Pushing the Envelope Winter2006-2007 · President & CEO Jack Andress Senior Publisher Maurice...

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Winter 2006/2007

In this issue:In this issue:Solving roof leaks

Pre-cured silicone sealants

Building permit basics

Monitoring building envelopes for air leaks

Solving roof leaks

Pre-cured silicone sealants

Building permit basics

Monitoring building envelopes for air leaks

Pushing the Envelope 5

Pushing the EnvelopeA publication of the Ontario BuildingEnvelope CouncilFall 2006

Published For:OBEC685 McCowan RoadPO Box 66541Scarborough, ON M1J 3N8Phone: 416-438-2588Fax: [email protected]

Published By:Matrix Group Inc.Return all undeliverable addresses to:52 Donald StreetWinnipeg, MB R3C 1L6Toll Free: 1-866-999-1299Toll Free Fax: 1-866-244-2544www.matrixgroupinc.netPublications Agreement Number 40609661

President & CEOJack Andress

Senior PublisherMaurice LaBorde

Publisher & Director of SalesJoe [email protected]

Editor-in-ChiefShannon [email protected]

EditorJon Waldman

Finance/AdministrationShoshana Weinberg, Pat Andress

Director of Marketing & CirculationJim Hamilton

Sales ManagerNeil Gottfred

Team LeaderAlbert Brydges

Matrix Group Inc. Account ExecutivesAndrew Bond, Lewis Daigle, DeclanO'Donovan, George Gibson, Rick Kuzie, KenPercival, Vicki Sutton, Jason Wikis, NathanRedekop, Donna Billey, Ron Morton, TammyDavison, Melvin Ramos, Darcy Tkach

Layout & DesignCody Chomiak

Advertising DesignJames Robinson

©2006/2007 Matrix Group Inc. All rightsreserved. Contents may not be reproducedby any means, in whole or in part, withoutthe prior written permission of thepublisher. The opinions expressed in thispublication are not necessarily those ofMatrix Group Inc. Printed in Canada.

Messages:Message from OBEC President Robert J. Rymell P. Eng. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Features:Solving Roof Leaks with Fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Pre-cured Silicone Sealant in Renovation Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Building Permits 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Commissioning and Monitoring the Building Envelope for Air Leakage . . . . .22Regional RoundupNorth by Northwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24The Capital Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Toronto and Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Central Ontario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27The Southern Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Back to YouWhy Standard Details Seldom Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29OBEC Celebrates 20 Years in 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Calendar of Industry Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Buyer’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Table ofContents

Where’s “The Beckie” ContestSomewhere, hidden amongst the

pages of this issue of Pushing TheEnvelope can be found a tiny imageof the OBEC President’s Award (oth-erwise know as the “Beckie”). Be thefirst to fax a copy of the magazinepage clearly identifying the locationof the Beckie to the OBEC office andyou win a prize. Please make surethat you provide contact information.Winners in the Toronto area willreceive a free pass to an upcomingOBEC dinner seminar or theirchoice. Other winners will receive anOBEC gift.

OBEC does not specifically endorse the editorial, products or services contained within this magazine.These products and services are presented here as an indication of the various possibilities in theMarketplace. OBEC wishes to advise the reader that sound Building Science Practices should beapplied to any and all product or service selections. OBEC does not make or imply any warrantees as tothe suitability of any of these products or services for any specific situation. Furthermore, the opinionsexpressed in this magazine's editorial content may not necessarily reflect the opinions of OBEC.

ON THE COVER: Toronto’s skyline is akaleidoscope of building envelopes, both old and new.


Iwould like to say what an hon-our it is to be voted presidentas we enter the 20th anniver-sary of OBEC. The year 2007

represents a significant milestoneand the board would like to make itmemorable.

A first step, which you shouldhave noticed by now, is the recon-struction of the web site. It is ourintent to have the site easier to useand more informative, from eventsschedules to making past presenta-

tions and articles available. This willalso include all of the past editions ofNews and Views.

For those members who havebeen around since the early years, Iwould like to hear from you. I wantto know how membership in OBEChas affected your life and careers. Inthe early days of OBEC, building sci-ence was a new topic that few knewanything about but everyone wantedto learn. We all felt that need tolearn. Meetings and technical ses-sions were held not only at consult-ants’ offices but at the universities aswell. There were subcommittees forsubjects such as roofing and win-dows, each having sessions on theirparticular topic. Now there are manyassociations each realizing theimportance of building science andhow it must be understood in theirindustry. Unfortunately, it also

meant that it became harder todecide which organization to join.Fortunately, it seems that OBECmembers are very loyal.

One thing that has not changed isthe involvement of the educationalinstitutions. This has been constantwith the membership and board mem-bership of professors. Recently, thishas been reaffirmed by Ryersonannouncing their plans for a postgraduate degree in building science

and their student body wanting tobecome directly involved with OBEC.

OBEC has also seen changes interms of mandate. We, as individuals,and as members of OBEC havebecome more involved in changes tolegislation from building codeupdates to trying to find a way towork within the new mandates of theBuilding Code Act.

One other thing I would like toremind everyone of is customer serv-ice. It is something that seems to begetting more and more lost as timegoes on. How many of us have beenin line to pay at a retailer and havehad the cashier ignore you and pickup the phone as if you didn’t exist?We, as professionals, have to remem-ber that the customer pays the billsand that nearly everyone around youis your customer. This is a messagethat the board and I would like to

convey. You, the membership, areour customers so we need to knowwhat you want the organization to dofor you. Make customer service areality again. Pass the message on.

As for the 20th year celebration,more details will follow, so keep watchat the web site. ■

Message from the President

Robert J. RymellOBEC President

2006/2007 OBEC Board of Directors

PresidentRobert J. Rymell P. Eng.

RBS Consulting Engineering Group Inc.

Vice-PresidentDavid De Rose P. Eng.Halsall Associates Ltd.

Past PresidentPeter Adams P. Eng.

Morrison Hershfield Limited

Director/TreasurerPaul Tomkinson

Norquest Contracting Group Ltd.

DirectorPaul Johannesson, A.Sc.T., BSSO

Inspec-Sol Inc.

DirectorNancy Wieskel

DuPont Canada

DirectorTed Kesik

University of Toronto

DirectorMichael Pace

Building Resource Inc.

In the early days of OBEC,building science was a new topic

that few knew anything aboutbut everyone wanted to learn.

8 Winter 2006 / 2007 • Ontario Building Envelope Council

AbstractReduced government spending in

recent years has led to private owner-ship of specialty sports facilities such ashockey arenas and multi-purpose com-plexes incorporating pools and severalother activities under the same roof.The pressure to derive more incomefrom these facilities has led to all-dayyear round operation, and to the com-bining of several activities under thesame roof.

This new reality is creating newchallenges for designers, owners andoperators of these facilities. The designconditions for one portion of the facili-ty can be very different from another.

Roof and other envelope failuresare exposing the weaknesses/limitationsof traditional design and constructiontechniques when applied in this con-text. Building owners and operators areconfused by the symptoms and thecomplex underlying causes of the prob-lems being experienced.

The main case study deals with theinvestigation of a roof and exterior enve-lope problem. Water ingress was occur-ring through the ceiling assembly of ayear around hockey arena facility. Wateraccumulation in the insulation layer

above a suspended low-emmissivity ceil-ing system raised concerns about possiblecollapse of the ceiling system. In addi-tion, dripping water was causing damageto the ice surface, creating an annoyancefor spectators, and creating a constantheadache for maintenance staff.

Among several viable options, thebest solution to the water ingress wasfound in the form of fans. The solutionrequired no renovation of the existinginterior or exterior roof elements, hada neutral effect on operating costs andcost about five per cent of a roofreplacement.

Case Study: a hockey arena/ice rinkThe building

The building is an ice hockey facilityconsisting of four National HockeyLeague (NHL) size ice pads, dressingrooms, pro shop, restaurant, bar andamenities. The layout situates the barand restaurant space in the middle ofthe facility with two ice pads to eachside with a view of all four rinks fromthe restaurant area.

The basic design was developed bythe owners and has been copied inessence to a total of approximately twen-ty locations across Canada. The structure

containing the rink spaces consists of apre-engineered steel rigid frame system.The exterior cladding is pre-painted cor-rugated steel on both the walls and theroof supported on “Z” profile steelpurlins.

On both the walls and the ceiling,an interior finish material both sup-ports and conceals the fibreglass battthermal insulation. The interior ceilingfinish consists of a woven polyethylenefabric stretched taut over supportingsteel strapping. The polyethylene fabricserves four functions in this system: it isthe interior finish (flexible enough tosurvive puck impacts); it supports thethermal insulation; it is the vapour bar-rier in the assembly; and it is the airbarrier in the assembly.

The interior of the rink spaces aremaintained cold and dry by the in-floorice cooling system and by rooftop airhandling units with desiccant typedehumidifiers.

The air handling units supply andreturn air to the rink spaces. Air qualitysensors control secondary exhaust fanswhich are exhaust only fans to providerapid air change when combustion pol-lutants from ice surfacing equipmentbuild up to specified levels.

Solving Roofwith FansLeaks

This article has been adapted from its original version. Please go to www.morrisonhershfield.com for

the complete article, which includes several in-depth case studies, graphs and charts.

By Steven Murray, P. Eng., Morrison Hershfield Limited

SymptomsNearly from the beginning, building operations staff

noticed an accumulation of water in the ceiling assembly andwater leakage into the rink spaces. The leaks were dripping onto the ice surfaces and melting holes in the playing surfaces. Inaddition, drips were occurring over the players’ benches gener-ating complaints from the facility’s paying customers.

The owners consulted their builders and designers regard-ing the problems. The builder suggested that water hadentered the ceiling during construction and would just needtime to dry. The designer agreed that the problem must be dueto construction related moisture because the design and con-struction had followed tried and true practices and had usedhigh quality materials. The owners were advised to cut someholes in the interior polyethylene ceiling fabric to aid the dry-ing of the assembly.

The investigationOur investigation began when the facility was approximate-

ly two years old. The facility had been experiencing water leak-age problems for some time already and the measures suggest-ed by the builder had not been successful in reducing the waterin the ceiling assembly and water leakage into the rink spaces.

We began by examining the drawings to determine the con-struction of the ceiling assembly. We were dismayed to findthat very little detail was contained on the drawings withregard to the building envelope design. Intrusive openingswere made to determine the as-built condition of the ceilingassembly. This confirmed the following construction (exteriorto interior):• Sheet metal roofing - supported on 10 inch deep steel “Z”

purlins;• Four inch air cavity (between metal roofing and insulation);• Six inch fibreglass batt insulation; and• Woven polyethylene fabric (vapour barrier)—supported on

light gauge strapping fastened to purlins.The insulation layer was found to be saturated in the bot-

tom one-third to one-half of the insulation thickness. The fab-ric was sagging between support straps under the weight of theretained water.

With the exception of the holes intentionally cut in the ceil-ing fabric, the fabric appeared to form a sound air barrier.

Trapped waterWe consulted the HVAC design and a balancing report pre-

pared by the designer. The balancing report indicated thateach rink is intended to operate at a positive pressure createdby a 250 cfm surplus supply from the main air handling unit.The exhaust fans controlled by the air quality sensor remove5000 cfm per rink when active.

Pressure measurements were taken under normal condi-tions and under exhaust fan operating conditions. The pres-sure readings were zero Pascals and - negative five Pascalsrespectively. The measured pressure conditions indicate thatthe rink spaces are operating nominally at a negative internalpressure. This means the majority of the air leakage occurringthrough the envelope is infiltration.

DiscussionThe ceiling assembly design is a typical cold climate

envelope configuration with the vapour barrier to the inte-rior of the insulation layer to satisfy the winter design con-dition where the interior is warmer and moister than theexterior. However, in the case of an ice rink operated allyear around, the dominant design condition is the summerwhere the exterior is warmer and moister. This means thevapour barrier is in the wrong position in the envelope forthe majority of the year and therefore becomes an unin-tended condensation plane.

In the traditional arena operating period from mid-Septem-ber to mid-April there is a period of time where the interior tem-perature and dewpoint is higher than the exterior temperature.This suggests the need for a vapour barrier on the interior sideof the assembly, and this has become standard practice overtime. However the vapour pressures of air at or below freezingare so small that diffusion would not be a concern. Air leakagewould be a more important mechanism in moisture transport inwhich case the vapour barrier is being bypassed anyway.

The real intention of building arenas with thermal insula-tion in the exterior envelope is to extend the operating seasoninto the hotter months by reducing heat gain. This clearly indi-cates that the dominant design condition is vapour drive fromexterior to interior during the hotter more humid months. Thetraditional arena design no longer holds true when a facility isintended for summer operation. negative internal pressure.With the interior operating at a negative pressure, the HVACsystem is drawing warm moist exterior summer air into thebuilding through unsealed openings in the envelope. Thereare always going to be unintentional openings in the envelope,however the summer conditions of a cold interior and hotexterior produces a natural stack effect which creates the high-est pressure gradient at the top of the building. In addition,the wall to roof junction is a common location for envelopedefects due to the geometry and the transition between con-struction trades. Infiltration is more likely to occur at the ceil-ing than at other locations.

To correct this problem requires one of two things: 1) raisethe temperature of the existing vapour barrier to above thedewpoint of the exterior air; or 2) prevent the moist exteriorair from reaching the existing vapour barrier (i.e. the condens-ing surface of the ceiling assembly).



Option one can be accomplished by adding additional insu-lation to the cold side (interior side) of the vapour barrier toincrease the temperature of the vapour barrier plane to abovethe dewpoint of the exterior air.

Option two can be accomplished in two ways: a) install avapour barrier on the warm side (exterior side) of the insula-tion; or b) create a large enough positive pressure within therink spaces that a constant exfiltration leakage will occurthrough the ceiling preventing exterior humid air from enter-ing the ceiling cavity.

Both option one and option two a require major modifica-tion to the existing ceiling system. Adding insulation to theinterior surface of the ceiling will be expensive and will requirea new interior ceiling finish. Adding a vapour barrier to theexterior side of the insulation will require removal and rein-stallation of the metal roofing to provide access to the insula-tion layer which will be expensive and disruptive and carriesthe risk of weather related damage during the operation.

On the surface option two b, creating a high internal posi-tive pressure, appears to be impractical. Based on estimatedoverall envelope leakage rates, the necessary positive pressurewould require approximately 10,000 cfm per rink of additionalsupply capacity. This would approximately double the capacityof the air handling units. This would essentially mean installingand operating an entire duplicate air handling system for theexpress purpose of pumping the additional air out through theenvelope to the exterior. Not only does this option carry a highinitial cost, but it also carries high operating costs. The advan-tage of this approach is that it requires no modification to thestructure and therefore less disruption in building usage.

For each possible solution, cost estimates were generated.The approximate costs are as follows:

The solutionOf the possible solutions listed above, the pressurization

approach appeared to have the most potential due to the factthat it requires no modification to the ceiling structure. Alter-native means of creating a positive pressure across the plane ofthe ceiling assembly were examined. One alternative consid-ered was to pressurize the ceiling cavity only. The overall inte-rior space conditioning would continue to function the same.The positive pressure in the ceiling cavity must be produced bysupplying cold, dry, conditioned interior air into the space.Supplying exterior hot, humid air would only worsen the infil-tration problems by filling the cavity with moist air. By pressur-izing the ceiling cavity with rink space air, any leakage backinto the rink would not create problems.

One system considered was to redirect the exhaust fans ineach rink to blow out through the ceiling space rather thandirectly to the exterior. This would accomplish two things: theexhaust fans would not contribute to the depressurization of theinterior each time they were triggered; and the ceiling cavity

Roof and other envelopefailures are exposing the

weaknesses/limitations oftraditional design and

construction techniques whenapplied in this context.

Building owners and operatorsare confused by the symptoms

and the complex underlyingcauses of the problems being

experienced.

Option Description Cost Per Rink Total Cost

Option 1 adding additionalinsulation belowthe vapour barrier

$ 110,000 $ 440,000

Option 2 aadding a vapourbarrier above theinsulation

$ 150,000 $ 600,000

Option 2 bcreate positivepressure by addingair handling units

$ 100,000 $ 400,000

would be supplied with cold, dry interior air to displace theexterior air.

Upon closer examination, the basic concept was found tobe sound, however some shortcomings were identified. Theexisting exhaust fans would supply a high volume at a singlepoint in the ceiling. This would result in non-uniform pressureand non-uniform flow throughout the ceiling cavity. Thiswould also result in certain areas of the ceiling cavity receivingno benefit from the air supplied to the space.

This indicated that the air should be supplied at multiplelocations, each one providing a small flow volume. A basicconfiguration of five fans per rink was considered. The systemwas assumed to have variable speed fan motors and associatedcontrols so that the system could be precisely balanced to pro-vide the minimum required flow in to the ceiling cavity undernormal conditions. The total flow capacity of the fans wasassumed equal to the existing exhaust fans controlled by theair quality sensor so that the new fans could assume the samefunction.

Cost estimates were generated for the multiple small vol-ume fan scenario. They are as follows:

The capital cost of this scenario is only between five percent and 10 per cent of the next lowest cost option. In addi-tion, this scenario will not incur a penalty in terms of increasedoperating costs. Because the existing exhaust fans are beingsubstituted with the new fans, approximately the same volume

of air will be exhausted, but now the outlet location willchange.

The targeted pressurization solution is currently beimplemented in the facility. Moisture sensors will beinstalled at several points in the ceiling system to confirmthat the system is drying out and to look for remainingpockets of wet insulation that may require balancingadjustments.

Several of the issues outlined in the factors affectingbuilding performance contributed to the arena problems.The usage change from seasonal to year around usagechanged the dominant design condition for the envelopebut the traditional design was used. The “cookie cutter”design developed by the centralized ownership was notwell suited to the location where it was constructed. Theceiling fabric material chosen for this application is anexcellent product that serves several functions at oncefor a typical cold climate envelope, but was poorly suitedto this application, and finally poor maintenance of theair handling units prevented the HVAC system fromfunctioning correctly and created excessive negativeinterior pressure making a bad situation even worse.

The investigation of the arena problem could haveended with the discovery of the faulty envelope design.The solution could have began and ended with the$400,000 repair to address the obvious problems. How-ever by considering how the function of one element ofthe building affects another, an elegant and inexpensivesolution was found to overcome poor envelope design,less than ideal HVAC design, and poor HVAC mainte-nance. And the resulting solution was less expensive tobuild, less expensive to operate, and less disruptive tonormal facility operations than the more conventionalrepair options. ■


There are always going to be unintentional openings in theenvelope, however the summer conditions of a cold interior and

hot exterior produces a natural stack effect which creates thehighest pressure gradient at the top of the building.

Option Description Cost Per Rink Total Cost

Targeted Substitutemultiple smallvolume

$ 5,000 $ 10,000

Pressurization Fans for theexisting exhaustfans

$ 20,000 $ 40,000

Many different types of liquidapplied sealants have beenused over the years in theconstruction industry.

These sealants, which will be referredto as “wet sealants,” include acrylic,polyurethane, polysulfide, silicone, modifiedsilicone, siliconized polyurethane and othertechnologies. While these wet sealants havebeen used successfully for many years in theindustry, pre-cured joint sealants arebecoming more popular due to their inher-ent advantages over wet sealants. Pre-curedjoint sealants are produced by extrudingsealant material and allowing it to cure to arubbery, elastomeric product in a controlledmanufacturing environment. Pre-curedjoint sealants are packaged in cured form,often in rolls, instead of typical liquid formpackaging (tubes, pails, etc.). Pre-curedjoint sealants are installed using a thin layerof wet sealant on each side as the adhesiveto attach the material to the substrate theyare sealing. With the outer edges adheredto the substrate, the middle of the pre-curedsealant, which is not bonded to the sub-strate, acts as the area for expansion andcontraction.

Several types of pre-cured jointsealants have been used in the industryover the years, ranging from polyurethaneand polysulfide to silicone. Each typeoffers unique chemical and physical char-acteristics. Silicone pre-cured joint sealantshave been most commonly used in con-struction applications for several reasons.First, because of their molecular structureand high bond energy, silicones have excel-lent aging characteristics and are moreresistant to ultra-violet light and weather-ing than organic materials such aspolyurethanes, giving silicone a much

longer effective life span than these organ-ic materials. Because silicones do notdegrade when exposed to the elements, itis possible for manufacturers to producethe material very thin (1-2 mm). Thin pre-cured joint sealant minimizes expansionand contraction forces on the substrateand creates the pleasing appearance of aflat profile. Additionally, the movementcapability for silicone pre-cured jointsealant can be as high as +200 per cent/-75per cent, significantly higher than any wetsealant. This combination of high move-ment capability and thin material allowspre-cured silicone sealant to easily handlemulti-directional movement. Additionaladvantages include a wide operationaltemperature range and better resistance tocolor fading. For these reasons, silicone isthe preferred pre-cured sealant materialused in the construction industry today.

Advantages of pre-cured siliconeOver the past two decades, pre-cured

silicone sealants have been used in theconstruction industry, mainly for renova-tion applications. One example of a typicalapplication for pre-cured silicone sealant isrepair of failed (standard) sealant joints.When pre-cured silicone sealant is used torepair a failed traditional sealant joint,there is no need to remove the old sealant.Installation is easy; the pre-cured sealant issimply applied over the old joint using athin layer of silicone adhesive on each sideof the pre-cured sealant. The pre-curedsealant is then simply pressed into place toensure intimate contact between it and theadhesive as well as between the adhesiveand the substrate. Once it has beenpressed into place, any excess adhesive isremoved and the installation is complete.


Pre-curedSilicone SealantinRenovation

ApplicationsBy Jason Bakus, Sealex, Inc.

Figure 1: Pre-cured silicone sealant.

Figure 4: EIFS Joint repaired usingtextured pre-cured silicone sealant.

Figure 5: Pre-cured silicone sealantinstalled in an aluminium window system.

Figure 3: Installing three inch sandstone ImmerSeal.

Figure 5: Pre-cured silicone sealantinstalled in an aluminium window system.

Two of the most important advantages ofusing pre-cured silicone sealant are adecrease in time required to complete aproject and a reduction in overall projectcost. Labour costs will be lower since severallabour intensive steps are removed from theprocess when pre-cured silicone sealants areused. For example, the old sealant does notneed to be removed when using pre-curedsilicone sealant. Additionally, the substratedoes not need to be abraded to ensure thecomplete removal of the old sealant. Also,pre-cured sealants do not need to be tooledafter installation. Each of these factors canhelp reduce project cost when using pre-cured silicone sealant.

This system for repairing failed sealantjoints is especially useful with soft substratessuch as EIFS. With EIFS, removal of the oldsealant will damage the substrate and ruinthe integrity of the joint. Because of this,many EIFS manufacturers recommend theuse of pre-cured silicone sealant whenrepairing EIFS sealant joints. Several pre-cured silicone sealant manufacturers havethe ability to produce textured material tomatch an EIFS system, giving the repairedjoint a better appearance.

Pre-cured silicone sealants are also usedin applications where wet applied sealantbridge joints have been utilized in the past.These bridge joints have been used in buttjoint applications where the joint depth doesnot meet the minimum one quarter inch forbonding to the substrate. This is commonlyfound in applications such as leaky alumini-um window systems. These wet appliedsealant bridge joints are difficult to install

and nearly impossible to achieve a consistentand uniform joint.

Additionally, since the industry standardthickness for a wet sealant bridge joint is sixmillimetres and pre-cured silicone sealant istypically produced at a thickness of two mil-limetres, the pre-cured silicone sealant ismore aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore,due to the thin adhesive layer required withthe pre-cured sealant system, the adhesivecures rapidly and joint deformation duringcure is virtually eliminated. This is evidentwhen comparing the cure time of a fewhours for the adhesive used with the pre-cured silicone sealant to a six millimetrethick wet sealant bridge joint, which can takeseveral weeks to cure completely. Indeed,this prolonged cure time frequently causesmany wet sealant joints to develop ripples orfolds as the joint expands and contractsbefore the wet sealant reaches completecure. In addition to an unpleasant aestheticappearance, this situation damages theintegrity of the joint. These factors, com-bined with ease of application, are causingpre-cured silicone sealant to replace wetapplied sealant in many bridge joint applica-tions.

Joint expansionAnother situation where pre-cured sil-

icone sealants are used instead of wetsealants is one in which the width of thejoint is not sufficient to handle the move-ment it experiences. This occurs frequent-ly in buildings that are lacking an ade-quate number of expansion joints on the


Continued on Page 20

Figure 2: Joint repair.

Figure 6:Installationvariations ofnotched pre-curedsilicone sealant.

exterior substrate, causing the joints toexpand and contract beyond the movementcapability of any wet sealant. In this case,pre-cured silicone joint sealant works verywell because the material can handle theextreme movement in these types of joints.Another example of this phenomenon is inwindows where the opening does not leaveadequate space for a working perimetersealant joint. Because the sealant adhesiveis only used on the edges of the material,the pre-cured silicone sealant system cre-ates its own artificial joint width to handle

the movement. This allows the pre-curedsilicone sealant to effectively seal this andsimilar applications.

Aluminums window systems are anapplication where pre-cured siliconesealants have been used to repairmany major water intrusion problems.Because most aluminium window sys-tems contain numerous metal to metaljoints and other potential areas for leaks,when these systems fail it can be very dif-ficult to seal these leaks with traditionalwet sealant. Pre-cured silicone sealantcan be applied over the leaking areas in

these systems and when using a colormatched material, the pre-cured sealantmay not be noticeable at all.

Pre-cured silicone sealants are readilyavailable in many standard sizes and col-ors. Manufacturers also offer customcolor and custom design material to fitmany different application requirements,including the textured material previouslydiscussed. Besides the applicationsalready discussed, pre-cured siliconesealants are used successfully in manyother applications including:• Curtainwall seals;• Skylights;• Roofing and parapet seals;• RV, marine and transportation seals;• HVAC system seals; and• Seals for showers and tubs.

Custom design materials can be pro-duced with one or more notches in theextrusion. These notches allow the pre-cured silicone sealant to follow complexbends on a building in applications such asinside and outside corners, parapet capsand window mullions. Figure 6 shows someinstallation variations of the notched mate-rial. With myriad of custom options avail-able with pre-cured silicone sealant, virtual-ly any waterproofing application problemcan be solved using these products.

Finally, the use of pre-cured siliconesealant can result in a more energy efficientbuilding. The majority of buildings havenumerous leaks throughout the structure,most of which are in the joint areas. Becauseof these leaks, buildings need to be pressur-ized, resulting in higher heating and coolingcosts throughout the year. Virtually any leakarea in a building can be sealed using pre-cured silicone sealant. Once these leaks aresealed, the amount of air required to keep abuilding pressurized is drastically reduced.This results in lower heating and coolingcosts, making the building much more ener-gy efficient.

As leaders in the construction industrybegin to realize the impact that cost sav-ings and product performance can makein a variety of applications, it is expectedthat the market share for pre-cured sili-cone sealants will continue to grow. Thescope and magnitude of the use of thesematerials in the construction industry willgreatly depend upon collaborationbetween contractors, architects, engi-neers, consultants and manufacturers. ■

Continued from


101

QWhat is a buildingpermit?

A A building permit is formalapproval to construct,renovate, demolish orchange the use of a building.

QWho is responsible forenforcing the buildingpermit approval process?

A The local municipality isresponsible for theenforcement of this process.Enforcement is achieved

through the delivery of both planexamination and inspection services.

QWhy do you need abuilding permit?

ABuilding permits allow themunicipality to protect theinterests of both individualsand the community as a

whole. By reviewing and approvingplans before any work is undertaken,the municipality can ensure thatbuildings comply with: • Building Code Act: The legislative

framework governing the con-struction, renovation, demolitionand changes of use of buildings;

• Ontario Building Code: A regula-tion authorized by the act, whichsets out detailed administrativeand technical requirements; and

• Other applicable laws: Such as thelocal Zoning By-Law, which setscontrols on buildings and uses.

Together, these laws provide for a mini-mum level of public health and safety, fireprotection, structural sufficiency, conser-vation and environmental integrity and

barrier-free accessibility, while ensuringthat a proposed development is suitablefor the area in which it is proposed.

QWhen do you need abuilding permit?

AYou must obtain a buildingpermit before you demolish,construct or alter any structurewhich has a building area

greater than 10 m. Permits are alsorequired for any plumbing work and forthe construction of such designatedstructures as prescribed in the BuildingCode. Although no construction isproposed, the change of use of an existingbuilding may also require a permit. Toconfirm whether you need a buildingpermit, contact your local municipalbuilding department.

QHow do you apply for abuilding permit?

A It’s a good idea to consultwith the local municipalbuilding department beforeyou apply. They can advise

you of what information and drawingsyou’ll require with your application,and whether you’ll need any otherpermits and/or approvals.

QWhat happens to yourapplication?

A Municipal buildingdepartment staff will reviewyour application to confirmthat the proposed work

complies with the Building Code Act,Ontario Building Code and any other

applicable law, such as the local ZoningBy-Law. Plan examination services are providedin the areas of:• Zoning;• Building (architectural and structural);• HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air

conditioning);• Plumbing; and• Fire Protection.Check with the local municipal buildingdepartment for details of how planexamination services are delivered.

QWhat happens duringconstruction?

AThe Ontario Building Codeprescribes the types ofinspections that are requiredduring the course of

construction. A municipal buildinginspector will inspect the work todetermine if it is being carried out inaccordance with the building code,your permit, and the approved plans. You are also required to: • Show your permit in a window or

other place where it can be easily seen;• Keep copies of the plans on the site;• Notify the municipal building

department at the appropriatestages of construction for inspections; and

• Advise the municipal buildingdepartment of any changes in thedesign, which must also be approved.

Similar to plan examination services,inspection services are provided in theareas of:• Building (architectural and

structural);• HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air

conditioning);• Plumbing; and• Fire Protection.Check with the local municipal buildingdepartment for details of how inspec-tion services are delivered. ■


Building Permits 101By Leo J. Cusumano, Building Division, City of Mississauga

IntroductionAir leakage through a building

envelope can seriously affect its serv-ice life. Yet many air barriers do notperform as effectively as they shouldor could. Unfortunately, the technolo-gy of design for an air barrier systemand its details is not developed wellenough to allow designers to predicttheir performance with respect to airpermeability and air pressure loads.Better information is needed by allinvolved in building delivery, from theowner through to the eventual user. Amethodology must be developed toencourage designers and builders toadvance air barrier system design andconstruction from an art to a science.

Research programIt has been suggested that “com-

missioning” the building envelopecould improve its performance. Com-missioning is normally associatedwith mechanical and electrical sys-tems in a building. It is the process ofverifying the performance of a com-pleted system to determine if it com-plies with the design documents andthe specified performance ratings. Toapply commissioning concepts to anair barrier system, the performancerequirements of the installed systemneed to be established and methodsneed to be developed for evaluatingthe design to ensure that, if construct-ed as designed, the intended per-formance will be achieved. CMHCthrough various research and devel-opment projects, has made significantadvances towards this objective. Theresults of that research have beenused in this project in formulating the

basis of a procedure to commissionthe air barrier system.

ResultsThe steps required to design,

construct and commission the airbarrier system of the building enve-lope are outlined in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Steps in the Design, Construction and Commisioning

of an Air Barrier System

Air Barrier Specifications in theProject Brief

Design Validation

Tender Documents

Air Barrier Certification During Con-struction and Final Commissioning Post Commissioning Operation,

Maintenance and Repair

Air barrier specifications in theproject brief

The project brief is a documentdeveloped by the owner’s team thatcontains the character, the attributesand the constraints governing thedesign and construction of a newbuilding project. On most projects,the brief should contain informationon the type of project (e.g., office, res-idential) and the interior and exteriordesign conditions (e.g., temperature,humidity, wind loads). The projectbrief must also identify the controlfunctions to be certified and commis-sioned (e.g., air leakage, water leak-age, sound attenuation) and must setrealistic performance objectives forkey components, assemblies and sys-tems, and for the building as a whole.

Durability and maintenance expecta-tions should also be stated.

Design validationThe design process for the building

envelope proceeds in the normal man-ner. A conceptual structural systemand method of construction areresolved for the building, followed bythe development of systems for theroof, walls and windows. It is duringthis stage that consideration is given tothe air barrier system. In order toimprove the air barrier design processto allow for certification of air barrierperformance during construction andfinal commissioning, the air barrierdesign must be validated for basiccharacteristics of air impermeability,continuity, structural capacity anddurability. If a contractor is to be heldresponsible for constructing an assem-bly of materials in a manner that pro-vides a specified level of airtightness, itis necessary for the designer to provideproof that the design, if constructed asper the tender documents, can achievethe required performance. An auditprocess must be conducted at the con-clusion of the design stage which deter-mines that the air leakage rates of allthe elements proposed will, in combi-nation, fall within the overall buildingspecifications for total air leakage.

Tender documentsFor most construction projects, the

air barrier system is described indrawings and specifications. The sec-tions and details show the materialsand their respective position withineach part of the envelope. The type ofmaterials, the preparatory work and

Commissioning and Monitoring theBuilding Envelope for Air Leakage

installation procedures are presentedin the specifications (Section 07195).Quality compliance test options willbe provided in the specifications.Depending on the scale of the project,the contractor may be required to fol-low progressively more stringentoptions to demonstrate compliancewith the performance requirements,from an air leakage test of the com-pleted air barrier system, to tests ofindividual areas as they are construct-ed, to testing of on-site mock-upsprior to construction; if the air leak-age rates and structural attributescomply with the performance require-ments, the construction of the enve-lope may proceed so long as construc-tion of the air barrier is identical tothe mock-ups. The specifications mayeven go so far as to require a series ofsite briefings during construction toexplain the design objectives and test-ing requirements. Such field compli-ance tests are generally conducted byan independent company and paid forby the building owner. Repeat testingresulting from failure to meet per-formance requirements are paid forby the contractor.

Air barrier certification duringconstruction and finalcommissioning

As construction proceeds on majorprojects, it is generally cost effective tocertify performance of the air barrier instages to ensure the as-built perform-ance meets the design requirements.As the building nears completion, theoverall performance of the air barriersystem may be tested. If the buildingenvelope does not pass the final test, aspecialist is retained, at the contractor’sexpense, to investigate and identify thelocations of extraneous leakage forrepair. Following successful testing, thebuilder will be provided a certificate ofcompliance for the air barrier system.The builder should also receive a com-missioning certificate that certifies thedesign, construction and performanceof the air barrier system in its entirety,including materials and workmanship,were tested and found to perform with-in the envelope performance limits pre-scribed by the owner’s project brief.

Post commissioning operation,maintenance and repair

To ensure that the air barrier per-forms its functions adequately overtime, a program of monitoring andtesting may ensure durability. Moni-toring can be done indirectly, by visu-al observations of symptoms relatedto air leakage (e.g., efflorescence orstaining). The monitoring can also bedirect, by instrumenting the wall tomeasure air pressure differences, andtemperature and humidity in cavitieswith respect to outdoor and indoorconditions. If an area of wall is sus-pected of increased air leakage, an airleakage test can be conducted.

A building operating manual isimportant in ensuring the correctmaintenance and repair proceduresare followed. It should identify the airbarrier materials, their location withineach assembly, and the means bywhich they are linked together to pro-vide a continuous building envelopeplane. The building operating manualshould also describe the intended

operating limits for the air barrier. Achange in the operating conditions,such as increased operating pressureor increased humidity, may causesymptoms that indicate excessive airleakage. In such a case, the designshould be considered before embark-ing upon repairs.

Implications for the housing industryA process for “commissioning” the

building envelope has been outlined.The commissioning involves extra stepsnot normally required in the design andconstruction process and would there-fore involve extra costs, for specialistconsulting fees, additional documenta-tion, and commissioning testing. How-ever, the extra steps (and associatedcosts) advocated in the commissioningprocess are justified by more durablebuilding envelopes that contribute toincreased energy efficiency and com-fort, and reduced life cycle costs.Project Manager: Jacques Rousseau Research Consultant: Morrison Her-shfield Limited ■


Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Commissioning andMonitoring the Building Envelope for Air Leakage. All rights reserved. Reproduced withthe consent of CMHC. All other uses and reproductions of this material are expressly pro-hibited.

24 Summer 2006 • Ontario Building Envelope Council

New hydro station for Pic River First NationPic River First Nation—Located approximately 30

kilometres from Marathon, Pic River First Nationrecently announced the construction of a new environ-mentally friendly 23-megawatt power generating stationon the White River. It is expected that at peak activitythere will be a maximum of 60 trades people on the con-struction site.

The project is being developed by Begetekong PowerCorp. a joint venture between Pic River First Nation andInnergex II Income Fund. The $60-million project isexpected to take two years to complete.

concerns and are in a position toaddress them in the best interests ofCanadians...That is why, after furtherconsideration, I have asked my officialsto take off the table the use of reverseauctions as part of our procurementstrategy for all categories of commonlypurchased goods and services.”

Associations such as the CanadianConstruction Association (CCA) haslong maintained that because reverseauctions act contrary to the traditionaland accepted method of “sealed bid”

procurement for construction services,the federal government needed to take astrong stand against their use. The Minis-ter’s announcement yesterday respond-ed in full to CCA’s recommendation.

The Minister also confirmedthat consultations with industrystakeholders will continue over thefall. CCA looks forward to workingwith the government on procure-ment reform, secure in the knowl-edge that reverse auctions are nolonger being considered.

project was provided by a number of contribu-tors such as Fednor, Duke Energy Fund (UnionGas Ltd.), as well as Collège Boréal.

A new building is also in the developingstages at Cambrian College, which willhouse equipment for its new energy systemsprogram. The project was in the “conceptualdrawings and descriptives” phase, which wasto be completed by the end of August. Thesecond phase of the project will include finalarchitectural drawings and fundraising,which is expected to be completed in thespring. If all goes according to plan, con-struction will then begin next spring.

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Reverse auction off the tableOntario—A September announce-

ment was made by Public Works andGovernment Services Canada Minis-ter Michael Fortier to take off thetable the idea of using reverse auc-tions as part of the federal govern-ment’s current procurement reviewprocess. In an official release fromPublic Works and Government Ser-vices Canada, Minister Fortier noted,“we are working with the industryto make sure we understand their

Colleges prepare for more trades studentsSudbury—Sudbury’s Collège Boréal under-

went expansion to ensure there is enough spacefor the students attending them. Constructionof the new $3.7-million Trades Training andApprenticeship building at Collège Boréal wascompleted in early August, ready for students inthe 2006-07 academic year. Tribury Construc-tion had begun the work on the building inOctober 2005.

An investment of $500,000 was made for“state-of-the-art” equipment, including weldingequipment, rolling machines, hydro electricequipment and overhead cranes. Funding for this


The Capital Region

Ottawa economy predicted to pick up in 2007Ottawa-Gatineau—According to the latest forecast from the Conference Board of Canada, economic growth

in the nation’s capital should grow next year, as employment declines.The Board predicted, in its fall metropolitan outlook, that the city will experience a growth of three per cent

in 2006 and 3.2 per cent in 2007. However, it cautions that the current rate of job growth—4.1 per cent in 2006—is not sustainable. As such, it forecasts the job market will give back some of those gains next year, as employ-ment falls 0.8 per cent to 639,000.

A main reason for the rosy forecasts are due, in part, to a booming construction industry that is poised tomaintain steady growth into 2007 as work is scheduled to begin on the north-south light rail project. Housingstarts are forecast to dip slightly but according to the Board, are still on track by historical standards.

Even though new home construction is predicted to return to more normal levels, non-residential real estateinvestment seems to be picking up steam. This is especially true with projects like the new TELUS office build-ing and phase three of Constitution Square well underway.

The Conference Board’s key economic indicators for Ottawa-Gatineau for 2007: • GDP growth 3.2 per cent • Unemployment rate 6.7 per cent • Inflation 1.8 per cent • Total employment 639,000 • Housing starts 6,900

For the second consecutive year, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon will lead Canadian cities in economic growth in 2006.

More young people finding a future inskilled trades

Ottawa—According to Chris Bentley, Min-ister of Training, Colleges and Universities,the Ontario government is on track to meet itstarget for apprenticeship growth. Announcedin September 2006, he noted that governmenthas commitmed to increase the number ofnew apprenticeship registrations to 26,000annually in 2007-08. Last year, there were21,489 new apprenticeship registrations,exceeding our interim target for 2005-2006.

The number of new apprenticeship registra-tions received by the end of August 2006 doesput the province on track to meet its target of

23,500 new registrations in 2006-07. This, along withan investment of more than $100 million in appren-ticeship-related programming, including expandedsupport for the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Pro-gram, the Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship Programand Job Connect, “demonstrates both our govern-ment’s progress in supporting apprenticeship train-ing and the recognition by more Ontarians of thevalue of a career in the skilled trades,” says Bentley.

The province’s new integrated training andemployment system will further supportincreased apprenticeship registrations. The newsystem will provide apprentices, employers andothers with more efficient, streamlined accessto apprenticeship programs.

Energy efficiency a must for newhome buyers

Ottawa/Toronto—According to a sur-vey done by EnerQuality Corporation, 84per cent of respondents noted that energyefficiency is “important” and 9 out of 10said that their next home will be an ener-gy efficient one. The survey included1,830 home buyers of new, low-rise homesin the GTA and Ottawa-Carlton areas.

Reasons for the energy efficiencyimportance include striving for lowerenergy bills, being environmentallyfriendly and having a better quality home.In fact, the survey confirms that homebuyers are actively seeking builders thatoffer ENERGY STAR qualified homes.Since ENERGY STAR for New Homeswas launched in January 2005, 140builders in Ontario have joined. Thesebuilders are in the process of constructing2,500 ENERGY STAR qualified homes.


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CSA unveils new standardsToronto—In September 2006 the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) unveiled Canada’s

first consensus-based occupational health and safety (OHS) management standard. The new stan-dard, titled CSA Z1000-06 Occupational Health and Safety Management is intended to helpreduce or prevent Canada’s current number of injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace byproviding companies with a model for developing and implementing an OHS management system.

Canada currently ranks among the worst of the developed nations in occupational health andsafety, with an average of almost three people a day dying as a result of workplace injuries anddisease. In 2004, 928 workers died from work related injuries and disease.

“It’s difficult to believe that more than 900 workers die every year in a nation as advanced asCanada,” said Robert M. Griffin, president and CEO, CSA Group. “The standard we are launch-ing today is unique in that it is Canada’s first consensus-based OHS management system standard.Labour, business, government representatives and various organizations all came together as oneto help create this standard designed to lead to a safer work environment for all Canadians. Thistype of consensus is at the core of CSA’s work, and it’s what gives our standards their credibility.”

For more information go to www.csa.ca.

Toronto develops green standardsToronto—In July 2006 Toronto City Council approved a set of recom-

mendations that will work towards the development and implementationof a Toronto Green Development Standard. The finished product will bea set site and building design features that promote better environmen-tal sustainability of development. The Standard is a “made-in-Toronto”approach that integrates existing city guidelines and targets with stan-dards from private rating systems such as Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED) and Green Globes. The Toronto Stan-dard is intended not to compete with rating systems like LEED, but toensure that when there is a desire to “build green” in Toronto, localenvironmental objectives are met.

The Standard is to be applied to new city-owned and affiliated projectsand is also designed to encourage green development amongst the privatesector, where it is to be a voluntary program in the initial year of imple-mentation, while further study and stakeholder consultation is conducted.

New campaign addressesworkplace injuries

Toronto—A bold new campaignfrom the Workplace Safety andInsurance Board (WSIB) waslaunched in October 2006. Thecampaign theme—There Reallyare No Accidents—drives homethe message that workplaceinjuries, illnesses and fatalities areunacceptable, intolerable and 100per cent preventable.

“We don’t want to be overlyharsh, but we need to shock peopleinto understanding the staggeringnumber of workplace injuries andfatalities,” says Steve Mahoney,WSIB Chair. “This is not going tobe a feel good campaign. We won’tfeel good until workplace injuryand fatality numbers start todecrease.”

Last year in Ontario, close to100 workers lost their lives due totraumatic injuries and other imme-diate causes, and just over 277,000suffered from injuries or illnessesin the workplace.

The WSIB’s goal is to ensurethat Ontarians keep workplacehealth and safety as a priority andto encourage them to take action inensuring safe workplaces. A varietyof communication channels aregoing to be used, including televi-sion commercials, print ads, transitshelter and billboard ads and inter-net advertising.


Central Ontario

State-of-the-art facility creates 450 jobsBurlington— A new $80 million UPS Supply Chain

Solutions facility in Burlington will create 450 newjobs in the province. The UPS Burlington facility isthe second largest in North America, second only toUPS Supply Chain Solutions Louisville Hub. It con-sists of two buildings: a 550,000 sq. ft. logistics centrefor the consumer goods and electronics industries,and a second building dedicated to the pharmaceutical

and medical devices industries. Construction beganon the facility in November and was completed inJune 2006.

According to Jean Marc Lalonde, ParliamentaryAssistant for the Ministry of Economic Developmentand Trade, “the UPS investment in Ontario is greatnews for Ontario families. Building more opportunitythrough high-value jobs today means more prosperityfor generations to come.”

Lowe’s comes to CanadaHamilton—U.S. home-improvement chain Lowe’s Cos. Inc. broke ground on its first

Canadian store in Hamilton in September, with about a dozen more big-box locations to fol-low in Ontario.

The North Carolina-based retailer is on track to launching six to 10 stores in the Torontoarea during the second half of 2007, including sites in Brantford, Brampton and Toronto.Theother locations remain secret but have been approved by the company’s real Each store willhave about 145,000 square feet, will cost an average of $20.5 million and will create up to 175jobs apiece.

The U.S. chain has long been expected to bring its stores northward to compete withCanadian stalwarts Rona Inc. and Canadian Tire Corp. and fellow U.S. import Home Depot,carving out its own slice of the country’s $28-billion home improvement market.

Protecting workersKitchener—New protective measures should help to

ensure that workers in confined spaces are properly pro-tected. A “confined space” is an enclosed space that isnot designed for continuous human occupancy and canhave a build up of gases or dust, or lack of oxygen thatcan put workers at risk of injury, or even death.

Confined space requirements in four existing regula-tions—construction, industrial, health care and mining -are now enhanced to provide stronger protection andconsistency. In addition, most workers covered by theOccupational Health and Safety Act, who were previ-ously not covered by specific sector regulations, will nowbe included under a new regulation for confined spaces.Transportation and municipal workers, for example, arenow covered. All new requirements came into effect onSeptember 30, 2006.

“Work in confined spaces is inherently dangerouswithout proper training, planning and procedures.These enhancements are just some of the ways theOntario government is ensuring that the health andsafety of Ontario workers is not compromised,” saidJohn Milloy, MPP for Kitchener Centre.”


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Return on investment high when hiring apprenticesOntario—A study completed by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum is now available

online at www.caf-fca.org. The preliminary study, done in spring 2006, found that for everydollar employers invest in an apprentice, they accrue $1.38, or a net return of $0.38.

Other highlights include:• For each trade, the cost benefit results indicate that apprentices begin to generate net

benefits for employers by the end of the second year or earlier;• Employers feel that there are important qualitative or non-monetary benefits associated

with apprenticeship training. Specifically, hiring apprentices ensure that an organizationhas skilled labour and a lower turnover rate; and

• Employers believe journeypersons receive a benefit from training an apprentice.In 2004, the CAF-FCA released a major study in which employers identified cost as one

of the perceived barriers to accessing and completing apprenticeship training in Canada.Previous studies in this area shied away from the question of benefits. The Return onApprenticeship Training Investment study sheds some new light on this issue because itdetermines for employers the true costs and benefits of apprenticeship training.

“Those in the labour movement concerned about apprenticeship and shortages of skilledworkers are encouraged by the results of the study” says Allan Bruce, representative of theInternational Union of Operating Engineers, and Chair of the CAF-FCA Return on Train-ing Investment Project Committee. “The benefits of hiring an apprentice have often beendiscussed, but only anecdotal evidence has been available up until this time. Not only dothese findings provide us with actual data that substantiates what we suspected all along,they also establish the business case for hiring apprentices. This should create more oppor-tunities for Canadian youth.”

The positive news comes at a time when much of the current workforce in the skilledtrades is approaching retirement age, and there is increased demand for skilled trades peo-ple in many sectors and regions of the country.

Toyota starts construction on new plant

Woodstock—The shovels arein the ground for Toyota’s state-of-the-art assembly plant inWoodstock. Toyota Motor Corp.is investing about $980 millionin the plant located about 130miles northeast of Detroit. It isexpected to open in 2008, creat-ing 2,000 direct jobs. Theprovincial government says theToyota investment has alreadyspurred more jobs in the auto-motive supply, parts and after-market industries.

You know, about tenyears ago, OBEC host-ed an event entitled“Attention to Details”

wherein we attempted to assembleand dissipate information, primari-ly to architects and engineers, onthe best practices in creating con-struction details.

I would say that this event was aroaring success, not because everyone

came away with a neat little hand-book filled with details for massconsumption, but because as soonas the very first detail was present-ed, a spirited debate erupted aboutits correctness!

As a building restoration con-tractor myself, I am presented with“Standard Details” with every setof drawings that we are asked totender on. They generally come

from either the engineers or archi-tects library of things that they havedone before that were similar innature, and they all present theintended application for therestoration mechanic to follow inthe field.

Here is the problem: once thetender is bid and the contract isawarded, this standard detailbecomes a contractual obligation to


Since 1987 the Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC) has beenbridging the gaps amongst the architectural, engineering, research,manufacturers and construction communities. Our non-profitorganization addresses today’s challenges facing building performanceand sustainability. One of OBEC’s keys to success is our dedication tobuilding science education at all levels.

Congratulations OBEC on 20 years ofsuccess!

Staytuned in 2007 forspecial 20th anniversaryactivities.

Visit www.obec.on.ca.

OBEC Celebrates 20Years in 2007

By Brian Shedden, BSSO, J. McBride & Sons., VP Client Servies

Why Standard Details Seldom WorkBack to You!

carry out. Seems easy enough does-n’t it? But it isn’t.

Generally speaking, given theultra competitive environment inwhich both architect and engineersmust tender their own services,they seldom have the budget toactually open up the wall system tosee if their assumptions about thenew construction and its detailingare correct. Invariably, once wecommence work on a mock-up, itbecomes apparent that the stan-dard detail will not work in the spe-cific application that it has beencontracted for.

This dilemma is always a trickyone to handle.

The only way to get a detailright, as in correct, is to have therestoration mechanic, the designerand the project managers on handto ensure that the intent of thedetail, which usually has to dealwith the thermal/water sheddingaspect of the installation, is adjust-ed to reflect the actual in-situ con-ditions. That’s great if there isbudget to do that and it is alsogreat if all parties can carry this outwithout anyone’s nose getting outof joint and it is also great if what-ever the necessary changes are canbe carried out without creating atime consuming change orderprocess.

Unfortunately, far too often thissituation does not unfold asdescribed above. The real issue forme is this: who is it that benefitsfrom the job being done well, as inhaving correct details for the job athand? The answer: the owner.

Therefore, I submit that it ishigh time that before any tenderworth more than $100,000.00 isissued for quotations, the ownermust make the investment in somedestructive mock-ups and explo-rations to ensure that what they areasking to be built is actually some-thing that is needed in their specificbuilding.

Restoration projects are gener-ally about either getting it right the


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second time or saving some failedcomponent that is affecting thequality of the building and the resi-dent’s lives therein. And generally,if it is a large building, my experi-ence is that these projects tend tobe in excess of one million dollars.

So…let’s make sure that beforewe embark on a journey that willlast six months to a year, that thefinal destination has been clearlyidentified and scouted out beforewe start mobilizing the site. Time ismoney and none of us can afford toreinvent the details when we arefaced with the ticking clock of theschedule. ■


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call (866) 999-1299

11th CanadianBuilding Science& TechnologyConferenceIt may be more than oneyear away but the AlbertaBuilding Envelope Council(ABEC) is hard at workpreparing for the 11th Cana-dian Building Science &Technology Conference inBanff, March 22, 23, 2007.The conference’s seminarsand events are a must forbuilding scientists, archi-tects, engineers, propertymanagers, contractors andother stakeholders in thebuilding construction indus-try and offer a perfect venueto present and share ideason building, renovating andrepairing better buildings.More than 300 national andinternational experts areexpected to participate inpresentations and discus-sions focusing on practicalapplications, case studiesand fundamental research.

November 2006• Building Science Insight Series

November 8, 2006• OBEC Board Meeting

November 9, 2006• OBEC Sudbury

Challenges of Sustainable Construction in the NorthNovember 20-21, 2006

• Construct CanadaNovember 29–December 1, 2006Metro Toronto Convention Centre

December 2006• Building Science Insight Series

December 1, 2006• OBEC Board Meeting

December 7, 2006• OBEC Dinner Event / AGM

December 14, 2006

January 2007• OBEC Board Meeting

January 4, 2007• OBEC Dinner Event—HVAC

January 11, 2007

February 2007• OBEC Board Meeting

February 1, 2007• CSC/OBEC Seminar

Legal Side of ConstructionFebruary 2007

March 2007• OBEC Board Meeting March 1, 2007• Canadian Construction

Association Annual ConferenceMarch 5-9, 2007Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort,Puerto Rico

• OBEC Dinner Event - TBA March 8, 2007

April 2007• OBEC Board Meeting April 5, 2007• OBEC Dinner Event - TBA

April 12, 2007

May 2007• OBEC Board Meeting May 3, 2007• OBEC Dinner Event - TBA

May 10, 2007

June 2007• OBEC Board Meeting June 7, 2007• OBEC Dinner Event—

Presidents Award June 14, 2007


Calendar ofIndustry EventsFor regular updates checkout www.obec.on.ca.


Questions? Please contact OBEC Administrator, Jennifer McDonald at 416-438-2588 or 1-877-235-6232.

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Ontario Building Envelope Council✃

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ACCOMODATIONSBest Western Dryden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

AIR BARRIERS / WATERPROOFING /ROOFINGBAKOR Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

AIR, HEAT & MOISTURE CONTROLDryvit Systems Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC

BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANTSJohn Bate & Association, Ltd. . . . . . . . . .14RBS Consulting Engineers . . . . . . . . . . . .14

BUILDING RESTORATION SPECIALISTSJ. McBride & Sons Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

BUILDING SCIENCE & RESTORATIONCONSULTANTSRead Jones Christoffersen Ltd. . . . . . . . .14

COMMERCIAL BUILDING ENVELOPEINSULATIONSFibrex Insulations Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC

COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGPROTECTIONSoprema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

COMMERCIAL SEALANTS &WATERPROOFINGTremco Incorporated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

COMMUNICATIONSSpectrum Communications . . . . . . . . . . .25

CONCRETE PRODUCTSFisher Wavy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

CONCRETE RESTORATION CONTRACTORSRestorex Contracting Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . .14

CONSULTING ENGINEERSKleinfeldt Consultants Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . .32Morrison Hershfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28SPG Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

EIFS & RESTORATION PRODUCTSDurabond Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OBC

GE SILICONES & ADHESIVESGE Silicones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

INFRARED ELECTRICAL MECHANICALSCANNING OF BUILDING ENVELOPESALES AND SERVICEIris Infrared Imaging Solutions Inc. . . . . .32

INFRARED X-RAY / BUILDING INSPECTIONConsumers Choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

MASONRYMortar Net USA Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

METAL WALL SYSTEMS & ROOFINGFLYNN Canada Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

PANELIZED LIGHT STEEL FRAMINGKML Building Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

RESEARCH, TESTING, CONSULTING &INVESTIGATIONCanadian Building Envelope Science &Technology (CAN-BEST) . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

RESTORATION CONTRACTORSAlto Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Fridgen Fenestration Ltd. . . . . . . . . .18-19Unique Restoration Ltd. . . . . . . . .11, 13, 15

ROOF CONUSLTING & BUILDINGENVELOPE TECHNOLOGYPremier / LeVaque Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

ROOF DECKSGlobal DEC-K-ING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

ROOFING / WATERPROOFING PRODUCTSIKO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

ROOFING SYSTEMS & INFORMATION SERVICESTremco Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

STRUCTURAL PRE-CAST CONCRETEPreCon Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

TAPERED ROOFING INSULATIONEverest Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

URETHANE FOAM CONTRACTORSCanadian Urethane Foam Contractors . . .9

VAPOUR BARRIEREI Dupont Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4


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Pushing the Envelope Winter2006-2007 · President & CEO Jack Andress Senior Publisher Maurice...

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