APPA Library

"The New Generation of Thermal Mapping"
Author: Patterson, Valerie B.,
Published In: Facilities Manager
Date: January/February 2012

Thermal imaging was used 60+ years ago to enable the targeting of heat-seeking missiles and seeing opposing forces at night. Today thermograpy is employed for myriad uses, from turning on faucets, to tracking and attacking enemies from aerial spy drones, to identifying the scope of moisture infiltration in building envelopes. Thermography for facilities management has gone through an evolution of camera technology and procedures starting six decades ago with hand-held cameras and men walking on roofs in the dark. The new technology involves aerial data collection and patented computer analysis that identifies wet materials invisible to the naked eye. The goal in all cases is to accurately see inside roofs and walls to enable the visualization of what is invisible. Florida State University (FSU), University of Central Florida (UCF), University of Houston (UH), and universities administered by the State of Mississippi are among campuses that have secured the patented reports and proven the accuracy of the diagnostic intelligence by validating the results through coring and lab testing.

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