Renowned environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been announced as a keynote speaker for the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) National Conference and Expo. The event, taking place June 4–6 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, will feature numerous sustainability speakers and networking events. There are also education session streams, covering topics from green neighbourhoods and building materials to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

Presented by the Canadian Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA) and Informa Canada, the 11^th biennial ROOFTech is expected to attract more than 2000 architects, specifiers, building inspectors, contractors, engineers, property managers, and roofing consultants to the International Centre in Mississauga, Ont.

EPDM Roofing Association (ERA) has updated its website about ethylene propylene diene monomer membranes. With technical support and research for roofing industry professionals easily located in sections including, cool roofing and energy efficiency, long-term service life, and climate considerations. There is also a frequently updated news section covering relevant EPDM roofing federal and state regulation changes.

A new checklist by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s (ISI’s) Envision rating system is now available online. In an effort to make users familiar with different sustainability aspects of infrastructure design, the checklist is an educational tool for comparing future options or while in the planning stages of a building.

The International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) has released two new technical guidelines and revised an existing document. “Pictorial Atlas of Concrete Repair Material Mixing Equipment” aims to aid in consistent specifications for equipment used when mixing concrete repair materials, while “Guide for the Evaluation and Repair of Unbonded Post-tensioned Concrete Structures” will offer an introduction to evaluating and repairing concrete structures post-tensioned with unbonded single-strand tendons.

Developed in conjunction with Canadian roofing experts, the Canadian Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA) has published an updated specifications manual for the industry. The publication, CRCA Specification Manual, includes information on newly introduced roofing assemblies, including vegetated roofs and photovoltaic (PV) installations.

In a response to the growing trend of home dwellers leaning toward greener elements in residences, Canadian architect Avi Friedman has authored Fundamentals of Sustainable Dwellings. In this resource, he addresses elements including carpeting, vegetated roofs, HVAC systems, and energy-efficient windows. The illustrated reference guide is available now for architects, builders, codes officials, and architecture and green-building students.

The 11^th RoofTech 2013 show is coming to the International Centre in Mississauga, Ont., April 23 and 24. Put on by the roofing industry, the show aims to educate and inform the architects, engineers, roofing consultants, and specifiers in attendance with free demonstrations and seminars. “The Realities of Reroofing a Vegetated Roof” and “FM Approvals: Setting the Standard in Third-Party Certification” seminars, organized by Canadian Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA), take place daily from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and are followed by demonstrations running until 4:00 p.m.

Ted Kesik, a professor of building science at the University of Toronto (U of T), has written two papers about exterior insulation finish systems (EIFS) that have been released by the EIFS Council of Canada (ECC). The first, entitled “How to Arrive at the True Value Propositions of EIFS,” explains a framework for evaluating and determining the benefits and restrictions of using the cladding.

Nemetschek Engineering Group has released Scia Engineer 2012—an updated program for engineers wanting to begin or enhance their 3-D workflows. This edition focuses on the ability to operate with building information modelling (BIM), as well as analysis and structural optimization improvements. It also offers support for international design codes, and provides other enhancements based on user feedback.