The premature failure of a costly insulated built-up roofing system is a major economic concern to every facility manager, military or civilian. Because of the interrelated and critical relationship existing between the various components of the roofing system, it is essential that these roofs be inspected twice a year, and repaired, as necessary. The biannual inspection riot only requires a comprehensive evaluation of the surface area but an in-depth look into the interior of the system to determine if moisture has penetrated and begun to deteriorate the layer, of insulation. Infrared (IR) thermography has proved to be a very successful, nondestructive method of detecting moisture within the layer of concealed insulation.

The U.S. Army Facilities Engineering Support Agency (USAFESA), located at Fort Belvoir, VA, has the responsibility of providing technical engineering assistance for the operation, maintenance and repair of Army facilities throughout the country. As a troubleshooter, for solving built-up roofing problems, USAFESA developed a specialized roofing evaluation concept that incorporates a detailed visual inspection with a nighttime IR scan. Within the last two years, the two USAFESA teams have surveyed more than 408 buildings at 43 Army installations and wet insulation has been detected during the IR scan in more than 34 percent of the roofs surveyed. This paper, describes the roofing evaluation concepts and techniques used during the USAFESA surveys.