This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Our instructors will take you through an in-depth explanation of the science behind terra cotta wall cladding and rainscreen technology. You will learn about the benefits of utilizing terra cotta as cladding as well as how they are manufactured and installed.
This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Concrete masonry is commonly used for structural and architectural walls in buildings. Knowing the full extent of its applications and capabilities is import for designers to make resilient, sustainable, and cost-effective buildings.
The intent of this course is to provide a general overview of the properties and performance characteristics of concrete masonry walls. Attendees will learn about how to take advantage of and maximize the features and capabilities of concrete masonry units.
This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Water heating is a major energy end-use in commercial buildings, and is very significant in certain commercial building types. Many commercial building owners and operators have a critical need for water heating systems which are reliable, able to meet varying levels of demand, energy efficient, and able to fit within a building’s space constraints in order to maintain their business operations.
Propane tankless water heaters are a flexible and energy efficient technology which provides these attributes in many commercial applications. This course will explore how commercial buildings use energy and the potential application of propane tankless systems to provide a solution for water heating needs.
This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Zero-energy school construction is a growing trend across the country. A combination of advanced energy-efficiency strategies, affordable solar power, combined with innovative concrete exterior wall assemblies is making it possible. Systems like insulating concrete forms and tilt-up construction combine strength and durability of reinforced concrete with the energy efficiency of continuous rigid insulation.
This presentation describes zero-energy strategies along with details on how to take advantage of the high R-value, thermal mass, with lower air infiltration concrete envelopes can provide, to offer school districts both lower first costs and long-term operating savings. Project examples are shared to demonstrate the proven performance benefits now being realized nationwide.
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted intense review of workplace design considerations and solutions. Amongst the A&D community, there is growing conviction that occupant well-being and engagement must be supported through concern with equity—and applied to real-world needs such as acoustical privacy. To reliably design buildings to function acoustically for their users (e.g., provide adequate speech privacy, freedom from distraction, reduced annoyance, a good night’s sleep, and so on), one needs to establish a known and consistent level of spectrally neutral background sound.
This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Fiberglass is one of the most studied man-made substances on the planet, and there are dozens of studies supporting its safety and performance. Yet, there remains some lingering fears. Learn why fiberglass insulation is one of the most tested consumer products on the market and how it stacks up against other comparative products in the industry.
This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. This course focuses on ADA and ANSI A117.1 code limitations and accessibility code requirements for vertical platform lifts and limited use/limited application (LU/LA) elevators.
As people spend an increasing amount of time indoors, the need to bring natural light into building interiors becomes even more imperative. Daylighting is an important part of architectural design for many reasons, with occupant well-being and sustainable practices at the top of the list. This course will explore the health and environmental benefits of daylighting, look at polycarbonate fenestration products as a practical and high-performing option, and discuss design considerations and possibilities, including case studies of polycarbonate products used in daylighting projects.
This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. This course will examine how the element of fire changed the trajectory of human evolution, society, and the nature of our built environments. Learners will look at safety technology that exists in the fireplace category to prevent building fires and protect end-users. The course will explore the physical and mental health benefits of gathering near a fireplace.
The course will discuss the environmental impact of carbon emitting hearth products on indoor and outdoor air quality and related EPA regulations. Content will include the latest innovations in the fireplace category related to aesthetics, performance, comfort-control, and occupant well-being. Key planning criteria and strategies to mitigate specifier liability will be reviewed.
This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Design professionals have always addressed issues of performance, budgets, and aesthetics. Now they are also being asked to evaluate the environmental burdens of their material choices. Every design decision can have an impact on the environment. The methods used to evaluate those decisions can often be misunderstood. This presentation examines the process of quantifying the true global warming potential (GWP) to accurately inform the true impacts of building material choices.
Tools like the web based NRMCA Concrete Carbon Calculator help concrete producers, contractors and design teams to collaborate on setting carbon budgets on projects and compares baseline projects to proposed projects to exceed embodied carbon reduction goals. Step-by-step details will demonstrate how to use the tool to set a carbon budget and write a specification that allows for the lowest possible carbon footprint for the ready mixed concrete proposed for various projects.