Detection of precipitation infiltration in buildings by infrared thermography: a case study

Abstract

Infrared thermography has recently been used in civil work inspection to detect various types of pathological manifestations due to its speed, easy handling, and capability to cover large areas and detect hidden faults, among other advantages. The specific implementation for humidity detection in buildings still presents some uncertainties, since parameters that influence results are present, for example: mechanisms that generate humidity, specific conditions of premises being studied and constructive characteristics of the building. This work is intended to evaluate the infrared thermography technique for moisture detection originated by pluvial precipitation. In this sense, a building with pathological manifestations caused by precipitation was selected to be inspected at different times of the day in order to observe behavior of this problem during rainy season. Results showed that infrared thermography was sensitive to detect areas affected by precipitation humidity presenting lower temperatures than those sectors without any problem. Furthermore, the higher the temperature difference, the better definition of the area affected by the humidity was, thus allowing the location of potential spots. Infrared thermography was presented as an auxiliary tool for inspections, as it provided more information than a simple visual inspection; however, some factors must be considered in order for the inspection to be effective.