“We also have structural thermal breaks at the steel dunnage on the roof at the feet where the two large energy recovery ventilation units sit. The units are a requirement for Passive House projects.”
“Every multifamily building has a lot of equipment on the roof and typically at least one canopy extending from other floors. These are structural elements that must connect to the building. Except for structural thermal breaks, the only other way to connect them is with continuous steel beams, which are very thermally conductive,” says Gahl Spanier, a Passive House consultant with the Association for Energy Affordability (AEA). “Without the structural thermal breaks, thermal bridges would impact the thermal performance of the building and might cause moisture accumulation and other problems. Passive House has no tolerance for that, and therefore in the places where we have thermal bridging, we have to use structural thermal breaks.”
Emphasizing thermal comfort
The Valley Stream Retirement Residence in Ottawa, Ont. is a 10,172 m2 (109,500 sf) privately-owned and operated facility designed by S. J. Lawrence Architects, housing 193 units, a movie theatre, billiards room, gym, and social areas for residents on manicured grounds.
The building entrance canopy, which creates a portico for automobiles, is structurally supported on one side by the main building. With a structural steel frame and two hollow steel section beams connecting directly to the building’s concrete slab, the canopy is a potential thermal bridge, which could cause significant energy and heat loss as well as dampness and mould growth.
To insure a high-integrity building envelope, the design team installed steel-to-steel structural thermal break modules. This thermally efficient load-bearing connection eliminated the thermal bridging problem.
Construction technology offers sustainable solutions for livable spaces
Using innovative design and the latest construction technology, including structural thermal breaks, owners/operators can construct buildings that are attractive, sustainable, comfortable for occupants, and economically viable over the life of the building, enhancing return on investment (ROI) by avoiding near-term energy loss and long-term remediation.
Author
Tracy Dacko has more than 20 years in strategic marketing management, including eight in the building products industry. She is a member of Passive House Canada, Reinforcing Steel Institute of Canada (RSIC), l’Institut d’Acier d’Armature du Québec (IAAQ), and the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). She also served on the Board of Trustees for PeopleCare Center for Human Services, and has authored numerous articles and published works.
