Requesting and specifying thermographic inspection services through the National Master Specification (NMS) in Canada

摘要

The Canadian National Master Construction Specification (NMS) is the most comprehensive master specification available commercially in North America; each section serves as an easy-to-use framework for writing construction project specifications. The NMS Secretariat contracted, through consultations with the building industry and departmental experts in Public Works and Government Services Canada, the development of four new specification sections for commonly implemented infrared thermographic services associated with building construction and maintenance. These include inspection services for building envelopes, roofs, mechanical equipment, and electrical systems. This paper will introduce the four types of inspection services found in these sections and discuss the relevant information that each service provides. Additionally, the paper will highlight the important differences of each type of inspection services, thus explaining the need to develop individual specification sections to correspond for each type of infrared thermographic inspection service. These sections include all aspects of such services and are all encompassing in their scope. The NMS maximizes protection against duplication and errors, while minimizing chances of risk, misunderstanding and liability. It can be edited and adapted for any size and type of construction project, for government or the private sector. Building owners and property managers can integrate these thermographic specifications into their Project Manuals or incorporate them into contractual documents to call up services for building condition studies. Although the NMS was primarily designed for use in the commercial and light industrial building industry, the residential construction industry can benefit as well, by modifying any section for their use. This paper will discuss these differences, and provide suggestions for the development of such a residential specification format.