BEAM PROCEDURES OVERVIEW
Building Envelope Testing Reinvented

Furthering industry innovation, the BEAM procedures address critical gaps in traditional QAQC methods by offering scalable, practical, and data-rich solutions for building envelope performance evaluation.

Open Source Solutions for Building Assessments

Building envelope air, water, and thermal performance are vital to durability, maintenance costs, occupant comfort, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency of the built environment. However, current field testing and inspection processes often fall short, failing to effectively identify quality risks and deficiencies. Consequently, buildings are increasingly delivered with latent issues and unanticipated maintenance and energy cost exposure.

In response to this growing challenge, we developed open-source field testing procedures to equip the AEC community and other stakeholders with practical, accessible tools for evaluating building envelope performance. These freely available methods are designed to provide digestible instructions to promote wider adoption and execution, and to empower the indistry to better assess building envelope performance in the modern environment.

Advancing Industry Standards

At Hightower Labs, we are proud to contribute innovative, industry-leading solutions for building envelope assessment and quality control. Our Building Envelope Assessment and Measurement (BEAM) suite of procedures provide data informing reviews for water-resistivity, air tightness, durability, and energy efficiency. By providing conclusive and actionable data, these procedures help stakeholders make informed decisions and drive better building performance.

Below, you’ll find an overview of all seven BEAM procedures, including the completed and published BEAM03 procedure and other methodologies currently in development.

Licensing Disclaimer

The BEAM procedures, including BEAM03 and all associated documents and resources, are provided under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

By accessing or using these materials, you agree to the following terms:

Attribution Requirements:
- You must provide appropriate credit to Hightower Labs, Inc. as the creator of the BEAM procedures.
- Include a clear reference to the specific procedure (e.g., BEAM03) and, where reasonable and possible, a hyperlink to the original procedure page or source.
- Include a link to the CC BY 4.0 license.

Permissions:
- You are free to share, copy, and redistribute the materials in any medium or format.
- You may adapt, remix, transform, and build upon the materials for any purpose, including commercial use.

Restrictions:
- You may not impose additional legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
- You must indicate if changes were made to the original materials and, if so, clearly describe them.
- For questions regarding licensing or attribution requirements, or to provide feedback on the BEAM procedures, please contact us.

NOTEWORTHY FROM HTL

Independent studies, industry papers, slideshows, video presentations, and other content benefiting those in the industry with the patience to read five pages, and diagrams for the developers.

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  ASTM E783 AND ALL-GLASS FACADES

  January 18, 2023/ By Bill Bahn

  Industry-wide, invalid and improperly executed ASTM E783 test data are not providing a reliably accurate accounting of the building's air-tightness on window wall and curtain wall systems comprising the majority of envelopes built this century and, consequently, building stakeholders are blind to their property's performance.

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  SSG ITEMS OF CONCERN

  February 29, 2024/ By Bill Bahn

  In this Notes From The Field article, HTL checks in on the U.S. construction industry's widespread use and mis-use of structural glazing systems.

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  BEAM03 PROCEDURE INTRODUCTION

  January 30, 2025/ By Bill Bahn

  The BEAM03 procedure introduces a novel approach to evaluating building envelope water resistivity, addressing critical gaps in traditional QAQC practices. BEAM03 delivers reliable, repeatable data for assessing large-scale envelope performance, including complex geometries and system transitions.