Moisture Durability in Green Standards

Recent changes in building energy codes include enclosure criteria that minimize building enclosure thermal loads and, in turn, reduce a building’s energy consumption. These changes require modifications in traditional building enclosure designs to meet evolving energy code requirements. Unfortunately, some energy-efficient designs, while code compliant, may adversely impact a building’s durability.

The minimum requirements in green standards alone, such as LEED, Green Globes, and IgCC, may lack comprehensive measures to ensure long-term durability of the enclosure assemblies. Optional and required credits included in green standards are beginning to address moisture durability and, in this paper, are compared regarding the scope and impact of the building enclosure across the project phases:
• Material selection
• Design and procurement
• Construction activities
• Performance testing
• Operation and maintenance
• Enclosure commissioning

This paper reviews various aspects among the green standards, including gaps and similarities in the rating systems, and strategies to utilize the best parts of each rating system to improve project performance related to moisture durability. Detailed roof system examples will also be provided demonstrating how these measures can enable energy-efficient and durable enclosure assemblies.

Jennifer Keegan, AAIA
GAF | Parsippany, NJ

Jennifer Keegan is the director of building and roofing science for GAF, focusing on overall roof system design and performance. She has over 20 years of experience as a building enclosure consultant specializing in assessment, design, and remediation of building enclosure systems. Keegan provides technical leadership within the industry as the chair of the ASTM D08.22 Roofing and Waterproofing Subcommittee, and the education chair for IIBEC; and as an advocate for women within the industry as an executive board member of National Women in Roofing and a board member of Women in Construction.

Benjamin Meyer, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
GAF | Moseley, VA

Benjamin Meyer is a building and roofing science architect with GAF. Previous experience includes enclosure consultant principal, technical management for enclosure products, commercial design, real estate development, and construction management on a range of projects that included residential, educational, offices, and DuPont industrial projects. Industry positions include voting member of the ASHRAE 90.1 Envelope and Project Committees, LEED Technical Committee member, past technical advisor of the LEED Materials (MR) TAG, and director of the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA).