Steve Shanks has earned the credential of Certified NDT Level III, Master Thermographer by ITC. Thermal and infrared testing (IR) is used to diagnose thermal behavior, and thereby, to assess the integrity of materials, products and processes. IR involves the use of temperature and heat-flow measurement to identify air and thermal control discontinuities as well as potential moisture within building envelope assemblies. A fundamental knowledge of heat flow and the thermal behavior of materials is necessary to understand the significance of temperature and temperature changes on a material.
Infrared thermography is the nondestructive, nonintrusive, noncontact mapping of thermal patterns on the surface of objects. Certification as NDT Level III is determined based on training, examination, and experience. As an NDT Level III, Mr. Shanks is responsible for developing, qualifying and approving procedures, establishing and approving techniques, interpreting codes, standards, specifications and procedures, as well as designating the particular NDT methods, techniques and procedures to be used. He is responsible for the NDT operations interpret and evaluate results in terms of existing codes, standards and specifications.
Mr. Shanks joined ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC earlier this year with more than 40 years of broad industry experience. Mr. Shanks is a Principal in our Building Envelope Department; a Certified Commissioning Authority (CxA) by AABC Commissioning Group (ACG); and an Accredited Building Enclosure Process Provider (BECxP) and Commissioning Authority + Building Enclosure (CxA+BE) by University of Wisconsin-Madison. He currently serves as the Chair for the Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC) of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). Mr. Shanks studied Architectural Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.