Tag Archives: National

The nuts and anchor rods of lighting poles

It is common to see lighting poles in shopping mall parking lots, walkways, roadsides, and residential areas. Generally, they are galvanized or painted steel tubing, with the bottom end welded to a steel base plate that has holes matching the pattern of anchor bolts embedded in a concrete footing. The lighting pole is then secured atop the footing with anchor bolts and nuts.

+ Read More

EIFS and sustainable design

Exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS) can economically provide energy efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emission levels. However, without durability as the cornerstone of sustainable design, most other ‘green’ attributes of products or systems are lost. Fortunately, with proper installation and integration, these cladding assemblies also offer long-term performance and durability.

+ Read More

Fibre-optic communication in modern buildings

Fibre-optic cables are deployed across cities, countries, and oceans to provide high-capacity and reliable transmission for Internet, telephone, video, TV, and other forms of communication. Even though fibre-optic technology is widespread throughout the telecommunication industry, it has not yet been significantly installed in commercial, industrial, and residential buildings.

+ Read More

Design integrating copper cladding

Copper, brass, and bronze can be ideally suited for wall cladding applications. These materials are strong, lightweight, malleable, highly corrosion-resistant, and available in numerous factory-applied alloys to achieve unique finishes and colours. With these important attributes, this family of metals can be used in many building designs. In recent years, architects and contractors have become more creative in how they employ copper as a cladding component. They have produced installations by adapting roofing methods for wall applications, mixing and matching different techniques to create one-of-a-kind systems, and specifying different alloys to achieve distinct features.

+ Read More

The need for energy performance targets

When it comes to the energy efficiency of its buildings, Canada is something of a paradox. On one hand, the country has received its fair share of accolades for green initiatives. For example, this author was in France in September for an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) TC205/TC163 joint workshop, and received laurels for coming from the world’s only nation with a holistic building commissioning standard—Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Z320-11, Building Commissioning. On the other hand, the country recently ranked 11 out of 12 on the 2012 American Council for an Energy-efficient Economy (ACEEE) International Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

+ Read More

Reinventing The Wheel: How tires are impacting the construction industry

Tires are found on most construction sites—they are seen on the machinery and equipment used to bring building projects to life. What is not as well-known, however, is recycled tires can be incorporated into many aspects of the construction industry, benefiting the environment and the economy. Even architects and specifiers versed in sustainability may be unfamiliar with the role tires can have on building projects.

+ Read More

Staying current with Canada’s energy code

The efficiency of new buildings designed to meet the 2011 National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB) will be significantly better than that of most older structures. It replaces the 1997 Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB), and will become a requirement in the adopting provinces and territories. Consequently, it is critical architects, specifiers, engineers, owners, and other members of a project team understand its requirements.

+ Read More

Maintaining Balance: The form and function of balanced door systems

Entrances are usually the main focal point of a building’s exterior and become the centre of attention. Over the last century, door design and fabrication has evolved and diversified to meet a wide variety of esthetics and functions. Walking along a city street, one finds various door styles—such as hinged, pivot, or revolving—made of various types of metal, glass, and wood materials. A style of door that has been around for more than 80 years is the balanced door. Since its invention in 1927, this assembly has graced the entrances of well-known museums, libraries, government facilities, flagship retail entrances, and corporate headquarters.

+ Read More