Speaker: Martha G. VanGeem, PE
ASHRAE Standing Standard Project Committee 90.1 — which is responsible for continuous maintenance of ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, Energy of Buildings except Low-Rise Residential Buildings — is releasing addendum av on mitigating thermal bridges for public review. This proposed addition to the standard will change how almost every building will be built, impacting all U.S. states except seven (LA, MS, AL, GA, SC, FL, and Hawaii). Addendum av restricts how concrete, steel, and wood components — such as floor slabs, shelf angles, balconies, overhangs, fins, parapets, exposed columns, projections, and penetrations — can be detailed and built. This will also affect the amount of insulation in walls and roofs.
Mitigating thermal bridges is a known methodology of saving energy. There is concern with this specific addendum, however, because this 28-page public review draft is complicated and these provisions have not been tried on any real projects in any U.S. jurisdiction. Because ASHRAE 90.1 serves as the basis for minimum energy savings required by federal law for all states, and a compliance path for the International Energy Conservation Code, it is important to ensure the provisions are technically sound, practical, and cost effective before incorporation into the code. ASHRAE 90.1 serves as the basis for minimum energy savings required by federal law for all states, and a compliance path for the International Energy Conservation Code.
Input is needed from practicing engineers, architects, and contractors during the public review to ensure that these requirements are technically sound, practical, and cost effective. The public review period on addendum av is scheduled for Aug. 3 through Sept. 17. Instructions for submitting comments are available at https://www.ashrae.org/PCToolkit/OCD. Membership in ASHRAE is not required; an ASHRAE account can be created when logging in. Comments are welcome on the addendum as a whole, specific sections, or specific wording.
Learning Objectives
After participating in this session, the learner will be able to:
- Identify the climate zones or areas of the United States and Canada where the criteria would apply.
- Identify the main construction element at the roof/wall intersection that is a thermal bridge of concern and how it would comply with the criteria.
- Identify the ways that balconies and shelf angles would comply with the criteria.
Handouts and registration emails for this session will be sent to SE University companies on Friday, August 17th.
