The Fundamentals of Design for Proper Energy Conservation May 15, 2015 PROPER ENERGY CONSERVATION DESIGN Energy consumption in buildings can be reduced by designing more energyefficient building components. Reducing a building’s energy usage lowers utility bills, benefits the environment, and also makes occupants more comfortable. Many of these energy-efficient building components interface with the building envelope, requiring understanding of building envelope design and energy-engineering best practices. […] Read More
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration for Single-Ply Roofing May 15, 2015 INTRODUCTION The environmental impact of a product can be modeled and measured using life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA is governed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14000 environmental management standards (specifically, ISO 14040 and ISO 14044), under which it is defined as “an objective process to evaluate the environmental burdens associated with a product, […] Read More
Achieving Building Enclosure Performance Through Energy Modeling and Commissioning May 15, 2015 Sustained emphasis on building energy performance has spurred industry professionals to widen the spectrum of building systems considered in planning for building performance. Various aspects of the building enclosure have been found to have significant effects on energy efficiency, which has led to a trend among building codes and other standards focused on improving performance. […] Read More
Quantifying the Hydrological Performance of Extensive Vegetative Roofs March 17, 2015 Quantifying the Hydrological Performance of Extensive Vegetative Roofs Jenny Hill, Matt Perotto, and Catherine Yoon GRIT Lab, Daniels Faculty of Architecture Landscape and Design, University of Toronto 230 College street, Toronto, on, Canada M5T 1R2 Phone: 416-524-3469 • e-mail: matt.perotto@mail.utoronto.ca 3 0 t h RC I I n t e R n a t I […] Read More
The Great Debate: Nonreflective vs Reflective Roofing Membranes March 16, 2015 The Great Debate: Nonreflective vs. Reflective Roofing Membranes Robert Anderson Firestone Building Products 250 W. 96th st., Indianapolis, In 46260 Phone: 317-833-5491 • fax: 317-428-5685 • e-mail: andersonrobert@firestonebp.com 3 0 t h RC I I n t e R n a t I o n a l C o n v e n t I […] Read More
Quantitative Heat Transfer for Low-Slope Roof Membranes November 16, 2014 Quantitative Heat Transfer for Low-Slope Roof Membranes Mathew Dupuis, PhD, PE Structural Research Inc. 3207 Laura Lane, Middleton, WI 53562 Phone: 608-831-5333 • Fax: 608-831-6295 • E-mail: mdupuis@sri-engineering.com S y m p o s i u m o n B u i l d i n g E n v e l o p e […] Read More
The Fundamentals of Design for Proper Energy Conservation November 16, 2014 The Fundamentals of Design for Proper Energy Conservation Karim P. Allana, PE, RR C, RW C, and Alex Kaffk a All ana Buick & Bers, Inc. 990 Commercial Street, Palo Alto, CA 94303 Phone: 650-543-5600 • Fax: 650-543-5645 • E-mail: bd@abbae.com S y m p o s i u m o n B u i […] Read More
TiO2: A Key Ingredient to a Long-Lasting Reflective Roof May 15, 2014 Cool roofs: Although some believe them to be a relatively new phenomenon, the truth is, they have been around for a long time—decades for sure, and perhaps for centuries. In many warm-weather countries such as Greece, Spain, and Bermuda, folks have long been painting their roofs white and have understood the benefits of reflecting the […] Read More
A Fast, Solid, High-Efficiency Wall: Insulating Concrete Forms Offer An Affordable Wall System With High Performance May 15, 2014 The concept of insulating concrete form (ICF) construction is simple and elegant: Configure a high-performance insulating material to act as stay-in-place formwork for casting a concrete wall. The concrete is cast in place in a continuous channel at the perimeter of the building; it becomes a solid, structurally robust, airtight wall. The formwork becomes high-efficiency […] Read More
Entrapped Moisture… But This is a LEED Gold Building May 15, 2014 There has been much written recently about the presence of entrapped moisture within a roof assembly. No less than five informative and cautionary articles/bulletins have been written and published within the last four years about the moisture within newly placed concrete and its effect when a roof assembly is installed.1,2,3,4,5 These articles and bulletins discuss […] Read More
