February 2022 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Adapting to Changing Conditions
Location

Live Zoom Webinar. Pre-registration is required at the link below.

Presenters
Dr. Christopher White, PhD
Description

Adapting to Changing Conditions, Innovations in the Building Envelope: Technical Innovations, Adapting to Changing Weather, and Disclosure Requirements Related to Climate Change Performance

Building materials enable architecture, and innovation can test the strength of historical materials selection processes. For example, architectural innovation may require that plastics and polymer composites be subjected to operational requirements that were not as relevant to prior designs. As a result, traditionally successful materials may be subjected to not fully anticipated conditions during their development and testing. This presentation will explore instances where architectural innovation has resulted in materials functioning beyond the tested requirements. The examples include cold warping of insulated glass units (IGU), incidents of sealant failure in IGUs, and finally, how testing methods and models can be adapted from these examples to match the pace of innovation in architectural design.

Dr. White, a senior managing scientist for Exponent, assists clients by solving technical problems related to the specification, reliability and sustainability of polymeric materials used in a variety of industries including construction, infrastructure, transportation, chemicals and utilities. One of Dr. White's core competencies is characterizing weather-related changes to the chemical and physical properties of polymers and how those degradative changes may affect end-use performance. This expertise enables him to provide solutions to complex issues related to assessing durability, failure, sustainability, and climate change effects on materials and assets exposed to weathering. He is skilled in developing and utilizing test methods and standards to analyze plastics, rubbers, textiles, metals, glass, and ceramic composite materials. Dr. White is skilled in offering technical guidance throughout all phases of product development including formulation, scale-up, end-use testing and field performance assessments.

1.25 AIA LU/HSW