A police chase at night ends safely because a helicopter with a forward-looking infrared imaging system tracks the fleeing vehicle. Military forces use night-vision gear to see in the dark. Investigators find evidence of leaky pipes inside a building's walls. All these scenarios are linked by the technology of infrared (IR), or thermal imaging.
Originally developed for night vision and other military uses, thermal imaging technology recently has become available to professionals in other fields, opening the doors to new problem-solving tactics.
To understand the techniques of thermography, it is useful to understand how light and electromagnetic energy travels. The great 17th century physicist, Isaac Newton, used a prism to split a beam of light into a rainbow, demonstrating that light is made up of individual colors, or wavelengths, of energy, known as the spectrum. When you see a rainbow, you see those individual colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
Parts of the spectrum are invisible to the human eye, however, such as wavelengths shorter than violet light, ultraviolet (above violet), that cause sunburns. The part of the spectrum with a wavelength longer than red is the infrared (below red) light that thermal imaging technology uses.
Every object radiates infrared light in proportion to its temperature. Hot objects radiate more infrared light than cold objects, but humans cannot see in those wavelengths. A person in a completely dark room containing a hot frying pan and a glass of ice water could not see either item. With a thermal imaging camera, however, both can be made to stand out from the surroundings.
Infrared cameras make temperature differences visible, allowing observation of areas that, otherwise, would require more invasive and destructive testing. For example, water intrusion into the walls of a house can be detected by the IR camera, without having to remove drywall from the interior walls and without having to make holes in the walls for more traditional moisture probes. Because water is a good conductor of heat, wet areas of walls will be at different temperatures relative to dry areas.
Similarly, areas with inadequate insulation also can be detected easily, as can electrical systems that are on the verge of malfunction. Thermography is one of the few techniques that can be used to examine electrical systems while they are energized and under load.
With proper application, the infrared camera can help pinpoint many diverse property problems that would be difficult or impossible to detect with other methods. The ability of the IR camera to detect wet areas in walls is a major help to investigations of exterior insulation and finish system deficiencies.
The infrared camera is non-intrusive, and usually requires no demolition of walls or ceilings. The camera is compact and portable, and can record directly to video tape for future reference. Using this tool can reduce the time and effort necessary to inspect structures for water and mold damage.
Joseph D. Skaggs, PE, is a senior metallurgical and material engineer with Schaefer Engineering.
Mitchell Launches UltraMate Appraisal Work Flow Software
Mitchell International, a provider of information and software to the automotive insurance claim industry, has introduced UltraMate Premier Suite. The newest member of its claim work-flow family integrates Mitchell's estimating, digital imaging, and communication software into its eClaim Manager system. Combining the components into a single application suite allows collision repair shops to work more closely with insurers shop/insurer to process the claims of their shared customers faster, easier, and more profitably.
"Shop/insurer communications and productivity are tightly coupled," said Marc Brungger, vice president of sales for Mitchell. "The more effectively both parties communicate in the DRP process, the more productive and effective that process becomes."
UM Premier Suite allows shops to receive assignments from numerous DRP partners simultaneously, create estimates, add images, and transmit completed claim packages. Estimates are automatically filled out with assignment information to save time and reduce errors. Collision shops also can track the progress of each job and respond to supplement requests.
More information is available on Mitchell's web site, www.mitchell.com.
Guy Carpenter, Eqecat Design German Flood Risk Model
Guy Carpenter & Co. and Eqecat are jointly developing DACH Flood software, which will allow users to assess their exposure to flood in Europe using a modeling approach. The model, which will concentrate initially on the German-speaking areas of Europe, is being developed in response to the increasing value of insured losses due to floods in Europe in recent years. Record losses in events such as the Odra 1997 and August 2002 Central European floods have demonstrated the need for software to better manage growing flood exposure.
The first phase of the model will cover river flooding in Germany (D). Subsequent extension of the model to include Austria (A) and Switzerland (CH) is planned, and further extension to a pan-European model also is being considered. The project takes flood modeling in Germany a step further than the existing Z?RS flood zonation model, allowing insurers or reinsurers to assess correlations among flooding in different regions. Instead of flood zonation maps, the DACH model will provide a probabilistic flood event set, which will allow the user to calculate PML accumulations for the entire region.
The model is developed using a modular approach, which, combined with the extensive European rainfall event set, means that the model can easily be extended to include further territories. Flood hazard is modeled using a rainfall-runoff approach, and flood intensity at a given point is quantified using water depth, flow velocity, and the effects of debris impacts. These parameters are related to damage using engineering data, academic studies, and insurance claim information.
More information is available at www.eqecat.com.
ISO Claim-Handling Program Targets Workers' Compensation
Insurance Services Office has added a workers' compensation claim-handling component to its Claims Outcome Advisor. The new Workers Compensation COA addresses the rising costs of payments for lost wages and medical treatments by streamlining claim-handling practices and calculating more accurate loss reserves.
"The workers' compensation claim business needs better automation and bench-marking to manage return-to-work plans and ensure more accurate loss reserving," said Lee Fogle, ISO vice president of Claims Services. "ISO's COA solution incorporates a medical encyclopaedia, audit trails, and a medical analysis system that insurers can use to compare information quickly, establish benchmarks, and comply with standards. As a result, claim handlers can manage claims more efficiently and negotiate settlements with claimants more confidently."
COA's database contains treatment protocols and severity and recovery information for more than 18,000 medical conditions, including injuries, treatments, complications, and preexisting conditions. It also incorporates a job data bank of nearly 14,000 occupations.
The program combines job activities with medically recognized recovery times for specific injuries to produce customized return-to-work plans. It has information on task assessments, work restrictions, modified tasks, and patient tracking. COA also is able to coordinate activities among care providers, patients, and employers, allowing injured employees to return to work as soon as medically possible.
More information is available at www.iso.com.
TranSolutions Offers myEZClaim
TranSolutions, a developer of freight claim-management software, has launched a new version of myEZClaim.com, a web-based freight claim-processing service for logistic managers. The new version is targeted toward third-party logistic providers and to multinational companies with multiple operating divisions that have an average of more than $1 million in annual freight claims.
The program has a centralized database and the ability to e-mail claims with documents attached. It also includes a country-of-origin display with currency conversion, SAP screen options, the ability to interface with other external systems, region-specific claim forms, and more than 70 different report capabilities.
Using web-based freight claim processing can help logistic managers increase accuracy, reduce costs, and obtain critical information about how, where, why, and when their carrier damage and shortage occur. The company's services also help decrease claim generation cycle time, increase claim documentation organization, reduce data input errors, accelerate carrier claim payments, increase efficiency, and improve the quality of the claim process.
For more information, contact TranSolutions at 480-473-2453, www.transolutionsinc.com.
MoldMap Provides Early Warning
AQS mold investigation service has introduced Mold Measurement and Prevention, MoldMap, which uses new technology to determine whether conditions in a building support mold growth.
Using a combination of tools and techniques that include visual inspection, moisture readings, temperature and humidity monitoring, and mold sensors, MoldMap assesses building conditions and warns of impending mold growth. Whether conducting due diligence assessments or ensuring that buildings have been dried properly following water disasters, MoldMap can help to identify mold and moisture problems early and with minimal disruption.
AQS consultants conduct inspections, take direct readings, and place mold sensors, which will grow mold in the presence of the right humidity and temperature conditions. The sensors are collected later and returned to the laboratory for analysis. Results are used to map potential problem areas where moisture conditions should be addressed to prevent mold growth. In some cases, building owners or managers may wish to proceed with additional testing, if there is suspected mold growth.
For more information, contact AQS customer service department at 800-789-0419, ext. 281, www.aqs.com.
NuServe Offers Cyber RiskProfiler
In support of the initiatives developed by the National Cyber Security Partnership Task Force, a coalition of private and public organizations, NuServe has created free cyber risk-profiling software for small and medium-sized businesses that allows them to understand their network security.
"The very awareness of a potential cyber risk is the first step to identifying what the risks are and the next steps to take," said Kai Tamara Hare, NuServe's CEO. "These tools were developed for use by non-IT experts and include many contributions by renowned global experts in cyber risk management."
The program includes a checklist to keep track of network security, a risk meter on where to improve cyber security based on accepted global standards, and customized network liability insurance indications for risk management professionals to review with businesses when providing such advice.
The Small Businesses Working Group within the NCSP also has developed a Small Business Guidebook to Cyber Security and an online small business cyber security resource center at www.cyberpartnership.org.
For more information contact NuServe at 415-242-7918, ext. 108, info@nuserve.com, www1.nuserve.com/ nuserve/cybercustLogin.jsp.
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