Past Meetings

March 2016 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Wall Assemblies: Control Layers
Location

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

Presenters
Stevan Vinci
Description

Effective building enclosures provide physical protection from weather and climate (comfort), indoor air quality (health), durability, and energy efficiency. This presentation will focus on the fundamentals of wall assembly design with emphasis on the control layers that separate exterior and interior environment.

As part of the discussion, we will examine the physical phenomena that affect buildings and strategies that can be employed through Control Layers to respond to the environment.

Stevan serves as the Sustainability Practice Lead for Morrison Hershfield's Pacific Northwest offices and has provided green building consulting, building envelope/durability and commissioning duties on sustainability projects in Canada and in the US. Further to sustainability, Stevan has over 16 years of building science experience completing several building envelope assessments for building envelope failures as well as design assist services to architects on new construction projects. His experience also includes 3rd party building envelope drawing review, specification writing and construction drawing preparation of envelope systems. His experience in building envelope contributes to a better understanding of whole-building systems in his work in green buildings

February 2016 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Building Enclosures and Their Failures, A Love Story
Location

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

Presenters
Jasha Kistler
Description

With the ever-evolving technology of materials and construction trade practices combined with the desire to push project schedules to year-round construction, the risk of failure of building enclosure components is high. During this course, the discussion will revolve around case-studies of real-world building enclosure system failures resulting from discontinuities in the control layers (air, water, vapor, thermal), lack of understanding of the interaction between the interior and exterior environments, and construction related mistakes. Conditions include roof-to-wall transitions, SIPS panel detailing, precast concrete panels, lightweight concrete construction and other conditions.

As a Building Enclosure Consultant with The Facade Group, Jasha has worked locally and internationally in a variety of building sectors. He has extensive experience with all aspects of the building enclosure from below-grade waterproofing to vertical enclosure systems, curtain walls and roofing. Jasha has a passion for investigations, performance modeling, and testing of building enclosure systems. He is a certified WUFI trainer, Level 1 Thermographer, and has expertise in static and dynamic water pressure testing, whole-building air testing, and building enclosure assessments.

January 2016 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Below Grade Water Management and Waterproofing Design
Location

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

Presenters
David Fookes, Morrison Hershfield
Description

Below grade waterproofing is becoming increasingly important as occupants, owners and warranty providers are less tolerant to water ingress into below grade structures and local jurisdictions are increasingly limiting rain and storm water discharge. There are various water management methodologies and waterproofing systems available to provide protection against water ingress of foundations. This presentation provides insight into various waterproofing strategies and systems for below grade foundations. Factors that contribute to the performance of a dry below grade foundation will discussed including soil retention, ground and surface water flow rates, hydrostatic pressure, dewatering and drainage, foundation forming, concrete mix design, steel reinforcement, waterproofing membrane and accessories, weather during installation, contractor experience, design, details, field review and cost.

David brings over 25 years’ experience in engineering and construction. His career as a Professional Engineer has provided him with extensive knowledge in design, forensic analysis and construction of buildings with a focus in material and building science. David is the Technical Director of the Building Science division within MH working out of the Vancouver office. David has a depth of practical experience in product evaluation and specification combined with academic training in material science and engineering. His engineering experience includes various glazing, cladding and roofing systems with a specific expertise in above and below grade moisture, air and thermal barriers and systems. He has been involved in all levels of the material and building science occupation having previously worked in product research, development, construction and manufacturing.

November 2015 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Roofing 301 - Roofing Codes Chapter 15 of the OSSC
Location

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

Presenters
John R. Kouba, Malarkey Roofing
Description

Chapter 15 of the IBC and the Oregon Specialty Structural Code addresses the code requirements for the design and construction of roof assemblies. Ranging from slope requirements to requirements regarding specific roofing types, including thermoset, thermoplastic and SBS roofing materials, this section of the code is not frequently discussed or referenced during the course of project design and delivery. Mr. Kouba will address these requirements as well as looking at both the requirements and methods for compliance for meeting wind loads and edge securement. Mr. Kouba will clarify what Class A, B and C roofs are and what the criteria are for UL or FM listed roof assemblies. In addition, specific aspects of the code that address the requirements regarding vegetated roof gardens will be discussed.

John Kouba is the Director of Technical Services at Malarkey Roofing, a position he has held since 1998. Prior to that, Mr. Kouba was the Technical Services Manager at US Intec from 1993-1998. He is involved in many committees and organizations focused on the technical aspects of roofing design and construction, including CSI, SPRI, ARMA, and RCI as well as being the Co-Chair of the ASTM D8.03 subcommittee. Mr. Kouba is one of the authors of the Residential Asphalt Roofing Manual Design.

October 2015 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Roof System Selection
Location

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

Presenters
Bruce Ryan
Description

This presentation will discuss the basic attributes of different roofing systems and the key considerations to choosing a roofing system.

Bruce Ryan, Vice President, has been a consultant for Professional Roof Consultants, Inc. since March of 1996. Primary responsibilities, aside from Corporate Management, include investigation and design of roof replacement projects, roof inspection projects, roof evaluations, and roof management projects, as well as systems administration.

Mr. Ryan provides Professional Roof Consultants, Inc. with experience associated with the roofing industry, including a past partnership with a roofing company located on the east coast. His expertise originates from his in-depth knowledge of how roof systems are properly specified and installed, attention to detail, and how and where roof problems originate.

September 2015 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Ventilation in Multi-Family Buildings
Location

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

Presenters
Lorne Ricketts
Description

Multi-family buildings are commonly ventilated using corridor pressurization based ventilation systems. This presentation will use a recent Pacific Northwest based case study to examine why this type of system is often inefficient and ineffective, and will demonstrate why alternative systems should be considered. Key concepts which will be discussed include the interaction of the ventilation system with building enclosure airtightness, occupants, and natural pressure differences created by stack effect.

Lorne Ricketts is a building science engineer (EIT) specializing in research and investigation work. His experience consists of a wide range of projects including: building enclosure condition assessments, forensic investigations, building monitoring, field review, building modeling, and laboratory and field testing services.

Lorne’s Master’s research at the University of Waterloo focused on airflow in high-rise multi-unit residential buildings and included extensive testing and monitoring of a case study building. As a result, his work has developed the industry’s understanding of airflow in and around buildings and how it affects both energy consumption and indoor air quality.

Lorne’s practical experience combined with his theoretical training and proficiency with state-of-the-art thermal and hygrothermal (heat, air, and moisture) software modeling tools has enabled him to evaluate a wide variety of enclosure systems. This analytical work is used as the basis for recommendations regarding air barriers, vapor barriers, insulation levels, thermal bridging, and window selection.

Lorne has a B.A.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia, BC, and an M.A.Sc. in Civil Engineering at the University of Waterloo, ON.

June 2015 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Validating the Performance of Integrated Facades—EGWW Federal Office Building Case Study
Location

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

Presenters
Mark Perepelitza
Description

Integrated building facades have the potential to play a significant role in the support of aggressive building performance goals but validation is critical to assure that the potential is actually realized. This presentation will address the role of integrated facades in significantly reducing energy use while supporting high levels of occupant satisfaction. For transparent facade assemblies, the primary factors affecting performance are the management of solar heat gain, optimizing daylighting while managing glare, visual connections, and thermal transmittance. The presentation will summarize a range of validation methods including material testing, test bed studies of assemblies, and verification of specific simulation methods. The focus of the presentation will be on a case study of the post-occupancy evaluation of a completed federal office building—EGWW. Validation of post-occupancy performance provides important feedback for further commissioning to fine tune building controls and other systems, and also provides a valuable feedback for improving future work by the design team and other professionals.

May 2015 Monthly Meeting

When
-
Meeting Title
Design and Construction Using Cross Laminated Timber
Location

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

Presenters
Ethan Martin, WoodWorks
Description

Cross laminated timber (CLT) is an engineered wood building system designed to complement light- and heavy-timber framing options. Now available to North American building designers, it offers the structural simplicity needed for cost-effective projects, as well as benefits such as fast installation, reduced waste, improved thermal performance and design versatility. This presentation will introduce CLT through a series of project examples while considering some of the more challenging aspects of CLT building design—such as fire and life safety, lateral and seismic design, acoustic performance and building envelope. Topics will also include the manufacturing and specification of CLT, building code considerations and available resources such as the US CLT Handbook.

As the Northwest Regional Director for the U.S. WoodWorks program, Ethan’s directive is providing project assistance, education, and resources for developers, architects, engineers, and contractors for code-compliant design, engineering, and construction of non-residential and multi-family wood buildings. Ethan is a licensed engineer and joined WoodWorks when the pilot program went nationwide in 2011. Prior to that Ethan had his own engineering firm for eight years and is a Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate of Cornell University specializing in structures.

WoodWorks is a non-profit organization established and led by the Wood Products Council and funded by the Softwood Lumber Board, USDA Forest Service, Forestry Innovation Investment and Natural Resources Canada and is closely affiliated with the American Wood Council and other partner organizations, whose resources it utilizes in the resolution of technical issues and the identification of appropriate wood solutions.