Tag Archives: United States

Using EPDs to spark change

In recent years, building and design professionals have witnessed a significant shift in what is considered a sustainable construction project. The more stringent requirements of the latest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED v4) rating system have raised the bar for project teams with sights set on LEED certification. The same has been true for building product manufacturers. The best way for manufacturers to demonstrate their progress toward more sustainable products is to obtain an environmental product declaration (EPD), a rigorous, third-party examination of a product’s environmental impact throughout its life cycle.

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Green, lean, and safe strategies for sustainable outcomes

Construction operations are highly fragmented and complex in nature. This often leads to high levels of waste, making it difficult to build sustainable projects. This article explores an integrative approach to building green, lean, and safe projects—it proposes incorporation of lean construction strategies into sustainable design and construction to achieve desirable outcomes benefiting society, economy, and environment.

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Insulating buildings with pressure-sensitive tape

Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape technologies have properties that can insulate a building from environmental events such as precipitation, vapor ingress, extreme cold and heat, and external noise. While there may be a temptation to use putties and caulks instead of PSA tapes for insulation purposes, those materials are typically employed as fillers meant to span gaps—they do not provide an air or water barrier. PSA tapes can be used as an effective alternative or complementary barrier throughout a building by sealing areas like windows and doors that may be vulnerable to outside environmental fluctuations.

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Building an envelope warranty

When it comes to multilayered dry-joint rainscreen systems, designers face a potential loophole in the specification/installation process. Should a leak occur in a rainscreen design, before or after the project’s completion, the owner is faced with a costly dilemma. The problem usually occurs when there are different subcontractors for the air and vapor barrier system and the exterior façade system—the opposing subcontractors tend to blame each other.

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