Sustainable Buildings: Addressing Long-Term Building Envelope Durability March 28, 2009 Sustainable Buildings: Addressing Long-Term Building Envelope Durability ABSTRACT Green building assessment tools provide a means of measuring the “greenness” of buildings to help building designers make effective decisions regarding long-term sustainability. Because these tools typically are employed during the early phases of the building process, they may tend to place more emphasis on initial building […] Read More
End-of-Service Life Recycling of Thermoplastic Roof Assemblies March 28, 2009 End-of-Service Life Recycling of Thermoplastic Roof Assemblies ABSTRACT Municipalities are increasingly limiting the disposal of construction waste. As roofing material makes up a significant part of construction demolition waste, consultants and other designers need to know the current state of the art regarding both post¬ industrial and post-consumer recycling of roofing materials. Case studies […] Read More
Building Beyond the Code: Practical Challenges and Economic Opportunities March 28, 2009 Building Beyond the Code: Practical Challenges and Economic Opportunities ABSTRACT ASHRAE recently increased the minimum required roof insulation levels in Standard 90.1 – the national energy code for commercial buildings – to R-20, a 33% increase. ASHRAE’s new requirement represents an emerging trend to make all buildings sig¬ nificantly more efficient, and building professionals […] Read More
Rooftop Photovoltaics: How to Save Money on Energy and Avoid Spending It All on Roof Repairs March 28, 2009 Rooftop Photovoltaics: How to Save Money on Energy and Avoid Spending It All on Roof Repairs ABSTRACT The use of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels has increased dramatically and so have problems with the roof coverings over which they are installed. This paper discusses some practical ways that building owners and roof professionals can reap […] Read More
Engineering Performance of Garden Roofs in North (Canadian) Climates: Five Years of Field Data March 27, 2009 Engineering Performance of Garden Roofs in North (Canadian) Climates: Five Years of Field Data ABSTRACT Garden Roof Systems (GRS) are specialized roof systems that support vegetation growth on rooftops. Industry claims that GRSs offer a number of benefits such as longer service life for waterproofing membranes, reduction in the heating/ cooling needs of a building, […] Read More
Designing Building Envelopes: Tips, Tricks, and Lessons Learned March 27, 2009 Designing Building Envelopes: Tips, Tricks, and Lessons Learned ABSTRACT The combination of ever -increasing owner program requirements, focus on energy¬ efficient buildings, and expanded architectural design options makes building con¬ struction more complicated every day. Architectural features, use of multiple wall systems, and integration of new technologies, as well as complex geometries, con¬ stantly […] Read More
Building Science’s Influence Over the Building Codes March 27, 2009 Building Science’s Influence Over the Building Codes ABSTRACT Many changes to the International Residential Code are related to building envelope design recommendations based on recent climate zone designations provided by the International Energy Conservation Code. The building science technical community has long recognized the influence of temperature, precipitation, and humidity on building envelope performance, […] Read More
Metal Roofing from A(luminum) to Z(inc) Part VI: Attachment of Metal Panels February 13, 2009 Editor’s Note: This is the sixth article in a multipart series about metal roofing in today’s market. The series provides an indepth look at materials and their uses, coatings, system designs, and installation techniques. It is reprinted with permission of metalmag. In previous A to Z articles, we have looked into history, materials, finishes, fabrication […] Read More
Plaza Waterproofing and Green Roofing Utilizing Liquid-Applied Reinforced Polymeric Membranes May 15, 2008 At first glance, plaza waterproofing and green roofing might not appear to have much in common. After all, most plazas are at grade level or, at most, a few stories above the ground, while green roofs (garden roofs, landscaped roofs, etc.) are way up on top of the building. Though these applications may appear opposite […] Read More
Green Roof Pulls Double Duty as School Lab May 15, 2008 Green roofs contain living organisms. This provides an exceptional opportunity for consultants to recommend these roofs to school districts for their educational value. What greater good could roofing and waterproofing consultants and their project partners do for their communities than to provide further learning by installing an outdoor green roof experiment for students? Creating a […] Read More
