Choosing a sink and countertop for kitchen and bathroom installations can be overwhelming with the array of choices in today’s marketplace. To facilitate the selection process, this course provides an overview of the different sink/countertop materials, sink configurations, and installation methods that are utilized in both residential and commercial applications with a focus on seamless integration design.

The distinctive look and beauty of natural slate roofing cannot be denied, but it does have its shortcomings. This course explores the history of slate roofs and various slate roofing alternatives and includes discussions on the appearance, performance, and costs of various types of roofs that replicate natural slate, with a focus on composite slate tile roofing, its durability, specification, and installation.

The spread of smoke in mid- and high-rise building fires is recognized as a major threat to the safety of the building occupants and responding fire personnel and the effectiveness of firefighting operations. This course explains how smoke migrates in a multi-story building fire and discusses how building codes have evolved to address this danger and why they mandate smoke containment in specific areas of a structure. Product applications and assemblies designed to meet building code requirements and limit vertical smoke migration via elevator hoistways and lobbies are examined.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Provides an overview of the history of solid surface as a decorative material with a discussion on product characteristics and attributes, and a comparison of sustainability factors of three hard surface materials and their environmental impact.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Provides an overview of the noise issues associated with floor/ceiling assemblies of multi-family dwellings, as well as the factors that affect acoustical performance. Also presented is a review of the acoustical solutions that are available with a focus on sound mats with poured underlayment (SMPU) systems.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Recently, custom showers have grown in popularity, offering homeowners an escape from the stresses of the outside world with new options providing the same sense of relaxation that was previously reserved for the bathtub. This course covers the trends in shower design, the benefits of hydrotherapy, and the components and technologies that are available to create a spa-like shower experience for today’s homeowners.

Specialty door and frame assemblies have been developed that are designed specifically for the built healthcare environment where performance criteria are critical. Reviewed in this course are specialty door and frame assemblies that meet the challenges of infection prevention, building cleanliness, patient privacy, and increased security, as well as containment of radio wave and radiation interference in hospitals and clinics.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Recent changes in commercial wall assembly design are resulting in increased energy efficiency, but also new challenges to meeting fire safety provisions in Building Code. The focus of this course is on air barrier membranes and the proper integration of these materials into fire-safe wall assemblies.

Commercial aluminum wall, window, and roof systems have undergone improvements in recent decades, making them technologically sufficient to meet contemporary standards of durability. In addition to being familiar with the systems' thermal and other ecological benefits, specifiers need to understand paint chemistry and the difference between powder and liquid coating application methods. It is also important to understand third-party specifications published by AAMA, which cover architectural coatings.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

A fireplace can be the center of interest in a space, be a supplemental heat source, and can help meet green design objectives. This program explains how hearth products contribute to home comfort, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and environmental sustainability. Discussions pertain to how to identify different hearth product categories, and how some types qualify for national green building programs, and why others do not.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

For some applications, building codes provide for the use of fire-retardant-treated (FR) wood products as an alternative to noncombustible materials. To ensure that FR wood products are properly specified, it is important to understand how these products are made, their formulations, and the building code references that guide their use in construction. This course offers a review of FR wood products, including their manufacture, the applications and types of fire retardants that are available, and the factors that must be considered to ensure FR wood products are properly specified for code compliance.

Surveys find that lack of speech privacy is a key source of workplace complaints, and worker productivity increases when acoustic distractions are reduced. This course reviews the role sound masking systems play within the context of speech privacy, with a focus on the principles of speech privacy, the fundamentals of how it is achieved, and what metrics are used to measure it.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Insulation is one of the most critical factors in maintaining the life of a building. With benefits such as energy efficiency and code compliance, polyurethane spray foam insulation is the ideal choice for many interior and exterior applications. This course examines both low- and medium-density polyurethane spray foam insulation, its characteristics, design considerations, and life cycle analysis for commercial applications.

Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation can be applied with precision almost anywhere, expanding to completely fill gaps and spaces, providing a durable, long-lasting, energy efficient solution to today’s green building insulation demands. This course summarizes the attributes, benefits, and applications of SPF and discusses how spray polyurethane foam insulation meets compliance in terms of energy efficiency, construction, and safety practices within the building codes.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Metal roofing and especially standing seam roofing (SSR) has a long history of top performance as well as a number of styles and uses. In order to take advantage of the benefits of SSR, it is necessary for each designer to choose, specify, and detail the correct product for every installation. This course explains the differences in application parameters, wind testing protocols, design details, and available warranties that can inform those choices and, in turn, lead to problem-free SSRs.

Comfortable indoor environments with enhanced air quality improve the health and well-being of the building’s occupants. The course examines fabric air dispersion systems, beginning with a comparison to traditional metal duct systems. It explores how the fabric options and suspension systems have evolved over time and moves on to discuss essential design considerations, including: shape, layout options, system dimensions, suspension systems, fittings, air dispersion design, fabric options, orifices/vents, and air pressure design.

An improperly ventilated house is susceptible to a range of problems, from mold growth and structural damage to increased energy costs. Achieving proper ventilation means understanding the flow of air into and out of the building envelope. This course discusses principles of proper ventilation in houses with steep-slope roofing—from the science behind moisture and airflow to the products used to assist ventilation through a structure.

The roofing system can have a dramatic effect on the building’s life cycle and energy costs, as well as its overall appearance. This course explores stone coated steel roofing systems, and includes discussions on the installation methods used, testing and standards, and comparative characteristics and sustainable attributes of stone coated steel roofing versus traditional roofing materials.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Interlocking concrete pavers (ICP) have the ability to spread applied loads via the interlock between each unit. This means that the surface does not respond structurally as single pavers but as a composite paved surface. This structural characteristic of ICP allows the design method for these pavements to be based on flexible pavement design. In this course, we examine the ASCE and ICPI structural design methods for ICP and review examples using different soil strengths/stiffnesses and traffic uses. Finally, we survey the design and construction support material and software available from the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute.

With the ever-increasing focus on the sustainable built environment, building owners, architects, engineers, and contractors are incorporating structural steel into their designs. Presented here is a comprehensive view of the cradle-to-cradle structural steel supply chain from a sustainability perspective. Also discussed are steel production and design, steel’s potential contribution to LEED v4 credits, thermal capacity, and the environmental and life cycle benefits of prefabricated fireproof steel columns.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Metering platforms are essential to understanding the use of energy within a building. Submetering is a vital part of sustainability programs and intelligent building design. This course discusses submetering and measurement and verification (M&V) technologies and products, and illustrates how they can be integrated into building management systems (BMS) to reduce energy consumption and overall operating costs.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Exterior shading devices offer a number of advantages that contribute to a more sustainable building, including minimizing cooling costs, reducing peak electricity demand, and controlling glare. These benefits result in greater occupant comfort and improved productivity. This course provides a review of exterior aluminum shading device systems, including the components, finishes, and design and engineering considerations, as well as a discussion of how shading strategies contribute to LEED® accreditation.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Originally developed to reduce solar heat gain from entering through a pane of glass, window films in today’s market provide UV protection, reduce glare, reduce fading, increase occupant comfort, offer safety and security, and yield energy savings. This course evaluates the performance of different types of solar control window films and offers daylighting strategies for commercial, retail, and residential building and architectural applications.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Currently, buildings are the single biggest contributor to GHG emissions, accounting for roughly half of all energy consumption in the US and globally. It is crucial to reduce this level of consumption by including high performance envelope strategies like shading systems, in all new building designs. In this course, we will look at shading systems, examine shading and design strategies, and learn tips for successful selection and design.

 This course is part of one or more "Course Collections". Click to view details.

Traditionally used for high-performance architectural applications, water-based PVDF coatings can now be applied to cellular PVC cladding materials, delivering high performance in a new application. This course presents the benefits of cellular PVC as a cladding material and focuses on water-based PVDF coatings, how they work, and how their performance characteristics contribute to their durability.