People who don’t know, don’t know that they don’t know. Discussion of issues in the industry where we don’t have the research and information on what is being done about it. We all want to have our buildings perform and we need better ways of determining how to address issue of air leakage and water intrusion into the building envelope. The presentation will cover research projects that have been done and projects that are on the list to do.
This presentation addresses the movement characteristics of vertical masonry wall systems. Focus is on best practice for design and construction of expansion and control joints to accommodate and/or restrict masonry material movement. It does not address sealant or backer rod selection.
Review the building drift from wind and seismic loads. Discuss the new various return intervals for wind storms, and how that affects the various components of the building facade. Review new code provisions for solar, pavers, ballast, etc. Review char formation in mass timber, and how that may affect the connection of facade elements to the mass timber frame.
Seismic base isolation is a technology that is used to enhance the seismic performance of buildings and renovate existing buildings. The use of base isolation will be discussed as well as its benefits to new and historic structures. As a case study, the historic Oregon Supreme Court renovation will be discussed and it's use of base isolation to improve the seismic performance and save this historic structure from significant damage.
As the complexity of building geometries and façade systems grows, consultants may have reservations about the applicability of code-based methods for design. The performance of novel façade systems may be better understood through a performance-based wind design (PBWD) approach.
The Portland Building is an internationally recognized work of Postmodern architecture by master architect Michael Graves. For decades, the building suffered from multiple performance issues leading the City of Portland to initiate a project in 2016 that would comprehensively address existing building performance issues and modernize the building. The project included the addition of a new skin over the existing exterior, creating a weather-tight enclosure with improved thermal comfort and increased daylighting.
This program provides an introduction to terra cotta as an architectural cladding material, its manufacturing, overview of its performance, and methods of installation & repair. Terra cotta, as an architectural material in the United States, was used profusely from the late nineteen century until the 1950's as a durable and decorative material and continues to be chosen as a unique solution for creative cladding solutions.
Properly designing, installing, and maintaining sealant joints will prolong the life of any structure. When exterior sealants fail, the integrity of the entire building is at risk. Yet, when selecting and specifying joint sealants for their projects, architects and specifiers are faced with a myriad of options. This program will aid design professionals in making sense of the many considerations.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, building enclosures have received closer scrutiny, with everyone from consumers to building professionals to local and federal government, wanting to know more about their technologies and performance.
The BESTfest seminar brings together industry leaders and experts to discuss how the Building Enclosure Science & Technology field has changed since COVID-19 shook the world.
An introduction to the LBNL software THERM will be presented. Six wall assemblies commonly used from 2000-2020 are analyzed and described. Each assembly has performance positives and negatives and these can be shown by using the software.
We will discuss total R value of wall assemblies and dew point locations. There will be discussion of how to avoid mold and condensation in walls by proper analysis. Keeping the building warm and dry prevents mold, saves energy, and keeps occupants safe and healthy.