Internationale Partnersuche

Innovation & Technologie Angebot

Fully automated monitoring and leak detection system for flat-roofed buildings with just-in-time notification

Country of Origin: Austria
Reference Number: TOAT20180806001
Publication Date: 6 August 2018

Summary

An Austrian start-up developed a novel surveillance- and early-warning-system to detect water leakages in flat-roofed buildings to avoid damages caused by water intrusion.
Advantages are (among others): 
- Easy planning & installation 
- Low installation costs
- No maintenance costs
- Fully automated, uninterrupted monitoring
-Just-in-time notification 
-Extending the lifespan of the flat-roof
The company is seeking for license agreements and commercial agreements with technical assistan

Description

1) Statement of the problem:

Water intrusion in flat roofed buildings is causing in Austria alone annualy about 110 Mio € damages (1,500 € / 100 m² flat-roof per year). Properly built flat roofs are waterproof for about 20-40 years, but even those can become water-permeable due to UV-radiation, mechanical injuries, shearing forces, roof planting, birds and further reasons.



Once the sealing is broken at one position the water is intruding into the thermal insulation and builds a pool on top of the water proof vapour barrier -> the thermal isolation is getting wet (sometimes over years), thereby losing its isolating function -> which leads to the replacement of the whole thermal isolation & the whole sealing (~25.000 € / 100 m²).

In those cases where the water penetration remains unknown, the water level can rise up to a height at which the water is entering the building via chimneys, curbs, vertical connections, or laterally at the roofs edges leading to water in walls, electrical control boxes, floors, fitted wardrobes -> restoration of substantial parts of the building necessary. 



2) Description of the innovative solution

The described financial costs and adverse effects caused by restoration measures can be easily avoided with monitoring systems. 



Currently two alternative systems are available on the market. One of these systems is causing similiar installation costs without measuring water intrusion directly but combining parameters such as humidity, °C, shade, season of the year. Consequently maintenance contracts have to be signed with specialists to ensure proper monitoring. The other system also works fully automated but causes higher costs by the factor six, excluding monthly fees for GSM.



The novel technology developed by the Austrian company consists of a cable (40, 60 or 100 m) with integrated sensors. This cable is flexible and is simply laid on top of the vapour barrier according to a pre- defined plan. The thermal isolation, the sealing and the gravel/plantings are put on top of the sensor cable. The sensor cable is connected to a communication unit in the electronic control box via a 50 m cable. Each communication unit can be connected with up to 4 sensor cables (450 m²). The monitoring system runs plug&play, since the communication unit only has to be connected to a lan cabel and an energy supply. In case of a water leakage, an e-mail is sent out containing information about the wet section in a groundplan. Subsequently the thermal isolation can be opened locally (4-5m²), the water can be removed with a towel and the old thermal isolation can be put again on top of the sensor cable. Sealing of the 4-5 m² is the last step of the process.



3) Awards:

2017 Upper Austrian Award for technology-orientated ideas

2018 International SmartHome Award Germany



4) Partner sought:

- Wholesalers with an exisiting network in the construction business. With these partners a license agreement is sought.

- Any kind of company with skilled workers willing to implement the proposed surveillance system (tinsmith, flat roof construction company, prefabricated house manufacturer, electrician, building enterprise, general contractor). With these partners a commercial agreement with technical assistance is sought.

Advantages and Innovations

1) Advantages for a potential cooperation partner:

- Additional revenues: Gross margin 360 € / 100 m²   100 min working time

- Minimizing risks: Minimizing financial consequences (indemnity claims) in case of construction defects

- Documentary evidence: Documentation in case of subsequent damaging of the sealing by other companies (e.g. during  construction works on the facade).

- Easy planning & installation (plug&play)



2) Advantages for the owner of a flat-roof:

- Easy planning & installation (plug&play)

- Low installation costs: 2,500 € / 100 m²

- No maintenance costs

- Minimizing medium-term costs: Restoration costs of 500 € instead of > 25,000 € / 100m² 

- Minimizing adverse effects caused by restoration measures

- Fully automated, uninterrupted monitoring

- Just-in-time notification in case of a leakage

- Precise localisation of a leakage (4-5 m²)

- Universally applicable: Independent of physical roof structure, sealing type and shape of the building

- Easy combinability with smart home applications



3) Environmentally friendly:

- Resource-saving: Near to zero resources needed for restoration measures

Stage Of Development

Already on the market

Stage Of Development Comment

Prototypes (close-to-production) were already successfully installed on flat roofs.



Installations of sensors from mass-production will begin in the month of October 2018.

Requested partner

The Austrian company is looking for:

1) Any kind of company with skilled workers willing to implement the proposed surveillance system (tinsmith, flat roof construction company, prefabricated house manufacturer, electrician, building enterprise, general contractor). With these partners a commercial agreement with technical assistance is sought.

2) Wholesalers with an exisiting network in the construction business. With these partners a license agreement is sought.



The Austrian company provides initial trainings (on-site, (online)tutorials, product description). 



The Austrian company aims to get in contact with cooperation partners in Europe. Nevertheless partners are welcome from all over the world. 

In Austria exclusive licences are already granted with two companies.

Dissemination Countries

Canada, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, United Kingdom, USA