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.

Vinyl plays a major role in the design and construction of modern buildings, and it contributes to sustainability, wellness, and resilience of people and their communities. This course demonstrates the importance of achieving client performance goals using thoughtful, multi-attribute material selection criteria.

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 here to view the details...

Metal composite panels deliver a clean and elegant aesthetic while acting as a rainscreen or barrier wall. These panels can be produced in two different manners, each affecting performance and applicability. This course reviews metal composite panels, their methods of manufacture, performance capabilities, and methods of installation.

This course provides a summary of the major changes to the Ontario Building Code that came into effect on January 1, 2020. The course is specifically tailored for architects, engineers, and interior designers. The major changes include smoke spread provisions in high buildings, distance between exit discharge doors, re-entry requirements for low buildings, accessibility amendments, and new provisions for foamed plastic and insulation. The primary intent of the changes was to harmonize the Ontario Building Code with the National Building Code of Canada and provide clarification on existing code provisions.

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

Through sustainable management, the forests of New England have had a remarkable comeback since the 1830s, with eastern white pine being the most represented softwood in these forests. This light, yet strong wood species has been used for generations and today, meets the requirements of a renewable and sustainable building material. This course reviews eastern white pine’s contribution to sustainability, its grading rules, wood products, and many applications.

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

Acrylic solid surface is an attractive design solution, delivering enhanced aesthetics combined with superior performance properties. This course compares the characteristics of 100% acrylic solid surface to other surface materials and reviews the driving factors that contribute to its growing role in sustainable design strategies. Also discussed are the manufacturing, fabricating, and thermoforming processes of acrylic solid surface and the related green standards and certification programs.

Made from one of the hardest and most abundant minerals in nature, engineered quartz is a beautiful, durable surface solution for a wide range of commercial and residential applications desiring the beauty of natural stone without its drawbacks. The raw materials of quartz surfacing are harvested from the Earth and formed into slabs via an innovative production process, resulting in a homogenous, nonporous material with superior performance and low maintenance requirements. Reviewed in this course are the features, fabrication guidelines, and design trends of quartz surfacing.

Redwood lumber and timbers from sustainably managed and harvested forests offer warmth, durability, and strength in indoor and outdoor projects. This course covers the performance characteristics, environmental benefits, and applications of Redwood, including several case studies that highlight the beauty and versatility of Redwood products. Details are presented on differentiating the grades of Redwood, specifying the right grade for the project type, and the specification resources that are available.

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

For many applications, well-designed glass fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) composites deliver significant value and advantages over metal, wood, or concrete materials. In corrosive environments, FRP can decrease maintenance downtime and offer cost savings. This course identifies the components of FRP composites and discusses how using FRP can provide substantial, life-cycle cost savings and a long, maintenance-free service life along with meeting FM and UL wind and fire approvals. Various case studies are also examined.

Building a stronger connection with nature is critical for humans to maintain health and well-being. Composite wood decking is a durable, environmentally sustainable product that can help build links with nature through applications including home outdoor rooms, roof gardens, healing spaces, and public boardwalks in green spaces.

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

Today’s building professionals seeking better moisture management and energy efficiency from the exteriors of their projects are turning to rainscreens as a solution to both. Wood-plastic composite (WPC) provides a durable and long-lasting material suitable for use in rainscreen systems, decks, railings, and more. Reviewed in this course are the manufacturing process, performance and green benefits, and installation of WPC cladding that is fully capped with a polymeric plastic “shield,” providing long-term resistance to moisture, staining, and fading.

Rain has been cited as the most important thing to control in wall construction. Rainscreen systems have, for over five decades, proven to be highly effective in this regard. Following an analysis of moisture management issues and rainscreen systems, this course then identifies the unique attributes of wood-plastic composites (WPCs) for use in rainscreen applications. It concludes with a detailed description of how WPC cladding should be applied and fastened in rainscreen systems.

Redwood offers warmth, character, durability, and strength in products from sustainably managed and harvested forests. This course provides insights into forestry practices and the environmental benefits of redwood lumber, and compares redwood with other common decking materials. Details are presented on how to differentiate and specify grades of redwood; finishing options and methods are also discussed. The course concludes with examples of applications that showcase the unique beauty and attributes of redwood.

Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) offer higher thermal resistance per unit thickness than traditional insulation materials. This means a building envelope can meet the effective R-values for enclosures required by the energy codes without having to increase the thickness of the walls, roof, or floors. This course discusses how VIPs work, why they are effective, and the impact the properties of the materials used to construct a VIP can have on its performance. VIP installations and the latest developments in VIP technology are reviewed to illustrate the advantages of using VIPs as thermal insulation in the design of energy-efficient buildings.

The materials we use have a significant impact on the environment, our communities, and our health. Consequently, material transparency—wherein manufacturers disclose vital sustainability information about their products—is an increasingly necessary element of modern life. This course examines the tools and resources that are available for both manufacturers and the A&D community that effectively communicate transparency information and optimization of building products. Also reviewed are the benefits of the new-generation insulated metal panels (IMPs) designed to achieve a trusted range of health and wellness certifications.

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

Rain has been cited as the most important thing to control in wall construction. Rainscreen systems have, for over five decades, proven to be highly effective in this regard. Following an analysis of moisture management issues and rainscreen systems, this course then identifies the unique attributes of wood-plastic composites (WPCs) for use in rainscreen applications. It concludes with a detailed description of how WPC cladding should be applied and fastened in rainscreen systems.

Redwood Timbers are a safe, strong, and sustainable option for exterior and interior building projects where natural wood is desired. This course provides an overview of the properties of Redwood Timbers including insulation properties, grades, dimensions, fasteners, finishing options, and strength. It concludes with numerous case studies exploring the use of Redwood Timbers for post and beam construction, decorative elements, deck posts, and outdoor living structures.

There is no substitute for the natural beauty of newly installed tropical hardwood, but keeping it looking great and achieving the desired performance over time require careful attention to detail. Choosing the best hardwood species and specifying the appropriate fastening and finishing systems will ensure an aesthetically pleasing, low-maintenance, and successful design in terms of installation, performance, and appearance. This course discusses wood species specification, installation techniques, and finishing methods for tropical hardwoods in conventional and sustainable buildings. As well, international programs that are used to successfully determine sustainability are examined.

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

Wood is both beautiful and practical but lacks long-term durability when used outdoors. Modified woods change the material properties of the wood at the molecular level to improve its weathering capabilities. This course discusses one type of modification: acetylation. We discuss the process, its impact on wood performance, the life cycle impact of acetylated wood, and how and where this type of wood can be used.

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

Thermally fused laminate (TFL), also known as melamine panels, has become the leader in durable realism in kitchens, closets, home offices, and organized storage, delivering great value, quality, and safety without sacrificing design. Presented here is the evolution and manufacture of TFL and its properties and performance attributes, the link between texture and perception and the role texture plays in the visual impact of a TFL panel, and finally, residential living trends that are forcing designers and manufacturers to innovate.

Millennial consumers are committed to making environmentally sustainable purchasing choices. But what makes a product truly sustainable? This course presents data to show that thermally fused laminate (TFL) and other waste wood fiber products are among the most sustainable building materials on the market. Forest management, the properties that make wood climate positive, efficiencies in the panel manufacturing process, and the criteria and processes behind environmental certification are discussed.

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

Outdoor living space has become an important residential design consideration in the last several years. Decks create welcoming spaces to relax and entertain with family and friends, and a well-built deck can add more living space and value to a home. This course discusses deck surfaces, maintenance, and costs and explores porcelain tile as an alternative to wood and composite deck surfaces that is well suited to exterior environments. Also discussed is how porcelain tile can be used with a new pultruded fiberglass and composite underlayment, called structural ribbed self-supporting boards, and the sustainable features of this technology.

Bamboo, with its superior strength, light weight, ease of use, and ability to be regrown quickly, has been utilized as a construction material in its natural state for many centuries. More recently, it has been combined with other elements to create improved materials such as bamboo fiber composite decking and fencing. This course, illustrated with harsh climate installations from around the world, explains this advancement, the products now available, and how to certify, specify, install, and maintain them.