Vancouver Luncheon: Evaluating Real ‘R’ Values of Exterior Insulated Wall Assemblies

Patrick Roppel , P.Eng. is a building science engineer and project manager with Morrison Hershfield in the Vancouver office. Patrick specializes in the analysis of building envelope performance through research and heat-air-moisture modeling.

Thermal performance of the building envelope has not been a high priority in the past in our temperate climate; however the requirements of sustainability programs such as LEED, energy codes such as ASHRAE 90.1 and new regulations are leading architects to ask for building envelope systems that provide high levels of thermal resistance.

Morrison Hershfield has begun to catalogue the effective thermal resistance of some typical building envelope assemblies used in high-rise residential buildings. They have evaluated the impact of slab edge detailing and a variety of secondary structural elements needed to support the cladding. This session will present work that they have completed and briefly discuss a current project where a catalogue of thermal performance values for building envelope details for mid- and high-rise buildings using time-transient dynamic 3D heat transfer software will be produced.

Seminar Presentation:

EVALUATING REAL ‘R’ VALUES OF EXTERIOR INSULATED WALL ASSEMBLIES

Patrick Roppel Morrison Hershfield Limited

Jan 2009