The Imperative of Climate-Responsive Design: Legal Implications for Building Enclosure Professionals February 21, 2025 The Imperative of Climate-Responsive Design: Legal Implications for Building Enclosure Professionals Feature By Yvonne Castillo Interface articles may cite trade, brand, or product names to specify or describe adequately materials, experimental procedures, and/or equipment. In no case does such identification imply recommendation or endorsement by the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC). THE […] Read More
Building Success: Collaborative Strategies for Retrofits on Occupied Buildings February 21, 2025 Retrofits Strategies ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2024, at the IIBEC/ OBEC BES in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a panel discussion took place between Sal Alajek, project director at WSP Canada Inc.; Babita Singh, project manager at Home Depot of Canada Inc.; and Jim McKillip, senior regional account manager at Atlas-Apex Roofing Inc. The main purpose of this […] Read More
Three Decades of Scientific Advancement to the North American Roofing Community January 08, 2025 SIGDERS ON NOVEMBER 16, 1994, members of the roofing community met at the National Research Council Canada (NRC) and formed a group with a common focus of evaluating roofing systems under dynamic environment. Thus, a Special Interest Group on Dynamic Evaluation of Roofing Systems (SIGDERS) was created. The mandate of SIGDERS joint research program is […] Read More
Roof-Mounted Solar: ROI and Best Practices January 08, 2025 Solar PV THE USE OF solar pv in building design is sharply on the rise. When considering adding rooftop solar, knowing what information is needed up front, planning the solar PV system design for optimal power production, and utilizing quality materials to secure the system for its lifetime are essential. But what information is needed […] Read More
An Updated Holistic Look at Old Assumptions: Insights from Three New Studies on Roof Albedo January 08, 2025 Cool Roof THE GROWING AWARENESS of climate change, as well as the related issues of urban heat islands and steadily increasing energy costs, has led to a growing interest in the effectiveness of reflective, or “cool” roofs (i.e., roofs that are designed to reflect more sunlight and therefore absorb less solar energy than a conventional […] Read More
Unmasking the Layers: A Journey Through a Masonry Reclad Litigation Case Study December 09, 2024 IN LATE 2016, there were initial owner reports of water infiltration and facade distress at a five-story mixed retail-office facility at a highly visible public plaza area, referred to herein as “the building.” The owner initially hired a contractor to perform waterproofing repairs at the manufactured stone facade of the building. While performing these repairs, […] Read More
Reviving the Concrete Giants: The Role of Structures as Building Enclosures December 09, 2024 Concrete Framing THE VAST INVENTORY of existing buildings with exposed concrete framing will inevitably require repairs. For concrete-frame buildings where the exposed structure also serves as the building enclosure, deterioration can result in structural issues and fall hazards, in addition to Reviving the Concrete Giants: The Role of Structures as Building Enclosures Feature ©2024 International […] Read More
Restoration of Historic Temple Emanu-El December 09, 2024 Temple Emanu-El TEMPLE EMANU-EL IS a synagogue that is a prominent landmark in the East Side neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The Temple complex consists of the original domed sanctuary built in 1927 designed by the then Boston-based firm Krokyn & Brown, an education building built in 1953, and a meeting house built in 1959 […] Read More
Cold-Weather Condensation Problems in Fully Insulated Low-Slope Roof Systems to Meet NFPA 13 Requirements November 07, 2024 INTRODUCTION The authors have investigated numerous failures in low-slope roof systems installed over insulated framing spaces. In many cases, these failures are severe, involving decay and structural failure of the roof sheathing and top chords of wood roof trusses (Fig. 1), even in climate zones with relatively moderate winter temperatures. A recent increase in the […] Read More
Roof Decks A to Z Part 19: Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) November 07, 2024 ROOF Decks A to Z THE STRENGTH AND versatility of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) have long been recognized for concrete repair, such as in parking deck rehabilitation (Fig. 1) and bridge pier wrap. Moreover, FRP can be fabricated into structural framing shapes, industrial grating, cable trays, channels, angles, tubes, and rods. These varied shapes are called […] Read More
