Engineering Calcs & Evaluations
With two professional engineers on staff, NCTL can provide various calculations for the fenestration industry.
Engineering Services
NCTL’s engineering team has decades of fenestration industry experience and licenses in key states to support your product testing, product approval and project‐specific engineering needs.
Product Approval Services
The team can prepare evaluation reports based on product testing for the product approval programs of State of Florida, Miami‐Dade County Florida and Texas Department of Insurance. Deliverables include installation calculations, comparative analysis calculations (to extend testing to similar products), and glazing calculations in one comprehensive report; a summary evaluation report; and sealed installation drawings. For Florida Method 1A approvals using a certification mark or listing, calculations for alternate installation methods and sealed installation drawings can be provided. We can also manage, upload and maintain applications.
Delegated Design Services
The team can provide project‐specific delegated design submittals that included establishing design loads based on project specifications, evaluating glazing, evaluating mullions and spanning members, and developing anchorage requirements. The deliverables are a signed/sealed engineering report and, if required, signed and sealed shop drawings. The team will support the project through the revise/resubmit and change order processes which are common for delegated design projects. Expertise of the team includes, windows, window wall, storefront, skylight, curtain wall, metal panel cladding, stone panel cladding, canopy and sunshade systems. The team is well versed in evaluations for wind loads, seismic loads and blast loads.
Comparative Analysis
The team can use engineering methods to address project conditions that may be outside the limits of a product test report or product evaluation. Typically, a signed/sealed engineering report is prepared that validates product sizes larger than validated by testing but for design pressures less than testing. Conversely, higher design pressures may be claimed for project sizes smaller than validated by testing.
Wind Pressure Evaluation
The team can determine wind pressures using ASCE 7 Minimum Design Loads for Building and other Structures to establish the actual wind pressures of a project. These pressures which can be used to accurately specify product for the project or in support of field testing programs.
Waiver of Retest
The team can use engineering methods to support approval of modifications to a product’s members or hardware. The Waiver of Retest may be used to support certification of new but similar products or to address project‐specific modifications.
Glazing Analysis
The team can provide signed/sealed documentation of glazing strength in support of product certification or project specifications. Evaluations of short term (wind) loads, long term (snow) loads and blast loads can be conducted.
Product Testing Support
The team can support your product testing programs by researching local and national building code requirements and preparing testing and certification plans. Management of projects across multiple testing disciplines and laboratories can be provided.
