Thermal fault detection tech studied

Researchers at the University of Plymouth in the UK are investigating the use of thermal imaging as a tool for early fault detection in built structures.

The project, known as DeViz (Defect Visualisation via Thermography), involves research teams working with construction supervisors at two UK-based projects, to assess the efficiency of the technology and whether construction companies could embed it into their working practices.

Dr Julie Goodhew, an environmental physicist at the university, said, “Quality defects in buildings are a significant risk to reducing the energy used for heating them.

“Defects detected at an early stage in the construction process are more time- and cost-effective to rectify. But identifying them with the naked eye can be very difficult, whether it is issues with insulation, moisture or ventilation, or even defects of design, workmanship and materials.”

Professor Steve Goodhew, of the School of Art, Design and Architecture, and project lead for DeViz at Plymouth, said, “If the UK is to hit its ambitious efficiency targets then we need to ensure that our buildings are performing to their maximum capabilities.”

The two-year €220,000 DeViz study is being funded by the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS) and also involves researchers from the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford.