Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1149947
AUGUST 2019 | 13 ILLUSTRATION COURTESY SOPREMA; PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BUILDING PRODUCTS OF CANADA Building Envelope Innovation in the building envelope realm is constant, and Soprema is a company that develops products that surpass the competition in several aspects. For example, its Sopraseal Stick VP is a self-adhesive vapour- permeable air-barrier membrane with a tri-laminated polypropylene complex on its surface. It's noteworthy for its unmatched adhesive properties, and its width and self-adhesive underface make it very easy to install. This prod- uct is ideal for hybrid wall construction in which insulation is in wall cavities and on the cold side of the permeable air barrier: the membrane offers good protection against air leaks and water infiltra- tion into the building envelope and allows the diffusion of water vapour. Sopraseal Stick 1100T is a self-adhesive air/vapour barrier membrane for walls composed of SBS modified bitumen and a tri-laminated woven polyethylene facer. It is also used as a masonry and through-wall flashing membrane, as well as a waterproofing membrane at openings and transitions. Sopraseal Stick 1100T is rec- ommended when constructing walls with a continuity of the insulation, because the membrane is resistant to air leaks, water infiltration, and diffusion of water vapour. Denis Gingras, national sales manager for Hydrotech Membrane Corp., says that a related component of building envelopes – blue roofs – is "becoming increasingly in demand in high-density cities, as these roofs have excellent water retention and discharge capabilities. We're currently providing a blue roof for a hospital in Chicago and expect to supply another for a Canadian university whose identity I can't yet disclose. " A Hydrotech PMR (Protected Membrane Roof Assembly) Blue Roof is ideal for utilitarian roofs that are not designed for tenant use. The simplest of such roofs can be created on a typical Hydrotech PMR with standard loose stone for ballast. The water in the blue roof is stored within the void spaces of the stone and to the required level above the ballast. A heavier than typical application of stone ballast is designed to keep loose-laid Styrofoam insulation from floating during rainstorms. Variations of this system are the Plaza Deck Assembly and the Garden Roof Assembly Blue Roof. The former uses the void spaces that exist beneath concrete pavers in Hydrotech's Plaza Deck Assembly to store large quantities of stormwa- ter: pavers are installed on pedestals in a normal fashion but at an elevated height to generate the needed water storage volume. Paul Lowes, technical sales architects and builders, for Building Products of Canada, reports that his company is continuing to spread the word throughout the provincial and municipal inspection community about the benefits of its Excel and new R-5 XP Exterior Structural, Continuously Insulated Sheathing. "Awareness of this product is vitally important, especially given the changing and volatile weather communities across Canada have experienced due to climate change. Many homes are being lost due to structural damage or blown down at various stages of construction, during violent wind storms. Ontario alone saw costs exceeding $1 billion in damages, between January and September 2018 alone," he says. Sopraseal Stick VP self-adhesive vapour- permeable air-barrier membrane. R-5 XP Exterior Structural, Continuously Insulated Sheathing. Engineering excellence designed to maximize performance and value for our clients. UBC Sauder School of Business | Vancouver, BC Art Gallery of Alberta | Edmonton, AB