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.
Thermal bridging can significantly impact whole building energy use, condensation risk, and occupant comfort. This presentation contains an overview of the various types of thermal bridges and their impacts and a discussion of repetitive metal penetrations for cladding and component attachments.
This article documents the development of a rational and quantitative wall bracing analysis approach for resisting wind loads. The efforts have led to new wall bracing provisions in the 2009 IRC for wind.
In this article, the derivation of the IRC wall bracing provisions is documented and discussed in view of the technical research, engineering analyses, and judgments they embody.
This presentation addresses two practices with proven ability to improve water penetration resistance of fenestration product installation: Sill pans and flashing for rough opening drainage, and air-sealing of the interior side of the rough opening gap.
Newer homes, materials and code requirements have changed the way “invisible” water (water vapor) must be managed to avoid it becoming visible in unwanted ways. Water vapor control is one of the trickiest and riskiest areas of building and energy code compliance. The old “rules of thumb” are no longer reliable or universal. This program, originally presented at IBS 2017, provides actionable prescriptive guidelines for integrated insulation and vapor control strategies.
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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.