Tag Archives: National

The flexibility of fabric walls

Flexible fabric curtain walls are becoming increasingly popular for industrial projects and plant operations because they are omni-functional. These products can help manage physical space, improve productivity, save energy, recapture needed floor space, and control environmental conditions, such as temperature, odour, dust, or sound.

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Emerging trends with porcelain

Porcelain tile is a manufactured, kiln-fired product. A popular cladding for walls or floors in commercial projects, the material is suitable for both interior and exterior applications. Many of porcelain’s benefits comes from the combination of special clays (kaolin) and high kiln temperatures 1200 to 1400 C (2192 to 2552 F) employed during the manufacturing process that produce a tile with a low absorption rate (0.5 per cent) and an extremely durable, wear-resistant surface. Current manufacturing technology has evolved to the point where porcelain tiles can essentially re-create the appearance of natural materials like wood planking, marble, granite, limestone, and travertine.

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Thermal bridging at brick ties

Insulation placed in the exterior air cavity between brick veneer and a backup wall is now common practice; however, accounting for the reduction in thermal performance as a result of thermal bridging at brick ties is not. As the building enclosure’s actual thermal performance becomes more important and integrated into the overall design of other building systems, a clear understanding of thermal bridging and its impact on effective R-values is needed. Brick ties are only one example of a thermal bridge in the building enclosure, but a close look at their significance illustrates how important it is to account for thermal bridging.

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Innovation in the wood finishing industry

Wood product finishes wage ongoing battles against the elements and daily use. Observing the many applications of interior and exterior wood products, and the various temperature and humidity conditions in which they need to perform, it is no surprise new, specialized finishes regularly hit the market. The challenge to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOC) and formaldehyde emissions also contributes to coating development.

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Environmental benefits of closed-cell sprayed polyurethane foam

A focus on green building standards and more stringent code requirements has led to adoption of best practices in construction materials and methods. Among those is specifying more efficient insulation systems, air barriers, and seamless monolithic roofing assemblies. Use of closed-cell sprayed polyurethane foam (ccSPF) can help meet the stringent requirements of modern, sustainable building design.

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Fire Doors, Life Safety, and Hardware: Avoiding code confusion

It is an all-too-common tale: a job is finished, and it is time for the inspectors to show up and sign-off on the entire project. Unfortunately, they find the doors and hardware are not to code. This comes as a surprise. After all, the design team relied on the same code information used on its last building in Ontario and… this facility is in Québec, which has different requirements.

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A modern look at improving concrete durability

While many concrete structures have a design life of 50 to 100 years, not all live up to expectations. Much of the concrete infrastructure currently in service across North America is badly in need of repair or replacement, and this premature deterioration is a large hidden cost to owners. What is causing this lack of durability?

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