This presentation takes a look at the brief history of commissioning to help the BEC determine what course of action it could take to prepare its membership for achieving professional status as commissioners of the building enclosure.
This month, the Portland BEC continues our series of presentations regarding High Performance Buildings with a discussion of the inter-relationship of the building envelope and mechanical systems. Architects see the envelope as part of the Architecture, while mechanical engineers see the envelope as part of the mechanical system. They are both right.
Mike Steffen of Walsh Construction Co. will discuss the thermal barrier as it applies to enclosure design and construction. Insulation approaches and materials will be reviewed and the problem of thermal bridging will be discussed. Several case studies will be presented to illustrate the application of thermal barrier design principles on recent projects.
High energy costs are placing increased emphasis on energy conservation within the built-environment driving the need for high performing building assemblies. Air barrier systems are critical to fulfilling these requirements and yet critical transitions often compromise their performance.