A look into the design of three types of masonry cavity walls: simple cavity drainage walls, air-vented cavity drainage walls, and rainscreen pressure-equalized cavity walls.
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During the six-month study, over 30 large projects under construction were visited throughout western Canada.
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A strong air barrier is fundamental to the ecosystem of high-performing, durable, and passive buildings of tomorrow. As one looks to the future, building transformation would not be complete without an air barrier system (ABS) and its control layers contributing to a winning formula that is designed, designated, and detailed to control water, vapour, and air.
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The proper selection and placement of vapour-impermeable materials within wall assemblies is fundamental to their durability in both cold and warm climates. Failure to correctly account for the impacts of vapour diffusion can lead to damage and premature failure of wall assemblies.
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The trend towards higher performing buildings and envelope systems requires a re-doubling of effort towards achieving durable, constructible, and maintainable transition details. There are many ways for these details to fail. Fortunately, there are also many opportunities throughout the design and construction process to focus on getting them right.
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Balloons evoke childhood memories of a trip to the circus or a day spent at a local amusement park—the air that fills them is fundamental to life itself. Ironically, the same air that brings ‘life’ to a balloon (and us) causes headaches or worse for building owners, architects, and specifiers.
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For commercial buildings, membrane roof systems can serve as part of an air barrier system. While this is common practice, questions still arise on how to design, specify, and install an effective air barrier system.
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During the 1970s, extensive research was carried out in Canada on air leakage in buildings. Researchers at the National Research Council (NRC) demonstrated the importance of managing air leakage through the building enclosure. In the following decade, the concept of air barrier material emerged and was formally introduced in the 1985 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC).
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With varying degrees of detail and prescription, Canadian building codes—regardless of the model code—require all buildings to be provided with an air barrier. Where the language is more performance-oriented, such as in Part 5 of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) and Part 3 of the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB), key concepts such as “system” and “continuity” are introduced as well as quantitative criteria.
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