Know Your Building Performs as It Should
BEPG offers expert functional performance testing services that provide accurate, reliable results, protect your investment, and ensure compliance with industry standards.
Ensuring Your Building Performs as Designed for Real-World Conditions
We verify air, water, and thermal performance to help you prevent failures, ensure compliance, and protect your investment.
Benefits of Functional Performance Testing
Functional Performance Testing (FPT) is an essential step in ensuring that your building enclosure can withstand environmental pressures such as wind, water, and temperature fluctuations. At BEPG, we specialize in conducting rigorous tests that simulate real-world conditions, helping you identify potential weaknesses and guarantee optimal performance. Whether new construction or retrofitting an existing building, our FPT services ensure long-term reliability and cost savings.
Code & Standards Compliance
Verifies that the building meets ASTM, AAMA, and other industry performance standards, reducing liability risks.
Improved Building Longevity
Ensures that the building enclosure performs as intended, reducing long-term maintenance and repair needs.
Energy Efficiency Optimization
Helps minimize air leakage and thermal bridging, leading to better HVAC performance and lower energy costs.
Early Issue Detection
Identifies air and water leaks, insulation weaknesses, and thermal inefficiencies before they become costly problems.
Cost Savings & Risk Reduction
Mitigates the potential for legal disputes, warranty claims, and premature system failures by validating performance before project completion.
Enhanced Occupant Comfort & Indoor Air Quality
Prevents drafts, moisture intrusion, and condensation issues that can lead to mold and discomfort.
How Functional Performance Testing Works
BEPG's FPT process involves the use of specialized equipment and techniques to simulate environmental conditions such as wind-driven rain, air pressure changes, and thermal stress. These tests are conducted in controlled environments to assess the ability of the building enclosure to perform under real-world conditions. Some of the key testing methods we use include:
Dynamic Wind & Water Testing
Simulates real-world weather conditions to evaluate enclosure resilience.
Using our custom-built testing apparatus, The Beast, we simulate extreme weather conditions—including high winds and wind-driven rain—to evaluate enclosure resilience. The Beast is a powerful, airboat-propeller-driven system that generates controlled, repeatable testing conditions, allowing us to assess air and water infiltration with real-world accuracy. This innovative approach helps identify vulnerabilities before they lead to costly failures, ensuring that building enclosures meet performance expectations.
BEPG also developed the Mini-Beast, a smaller, more portable version that allows us to conduct similar testing in tighter spaces and at greater distances. These cutting-edge tools enable us to provide accurate, field-tested performance data, helping clients improve design, material selection, and installation quality.
Air Infiltration Testing
Measures the effectiveness of seals, gaskets, and barrier systems to prevent air leakage.
Window leakage testing is in progress.
Thermal Performance Testing
Ensures the building’s insulation and thermal barriers meet energy efficiency requirements.
We Ensure Your Building Meets Specifications With FPT
We offer expert-driven functional performance testing services that provide accurate, reliable results, protect your investment, and ensure compliance with industry standards.
When Should Functional Performance Testing Be Conducted?
Real-World Results: FPT in Action
Functional Performance Testing has helped our clients prevent costly failures and ensure long-term building performance. From high-rise developments to complex retrofit projects, our testing has identified air and water leakage issues, verified enclosure integrity, and optimized energy efficiency. Below are a few examples of how FPT made a measurable impact.
FAQ
The system(s) look correct, why do I need to test?
Unfortunately, just because a system looks correct doesn't mean it is. This is why we make sure to test installations to make sure they function as intended. Do all those weird intersections of storefronts or curtain wall systems with brick façade worry you? It concerns us. Fortunately, we're able to test the installed systems per Industry Standards (AAMA, ASTM) to ensure they operate as designed. More importantly, it will prevent moisture infiltration problems from occurring in the future.
How can FPT help ensure the right building enclosure design and installation in new construction?
New construction isn’t cheap, so getting it right the first time is essential. Building enclosure material design and installation is a specialized discipline, but the sheer number of possible enclosure combinations—due to the variety of materials and manufacturers—can make it overwhelming. Functional Performance Testing (FPT) helps simplify this complexity by verifying that the selected materials and systems perform as intended before issues arise. With over 50 years of combined experience in roofing, waterproofing, and exterior wall consulting, our team has encountered and evaluated most enclosure systems and materials. We bring this expertise to every project, ensuring your building is designed and built for long-term performance.
What are some of the fenestration or air barrier tests BEPG performs?
Always contact us if you're looking for a specific test. Here are some of the standard fenestration tests we perform:
- ASTM E283 / E283M - Standard Test Method for Determining Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen
- ASTM E330 / E330M – 14-Standard Test Method for Structural Performance of Exterior Windows, Doors, Skylights and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference
- ASTM E331-00(2016) - Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference
- ASTM E547-00(2016) - Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Cyclic Static Air Pressure Difference
- ASTM E783 - Field Measurement of Air Leakage Through Installed Exterior Windows and Doors
- ASTM E779-19 - (Whole Building Air Test) Standard Test Method for Determining Air Leakage Rate by Fan Pressurization
- AAMA 501.1-17 - Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Using Dynamic Pressure
- AAMA 501.2-15 - Quality Assurance and Diagnostic Water Leakage Field Check of Installed Storefronts, Curtain Walls and Sloped Glazing Systems
- AAMA 502–12 - Voluntary Specification for Field Testing of Newly Installed Fenestration Products
- AAMA 503–14 - Voluntary Specification for Field Testing of Newly Installed Storefronts, Curtain Walls and Sloped Glazing Systems
- AAMA 511–08 - Voluntary Guideline for Forensic Water Penetration Testing of Fenestration Products
- ASTM E1105–15 - Standard Test Method for Field Determination of Water Penetration of Installed Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls, by Uniform or Cyclic Static Air Pressure Difference
- ASTM E1186-17 - Standard Practices for Air Leakage Site Detection in Building Envelopes and Air Barrier Systems -Building Depressurization (or Pressurization) with Infrared Scanning Techniques (of in Conjunction With Leak Detection Liquid)
- ASTM D4541 - Standard Test Method for Pull-Off Strength of Coatings Using Portable Adhesion Testers
- ASTM E1827-11 - Standard Test Methods for Determining Airtightness of Buildings Using an Orifice Blower Door
What are some of the roof systems tests BEPG performs?
Always contact us if you're looking for a specific test. Here are some of the standard roof systems tests we perform:
- ASTM C1153 – Standard Practice for Location of Wet Insulation in Roofing Systems Using Infrared Imaging
- ASTM D5957 – Standard Guide for Flood Testing Horizontal Waterproofing Installations
- ASTM D7877 – Standard Guide for Electronic Methods for Detecting and Locating Leaks in Waterproof Membranes
- ANSI/SPRI FX-1 – Standard Field Test Procedure for Determining the Withdrawal Resistance of Roofing Fasteners
- ANSI/SPRI IA-1 – Standard Field Test Procedure for Determining the Uplift Resistance of Insulation and Insulation Adhesive Combinations over Various Substrates