Past Meetings

Typical industry standard recommendation for slate replacement is at a 20% or more failure threshold. There are no field or lab tests that currently predict the remaining lifespan of existing weathered slate. However, ASTM C406 Standard Specification for Roofing Slate establishes the “grade” of new roofing slate, associated with projected life expectancy. Peter Meijer Architect PC sent slate samples to several labs to conduct C120 Standard Test Methods of Flexure Testing of Slate, C121 Standard Test Method for Water Absorption of Slate, and C217 Standard Test Method for Weather Resistance of Slate. These test results gave a gauge to the existing slate’s performance. A critical aspect of determining the life expectancy of archaic/older material is understanding the limitations associated with modern ASTM test methods. ASTM standards are not always accurate predictors of slate quality but are good sources of empirical data. Peter Meijer Architect PC used our experience and broadened our research into longevity by including testing means and methods from Europe and other countries with a longer history of slate testing. The standards in use on the market to certify slate are the British Standard Institute, BS EN 12326-1:2014, Slate and Stone for Discontinuous Roofing and External Cladding, and the United States ASTM C406.

Peter Meijer. principal, has over 30 years of professional experience with an emphasis on the preservation and assessment of older, existing, and historic buildings. As a professional architect with a background in scientific research, He has developed his career with a focus on the unique building sciences associated with existing and historic resources. He has become a well-regarded expert on the diverse issues affecting older buildings both regionally and nationally.

Hali Knight has 10 years of professional experience, primarily with a focus on restoration and building enclosure design for existing and historic structures. While at Peter Meijer Architect PC (PMA), she has led many projects that include assessments and repair recommendations for historic materials such as masonry, slate, and terra cotta. Many of PMA's projects use material testing and on-site evaluation as tools to direct building enclosure repair methodologies and priorities. In addition to restoration work, she has worked on several large-scale renovation projects that include seismic upgrades and tenant improvements.  

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LEED v5 introduces innovative changes that enhance building performance by emphasizing decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation. This presentation will address the new Fundamental and Enhanced Commissioning requirements for building enclosures, comparing them to LEED v4 and v4.1. Featuring insights from an EA TAG member involved in the development process, the session aims to debunk myths about the new requirements, provide implementation strategies, and promote wider adoption of BECx within the LEED v5 Rating System.

Steve is a building science specialist with over 24 years of experience who focuses on passive design, energy efficiency and material resiliency which help create sustainable and durable buildings. He has extensive experience in both building enclosure consulting and enclosure commissioning having provided building enclosure services on high performance building projects across multiple market sectors on projects in the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe and China.

He is a LEED Fellow and serves on the USGBC LEED Energy and Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group focused on development and implementation of LEED v5. Steve is also actively involved in research and publications on improving consulting practices and the science of building enclosures with a focus on the connection between passive and active energy systems in buildings.  

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This course provides an overview of sheet metal detailing and fabrication, including a review of the SMACNA manual. The presentation will take an in depth look at the fabrication process, industry standards for selection of gauge and material for various applications, and common deviations from industry practices in construction documents.

James Slater has worked in the Architectural Sheet Metal industry for over 25 years and is the current Director for the Architectural Metal Division at McKinstry Co overseeing operations throughout the greater PNW region. He has a BA in Architecture and a BS in Construction Management both from the University of Washington.

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For our March 4, 2025 Portland BEC meeting, we are excited to extend an invitation to you for a guided tour of General Sheet Metal’s state-of-the-art sheet metal fabrication facility located at 16345 SE Evelyn St, Clackamas, OR 97015. This will be a great opportunity for you to explore their manufacturing processes, see their cutting-edge equipment, and understand how the various specified sheet metal fabrications are produced.

To take advantage of an active manufacturing facility and the see the fabrication process in action, we will be starting the tour at 1:30pm. The tour will be approximately 1-hour long. During the tour, you'll have the chance to ask questions and learn more about how they transform raw materials into high-quality sheet metal products for your projects.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be required to be worn during the tour in the form of long pants, Closed toed shoes, Safety Glass (provided by GSM), and Ear Plugs (provided by GSM). Due to space and safety constraints, this tour is limited to 35 attendees. While we recognize that this tour will be in high demand, we would ask that corporate BEC members limit participation to two (2) attendees from your organization.

This presentation is a technical discussion about using field measurements to validate thermal assumptions for existing buildings and help make energy models more accurate. In deep energy retrofits, the thermal performance of existing building envelopes is often difficult to determine with a high level of accuracy. For older buildings, the records of existing assemblies are often incomplete or inaccurate. To obtain greater baseline performance accuracy for energy models, in-field measurement tools can be used to obtain data on the thermal performance of the existing assemblies. Using case studies, this presentation will summarize non-destructive methods utilizing a set of various field tools to measure the baseline U-factors for a range of existing buildings with various wall assemblies. The lessons-learned covers what can be achieved, the limitations of these approaches and tools, and ideas on improving the accuracy and precision of measurements. The key factors include the weather conditions, the interior conditions, thermal mass of the measured assemblies, and thermal profiles of the assemblies in question.

A highly-motivated building enclosure consultant with RWDI’s Philadelphia team, Shibei possesses experience in detail design development specific to high-performance buildings, construction documentation, energy code compliance, assembly performance analysis, and site observation. With a background in architecture design, she brings a fresh perspective to our clients along with effective modelling skills for a new generation of technology. Shibei has experience in a broad range of project types and across all project phases. Her analytical skills and knowledge of building science contribute to an understanding of building performance and help inform building designs

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This course will provide a brief history of significant historical fires and how these have influenced the development of our current model building codes. Some more recent fires will be discussed, reinforcing the importance of mitigating fire propagation in cladding assemblies. A review of the five main building types will lead into a discussion of material combustibility followed by an overview of the Code requirements around flame propagation. NFPA 285 – “Standard Fire Test Method for Evaluation of Fire Propagation Characteristics of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components” is now in its 4th edition. The course wraps up with a discussion of the fire propagation test, how to navigate manufacturer NFPA 285 compliance information, and when the use of engineering judgements may be required.

Dave Young brings more than 35 years of building enclosure consulting experience to his teams and projects. His capacity to demonstrate a depth of experience includes single-family homes, multi-family residential, Class-A high-rise commercial, institutional/public sector, and mission critical projects--in both Canada and the U.S. Inherently meticulous and detail-oriented, Dave leverages his ability to think holistically about new building construction and building enclosure rehabilitation, repair, maintenance, and forensic investigation. He is a trusted partner among his clients and stakeholders, known for having an unparalleled level of know-how and thoughtfulness while navigating unknowns. His notable high-performance projects include the Multnomah County Central Courthouse, the new 35-story Ritz-Carlton Tower in Portland and the custom curtainwall for the PDX Terminal Core Redevelopment at the Portland International Airport.

Dave holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and is a licensed professional engineer in OR, WA, ID, and NE. He is a Principal at RDH Building Science Inc. and is a Past-President of the Portland Building Enclosure Council.

1 AIA LU/HSW

Installing a solar roof system on a building should be a decision that rewards the building owner with energy savings as well as piece of mind knowing they are doing their part to help the environment. What many building owners may not realize is that installing a solar roof system could damage their roof, void their roof warranty and end up costing them more in the long run. “Solar Roof Systems- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” will identify the potential issues with a rooftop solar installation, what questions they should be asking and how to avoid serious, costly problems.

Carola Voelker is the CEO of Centroplan USA LLC (US branch of the German Solar EPC Company - Centroplan); a partner of Sika Corporation to develop rooftop solar solutions. Carola has been working in the Solar arena since 2009, gaining experience in solar module quality testing and failure analysis at Fraunhofer research Centers both in the US and Germany. In recent years, she has overseen several large-scale solar installations in the US. She has also been an integral member of the SarnaRoof Solarmount 2 (SSM2) development team since its inception.

Centroplan values their strong bonds to Fraunhofer ISE – Europe’s largest research Center for Solar Energy Systems; as well as to the VDE – the leading Certification Center for Electric Material in Germany, including Solar Installations.

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Please note that this meeting will occur on a Thursday

Architectural Aluminum Framing Systems can be broken down into a number of subcategories. These are: Storefront, Curtain Wall, Window Wall, Overhead or Sloped Glazing, Windows, Entrances, Interior Frames and Sliding Storefronts. The first three categories: Storefront, Curtain Wall and Window Wall are most commonly used for fixed exterior glazing on commercial applications. Each shares some common characteristics but for the most part, each is very different and designed for specific applications.

In this presentation we will focus on these first three systems, reviewing the unique features and characteristics of each; advantages and disadvantages of each and review examples of applications each was designed for. Upon completion of this presentation, you will have an appreciation for the uniqueness of each system and understand how to select the correct one based upon each specific project.

Henry earned a degree in Marketing and English from Georgia State University and an MBA in Management from Kennesaw State University. Beginning his career in commercial construction, he has been with Kawneer for 28 years.

A regular speaker at industry and trade association meetings, Henry has several articles published and is Chairman of the largest Division 8 trade association.

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