Uncontrolled moisture accumulation in building envelopes leads to mold infestation and structural degradation in buildings. A 2004 survey conducted by the City of Seattle documented 52 recent moisture-related building failures, costing $98 million (Aoki-Kramer, Karagiozis).
This month’s BEC meeting will feature a construction site tour of the Mercy Corps Headquarters in downtown Portland. The tour will focus on the design and construction issues associated with the building enclosure systems for this project that is pursuing LEED Platinum certification.
This month’s topic will be the use of infrared thermal imaging on existing buildings to diagnose thermal and air barrier discontinuity and the development of procedures to use this technology as a commissioning tool for new buildings.
Mike Steffen of Walsh Construction Co. will present a number of case studies to illustrate the application of enclosure design principles on several recent projects. This presentation will build on the discussion of thermal barriers and other critical barriers covered at the November 2008 meeting.