Applying the carbon equation to insulating glass units (IGUs)

Since its introduction, insulating glass units (IGUs) have provided significant reductions in operational carbon emissions from buildings—yet, they increase the embodied (upfront) carbon. This is because the amount of energy (and carbon) intensive glass used is doubled in an IGU compared to monolithic glass and the service life is significantly reduced from many hundreds of years to 20 to 40 years.

+ Read More

Tension fabric structures: setting a new standard for facility construction

For many, the term “fabric building” carries negative connotations of being a cheap or temporary option. For others, the exact same words are 100 per cent positive, as this group understands that with the right approach, fabric cladding brings a multitude of potential benefits to the table for water treatment facilities, recreational complexes, aircraft hangars, waste-to-energy plants, bulk salt/sand storage, and numerous other applications.

+ Read More

Activating the fifth facade: Enhancing rooftop design with metal fabric

By Dale Payne, P.E.

With a lack of available space, developing the rooftop, or “fifth facade,” has become an essential solution. Facility managers and specifiers tasked with building and renovating office buildings, schools, and health care facilities prioritize health and flexible design while noting that outdoor spaces increase concentration, productivity, healing, and overall occupant well-being and satisfaction.

However, designing exterior architectural features can be challenging, as natural elements such as wind, rain, and snow test …

+ Read More

Sustainable construction practices with concrete masonry

In current construction, concrete masonry units (CMUs) are used as both structural and architectural building materials. CMUs are ideal candidates for carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration because they are porous and carbonate quickly when left exposed to the atmosphere (weathering carbonation) and can also be cured with CO2 in a closed chamber with either low pressure or high-pressure steam (pre-carbonation).

+ Read More