The U.S. and Canada have much in common when it comes to design and construction, but a notable difference is how the two countries evaluate field performance of windows and curtain walls.
A seminar at the recent American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) annual conference took on this issue with Canadian guest speaker Robert Jutras. In the U.S., codes segment windows by usage, either commercial (IBC) or residential (International Residential Code). In Canada, by contrast, codes segment windows by size.
With regard to water penetration, Jutras’s presentation showed examples of six cities on each side of the U.S. and Canadian border with similar climatic conditions. On average, there is two times more pressure for resistance in Canadian cities than in U.S. cities.
Jutras also noted that when evaluating the relationship between differential pressure and wind speed, it is important to account for the building’s total elevation, given that the available wind speed data is usually measured near ground level.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jul 5, 2016
State legislature fails to pass law to extend design-build for New York City projects
Would have allowed five city agencies to use alternate delivery method.
Energy | Jun 30, 2016
Energy Department partnership with CoStar Group will study sustainability impact on property valuation
Database will offer rich data set on energy-efficient buildings in the U.S.
Contractors | Jun 30, 2016
Chicago contractor found guilty of fraud on city’s requirement on minority-owned businesses
Alleged to have been sham business in bid to win city public works contract.
Codes and Standards | Jun 29, 2016
OSHA starts evaluation of construction industry noise standards
New studies indicate significant number of construction workers suffer hearing loss.
Seismic Design | Jun 28, 2016
ASTM International updates seismic risk standards
Expected to improve consistency of risk evaluation on commercial real estate transactions.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2016
Feds publish framework for evaluating public-private partnerships
No single factor determines whether a project yields stronger benefit as a P3.
AEC Tech | Jun 17, 2016
Driverless cars could soon start impacting commercial, retail project design
Offsite parking and more space for valet parking lines are among the foreseeable changes.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2016
Bay State moves toward single BIM protocol on state projects
Massport’s guidelines a step forward for integrated BIM initiative.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 14, 2016
San Francisco voters approve tougher affordability requirement on new housing development
Critics charge that the measure may backfire and actually reduce new affordable units.
Concrete | Jun 13, 2016
American Concrete Institute releases new Guide to Shotcrete
Includes information on application procedures, testing.