Aceh Community Room
Mercy Corps, 45 SW Ankeny St
Portland, OR 97204
Water-Resistive Barriers (WRBs) have evolved to serve compound forms and functions. Despite these advances, performance expectations still reflect over-simplistic assumptions and problematical testing methods. Interfaces with modern wall components also remain ill-defined with respect to the WRB’s primary function of liquid water resistance. Industry trends toward component integration have further strained the WRB’s intended role.
This presentation explores new findings from experimental research and computational modeling to demonstrate performance attributes of recognized WRB systems. Moisture transport and storage are reviewed for three dynamic interfaces: A) the exterior insulation interface; B) the substrate interface; and C) the fastener interface. Directives for industry research, testing standards, and product innovation are discussed.
Dr. Doggett is the Principal Scientist and founder of Built Environments, Inc. an architectural & building science consulting firm specializing in building enclosure design and research. His background includes extensive field experience with complex building enclosure failures, particularly those involving air, heat, and moisture transport. He merges this experience with innovative design practices to assist multi-stakeholders achieve more resilient, higher-performing buildings. Dr. Doggett is actively engaged in enclosure design, assembly and material research, and building simulations involving computational fluid dynamics, 3-D thermal modeling, and hygrothermal modeling. Dr. Doggett is the former chair of the Minnesota Building Enclosure Council.