Buildings That Breathe
February 01, 2020
Barcelona’s Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) has undertaken a project examining the benefits of hydroceramic façades as a means of cooling down buildings in hot countries. Known as “breathing” buildings, the technology uses an insoluble polymer called “hydrogel,” fabric as a water channel, and ceramics. The hydrogel, it is claimed, can expand its […]
Façade Stabilization: Expect the Unexpected
August 01, 2019
By Stefan Nespoli, PEng Setting the Stage of Uncertainty Consider a nine-story high-rise multi-unit residential property constructed circa 1990 with a failing concrete brick façade. Due to areas of brick cracking and walls out of plumb, the owner had originally engaged a contractor to perform retrofit helical brick tie installation. For a variety of reasons—including […]
AAMA Updates Standard for Liquid-Applied Flashing for Exterior Wall Openings
August 01, 2019
The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) has released an updated specification establishing minimum performance requirements for liquid-applied flashing used to provide water-resistive seals around exterior wall openings in buildings that include fenestration products, such as windows and doors, as well as other through-wall penetrations. AAMA 714-19, Voluntary Specification for Liquid Applied Flashing Used to Create […]
Evaluating the Adequacy of Siding Attachment
July 01, 2019
By John C. Wylie, REWC, PE; and Derek A. Hodgin, RBEC, PE, CDT, CCCA Introduction There are six sides to a building that engineers, architects, and consultants must consider during the design phase of a project. A key element is the design and installation of the exterior wall cladding on four of those six sides. […]
Window Receptors: Notes From the Field
March 03, 2019
By Don Kilpatrick The popularity of condominium living in large metropolitan areas has engendered a well-established part of our cityscapes, with fierce competition to see who can deliver the best views, towering over adjacent buildings, boroughs, coastlines, and parks. Those with means can freely invest in housing with million-dollar views. Developers and builders, however, often […]
ABBAE Reports Condo Window Crack Caused by Exterior Impact
January 01, 2019
Allana Buick & Bers (ABBAE), an architectural engineering firm specializing in forensic investigation and engineering of curtainwalls, exterior façades, and other building envelope assemblies, was hired by the Millennium Tower Association to study a cracked window glass in Unit 36B of the San Francisco residential high-rise that some suspected of being caused by settling and […]
How Stuck is the Stucco? A Method for Measurement and Analysis
October 01, 2018
By Matthew Innocenzi Stucco is a popular and versatile cladding material that is commonly found in the southern United States. The application of stucco can be broken into two key categories, depending on the substrate to which it is applied: (1) direct-applied stucco and (2) stucco over lath. In the former application, stucco is applied […]