Current Issue

Cover:

With a five-storey atrium for daylighting and a thermal insulation envelope, the Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building at Halifax's Dalhousie University is a lesson in environmental design. As part of its green construction, the building features aluminum composite panels. Although not a typical 'precious' metal, aluminum offers various benefits like radiant heat reflectivity that help it outshine many of its metal counterparts.

Features
  • 8 Building with Precious Metals

    Jane Swayze and Scott Ringler

    Precious metals are not simply for jewellery—they also impart qualities for buildings.

  • 16 Don't Forget Your ABCs

    Tony Woods

    There is little point in specifying the ‘perfect’ continuous air barrier if it is installed incorrectly.

  • 26 Discussing Durability: Air barriers, durability, and sustainability

    Tom Harris

    Energy-efficient buildings need to last, and enduring design begins with the envelope.

  • 34 Tough as Glass: Longer-lasting barrier walls with GFRP rebar

    Benjamin Jütte and Christian Witt

    A new generation of glass-fibre-reinforced polymer rebar offers improved properties for bridges.

  • 42 Post-tensioning Concrete: Handling stress onsite

    Guy Cloutier

    Although PT has long been used in infrastructure, its benefits are now being recognized in buildings.

  • 48 The Glazing Conundrum

    Ashley Stowkowy, EIT, LEED AP, and Albert Bicol, P.Eng., LEED AP

    The delicate balance between daylighting and heat transmission is both an art and a science.

  • 54 Testing Bricks, Bullets, and Balls

    Malcolm Sissons

    When it comes to exterior cladding and impact resistance, materials are far from equal.

  • 62 Understanding Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

    David Sovinski

    Also referred to as 'aircrete,' the unique properties of AAC make it part masonry, part precast.

  • 70 Burning Questions: Sound control, firestops, and fire blocks

    David Quirt, PhD, and Trevor Nightingale, PhD

    A new government guide offers help with projects where life safety and acoustics are paramount.

  • 78 Fire Detection... Now Available in HD

    Lui Tai, P.Eng.

    How has high-definition video changed the world of life safety and monitoring?

  • 86 The Basics of BAS

    Patricia Ann Lanier, CxA, Ralph Criss, DBA, CPCM, C.P.M., and Alan Pride, CxA, CMRP

    Automation systems promise energy efficiency and greater control for our buildings.

  • 92 Flipping the Switch to Savings

    Craig DiLouie

    Combining bi-level systems and occupancy sensors offers more than the sum of its parts.

  • 98 The Necessary Next Steps in Building Green

    Bob Marshall, P. Eng., LEED AP, BDS

    Education in energy and economic essentials is crucial for progression into a more sustainable world.

 
 
CSC News
CSC Ottawa looking for players to tee off
The Ottawa Chapter of CSC has announced their annual golf tournament. Taking place at the Emerald Links Golf and Country Club on July 16, the event is a best ball scramble start with tee-off times beginning at 11:00 am.
Read more...
 
 
Construction Canada Online
Canadian construction expected to alleviate recessionary woes
By 2017, more than 300,000 new skilled workers will be needed to meet demand for construction services, according to the Construction Sector Council.
Read more...
 
CaGBC conference launches new green programs
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has unveiled a new iteration of its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program for the facility operations stage.
Read more...
 
Underwater wood reclaimed for B.C. project
A half-million dollars worth of mahogany, harvested from underwater forests, is being donated for use in the Robert Bateman Centre, a Royal Roads University building to be constructed in Victoria.
Read more...
 
CSA celebrates above-standard achievement
Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has bestowed its John Jenkins Award on Carl R. Wilson, P.Eng., for his almost four decades of extensive contributions to wood product and design standards in Canada, China, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Read more...
 
Quebec colleges cruise concrete canoes into top 10
After three days of intense competition, two Quebec universities shone in a North American concrete canoe competition.
Read more...
 
Upcoming Events

July 28–30
NFPA Americas' Fire and Security Expo
National Fire Protection Association
Miami Beach, Fla.
Miami Beach Convention Center
www.americasfireandsecurity.com

September 10–12
AMCA International Annual Meeting
Air Movement and Control Association
Mont Tremblant, Que.
Fairmont Tremblant
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September 24–25
IIDEX Neocon
Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario
Toronto, Ont.
Direct Energy Centre
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September 24–26
Heritage Canada Foundation Annual Conference
Heritage Canada
Toronto, Ont.
Fairmont Royal York Hotel
www.heritagecanada.org/eng/conference.html