Water Management in Commercial Window Systems Ritz-Carlton Hotel St. Louis, MO
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Course Learning Objectives At the end of this course you will be able to: Discuss the ways water penetrates a building envelope. Explain the basic concepts of water leakage. Describe good practices for preventing water leakage. Explain how the basic principles of protecting walls against water leakage also apply to windows. Describe how various wall types – punched, ribbon and window walls – can be detailed to minimize water leakage. Discuss various strategies for ensuring that specified performance is achieved.
Water Management in Commercial Window Systems Module 1 Why talk about this? How does water penetrate the building envelope? Ritz-Carlton Hotel St. Louis, MO
Why talk about this? DPIC Study –3700 claims –Top reasons for lawsuits against architects Roof problems (10%) Wall problems (9%) HVAC (7%) Floors (6%) Source: Architectural Record, August 2000 Percentage of Lawsuits due to Building Envelope Failure
Purposes of Installation Systems What purposes should a window installation system fulfill? Purvine Hall Oregon Institute of Technology
Purposes of Installation Systems Secure attachment Limit air & water infiltration Limit structural deflection Allow for expansion & contraction Purvine Hall Oregon Institute of Technology
Principles of Water Leakage What three conditions must exist simultaneously in order for walls to leak? Speculative Office Building Chicago, IL
Principles of Water Leakage Rain water is on the wall Openings exist thru which water can pass Forces are present to drive or draw the water inward Outdoor Test Facility South Florida
Preventing Water Leakage What are some design principles you use to minimize water leakage in the buildings you design? Buckner Wellness Center Marshall, MO
Preventing Water Leakage Barrier wall –thin wall system –relies on a perfect seal –intended performance is seldom obtained –seal affected by man & nature –reliance on single seal major cause of water leakage
Preventing Water Leakage Cavity wall –exterior wall & back-up wall –2 lines of defense against water infiltration –interior seal protected from the elements –eliminate pressure differential
Preventing Water Leakage Rain Screen Principle –Goal is to eliminate pressure differential –Essential elements exterior rain screen interior barrier which prevents passage of air & vapor, protected from water confined air space, open to outdoors, drained to outside Air Space Air/Vapor Seal Rain Screen
Preventing Water Leakage Examples of Rain Screen principle in practice –Brick cavity wall –Aluminum curtain wall –Casement design Casement Rain Screen Air Space Air / Vapor Seal