Contributed by Ralph Manglass, P.E., Senior Engineer, Criterium Engineers If you own or manage a building with air conditioning or heat pump systems, you may soon notice higher replacement costs, and the reason may not be equipment age alone. Enacted in 2025, new federal refrigerant regulations began reshaping the HVAC industry, with significant cost….
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Is Your Façade Leaking?
A building’s exterior façade can experience water infiltration anytime during a its lifetime. The façade is composed of a variety of components including windows / door penetrations; wall cladding; and features such as balconies and other architectural elements. Water infiltration can occur while the building is undergoing transition from developer to a new condominium….
Building Envelope Commissioning (BECx): Building Performance and Energy Efficiency
When a building is designed and constructed, it is necessary to consider how that building’s envelope will perform throughout its life span. Building Envelope Commissioning (BECx) performed by Criterium Engineers, is part of a comprehensive quality assurance program to verify that project specifications and requirements are incorporated into the building envelope’s design, interpreted accurately,….
Water Intrusion Testing: Building Envelope Integrity
When weather penetrates a building, it can be a costly issue that compromises the functionality and habitability of the building and may eventually lead to structural issues. While there is no single tactic that will prevent water from entering a building, incorporating Third Party Quality Assurance during construction or renovation is essential for reducing….
Cost Segregation Studies and Bonus Depreciation
For real estate investors and property owners, actively managing tax liability is essential in maximizing ROI. Strategically pairing a Cost Segregation Study provided by Criterium Engineers with current Bonus Depreciation options allows property owners to accelerate tax deductions, improving cash flow and boosting profitability. What is a Cost Segregation Study? Cost Segregation is a tax….
Innovations Transform the Building Inspection Process
Emerging technology and innovation are continually transforming the building construction inspection process. Criterium Engineers evaluates and adopts appropriate new technologies to provide additional knowledge and information for our clients. Two inspection innovations in particular—the use of drones and thermal imaging—have been change drivers for Criterium Engineers in recent years, reaching areas that were previously unattainable….
The Orange Triangle in Our Logo
Criterium Engineers was founded in the days when building plans were meticulously designed and drawn by hand. The dedicated engineer’s talisman—the plastic drafting triangle—could once be found on almost every drawing table in our offices. And while a clear plastic triangle might easily be lost on piles of white paper, bright orange drafting triangles always….
Section 1031 Exchanges & Cost Segregation
Great Tax Saving Tools with Similar Goals Real estate investors have known for years that 1031 property exchanges can save taxes. A cost segregation study is something else investors should consider at the same time—as both may save taxes and improve cash flow. Here’s how a cost segregation study may benefit your next transaction. Whereas….
Commercial Building Inspections: Three Options
Criterium Engineers’ commercial building pre-purchase inspections guide our clients through the due diligence process. The inspections and the resulting reports, performed by licensed, Professional Engineers, inform the prospective buyer regarding important aspects of the property and may also assist in negotiating a purchase price, depending on what is found. All of Criterium’s reports conform to….
What is a Capital Needs Assessment?
When building owners and property managers plan the financial future of their facilities, the quantitative tool most often chosen is the Capital Needs Assessment (CNA). A CNA creates a capital forecast of needed reserves to fund depreciating asset replacement and prioritize discovered deficiencies while providing a comprehensive document to justify lending requests. CNAs are often….