MDC Services

A safer, more cost-effective solution for building envelope performance

Our innovative services driven by drone technology and AI deliver a game-changing solution for evaluating building envelopes. The difference? The ability to identify crucial maintenance items with greater ease and efficiency.

Drone-enabled building surveys

MDC’s innovative technology leverages existing drone technology to gather information about the state of a building envelope faster, cheaper, and safer than the traditional approach. While drone imaging is available through other providers, MDC pushes this technology further with corporate flight standards that ensure legal and safe flight operations and consistency across drone operators.

AI-Enabled Diagnostics

MDC has incorporated artificial intelligence into the diagnostic phase of the service. Starting with roofs, our vast experience and understanding of different problem types across the various types of Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) and shingled roofs was the basis for training an AI model to recognize specific problems from images taken by the drones.

Integrated Data

MDC has the data infrastructure to capture, process and communicate to the client about the state of their building envelopes with options and recommendations.

The power of MDC’s innovative services become apparent when working at scale with building portfolio managers who are responsible for dozens to thousands of buildings. Examples of where MDC’s services optimize operations include:

  • Assisting portfolio managers who are looking to optimize seasonal maintenance and capital spending over the next fiscal quarters
  • Helping to prioritize work crews following a significant weather event
  • Confirming that a roof is clear following construction/repair/maintenance

MDC will help to make the best decisions with timely and complete information that’s not possible through traditional methods.

We invite you to contact us to explore how our innovative drone plus AI-based solutions can revolutionize your building maintenance efforts.

MDC Services – Benefits

Our technology and subject matter experts integrate drones, data and AI-enabled diagnostics to report on building performance from a maintenance and sustainability perspective. We use drones with multiple types of sensors to fly your sites and capture all the relevant building information, process the data through an AI system trained to diagnose problems, and report on the identified problems, GPS located and quantified by risk, with maintenance and repair recommendations. The technology-enabled process means the diagnostics and reporting are always consistent and comprehensive.

Working at heights is among the top categories of workplace injuries and deaths. Roofing work often requires repair technicians to work in extremely dangerous weather conditions that exacerbate risk. MDC’s services provide two key health and safety benefits:

  • Reduced requirement for working at heights through drone-enabled surveys which also increase the consistency and efficiency of the survey activity; and,
  • Increased proactive repairs by identifying and fixing problems early and during favorable weather conditions. By avoiding emergency situations through proactive detection and triage of deficiencies, we achieve safer and more cost-effective maintenance and repairs.

ICI Roofing is a multi-billion dollar industry annually in Canada, with the vast majority of spending directed to large capital roof replacement projects. There are many factors that impact roof life including proper installation and maintenance, which are prominently featured in the terms and conditions of roofing product warranties.

MDC’s service offerings focus on proactive problem detection and maintenance service solutions supporting the ICI roofing industry, and extend to the full building envelope. Our innovative use of technology makes these services more accessible at scale, and in a cost-effective manner, while also reducing the workplace risks involved.

Economic benefits come in multiple forms including:

  • Reduced capital expenditures on large roof replacement projects through prolonging roof life via proactive diagnostic and repair of problems
  • Optimized maintenance expenditures, as better information on the state of roof assets supports decisions on maintenance resource deployment (send the crews where they’re needed, with the necessary materials).
  • Reduced costly and disruptive emergency repairs by fixing problems proactively, once, and without the need for off-hours technicians during inclement weather
  • Minimized operational disruptions due to leaks and related issues like mold and accidents due to wet, slippery surfaces

Increasing the service life of ICI roofing assets generates clear immediate and long-term, direct and indirect economic benefits as well as supporting important Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) priorities.

The North American industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) roofing industry’s environmental impact is outsized and incredibly harmful. The Athena Sustainable Materials Institute estimated, in a 2007 study, that ICI roofing waste from roof replacements represents approximately 300,000 tonnes of waste annually in Canada. The importance of proper maintenance is prominently featured in the terms and conditions of roofing product warranties, and improper maintenance continues to be a key reason for shortening ICI roof life. Further, ICI buildings represent over 40% of energy usage in Canada, with energy efficiency initiatives featuring as corporate and government priorities everywhere.

MDC’s innovative service offerings focus on problem detection and proactive maintenance service solutions with a variety of positive environmental benefits including:

  • Reducing the environmental impact of ICI roofing waste by prolonging the economic life of ICI roofs
  • Reducing energy loss across the building envelope through thermal imaging survey, diagnostics and maintenance actions
  • Reducing the carbon footprint of maintenance activity across a portfolio of buildings through the innovative use of technology

The environmental case is compelling. In addition to the economic benefits of maintaining and prolonging the life of the building envelope to building owners, and the safety benefits to the roofing workforce through reducing unnecessary foot traffic on roofs, every year added to the average life of ICI roofing in Canada represents a reduction of 15,000 tonnes of roofing waste in Canada annually.

Our innovations provide a consistent, timely and cost-effective service, enabling a clear picture of building envelope performance and maintenance priorities across the full scale of your building portfolio. Dynamic access to the information about your building portfolio enables data-driven decisions on operational maintenance and capital spending priorities.