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An MEP inspection service based on thermal imaging technology has been launched by Trent Technical Services LLC to help contractors, developers and facilities managers target quality issues. We speak to MD Iain Fryer about the benefits and potential.
Late last year a devastating fire destroyed three warehouses and five electrical stores in Sharjah, incurring millions of dirhams worth of damage. “The standard of some MEP work in the UAE can be poor, especially in commercial spaces and warehouses,” Fryer warned at the time. But the downturn has brought quality back to the forefront, as developers vie to have the best buildings for a dwindling customer pool.
As proof of the new outlook, Trent Technical Services LLC has clinched a five-tower thermal imaging inspection contract in Sharjah for a single client with over 100 properties on its books. “Our normal scope of work is HVAC, plumbing and electrical inspections. We go up into ceilings where workers do not normally go, for example, as that is where you will normally find the problem areas. MEP is the heart of the building. For comfort and practicality, you need the MEP to be right. This is the area where the most problems arise. Hence all our engineers have an electro-mechanical background.”
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Fryer says the main problem with electrical works is that inherent problems are not visible. “What we do is use a thermal imaging camera to photograph a heat signature from DBs and cabling, for example. We have recorded temperatures of up to 41°C, with 50°C as DEWA’s maximum permissible limit. Ideally you want to be in the 25°C to 30°C range. Depending on the readings, we can then make recommendations like using fans or improving ventilation to try and take away some of the extra heat.”
Fryer says his idea for using thermal imaging technology came about when he first arrived in the UAE about six years ago and “realised that some standards of workmanship leave a lot to be desired. I realised some sort of inspection company was needed, an independent third party, to carry out inspections for various developers, main contractors and even owners.”
Breakthrough
The initial reaction was “mixed” as developers were concentrating on completing projects and “did not want people to rock the boat.” Fryer’s breakthrough, however, came with a major partnership agreement with Royal Sun Alliance (RSA), which jumped at the opportunity to use thermal imaging to reduce their risk profile. He is also in talks with Dubai Civil Defense and RERA about larger-scale application of the technology.
“Our target market at the moment is obviously the owners’ associations that are being established as a result of the new strata laws taking effect. We also target major developers, and then also the ordinary person who has just invested in a villa and wants to be made aware of the potential for any risks in terms of the quality of installation work,” says Fryer.
“We also do air-con commissioning and testing the balancing of air-con systems, as a lot of tower blocks are having problems in this regard three to five years down the line. For example, we have approached a residents’ association of a 60-storey tower as they are looking for clarity on the problems they are experiencing.”
Fryer says that such problems related to poor-quality installation and commissioning are likely to increase as Dubai’s building stock ages. The major benefit of thermal imaging is that it is non-intrusive, meaning no plants have to be switched off, while the reports themselves can be generated within hours. “We take a normal photograph in addition to the infrared one, so workers can target specific problem areas in terms of repairs.
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