How to Achieve Superior Building Envelope Performance in Rainscreen Wall Design explores rainscreen wall design theory, how rainscreen walls control hygrothermal loads, and shortcomings of today’s multi-component backup wall assemblies used in rainscreen wall construction. The course will compare and contrast the common multi-component backup wall assembly with the single-component insulated metal composite backup wall system, and demonstrate how the latter overcomes deficiencies of the former in creating a building envelope with superior performance as well as other key benefits....
Join us for our webinar series with a focus on Sports + Recreation projects. There are many reasons that Kalwall is such a natural fit for coaches, athletes, trainers and fans alike. Providing glare-free, full-spectrum light is ideal for videography, mental focus and visual acuity. Learn more about how Kalwall can help you build a facility fit for champions....
In basic roofing design vapor retarders and air barriers play a crucial role in reducing air leakage and enhancing roof system performance. However, their benefits extend beyond simple air sealing. This course explores the impact of new innovative technology: permeable vapor retarders and air barriers on moisture management, energy efficiency, and wind uplift resistance in low-slope roofing assemblies. Attendees will gain insights into moisture infiltration, air movement, and the risks associated with condensation buildup, material degradation, and loss of R-value in the roofing assembly. The presentation will cover strategies for proper design and placement of a permeable vapor retarder to mitigate condensation buildup and premature roof failures. Recent research findings will highlight how advanced moisture control solutions, such as permeable vapor retarders, enhance long-term roof resiliency and durability, lowering total cost of ownership....
The ultimate replacement for natural cedar and the perfect accent for engineered wood and fiber cement....
Rooftop HVAC equipment, waste receptacles, and other unsightly equipment are commonplace in today’s commercial industries. Unfortunately, these items are necessary but unsightly. However, screening can help building owners enhance aesthetics and meet code requirements. Screening offers not only a visual benefit but also helps to improve the safety and security of your property. This course offers an in-depth discussion of rooftop and ground screening, the various ways to screen, and considerations when selecting a screen for your project. Different installation techniques and comparative characteristics of traditional screening methods versus unit-attached and modular screening methods are also discussed....
View the CityScapes Architectural Innovations Course Library
This presentation will discuss the importance of a properly prepared substrate for floor covering installation. Accurate floor preparation helps keep floors leveled, sealed, durable and long-lasting, which can reduce cost and material consumption in construction. The presentation provides an overview of the history of gypsum, best floor installation practices and latest technology in the substrate market....
This presentation will focus on the overview of above-grade waterproofing, specifically covering balcony waterproofing systems, and the most overlooked component when assembling such systems. The course will also highlight the forces that create the need for waterproofing assemblies, and how those forces shape how we waterproof balconies....
The materials we use have a big impact on the environment, our communities and our health. To select materials wisely, we have to know what's in them and what effects they have before, during and after their use. This course will focus on the key drivers in the market on material health and disclosure, types or reporting tools and what the differences are between them....
At their root, metal roofs and walls made from steel, copper, zinc, or aluminum have a lower environmental impact because of their ability to be recycled and reused. This course focuses on the green aspects of standing seam metal roofs, and in particular, their cool roof characteristics. Also addressed are the implications of heat islands, what constitutes construction of cool roofs/walls and how they work, some rules of thumb for understanding cool metal roofing, roof slope impacts on performance, and codes, ratings, and standards that apply to designing cool roofs/walls....
Noise negatively impacts human health, making sound control crucial in multifamily housing and various commercial applications. This course reviews airborne and impact sound, the key elements of soundproofing, and the role of high-performance wood fiber soundproofing products in providing effective noise control. Additionally, it discusses how these solutions contribute to meeting requirements of the LEED® v5 Building Design and Construction (BD+C) and Interior Design and Construction (ID+C) rating systems and the WELL Building Standard version 2....
In today’s high performance building market, specifying materials that work together as a complete wall system is more critical than ever. Systems can help designers meet new energy codes, reduce costs and improve building function and sustainability while making the design process faster and simpler. This course will educate participants on the functional components and system attributes of the most common exterior wall system, steel stud with masonry veneer. The course will detail key system components such as continuous and stud cavity insulation, air/water resistive barriers, air sealing practices, masonry wall ties and water drainage/management practices. Key codes and standards will be reviewed to define system interaction and key specification practices to ensure wall system designs are consistent with recent advances in building analysis, new code requirements, revised test methods, and a comprehensive, systems approach to wall systems....
Acoustical design requirements are frequently based on laboratory test data. Walls constructed in a lab for testing are built under ideal conditions and with high levels of precision. These walls also do not have any of the attachments or penetrations that are ubiquitous in real-world construction. Selecting a tested wall design that meets an STC requirement is not enough to provide adequate sound isolation in the real-world. To achieve good sound isolation it is imperative that designers understand how to treat the myriad of details that can compromise a wall's performance. These include: electrical boxes, hanging cabinets, window mullions, control joints, intersections, and more. In this presentation we: discuss why a detail is important for noise control, provide the acoustical impact of poor detailing based on test data (when available), and provide acoustical best practices for the details...
This course explores how an innovative, scalable, and economical cold-formed steel column and composite beam framing system addresses common primary framing challenges to reach the roof faster and deliver stronger, more cost-effective, and sustainable projects. This well-proven, ICC-compliant system reduces dependencies on multiple trades and minimizes the number of handoffs, supporting schedule compression, which then translates directly into earlier openings, faster revenue generation, and reduced labor costs. The system is applicable to a range of housing, hotel, and commercial mid-rise projects in all climates and geographies....
Provides an overview of pedestrian traffic decks, in particular tiled roof decks used in residential and light commercial projects. Topics discussed include: key principles of deck design, design considerations, how to specify outdoor tile systems in a roofing application and how to specify tiled pedestrian traffic decks....
A general overview of SOPREMA and our products and application methods. SOPREMA offers a comprehensive line of commercial roofing, waterproofing, wall protection, and civil engineering solutions combining superior products and systems with decades of proven performance. Our solutions include industry-leading SBS-modified bitumen membranes, polymeric PMMA/PMA liquid-applied membranes, and synthetic single-ply PVC membranes. For applications as diverse as roofing, below-grade waterproofing, plaza deck and balcony waterproofing, air and vapor barriers, and bridge and parking structures, SOPREMA has the solution. SOPREMA’s relentless pursuit of technological advancement, sustainability, and product quality has been known and respected around the world for over 100 years....
Metal roofing is often preferred for retrofitting a low-slope roof due to its durability, ease of installation, energy efficiency, and water channeling capabilities. This course examines why metal roofs fail, the types of structural standing seam panels, and the pros and cons of different methods for recovering an existing low-slope roof....
Join us for our webinar series with a focus on Transportation projects. From airports to bus and train stations, Kalwall’s translucent systems are a perfect fit for keeping your project moving in the right direction. Travelers will benefit from visual privacy, enhanced security and easier way-finding due to brilliant natural daylight or soft backlighting. Facility managers can enjoy superior energy efficiency, easy cleaning and high visual acuity for inspection or repair workers....
The 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) fundamentally shifts how the thermal performance of building enclosures is designed and evaluated. In the 2024 IECC Chapter 4 Commercial Energy Efficiency, compliance now requires design teams to account for linear and point thermal bridging, as does ASHRAE 90.1-2022, which is incorporated by reference. This impact will notably change how design professionals consider typical building details like parapets, cladding attachments through continuous insulation, window perimeters, and more. Through a side-by-side review of previous and current requirements, this course will bolster design professionals’ understanding of the steps needed to address thermal bridges and how to incorporate these results in prescriptive path, performance path, and COMcheck compliance calculations. By examining the updated air leakage testing requirements codified in the 2024 IECC, professionals will learn to decipher whether whole-building air leakage is mandatory or if the air barrier design and verification approach will apply to their project. This course will explore the practical impacts of the new energy code requirements, reveal strategies for meeting compliance, and share tools that can help design professionals stay ahead in a rapidly changing energy code landscape. This course welcomes both new and experienced design professionals alike. Those with a basic understanding of building enclosure-related heat transfer and fundamental calculation methods will benefit most from this course....
One of the more complicated issues today in building science is addressing moisture movement, since moisture can penetrate a building in several different ways and result in material degradation, air quality issues, and failure of the building enclosure. This course examines the ways moisture can enter a structure and discusses the role of different moisture control layers that, when correctly placed and installed, can prevent unwanted moisture infiltration....
Single-skin metal siding can be used for a wide range of projects, from commercial buildings to educational, healthcare, residential, agricultural, and even high-end architectural designs. These siding panels can also contribute to green designs and certification programs. This course explores the different types of single-skin metal siding, specification details, and performance and design considerations....
High-quality architectural stone veneer is a lower-cost, easier to install, sustainable alternative to natural stone. Though traditionally more often used in exterior applications, stone veneer is making its way into more interior applications across a wide variety of industries. This course will review performance and aesthetic characteristics of stone veneer and how it’s used in different applications. Learners will also explore how stone veneer contributes to biophilic design principles and helps architects specify for changing residential building trends....
Learn how Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) insulation can be safely used in California residential construction to optimize cost efficiency while complying with Title 24 energy code and improving comfort, durability, and strength of homes and buildings....
One of the most complex and least understood areas where fire can propagate is at the perimeter of a multistory building. Fire can spread not only from floor to floor via the edge-of-slab/curtain wall intersections but also along the exterior building enclosure where untested, combustible components are often installed. This program outlines best design practices for providing fire protection for building occupants per ASTM E2307 and ASTM E2874....
We will discuss how Polyiso Continuous Insulation will improve the thermal performance of walls of Steel Stud Construction. In addressing the advantages of continuous insulation, we will also address the disadvantages of using steel studs without continuous insulation. We will discuss what Sustainability is related to and how it is measured, including factors that are involved in addressing Building Longevity, and how these concepts impact making buildings more energy efficient. We will look at various types of products used to achieve code-compliant designs with a perspective that addresses sustainable construction. Looking towards the future we will discuss the actions being undertaken in conjunction with energy conservation and construction codes, building science organizations, and other groups in pushing proper building envelope design. We will also look at the history of Polyiso and how this product is produced from raw chemicals, creating a completed board stock product....
View the Rmax - A Division of the Sika Corporation Course Library
This panel discussion explores building sustainable designs for energy efficiency, water efficiency and stormwater management starting from the roof. With urban heat island effect compounding the global warming from climate change, we are in urgent need of understanding how the roof can be very effective in delivering sustainable, high performance buildings while incorporating stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs). Smart material choices and quality and environmental performance certifications are part of assuring performance meets design intent. In addition, job site pain points and project insights for maximizing building design performance will be shared....
View the DuPont Performance Building Solutions Course Library
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