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Newsletter
Past Issues
12th Edition
Online Newsletter Articles,
March 2009
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Reflections on the Window Wall
The glazed aluminum window wall
synonymous with high-rise, multi-family residential construction reflects a
continuing trend toward transparency within the practice of architecture,
more typical of its commercial office building context. Through the window
walls' aesthetic association to curtain wall, it appears to have created for
itself a cost-driven niche throughout major United States cities, yet clear
performance criteria and comprehensive details are still needed to ensure a
successful project.
By:
Fiona Aldous, Wiss, Janney,
Elster Associates, Inc
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Managing Moisture Risk – A risk management approach to moisture in building
enclosures
The design intent of any building is to prevent
moisture accumulation within the enclosure; notwithstanding, problems still
occur when there is inadequate design details, workmanship, construction
sequencing, and/or supervision.
The risk of moisture
accumulation in building assemblies becomes increasingly less tolerable with
the adoption of less robust building materials – specifically those which
are moisture sensitive. In particular, concerns for mould have pushed this
issue from the realm of building science to a public health issue, and
unnecessarily so…
By: Kevin Day, Building Science and Cladding
Specialist, Halsall Associates Ltd
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Envelope
Integrity for Factory
Built Houses
It’s a grey, cold, windy day in March. The rain is
icy-- and you’re shingling. You hum to yourself as you stand up on the dry
plywood deck to stretch your back for a bit. Around you framers, electricians,
plumbers and drywallers are hard at work—no landscapers though. You must be in
heaven! Angels hover over head—well, maybe those are ceiling fans. It’s another
workday in a housing factory.
About the Author
Ken Rauch is a building technologist with 23
years of service with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in various
technical and building code related positions in Manitoba and at CMHC’s National
Office in Ottawa. Since his retirement in 1997, he has assisted the Canadian
Codes Centre, NRC with an Intent Analysis of the requirements National Building
Code in preparation for the Objective-Based 2005 NBC and has contributed several
code-related articles to this Forum. He makes his home in Cobourg, Ontario. Ken
can be contacted by e-mail at ken.rauch@sympatico.ca
By: Ken Rauch,
Building
Technologist
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Understanding Drainage Planes
Controlling rain is the single most important factor
in the design and construction of durable buildings and in the control of mold.
Drainage planes are used in the design and construction of building enclosures
to control rain. All exterior claddings pass some rainwater. Siding leaks, brick
leaks, stucco leaks, stone leaks, etc. As such, some control of this penetrating
rainwater is required. In most walls, this penetrating rainwater is controlled
by the drainage plane that directs the penetrating water downwards and outwards.
By:
Joseph Lstiburek, Principal,
Building Science Corporation |
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11th Edition Online Newsletter Articles,
March 2008
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Can you Believe Energy Savings Forecasts
The relationship between high performance building
envelopes and improved energy efficiency, especially lower energy operating
costs per square foot, has been accepted for some time by most engineers in
the building envelope fraternity, but forecasting the energy and cost
savings has been at best an inexact science. This article reports on the
results of air sealing of a high rise building using new energy forecasting
tools. The method that was used to forecast the results was very successful.
This article should be of interest to property owners.
By:
Tony Woods, President, Canam Building Envelope Specialists Inc.
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Building Bird Strike
Minimization: Analysis of Applicable Technologies
While the incidence of strike related mortality
between birds and windows is well documented there has been a limited amount
of attention placed upon prevention. The purpose of this review is to
analyze the many strategies related to bird exclusion and strike
minimization utilized in a variety of disciplines to determine those best
suited for architectural applications. Furthermore, the research required
to effectively deploy a given strategy is discussed.
By:
Roderick Bates, Researcher, Kieran Timberlake Associates
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Balancing the Control of Heat,
Air, Moisture, and Competing Interests
The premature deterioration of multi-unit
residential buildings in the Lower Mainland of BC due to rainwater
penetration has been well documented in the past 10 years (Morrison
Hershfield 1996, RDH 2001, Lawton 2004). Consequently, rehabilitation
designs for such buildings focus on eliminating rainwater penetration as a
damage mechanism.
By:
Patrick
J. Roppel,
Building Science Consultant, Morrison Hershfield Ltd.
Mark
D. Lawton,
Sr. Building Scientist Specialist, Morrison Hershfield Ltd.
Brian Hubbs,
Sr. Building Scientist Specialist,
RDH Building Engineering Ltd.
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Surface and
Subsurface Water
Minimizing the Potential for Damage to Buildings:
Requirements in the National Building Code of Canada 2005
Ken walks us trough the
National Building Code requirements for surface and
subsurface water for foundations, crawl spaces and slab on grade.
By: Ken Rauch,
Building
Technologist |
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Reducing Heat Loss
in Residential Construction: The Insulated Electrical Outlet Box
Insulation materials and
techniques have improved rapidly to meet the growing demand. To help in this
area, a new technology, the Insulated Electrical Box®, is being patented by a
North Carolina firm, IBC, (Insulation Business Consultants), of Brevard
By: Dan Thompson,
Business
Consultant |
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This article
focuses on another class of thermal model that has yet to be widely applied, but
that deserves to be—3D models of heat flow in envelope details (or 4D, if you
count time). This is very useful information and helps to answer a lot of
questions of design.
By:
James B. Posey, Specification Writer & Consultant |
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The Differences Between a
Lexus and a Camry—A Comparison of the Performance Characteristics of Medium
(MDSPF) and Light Density (LDSPF) Sprayed Polyurethane Foam Insulation
This article
explains the differences, applications and limitations of two different types of
Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation. SPF is available
in two basic types – LDSPF – open cell, light density (between 7.37 kg/m3
and 8.47 kg/m3, often referred to as "1/2 lb" foam) and MDSPF –
closed cell, medium density (between 30.4 kg/m3 and 35.5 kg/m3,
often referred to as 2lb foam).
By: Mike Richmond,
Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors Association
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10th Edition Online Newsletter Articles,
October 2007
Loads on Environmental
Separators:
A review of Provisions in
Part 5 of the National Building Code 2005
This article will review
The National
Building Code, in Part 5 Environmental Separation,
and how it lays out its expectations
clearly.
By:
Ken Rauch,
Building
Technologist
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Evaluating the Field Performance of Windows and Curtain Walls of Large
Buildings
This article focuses on evaluating the field performance of windows and
curtain walls of large buildings 1) during the early stages of
construction to validate as-built design and 2) during later
construction stages as a quality control measure. Large scale field
testing to assess building envelope performance in large buildings will
be demonstrated through several practical case study examples.
By:
Mario D. Gonçalves, President, Patenaude-Trempe
Robert Jutras, President, Air-Ins Inc.
Michael Velji, Principal, VP Engineering
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Raising the Roof - Cold applied Modified Bitumen Membranes
Modified bitumen membranes have been widely used throughout Canada for
well over thirty years. A market survey conducted by CRCA in
collaboration with NRCA revealed that SBS modified bitumen membrane (MBM)
applications accounted for one half of the low-slope roofing sales of
the survey respondents in 2000 and 2001 (Canadian Roofing Contractors’
Association 2000-2001 Annual Market Survey).
By: Peter Kalinger,
Technical Director,Canadian Roofing
Contractors Association
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Assessing the Effect of Attic Moisture in Wood Framed Multi-Unit Row
Housing Blocks
This article discusses the various solutions experienced in the
prevention of moisture accumulation inherent to multi unit low-rise wood
frame construction.
By:
Rene Boucher,
President, R.R. Boucher, Design and Construction
"A Better Building"
This article looks at
Jean-Claude Perreault and his contribution to the construction industry
and the impact he has made on his dedication to the air barrier of the
building.
By: Francois Perreault, President,
BPA
building Performance Analysts Ltd
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Building
Envelope Forum is published by York
Communications/MMPI, the owners of the Construction
Law Update News Bulletin, Canadian Apartment Investment Report, and Real
Estate Forum.
York
Communications/MMPI
also produces Canada’s largest
expositions and conferences for design, construction, and real estate
management professionals including Construct Canada, HomeBuilder
& Renovator Expo, Concrete Canada, PM Expo, DesignTrends,
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details, see our website at www.yorkcommunications.ca.
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