Supporting Enclosure Performance Across a $515 Million Health Education Campus

Technical Assurance was engaged by Cleveland Clinic, in partnership with Case Western Reserve University, to provide waterproofing consulting and testing services for the new Health Education Campus in Cleveland, Ohio. The approximately 485,000-square-foot, $515 million campus was developed to create an integrated environment for healthcare education and collaborative learning.

Technical Assurance’s work ultimately encompassed two complementary assignments: waterproofing consulting for the broader campus development and Fundamental Building Enclosure Commissioning for the 129,000-square-foot Dental Clinic.

Verifying Below-Grade Waterproofing Installation

Technical Assurance provided part-time waterproofing consulting and testing services during construction of the Health Education Campus. The team monitored installation of the MiraClay EF waterproofing system to verify that construction met the design specifications and supported a watertight building enclosure.

The waterproofing portion of Technical Assurance’s work was completed in 2017.

Extending Enclosure Verification to the Dental Clinic

Technical Assurance was also contracted to perform Fundamental Building Enclosure Commissioning for the campus’s 129,000-square-foot Dental Clinic, which includes clinical areas and collaborative learning environments. BECx services extended from Design Development through Construction Administration as part of the project’s pursuit of LEED Silver certification.

The commissioning process included review and evaluation of technical specifications, construction details, enclosure design principles, LEED requirements, constructability, system costs, and value-engineering considerations. Technical Assurance also evaluated transitions among foundations, roofs, walls, and fenestration systems to support continuity throughout the building enclosure.

Evaluating Enclosure Systems for Long-Term Performance

Technical Assurance’s review considered thermal performance, building code and wind-load requirements, air infiltration, water penetration, secondary barriers, and exterior drainage. The team also evaluated conditions affecting enclosure performance over time, including building-frame movement, structural tolerances, thermal movement, and mitigation of ice and snow accumulation.

BECx services for the Dental Clinic were completed in 2019, concluding Technical Assurance’s enclosure consulting work across the multi-year campus development.