IIBEC Online Education

Cladding and building enclosure component connection details are important to the overall performance of a building enclosure, including its resistance to loads and durability. However, they must also be coordinated with energy code insulation requirements, which are increasingly requiring and recognizing the benefits of continuous insulation. Continuous insulation provides a means to improve energy efficiency (minimize thermal bridging) and provide a thermally stable and dry environment for the enclosed building components when coordinated with improved water and vapor control methodologies in the latest building codes. But, cladding connection must extend through this layer of continuous insulation. This presentation will review the research and latest prescriptive code requirements for attaching claddings through a layer of exterior continuous insulation. It will also present a generalized design procedure that can allow various types of connections through foam plastic insulating sheathing, including the attachment of cladding, furring, and even structural components like roof and deck ledgers. These building code advancements provide building enclosure designers with the means to efficiently design and detail various cladding and component connection options in coordination with energy code requirements to maximize the continuity of the thermal enclosure and overall integrity of the building enclosure. Jay Crandell, PE ARES/ABTG | Shady Side, MD Jay Crandell has over 30 years of experience in construction, engineering, and innovative building technology research for private and public sector clients. He has conducted benchmark studies of major natural disasters and conducted research to address significant structural, energy, and building science challenges. His work has helped to propel many innovative technologies into the International Codes and consensus standards. He is widely published on various engineering, construction, and building science topics. For additional information visit www.aresconsulting.biz and www.appliedbuildingtech.com. Read more

This presentation initially took place at IIBEC's 2022 International Convention and Trade Show in Orlando, Florida. This presentation discusses the standards and building code requirements that govern the attachment of exterior wall claddings to wood-framed structures as compared to common installation practices and in situ performance. The presenters consider stucco, fiber-cement siding, and vinyl siding.  Larry Elkin, PE, CCT Elkin Engineering & Diagnostics LLC | Charleston, SC Larry Elkin has nearly 30 years of experience in design, commissioning, and forensics. He graduated from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with both bachelor and master of science degrees in mechanical engineering. Later, he obtained a master of civil engineering with an emphasis in structural engineering from Norwich University. Elkin initially learned about stucco in the 1990s while diagnosing moisture issues with exterior insulation and finish systems. This led him to attend Sto’s certified installer training in 1996. Since then, he has inspected thousands of stucco-clad structures to diagnose the causes of failures and provide repair solutions. Lee Fischer Elkin Engineering & Diagnostics LLC | Charleston, SC Lee Fischer is a professional engineer who oversees structural building enclosure and fenestration investigations using a multitude of diagnostic tools and test methods. He frequently serves as an expert witness in litigation. His experience extends across residential, multifamily, and light commercial structures and components.  Fischer holds FenestrationMaster certification from the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) and is in the process of getting Elkin Engineering to become the only FGIA-certified field testing agency in South Carolina. He is an Infrared Training Center Level I infrared thermographer and has completed the Exterior Design Institute’s EIFS Third Party Inspector Certification, Quality Control and Moisture Analyst Training Course.   Read more

As severe weather events become the norm and the data and science of risk analysis techniques change, design and construction professionals need to consider adapting their building designs to improve public safety. This presentation will discuss recent developments on this topic that involve the courts, building codes, insurers, professional associations, and other industry players. In this presentation, the speaker will explore whether a new standard of care is emerging that governs adapting to climate change. He will discuss implications for engineers, design professionals, and the construction industry as a whole. As the climate changes, industry participants can either ignore the changes or adapt to them. But one thing is certain: If design and construction professionals take the ostrich’s head-in-the-sand approach and fail to adapt to the data, their competitors, courts, and legal antagonists will do it for them. Josh Leavitt Much Shelist, P.C. | Palo Alto, CA Josh Leavitt is chair with the Much Law Construction Group in Chicago, Illinois. He has over 35 years of construction law experience, handling disputes and contracts, and counseling on industry risk. Leavitt advises on construction and design law matters, including delay and disruption claims, successful mediation and arbitration strategies, emerging delivery system choices, infrastructure projects, liability for failure to adapt to climate change, and 3D printing and advanced manufacturing. His clients range from worldwide leaders in the construction space to middle-market companies. Leavitt has extensive experience in building enclosure matters, including disputes over a wide variety of building enclosure systems, technologies, and structures. He is a frequent presenter at IIBEC programs. Read more

This presentation was initially provided at the 2021 Convention and Tradeshow in Phoenix, Arizona Continuous Insulation presents challenges with the overall wall assembly’s design, performance, and construction. This second of two programs at the advanced level utilizes eight commercial steel-framed wall assembly designs to evaluate their comparative differences while standardizing to an NFPA 285-compliant assembly under ICC 2018 in Climate Zone 5 (due to the requirement for an interior vapor retarder). The evaluations of the eight assemblies begin with an overview of their components with their assembly’s benefits and challenges. This overview includes describing the rationale for the choice and location of the continuous and total insulation, sheathing (if any), weather and vapor control layers, and the concerns for condensation management and thermal breaks. The eight are then compared for their NFPA 285 compliance, and then evaluated by their WUFI hygrothermic modeling over four climate seasons. They next are evaluated for their structural cladding load and wind-load resistances, and finally, they are comparatively ranked by cost of construction and speed of production. Rather than focusing on the benefits of one construction material or assembly, this program weaves together eight different entire wall assemblies to compare and rationalize. The presentation utilizes 3-D modeled imagery to help visualize their integrated assemblies.   G. David Schoenhard, RRO, AIA, BECxA, CSI, LEED AP DSS-Philly | Narberth, PA G. David Schoenhard has over 40 years of experience in the design, detailing, and construction of institutional, commercial, research, and multifamily residential architecture, and is the principal and manager of DSS-Philly, an architectural building enclosure consulting firm in the Philadelphia region. He brings his decades of experience and discipline to design, implement, and remediate building enclosures on behalf of other architects, owners, and contractors. He also actively researches comparative building enclosure assemblies and is an AIA Education Provider. In addition to the AIA, he is certified as a BECxA, EDI, RRO, CSI, LEED AP, and CIT. Read more

This presentation initially took place at IIBEC's 2022 International Convention and Trade Show in Orlando, Florida. Building structures are not entirely static, as they are designed to deflect and move under various loading conditions such as live loads, wind loads, and seismic loads. Some movement locations such as building expansion joints, cladding expansion joints, and curtainwall stack joints are typically well defined by the architectural design of the building. In many instances, however, the movement of a building structure occurs at more subtle interface and transition conditions that are not always clearly defined architecturally. Determining the location of this movement can become increasingly complex with unitized and panelized wall systems in seismic areas that have airtightness requirements. This presentation provides background on how building structures move and the impact that movement has on enclosure systems and their geometry. This presentation also suggests design approaches for identifying the building movement locations to address control layer continuity. Brad Carmichael, PE, CPHC 4EA Building Science | Seattle, WA Brad Carmichael has been consulting on building enclosures throughout North America for more than 15 years; his work has included complex new construction and rehabilitation projects. He is passionate about good design and the role it can play in social and environmental stewardship. He believes that durable and efficient building enclosures are critical for a built environment that is low consumption and long lasting. Read more

This presentation was initially provided at the 2021 Convention in Phoenix, Arizona Delegating the design of portions or even the entirety of the building enclosure to specialty contractors has become common practice. However, issues with the delegated design process persist throughout the industry. How can project participants take full advantage of the benefits of delegated design while minimizing risk? This presentation will draw from a combination of research and professional experience to assist designers, contractors, owners, building enclosure consultants, and building enclosure commissioning providers (BECx Providers) with the delegated design process. We will provide a brief overview of the motivations for using delegated design, common problems associated with the process, and inconsistent policies and requirements in varying jurisdictions. We will also outline strategies for successfully implementing delegated designs within both traditional and modern project delivery methods. In traditional design-bid-build projects, specifications play a critical role in defining the expectations for project team members. Meanwhile, newer project delivery methods ensure specialty designers and contractors are contracted early in the design process. With the advent of building enclosure commissioning, early project involvement of building enclosure consultants and BECx Providers can add value in the form of additional quality assurance to protect stakeholder interests. Demetria Boatwright, CDT Raths Raths and Johnson | Willowbrook, IL Demetria Boatwright is a technical staff member with the structural engineering team at Raths, Raths & Johnson, Inc. She has experience with a variety of projects involving condition assessment, field investigation, forensic research, and documentation of structural components and systems and distressed buildings. She is an enrolled Professional Engineer Intern with the state of Illinois and holds a Construction Document Technologist (CDT) certification. She is an active member of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI), as a part of the Women in Structural Engineering (WiSE) committee, and serves on the communications committee for the Construction Specification Institute Chicago Chapter (CSI Chicago). Patrick Reicher, REWC, REWO, SE, CCS, CCCA Raths Raths and Johnson | Willowbrook, IL Patrick Reicher is a principal with Raths, Raths & Johnson, Inc. He has experience with the forensic investigation, evaluation, and repair design of existing building enclosures; and building enclosure consulting and commissioning for new construction projects. Reicher is a structural engineer in Illinois and a professional engineer in several states. He is also a Registered Exterior Wall Consultant, Registered Exterior Wall Observer, Certified Construction Specifier, and Certified Construction Contract Administrator. He currently serves on several committees and task forces for the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) and the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA). Read more