< Previous30 www.westernexteriorsmagazine.ca says Scot Paterson, Project Manager at Bockstael. “It’s also a see-through product; a benefit for the next Trade Partner that has work that may need to fasten to studs or thermal breaks that the vapour barrier has covered.” DELTABEAM construction was used to eliminate deep beams in the ceilings in order to maximize the ceiling space, eliminate conflicts with the signifi- cant amounts of mechanical ductwork required for the laboratory spaces, and provide flexibility in the future. This also allowed for the design to accommodate very large windows that flood the inte- rior with significant natural light. The initial concept for the build- ing was to be a three-storey building of 20,000 square foot floors, and the top floor was intended to be office space above two laboratory floors. This con- figuration posed several challenges for the team, such as deep floor plates that made it difficult to provide daylight into all interior spaces. Because of this, the project quickly transitioned to become a four-storey building with the office spaces bisected, creating two small- er, narrow floor plates that could have more perimeter wall and additional access to daylighting. This important evolution to the design allowed RIC to create massing along the street that is more aligned with the scale and proportion of the sur- rounding Exchange District warehouses and helps it adhere to the “feel” of the neighbourhood. This massing configuration has also generated a strong presence at the street intersection and steps the building down to the south, which allowed for deep sunlight penetration into the building and the addition of a second-floor out- door terrace along the south side to take advantage of the additional sunlight. “We were also able to move the mechanical penthouse to the roof of the second floor along the south side, instead of what would have been the third-floor roof,” says Bellamy. “This allowed all of the mechanical lab ducting to be con- tained within the bottom two floors, reducing runs and increasing efficiency and cost. It also reduced the number of mechanical penetrations that would have run between the labs to the mechanical rooms through the upper office floors under the old concept.” The site for RIC is set within a harsh environment, along a raised rail line, surrounded by surface parking lots. This initially created a challenge in the realiza- tion of one of the building’s primary pur- poses; that is becoming a showpiece for Richardson and a welcoming experience for its many global visitors. As such, Num- ber TEN sought to soften the edges of the site and create a new public space in an otherwise desolate area. At ground level, the building steps back from the sidewalk to make room for a small landscaped plaza that is visu- ally connected to the upper terrace and “softens” the hard urbanscape, as well as establishes a public node to anchor any future development. “Perhaps the more sensible thing to do would be to have slapped it into a strip mall development on the outskirts of the city, but Richardson has always had strong commitment to Winnipeg and its down- town, and we consciously made the effort to locate it where it is,” says Cohen. “It’s a truly unique shape and design, and the scale and materials we used really fit the Exchange. All in all, it’s just a wonderful building to look at, and we are very proud of it.” The project is being constructed within the context of a design build model, which has the potential of becoming a challenge for ensuring design quality. But, in the case of RIC, a strong collaborative effort between the contractor, design team, and client has produced a successful outcome, where design options can be priced and evalu- ated during the design process. “The key to the project’s success has been a commitment from all participants that it was to be a high-quality building,” says Bellamy. “All of the important pieces and design goals were identified early in the design process, and we all worked together to ensure they were maintained and realized throughout. The client has never wavered once on their desire for quality.” There has been a great deal of posi- tive excitement and interest surrounding all stages of this project. It is rare for a new commercial building to be built within the city’s celebrated Exchange District, especially one that brings this high-level of scientific innovation and renown. RIC will stand as an example of just how to inject a new design into an historic area, and it is anticipated that the project will set a new frontier for development in Winnipeg’s downtown. The hope is that a high quality building such RIC will help to attract new development into the area and begin to link those areas of down- town that are growing, including The Forks, the Exchange District, and along Portage and Main. “I’m a big fan of the architecture new and old in this city, and I believe that – without a doubt – this is one of the top buildings in Winnipeg,” says Paterson. “The Richardson organization has a great eye for design, and they fully understand that their outward appearance gives the public an insight into their company and culture. I’m thrilled that they have embraced some bold design aspects that indicate that this building is all about innovation, where the cutting-edge work being done on the inside is reflected by the exterior.” “It will be exciting to have a building that is not only beautiful but also functional, and one that lets us do the things that we want to do under one roof.”WESTERN EXTERIORS Fall 2019 31 FEATURE BY DRITAN TOPUZI, PH.D., P.ENG., PMP, LEED AP, SCHÖCK NORTH AMERICA The landmark of Edmonton’s ICE Dis- trict, the 251-metre (823-feet) high Stantec Tower, is the tallest building west of Toronto and the city’s first mixed-use high rise. The Tower is part of a 25-acre entertainment, shopping, and sports complex in downtown Edmonton, hous- ing Rogers Place (a venue for hockey and concerts), offices, retail outlets, high-end residences, hotel space, and restaurants. The office portion of the Tower houses the headquarters of Stan- tec and workspace for other firms. Floors 30 to 66 will house 483 “Sky Residence” condominiums. With an overall energy intensity tar- get of 110 KwH/m2/yr, which is 1/3 that of a typical Edmonton building, the Tower presented a challenge to engineers and architects: how to keep interior floors opposite exterior balconies warm while minimizing energy use in one of Cana- da’s coldest cities. As the architectural and engineer- ing firm designing the structure, Stan- tec solved the problem by positioning structural thermal breaks at the building envelope between balconies and the floor slabs supporting them. “Structural thermal breaks create an insulated gap between the concrete on the outside of the building and the slab inside without impacting structural integrity,” explains Steven Weinbeer, Project Engineer from the Stantec Edmonton office. The goal was to minimize thermal bridging where building envelope pen- etrations conduct heat from the interior floor slab and dissipate it into the envi- ronment. In addition to wasting heat energy, uninsulated balcony slabs chill interior slabs, promoting condensa- tion and mould formation on adjacent surfaces. Continuous insulation of the building envelope To insulate the building envelope, the designers utilized a high performance, thermally broken double-glazed curtain wall system. “Sealed double-glazed units have thermally broken spacers with high performance low e-coating and argon filled gas. System thermal performance is about 1.45 W/m2K,” notes Terrance Wong, Project Architect and Principal in charge of architecture, from Stantec Vancouver. Curtain wall glass allows natural light in, while keeping moisture and air out. To prevent 200 balcony slabs from conducting heat energy through the envelope and into the environment, the architectural and mechanical team installed Isokorb® Type CM structural ther- mal breaks. Wong says, “The team installed them in Edmonton for thermal comfort because of the extreme cold. The owner was convinced that omitting them would incur huge additional mechanical costs.” Supplied by Schöck North America, the structural thermal breaks consist of graphite-enhanced expanded polysty- rene insulation module and high-strength stainless steel tension and shear reinforce- ment for structural integrity. The rebar extending from both sides of the module ties into the rebar of the balcony and floor slabs. Weinbeer concedes that construc- tion firms are sometimes wary about the extra step of installing structural thermal breaks but says the cost benefit out- weighs any installation concerns. Energy savings from the use of thermal breaks Weinbeer says it’s too early to deter- mine actual energy savings but that ther- mal modelling performed by Stantec in 2015 indicates the interior temperature of slab edges equipped with Isokorb® ther- mal breaks would be “six to seven degrees higher” than interior slab edges lacking them. Wong adds that installing them eliminated the need for baseboard heat- ing at balcony doors and windows. The findings are consistent with a July 2013 report by the building envelope con- sulting firm Morrison Hershfield, which used EnergyPlus simulation software to analyze the potential performance of a 32-floor, 422-unit residential building con- structed using Isokorb® structural ther- mal breaks at balcony penetrations. The study determined that the thermal breaks would reduce heat loss through the bal- conies by 75 per cent while “significantly reducing the risk of condensation and mould growth.” Morrison Hershfield also concluded “the thermal breaks would reduce the overall heating energy con- sumption by 7.3 per cent compared to a building with conventional balcony slabs.” BALCONIES ON STANTEC TOWER ARE HELPING RESIDENTS KEEP WARM IN EDMONTON’S ICE DISTRICT The Stantec Tower, under construction, is the tallest building in Western Canada and includes 200 balconies.32 www.westernexteriorsmagazine.ca Meeting higher building energy code standards in Canada “Because this was a LEED Building, we had to use a higher standard than the Alberta Building Code 2006. Instead, we referred to ASHRAE 90.1 and NECB (National Energy Code of Canada for Build- ings),” says Wong. The latest version of the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings, “is an important step toward Canada’s goal for new buildings, as presented in the Pan- Canadian Framework, of achieving ‘Net Zero Energy Ready (NZER)’ buildings by 2030. The NECB supports this goal by reducing the overall thermal transmit- tance of roofs, fenestration, and doors; reducing losses through thermal bridg- ing in building assemblies.” Structural thermal breaks can play a major role in meeting standards set in codes and in lowering heating costs. At the Stantec Tower, they serve the basic function of keeping high-rise condomini- ums warm in a northern region with frig- id winters. “It’s really about thermal comfort … That was the driver behind deciding to put this product in the building,” con- cludes Wong. The influential model code pub- lished by the American National Stan- dards Institute, the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Condition- ing Engineers, and the Illuminating Engi- neering Society (ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1, often abbreviated to ASHRAE 90.1), was updated in 2016 to require specific ener- gy-efficiency modeling for uninsulated assemblies in building envelopes, includ- ing balconies, perimeter edges of floor slabs, and parapets. This goes beyond previous versions of ASHRAE 90.1, which either ineffectively addressed or allowed design / construc- tion teams, under common interpreta- tions, to ignore these types of assemblies. Model building codes established by professional organizations like ASHRAE, ANSI, IES, the International Code Coun- cil (ICC), the American Concrete Institute, along with Canada’s National Building Code and National Energy Code for Build- ings, do not have the force of law until local authorities having jurisdiction adopt them. The schedules and details of code adoption vary depending on local cli- matic, economic, cultural, and political variables. The 2016 edition of ASHRAE 90.1 offers three paths to compliance. First, the Prescriptive Method specifies details of building elements (continuous insula- tion, specific R-values for components depending on construction type and geographic region, and glass-to-opaque- wall ratios limited to 40 per cent of wall surface). Second, the Energy Cost Budget (ECB) Method is an alternative performance- based system for determining compliance and is available as a free web program. ECB compares two models of a building: the proposed building as designed and the budget building design (a building of the same size and constructed to mini- mum ASHRAE 90.1 prescriptive require- ments), calculating costs and identify- ing areas needing change. The program simulates the building’s proposed energy costs, comparing them with those of the code-compliant building, and indicating whether the proposed costs are less than or equal to that baseline and thus compli- ant. ECB can also summarize a building’s energy performance as a percentage of the ASHRAE 90.1 standards. Third, in the Performance Rating Method (PRM), the project team applies software modeling tools to prove that the building will perform at least as well as under the prescriptive requirements with an equal or lower annual energy cost. PRM is also used for “beyond code” programs, such as LEED or the International Green Construction Code (IgCC). North American performance codes tend to allow different paths to achieving energy code compliance, allowing ther- mal deficiencies in one area to be offset by efficiencies in another. For example, the performance-ori- ented ECB and PRM paths allow trade- offs comparable to carbon credits (e.g., more roof insulation or solar panels to off- set energy loss from weakly performing glazing or other thermal bridges). These flexible paths are preferable for designs with less efficient features, such as floor- to-ceiling windows, or to allow new best practices not previously covered in pre- scriptive codes. Structural thermal breaks, naturally, enhance an envelope’s ability to meet performance criteria. The implementation of ASHRAE 90.1 or IECC standards is not straightforward. As energy standards evolve, architects, developers, and even code officials may be unclear about whether local codes require structural thermal breaks. For a project on the ECB or PRM performance path to compliance, accurate energy modeling can be an art form. Today’s three-dimensional modeling software is precise mathematically but requires the correct and realistic information to be entered into the model to derive accurate output. It is essential to include balcony slabs and similar projections through the build- ing envelope into the calculations. Ignor- ing these penetrations and the poten- tial for thermal bridging, and assuming a continuous exterior surface of the build- ing, will lead to unrealistic overall U-val- ues. Thermal bridges, even though they appear small, will compound and have a significant effect. Precise input is therefore critical to accuracy of the model output. Shöck Bauteile GmbH, founded in 1962 by Eberhard Schöck, is the originator and largest producer of structural thermal breaks, with over 10 million installations worldwide. The company’s Isokorb® prod- uct lines for concrete, wood, and steel construction simultaneously support and insulate structural penetrations through insulated building envelopes, reducing heat loss by up to 90 per cent while pre- venting mould formation and improving comfort. Dritan Topuzi, Ph.D., P.Eng., is the Product Manager of Schöck North America. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Norwich University, VT, USA, and a registered profes- sional engineer in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN BUILDING ENERGY CODES IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE Building codes in North America have lagged behind those of Europe with respect to energy efficiency, but Canada and the U.S. – in that order – are closing the gap. Because thermal insulation of structural penetrations in North America remains discretionary, the adoption of thermal breaks has been led primarily by: • Developers who intend to retain and operate the building for mid- to long-term profit. • Developers seeking Passive House, LEED and other sustainability certifications. • Environmentally conscious schools, museums and government institutions. Isokorb® Type CM load-bearing structural thermal breaks consist of a graphite-enhanced expanded polystyrene insulation module penetrated by high-strength stainless steel tension and shear bars which tie into the rebar of the balcony and floor slab. All photos in spread courtesy of Schöck North America.WESTERN EXTERIORS Fall 2019 33 FEATURE For the past decade, the built envi- ronment has come under scrutiny for being a major contributor towards greenhouse gas emissions. In the face of accelerating climate change, govern- ments and policy makers across Canada have made significant strides to shift the construction of new buildings to be net- zero energy ready. However, transform- ing how we build is no easy task. Passive House has made an enor- mous surgency in the Canadian con- struction industry, with millions of square feet already built, and millions more planned across the country. The standard has quickly become a reli- able benchmark for high-performance buildings with stringent efficiency met- rics garnering the attention of industry, academic institutions, and policy mak- ers in all levels of government seeking a pathway towards creating near net-zero energy buildings. The Passive House approach aims to create buildings that have minimal energy use. Passive House projects are required to have a heating demand less than 15kwH/m2 of floor area per year, whereas projects built to conventional code minimums end up over 100kwH/ m2 per year. This level of Passive House energy performance is accomplished by having a very high-performing enve- lope, heat recovery ventilation, and a high-efficiency mechanical and electri- cal system to deliver heating, cooling, and other building functions. Meeting these performance met- rics presents new challenges, but often results in designs with over R-40 insula- tion in the walls, R-60 on the roofs, triple glazed windows, specialized HRVs and control systems, with strategies to utilize free heating and cooling. Clayton Community Centre, Surrey B.C. Clayton Heights Community Cen- tre is a 7000 m2 glulam structure built to house many of the community’s exist- ing structures under one roof, including a library, fitness centres, and a commu- nity kitchen. For the project architect HCMA, col- laboration with the entire team was fun- damental to achieving Passive House levels of performance. HCMA began the project assuming the high recom- mended insulation for Passive House based on standard assumptions for res- idential buildings (about R-40). As the project progressed, it became clear that the gymnasium, fitness centre, and com- munity kitchen created atypically high internal heat gains from equipment, lighting, and building users; there would almost never be a need for mechanical heating for the building. As a result, the cooling loads were going to be a bigger challenge. To address this, the team took a mul- tifaceted approach. They reduced the R- value of the opaque envelope to rough- ly 22 and then reduced cooling loads by approximately 70 per cent through a combination of increasing the set tem- perature of the fitness room, replacing the cooler air with large fans to circulate air, and introducing mechanically oper- ated natural ventilation at all levels and clerestory windows. The team worked with the client to efficiently estimate the equipment needs for the community centre and source the more energy effi- cient equipment. The entrance of the building posed additional challenges. Typically, in com- munity centres, entrances are composed continued on page 37 BY SACHA SAUVÉ, AND NEIL NORRIS, PASSIVE HOUSE CANADA CHALLENGERS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY of sliding doors that are constantly being opened and closed, increasing the ener- gy needed to reheat or re-cool the space. The team went with an in-house developed two-door system: a primary certified Passive House door, situated on the thermal envelope of the building, followed by a large revolving door with a diameter of 16 feet to accommodate strollers and accessibility requirements in the building. The Wood Innovation Research Lab (WIRL) at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) The Wood Innovation Research Lab is a new state-of-the-art UNBC wood science and engineering research facil- ity in downtown Prince George. The 10-metre-tall, single-storey structure fea- tures a high-head lab for tall projects, a two-bay lab space, an overheard crane, MAIN The Clayton Community Centre includes a library, fitness centres, a gymnasium, visual arts studios, and many more for the community to enjoy. Photo courtesy of HCMA Architecture Design. INSET The brand new UNBC Wood Innovation Research Lab is a beautiful and energy efficient addition to downtown Prince George. Photo courtesy of Stantec.34 www.westernexteriorsmagazine.ca FEATURE Completion of the re-roof project at the historic Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia, marked the culmination of a massive four-phase, 22-year renovation plan. The Cathedral – built originally in 1894 – was the first church in Vancouver and began with a cedar shake roof. A formal plan was undertaken to make the Cathedral structurally sound and to meet seismic stabilization requirements. Aesthetic and acoustical upgrades, along with basic functional improvements, were also included in the multi-phase plan. The final stage of the extensive reno- vation – replacement of the roof with low- maintenance, long-lasting zinc – became somewhat of a modern marvel in Van- couver. The entire building was complete- ly enclosed in a massive scaffold with a giant tarpaulin covering the structure to protect the church from the weather as the existing roof was removed. The scaf- folding reached 30 m (100 ft) high to allow the use of a traveling gantry crane for moving materials to all areas of the roof. Why zinc? A natural, soft metal rolled zinc “strip” is produced in sheets or coils by alloying Special High-Grade, 99.995 per cent pure zinc with very small quantities of cop- per, titanium, and aluminum. The rolled zinc alloy provides improved mechani- cal properties required for architectural applications, including roofing, roof-edge flashing and trim, gutter systems, façade cladding, and exterior ornamentation. With solid, rolled zinc, no paint, var- nish, or sealants are required. It resists corrosion, and the run-off is non-staining and non-toxic. It requires minimal main- tenance, and if scratched, it will self-heal. The key to this durability and to zinc’s unique appearance is its patination. Just as copper ages from shiny orange to powdered green, zinc develops its dis- tinctive patina – from bright silver to matte blue-grey or graphite-grey, based on the alloy composition. Traditional installation Roof slope and scale, local weather conditions, and warranty requirements influence the seam type selection. For Christ Church, approximately 1,115m2 (12,000 ft2) of RHEINZINK prePATINA blue- grey was installed using a traditional bat- ten seam profile. Installation of the panels was done by TEK Roofing Ltd. of Vancou- ver. “I’m an old school guy and everything we do is traditional,” said TEK’s president Terry Kellogg. “The RHEINZINK panels are literally all hand formed. No machines were involved other than our brakes.” The detailing on the job was com- plex with multiple interfacing. “We had complicated transitions,” Kellogg said. “There was no caulking, no screws – all traditional methods. There were lots of pitch changes and elevation changes that made the installation time intensive. It was definitely a labour of love.” Best practices and key considerations Proper attachment of roof compo- nents accommodating thermal expan- sion is a key consideration in Canadian climates. To allow movement of the zinc roof panel, the preferred attachment meth- od is indirect attachment with concealed clips. These should be fabricated from light gauge type 304/316 stainless steel. All attachment components should be fabricated from stainless steel or exte- rior-grade polymer-coated steel. Fasten- ers for panel clips usually are #10 screws, at least 2.5 cm (1 in.) long with an appropri- ate drill point. Concealed offset cleats used to retain the leading edge of the panel should be corrosion-resistant metal, sized appropriately and attached with the cor- rect fastening method, often screws. Gen- erally, exposed screws or rivets connecting two zinc profiles should be avoided unless approved in advance by the architect. Securely attaching panels becomes even more important for lengths great- er than 305 cm (120 in.). All zinc profiles should be “fixed,” but only for a short dis- tance – every 91 to 122 cm (36 to 48 in.) typically is recommended. For long panels, one-piece fixed clips should be used with the fixing zone and two-piece sliding clips for the balance of the seam. Locating the fixing zone depends on the roof’s slope. Steep slopes require fixing the panels clos- er to the ridge allowing more downslope movement. Attachment of all zinc panels should accommodate panel movement of approximately 6 cm (0.25 in.) per 305 cm (120 in.) per 55ºC (100ºF) temperature change. The total design temperature fluc- tuation should be 67ºC (220ºF). When a roof’s design calls for rolled zinc to be curved into a radius, zinc-appro- priate tooling, and practices should also be continued on page 38 BY RICHARD STRICKLAND AND PETER GATTO MAIN The new roof atop the Christ Church Cathedral shines alongside some of the more modern buildings behind it, modern melding with history. All photos in spread courtesy of Martin Knowles Photography. INSET The solid rolled zinc roof requires no paint, varnish, or sealants to protect it. The zinc resists corrosion and self- heals whenever scratched. The result, a beautiful roof that is incredibly low maintenance. ZINC ROOFING PROTECTS HERITAGE OF VANCOUVER CHURCHWESTERN EXTERIORS Fall 2019 35 FEATURE We continue to hear a lot about skills gaps, the skills mismatch, and / or skills shortages as a challenge we are facing especially as we look at the next generation of Canadian work- ers in the skilled trades. According to the Statistics Canada jobs report from May 2019, Canada had an unemployment rate of only 5.4 per cent for the general population but the youth unemploy- ment rate was almost double that at 10 per cent. Although these are, or are close to record lows, we are still hearing about the challenges of industry being able to find workers with the right skills. The Business Council of Canada published their Navigating change: 2018 Business Council Skills Survey in the spring of 2018 and identified that when employers were asked to predict the top five areas where they expect to experi- ence skills shortages, over the next three years, the skilled trades came in at num- ber two behind information technol- ogy. This is also a global problem. The Manpower Group 2018 Talent Shortage Survey identified skilled trades as the occupational group most in demand globally. So, what can we do to meet the skills challenge? One way to address these workforce challenges is to raise awareness, to make sure people, and, in particular young Canadians, are aware of the career opportunities in the construc- tion and maintenance sectors. Although there are many initiatives underway to orient people to these as potential careers, there is still much work to be done. As a country, I think we need to do a better job of promoting skilled trades and apprenticeship-based careers and to engage people early in the career decision process. I think we need to get better at presenting the var- ious educational pathways, apprentice- ship, colleges, polytechnics, and univer- sities, to name a few, as viable pathways based on individuals’ interests and mar- ket demand. Presenting a wide range of options is important to be able to build a Can- ada that can be flexible and respond to market changes. I compare this to our pathways to and from work, school, and social activities. We have people who use roads, bike paths, and sidewalks to get to the places they need to get to. Their choices are influenced by many factors but if there are too many people using any one of these particular routes of commute, it causes congestion and frustration. When there is more coordi- nation the user’s satisfaction is higher and the path to these destinations is more efficient. BY SHAUN THORSON, SKILLS/COMPÉTENCES CANADA Presenting a wide range of options is important to be able to build a Canada that can be flexible and respond to market changes. continued on page 38 SKILLS GAPS, SKILLS MISMATCH, AND SKILLS SHORTAGES: WHAT CAN WE DO? At the Skills Canada National Competition, the 51 Try-A- Trade® and Technology activities were tried by more than 7,500 visitors who attended the SCNC. Photo courtesy of Skills/Compétences Canada. From Skills/Compétences Canada’s standpoint we are committed to try- ing to address the lack of awareness of skilled trades and technology-based careers. Through the hosting of various events across the country we are able to present the importance of skilled trades and technology careers. Our provin- cial / territorial member organizations offer a wide range of activities based on regional demands. The activity that we are most known for, and that is consistent from coast to coast to coast, is the Skills Can- ada National Competition. Skills/Com- pétences Canada and its member orga- nizations offer skills competitions that align with a number of construction- based occupations: carpenter, brick- layer, construction electrician, cabinet- maker, refrigeration and air condition- ing, and many, many more. The Skills Canada National Com- petition (SCNC) is held in a convention centre facility, trade show format with more than 550 youth between the ages of 15 and 29 competing in 45 Skill Areas all being hosted under one roof. These youth have already qualified through a provincial / territorial competition and have been identified as the best their jurisdiction has to offer. The event primarily targets two groups: the first being those youth who already have an interest in a skilled trade / apprenticeship-based career, the competitors, and the second being those people who have never consid- ered or have very limited knowledge of skilled trade / apprenticeship-based occupations. For the first group, the goal is to reinforce the skilled trades and appren- ticeship option as a viable educational pathway and career. Through project challenges that are built by a committee of technical experts from business, edu- cation, and labour that geographically represent the entire country, we test and evaluate their skills. These challenges are designed to meet industry standards while at the same time are consistent with the edu- cational programming and training. This also builds a network for these young people who are trying to navigate 36 www.westernexteriorsmagazine.ca OPINION The ancient Romans mastered the art of concrete formwork, cumulat- ing in the construction of the dome of the Pantheon, the only Classical Roman building that survives in virtually perfect condition to the present day. During the construction of the concrete dome, the wooden formwork was designed to create five rows of 28 sunken panels, or coffers, in the concrete whose purpose, while being decorative, significantly reduced the weight of the dome. Tests have shown that the compres- sive strength of the concrete used is an impressive 20 MPa (2,900 psi), with a ten- sile strength of 1.47 MPa (213 psi). Finite element analysis of the point where the dome joins its supports indicated a max- imum tensile stress of less than 128 kPa (18 psi), indicating an impressive safety factor. For the purpose of comparison, the compressive strength modern con- crete ranges from 17 MPa (2500 psi) for residential concrete to 28 MPa (4000 psi) and higher in commercial concrete. The tensile strength of modern concrete ranges from 2.2 to 4.2 MPa. Today, approximately 2,000 years after the completion of the Pantheon, the construction industry builds using techniques that would have been rec- ognizable to the ancient Roman engi- neers. Formwork is still laboriously con- structed by skilled carpenters and form makers. The process is slow, costly, and labour intensive. It is almost painful to observe the construction of a typical suburban bun- galow, with the process of going from excavation and footing installation to the final completion of the building envelope requiring six months or more. The only significant innovation since Roman times has been the introduction of metal rebar into the footing forms before pouring the concrete, to increase the resistance to tensile stresses. By 2030, almost 60 per cent of the Earth’s 8.3 billion people will live in cities and as many as 2 billion of these people will live in slums. Providing all people on Earth with access to decent and afford- able housing is one of the main aims of the Tinari Energy Management Services Inc. (TEMS) Global Sustainable Develop- ment Plan. When families can invest in a good home, their living conditions improve, and they take a larger stake in their communities. Investing in housing also increases shared prosperity, since new construction generates jobs and eco- nomic growth. However, where formal housing can’t be supplied, by necessity, informal housing quickly fills the gaps, often resulting in the proliferation of slums and the creation of new devel- opment challenges. What is urgently needed is a faster, more efficient, and less expensive way of producing quality housing around the globe. In the 1600s, an obscure European mathematician postulated that every solid object can be decomposed into a series of parallel planes that could be assembled to create the entire object. This simple observation forms the the- oretical basis for modern Additive Manu- facturing (AM), also known as 3D Prining (3DP). In 1985, I was working on a NASA project to develop a heat transport sys- tem for the International Space Station. I was attempting to design and build a more efficient heat exchanger, and I had the idea of creating a design based on a vascular network. The problem was that there was no known way of manufacturing such a structure. Con- sequently, after a great deal of trial and error, I came up with a system using an ancient teletype machine and a glue gun hooked up to a Digital PDP-8 com- puter. While this never worked very well because of the miniscule memory available (3K!), this approach was able to gradually construct a primitive struc- ture by building up layers of glue, one on top of the other. I did not know it at the time; however, this was one of the earliest attempts to develop a 3D print- ing machine. BY DR. PAUL D. TINARI, PHD, P.ENG., TEMS INC. LEFT Figure 1. A close-up of a typical 3D printed concrete wall showing the concrete dispensing nozzle typically moving at a speed of 15 to 20 cm/sec, as well as the inside and outside walls with a sinusoidal spacing layer. The open spaces can be used for utilities or can be filled with foam to increase the overall R-value of the wall. Images courtesy of Dr. Paul Tinari. RIGHT Figure 2. The view of a typical 3D printed house while under construction. The concrete truck keeps the concrete pump filled so that it can continuously supply fresh concrete to the nozzle. A computer continuously calculates the required length of the eight supporting cables so that the nozzle is always at the required position at each time-step. When the wall has been printed to the appropriate height, the cross- piece is manually placed over each door and window so that the program can place the next layer of concrete over the space. When the wall is completed, the pre-fab roof is fitted into place using a crane. Figure 2. THE REVOLUTION THAT WILL CHANGE MODERN CONSTRUCTION FOREVER Figure 1WESTERN EXTERIORS Fall 2019 37 three universal testing machines, a CNC cutting machine, and a wood condition- ing room equipped with ventilation and humidification. The design team worked through significant airtightness, interior heat gain, and ventilation challenges. This included a large bay door allowing semi- truck access into the facility, an extrac- tion system, the exterior wall area to floor area, and high heat gains from the wood processing machinery. The solution to the non-airtight overhead shop door was to order a fully sealing manufactured door from Ger- many, equipped with rubber gaskets creating an airtight seal between the panels and on the surface where the floor and door meet. The dust extraction system was required to filter dust particles for the health and safety of the workers. While necessary, typical dust extraction remove large volumes of air, resulting in massive heat loss. The team installed a custom-built recirculating dust extrac- tion system to bring dust through a large cyclone filter then through large 1-micron pocket filters before recirculat- ing it back into the facility, thereby pre- venting heat loss. WIRL is one of the most air-tight buildings ever made with just .07 ACH, an order of magnitude lower than stan- dard Passive House requirements. The University of Victoria Student Housing and Dining Project Designed and constructed to meet both Passive House and LEED Gold stan- dards, the University of Victoria’s new student housing facilities will consist of two buildings and feature accommoda- tions for 783 undergraduate students, dining services, conference facilities, and classrooms. The buildings’ complex multi-func- tional requirements created unique challenges in meeting primary energy demand. With a large-scale commercial kitchen serving almost 3,000 meals at a time, managing energy and user com- fort with a centralized ventilation system was complex, but the ventilation rates and large domestic hot water demand were the biggest challenges. In a typical commercial kitchen, ven- tilation equipment is turned on and left on all day, significantly increasing energy use. Three main measures were taken to address this issue: the kitchen venti- lation equipment was tuned exactly to the operation of the equipment so that exhaust fans were set to react to the appliances below; stoves were clustered and enclosed on three sides to increase ventilation efficiency; and gas appliances were replaced with electric ones wher- ever possible. For additional heat recov- ery, a significant amount of waste heat is recaptured in the kitchen from the refrig- eration equipment, dishwashers, and the ventilation equipment. As a student residence, the building owner and operator has little control of what each student will plug in and how they will operate their spaces, so a best estimate had to be made through Pas- sive House Planning Package (PHPP) modeling on small appliance use, com- puters, etc. One of the biggest challenges was managing the user’s sense of control over thermal comfort. With almost 800 student rooms, each person’s experi- ence of comfort will be different. The solution was to supply air into each room at the same temperature through a centralized system and provide the user the ability to control the rate at which the air is supplied. A path forward Passive House levels of perfor- mance can provide additional chal- lenges, but they also provide innumer- able benefits. On the leading edge of building design, Passive House offers the construction industry solutions for maximizing the energy performance through a deeply integrated set of complex building systems. By embark- ing on projects with an expert team that is collaborative, creative, and com- mitted to the same outcome, no chal- lenge is too great, and the results can be spectacular. Sacha Sauvé is the Manager of Commu- nications at Passive House Canada, in Vic- toria, British Columbia. Neil Norris, P.Eng., CPHD, is a Building Science Engineer with Passive House Canada. Since that time, following the relentless mathematics of Moore’s Law, the costs for computer memory have plummeted while processing speeds have sky-rocketed, allowing the development of relatively low cost and highly effective 3D printing (3DP) machines. As an example of the application of 3DP to the construction of a struc- ture such as a house, the 3D AutoCAD plans for the house are sent to what is generally known as a “slicer” program to decompose it into a large number of parallel, horizontal planes of equal thick- ness. Starting from the bottom plane, the computer converts the geometry of each layer into what is known as “G-Code,” which represents the instruc- tions telling the 3DP machine where to place the working-material dispensing nozzle at each time-step. Commonly at present, the footing of the house is built using a traditional approach employing formwork, rebar and poured concrete. However, in the future, the footing will be 3D printed along with the rest of the structure. After the footings for all the exterior and internal walls have been complet- ed, the next step is installing the utili- ties, before pouring a floating slab on a thick gravel bed. Then, begin the 3D printing process of raising the walls up to the required height, leaving gaps at the appropriate locations for the utili- ties, and piping. A common wall structure that can be built by 3D printing is shown in Fig- ure 1. The proprietary concrete mix contains elastomers and carbon fibres to increase the resistance to tensile forc- es and accelerants to reduce slumping and increase rate of drying. A properly designed 3D printed wall can exhibit higher resistance to tensile and com- pressive forces than observed in walls made with standard poured concrete. A number of companies around the world have built 3D Concrete print- ers using a wide variety of different designs. In general, the limitations with these designs include: • Because of the use of relative- ly heavy truss structures, the machines are limited to building relatively small structures. • The use of delicate machinery and elaborate track structures means that the machines are prone to jamming when exposed to the dirt, dust, and mud of the real field conditions commonly encoun- tered on construction sites. • High complexity leads to long set- up and take-down times, difficulty with field maintenance, and high- er labour costs. • High weight leads to inflated trans- port costs and the requirement to use supporting equipment such as cranes and / or fork-lifts dur- ing transport and for assembly / disassembly. • High complexity, larger sizes, and higher labour costs leading to sig- nificantly higher overall costs. After careful study of all the limi- tations with the 3D concrete printer designs, TEMS designed and devel- oped its own a Large-Scale, 3D Con- crete Printer Technology (3DCPT) (See Figure 2). Features include: • It is light in weight and relatively small in size so that the entire sys- tem can be dismantled and stored into one 20 ft container, resulting in greatly reduced transport costs. • Simple system design leading to rapid set-up / take-down time times. • Easy field maintenance because most of the parts are 3D printable. • High system reliability because of resistance to contamination by dirt and mud commonly encountered on construction sites. • Low system costs compared to other comparable systems (up to 1/10th the cost of other machines). The structures that are built with the TEMS system offer a number of advantages. I invite you to get in touch with me to discuss how these struc- tures differ from conventionally built buildings. The introduction of this new technology represents not just an evo- lutionary impact, but a revolutionary paradigm shift on the construction sector. I hope everyone is ready! Dr. Paul Tinari, PhD, P.Eng., is the inventor and project director. He can be reached at tinarip@yahoo.com. continued from page 3338 www.westernexteriorsmagazine.ca ARCHITECTUREAL ALUMINUM BUILDING PRODUCTS Alumicor Inc. ................................ 18 BRICK SUPPLIER BUILDING ENVELOPE, STRUCTURAL, PAVEMENT ENGINEERING, AND ROOFING CONSULTING BUILDING PRODUCTS SUPPLIER CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL AND BUILDING ENVELOPE SUPPLIER Convoy Supply Ltd. .........................4 CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS HEAVY CONSTRUCTION / CONCRETE EQUIPMENT through the sometimes-complex world of education, train- ing, and work. In some of our more recent competitor surveys, nine out of 10 competitors at the SCNC agreed or strongly agreed that their participation in the competitions has increased their chances of getting a job. Along with expanding the competitor’s network and them developing skills, the com- petitions recognize excellence which further encourages their pursuit of the career path. The competitions also offer something for that second group, those individuals who have not chosen a career path, are unsure or unaware of the opportunities available through apprenticeship training. Beginning at the 2011 Skills Canada National Competition that was held in Quebec City, Try-A- Trade® and Technology activities were introduced for the first time at the SCNC. In the most recent SCNC that was held in Halifax on May 28-29, 2019, we had more than 7,500 visitors who had the chance to try 51 different activities. These activi- ties are experiential learning in nature, and the focus is to put the tools and materials of each of these occupations in the hands of the visitors. We believe experience like these rais- es the awareness and will hopefully inspire them to expand their thinking around possible career options. There are other activities besides competitions that we feel can also significantly contribute to raising the awareness and skill level of young Canadians. Work integrated learning, tours of facilities, in-school presentations, work placements, and job shadowing – to name a few – can all provide a spe- cial experience that may change a young person’s mind about what they want to do for the future. The success and effectiveness of our events is because we have stakeholders representing many sectors that believe as we do, that they can make a difference and deliver a life-changing activity for a young person by taking action. So, let’s build a stronger and more skilled industry and coun- try by taking action. For more information on Skills/Compétences Canada please go to skillscompetencescanada.com. Shaun Thorson is a tireless champion of skilled trade and technol- ogy careers for Canadian youth. CEO since 2006, Shaun held vari- ous positions within the Skills/Compétences Canada (SCC) organi- zation at the provincial and national levels for the past 25 years. specified. To avoid causing fractures or micro-cracks in the zinc, qualified fabricators use bending equip- ment with a radius, at least 1.75 times the material thickness. Level, true and sound A major issue that had to be resolved before the new zinc roof could be installed was achieving a level and true substrate. During the many years since it was originally built, the structure had settled and shifted considerably. “We were surprised at how bad the structure was when we opened the building up,” says Ian Birtwell, a parishioner and volunteer project manager who functioned as liaison with the church. “The connec- tions to walls were very poor, basically gravity con- nections. That’s the way they built in those days. And the roof ridgeline dipped six inches. We used a laser system to create a computerized 3D model that revealed the high spots and low spots so that we could get a totally flat roof.” Good Heritage practice and durability Renovation of the historic building was deemed a Heritage project and had to meet certain guide- lines for approval. “Good Heritage practice requires that the renovation be respectful of original materi- als,” according to Proscenium’s principal Hugh Coch- lin, principal with Proscenium Architecture & Interiors, Inc. He added, “We gravitated to zinc pretty early in the process. We wanted a durable material that would last forever. We expect to get 100 years or more from the RHEINZINK. Plus, it looks contempo- rary, but is respectful of good Heritage practice. The Heritage Commission quickly approved our use of it.” Moss and moisture management Another interesting attribute of zinc that influ- enced its selection for the project is its ability to repel moss. “The Cathedral is in somewhat of a concrete canyon with high-rises all around and thus gets very little sun,” Birtwell said. “The previous roof was really INDUSTRY EVENTS MANUFACTURER OF GLASS BLOCK MASONRY ANCHORS, TILES, AND ACCESSORIES SMART GLASS TESTING EQUIPMENT R.M. Group LLC ............................26 THERMAL BARRIERS / THERMAL BRAKES Azon .............................................22 TOTAL CONSTRUCTION SERVICES WATERPROOFING moss-covered. We sometimes joked that the moss was the only thing holding the old building together.” Also helping to reduce the potential for organic growth, the church roof’s drainage system utilized the traditional six-inch RHEINZINK half-round gut- ters with RHEINZINK hangers, outlets, and expansion joints. “It’s a beautiful system and complements the scale of the roof,” Kellogg said. On several small dor- mers, five-inch gutters were used. Further facilitating moisture drainage from the vented space, the roof panel should have a soft bend past the drip edge (cleat). This open hook promotes water drainage from the end pocket formed by the panel hook. Zinc profile end folds also should be “soft” with the raw zinc edge parallel to the ground and not closed tight. Final instructions should be con- firmed by a licensed engineer. Resounding results Along with the new zinc roof, the final phase of Christ Church Cathedral’s renovation included the addition of a highly anticipated bell spire set atop the existing elevator core. The open glass and steel struc- ture housing four custom-cast bronze bells was the last significant architectural addition to the project. The bells were cast in France and the bell spire glass features a design by Canadian artist Sarah Hall. The bells ring at the beginning and end of the workday, on Sundays, for weddings and funerals, and to mark special celebrations in Vancouver’s civic, interfaith, and multicultural community. “Completion of the project protects the heritage of this historic and much-loved church,” said Peter Elliott, Dean and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral. Richard Strickland is a RHEINZINK Regional Sales Manag- er for Canada. Strickland has extensive hands-on knowl- edge of the metal building’s industry. Contact him at rich- ard.strickland@rheinzink.com. Peter Gatto has been part of the Agway Metals Inc. team since 2002. Since 2004, Gatto has been responsible for the company’s zinc prod- ucts, including working closely with RHEINZINK America, Inc. Contact him at pgatto@agwaymetals.com. continued from page 34continued from page 35 INDEX TO ADVERTISERSNext >