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National Research Conseil national Council Canada de recherches Canada Institute for lnstitut de
Research in recherche en
Construction construction ,%, ;
:.
.:,. .I" ' ' ~ r - ~ : ;',!..r..Industry Research Needs
in
the ~ i e i d
of Building Envelop
I
Performance
J
Yby C.J. Shirtliffe and
M.C.
SwintonInternal Report No. 623
Date of issue: October 1991
This is an internal report, while not intended for general distribution, may be cited referenced in other publications:
October 1991.
INDUSTRYRESEARCHNEEDS
IN THE FIELD OF BUILDING ENVELOPE PERFORMANCE SUMMARY REPORT
C.J. Shirtliffe M.C. Swinton
Building Performance Section I RC
In 1989, as part of IRC's planning process, the Building Performance Section initiated a sub-project to identify what research capabilities needed to be
developed at IRC to address industry's current needs for scientific and technical information relating to the performance of existing and emerging materials and envelope systems. As well, in the face of the many retirements at IRC, there was a need to re-establish contacts with certain sectors of the Canadian construction industry, and this project could serve that second objective.
Between October 1989 and October 1990, interviews were held on an informal basis with members of the construction industry on their perceived need for research activities in the field of building envelope performance. In all, some 50 representatives of varying backgrounds were interviewed. These are listed in Appendix A, along with their affiliation. Table 1 shows a rough distribution of their occupations.
Table 1. Broad Categorization of People Interviewed
1 ContractorIBuilder 4 Manufacturers 10 Suppliers 5 Architects 12 Engineers 7 Diagnosticians/consultants 4 Educators 6 Researchers
3 Multiple building owners (organizations)
6 Associations (manufacturing and construction)
The following is a summary of some of the general observations and the specific research needs that emerged from those interviews. Interview notes are on file at the Building Performance Section, IRC.
General Observations
Most interviews went well. Generally, the representatives conveyed their
perceptions of what research was required with considerable enthusiasm, and in the process, often expressed their view of how IRC could help to satisfy those needs. The best interview format appeared to be 2 research officers
interviewing one or two representatives. Many interviews featured only one officer and one or two representatives. One interview featured one officer and representatives from a number of firms. The survey methodology is described in Appendix B.
It was also found that these interviews in themselves seemed to be filling a need -the need to communicate to IRC general problem areas (and by implication, areas of potential research) by people actively involved in the evolution of the industry: warrantee program officials, building envelope council members (the BEC's), builder and manufacturing association representatives with the technical portfolios
-
in short, the people who are grappling with technical problems on a daily basis. Continued contact with these groups is recommended; however, this can be a time-consuming and expensive activity.Difficulties with the Question
Representatives were asked of general problems and problems specific to them that could be addressed by NRC through research programs or through the contract process. It was found that although the people interviewed did not think in terms of next year's needs, they knew what they needed yesterday, today, and to a lesser extend, tomorrow.
Other general observations:
manufacturers did not acknowledge problems with their own existing systems but spoke readily of competitor's problems.
manufacturers spoke vety little about the next generation of products
-
they evolve products, they don't make radical changesIRC's Role
A considerable number of interviewees grappled with IRC's role in industry. The need was expressed that IRC staff must be immersed in building science for a long time before that science can be successfully built upon, and before we can properly fulfill our role as educators; i.e. transferors of technology.
General Needs
As a consequence of the general trust expressed in NRC's capabilities to
generate reliable information, the need to develop procedures for measuring the phenomena involved in material and envelope performance was expressed in manv of the interviews. The abilitv to make measurements in the field was esp&ially stressed. The informaGon produced from these test methods is needed for quality assurance knowing how materials and systems perform, for how long, and what makes them fail. These issues relating to actual material and system performance remain preoccupations of the cross-section of the industry that was interviewed. As well, the need was often expressed for additional effort in processing (refining) this information to make it clearer and more accessible to industry.
In general, there were few indications to suggest that our current planning is off- course, or that our reading of the industry's needs is inadequate.
Specific Needs
There is a need to fill the many information gaps that relate to complying with the requirements of Part 5 of the NBC, and related sections of Part 9:
wall/floor, walllroof intersection detailing
-
general rules or guidance to achieve continuity and durability of the air barrier, the thermal barrier and the weather barrier. Published details are helpful but don't applyuniversally
-
more guidance is needed.joint detailing and gasket design
-
means of determining that a system will do the job over the expected life of the envelope, while being tolerant to the imperfections of site assemblysealant properties and performance; e.g. the durability, adhesion, cracking resistance and structural strength of foamed-in-place products
need for guidance to achieve fail-safe performance in the control of moisture and water (repairs were said to cost ten times the cost
of
doingit right in the first place, so methods and materials for doing it right need to be identified. CBD-like documents might be needed)
need for guidance to avoid thermal bridging and condensation. (There may be a need here for a more concerted collaboration between
Building Performance and Structures, an example of which is the retrofit project of a heritage building in Winnipeg)
the durability, compatibility, buildability, and dimensional stability of materials used for air, vapour and water barriers need attention
the tolerance for imperfections in the above materials and systems used for air and weather sealing need to be established to assess:
the acceptability ofimperfections (how tight is tight enough, or what leakage is acceptable?)
when and how much maintenance will be needed to avoid problems
reparability and the ability to renovate without compromising the
durability of the envelope components; service life of interstitial products vs. replaceability and detectability of failure
means are needed of finally eliminating age-old problems that recur in spite of apparently available solutions (e.g. truss uplift, leaky basements)
Needs relating to building components are summarized below and in the following figures, where problem areas that were discussed are highlighted in their appropriate locations on the sketch of a house and a high rise building.
foundations
-
settlement problems are not resolved for all types of soils; drainage systems for both high rise and houses need to be evaluated basements-
how to make these leak proof at reasonable cost, thereby opening the door to further improvements in insulation coverage of the basement wall and floorwalls
-
wind load sharing, longevity of air barriers, effectiveness of torchable peel & stick membranes, thermal bridgesroofs
-
predict the service life of roofing materials in place; ventilation of attic roof spaces vs tightness; cathedral ceiling design for heat, air and moisture control in Canada's varied climates is still based on guess- work.windows
-
flashing details, window/wall intersection details; possible use of foamed-in-place polyurethane around windows, not only as the seal but as the structural fixation of the window unit to the wallbalcony slabs -joint detailing for air and water control; drainage and sloping
skylights
-
designs, materials & systems for effective leakage & condensation control are needed; transfer of successful European technology may be needed.envelope systems
-
how to effectively and permanently join several materials in the air barrier system while allowing for relative movement of these materials and their eventual aging; how to deal with layers of impermeable materials in the envelope (multiple vapour barriers), fail- safe, fool-proof flashing systems;the overall performance of exterior insulation and finish systems; venting behind exterior cladding
design and commissioning of ventilation systems to achieve pressure balancing across the building envelope
materials
-
long term performance of formed in-situ products (foam plastics, concrete); durable and effective weather strippingmiscellaneous
-
pot lights &the air barrier; appropriate radon control measures as a function of risk, and means of identifying the risk; . .ventilation systems for meeting CSA F326, tempering make-up air; livability of spaces, e.g. basements; problems related specifically to difficult indoor/outdoor environments; e.g., social housing, northern housing.
DISCUSSED IN
tecuRIrm LNSS uplfl allic L cahedal ceiirm
windowlwil detaihs
balconies & dedrr
basement wal clacking, baking, cmdensiw dainase ledmolo$ies reeded? waillrod irXmseclbns
air baria amk&n
A number of diagnostic tools and procedures are also needed:
early detection of premature or accelerated failure of brick ties and precast panel hangers and detection of concealed degradation of precast panels
test methods for assessing site applied products assessment of wall system joints
in-situ evaluation of performance for settlement of disputes or assisting warrantee claims
Other Areas of Research Not Discussed
Not all areas of envelope research were discussed over the course of the interviews. The following is a brief list of further issues known to be current, presented for discussion purposes.
snow entry into attics
the performance of ridge vents durability of joints in prefab housing the performance of radiant panels
durability and long term performance of high thermal performance windows
Along the same lines, Appendix C is a list of inquiries handled by the Industry Liaison Branch of IRC, (then Technical Information Group), between May and November 1989. This list has been provided as a matter of interest, and to stimulate thinking about the need for research in some of the problem areas that result in calls to IRC for information.
Recommendations for Building Performance Activities to Address Identified Needs
The following current activities at Building Performance begin to address some of the identified research needs (one proposed project has emerged from consultations undertaken in this project). As such these activities should be successfully pursued and extended where possible to meet the broader needs highlighted in this report:
collaborative effort between Building Performance and Structures on a rehabilitation project of a heritage building in Winnipeg
development of a rain screen test facility and related computer program to develop design guidelines for cladding systems based on the rain screen principle
adaptation of state-of-the-art analytic tools for thermal bridging investigations.
investigation of the impact of house ventilation systems on envelope moisture flows
a potential joint project with industry on basement condensation
problems using sophisticated computer analysis technology developed jointly by IRC and the Technical Research Center of Finland.
continued consultation with industry on the need to develop guidance for the design and construction of air barrier systems
The needs of the industry for research can only be addressed properly if a good understanding is developed of the critical parameters involved in the process of heat, air and moisture transfer through the building envelope. Therefore,
delineation or identification of critical parameters needs to be a primary objective of such research.
The advent of sophisticated experimental and numerical modelling techniques developed at IRC and elsewhere now makes it possible to begin to identify some of these critical performance factors. Building Performance's ongoing activities should be orchestrated in such a way to ensure that general guidelines for envelope system performance can emerge from our research activities. Once performance guidelines are developed and proposed to industry, evaluation and diagnostic technologies will have to be evolved, to compare envelope systems and materials assessed in the lab or on site with these guidelines.
Recommendations for Continued Activity in Identifying Research Needs
As a next course of action, this summary reDort should be distributed to
individuals of the groups listed below. deaction of the groups should be solicited and priorities identified. A meeting should be called to record reactions of the groups and to determine methodsto address their priorities. Terms of reference for research projects and contracts will be developed, along with possible
Builder & Manufacturing Association TRC's
(Monsour, CHBA; Goldthorpe, OHBA; Ward, APCHQ; B.C.
warrantee program; Builders Associations for buildings other than houses)
Active committee members on relevant SWO's (CSA, CGSB)
CTA's & "BEC" representatives
(Sandori, Toronto; Toon, Vancouver; de Miguel, Montreal; Williams, Halifax)
IRC Sections
(Maurenbrecher, Structures; Goodrich, Infrastructure; Haysom, Codes; Caouette, CCMC; Rousseau, ILB)
As well, contacts must be made with organizations and individuals in
Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Newfoundland. Warrantee programs, building envelope councils and the CTA network appear to be the best sources to identify the individuals to contact.
Once specific projects are formulated, these should be integrated into the scope of existing projects where possible, or the scopes modified where necessary. New projects should be initiated where the identified needs cannot be addressed in existing projects.
APPENDIX A
-
PEOPLE INTERVIEWED, LISTED BY PROVINCEQuebec
Michel Lacroix Bureau de I'efficacitee energetique
Hugh Ward APCHQ
George Robert SHQ
-
Societe d'habitation du Quebec Andre Poitras SHQ-
Societe d'habitation du Quebec Colin Davidson Ecole d'architecture, Universite de MontrealClaude Fregeau Architecte
Ontario Ed Perryman Bob Marshall Peter Ramsay John Trew Jim Lischkoff Dr. Ken Peaker Dr. John Timusk Temp Harris Brian McKinley Dale Kerr Tony Woods Keith Wilson Paul Sandori
Ontario New Home Warrantee Program ONHWP,
-
informal contacts, no notes. CTA, Canadian Construction Association CTA, Canadian Construction Association TrowTrow
Civil Engineering, U. of Toronto Toronto Construction Association Clay Brick Association of Canada Morrison Hershfield
CanAm Air Leakage Control Systems Corporation Fiberglas Canada Inc
CTA, School of Architecture, U. of Toronto
Manitoba
Gary Proskiw Unies Ltd.
Tom Ellis Coldstream Canada
Gerry Miller lndal Wall Systems
Ewald Pentzek lndal Wall Systems
Lawrence Homelko Homelko Builders lnc (Wafflecrete) David M. Stones North Portage Development Corporation
Gren Yuill Yuill and Associates
Harry Ginge Yuill and Associates
British Columbia M.L. Len Exley Bill Strand David C. Verge Ralph Moore Sebastian Moffat Peter Moffat Roy Henderson Peter J. Metcalfe Chris Mattock Richard Kadulski Warren Jones David Rousseau Martin Gevers M. Wai Chan Murray Frank Brian Palmquist Lawrence Gibson Paul Sandori Danka Parr Chuck Tiers Bruce Peter Alan Toon ' Alex Parasin
Zeroloc Insulated Panel and Door Systems same
New Home Warranty Program of British Columbia and Yukon.
same
Sheltair Scientific Ltd same
Consultant
-
Weldwood CanadaCouncil of Forest Industries of British Columbia Habitat Design+ Consulting
Architect
Warren Jones Construction Team Five
B.C. Research Corporation B.H. Levelton &Associates Ltd. CSA Building Sciences Ltd. Pro Pacific Management Ltd.
Warnock Hersey Professional Services Ltd School of Architecture, U. of Toronto Architect
Architecture, U.B.C. B.C. Masonry Institute CTA 1 IRAP / NRC
APPENDIX B
-
SURVEY METHODOLOGYThe survey methodology consisted of five steps, the first three of which have been summarized in this report, the last two of which is a recommendation for follow-up activity:
1. Identify key (active) industry representatives that are either part of the industry or serving it in one form or another
2. Conduct a series of personal and group interviews to obtain an initial reading on typical problems and issues facing the construction industry, while
identifying further contacts
3. Organize and report on the findings
4. Review the findings with key representatives to prioritize and identify key issues to be addressed
5. Formulate specific projects
1. Identification
The Canadian construction industry is so large and complex that attempts to systematically "carve up" and contact the industry by Association proved
impractical. Rather, existing communication channels were used to contact the people to be interviewed. These communication channels were:
representatives of NRC's CTA network (then called Construction Technology Advisors),
the Building Envelope Councils (BECs), provincial builder associations,
manufacturers, consultants
active members in relevant codes and standards committees
As well, technical seminars were attended and our intentions to interview people from industry were communicated, so that interested individuals could approach us. The contacted people were asked for personal interviews and names of other key contacts.
Some effort was made to obtain good regional representation for the interviews, while assuring some diversity in industrial sectors covered; nevertheless, full and representative coverage could not even be planned, let alone executed, given the scope of this project. Major gaps in coverage are acknowledged; e.g. CHBA
has not been contacted directly, although TRC minutes were consulted. Such groups will be included in stage 4.
2. lnterviews
Interviews consisted of one or two research officers and
one or two industry representatives. Most interviews were one-on-one. As well, the "meeting format" was tried, with a diversity of industry representatives attending. The "meeting" format was deemed to be less effective than the one- on-one or two-on-one due to lack of focus in the discussion.
3. Summary Report
This summary report presents the interview approach, general impressions, s~ecific needs relatina to enveloDe research, and follow up recommendations. It was designed to be biief, for optimum communication. AS such it cannot
adequately summarize the full content of the interviews, for which more extensive notes are on file. As a result, many issues relating to technology transfer and IRC's degree and style of communication with industry were discussed but not reported here.
4. Follow-up Review and Meeting
Distribution of this report to representatives identified in the last section of the report is planned. A meeting is planned to discuss the report and prioritize issues that are of pressing need to industry. Continued follow-up after that meeting represents ongoing business development and technology transfer activities at Building Performance.
5. Formulation of Specific Projects
This is an ongoing process. A number of avenues are currently being explored:
collaborative effort between Building Performance and Structures on a rehabilitation project of a heritage building in Winnipeg
development of a rain screen test facility and related computer program to develop design guidelines for cladding systems based on the rain screen principle
adaptation of state-of-the-art analytic tools for thermal bridging investigations.
a potential joint project with industry on basement condensation using sophisticated computer analysis technology developed jointly by IRC and the Finish Technical Research Center.
continued consultation with industry on the need to develop guidance for air barrier systems
APPENDIX C. SAMPLE OF ENQUIRIES HANDLED BY IRC FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER 1989
This list was adapted from a database organized by Scott Mellon, IRC. The iist is structured to answer the questions: 'Who asks what of IRC?' Note: The database contains more detailed information. The
following iist was tailored to meet the privaoy act.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 LU 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 researcher architect architect homeowner contractor homeowner CTA Architect researcher CTA engineer homeowner CTA Homeowner Homeowner C I A engineer researcher contractor homeowner engineer Manufacturer Manufacturer ~ c c e s s CBC Toronto Access Montfort Church
air barrier, moisture, masonly walls, cavity
air barrier, vapour barrier, historic buildings, renovation attic insulation, flat roof, house
Automatic dcars Royal Bank
basement, heat loss, houses, wails below grade, R values basement, vapour barrier, house
BSM Alberta PW classification cellulo~e fiber insulation, fire retardants Ceramic wall panels
CIB
cladding, precast concrete walis,design Coating on cedar decks
Code Checklist codes,insuiation
cold regions ~ n ~ t l u c l i o n cold weather, concrete Comld I'Aube
computer program, energy audit, buildlngs Concrete + straw
Concrete + straw Conc. curing compounds condensatiop, wails, houses condensation, windows, house Cost of BFD
CSA standards CTA CAD C T N Ventiiadon
Database of Const~ctlon Criteria econombs, const~ctlon wsts Firefighters & disabled
foundation walls, waterproofing, moisture problems, old house, plastic film Foundations on fill
Freepad fresh water Fumaces
Glass Manufacturer Automat glass tubing, supplier glazing,
. . . : .,,... :: ,:ly .:... ,. 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 53 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 6E 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 62 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 91 92 93 ' E N ~ u I R E R ; ; , : , ~ , : , : ; ' ~ ~ ; : ' . , . ITA contractor architect homeowner manufacturer Homeowner Homeowner researcher homeowner homeowner researcher architect Contractor CTA Architect architect architect CTA architect homeowner Homeowner CTA homeowner researcher Researcher homeowner architect homeowner Researcher researcher homeowner homeowner homeowner librarian homeowner engineer architect CTA C2 J , ; , : . , , , , , , , , , ; : , ~ ~ : ~ ; ~ : ~ ; : : ; : ~ : : , : : . . . : . . ,,;:",;!:<<;.;:~ . , .
glazing, reflective films, cost effectiveness, energy savings, windows greenhouses, glazing types, heat flow
Handrails Handrails
health, humidity level, house heat pumps, window guide heating
heating heating panels
House, water, peeling paint, ceiling house, windows, condensation house wrap, air leakage, indoor air quality Indoor air quality
insulation, foundation walis,houses,stone walls IRC Publication
lexan over stained glass MAIL BOXES
masonry, soffit details Mobility issues- Elderly newsletters, IRC work noise trans. Windows parklng disabled Patiodoor
Pearson windows, replacement, selection plastics, fire reslstance
Plastics CTA
polystyrene foam, insulation, fire, toxic fumes Prefab Housing
Premier's award for accessibility PVC membrane watertight PVC windows, distortion, house
R values walls, roofs, caicuiations, energy conservation Radiant barriers
Rain and concrete walls Ramp
Regulations re disabled
rehab of structures, investlgatlon,building diagnostics Remplacement des fenetres
renovation, cathedral mof, old house, Insulation, air leakage, ventilation renovation, cathedral mof, old house, insulation, air leakage, ventilation replacement windows, selection, hwse
residential asphalt driveways Retaining walls
Roofing + molsture
roof-wail detail Smart house & intelligent bldgs
Sandwich precast concrete panels, paint, moisture, condensation, office bulidlngs School access
sealed glazing, durability Sealed windows Sealing garage floor
rt 94 95 96 97 ge 99 100 101 102 103 1 M 105 106 107 108 109 110 1 1 1 112 113 114 115 116 117 116 1 1 9 1X) 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 1 32 1 33 1 34 135 ENQUIRER contractor homeowner iTA contractor iTA Consultant CTA homeowner CTA homeowner CTA Contractor Homeowner Building Manager homeowner homeowner homeowner homeowner contractor Homeowner homeowner homeowner Consultant homeowner homeowner Building Manager Architect homeowner C3 SUBJECT self-levelling underlayment Shingling
Slope over llat mof solin de masonnerie
Speaker on BFD to OBWCBE super mndow,houses
swimming pools, condensation, house Tar shingles
UFFI, commercial buildings, health effects UFFI, houses, purchase
UFFi, PUF, Fire propagation, indoor alr quality UFFi removal
vapour dlfluslon, wall panels ventilation, condensation, windows Walls north
Water reservoir Accessibility Wilds Day Care
window, cleaning
window, house, replacement window, testing, condensation window replacement
window replacement, house, selection window replacement, house, window selection window replacement, seleclion, house
w~ndow replacement, selection, insulation, retrofit, house Window replacement
Windows
windows, house, condensation windows, house, selection. windows, house, selection,
windows, house, thermal performance windows, plastic, replacement, house windows, replacement
Windows, selection, houses, replacement windows, standard A440
wlndows,perforrnance Windows selection Windows +sidings Windows : materials 7 Wood framing Wood windows
