Whole building airtightness testing has been a code compliance option in the International Energy Conservation Code and ASHRAE 90.1 for some time.

That compliance option is rarely used and only becomes mandatory as part of a building owners’ requirements, or a specific state or jurisdictional requirement.

As we move towards net-zero, building codes will “tighten” up and is expected to become a test that is mandatory on a more country-wide basis.

It is important to understand the latest in test methods, current and projected code requirements, training and certification requirements and resources to allow you to specify this requirement.

Learning Objectives:

1.  Identify current building code requirements on both a national and jurisdictional level, and requirements of various green building programs.
2. Articulate what the test provides and how the results can be used to improve the building enclosure.
3. Define the differences between all the test methods available as code or specification options.
4. Determine the industry resources that exist in developing contract documents for whole building airtightness testing.

Ryan Dalgleish has been involved in the building enclosure and building performance areas of construction in both the commercial and residential sectors for over 20 years. He acts in the position of Chief Operating Officer for the Air Barrier Association of America. Ryan is a certified Net Zero building instructor, teaches master builder courses to builders across the country and is a frequent speaker at various technical presentations dealing with the building enclosure to various building official associations, city departments, building enclosure councils and chapters of the American Institute of Architects, Construction Specifications Institute and a number of local home builder associations.

The presentation will review some of the tools available in regards to specifying different levels of building airtightness above code-mandated minimums. These tools help assess the energy reduction from base levels of building airtightness and the corresponding financial savings, along with quantification of the impacts airtightness has on moisture movement transported by air leakage.

A look into changes to building codes and whole building airtightness test methods, with new test methods and standards to update your specifications, along with information on the ABAA quality assurance program, how to specify the program properly and exactly what the program entails.

Learning Objectives:

1. Through a review of the air barrier calculator, determine the energy and financial savings obtained by higher level of airtightness and how it impacts the project specifications.
2. Define new test standards for whole building airtightness testing, adhesion testing and other performance test methods for air barrier materials.
3. Define requirements for quality assurance and control and typical downfalls of specification language, along with steps that can be taken to improve installation of the air/water resistive barrier.
4. Outline new tools that can be used to benchmark construction details and specifications.

Ryan Dalgleish has been involved in the building enclosure and building performance areas of construction in both the commercial and residential sectors for over 20 years. He acts in the position of Chief Operating Officer for the Air Barrier Association of America. Ryan is a certified Net Zero building instructor, teaches master builder courses to builders across the country and is a frequent speaker at various technical presentations dealing with the building enclosure to various building official associations, city departments, building enclosure councils and chapters of the American Institute of Architects, Construction Specifications Institute and a number of local home builder associations.

There seems to be a lack of understanding of what quality assurance entails versus quality control, the fundamental differences between the two, and what each function brings to the table. This is not unique to the ABAA air barrier quality assurance program or the construction industry in general. These terms are used interchangeably and misunderstood in all industries.

In this presentation, a discussion of how to implement quality assurance and quality control will be explored specific to the building enclosure, and the steps you can take to ensure a high-performance building.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explore how quality management systems can be applied to the construction process, and how quality assurance differentiates with quality control.
2. Assess potential impacts to cost, scheduling, building performance, and durability by poor installation of air barriers.
3. Describe language required in a specification that provides key criteria in regards to implementing an air barrier site quality assurance program.
4. Define key components of an air barrier site quality assurance program, and assess the importance and relationship of each component.

Laverne Dalgleish, CABS, Executive Director Air Barrier Association of America

Mr. Laverne Dalgleish was requested in 2000 to organize a trade association that would focus on the air barriers that were going to become a requirement in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts building code on July 1, 2001, specifically to deal with training the installers.
Laverne had managed trade associations and had developed a Site Quality Assurance Program based on his work in developing standards at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Over the years, Laverne has spearheaded the development of material specifications, test methods, training courses, installer certification and research projects, all to bring organization and technical documents that were used to grow the air barrier industry.
Over the years, Laverne has become a frequent presenter across North America and Internationally on a variety of topics as they relate to building envelopes, energy efficiency, green building practices, and standards and quality of construction.

Water damage is the number one cause resulting in lawsuits against builders. In the spring, the roof leaks, but it has not rained for months. Where is the water coming from?

I used high-permeable materials in the building construction, so why do I have moisture problems? I have been constructing buildings for decades; I never had a moisture problem in the past, so why am I getting them now?

This presentation shows the ways that moisture moves in the building and why moisture problems are showing up in today’s construction. The energy and moisture transport calculator is used to provide some of the answers to these questions.

Learning Objectives:

1. Determine the ways that moisture moves in building assemblies.
2. Articulate why water vapor transmission properties of a single material are not important.
3. Identify the top two ways why moisture will show up in a building assembly.
4. Identify why moisture problems in buildings will continue to get worse in the future.

Laverne Dalgleish, CABS, Executive Director Air Barrier Association of America

Mr. Laverne Dalgleish was requested in 2000 to organize a trade association that would focus on the air barriers that were going to become a requirement in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts building code on July 1, 2001, specifically to deal with training the installers.
Laverne had managed trade associations and had developed a Site Quality Assurance Program based on his work in developing standards at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Over the years, Laverne has spearheaded the development of material specifications, test methods, training courses, installer certification and research projects, all to bring organization and technical documents that were used to grow the air barrier industry.
Over the years, Laverne has become a frequent presenter across North America and Internationally on a variety of topics as they relate to building envelopes, energy efficiency, green building practices, and standards and quality of construction.

This presentation reviews a variety of building types to discuss the continuity of detailing required to manage moisture, air, vapor, and thermal performance, as well as wind resistance requirements at the critical wall-to-roof interface. This session will provide guidelines to successfully navigate these often competing interests and provide strategies for achievable performance through design and specification without compromising the aesthetics with distracting details for commercial building wall systems. This presentation discusses the impacts of whole building performance, design requirements, material & assembly requirements, and installation verification requirements during construction.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the requirements to manage moisture, air, vapor, and thermal continuity.
2. Recognize the changing building and energy codes, and their interaction across building enclosure system interfaces.
3. Apply specific examples and air barrier systems to current and future project designs.
4. Outline design and specification requirements to set performance requirements for wall systems.

Benjamin Meyer, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP is the Building Enclosure Business Director for Siplast. He has worked previously in building envelope product technical management, 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, Board of Directors of the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA), Co-chair of the Codes Task Group (ABAA), LEED Technical Committee member, and past Technical Advisor of the LEED Materials (MR) TAG. Mr. Meyer has MBA, B.S., and M.Arch degrees from the University of Cincinnati.

Jennifer Keegan, AAIA, is the Director of Building & Roofing Science for Siplast, focusing on overall roof system design and performance. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience as a building enclosure consultant specializing in building forensics, assessment, design and remediation of building enclosure systems. She 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.

Roof leaks and water in wall assemblies are not good for the building. The first reaction is: let’s fix the leak, but then you realize that it is not raining. If there is no rain, you should not get bulk water entry. We overlook the real reason for water in building assemblies because we do not consider all means of moisture transport. Many people then jump to the conclusion that the material used as a water-resistive barrier does not have a high enough perm rating. This presentation will cover all the ways that moisture moves in a building, show why you should not rely on the perm rating of a single material and show you where you could get thousands of gallons of water into the building envelope.

Learning Objectives:

1. Determine how moisture moves in the building enclosures.
2. Identify the top two reasons why moisture shows up in buildings and causes damage.
3. Discuss why the water vapor transmission rate of materials is overrated.
4. Identify why moisture problems in buildings will grow and what can be done to manage the risk.

Laverne Dalgleish, has been actively involved in the construction industry for over 35 years and has specialized in building envelopes, energy efficiency and building performance for both commercial and residential construction. Over the years, Laverne has become a frequent presenter across North America on a variety of topics as they relate to building envelopes, energy efficiency, green building practices, and standards and quality of construction. He is actively involved in the standards development process and has been involved with International Organization of Standardization for over two decades, traveling the world and developing standards for the building industry. Laverne has also been involved in a number of utility demand side management programs and worked with various government departments across North American such as the U.S Department of Energy, Natural Resources Canada, Environmental Protection Agency, Environment Canada and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Building movement will happen whether or not we want it to. If we do not account for where movement will occur, during design and construction, the building will find its own way to move.

This course will cover why building movement joints are needed, the differences between various types of joints, how expansion joints should provide continuity of the air and water control layers, as well as samples of what failures can occur. We will also review a case study showing failures which can happen when expansion joints are not designed and installed.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review best practices for location of expansion joints on building enclosures.
2. Identify the difference between expansion, control, and isolation joints.
3. Investigate building failures caused by poor expansion joint design and lack thereof, and premature failure due to improper installation.
4. Cover the causes of sealant failure, and the importance of proper joint design and how it can dictate performance.

Melissa I. Payne focuses on offering building enclosure third-party services. She founded Midwest Enclosure Consulting, September 2022, to offer owners, design, and construction teams with expertise in building science, building envelope solutions, forensic investigations, as well as building performance assessments and construction onsite inspections.

Ms. Payne joined Tremco CPG Inc. November 1, 2018, as a Construction Management Specialist. She then managed the Enclosure System Solutions Team starting in February 2021, and administered the MyTEAM Leak-Free Warranty Processes and Services till April 25, 2023, at which time the company decided these services would no longer be offered under Tremco CPG, Inc.

Prior to joining Tremco, she provided building enclosure commissioning and consulting service and conducted forensic investigations on a multitude of projects while at Miller Engineering, P.C. Prior to developing and heading the building enclosure division at Miller, she served as the Owner’s Representative on both capital and non-cap construction and restoration projects for City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri, a municipal utility company.

Ms. Payne possesses a strong foundation in industry standards related to building envelope commissioning processes, commissioning authority, building science, construction observation, performance testing, project management, and general construction of building envelope systems including: institutional, schools, higher education, government, healthcare, hospitality, and industrial projects. Her owner representative, third-party consulting experience, forensic work, commissioning provider background, and manufacturer internal consultant involvement gives her an all-enveloping perspective of the design and construction industry.

Modern high-performance building enclosures utilize control layers to manage heat, air, water, and vapor transport through walls, roofs, waterproofing, and fenestrations. This presentation will provide an introduction to the building science of these key four phenomena of building physics, the mechanism for how they work, and strategies for controlling their transport in assemblies. The goal of this presentation is that each participant will be able to identify how common building materials (e.g. WRBs, insulation, curtain wall, concrete, etc.) are able to control air, heat, water, and vapor and describe which metrics are used to quantify those movements. These metrics will be shown in the context of the requirements of common buildings codes and industry standards. Recent building science research will be shared along with developments and upcoming changes to these metrics.

Learning Objectives:

1. Cover the mechanisms of heat, air, bulk water, and vapor and how they transport through building assemblies.
2. Recognize the importance of air barriers and common challenges with their installation.
3. Cover the benefits of continuous insulation and common challenges to achieving it in the field.
4. Explore key strategies for achieving durable, energy-efficient, and thermally comfortable wall, roof, and below-grade assemblies

An expert in building enclosure technology, Keith Simon addresses the critical and often unmet need for ensuring and improving building performance, resilience, and durability by guiding design teams, educating future architects, and facilitating interdisciplinary exchange. Keith joined Building Exterior Solutions, Inc. (a division of Terracon) in 2014. He is a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC), Legacy LEED AP, Building Enclosure Commissioning Provider (BECxP), and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) with over 20 years’ experience in architectural design and building enclosure consultation. His experience includes peer review, design assistance, durability analysis, construction administration, testing, and forensics of building envelope issues. Keith was the founder of the AIA Austin Building Enclosure Council (BEC: Austin) and currently serves as a board member for BEC: Austin and the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) Alliance Austin Chapter. He also serves as the Vice Chair for the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC) executive committee and is the South Region Representative for the PHIUS Alliance Executive Council.