Building Green on Green

Cracks, gaps and holes in the building envelope cause heated or cooled air to leak and unplanned outdoor air to enter the building. The results can be costly and dangerous. HVAC systems have to work overtime and energy is wasted. Pests infiltrate, causing damage and the potential spread of disease. Moisture infiltrates, resulting in humidity and potential mold. And maintaining occupant comfort is nearly impossible as hot and cold spots fluctuate throughout the building.

There are three drivers behind air leakage: stack effect, wind effect and mechanical effect. Stack (or chimney) effect is a buoyancy phenomenon when warm air rises through the building and exerts continuous pressure against the roof and upper parts of the exterior walls. The resulting lower pressure at the bottom of the building pulls in unconditioned air through the gaps in the building envelope. In this scenario, warmed air exfiltrates at the top of the building, resulting in wasted energy as the HVAC system works overtime to keep up with the loss of conditioned air.

Canam Building Envelope Specialists, an affiliate of Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance, has been a leading provider of air barrier solutions for more than 25 years. To help you understand the building science of stack effect, we’ve produced the following video demonstration.

Tremco Commercial Sealants & Waterproofing has successfully built and tested a stucco wall in controlled “real world” conditions for air and water resistance that not only meets but exceeds one of the most stringent building codes in the United States.

Tremco’s wall assembly passed the test with no water leaks, making Tremco’s stucco solution the first in the industry to comply with the 2007 California Building Code, Chapter 14 for Exterior Walls. Prior to Tremco’s testing at its Sustainable Building Solutions Test Facility in Cleveland, no air barrier manufacturer had tested and documented that their products could comply with this code, which requires the wall assembly to pass an extended two-hour water exposure test in accordance with ASTM E331 under 6.24 psf differential pressure (normal test is run at 2.86 psf for 15 minutes).

Tremco’s testing proved its water- and air-leakage performance exceeded industry standards on a full assembly wall including the most challenging of connections and the most challenging façades. Penetrations on the wall included a rough opening with an aluminum fixed window, an HVAC duct, a PVC pipe and an octagonal junction box, per ASTM E 2357. The wall incorporated a horizontal “drift joint” near the top.

One of the challenges was making the wall waterproof but vapor-permeable to avoid trapping moisture within the wall. That’s where the ExoAir® 230 Fluid-Applied Vapor-Permeable Air Barrier Membrane came in.

The assembly began with the ExoAir® 230 membrane to keep water out, yet remain permeable to the passage of water vapor. A storefront system was then installed with Tremco’s Proglaze® ETA Engineered Transition Assembly System 1 and System 2 Molded Corners to provide a secure connection. Next, in an effort to accommodate the lateral movement during seismic or high-wind events, a drift joint was built into the wall assembly. Proglaze ETA Connections and Molded Corners with Spectrem®1 Silicone Sealant were used to detail the connections. The air barrier assembly was then pre-tested before the stucco lath and J-channel components were applied. After pre-testing, the heavy three-coat stucco cladding was applied. The wall assembly was then tested in accordance with ASTM E331-Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference.

Tremco was able to prove its success thanks to its Sustainable Building Solutions Test Facility, a state-of-the-art, fully automated facility designed for controlled testing of air and moisture infiltration/exfiltration in air barrier systems and building enclosures. The results of the test have been verified by Architectural Testing Inc. of Springdale, PA.

The passage of this test is critical because stucco claddings, common in seismic-prone California and the West Coast, face even greater challenges when builders place seismic-drift joints across the head of the window or wall system. Stucco systems are not immune to water penetration, so it is critical to maintain the integrity and weather-resistance of the exterior wall envelope. This means a continuous waterproof drainage plane must protect the structure, while accommodating the forces of nature.

Stucco facades consist of Portland cement plaster, metal lath and a water-resistant barrier (WRB), which serves as the drainage plane behind the outer cladding of the stucco. Typical building paper properly shingled as a backup has been shown not to adequately perform under new building code requirements. Fasteners used in mounting the plaster’s casing bead (J-molding) and metal lath penetrate the building paper and may allow air/moisture access while not providing an acceptable connection for the window or wall system. The ExoAir 230’s self-gasketing capability maintains a seal after penetration.

For more about the test facility, click here.

The test report is available at http://www.tremcosealants.com/testfacility/downloads/Stucco_E331-E2357_report.pdf

Being recognized for your sustainable actions is wonderful, and Tremco Roofing is honored to have recently received five RoofPoint™ Excellence in Design Awards for select projects. The RoofPoint program from the Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing (Center) is a voluntary, consensus-based green rating system developed to help building owners and designers select non-residential roof systems based on long-term energy and environmental benefits.  RoofPoint serves as a simple, transparent and professional measure to validate that new and replacement roof systems are designed, installed and maintained in accordance with the best sustainable practices available today.

With the 2011 launch of RoofPoint, the Center established the RoofPoint Excellence in Design Awards as a way to recognize exceptional projects that meet RoofPoint’s mission and criteria.  There are 10 categories of awards.  More than 40 entries were submitted, and Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance is proud that our projects won Excellence in Design Awards in four categories, as well as an honorable mention.

The projects and their Excellence in Design Awards categories are:

• The Sam Nunn Federal Center, Excellence in Life Cycle Management
• College of Marin Fine Arts Building, Excellence in Innovation
• Tremco Incorporated Headquarters Renovation, Advancing Sustainable Roofing
• Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance, Public Sector Leadership

Our Honorable Mention is in the Global leadership category.

We congratulate everyone involved in these projects–our customers, internal personnel and contractors.  While the awards are a wonderful acknowledgement of their efforts, they are only possible because of the growing understanding of the importance of sustainable building practices.

The Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., whose mission is to promote the development and use of environmentally responsible, high performance roof systems and technologies.  For more information on the Center, visit www.RoofingCenter.org.

Last fall, Greenroofs.com hosted its first virtual summit, a two-day, online event dedicated to the world of green roofs and walls.

Tremco Incorporated was honored to have Ralph Velasquez, executive director of sustainability for our Roofing and Building Maintenance Division, deliver one of the keynote addresses.  Ralph’s topic of Corporate Social Responsibility helped set the tone for the Summit and provides guidance to companies that want to embrace sustainability.

Listen to Ralph’s address, here.

Tremco’s new state-of-the-art, fully automated Sustainable Building Solutions Test Facility takes the guesswork out of implementing air and moisture barrier solutions.

The test facility helps Tremco provide a single-source, proven approach to solutions that architects, engineers and contractors can use with confidence because they know they work.

The facility is designed for controlled testing of air and moisture infiltration/exfiltration in air barrier systems and building enclosures, which can lead to energy loss, structural deterioration and poor indoor air quality. Developed in collaboration with the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) and working in conjunction with building scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Sustainable Building Solutions Test Facility is a cutting edge, technically advanced and fully automated laboratory.

Already it has paid dividends with the first documented, proven system for water- and air-infiltration-resistant stucco walls that complies with the 2007 California Building Code, Chapter 14 for Exterior Walls, while exceeding current standards of ASHRAE and ABAA. More on that in a subsequent post.

“This test facility is a testament to Tremco’s commitment to the sustainability of the built environment,” said Chuck Houk, president of Tremco Commercial Sealants & Waterproofing. “Most building envelope problems are moisture-related, either caused by air leakage or exterior moisture penetration. The testing done at this facility will help to ensure building materials are performing at optimal levels and eliminate some of the trial and error as well as risk associated with building design and construction.”

Components tested at the facility will be exposed to different levels of wind conditions and moisture to determine resistance to specific elements including rain, high winds and other environmental conditions. Specifically the facility will conduct ASTM E2357, E283 and E331 tests. It will do so using 300 to 400 channels for simultaneous data control, precise measurement devices and deflection measurement during load sequences.

In addition to testing air barrier assemblies, the facility is testing connection points between air/vapor building protection systems to assure continuity throughout the building enclosure:

• Roof-to-wall tie-ins
• Foundation-to-wall tie-ins
• Corners
• Window-to-wall interfaces
• Penetrations

Revisit this blog for some real-world applications of our state-of-the-art test facility, including that stucco system we mentioned above. Which, by the way, included the difficult-to-detail seismic drift joints for earthquake-prone areas such as on the West Coast.

Even though it is starting to turn colder, and the snow is beginning to fall, there is a sign of green in Cleveland. This week, Tremco Incorporated’s vegetated roof has been named by Greenroofs.com as its Project of the Week.  To learn more about the project, click here.

And, in addition to Tremco’s vegetated roof being featured as the Project of the Week, Greenroofs.com is also showcasing the renovation for November 2012 in its “Greenroofs and Walls of the World” calendar.

These two recognitions are a wonderful way for Tremco to enter 2012.

Tremco Incorporated and the RPM Building Solutions Group take our responsibility to supporting People, Planet and Prosperity very seriously.  We’re proud when our actions help improve any of “the three Ps,” and particularly pleased when something we do affects more than one.

A recent example of this is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Tremco Incorporated and the Minority Business Development Agency, a bureau of the U. S. Department of Commerce.  The MOU establishes a partnership that will provide qualified minority-owned construction businesses with direct access to corporate training and mentoring through Tremco’s Roofing and Maintenance Division.  Upon successfully completing the program, minority-owned businesses become certified Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance contractors.

Training and certifying these firms can have a direct and positive impact on people and prosperity, as it offers them increased business opportunities in an extremely competitive environment.

To learn more about the program and the MOU, visit
http://tremcoroofing.com/fileshare/temp/Tremco_and_MBDA_Sign_Agreement.pdf

The $176 million, 300,000 square-foot Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which worked with Tremco to meet its building envelope challenges, has been named the Best Higher Education/Research project by ENR Midwest.

The building enclosure was critical; it had to be airtight not only to prevent air infiltration,  but to also maintain the controlled environment essential for the work being conducted within the facility.

“With some of the top researchers in the world working in the facility, the building enclosure had to be airtight,” said Kevin LaPointe of H.J. Martin and Son Inc., the glazier responsible for ensuring the airtightness of the façade at the window-wall interface. “This facility is like a living organism that will change continually. It was one of the most difficult and rewarding projects that we have done.”

The state-of-the-art design for the project incorporates extensive use of curtain walls and punched window openings with engineered transition assemblies to help achieve a significant impact on the building’s energy use and internal environment. Expectations were for the building to perform for 100 years, require very little maintenance of the façade and use 50 percent less energy than a typical University of Wisconsin-Madison research lab facility.

Recognizing the elements critical to the success of the project, Tremco’s Building Envelope Solutions Team got involved at the outset. The Tremco Sustainable Building Solution: a single-source, proven approach to the envelope and critical connection points incorporating Proglaze® ETA Engineered Transition Assembly System 3, ExoAir® 110 Self-Adhered Air & Vapor Barrier Membrane, Primer and Termination Mastic, Spectrem® 1 and Spectrem 2 Silicone Sealants, SCR900 Silicone Compatible Gaskets.

This innovative solution provides a continuous, compatible and durable connection from the window and curtain wall systems to the wall assembly, taking this project to a whole new level of detailing to ensure reaching the owner’s long-term sustainability goals.

Providing a single-source approach to the enclosure and critical connection points within it ensured prior performance validation, accountability and minimizing the risk associated with such an extremely complex and ambitious endeavor.

And it worked.

Whole building pressurization testing found air leakage rates 20 percent less than U.S. Army Corps of Engineers standards, the most stringent standards in the industry.

For more details, see the Project Profile.

If you’re near Philadelphia, be sure to stop by the 9^th annual CitiesAlive Green Roof and Wall Conference.  Presented by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the Conference runs through Friday, December 3 at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel.

Be sure to stop by Tremco Roofing’s booth, #704/706.  We’re proud to be a Gold Sponsor of this year’s event.

To learn more about the great work that Green Roofs for Healthy Cities does in the world of living roofs and walls, visit www.greenroofs.org.  Recent Green Roofs for Healthy Cities press releases, including updates to CitiesAlive are located at  http://www.greenroofs.org/index.php/mediaresource/grhc-news-releases

The day has arrived!

Most of us have felt this — something has been building to “the day,” and then it arrives. Were we ready or did it sneak up on us?

This is now true in the green building industry. After a two year process and a final review this month, the International Code Council (ICC) has passed the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), which will be formally adopted in March 2012. It is then up to local jurisdictions to “adopt” this code in order to make it enforceable. Some areas have already adopted it and many will do so quickly, more so than with “normal” changes to the building code.

The IgCC will have a three-level application process. There is the basic code, which gives a floor to all new and remedial commercial and three-story residential projects. The local level, which each local jurisdiction determines to accommodate issues relative to that area. Finally, there is a project level, which the owner and/or the designer that the owner engages will determine. Once selected, these project requirements are “code” for that specific project. It will be complicated; designers, facility managers, building owners —practically everyone will need help.

Some Mandatory Requirements:
Site Development, Land Use: The IgCC pretty much eliminates development on greenfields (undeveloped land), although there are exceptions based on existing infrastructure. It includes clear guidelines for site disturbance, irrigation, erosion control, transportation, heat island mitigation, gray-water systems, habitat protection, and site restoration.

Materials:  A minimum of 50% of construction waste must be diverted from landfills, and at least 55% of building materials must be salvaged, recycled-content, recyclable, bio-based, or indigenous. Buildings must be designed for at least 60 years of life and must have a service plan that justifies that.

Energy Efficiency:  Total efficiency must be “51% of the energy allowable in the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).” Building envelope performance must exceed that by 10%. It sets minimum standards for lighting and mechanical systems and requires certain levels of sub-metering and demand-response automation.

Water Efficiency: It establishes maximum consumption of fixtures and appliances and sets standards for rainwater storage and gray-water systems.

Indoor Air Quality: The Code addresses radon, asbestos, VOCs, sound transmission, and daylighting.

Commissioning, Operations: It requires extensive pre- and post-occupancy commissioning and education of building owners and maintenance employees.

This change brings both opportunities and challenges to all of us in construction, no matter what position we hold.  Much of the IgCC needs to be clarified; particularly how it will affect “real-world” applications, so we encourage everyone to get moving now in understanding one of the most fundamental changes to the built environment in decades.  We look forward to helping you!