Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/354800
infloor radiant heating and LED lighting. The Canadian Precast Prestressed Concrete Insti- tute (CPCI) is sponsoring the development of new software which will enable manufacturers, who are members of CPCI, to formulate an accurate and pre- cise EPD for all of their products. In turn, architects, engineers and owners will have up-to-date informa- tion and useful metrics on the environmental footprint of precast products they use. The push for better envelope performance was highlighted recently in the Okanagan when design- ers for a 16,800-square-metre medical centre in Vernon spec'd almost 60,000 square feet of Dryvit System Canada's Outsulation Plus with 115 millimetre (4.5 inches) of type one EPS. "A few years ago only ICI buildings in the coldest regions of Canada might have been specified with more than a four-inch-thick exterior rigid foam insulation coat," says Daniel Schlegel, marketing manager at Dryvit Systems Canada Ltd. The B.C. government has mandated that major provincial capital projects are LEED Gold. It might have been difficult to achieve this if an insulation that is typical of the region had been used. The many interior utility lines could have made for some serious thermal performance challenges. Recent proposed changes to the National Building Code ( NBC) will also impact the building envelope sector. "The biggest sin- gle change in the NBC for 2015 will be the adoption of changes throughout the code to allow six-storey frame structures – as has already been in place in B.C. for a number of years," says Douglas Watts, principal, Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. and chair of the Standing Commit- tee on Environmental Separation (SCES). "The SCES has added a whole new section called 'Other Fenestration Assemblies' dealing with all of the glazing systems that up until now have not been addressed – curtain wall, window wall, storefront and glazed architectural structures – in order to define testing standards applicable to these systems," says Watts. He adds that the most impactful change in codes though, relates to regulations addressing energy performance. "With adoption of the NECB [National Energy Code for Buildings] in many of the jurisdic- tions across the country – either replacing reference to ASHRAE 90.1, or providing a parallel path to it. We are seeing roof and wall assemblies being re-thought to allow for better insulation, and dealing with thermal bridging," explains Watts. This is a significant change to codes that have always focussed exclusively on health and life safety as the primary objectives, and now adding energy conservation. "We see the changes throughout the code as posi- tive ones that address where we are as an industry. While there may be concern by some about regulations becoming tougher, they are being put in place to meet public expectations about the quality and durability of the building stock in our country," he adds. On the esthetic front, high-end cladding is going mainstream with Sound Solutions' contract to provide a raft of Boston Pizza outlets with Prodema. From an Italian manufacturer, Prodema provides high-density, resin-core panelling faced with natural wood coated with a proprietary finish. In Canada, Prodema exterior cladding is more often seen on boutique hotels, archi- tects' offices, colleges and universities. "We've done about 50 with Prodema so far, with 45 to go. They are mostly renovations, but we have done some new Bos- ton Pizza outlets," says Andrew Rogers, president of Sound Solutions. He is seeing increased interest in other quality cladding products like NBK ceramic terracotta, and comments, "We're seeing the start of the use of better materials in Canada." n Durex Acrotel EC-A. Spring Garden Avenue, Toronto, ON. Photo courtesy Durabond Products Ltd. 20/ AUGUST 2014 Building Envelope