January 2018 Monthly Meeting

The number of passive houses and buildings meeting the stringent PHIUS+2015 Passive Building Standards has increased exponentially over the past two years: first single family residential projects were built, then multifamily projects and now the trend is moving towards commercial structures. Many municipalities such as NYC have already incentives in place for residential passive buildings or are evaluating to implement incentives as a solution to meeting their climate action plans.

February 2018 Monthly Meeting

This course will discuss the different types of roofing membranes and systems available for low slope/commercial installations and the benefits each brings to the building envelope. Over the past 25 years, there have been many changes in not just the materials available but also the installation methods used to install roofing systems. In addition to the materials, installation methods will be discussed as well as a practical discussion of how to evaluate which option may be better than others for several different scenarios.

March 2018 Monthly Meeting

This presentation will examine recent window and curtain wall assembly failures and performance issues for Insulated Glazing Units (IGU), aluminum coatings, gaskets, and associated water and air leakage issues. With the advent of globalization in the construction industry, façade glazing systems are beginning to experience new types of failure in the components (seals, coatings, sealants, etc.) used to assemble the complex systems and result in performance issues of today’s high rise projects.

April 2018 Monthly Meeting

The fluorocarbon-based polymer ethylene tetrafuoroethylene (ETFE) is quickly gaining popularity in North America and is being used on some of the continent’s most prominent projects. Through review of multiple case studies of current ETFE installations, Morrison Hershfeld will review lessons learned and provide an understanding of limitations as well as benefits of the material from a building science perspective.

May 2018 Monthly Meeting

This lecture will focus on the benefits of building in a dry, controlled environment and how this helps to build better buildings. Focusing on the science of construction, specifically the thermodynamic relationship of a building from inside to outside. Speaking on product integration and the importance of understanding how all the different WRBs, tapes, and sealants work together as well as the importance of mechanical systems and building pressures.

October 2018 Monthly Meeting

Multnomah County’s central courthouse was built between 1909 and 1914, when the county had only 250,000 residents and long before modern building code standards for the region’s risk of earthquakes were in place. The new Central Courthouse Project is a swiftly rising, 17-story-structure at Southwest First Avenue and Madison Street, and is slated for completion in the spring of 2020.

December 2018 Monthly Meeting

Sheet metal is a unique roof system choice that continues to evolve into new systems and applications. Metal roofs are gaining market share in both commercial and residential markets. Building owners have a high performance and aesthetic appeal expectation for metal roofs. Along with this evolution come the problems associated with it. This seminar is intended to provide a review of the top ten problems for metal roof designers. This will include a description of the problem, why it may occur, ramifications and how to prevent it through proper design.