Without a properly engineered ventilation system on the roof, ice-damming can threaten a building’s health. An ice dam is a ridge of ice forming at the eaves of a roof, cricket, or valley that prevents melting snow and water from draining off. The water backing up behind this obstruction can refreeze, creating an ice dam. These dams can be the cause of roof failures; once significant amounts of moisture enter the building, there is a high probability mould and other negative impacts can occur.
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From a purely economic perspective, the positive impact of a vegetative ‘green’ roofing assembly is measured in the long term—40 years or more. This means ensuring its performance and safety over an extended period is crucial. A green roof protects the underlying waterproofing membrane from the elements. Combined with a higher-quality membrane necessary to resist soil and plant forces, the result should be a longer roof lifecycle decades beyond a conventional system’s 20 to 25 years.
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The Veer Towers are a pair of residential high-rises centred in the prestigious CityCenter development located between Bellagio and Monte Carlo on the Las Vegas Strip. With each leaning at opposing five-degree angles from the vertical, the twin towers house a total of 670 condominium units with rooftop amenity spaces and tall podium lobbies. The defining architectural characteristic of these 37-storey, 146-m (480-ft) tall towers, these leans required the sophisticated application of conventionally reinforced and post-tensioned concrete to the structural systems.
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In the May 2010 issue of Construction Canada, this author wrote an article—“Ontario: The New Rules of Practice”—that examined how changes in the province were intended to reduce costs and delay in litigation, and facilitate the early and fair resolution of disputes. Two years after the rule has become law, the question is whether it is working. One of the changes was the provision of a summary judgment in litigation cases without a trial (Section 20 of the Rules of Civil Procedure). The Rule 20 amendments took up some four and a half pages; they were bound to attract the scent of controversy, and lawyers quickly engaged in swarms of summary judgment cases.
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It may seem pressure-treated wood has been around forever. Some may view it as an old product with very little, if any, innovation. While the former statement may have some element of truth, the latter is far from accurate. Treated wood products, in some form or fashion, have been around for millenia.
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Before the 1850s, wood was commonly used as a primary structural building material in myriad types of non-residential construction around the world. Many of these timber-built structures remain standing and are still in use today, including factories, warehouses, schools, temples, and churches—some dating as far back as the seventh century, demonstrating the durability and strength of building with wood.
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Something old is new again on the B.C. construction landscape. Currently, more than 100 mid-rise or six-storey wood-frame residential structures are in development or have been completed. Since the B.C. Building Code (BCBC) was revised in 2009—increasing the permissible height of light-frame wood construction for residential buildings to six storeys—there has been a lot of interest in the building and design community to pursue new projects. It is easy to understand this emerging trend in high-density residential construction when considering the environmental, social, and economical benefits.
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Specifiers, architects, engineers, contractors, installers, and craftworkers all have something valuable to offer to the conversation when it comes to creating high-performing building enclosures. While people have to be sensitive to contractual relationships, they should also strive to create an environment that encourages open dialogue between all parties.
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Earlier this year, the redevelopment and expansion of Bluewater Health (Sarnia, Ont.) allowed the facility to become the province’s first acute-care project to earn certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) New Construction (NC) program.
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In the grand scheme of architecture design, video security systems have often been treated as one of the least important parts. Over the last decade or so, this author has seen an increased number of tender specifications for sophisticated security, meaning a state-of-the-art system can now be a project’s biggest selling point. However, video security is not just about getting the bad guys anymore.
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