Ice Ball Impact Resistance of Heat-Aged TPO Roofing Membranes January 08, 2017 INTRODUCTION Single-ply membranes now represent over 50% of the U.S. commercial roofing market, with thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) being the most often used. A recent study of TPO suggests that today’s membrane could perform well past 20 years, and some manufacturers offer warranties out to 35 years for specific high-performance versions.1,2 The weathering of TPO has […] Read More
Climate-Responsive, Evidence-Based Green-Roof Design Decision Support for U.S. Climates January 08, 2017 ABSTRACT A number of trends have recently emerged in the areas of environmental building design and high-performance systems. However, in spite of many design and technical efforts to improve the performance using multiple building enclosure components— especially green roofs—the critical uncertainty of existing mechanisms, such as predefined computational modeling and design guidelines, has frequently resulted […] Read More
Slate Roofing: Innovation in an Old Industry; Part I – Materials and Methods January 08, 2017 Slate has been used as a roofing material in this country for hundreds of years (and many more hundreds of years in Europe). Domestic slate production began in 1734 in the Peach Bottom district of Pennsylvania. Even before that, though, imported slate from Europe was available in the United States, to a limited extent. The […] Read More
On the Edge: Sheet Metal Edge Flashings December 05, 2016 Since its inception, RCI Inc. has had a history of providing world-class educational programs on building envelope topics. Expanding on that tradition of success, the “Architectural Sheet Metal Flashing” course is currently under development and will be ready for presentation at the upcoming RCI International Convention and Trade Show in Anaheim, California, as an auxiliary […] Read More
An Abstract of RCI’s New Architectural Sheet Metal Flashing Course December 05, 2016 Since its inception, RCI Inc. has had a history of providing world-class educational programs on building envelope topics. Expanding on that tradition of success, the “Architectural Sheet Metal Flashing” course is currently under development and will be ready for presentation at the upcoming RCI International Convention and Trade Show in Anaheim, California, as an auxiliary […] Read More
Project Profile: Expansion Joint Curve/Valley Intersection on Metal Roofing – A Case Study December 05, 2016 In February of 2016, NB Handy Company was contacted by the roofing contractor installing the metal roofing assembly on the Academic Instruction Building of the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command at Camp Johnson, a satellite camp of the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC (see the project information in the adjacent box). […] Read More
A Case History Review of ETFE on Today’s Current Projects November 05, 2016 This article is republished from the proceedings of RCI’s Building Envelope Technology Symposium, held October 17-18, 2016, in Houston, Texas. ABSTR ACT ETFE, the fluorocarbon-based polymer ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, is quickly gaining popularity in North America and being used on some of the continent’s most prominent projects. ETFE was developed for architectural purposes in the 1970s, […] Read More
A Revisit of Self-Adhered Roofing Materials November 05, 2016 From 2005 to 2011, three articles focusing on self-adhered (SA) single-ply roofing systems were published in RCI Interface. A decade later, it is time to revisself- adhered roofing systems and see what, if anything, has changed. Why were SA systems created? What are some of the drawbacks of SAs? What are the benefits? Lastly, what […] Read More
Aerogel-Based, Fluid-Applied Coatings: Solution for Thermal Bridging of Steel and Concrete November 05, 2016 Thermal bridging issues facing designers of modern-day buildings have long been a major challenge. With architects searching for more than flat curtainwall designs, as well as trying to satisfy net-zero building requirements, the need for a true “thermal break” has never been greater. This article offers a unique solution to the thermal bridging issue by […] Read More
Nonmetallic Plaster Bases (Lath) in Exterior Portland Cement Plaster (Stucco) November 05, 2016 Exterior Portland cement plaster —or stucco as it’s commonly known—is an above-grade, exterior wall cladding that has been used throughout the world since ancient times. Its popularity on commercial and residential buildings continues to endure for many reasons, including cost-effectiveness, availability, durability, and appearance. Stucco is comprised of a base coat and finish coat that […] Read More
