Commissioning a LEED Platinum science building

Discussing specification writing and documentation details can be challenging, but the right set of specifications is a key component in the process to deliver a successful project. It is crucial the specification writer understands the intent of how systems will operate and how systems relate to each other.
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Selecting joint reinforcement

In a time of increasing complex walls, the masonry industry is striving to rediscover the simplistic principles that made it the material choice of the greatest civilizations in history. The principle “less is more” holds true when it comes to selecting wire reinforcement for reinforced masonry wall systems.
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Testing Glazing in the Field: Performance Classes

Up until the 2008 edition of American Architectural Manufacturers Association/Window and Door Manufacturers Association/Canadian Standards Association (AAMA/WDMA/CSA) 101/I.S.2/A440, North American Fenestration Standard/Specification for Windows, Doors, and Skylights (NAFS), there were five performances classes of windows with differing requirements for test pressures, allowed leakage rates, and other variables. This sidebar...
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Passive fire protection and interior wall assemblies

To ensure optimal fire protection, building codes require interior wall assemblies to be evaluated by industry standards to determine their fire performance. This article gives examples of fire-rated wall assemblies and passive firestop systems, describing the testing they must go through to achieve their fire ratings.
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Specifying steel fibers for concrete floors

Thin, short strands of steel are being increasingly specified as reinforcement in ground-supported slabs and in composite steel deck-slabs. Structural engineers are still figuring out how best to design with these components, but specifiers need to think about how to define this material in the contract documents.
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