THERMAL IMAGING APPLICATIONS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

Infrared radiation is one range of the electromagnetic spectrum that human beings have identified so far. The wavelength of this range is just larger than the visible light bundle that allow human eyes to perceive the surroundings and differentiate colors. On the other hand, infrared has been associated with carrying thermal energy from hot to cold bodies and has many applications in various industries due to this special nature. Through detection of infrared emitted from different bodies, thermal information can be collected and interpreted to serve in multiple important applications especially in the construction industry during the execution or the operation and maintenance of building projects. The objective of this paper is to present the background of utilizing this important radiation in the various construction applications and shed some light on potential future implementation.