Author Archives: JEMCK7

Cladding Materials in Non-Residential Construction: Consideration Criteria for Stakeholder in the Province of Quebec

Abstract

Designing the facade of a building is a complex task due to the multiple criteria to consider and the number of stakeholders involved. This paper highlights the influence criteria, the requirement and the issues relative to the selection of cladding material for non-residential buildings. Architects, contractors, subcontractors and clients provide a systemic view of the situation, based on an analysis of the findings from a mixed-research method combining online survey and semi-structured interviews. The results show that the decision for the cladding material is mainly influenced by building type, client type, project context, personal experience, product reputation and project delivery methods. The most important requirement for architects, in terms of cladding materials are, in order, performance, appearance, and good warranties. Contractors and subcontractors look especially for compliance with the delivery schedule, with an optimal deadline of less than three weeks. Regarding installation, subcontractors seek speed of installation, system simplicity, easy coordination with envelope workers and on-site product modulation. Finally, the main issues with cladding are maintenance, newness of cladding systems, lack of construction detail, and tendering process. A better understanding of the cladding selection process provides valuable insight to the manufacturer in order to provide the right information to satisfy stakeholder’s need.

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L’impondérable facteur humain

Jean Rouleau et Louis Gosselin, du Département de génie mécanique, et Pierre Blanchet, du Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt, arrivent à cette conclusion après avoir dressé la consommation énergétique détaillée de cet immeuble de 40 logements construit en 2014 dans l’écoquartier de la Cité Verte de Québec.

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Understanding energy consumption in high-performance social housing buildings: A case study from Canada

Abstract

This paper presents a case study of a recently built high-performance Canadian social housing building with the aim of comparing the expected and measured energy consumptions and to identify the parameters affecting the most the energy need. A monitoring system compiles at a 10-min frequency information related to the energy use and the thermal conditions observed in the building and its HVAC system. The building has the particularity of comprising two symmetric sections made of different timber structure systems. No significant differences of energy consumption were detected between the two parts of the buildings. However, a large variance was observed when comparing each dwelling individually regardless of their structures. The orientation of the dwelling also exhibited a minimal influence compared to these variations, suggesting that occupant behavior is the dominant factor explaining dwelling-to-dwelling variability and is thus critical for understanding energy use in residential buildings. Regression analysis showed that specific occupant actions, such as opening windows in winter or using electrical appliances, have a great impact on the energy balance of the apartments. In 2016, the performance gap between measured and expected total energy demand of the building was 74%. With the use of the large dataset coming from the building, it was possible to determine the causes behind this large gap for the reference building.

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Wood Cladding in Non-residential Construction: Overcoming the Barriers to Leverage the Opportunities

Abstract

Wood cladding is used in the residential market. However, the use of wood cladding in nonresidential and large multi-residential projects can sometimes be difficult. This paper highlights the barriers to the use of this material and draws recommendations to overcome them. A triangulation approach was used to enhance the validity of the findings with a deep literature review, interviews with different stakeholders, and analysis of several websites. The cross-compared analyses indicated that four main obstacles have hampered the use of wood cladding in non-residential projects. In order of importance, these obstacles are the recurring maintenance needed, restricting regulations (building code fire-safety and architecture implementation), appearance issues, and technical considerations regarding detailing and installation. To overcome the barriers of wood use in the non-residential market, three development axes are proposed based on communication with stakeholders, product adaptation for non-residential markets, and new product development with regards to product maintenance performance. These recommendations can guide manufacturers in adapting their product development strategies.

The Multifactorial Aspect of Wood Weathering: A Review Based on a Holistic Approach of Wood Degradation Protected by Clear Coating

Abstract

Wood is an abundant and renewable natural resource. Its use is promoted as a way to reduce the carbon footprint in building construction. Wood structures are degraded by their environment due to weathering. This review is a meta-analysis of the main factors of degradation that belong to this pehnomenon. The impact of irradiation, the role of water, oxygen, temperature, and colonization by fungi are explained. To protect against these factors. the use of coatings is the most common solution. Since currently the trend is to maintain the grain and the natural color of the wood, the use of transparent coatings is fasvored. This review présents the main technologies used in clear wood coatings. THe durability of this protection against weathering is approached. The whole of knowledge gathered has made it possible to begin a discussion on the multifactorial aspect of wood weathering. Schèmes were created to synthesize the synergistic and antagonistic effects between the degradation factors.

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