Past Meetings

April 2015 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Low Slope Conventional Roofing
Location

Aceh Community Room
Mercy Corps, 45 SW Ankeny St
Portland, OR 97204

Presenters
Ariel Levy, PE
Description

This course will discuss the challenges of current lows-slope roofing applications and further explore the properties of insulation types and performance characteristics under different operating temperatures. Participants will learn of an alternative insulation selection strategy using a hybrid approach combining both polyisocyanurate and mineral wool. Dimensional stability and constructability of the hybrid system will be explored in addition to the implications of roofing color and energy transfer through the insulation assembly.

Ariel Levy has focused his career on the design and investigation of building enclosures. His experience ranges geographically from the east to the west coasts and includes buildings of all types: new to old, residential to high-rise commercial. Ariel is a Managing Principal with RDH and overseas the operations in its Portland and San Francisco Bay area offices.

March 2015 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Building Envelope Value Engineering: Intelligent Design vs. Evolution
Location

Aceh Community Room
Mercy Corps, 45 SW Ankeny St
Portland, OR 97204

Presenters
Paul Kisling
Sean Scott
Martin Houston
Mike Shadley
Description

A panel discussion that reviews the challenges and opportunities of the Enclosure Development Process. This discussion will include the perspective of the Architect, Contractor, and Owner regarding the successful and “challenged” processes for going through iterations of modifying the Enclosure. Specifically the panel will discuss examples of successful value engineering processes; a review of why we do not always get what we want, and also cases where the envelope wins; what to avoid early in the process (starting with systems that the budget will not support); what to avoid late in the process (losing sight of why early decisions were made); key decisions to make and commit to; how to analyze trade-offs to support the Owner's goals; what have we learned; and what do we still need to learn.

Paul Kisling: Paul Kisling has more than 35 years of design and construction experience. His past work includes residential/mixed use, commercial office, retail, industrial, and institutional projects. Paul returned to Mackenzie as Director of Architecture in early 2013 after spending nearly a decade working in development including projects delivered through public-private partnerships and design-build. During his previous tenure with the firm, he served as senior project architect for a range of complex projects, including projects such as the 2100 SW River Parkway Building (former Pacific Gas Transmission building) and Clackamas County Public Services Building. From 2003-2006 he managed the Elizabeth Lofts condominium construction for Carroll Aspen Elizabeth LLC. From 2006-2013 he worked as a senior project manager for Gerding Edlen Development, where he oversaw significant projects including The John Ross and CYAN/pdx high rise multi-family projects and PCC’s Willow Creek Campus. Paul has considerable experience working within a fast-track design-build framework, both representing the owner and as a member of the design team.

Sean Scott: Sean is an Architect that is requested to consult, present nationally, research, and instruct on topics enclosure topics. Currently Sean works for Ankrom Moisan Architects focusing on building enclosures, QA/QC. Sean works within the University of Oregon as a Professor of High Performance Building Enclosures. In his spare time, Sean is progressing with his book “Envelope Tools” which is written by the industry, for the industry with input from every participant type in the industry. Sean has published envelope articles within Environmental Building News, Trim-Tab, and other publications. Prior to joining his current engagement, Sean had spent 18 years working with mixed-use high-rise, educational, institutional, multi-family, commercial, and governmental buildings. Some of this work in London, England, (as well as Ghana, West Africa) has led to his career focus. Furthering this effort he has been participating with the evolution of The Living Building Challenge. He has a professional Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree both in Architecture from the University of Oregon.

Martin Houston Martin Houston, AIA, is the Quality Director for Walsh Construction Co. in Portland, Oregon. He has a B.Arch. degree from the University of Cincinnati, holds a California architect’s license, is a LEED Accredited Professional, and is a certified Building Science Thermographer. With WCC since 2006, Martin’s focus includes ensuring overall building quality while concentrating on high performance envelopes and emerging technologies for building envelope commissioning and diagnosis. As the Quality Director for WALSH, he is responsible for the implementation of Quality Assurance and Quality Control procedures. In the preconstruction phase of a project, Marty reviews the drawings and specifications in progress and advises the project team on quality and constructability issues. During construction, Marty oversees envelope coordination activities and conducts construction reviews with the craftsmen responsible for execution to ensure a high quality project.

Mike Shadley Mike currently works as a Construction Manager at American Assets Trust and was previously the Owner of TS Construction Management.

February 2015 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Risk Management for Building Construction Utilizing a Building Enclosure Coordination Program
Location

Aceh Community Room
Mercy Corps, 45 SW Ankeny St
Portland, OR 97204

Presenters
William Nash, PE
Description

The commissioning of a building enclosure is dependent upon the assumption that the construction manager and his contractors have a proactive first level enclosure process fully implemented in order to provide the opportunity for BECx to function and succeed.

William Nash, P.E., is a Senior Project Manager with WDP & Associates, in the firm's Manassas, Virginia office. Mr. Nash offers over 35 years of professional experience in the construction industry which includes field engineering, project management with both divisional and corporate responsibilities, and technical services. His management expertise in facilities and building envelope projects includes a variety of technical disciplines ranging from preconstruction building envelope coordination to construction inspections and forensic investigations. Mr. Nash is certified as a Licensed Field Auditor by the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) and is a Level 1 Certified Infrared Thermographer in accordance with the American Society for Non Destructive Testing SNT-TC-1A. He is a member of numerous industry organizations, including the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Building Envelope and Thermal Energy Council (BETEC), Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI), Roof Consultants Institute (RCI), and The Masonry Society (TMS). In addition to his industry participation on the national level, Mr. Nash is heavily involved with various national standards committees for ACI, ASCE, ASTM, and National Institute of Building Science/BETEC. He is a licensed civil engineer in Virginia, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Texas.

January 2015 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
How to Keep Architects and Contractors Out of Trouble
Location

Aceh Community Room
Mercy Corps, 45 SW Ankeny St
Portland, OR 97204

Presenters
Lindsey Pflugrath
Description

Lindsey Pflugrath, an attorney with Skellenger Bender, P.S., will present a case study involving a recent jury verdict in a public, design-build project and catastrophic injuries to a State worker. Ms. Pflugrath will discuss the risks presented by joint venture partnerships on design-build projects, how employer immunity can shift risk to design and construction professionals, the importance of contract-specific contracts, and the new “failure to warn” negligence theory.

Lindsey Pflugrath (Floo-grath) is a partner with the law firm of Skellenger Bender, P.S., located in Seattle, Washington. Lindsey’s practice focuses on all aspects of construction law. She advises clients on risk management, and represents clients in litigation involving claims for personal injury, breach of contract, cost or schedule overruns, negligence, safety violations, and construction defects. Lindsey is serving her second term as a member of the board of Directors of the AIA Seattle, and she is the current President of the Seattle Architecture Foundation. She is also involved in ACEC, AACE, the Urban Land Institute, and the GeoProfessionals Business Association. She is a frequent speaker on legal issues affecting the construction industry. Lindsey is admitted to practice and advises clients in Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Arizona.

December 2014 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Different Drip Edge Profiles
Location

Aceh Community Room
Mercy Corps, 45 SW Ankeny St
Portland, OR 97204

Presenters
Jonathan Smegal
Description

Surprisingly little research has been done into the effectiveness of different drip edge designs. Drip edges are found at window sills, window head flashing, and the edges of roofs and balconies – all critical areas for managing rainwater. By deflecting rain from the exterior surface of a wall, drip edges can reduce moisture-related issues such as freeze thaw of masonry, staining of the cladding, and potential long term erosion of historical materials. In this session, Jonathan Smegal will describe recent research into effective drip edge design. The study he will discuss used a custom-designed apparatus to compare the effectiveness of different drip edge materials, profiles and overhang distances. The results show a significant range in performance. Based on these results, practical guidelines will be suggested for choosing the best drip edge for your project.

Jonathan Smegal’s work for BSCI includes laboratory research, hygrothermal modelling, field monitoring of wall performance, and forensic analysis of building failures. He worked for Balanced Solutions from 2005-2007, joining BSCI in 2007 after finishing his thesis on Drainage in Small Cavities in Wall Systems as part of the Building Engineering Group at the University of Waterloo. Jonathan’s research has included, among other things, cladding deflection tests, drainage balance testing and specialized water uptake and vapour permeance testing. His experience in the lab is complemented by his experience in the field, where he has been involved with forensic work and numerous new construction site audits for residential and commercial construction. As a speaker, Jonathan has addressed a range of audiences at academic conferences, corporate training events, and online. For example, he presented papers at the 2013 Buildings XII Conference and at the 2014 Canadian Building Science and Technology Conference, and has spoken at workshops and other events on diverse topics including cladding attachment, SPF in cathedral ceilings, and rainwater management in wall systems.

November 2014 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Site Tour of Multi-Family Passive Haus Project
Location

Orenco Station, please see the linked flyer

Presenters
Michael Bonn
Martin Houston
Description

This tour will feature in-progress construction of the largest Passive Haus project in North America to date. Attendees will hear from both the design and construction teams about the challengers and solutions to creating a project that will meet the Passive Haus standard. The design and construction team will share their experiences as members of a collaborative team that has worked together to come up with solutions to meet the high level of air tightness and thermal barrier continuity required by the Passive Haus standard. Of particular interest will be the changes to the design process required by the construcion schedule and methods of construction. A thorough review of the building enclosure construction will highlight air control and thermal control continuity, both as designed and as constructed.

Martin Houston, AIA, is the Quality Director for Walsh Construction Co. (WCC) in Portland, Oregon. He has a B.Arch. degree from the University of Cincinnati, holds a California architect’s license, is a LEED Accredited Professional, and is a certified Building Science Thermographer. With WCC since 2006, Martin’s focus includes ensuring overall building quality while concentrating on high performance envelopes and emerging technologies for building envelope commissioning and diagnosis. Michael Bonn is a Senior Associate at Ankrom Moisan Architects in Portland Oregon. Michael has deep experience and expertise in multi-family housing with an emphasis on high performance design.

October 2014 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Glazing Failures and Ways to Prevent Them
Location

Aceh Community Room
Mercy Corps, 45 SW Ankeny St
Portland, OR 97204

Presenters
Brian Hubbs, RDH
Description

Over the past few decades the use of glass and glazing on our high rise buildings has increased dramatically. More recently, as a result of increased industry recognition of the importance of energy efficiency, the trend is towards more energy efficient glazing systems. However, there are instances of implementation of new technology which have resulted in premature and costly failures.

Several case studies will be used to show and explain the variety of problems that can occur with glass and glazing after installation, and will offer designers risk reduction recommendations to avoid the most common causes of failures.

Brian Hubbs has over 20 years’ experience as a consultant practicing exclusively in the field of building science. Recognized by his peers as being a practical building science engineer and researcher who consistently delivers innovative solutions, Brian has a unique blend of theoretical and hands-on knowledge gained from completing hundreds of building enclosure investigations and rehabilitation projects as well as from design consulting and construction review of building enclosures for new buildings.

1 LU/HSW

September 2014 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Osmosis: The Bane of Liquid Applied Waterproofing Membranes
Location

Aceh Community Room
Mercy Corps, 45 SW Ankeny St
Portland, OR 97204

Presenters
Graham Finch, RDH Building Sciences
Description

Cold applied liquid applied waterproofing and roofing membranes of various chemistries (e.g. polyurethane, polyurea, polyester, and asphalt modified urethanes etc.) have become increasingly popular in past decades, particularly over concrete podium slab, roof decks, and planters in protected (i.e. inverted) roofing applications. Liquid membranes are often preferred in this application for their relative low cost, ease of application over complicated curbs, planters, water features and at penetrations and interfaces. While cold-applied membranes have their benefits in waterproofing – they have had their share of problems.

Over a decade ago, the roofing industry began to find systemic water-filled blisters under many of these cold-applied membranes, in cases so severe that the premature replacement of these membranes has now become commonplace. Field studies have shown that these water filled blisters become visible within the first 5 years of service and progressively get worse and grow over time with expanding pressure until entire roof areas are consumed. Water leaks occur with time and displaced or floating pavers and other landscaping components are also a common side effect. A decade ago, the cause of the blisters had the industry scratching its head and a wide range excuses from inadequate membrane thickness and pin-holes, detailing, shoddy workmanship, to outward vapor drive were supposedly to blame.

Being curious as to what was actually causing these water filled blisters to form, a study was initiated to find the physical building science mechanism responsible. This study encompassed field studies, building monitoring, and several iterative laboratory experiments, until eventually the water transport process of osmosis was confirmed. This presentation covers the story of how the phenomenon of osmosis was discovered, the physical mechanism of osmotic blistering and the scenarios where it can occur, and the new testing protocol developed. The test results for a wide range of new and aged membranes commonly used within the roofing and waterproofing industry will be presented along with recommendations for the material properties needed to prevent blistering from occurring.

Graham is a Principal and Building Science Research Specialist with RDH. He has a passion for technology and for making better and more energy efficient buildings. He leads RDH’s building science research group and is actively involved in a wide range of projects from building research studies to forensic investigations, building monitoring, hygrothermal modeling, and new construction across North America. Graham has authored several publications and practical industry guideline documents related to durable and energy efficient building enclosures. In addition to RDH, Graham is a part-time instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology where he teaches building science courses to students at the Diploma and Masters levels.