Inspections

An effective building envelope requires proper placement and thickness of insulation combined with proper placement of effective air and vapour retarders. Paterson frequently assesses a designer’s, or owner’s, proposed wall system design to ensure a quality, effective and cost-efficient design is achieved. In addition, Paterson regularly performs inspection of these systems, with a focus on material installation requirements, continuous insulation, and tie-in details.

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Waterproofing Replacement

Full engineering services for waterproofing (i.e. for garage podium decks, etc.) replacement projects, including; design consultation to assist owners in determining replacement waterproofing products and options, preparation of detailed technical specifications, tendering and obtaining bids from qualified contractors, construction site review and reporting, and contract administration throughout the entire project.

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Fireproofing & Fire Stop Inspections

Inspections and testing can be performed by both destructive and non-destructive means, outlined in ASTM standards. Confirmation is provided by verifying the approved ULC requirements match the installations being inspected.

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Adhesion Testing: Membranes, Coatings, Sealants

Today’s construction includes many types of materials which are applied in layers or along joints, such as joint sealants, waterproofing membranes, and a variety of coatings. These materials provide a wide range of important functions, including fireproofing, waterproofing, and aesthetics. Performance of these materials is highly dependent on surface preparation and workmanship, and one of the best ways to test the quality of installation is to perform adhesion testing on completed installations.

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Building Assessments for Public Housing

Effective management of public housing stock requires periodic Building Envelope Assessments (& Roof Conditions Assessments) for short- and long-term planning of major repair and replacement needs, so that occupants have safe, healthy and enjoyable homes, and to ensure that public money is well spent.

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Concrete Restoration

Concrete deterioration of parking garages and balconies is one of the most costly and disruptive repair experiences that a building experiences, causing much inconvenience to the building occupants, maintenance personnel, property managers and owners. Therefore, it is critical to employ highly qualified concrete restoration professionals when assessing concrete elements and undertaking their rehabilitation.

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Building Condition Assessments

An assessment on the current physical condition of a variety of building types for the purpose of due diligence, pre-purchase or refinancing. These assessments are carried out in general accordance with ASTM E2018-15, and at a minimum include a review of site elements, structural frame and building envelope elements.

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Roof Condition Assessments

An assessment to ascertain the present state of a building’s roof system, and to provide a summary of observations and recommendations for repairs and/or replacements, remaining service life, and associated budget costs.

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Building Envelope Assessments

An assessment to focus on the condition and visual performance of the building envelope (i.e., “skin” of the building) to investigate the cause of issues and/or deficiencies encountered with the building’s exterior. Depending on the client’s needs and property conditions, the assessment can include thermographic scans of the facades and roof(s) and/or exploratory openings or other specialized testing.

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Building Performance Investigations

When maintenance staff and/or contractors are unable to solve building envelope issues (such as leaks, condensation, excess cold, etc), Paterson’s building envelope professionals are well suited to perform the investigations needed to find the cause of the issues. Once the issues are identified, Paterson develops remedial options and direct successful repairs, through design development, instructions to qualified contractors, and inspection of the repairs.

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Thermography Assessments

Thermography consists of scanning the area of interest with a specialized infrared camera which translates detected infrared radiation into temperature profile images called thermograms. Thermography is very useful to investigate issues in a non-destructive manner, thereby reducing the amount and costs of investigative openings, and for post-construction quality insurance inspections. While just about anybody can use a ‘point and shoot’ infrared camera, Paterson recommends using the services of a certified thermographer who also is an experienced building envelope professional, to ensure reliable results. Paterson has that expertise to properly perform thermography and analyse the findings.

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Air Leakage Testing: Whole Building (Mid-Rise Buildings & Homes)

Building performance is highly dependent on minimizing air leakage through the building envelope. In addition, various design benchmarks (such as Passive House) are based on achieving specific building envelope air leakage targets. Whole building air leakage testing is a reliable way to investigate issues of concern and/or verify quality of construction. Paterson’s building envelope professionals have the experience to perform this testing for homes and mid-rise buildings.

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Expert Opinion & Litigation Support

An owner sometimes has concerns about whether or not construction was performed according to acceptable procedures, including code compliance, and may be in disagreement on the quality of construction and/or needed remedial measures and related costs. In those cases, Paterson can provide an unbiased professional opinion, including detailed documentation, expert report and even testimony at arbitration and/or the court process.

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Leak Investigations

To identify and address all known leak issues related to the building envelope (i.e., glazing, cladding, roofs, foundation walls, etc). Each leak investigation is conducted on a case-by-case basis, but the steps generally involve a start-up visit with the client to identify the leak areas and document potential vulnerabilities which may cause leaks, water spray test (and at times involve a blower door to depressurize the interior of the unit) to reproduce the leak(s) and determine the source of water migration, develop a scope of work for repairs, provide instructions to the contractor, observe and direct repairs performed, and perform a confirmatory water spray/flood test to evaluate/verify repairs completed.

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Smoke and Odour Transfer Investigations

The first thing to note about smoke and odour transfer complaints is that they are the result of air movement which occurs from one part of the building to another in a manner that is not intended nor desirable. Due to the characteristics of odour transfers, smoke tests are the best way to investigate such complaints between units. Smoke tests generally involve the use of a blower door to create a driving force of air pressure between the source unit and the receiving unit, and a theatrical fog machine to provide evidence of the air movement between units.

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Structural Investigations & Repairs

Investigations to verify the condition of structural elements of buildings and structures, and/or to determine cause(s) of structural failures, including damage to various reinforced concrete, wood, and structural steel elements. Remedial repair recommendations and details. Assisting Owners and Contractors in obtaining Building Permits.

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Coating Performance Inspection & Testing

Coatings require a thorough inspection of substrates for suitability and surface preparation. Inspections are then continued at each layer of the system, by destructive and non-destructive means, followed by adhesion testing if required.

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Floor Moisture Testing

To determine the moisture content contained within an existing poured concrete slab-on-grade. The moisture content is captured by numerous testing probes, with the quantity of probes depending on the total floor area. Each testing event establishes the moisture content by means of relative humidity (RH) in the concrete slab.

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Roof Replacement: Flat

Full engineering services for flat (i.e. MBM, BUR, PMR, etc.) roof replacement projects, including; design consultation to assist owners in determining replacement roofing products and options, preparation of detailed technical specifications, tendering and obtaining bids from qualified contractors, construction site review and reporting, and contract administration throughout the entire project.

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Roof Replacement: Sloped

Full engineering services for sloped (i.e. shingle, metal, etc.) roof replacement projects, including; design consultation to assist owners in determining replacement roofing products and options, preparation of detailed technical specifications, tendering and obtaining bids from qualified contractors, construction site review and reporting, and contract administration throughout the entire project.

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Window & Door Replacement

Full engineering services for major window and door (i.e. vinyl, aluminum, etc.) replacement projects, including: design consultation to assist owners in determining replacement window and door products and options, preparation of detailed technical specifications, tendering and obtaining bids from qualified contractors, construction site review and reporting, and contract administration throughout the entire project.

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Wall Cladding Replacement

Full engineering services for major exterior wall cladding (i.e. siding, EIFS, etc.) replacement projects, including: design consultation to assist owners in making decisions on the design appearance; replacement products and colours; preparation of detailed technical specifications; tendering and obtaining bids from qualified contractors; construction site review and reporting; and contract administration throughout the entire project.

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Geotechnical

Paterson Group's team of experienced engineers and technicians can provide geotechnical design and review services for residential and commercial development applications in accordance with provincial and municipal guidelines.

Environmental

Paterson Group’s team of Qualified Persons can provide a variety of environmental services and studies to permit residential and commercial development applications, due diligence studies for land purchase and for refinancing purposes.

Hydrogeological

Studies and investigations related to groundwater in accordance with provincial regulations associated with development of residential, commercial, and industrial properties.

Materials Testing

The material testing division includes a state-of-the-art CCIL certified laboratory and a large staff of field inspectors, technical managers, and engineers to provide construction inspection services for various projects in the private sector (such as low rise and high-rise developments), as well as municipal, provincial, and federal projects.

Material Testing: Homeowners

Paterson Group provides a variety of tests and inspections to complete residential homebuilding in accordance with provincial and municipal regulations.

Laboratory Testing: Asphalt

Paterson Group has a state-of-the-art asphalt laboratory with industry standard asphalt testing procedures and new additions of the Hamburg Wheel, Semi-Circular Bend Test (SCB), Disk Shaped Compact Tension Test (DCT), Texas Overlay, Cyclic Fatigue, Flow Number and Dynamic Modulus.

Laboratory Testing: Concrete

Paterson Group concrete testing group has extensive experience on many projects such as residential high rise to commercial/residential low-rise projects, and municipal infrastructure.

Laboratory Testing: Soil and Aggregates

Paterson has numerous laboratory technicians capable of completing low to high complexity of soil and aggregate testing.

Building Envelope Engineering

Our Building Science division completes many studies and services related to building envelope engineering in accordance with industry and ASTM standards. Our experienced staff complete thorough reviews to assess building envelope condition for a variety of building types.

Building Assessments

Our building assessment team can review the physical condition for many building types for the purpose of due diligence or re-financing. We can also assist owners with the tender process and obtaining bids from qualified contractors, construction site review and contract administration services.

Condominium & Landlord Services

Our services allow condominiums and landlords to forecast major capital expenditures and we complete assessments of construction deficiencies for new construction projects. Many of our clients have been using Paterson services for these various studies for over 20 years.

Structural Repairs and Renovations

Paterson has experience with a variety of residential renovations and can provide consultation services to ensure repairs and renovations are completed in accordance with provincial and local regulations.

Rural Development Design

Private sewage and industrial system design, monitoring, and analysis of residential or commercial drinking wells.

Retaining Wall Design

Design and inspection services for segmental block retaining wall systems.

Vibration Monitoring and Noise Studies

Monitoring services for ground movement during construction.  Services related to noise attenuation studies in accordance with municipal bylaws.

Designated Substance Survey

Paterson Group’s team of specialists can complete a survey of an existing building to determine the presence of hazardous materials in a building which could be harmful to workers if they are not removed prior to renovation or demolition.

Indoor Air Quality Analysis

Paterson Group personnel have the expertise to test, detect and recommend air quality solutions for a variety of home and office settings.
Temporary Shoring/Excavation Support System Design

Temporary Shoring/ Excavation Support System Design

Our design team of qualified engineers are specialized in the design of various excavation support systems such as soldier pile and lagging, sheet piles, secant piles or tangent pile walls, diaphragm walls, anchored and nailed shotcrete, among other systems.