Scientific Research Reports

No.	Research Report	Topic
1601-02	Airspace R-Value The presence of an airspace enclosed within a building envelope assembly is known to contribute to the overall thermal performance of the assembly. But, the actual R-value of an airspace can vary significantly depending on various conditions of use, such as the air-tightness of the assembly of materials enclosing an airspace. This research report reviews current technical knowledge and regulatory requirements to provide guidance for appropriate R-value characterization and limitations of use for airspaces within building assemblies for code compliance.	R-Value
1501-02	Assessment of Moisture Control & Insulation Requirements in Vermont’s Final Draft 2015 Residential Building Energy Standard (RBES) and Handbook Concerns regarding moisture control performance can affect walls of any thickness, with or without the added protection of exterior continuous insulation. One purpose of this Research Report is to present data to evaluate and substantiate an appropriate application of continuous insulation in an R20+5 assembly (e.g., R20 cavity insulation plus R-5 continuous insulation on the exterior).	Cladding Attachments, Vapor Retarder
1410-03	Assessment of Water Vapor Control Methods for Modern Insulated Light-Frame Wall Assemblies A comprehensive assessment of the state-of-the-art of water vapor control for modern, code-compliant, light-frame wall assemblies. The primary goal of this effort is to evaluate and reconcile existing building science knowledge and practices. An important secondary goal is to support the development of practical and comprehensive water vapor control requirements or recommendations that may be used as a basis to reach various audiences and serve multiple purposes, including building industry education and building code development.	Moisture Vapor Transmission, Vapor Retarder
1503-02	Attachment of Exterior Wall Coverings Through Foam Plastic Insulating Sheathing (FPIS) to Wood or Steel Wall Framing Improved energy efficiency is a major focus in building design and construction with the evolution of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Foam plastic insulating sheathing (FPIS) is one of many products used, due to its beneficial thermal performance values, used alone or in combination with conventional sheathing and between the studs insulation.	Cladding Attachments
2312-01	Decarbonization of Buildings: A Review of Climate Science, Policies, Practices, Data, and Recommended Actions for Buildings and Building Materials This “open file” research report was written to provide a comprehensive review of climate science, climate policy, the status of US energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the decarbonization of US buildings. The report discusses the importance of a “total carbon” approach when setting policy or making decisions related to insulation materials, which deliver substantial benefits for energy efficiency and the avoidance of building operational GHG emissions.	Building Decarbonization
1505-10	Engineering Analysis of NFPA 285 Tested Assemblies Code requirements for specific testing are often questioned in the industry. For example, is actual testing required, or is engineering analysis permitted? Engineering analysis would fall under the category of alternative materials due to the fact that many tests are conducted as an assembly, and, therefore, any substitutions of products are labeled as alternative materials.	Fire Testing, NFPA 285
2006-01	Healthy Buildings In this report, we will consider interventions that may be more enduring, proactive, and pre-emptive. During periods of crises they can supplement the interventions mentioned above. At all other times they can provide more “routine” health benefits that are more convenient and less dependent on maintaining social awareness and compliance. These interventions relate to controlling the environment where we spend most of our lives: indoors.	Air Barrier, Moisture Control, Thermal Bridging, Water Resistive Barrier
2104-01	Installation and Performance of Flanged Fenestration Units Mounted on Walls with Foam Plastic Insulating Sheathing This report assesses construction practices, codes, standards, and performance test data related to the installation of flanged fenestration units on walls wth foam plastic insulating sheathing (FPIS) serving as continuous insulation (ci).	Window Installation
1601-01	IRC Wall Bracing: A Guide for Builders, Designers and Plan Reviewers This guide provides designers, code officials and builders a basic understanding of how to apply the IRC bracing provisions for code-compliant dwellings and how the IRC bracing provisions can be used to create maximum value in a diverse housing market.	Bracing
1701-01	Model Moisture Control Guidelines for Light-Frame Walls: A Building Code Supplement for Builders, Designers, and Building Officials This Research Report provides actionable guidelines to effectively consider, evaluate, and manage the balance of wetting and drying potential in common above-grade, light-frame wall assemblies in a broad range of climate conditions. This objective involves the appropriate use and integration of a wide variety of light-frame wall construction methods and materials including various cladding types, water-resistive barrier types, insulation types, and vapor retarder types or classes.	Moisture Control
1703-09	Protection of Wood-Frame Homes from Subterranean Termites: Evaluation of Building Code Provisions and Recommended Improvements In recent years, concerns with the use of foam sheathing and termite protection have seen heightened interest. To properly quantify the impact of foam sheathing products in above-grade or below-grade applications relative to the common risk of termite infestation for all homes, this Research Report evaluates data on termite hazard, infestation risk, inspection effectiveness, presence of hidden pathways in various types of construction, and building code provisions intended to mitigate risk of termite infestation.	Termite Protection
1510-03	Repetitive Metal Penetrations in Building Thermal Envelope Assemblies The focus of this report is on uniformly distributed point thermal bridges. The main goal is to provide data to help better understand the implications and support an equitable, performance-based treatment of such thermal bridges for common building assembly conditions and variations.	Thermal Bridging
1504-03	Water-Resistive Barriers: Assuring Consistent Assembly Water-Penetration Resistance Water-resistive barriers (weather-resistant sheathing paper) (WRB) have been required by the model building codes for many years and have been required by the International Code Council model codes since their inception in 2000. The purpose of this report is to summarize the requirements found in the various standards and evaluation agency criteria, evaluate relevant and available test data, and provide a recommendation for the fair treatment of all products based on one performance-based benchmark for water-penetration resistance of WRB assemblies.	Water Resistive Barrier

Other Reports

Research Report	Topic
American Petroleum Institute Fireproofing Practice in Petroleum and Petrochemical Processing Plants Design, location, spacing, and drainage are import in minimizing equipment involvement in a fire but additional protective measures may still be necessary. One protective measure is to improve the capacity of equipment and its support structure to maintain their structural integrity during a fire. Fireproofing achieves this with passive protection (PFP) in contrast to fixed water spray systems, monitors, or portable hose lines, which provide active protection. One example of passive fire protection is concrete.	Fireproofing
DOE Cladding Attachment Over Thick Exterior Insulating Sheathing The addition of insulation to the exterior of buildings is an effective means of increasing the thermal resistance of both wood framed walls as well as mass masonry wall assemblies. For thick layers of exterior insulation (levels > 1.5 in.), the use of wood furring strips attached through the insulation back to the structure has been used by many contractors and designers as a means to provide a convenient cladding attachment location.	Cladding Attachments, Continuous Insulation
DOE Initial and Long-Term Movement of Cladding Installed Over Exterior Rigid Insulation Changes in the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) from 2009 to 2012 have resulted in an increase in minimum insulation levels required for residential buildings. Not only are the levels increased, but the use of exterior rigid insulation has become part of the prescriptive code requirements. With more jurisdictions adopting the 2012 IECC, builders will be required to incorporate exterior insulation in the construction of their exterior wall assemblies.	Cladding Attachments, Continuous Insulation
General Dowel Equations for Calculating Lateral Connection Values The yield limit equations specified in the National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction for bolt, lag screw, wood screw, nail, spike and drift pin connections represent a mechanics-based approach for connection design. This approach, which was incorporated in the 1991 NDS, permits the designer to determine effects of member thickness, member strength, fastener size, and fastener strength on lateral connection values for the majority of connections found in wood construction.	Bracing, Cladding Attachments
Global Asset Protection Services Fireproofing for Hydrocarbon Fire Exposures A hydrocarbon fire inflicts initial damage by directly heating metal beyond its limits and destroying the equipment or building. One way to mitigate this damage is to install fireproofing of structural steel. Conventional concrete, lightweight concrete and brick give a satisfactory degree of protection to metal assemblies for a period of time. The standard time-temperature curve is defined in ASTM E-119 and represents a wood fire that does not reach 3400°F (1870°C) for 4 hrs.	Fireproofing
Guidance on Taped Insulating Sheathing Drainage Planes This guide provides information and recommendations to the following groups: insulation contractors; general contractors; builders; home remodelers; mechanical contractors; and homeowners, as a guide to the work that needs to be done. The order of work completed during home construction and retrofit improvements is important. Health and safety issues must be addressed first and are more important than durability issues. And durability issues are more important than saving energy. Not all techniques can apply to all houses. Special conditions will require special action.	Water Resistive Barrier
Installing Windows with Foam Sheathing on a Wood-Frame Wall Residential housing design continues to move toward the development of high-performance sustainable building systems. To be sustainable, a building must not only be efficient and durable but also economically viable. For these reasons, new methods of enclosure design have been examined that provide high thermal performance and long-term durability and also reduce material use (including waste), simplify or integrate systems and details, and potentially reduce overall initial costs of construction.	Fenestration
NYSERDA Fastening Systems for Continuous Insulation When insulating a steel-framed exterior wall in cold climates, it is usually necessary to provide continuous insulation on the exterior of the studs to reduce the effect of thermal bridging. As energy codes continue to become more stringent, the thickness of the continuous installation has increased. The increased insulation thickness, however, introduces several problems for building designers, such as window and door jambs needing to be extended, siding manufacturers’ warranties being voided when more than one inch of continuous insulation is used, and heavier siding products ca	Cladding Attachments, Fenestration
Residential Exterior Wall Superinsulation Retrofit Details and Analysis This paper is from the proceedings of the Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings XI International Conference, December 5-9, 2010 in Clearwater, Florida. The issues of climate change, energy security, and economics are all strong drivers for improving energy efficiency levels in a variety of sectors. In residential construction, although some inroads have been made in new houses, the stock of existing housing represents a huge opportunity for energy retrofits.	Air Barrier, Moisture Control
The Importance of Integrating Flashing and the Water Resistive Barrier in the Exterior Wall Systems of Residential Buildings Building science studies have recognized the importance of the proper installation of flashing and its integration with the water resistive barriers as very important to the success of a wall assembly. The roll of flashing is to direct water away from the opening to the water resistive barrier, which in turn directs the water to the exit point in the wall. The integration of these two elements and the quality of their installation is ultimately important to the success of the wall system. It is equally important to select products, which perform as intended after installation.	Water Resistive Barrier
Thermal Design and Code Compliance for Cold-Formed Steel Walls This guide from the Steel Framing Alliance, updated in 2015, addresses thermal design analysis and code-compliance best practices for cold-formed steel (CFS) framed walls.	R-Value, Steel Framing, Thermal Bridging
Window Installation Details for Effective Sealing Practice An effective and durable window installation demands good airtightness and proper water management. This Report explains how the degree of airtightness and the location of the plane of airtightness of the wall-window interface affect water entry. It is the second in a series of Updates presenting results from studies of window installation details.	Fenestration, Moisture Control
Window Sill Details for Effective Drainage of Water Satisfactory window performance demands a good product and proper installation. This Report presents results from a recent study of sill installation details for the effective drainage of inadvertent water entry at the wall-window interface.	Fenestration, Moisture Control