Building Performance

When structures are built well, their building systems, components, and materials work well together. They support your work inside and they protect you from what’s outside.

AET Building Performance, Forensics, and Testing Services professionals know the built environment — all types of buildings, parking ramps, bridges, industrial structures, tanks, silos, and farm structures.

Our Building Performance Group helps you understand, maintain and improve your buildings and structures – whether new or very old. 

Using state-of-the-art technologies and decades of professional knowledge we observe, test, and evaluate your building. Then we apply industry-leading design expertise to solve issues resulting from material or construction defects, normal aging, or disasters, such as fires, floods, and high winds.

We help you understand and address building issues 

We put our knowledge and expertise to use in tracking down the causes of building problems, such as cracked masonry, deteriorated roofs, poorly installed windows, broken concrete, and damaged materials. We can provide reports describing any defects, deterioration, or deficiencies and, where needed, can offer litigation consultation.

Our experience as forensic engineers, construction defect investigators, and expert witnesses has taught us well — we have seen the costly design mistakes and the failed systems. We can recommend cost-effective approaches to avoid similar issues with your building.

We then design repairs or replacements for roofs, windows and building envelope systems that take  into account your schedule and budget constraints. Our team is also available to observe construction and inspect the work.

We know the challenges faced by Facility Managers 

The recent trend toward reduced O&M budgets and deferred maintenance can lead to leaks, material failures, and other building problems. 

Our repairs and replacements are designed to help reduce maintenance and enhance weather resistance, as well as increase energy savings.

For facility managers with multiple aging buildings we provide building condition assessments to identify issues with all aspects of each structure and building envelope system. This includes prioritization of projects and schedules for maintenance, repair, and replacement, based on projected useful service life.

Contact us to discuss how we can help you understand and maintain your building, solve new or ongoing problems and design new solutions to extend your building’s life, well into the future, with improvements to your building envelope systems.

Building condition consulting, testing, and design services

From design phase to close out, AET provides a wide range of building condition assessment, testing, inspection, design, and construction services to extend the service life of your structure.

Forensic Building Investigations

Our Forensics Engineering Team is available to consult with building owners to assess their building structure, foundation, and building envelope for normal aging problems, defects, or in the aftermath of fires, floods, hail, snow and ice storms, or high winds. When damage or deterioration is suspected, we assess conditions and conduct field and lab testing of materials. The data we gather allows us to evaluate the integrity of your structure, prepare a report to document any issues, and recommend repair and preservation options.

Structural Testing and Inspection Services

AET offers full-service structural engineering performed by industry-leading professionals. We have conducted structural testing and inspections on a wide range of structures – from buildings to bridges, parking ramps, silos, power plants, and solar panels. Our team has extensive experience testing and inspecting existing buildings, whether made with concrete, steel and early metals, masonry or timber construction.

When structural testing and inspection services are required, they are conducted by highly skilled testers using latest techniques. Depending on the issues encountered, we may conduct field and lab testing of materials or coatings, load testing, as well as nondestructive testing (NDT) methods.  

Our NDT equipment such as mag-particle analysis, radiography, ground-penetrating radar, and ultrasonic inspection will help us quickly and accurately pinpoint defects. NDT methods are also used to locate metal components or hidden structures and to evaluate foundations or masonry structures for thicknesses and voids.

We also provide vibration monitoring for projects where a potential for vibrations from heavy construction activities could disturb or damage surrounding structures

We have expanded our offerings to include drone inspection and investigation, as well. When relevant to the scope of the work, our NDT field team can perform various inspections and investigations remotely, using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

Roof and Building Envelope Inspections and Evaluations

The AET Building Performance Team has conducted comprehensive building envelope inspections and evaluations for existing and historic structures located across the US. We look at the overall integrity and performance of the system and inspect and test specific materials. Then, we prepare a report describing any defects, deterioration, or deficiencies. Along with performance issues, our recommendations consider what is needed to meet relevant building codes, and other requirements. In some situations, we recommend remote examination of building materials, using our Drone Inspection and Investigation Services. Our reports include a review of repair or replacement options and recommendations, plus estimates of remaining service life.

When needed, we also provide Design Services for replacement roof systems, exterior cladding /facades, windows, curtain walls, flooring, and other building envelope systems.

Historic Building Evaluation, Repair, Rehabilitation

Historic building preservation and repair pose unique challenges for project stakeholders. AET offers clients a single-source solution that leverages our industry-leading forensic engineers, the latest testing techniques, and over 50 years of design, renovation/repair, and adaptive reuse experience. Our team will provide the testing, inspection, assessment, historic materials research, design, and construction services you need for your project to succeed. So, whether you’re renovating around archaic building materials and methods of construction, trying to match historic building materials such as mortar, or replacing historic roof systems, contact our team to discuss how we can help.

Design Services — Structural and Building Envelope

Our team provides design and construction services for roofing, building envelopes, and building structural systems. We provide turn-key services from Field Verification to Design documents to Construction Services for all exterior building components. We specialize in roof system replacement, new roof consulting, Green Roofs, waterproofing systems, plaza restoration, masonry wall restoration, façade repairs, window and door replacement, curtain wall restoration and replacement, skylight replacement. Our structural evaluation and design services include repairs, renovations, adaptive reuse, and preservation — for existing buildings and historic structures and systems.

Insurance Claims and Expert Witness Services

Our staff provide insurance consultation services to assist clients and insurance property adjusters in the evaluation of property insurance claims. We provide unbiased damage reports with clear conclusions. Our engineers also offer litigation consultation services and our professional engineers have acted as expert witnesses for litigation support, working with clients, attorneys and insurance companies on disputes and claims.