Building Envelope

The building envelope is anything that encloses the building and protects the building interior from the elements. Often, the exterior building walls, windows, and doors, are referred to as the building envelope. The building envelope can be constructed with an exceptionally wide-range of materials. Some of the more common cladding systems include cementitious stucco; exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS); brick, CMU, and stone masonry, wood and vinyl siding, metal panels, and cast-in-place and precast concrete. BC&E has broad experience with the full range of these materials, and has expertise in evaluating problems with many of these systems, designing repairs to correct conditions, and observing the implementation of repairs.

Windows and doors in exterior walls are a particularly susceptible to problems. This includes curtain walls, storefront framing systems, and window wall systems. BC&E personnel also have extensive experience in evaluating these types of systems and designing repairs to correct conditions. Because of the potential for problems with a variety of window and door systems, BC&E offers consulting during the design and construction phases for these elements, and performs water leakage tests to provide a measure of quality control.