In this presentation, participants will learn about NFPA 285 and how it is used to assess the fire performance of exterior wall assemblies containing combustible materials. A brief historical review of NFPA 285 development will be provided so participants understand the basis for the test method development as well as how it is applied and what are the limitations. Recent, significant changes that have been made to NFPA 285 to standardize the testing and evaluation of deviations in project wall assemblies from tested assemblies will be reviewed in the context of how this affects compliance. Examples of this engineering evaluation process using current Engineering Analysis documents will be provided to illustrate how changes in materials and configurations can affect compliance with NFPA 285. The reasons behind the regular changes to product engineering evaluation reports will be discussed to highlight the importance of using the most up-to-date materials, configurations, and constructions.

This program will provide the design community with the knowledge to understand why and how specifying air sealing can help improve the building envelope.

Guided tour of a roofing system fabricating facility. Includes a summary of the manufacturing processes, quality checks, inspection procedures, and testing performed within the facility to conform to UL, FM, and regulatory codes.

Being a brilliant architect rarely translates into having a successful business. With all the years of education and training to make us experts in our profession, the skills needed to have a successful business were conveniently overlooked. This webinar will fill the void and provide you with the business management highlights that every firm needs to apply to achieve their full potential. In this session, we will learn the fundamentals of all successful AE firms and provide the basis for making well-grounded business decisions. We will learn how firms can transition from being professionals providing services, to highly tuned businesses that can identify the needs of the marketplace and create services and products that are appropriately priced and yield consistent and greater profits. Rather than seeking out new projects that merely build upon your current skills, you will start from a business-thinking mindset, where processes that are critical to building a thriving firm are examined and constituted in your firm. We will explore the importance of data within an architect firm and demonstrate how careful collection and interpretation can lead your firm into more exciting and profitable territory. Join us for an engaging, live webinar presented by Steven Burns, FAIA, Chief Creative Officer at BQE Software as he shares lessons learned over 35 years working with over 1,300 architecture firms.

Being a brilliant architect or engineer rarely translates into having a successful business. With all the years of education and training to make us experts in our profession, the skills needed to have a successful business were conveniently overlooked. This webinar will fill the void and provide you with the business management highlights that every firm needs to apply to achieve their full potential. In this session, we will learn the fundamentals of all successful AE firms and provide the basis for making well-grounded business decisions. We will learn how firms can transition from being professionals providing services, to highly tuned businesses that can identify the needs of the marketplace and create services and products that are appropriately priced and yield consistent and greater profits. Rather than seeking out new projects that merely build upon your current skills, you will start from a business-thinking mindset, where processes that are critical to building a thriving firm are examined and constituted in your firm. We will explore the importance of data within an AE firm and demonstrate how careful collection and interpretation can lead your firm into more exciting and profitable territory. Join us for an engaging, live webinar presented by Steven Burns, FAIA, Chief Creative Officer at BQE Software as he shares lessons learned over 35 years working with over 1,300 AE firms.  

Air curtains create a controlled stream of air across a door or window opening, providing significant energy savings to building owners and helping to maintain interior building temperatures. In addition, some have optional features that can clean and sanitize the air near the opening. This course examines additional features that some models offer in the form of airborne pathogen and virus control and irradiation to help manage the virus level and the disbursement of untreated air near the opening. This course examines how air curtains can reduce airborne pathogens and viruses and improve the indoor air quality near the opening and the various technologies to eradicate and/or collect pathogens, how and when to operate air curtains operate and properly identify applications to maximize the disinfection of the air near the opening.

This seminar will help you understand the impact of air leakage on building enclosure performance, current codes and standards for air leakage control with continuous air barriers and recent advances in implementing airtight buildings in practice. Air leakage can impact building energy performance, envelope durability and occupant's comfort. Air leakage control is generally addressed by energy codes. The US energy codes have only recently recognized the importance of air leakage. For example ASHRAE 90.1, IECC, ASHRAE 189.1, and IgCC have only recently introduced quantitative requirements for air barrier materials, assemblies or whole building airtightness. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recently introduced an air barrier program for building enclosure airtightness, which requires blower door test for whole building airtightness. This seminar will provide examples of successful implementation of USACE program.

Being a brilliant designer rarely translates into having a successful business. With all the years of education and training to make us experts in our profession, the skills needed to have a successful business were conveniently overlooked. This webinar will fill the void and provide you with the business management highlights that every firm needs to apply to achieve their full potential. In this session, we will learn the fundamentals of all successful AE firms and provide the basis for making well-grounded business decisions. We will learn how firms can transition from being professionals providing services, to highly tuned businesses that can identify the needs of the marketplace and create services and products that are appropriately priced and yield consistent and greater profits. Rather than seeking out new projects that merely build upon your current skills, you will start from a business-thinking mindset, where processes that are critical to building a thriving firm are examined and constituted in your firm. We will explore the importance of data within an architect firm and demonstrate how careful collection and interpretation can lead your firm into more exciting and profitable territory.

The course describes the origins and reasons for the increasing use of continuous insulation in commercial exterior walls. Included is the air barrier, moisture barrier, and thermal insulation aspects of the wall system. This understanding is then combined with the design objectives of rain screen wall systems to outline the design issues that must be addressed in rain screen wall systems with continuous insulation. Several methods which can solve these design issues are presented. Attendees will understand how to design more energy efficient and robust rain screen wall assemblies.

This program will provide the design community with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions when specifying a simple solution for exceptional long-term thermal insulating performance and excellent air/vapor battier capability in brick and block walls.

Play and music are both essential parts of our lives. When we can combine music and play together in a fun and engaging space, the benefits are numerous, no matter your age. This course discusses why play and music education perform such a critical role in the development of happy, healthy children. We will discuss the copious amounts of research that tell us that music education has real life benefits such as increased IQ, language development and social engagement, the role music plays within multiple therapies for the elderly and those suffering from mental illnesses, and finishes with an overview of how to design musical play spaces for safety and inclusivity.

This course is designed to provide an understanding of the importance of a properly designed Air and Water Resistive Barrier System. You will learn the importance of an air barrier system and how a properly designed system can contribute to the environment and improve indoor air quality. You will learn to identify the different types of air barrier systems and where each may be more appropriate. You will learn to design a system to properly control air and water vapor, and how this may differ from one area of the country to another. You will learn how to specify an air barrier system, including the performance criteria for and system, and the code requirements, testing criteria other governing factors.

Being a brilliant engineer rarely translates into having a successful business. With all the years of education and training to make us experts in our profession, the skills needed to have a successful business were conveniently overlooked. This webinar will fill the void and provide you with the business management highlights that every firm needs to apply to achieve their full potential. In this session, we will learn the fundamentals of all successful AE firms and provide the basis for making well-grounded business decisions. We will learn how firms can transition from being professionals providing services, to highly tuned businesses that can identify the needs of the marketplace and create services and products that are appropriately priced and yield consistent and greater profits. Rather than seeking out new projects that merely build upon your current skills, you will start from a business-thinking mindset, where processes that are critical to building a thriving firm are examined and constituted in your firm. We will explore the importance of data within an engineering firm and demonstrate how careful collection and interpretation can lead your firm into more exciting and profitable territory. Join us for an engaging, live webinar presented by Steven Burns, FAIA, Chief Creative Officer at BQE Software as he shares lessons learned over 35 years working with over 1,300 engineering firms.  

This course outlines the dangers posed by Mother Nature and the science, codes, testing and methods in which to build and combat these forces. In addition, this course addresses the value of continuous insulation to improve the energy conversation of the building. We will also address how proper incorporation of martials including continuous insulation and air and weather-barrier systems will improve indoor air quality and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Do fasteners matter? Accepted practices for thermal performance evaluations negate fasteners. But with the advent of exterior insulation, fasteners and cladding attachment systems now serve as the primary bridging elements within typical clear fields. These components inherently disrupt the insulation layer, providing intermittent continuity with sheathing and studs. Furthermore, the ‘cladding attachment system’ has essentially morphed into the ‘cladding fastening system’ while also achieving de facto exclusion from thermal calculations. In other words, prescriptive R-values and alternative U-factors did not account for the ill effects of these thermal bridges. What ensued was a decade of under-achieving walls where effective R-vales were only marginally better than conventional framed assemblies. In this presentation, I offer clarity on the effects of fasteners and cladding attachment systems that vary in both material and form. My findings show that fasteners do matter and that certain fasteners warrant inclusion for thermal calculations and code compliance.

Moisture is the most significant factor in the premature deterioration of buildings. Moisture can damage materials directly, but it can also reduce the effectiveness of building materials. Excess moisture is also the major factor in the growth of mold. The most common contributing factors to moisture problems in buildings include: − Lack of understanding of building science principles − Design related factors, e.g., lack of sufficient details in the drawings − Installation related factors, e.g., improper materials substitutions, lack of installer training, and lack of inspection during construction This seminar will discuss the moisture sources in buildings, moisture transport mechanisms and moisture control strategies.

Ready to start mastering fees and better understand what they mean for your bottom line? To do so, let’s start at the very beginning—when you receive a request for a proposal. In this course, you will learn how to define your project scope, develop a Rough Order of Magnitude of construction cost, and estimate your project hours. We’ll finish off with how fees are broken down and explore a simple system to improve your overall project profitability.

This is a Product Spotlight Presentation.
Join us for a practical look into the process of creating custom cabanas. We'll walk you through the straightforward three-step journey: starting with the design, moving on to manufacturing, and concluding with assembly. This presentation offers a clear understanding of how each phase seamlessly connects to the next. Whether you're working on a hospitality project or a multi-family development, you'll find valuable insights to enhance your approach to design and construction. Learn best practices and efficient methods with this informative session.

The presentation will the concept of Consolidated Control Layer Design and how to use it to determine the materials that will make the most efficient wall for your customers. We will define the Control Layers, discuss the Code Requirements for each layer, explain the Building Science behind the code requirements, and how that layer is related to the other (Thermal to Moisture, Moisture to Air, Air to Vapor, etc.) We will then discuss the Fire considerations that Impact Control layer design with today’s codes, including NFPA 285 Brief Overview as it has changed the way we design our above grade wall systems and types of continuous insulations that influence the design considerations with respect to fire and NFPA-285. Finally, solutions for consolidating these 4 layers for simplified design, superior performance, and long lasting durability will be covered.

This presentation originates from a research report written by the Applied Building Technology Group called Assessment of Water Vapor Control Methods for Modern Insulated Light-Frame Wall Assemblies. The report is extensive and includes compiled data from test homes, huts, and studies from the US, Canada, and Europe. The presentation utilizes the collected data from the research report in the form of a table to make easy insulation choices to prevent moisture issues. This presentation will first present the Building Science Concepts one needs to understand why things happen the way they do. The attendee will then be able to use that information to make informed decisions on how to design with wood framed construction. The presentation also breaks down some of the findings about wood sheathing and how it has been standing up over the years.

This course defines and explains building science behind the code for the four control layers of the building envelope: water, thermal, air and vapor. There will be a detailed overview of air leakage, why it matters in a sustainable envelope and why air barrier continuity is critical to building performance. Participants will be asked to explore typical design principles for addressing the four control layers within the wall assembly. Finally, there will be an in-depth discussion of the critical interfaces, how to detail them and test them to ensure continuity of the control layers for the entire building.

Just like a pilot does a safety inspection before a flight, the success of a project often depends on the activities conducted before the project starts. Just as importantly, closing a project helps prepare your teams to avoid blind spots, pitfalls, and mistakes on future projects. In this session, we will look at best practices to prepare for a successful project and incorporate lessons learned from completed projects into your business and project management processes.

Helps provide the design community with a better understanding of the model energy code requirements for insulation in metal buildings, how codes are changing, including requirements for continuous insulation and air barriers along with considerations when selecting the right insulation.

The chart of accounts is foundational to understanding your firm's finances. In this course, we will review basic terminology used in accounting, analyze a typical chart of accounts that will work for most small firms, and show how this chart of accounts can assist with understanding your flow of money and help to create your budget for the coming year.

An introduction to the use of Polyisocyanurate insulation to provide a Continuous Insulating Air & Water Resistive Barrier, providing energy efficiency, fire safety, sustainability, and a healthier indoor environment.