Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx), a holistic quality assurance programme that confirms that the building envelope is built as per the owner project requirements (OPR), is set for growth over the next five years in the GCC, said an industry expert.

“The focus of the GCC countries in the last few years has been on sustainability in the construction of their infrastructure and buildings,” said Gilles Vandevoorde, general manager of Building Sciences, from Intertek, a leading provider of quality solutions worldwide.

“This change in focus requires advanced testing, and certification of products and assemblies, in the lab and in the field.  It is estimated that 65 per cent of post-construction expenditure goes towards water-related damage or problems,” he added, addressing delegates at the recent Façade Design and Engineering UAE Summit.

“Specifically, moisture damage contributes to 90 percent of all building and building material failures. Through the BECx process, a building is much more likely to avoid such issues from occurring.”

During the BECx process, a team of third-party experts documents that the necessary steps have been taken into consideration by the design and construction teams to deliver a fully integrated exterior enclosure that meets or exceeds the requirements of the initial intent.

It addresses concerns such as air and water leakage, thermal heat gain, and structural performance. Other building physics such acoustics, moisture control, and building movements can also be considered through the same process. BECx reduces the cost of construction and maintenance by ensuring that potential problems are captured early in the process, such as during drawing reviews and mock-up testing, prior to manufacturing and construction on site.

“We have witnessed an increasing interest in energy-efficient, environmentally conscious, and higher-performing buildings” said Hussain Al-Atrakchi, regional managing director for Intertek in Mena and Pakistan.  “Companies like Intertek, work with developers and owners to assure the delivery of sustainable and safe buildings at a reasonable cost, while complying with local and international regulations.  Although BECx is an additional line item on the project, the benefits of the process often outweigh the cost and can be a significant cost-saver over time.”

The awareness on BECX benefits is gaining momentum. In the last few years, regulations have become more stringent and it is the foreseen continuing trend in the region to implement pro-active strategies that will contribute to the quality and safety of products that could affect people’s lives.  – TradeArabia News Service