It is an expectation that today’s buildings have to be more than just aesthetically pleasing; they also have to provide flexibility for ever-changing space uses. Sliding hardware systems can improve accessibility, increase access to daylight, and provide innovative space division. This course outlines sliding hardware systems in buildings, examines their advantages over conventional swinging doors in all building types, and discusses how to specify these systems.

Commercial rolling service doors offer high performance solutions for demanding areas. Used both internally and externally, these doors provide excellent thermal insulation, strength, and durability in challenging environments. This course examines the characteristics of rolling service doors, fire doors, grilles, and shutters. Door operation, parts, fire code requirements, and wind load information are also discussed.

Rolling doors are used in heavy-duty, medium-duty, and light-duty applications for a wide range of commercial, industrial and construction environments. The course provides a review of the features, components, options and applications of various types of commercial rolling door products.

Air curtains create a seamless barrier of air over any door, window, or opening, offering significant energy savings to building owners and helping to maintain interior building temperatures. This course examines how air curtains reduce whole building energy consumption, provide thermal comfort, and maintain air quality even when a door is open. The basic principles and theory of how air curtains operate and how to properly identify applications and maximize the air curtain’s energy savings potential are discussed in detail. Selection, application, and installation of the various types of air curtains are also explained.

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

The design of behavioral healthcare facilities should address the therapeutic and safety needs of patients and staff while meeting the applicable codes and regulations. Reviewed in this course are ligature-resistant products developed for patient rooms and bathrooms that strike the balance between providing the safest design solutions while creating a noninstitutional environment.

Driven largely by public interest in minimizing the potential environmental impact of building products, architects and builders actively embrace “green” initiatives and are calling for building product transparency. The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) was developed to address this need. This course examines the EPD and includes discussions on who wants EPDs and why, the EPD development process, the contents of an EPD, and the future of EPDs.

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

In multi-story, multi-family housing it is the area separation wall (firewall) which prevents fires from spreading to adjacent units. This course examines the advantages of using glass mat shaftliner panels for firewall assemblies in multi-story, multi-family housing, and covers the installation procedures and special conditions.

Commercial fenestration products including sectional doors, rolling sheet doors, and rolling steel doors can improve building performance and provide essential building/opening protection. This course discusses common door features, hardware, insulation, installation, and optional types of electric operators, and evaluates the performance criteria required for a specific dock or drive through opening.

Louvers are an essential part of every HVAC system but their selection and sizing is often misunderstood or overlooked. In this course we’ll take a thorough look at louver components, types, options, and accessories and appropriate selection and proper sizing of louvers for a variety of climates, including WDR (wind-driven rain) and hurricane areas.

While providing fresh air intake and exhaust, reducing noise, and keeping out unwanted water and debris, louvers can also provide architectural style to a building design. This course discusses the aesthetics and weather resistance features of a variety of louver designs from the basic to the extreme. A discussion about the industry standards and test protocol for louver performance is included.

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 here to view the details.

Kiln-fired glass is a fine art form with many architectural and interior design applications. This course will explain how kiln-fired glass is produced, what the range of applications are, and how installations can meet architectural glass performance and safety requirements.

Given the number of low-slope commercial roofs found in today’s metropolitan cities, it’s key that architects/designers have an understanding of the forces that affect the durability of a roof assembly and the high performance options that are available in order to choose the best solution for each project. This course provides a review of the types and performance characteristics of cover board materials used in commercial roofing assemblies, along with a discussion of the forces that threaten roof-system durability.

Specifying the right sectional door system for your commercial project can have a great effect on the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants. This course covers commercial sectional door systems, including the various types of doors available and their associated characteristics including energy efficiency and durability, along with a discussion on how to specify the correct door to meet project requirements.

Provides an overview of gate and fencing systems which are both functional and decorative, and are designed to meet modern security and design requirements while harmonizing with the surrounding environment.

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

Unwanted sound can become more than a mere annoyance. Excess noise has been found to increase stress and distraction, reduce learning and productivity, and even lead to hypertension and permanent hearing loss. This course presents an overview of how sound is described and measured and discusses the many industrial and architectural products available to control noise in virtually any environment.

Daylighting systems provide a sustainable and environmentally conscious solution for building illumination. Daylighting however, is not just about letting in as much light as possible. Instead, it is an intentional and controlled introduction of natural light into a space. This course provides an overview of the benefits and applications of successful daylighting systems with a focus on the characteristics of high-performance translucent technologies, including removable glazing/skin options and two-panel systems. Also included is a discussion on meeting today’s strict code requirements with daylighting technology.

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

Composite aluminum/wood windows (not aluminum clad wood windows) combine the beauty and warmth of wood with the strength, weather resistance, and durability of finished extruded aluminum. This course explores the unique design capabilities of composite aluminum/wood windows and explains how their technical features, design elements, and hinge operating system contribute to their high structural strength, water management, and thermal performance.

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

Provides an overview of fiberglass mat gypsum panels, and explains their potential contribution to LEED® certification and other sustainable building codes and standards, as well as addresses issues of indoor air quality and construction scheduling.

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

Aluminum Full View (AFV) doors are a fast growing segment within the building product industry. They have a wide range of applications in a variety of building types. This course will look at potential applications and building types, options for installation, and custom options in design when specifying AFV doors.

Upward-acting commercial sectional door systems can be a major contributor to controlling energy costs in buildings. This course evaluates the materials and construction of various door types and discusses the selection criteria and operation features that are available to enhance door performance for a range of applications.

Window enhancements could be the most under-utilized energy saving technology. This course delves into the significant role that interior secondary window systems have in energy savings, efficiency, security, and comfort for existing buildings where window replacement is not desirable.

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

Specifying door products that are durable enough to withstand the rigorous demands of high-traffic applications in the healthcare and hospitality industries is crucial to the long-term success of each installation. This course reviews traditional doorway materials and doorway protection options, and provides design solutions that utilize engineered polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) components that extend the life of the door assembly and minimize health and safety issues for the building occupants.

Prerequisites:No

Course Level:Introductory

This course considers the design of energy-efficient buildings, which must include an effective, lasting, moisture-management strategy. Moisture management is essential to resilient, sustainable, healthy buildings.

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