Quantitative Heat Transfer for Low-Slope Roof Membranes May 15, 2018 3 8 • RC I I n t e r f a c e Ma rc h 2 0 1 8 Editor’s note: This paper was originally published in the Proceedings of the RCI Building Envelope Technology Symposium in October 2014. INTRODUCTION Current energy and hygrothermal modeling programs account for the three forms of heat […] Read More
Recruit at the Workforce Frontier: Women and Millennials May 15, 2018 Aproblem we see for construction stakeholders is that they often try to solve current workforce development problems in the same way that they have successfully solved other problems: by implementing localized change and remaining true to the recruiting and operating practices that have made them successful. Recruiting through both high school and college alumni associations, […] Read More
Innovating a New Future With Single-Ply Roofing May 15, 2018 Innovation enables an industry to change and adapt to external environments and thereby enhance its performance. Innovation is driven in the roofing industry, in part, because of healthy competition and strong demand at all levels. This article explores innovation as a response to changing influences that impact the roofing industry. The single-ply roofing industry has […] Read More
Vegetative Roofs: A Problem, or the Future? May 15, 2018 1 0 • RC I I n t e r f a c e A p ri l 2 0 1 8 As a roofing technology, vegetative roofs have been widely installed in the United States for only about the last 20 years. The market acceptance of vegetative roofing continues, and the industry has gradually […] Read More
The Building Maker May 15, 2018 Let’s face it: our industry is broken. Design/bid/build (DBB), the predominant method of constructing new buildings, is inefficient and delivers a flawed product. By design, the DBB process promotes compartmentalization, disjointed communication, and conflict. We all know it and complain about it every day. And what is done about it? We add more processes to […] Read More
Air Intrusion vs. Air Leakage May 15, 2018 The majority of low-sloped roofs are constructed as conventional membrane roofing assemblies (membrane above insulation). Currently, four types of conventional assemblies are typically in use: • Mechanically attached assembly, • Loose-laid, ballasted assembly, • Fully bonded assembly (insulationfastened and membrane-adhered), and • Adhesive-applied assembly (all components fully adhered). Approximately one fourth of North American low-slope/commercial […] Read More
Beyond Savings: Building Energy Codes Drive Important Benefits to States and Cities May 15, 2018 Building energy codes set minimum requirements to support the construction and renovation of energy-efficient buildings. While energy codes can drive energy and cost savings during the operation of a building, their criteria also deliver a multitude of benefits that can improve the communities within which energy-efficient buildings sit or the lives of occupants who use […] Read More
Adding Air Barrier and Thermal Improvements to Existing Facilities May 15, 2018 In the United States, buildings consume about $200 billion in energy costs each year, representing a significant portion of our nation’s energy use and carbon footprint. While the energy efficiency of new buildings has improved dramatically over the last two decades, more than 70% of the building stock in the U.S. is over 20 years […] Read More
