The Problem With and Solutions for Ventilated AtticsGraham Finch
Presentation from 30th RCI Annual Convention and Tradeshow in San Antonio, TX - March 9, 2015.
Peer reviewed paper and presentation covers review of current issues with ventilated attics in the Pacific Northwest with case studies, the latest research and potential solutions to address mold growth and other moisture issues.
Conventional Roofing - Impacts of Insulation Strategy and Membrane ColorGraham Finch
Presentation given at the Philadelphia BEC luncheon in September 2014 on a multi-year field study looking at the performance of conventional insulated roofing assemblies and the impacts of different roof membrane colors and insulation types. Full report and papers available at www.rdh.com
Impact of Heating and Cooling of Expanded Polystyrene and Wool Insulations on...RDH Building Science
The thermal expansion and contraction of insulation products within conventional roof assemblies has been identified as a potential performance concern in the roofing industry. This movement can create gaps between insulation boards, which can short-circuit the insulation with respect to heat flow, and in conventional roof assemblies where the insulation also provides the substrate for the roofing membrane, insulation movement can also adversely affect the durability and integrity of the membrane and roofing system. Problems with creasing and ridging of membranes have been observed in the field, along with stress concentrations and holes around fixed penetrations. In particular, field observations have indicated that shrinkage of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation products may put undue stress on the roof membranes and could potentially affect the durability of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) roof membranes.
To investigate these industry concerns regarding the potential effect of dimensional movement of EPS insulation on the performance of SBS membranes, laboratory testing was performed on conventional roof specimens in a purpose-built climate chamber. The roof assemblies were cooled and heated to evaluate the amount of insulation movement, and to then observe the impact of these temperature cycles on the roof assembly. This portion of the investigation in to this issue focused on recreation of the observed field condition (e.g., wrinkled membrane), and direct comparison of the relative performance of different insulation types as a first step towards determining the cause of the observed in-service wrinkling.
Presented at the 15th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
The Tradition and Science of Window Installations - Where are We Headed with ...Graham Finch
Presentation on the impact of more highly insulated and passive house wall designs and practices on the installation of windows. Presented at the 2016 Euroline technology forum.
Ever increasing thermal performance requirements for wood-frame walls have had a dramatic impact on how we build walls. To meet these targets, exterior insulation is becoming more and more common, and methods to support the cladding are required that are strong and rigid, yet do not create significant thermal bridging through the insulation. This presentation discusses the results of recent structural testing of various different arrangements on long fasteners through exterior insulation as a method of supporting cladding while limiting thermal bridging.
Airtightness of Large Buildings - Where We're At and Where We're GoingLorne Ricketts
Whole building airtightness performance and testing standards are gaining traction throughout North America with various jurisdictions now including them as part of the energy codes and standards. This presentation looks at the state of the industry with respect to airtightness based on a database of over 500 airtightness tests, and provides information on industry trends.
The Problem With and Solutions for Ventilated AtticsGraham Finch
Presentation from 30th RCI Annual Convention and Tradeshow in San Antonio, TX - March 9, 2015.
Peer reviewed paper and presentation covers review of current issues with ventilated attics in the Pacific Northwest with case studies, the latest research and potential solutions to address mold growth and other moisture issues.
Conventional Roofing - Impacts of Insulation Strategy and Membrane ColorGraham Finch
Presentation given at the Philadelphia BEC luncheon in September 2014 on a multi-year field study looking at the performance of conventional insulated roofing assemblies and the impacts of different roof membrane colors and insulation types. Full report and papers available at www.rdh.com
Impact of Heating and Cooling of Expanded Polystyrene and Wool Insulations on...RDH Building Science
The thermal expansion and contraction of insulation products within conventional roof assemblies has been identified as a potential performance concern in the roofing industry. This movement can create gaps between insulation boards, which can short-circuit the insulation with respect to heat flow, and in conventional roof assemblies where the insulation also provides the substrate for the roofing membrane, insulation movement can also adversely affect the durability and integrity of the membrane and roofing system. Problems with creasing and ridging of membranes have been observed in the field, along with stress concentrations and holes around fixed penetrations. In particular, field observations have indicated that shrinkage of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation products may put undue stress on the roof membranes and could potentially affect the durability of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) roof membranes.
To investigate these industry concerns regarding the potential effect of dimensional movement of EPS insulation on the performance of SBS membranes, laboratory testing was performed on conventional roof specimens in a purpose-built climate chamber. The roof assemblies were cooled and heated to evaluate the amount of insulation movement, and to then observe the impact of these temperature cycles on the roof assembly. This portion of the investigation in to this issue focused on recreation of the observed field condition (e.g., wrinkled membrane), and direct comparison of the relative performance of different insulation types as a first step towards determining the cause of the observed in-service wrinkling.
Presented at the 15th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
The Tradition and Science of Window Installations - Where are We Headed with ...Graham Finch
Presentation on the impact of more highly insulated and passive house wall designs and practices on the installation of windows. Presented at the 2016 Euroline technology forum.
Ever increasing thermal performance requirements for wood-frame walls have had a dramatic impact on how we build walls. To meet these targets, exterior insulation is becoming more and more common, and methods to support the cladding are required that are strong and rigid, yet do not create significant thermal bridging through the insulation. This presentation discusses the results of recent structural testing of various different arrangements on long fasteners through exterior insulation as a method of supporting cladding while limiting thermal bridging.
Airtightness of Large Buildings - Where We're At and Where We're GoingLorne Ricketts
Whole building airtightness performance and testing standards are gaining traction throughout North America with various jurisdictions now including them as part of the energy codes and standards. This presentation looks at the state of the industry with respect to airtightness based on a database of over 500 airtightness tests, and provides information on industry trends.
State of the Art Review of Unvented Sloped Wood-Framed Roofs in Cold ClimatesRDH Building Science
Typical residential house construction in North America has long had vented attics above living space with the insulation and air control layer at the ceiling plane of the living space. Except for documented wintertime condensation issues in cold climates, such vented attics generally perform quite well, provided that they are ventilated adequately and air leakage from the interior is prevented. However, architects and designers are moving away from empty attics by using the attic space as conditioned storage or bonus rooms, or by designing larger interior volumes with cathedral ceilings. The practical challenges of ventilating cathedralized attics and cathedral ceilings have been significant, both because of increased geometrical complexity and because of the number of penetrations typically required for services.
Spray foam has been used successfully in tens of thousands of unvented roof assemblies throughout North America but some concerns remain in the building industry that these assemblies are inferior to ventilated roof assemblies. The National Building Code of Canada, in particular, makes it difficult for designers to use unvented roof assemblies, even using designs that are approved in similar building codes in the United States and have been proven to be durable, high-performing options. Over the past decade, the authors have been directly involved with studies of both 0.5 pcf (8 kg/m3) open cell spray foam, and 2.0 pcf (32 kg/m3) closed cell spray foam in unvented roof assemblies in various climates with continuous monitoring of temperature and moisture conditions. This paper provides a literature review of research that has been conducted on wood-framed sloped unvented roof assemblies, but will focus on results from a field monitoring study of sloped unvented wood roofs in partnership with the University of Waterloo, as well as a field survey that opened roofs and removed samples from aged unvented roof assemblies.
Presented at the 15th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
Current Issues with Ventilated Attics
Case Study of Repairs
Attic Roof Hut Research & Monitoring Study – Key Findings
Performance of Potential Solutions
Ongoing Research & Field Trials
Ventilated attics are prone to moisture problems in the Coastal Pacific Northwest climate. This presentation discusses recent research investigating the causes of these issues, and presents cutting edge findings regarding potential solutions.
Using long screws directly through an exterior insulation layer to provide cladding attachment without the use of clips or girts has been shown to be a thermally and structurally efficient solution for more energy efficient wood-frame buildings. However, there is still significant scepticism regarding supporting cladding with only screws when using thicker exterior insulation (>38 mm or >1-1/2″), supporting heavy claddings (>48.8 kg/m² or >10 psf, e.g., stucco, stone veneer), or in particular, using exterior mineral wool insulation, which is perceived as insufficiently rigid in comparison to competing foam plastic insulations such as extruded polystyrene insulation (XPS).
Various studies have been conducted to address this gap in industry knowledge and familiarity to help promote adoption of this cladding attachment method. To build on this existing research, which focused on evaluation of screw bending and potential formation of a truss (created by the screw and compression of the insulation), this study focuses on the impact of the compressive strength of the insulation, large thicknesses of insulation (~305 mm or ~12″), and fastener embedment depth (framing member vs. sheathing only) on the structural performance of these systems. The impact of these parameters was evaluated in a laboratory condition using a custom-built apparatus to mechanically imitate cladding (gravity) load in an isolation from other factors such as various other forces building is subject to. The test specimens were selected so that the impact of these parameter can be evaluated by cross comparison. This study found that when 8.0 mm (5/16″) fasteners, fully embedded in to the structural framing, were subjected to common cladding load (9.1 kg or 25 lb per fastener) the deflection observed was typically less than 0.64 mm (0.025″), which is likely insignificant considering potential moisture shrinkage that could be anticipated in a typical one-storey wood-frame construction (10 mm or 3/8″).
Presented at the 15th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
Vapour Permeable Air Barriers: Real World Evaluation - What Works, What Doesn...Lorne Ricketts
As insulation and airtightness requirements increase, vapour permeable liquid and self-adhesive air barrier membrane products are rapidly gaining traction in the North American marketplace. This presentation looks at real world testing of various types of these membranes and identifies potential strengths and weakness of these types of products.
Presentation Outline:
- What are "Super-Insulated" buildings and what are the drivers?
- Thermal bridging- problems and solutions
- Designing of highly insulated walls - insulation placement & durability considerations
- Super-Insulated wood-frame building enclosure design guide
Building Enclosures For the Future - Building Tomorrows Buildings TodayGraham Finch
Presentation from the 2015 Buildex Conference in Vancouver BC. Covers a brief review of recent energy and building code changes in BC along with compliance tips followed by an in-depth discussion of various highly insulated wall and roof assemblies that can be built to meet the new requirements. Cladding attachment strategies through exterior insulation are covered in great detail.
Energy codes and standards require ever increasing thermal performance. This presentation looks at different ways to achieve higher insulation levels without compromising durability.
Window Standards Compared: NFRC, ISO and Passive House RatingsRDH Building Science
This slide deck was presented by Brittany Hanham at Passive House North Conference 2013.
Outline:
- North American and Passive House window rating systems
- Example simulation results
- What this means and things to be aware of
Walls and Windows for Highly Insulated Buildings in the Pacific NorthwestRDH Building Science
Presentation Outline:
- Design Objectives, Durability Considerations, and the Pros & Cons for Alternate Highly Insulated Wall Assemblies in the Wet Pacific Northwest
- Basics of North American, European and Passivhaus Window Rating Standards and Window Selection Guidelines
Moisture Uptake Testing for CLT Floor Panels in a Tall Wood Building in Vanco...RDH Building Science
Presented by Rob Lepage at the 2017 Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
Cross laminated timber (CLT) and mass timber construction is a promising structural technology that harnesses the advantageous structural properties of wood combined with renewability and carbon sequestering capacities not readily found in other major structural materials. However, as an organic material, mass timber is susceptible to biodeterioration, and when considered in conjunction with increased use of engineered wood materials, particularly in more extreme environments and exposures, it requires careful assessments to ensure long-term performance.
A promising approach towards reducing construction moisture in CLT and other mass timber assemblies is to protect the surfaces with a water-resistant coating. To assess this approach, a calibrated hygrothermal model was developed with small and large scale CLT samples, instrumented with moisture content sensors at different depths, and treated with different types of water resistant coatings exposed to the Vancouver climate. The models were further validated with additional moisture content sensors installed in a mock-up floor structure of an actual CLT building under construction. Biodeterioration studies assessing fungal colonization were undertaken using the modified VTT growth method and a Dose-Response model for decay potential.
The research indicates that CLT and mass timber is susceptible to dangerously high moisture contents, particularly when exposed to liquid water in horizontal applications. However, a non-porous, vapour impermeable coating, when applied on dry CLT, appears to significantly reduce the moisture load and effectively eliminate the risk of biodeterioration. This work strongly suggests that future use of CLT consider applications of a protective water-resistant coating at the manufacturing plant to resist construction moisture. The fungal study also highlights the need for a limit state design for biodeterioration to countenance variance between predicted and observed conditions.
The definition of a "Super-Insulated" building, with a problem and solution based look at thermal bridging. The energy codes in the Pacific Northwest are some of the most stringent, but are also the best implemented in North America. Effective R-values are considered in the Energy codes and include the impacts of insulation installation and thermal bridges. A look into the other drivers behind Super-insulation such as comfort, passive design and mold-free enclosures.
The presentation looks at how the Ontario Building Code’s requirements for durability is to be interpreted and applied within the roles and responsibilities of the design team. It covers issues related to design service life of buildings and systems, the need for clarification of expectations within the durability process, and how to create a Durability Plan.
Interest in taller wood buildings utilizing cross laminated timber (CLT), nail laminated timber (NLT), and structural glued laminated timber (glulam) is growing rapidly in Canada and the United States. On the west coast, recently completed projects including the 97 foot tall, 6-story Wood Innovation and Design Center (WIDC) in Prince George, BC, the 180 foot tall, 18-story UBC Brock Commons Tallwood House in Vancouver, BC, and the upcoming 12-story Framework project in Portland, OR, have captured the attention of the international construction industry. Several other taller wood buildings are on the horizon and feasibility studies are currently being performed for mass timber buildings over 30 stories in height. Tall wood buildings have been a reality in Europe longer than North America, and there is much to learn from the European experience. However, conditions unique to the North American construction industry create many challenges for the design team in demonstrating the safety, durability, and economics of these buildings, all while forming public perception of wood at taller heights.
Presented at the 15th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
Tall Wood Building Enclosure Designs That WorkGraham Finch
Presentation given at the Woodworks National Symposium on Tall Wood Buildings in Chicago in November 2014. Presentation covers building enclosure design considerations for tall (high-rise) wood buildings and a case study of the wood innovation design centre.
Overview:
- Background
- Net Zero Building Enclosure Targets & Potential Savings
- Interior and Exterior Building Enclosure Retrofit Strategies
- Hygrothermal Considerations & Risk Assessment Evaluation Methodology
- Economics of Net Zero Building Enclosure Retrofits
The popularity of LED and other innovative technologies for outdoor luminaires is driven by today’s focus on cost savings, energy savings and environmental sustainability. But if the outdoor luminaire fails prematurely, the costs of repair or replacement quickly offset any savings or other benefits that might have been realised.
Multiple studies have shown that the root cause of premature failure in outdoor luminaires can often be traced to a failure to equalize pressures within the luminaire’s housing.
Susan presented findings from a comparative study of vented and non-vented LED Roadway Streetlight housings. She discussed how luminaire longevity can be affected by the formation of condensation, the diffusion process, and the impact of factors such as temperature. As this study demonstrates, pressure differentials can compromise housing seals and joints, as well as other connection points within the LED lamp itself – which can reduce the longevity of the power-supply drivers and other electronics. Additional data, from a lifetime study of Protective Vents in outdoor enclosures, will further substantiate the benefits of venting enclosures to prevent premature failure of the sensitive electronics within.
Talk by Susan Chambers, W.L. Gore & Associates (UK) Ltd
State of the Art Review of Unvented Sloped Wood-Framed Roofs in Cold ClimatesRDH Building Science
Typical residential house construction in North America has long had vented attics above living space with the insulation and air control layer at the ceiling plane of the living space. Except for documented wintertime condensation issues in cold climates, such vented attics generally perform quite well, provided that they are ventilated adequately and air leakage from the interior is prevented. However, architects and designers are moving away from empty attics by using the attic space as conditioned storage or bonus rooms, or by designing larger interior volumes with cathedral ceilings. The practical challenges of ventilating cathedralized attics and cathedral ceilings have been significant, both because of increased geometrical complexity and because of the number of penetrations typically required for services.
Spray foam has been used successfully in tens of thousands of unvented roof assemblies throughout North America but some concerns remain in the building industry that these assemblies are inferior to ventilated roof assemblies. The National Building Code of Canada, in particular, makes it difficult for designers to use unvented roof assemblies, even using designs that are approved in similar building codes in the United States and have been proven to be durable, high-performing options. Over the past decade, the authors have been directly involved with studies of both 0.5 pcf (8 kg/m3) open cell spray foam, and 2.0 pcf (32 kg/m3) closed cell spray foam in unvented roof assemblies in various climates with continuous monitoring of temperature and moisture conditions. This paper provides a literature review of research that has been conducted on wood-framed sloped unvented roof assemblies, but will focus on results from a field monitoring study of sloped unvented wood roofs in partnership with the University of Waterloo, as well as a field survey that opened roofs and removed samples from aged unvented roof assemblies.
Presented at the 15th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
Current Issues with Ventilated Attics
Case Study of Repairs
Attic Roof Hut Research & Monitoring Study – Key Findings
Performance of Potential Solutions
Ongoing Research & Field Trials
Ventilated attics are prone to moisture problems in the Coastal Pacific Northwest climate. This presentation discusses recent research investigating the causes of these issues, and presents cutting edge findings regarding potential solutions.
Using long screws directly through an exterior insulation layer to provide cladding attachment without the use of clips or girts has been shown to be a thermally and structurally efficient solution for more energy efficient wood-frame buildings. However, there is still significant scepticism regarding supporting cladding with only screws when using thicker exterior insulation (>38 mm or >1-1/2″), supporting heavy claddings (>48.8 kg/m² or >10 psf, e.g., stucco, stone veneer), or in particular, using exterior mineral wool insulation, which is perceived as insufficiently rigid in comparison to competing foam plastic insulations such as extruded polystyrene insulation (XPS).
Various studies have been conducted to address this gap in industry knowledge and familiarity to help promote adoption of this cladding attachment method. To build on this existing research, which focused on evaluation of screw bending and potential formation of a truss (created by the screw and compression of the insulation), this study focuses on the impact of the compressive strength of the insulation, large thicknesses of insulation (~305 mm or ~12″), and fastener embedment depth (framing member vs. sheathing only) on the structural performance of these systems. The impact of these parameters was evaluated in a laboratory condition using a custom-built apparatus to mechanically imitate cladding (gravity) load in an isolation from other factors such as various other forces building is subject to. The test specimens were selected so that the impact of these parameter can be evaluated by cross comparison. This study found that when 8.0 mm (5/16″) fasteners, fully embedded in to the structural framing, were subjected to common cladding load (9.1 kg or 25 lb per fastener) the deflection observed was typically less than 0.64 mm (0.025″), which is likely insignificant considering potential moisture shrinkage that could be anticipated in a typical one-storey wood-frame construction (10 mm or 3/8″).
Presented at the 15th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
Vapour Permeable Air Barriers: Real World Evaluation - What Works, What Doesn...Lorne Ricketts
As insulation and airtightness requirements increase, vapour permeable liquid and self-adhesive air barrier membrane products are rapidly gaining traction in the North American marketplace. This presentation looks at real world testing of various types of these membranes and identifies potential strengths and weakness of these types of products.
Presentation Outline:
- What are "Super-Insulated" buildings and what are the drivers?
- Thermal bridging- problems and solutions
- Designing of highly insulated walls - insulation placement & durability considerations
- Super-Insulated wood-frame building enclosure design guide
Building Enclosures For the Future - Building Tomorrows Buildings TodayGraham Finch
Presentation from the 2015 Buildex Conference in Vancouver BC. Covers a brief review of recent energy and building code changes in BC along with compliance tips followed by an in-depth discussion of various highly insulated wall and roof assemblies that can be built to meet the new requirements. Cladding attachment strategies through exterior insulation are covered in great detail.
Energy codes and standards require ever increasing thermal performance. This presentation looks at different ways to achieve higher insulation levels without compromising durability.
Window Standards Compared: NFRC, ISO and Passive House RatingsRDH Building Science
This slide deck was presented by Brittany Hanham at Passive House North Conference 2013.
Outline:
- North American and Passive House window rating systems
- Example simulation results
- What this means and things to be aware of
Walls and Windows for Highly Insulated Buildings in the Pacific NorthwestRDH Building Science
Presentation Outline:
- Design Objectives, Durability Considerations, and the Pros & Cons for Alternate Highly Insulated Wall Assemblies in the Wet Pacific Northwest
- Basics of North American, European and Passivhaus Window Rating Standards and Window Selection Guidelines
Moisture Uptake Testing for CLT Floor Panels in a Tall Wood Building in Vanco...RDH Building Science
Presented by Rob Lepage at the 2017 Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
Cross laminated timber (CLT) and mass timber construction is a promising structural technology that harnesses the advantageous structural properties of wood combined with renewability and carbon sequestering capacities not readily found in other major structural materials. However, as an organic material, mass timber is susceptible to biodeterioration, and when considered in conjunction with increased use of engineered wood materials, particularly in more extreme environments and exposures, it requires careful assessments to ensure long-term performance.
A promising approach towards reducing construction moisture in CLT and other mass timber assemblies is to protect the surfaces with a water-resistant coating. To assess this approach, a calibrated hygrothermal model was developed with small and large scale CLT samples, instrumented with moisture content sensors at different depths, and treated with different types of water resistant coatings exposed to the Vancouver climate. The models were further validated with additional moisture content sensors installed in a mock-up floor structure of an actual CLT building under construction. Biodeterioration studies assessing fungal colonization were undertaken using the modified VTT growth method and a Dose-Response model for decay potential.
The research indicates that CLT and mass timber is susceptible to dangerously high moisture contents, particularly when exposed to liquid water in horizontal applications. However, a non-porous, vapour impermeable coating, when applied on dry CLT, appears to significantly reduce the moisture load and effectively eliminate the risk of biodeterioration. This work strongly suggests that future use of CLT consider applications of a protective water-resistant coating at the manufacturing plant to resist construction moisture. The fungal study also highlights the need for a limit state design for biodeterioration to countenance variance between predicted and observed conditions.
The definition of a "Super-Insulated" building, with a problem and solution based look at thermal bridging. The energy codes in the Pacific Northwest are some of the most stringent, but are also the best implemented in North America. Effective R-values are considered in the Energy codes and include the impacts of insulation installation and thermal bridges. A look into the other drivers behind Super-insulation such as comfort, passive design and mold-free enclosures.
The presentation looks at how the Ontario Building Code’s requirements for durability is to be interpreted and applied within the roles and responsibilities of the design team. It covers issues related to design service life of buildings and systems, the need for clarification of expectations within the durability process, and how to create a Durability Plan.
Interest in taller wood buildings utilizing cross laminated timber (CLT), nail laminated timber (NLT), and structural glued laminated timber (glulam) is growing rapidly in Canada and the United States. On the west coast, recently completed projects including the 97 foot tall, 6-story Wood Innovation and Design Center (WIDC) in Prince George, BC, the 180 foot tall, 18-story UBC Brock Commons Tallwood House in Vancouver, BC, and the upcoming 12-story Framework project in Portland, OR, have captured the attention of the international construction industry. Several other taller wood buildings are on the horizon and feasibility studies are currently being performed for mass timber buildings over 30 stories in height. Tall wood buildings have been a reality in Europe longer than North America, and there is much to learn from the European experience. However, conditions unique to the North American construction industry create many challenges for the design team in demonstrating the safety, durability, and economics of these buildings, all while forming public perception of wood at taller heights.
Presented at the 15th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology.
Tall Wood Building Enclosure Designs That WorkGraham Finch
Presentation given at the Woodworks National Symposium on Tall Wood Buildings in Chicago in November 2014. Presentation covers building enclosure design considerations for tall (high-rise) wood buildings and a case study of the wood innovation design centre.
Overview:
- Background
- Net Zero Building Enclosure Targets & Potential Savings
- Interior and Exterior Building Enclosure Retrofit Strategies
- Hygrothermal Considerations & Risk Assessment Evaluation Methodology
- Economics of Net Zero Building Enclosure Retrofits
The popularity of LED and other innovative technologies for outdoor luminaires is driven by today’s focus on cost savings, energy savings and environmental sustainability. But if the outdoor luminaire fails prematurely, the costs of repair or replacement quickly offset any savings or other benefits that might have been realised.
Multiple studies have shown that the root cause of premature failure in outdoor luminaires can often be traced to a failure to equalize pressures within the luminaire’s housing.
Susan presented findings from a comparative study of vented and non-vented LED Roadway Streetlight housings. She discussed how luminaire longevity can be affected by the formation of condensation, the diffusion process, and the impact of factors such as temperature. As this study demonstrates, pressure differentials can compromise housing seals and joints, as well as other connection points within the LED lamp itself – which can reduce the longevity of the power-supply drivers and other electronics. Additional data, from a lifetime study of Protective Vents in outdoor enclosures, will further substantiate the benefits of venting enclosures to prevent premature failure of the sensitive electronics within.
Talk by Susan Chambers, W.L. Gore & Associates (UK) Ltd
Est group harbin urea conference 2014 pap paper v1 englishJim Novak (吉因龙)
An Improved Tube Plugging Technique for Ammonia and Urea Plant Heat Exchangers. Eliminates Welding, Reduces Downtime and Increases Reliability
We will provide details documenting the development of Pop-A-Plugs specifically for this service and how this significantly reduces the shutdown time required to seal tubes in such service. Everybody knows that welded plugs in high pressure heat exchangers in urea plants are prone to leaking problems as the proper quality of the welds is difficult to assure. Pop-A-Plug® System plugs promise a much better reliability than welded plugs.
The art of troubleshooting mist eliminators - Begg Cousland - COBRAS 2015COBRAS
This presentation will look at standard Troubleshooting Guidance and give examples of where this works well, but also examples where changes in process or changes & developments in plant equipment can cause problems if not properly understood.
The presentation will also give guidance on Shutdown Inspection Procedures as part of a Troubleshooting process and as a general practice.
The Institute of Rural Research And Development (IRRAD)-Architecture case studyShailja km
IRRAD-sustainable development, environmental goals,zero runoff from the site,daylight and ventilation, photovoltaic panels, minimize the ecological foot print and carbon dioxide emissions,shading device
Goel Scientific General information and introductionGoel Scientific
Borosilicate glass represents unmatched standardized glass for construction of plant
and piping in the chemical, dyestuff, food pharmaceutical, petrochemical industries. Its
steadily growing use is due to many advantages over conventional materials.
Conventional Roofing Assemblies: Measuring the Thermal Benefits of Light to D...RDH Building Science
Presentation Overview:
• Conventional Roofing Designs
and Current Issues
• Conventional Roofing Field
Monitoring and Research
Program
• Measured Insulation Performance
• Selecting Roofing Membrane
Color and Insulation Strategy for
Optimum Energy Efficiency
• Case Studies
High Performance Walls - Solutions for Thermal BridgingGraham Finch
Presentation from Philadelphia and Baltimore BEC events on September 15, 2015 on High Performance Walls and Solutions to address thermal bridging with claddings. Available cladding attachment solutions including various clip systems are presented and compared
Osmosis - The Bane of Liquid Applied Waterproofing MembranesGraham Finch
Presentation from 18th Annual Westford Symposium, Building Science Summer Camp. Presentation covers history of cold applied liquid waterproofing membranes up to discovery and proof of osmotic blistering failure. Results from recent testing of various membrane types
WoodWorks 2013 Vancouver - Energy-Efficient Building Enclosure Design Guideli...Graham Finch
Presentation from the 2013 Vancouver Woodworks Conference (October 29, 2013). Covers an overview of the considerations for energy-efficient wood frame building enclosures while outlining the content of a new guideline document published by FP Innovations "Guide for Designing Energy Efficiency Building Enclosures for Wood-Frame Multi-Unit Residential Buildings in Marine to Cold Climate Zones in North America"
Passive House North 2013 Presentation on Thermal Bridges in Concrete Construction. Solutions to Address Energy Code Compliance, Thermal Comfort and Energy Savings
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
Generating a custom Ruby SDK for your web service or Rails API using Smithyg2nightmarescribd
Have you ever wanted a Ruby client API to communicate with your web service? Smithy is a protocol-agnostic language for defining services and SDKs. Smithy Ruby is an implementation of Smithy that generates a Ruby SDK using a Smithy model. In this talk, we will explore Smithy and Smithy Ruby to learn how to generate custom feature-rich SDKs that can communicate with any web service, such as a Rails JSON API.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
Kubernetes & AI - Beauty and the Beast !?! @KCD Istanbul 2024Tobias Schneck
As AI technology is pushing into IT I was wondering myself, as an “infrastructure container kubernetes guy”, how get this fancy AI technology get managed from an infrastructure operational view? Is it possible to apply our lovely cloud native principals as well? What benefit’s both technologies could bring to each other?
Let me take this questions and provide you a short journey through existing deployment models and use cases for AI software. On practical examples, we discuss what cloud/on-premise strategy we may need for applying it to our own infrastructure to get it to work from an enterprise perspective. I want to give an overview about infrastructure requirements and technologies, what could be beneficial or limiting your AI use cases in an enterprise environment. An interactive Demo will give you some insides, what approaches I got already working for real.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
Slack (or Teams) Automation for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Soluti...Jeffrey Haguewood
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on the notifications, alerts, and approval requests using Slack for Bonterra Impact Management. The solutions covered in this webinar can also be deployed for Microsoft Teams.
Interested in deploying notification automations for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
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After immersing yourself in the blue book and its red counterpart, attending DDD-focused conferences, and applying tactical patterns, you're left with a crucial question: How do I ensure my design is effective? Tactical patterns within Domain-Driven Design (DDD) serve as guiding principles for creating clear and manageable domain models. However, achieving success with these patterns requires additional guidance. Interestingly, we've observed that a set of constraints initially designed for training purposes remarkably aligns with effective pattern implementation, offering a more ‘mechanical’ approach. Let's explore together how Object Calisthenics can elevate the design of your tactical DDD patterns, offering concrete help for those venturing into DDD for the first time!
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...
Insulating Glazing Unit Failures - Lessons From an All Glass Tower
1. Failure Mechanisms and Re-Glazing of an all Glass Tower
Lessons in Insulating Glazing Unit Failures
Graham Finch, MASc, P.Eng
RDH Building Engineering, Vancouver, BC
BEST 3 Atlanta – April 3, 2012
2. Outline
How do Building
Enclosures and Insulating
Glazing Units (IGUs) Fail?
Standard and Innovative
In-Situ IGU Testing
Methods
Selection of New IGUs
and Replacement in an
Occupied Building
8. Residential condo building constructed in 2002 – entirely
structurally glazed curtainwall – R-5 proprietary triple IGUs
First fogged IGUs reportedly observed in 2003
Contractor replaced all desiccant tubes
More fogging persisted
Corrosion of low-e noticed
More desiccant tubes replaced
Retained by owners to first investigate in 2006
Continued investigations through 2007-2008
Acknowledgement of widespread and worsening problem
Owners decide to proceed with re-glazing
Design in 2011 - Re-glazing in 2012
Background – Case Study
10. Visual Review
Rating based on visual
observation and level of fogging
and low-e corrosion damage
visible from 10 feet away
Dew/frost-point testing
(ASTM E-576)
Measures how dry the IGU
airspace is and estimate the
saturation level of the desiccant
Can estimate remaining service
life of IGUs
Can quantify failed units and
units close to failure
Quantifying IGU Failures in the Field
12. Visual Review of IGU Conditions, 2006 through 2009
2006 & 2007 Visual Review Summary
Clear
43%
Minor
23%
Moderate
17%
Severe
17%
34% of all units are
showing considerable
low-e corrosion
Atotal of 239 IGUs reviewed in 2006 & 2007
2008 Visual Review Summary
Minor
30%
Moderate
32%
Severe
25%
Clear
13%
57% of all units are
showing considerable
low-e corrosion
8 suites - Atotal of 163 IGUs reviewed in 2008
2009 Visual Review Summary
Clear
0%
Minor
15%
Moderate
26%
Severe
59%
85% of all units are
showing considerable
low-e corrosion
3 suites, 3204, 3304, 3803 (All new suites) -
Atotal of 53 IGUs reviewed in 2009
13. Mapping IGU Degradation with Time
N
2006
2006
Corrosion Legend
Clear
Minor
Moderate
Severe
2006 Frost points: -55, -10, -8 C
2008
2008
2008 Frost points: all between 2 and 6C
14. Further testing procedures
evolved:
Desiccant saturation
measurement
Pressure testing
• Measure leakage rate of IGUs
Flow testing
• Measure flow through the
desiccant tube in service
Eventual removal
• For visual and laboratory testing
• Delayed for several years to get
safety variance to remove IGUs
But How and Why are They Failing So Fast?
15. Once desiccant reaches 80%, it no longer protects IGU from
fogging – dewpoint above 0°C (32°F)
Found saturated desiccant in all fogged units, and drier
desiccant in clear IGUs
Desiccant Saturation Testing
16. In-situ IGU Pressure Testing
Purpose to determine how “sealed” the IGUs actually are
Built a specialized testing apparatus to measure pressure decay
of IGUs in-situ
Correlate condensation/low-e corrosion with “leakiness” of the
IGUs
Pressurize IGU
through hole at
removable
desiccant tube
17. Pressure Testing Apparatus
Glazing
Unit
Desiccant Tube
Pump air into unit
up to 250 Pa
P
Compressor
Pressure
Gauge
Pressure decay indicates
number and size of leaks
Pump-up
unit
through
desiccant
tube hole
Typical Window
(Elevation View)
Disconnect tube
18. Pressure Testing Theory
A completely sealed IGU will retain applied pressure
indefinitely (i.e. car tires, basketball etc).
A leaky unit will exhibit a loss of pressure with time
(pressure decay).
Air is leaking out through perimeter glazing seal
The pressure decay can be measured and an approximate
leakage area calculated
Correlate with corrosion and dewpoint measurement
Units that cannot be pressurized are very leaky
(i.e. like a flat tire)
Can also use to test new units (originally the IGU company
was going to replace all fogged units)
20. Flow Monitoring
Low Flow sensors
connected to open end of
desiccant tubes
Data recorded every
second
Temperature data also
collected
Wind speed and direction
data taken from site
Q
flow
Desiccant Tube
Glazing Unit
22. In-Situ Monitoring Results
Air flows from outside into the IGU through edge seal defects
then into suite through desiccant tube – driven by wind
pressure differences and thermal expansion/contraction
Desiccant tube flow rate of <0.01 L/min resulting in exchange
of 1-5 Liters of air per day just from wind
Estimated service life of external desiccant tubes with these
average flow rates is <5 years to saturation
Not accounting for other leaks (as indicated by pressure decay
testing)
Could this replaceable desiccant tube design have worked in
theory? 10x more desiccant by volume within IGU edge seal
anyway
25. IGU Perimeter Seal Discontinuity Testing
Over 20 unique leakage
locations observed in
addition to the desiccant
tube hole
Stainless
Steel Foil
Discontinuities in
edge seal
Exterior
lite
26. Systemic failure of IGUs due to an inadequately sealed
“thermally efficient” edge spacer
PVC, aluminum, stainless steel foil & hot-melt butyl differential
expansion/contraction
No real durable structural edge seal
Removable desiccant tubes easily overwhelmed in service
IGU failure led to frequent fogging and corrosion of silver low-e
coating on surface #2
All IGUs need to be replaced
Other units in building with stainless steel (not silver) low-e
coating are also fogging but not corroding.
Remaining Life?
Investigation Summary
27. Criteria: Match existing residential
portion plus improve performance
Lower SHGC to reduce overheating
and issues with undersized AC units
All-glass triple vs previous PET
suspended film triple
Durable edge seal spacer (thin
stainless, dual seal with proven track
record)
Original low-e coating not available
(old AFG) and hard to match
Narrowed down hundreds of new
alternate options for Owners and
City to choose from
Many plant and site mock-ups for
color
Selecting New Glazing Units
29. Trend towards “thermally broken” edge spacer bars with plastic
thermal breaks (polyurethanes, PVC)
Have investigated the fogging of several brand-new IGUs where VOCs
(mainly ethanol and propanol & water) were present in all fogged units
but not within any good un-fogged units.
Some molecular sieve desiccants are better at absorbing VOCs than others
Need to be careful with edge seal spacer selection
Selection of New IGU Spacers
33. In strive for more energy efficient products and buildings –
inevitably some do fail
Lessons learned from failures provide valuable lessons in
durability
Edge seal durability very important in thermally efficient IGUs
In-situ pressure decay testing of IGUs a possible diagnostic
tool to test seal integrity (in factory QC and in-situ)
Mock-ups during Restoration as useful as New Construction
Conclusions