COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Building System Design Activity Manual

ACTIVITY NO. 3: Building Envelope Systems and Assemblies

1.1. Program Outcomes (POs) Addressed by the Activity

a) Ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
b) Ability to communicate effectively

1.2. Activity Intended Learning Outcomes (AILOs)

At the end of the activity, the students shall be able to:
a) Identify the building envelope concept system design
b) Familiarize the air and water tightness of building envelope system design
c) Understand structural adequacy of building envelope

1.3. Aims of the Activity

The aim of this activity is to orient students of the building envelope system design.

1.4. Principle of the Activity

Research on the following topics to familiarize yourself with the background of the
activity: a) Building Envelope Concept Design System
b) Air Tightness of Building Envelope Design System
c) Water Tightness of Building Envelope Design System
d) Structural Adequacy of Building Envelope

1.5. Procedures/Instruction
The activity comprises of the following steps:
1. Applying building envelope design system, redo your design plan.
2. Finalize all design considering water and air tightness and structural adequacy.

1.6. Data and Discussion

1.6.1. Principle of the Activity

A. BUILDING ENVELOPE CONCEPT DESIGN SYSTEM

Introduction
Intended Audience and Subject Matter
The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)–under contract from the Army Corps of
Engineers, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, the US Air Force, the General Services
Administration, the Department of Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency—
has developed this comprehensive federal guide for exterior envelope design and construction
for institutional/office buildings.

The scope covers buildings constructed of steel, reinforced concrete, reinforced masonry and
reinforced concrete masonry units and includes low-rise, mid-rise and high rise buildings. Typical
buildings include administration (office) buildings of all sizes, from a small one-story base
administration building to a twenty-story inner city agency office facility. Other building types
include firehouses and police facilities, courthouses, military residences, many types of
laboratories, various types of education buildings, hospitals, extended care facilities, clinics and
many types of recreational buildings. Special use buildings such as airplane hangers, testing
facilities, and stadiums, single family residences and wood frame structures are not included.
Though specifically intended for Federal Government agency projects, the information in the
guidelines will also be applicable to many privately developed projects—whether of a commercial
or institutional nature—which are essentially similar in use and construction to equivalent
governmental structures. Because the guidelines are intended for use in the design of
governmental structures, the intent is to provide a long-lived structure based on lifecycle costing
since governmental ownership is typical in perpetuity. Thus a high standard of construction and
maintenance is advised to achieve the aims of the agencies involved.

Format

This is the first time a group of Federal agencies has developed a set of guidelines to be used for
the design and construction of their buildings. Its publication and use is meant to assist in the
development of uniform design and construction criteria for the Federal government. Instead of
taking form as a printed document, which would be revised at long intervals, the Guide is made
freely available as a "virtual" information source on the World Wide Web within the Whole Building
Design Guide. It is anticipated that government agencies will devise methods of using
the Guide to create their own "customized" documents to suit their building types, locations and
administrative needs and to further their individual design and construction goals.

Private owners and their designers are free to use the Guide as a resource and can develop their
own customized documents or simply refer their designers to useful sections of the Guide.
The Guide is not a building code and does not attempt to specify mandatory criteria. Instead it
provides design oriented information meant to assist designers in making informed choices of
materials and systems to achieve performance goals in their buildings. The Guide will be a "living"
information source that will continually expand and change. It will be interactive, allowing users
to enhance the content by adding resource papers, reporting on experiences, and helping to
maintain a dialog with Guide management. The details associated with this section of the BEDG
on the WBDG were developed by committee and are intended solely as a means to illustrate
general design and construction concepts only. Appropriate use and application of the concepts
illustrated in these details will vary based on performance considerations and environmental
conditions unique to each project and, therefore, do not represent the final opinion or
recommendation of the author of each section or the committee members responsible for the
development of the WBDG.

Scope

Richard Rush, in his book The Building Systems Integration Handbook, defines a building in terms
of only four systems:

o Structure
o Envelope
o Mechanical
o Interior
In this categorization, "The envelope has to respond both to natural forces and human values.
The natural forces include rain, snow, wind and sun. Human concerns include safety, security,
and task success. The envelope provides protection by enclosure and by balancing internal and
external environmental forces. To achieve protection it allows for careful control of penetrations.
A symbol of the envelope might be a large bubble that would keep the weather out and the interior
climate in."

Dr. Eric Burnett and Dr. John Straube, in a number of writings, have also described the envelope
in terms of performance and function. According to them, the envelope "experiences a variety of
loads, including, but not limited to, structural loads, both static and dynamic, and air, heat and
moisture loads." The enclosure must then support structural loads and control environmental
loads, which include both long-term and short-term loads. The enclosure is also often used to
carry and distribute services within the building. In addition, the envelope (primarily the wall) has
several aesthetic attributes that can be summarized as finishes. (This description of the envelope
is expanded in the wall section of this Guide.) Thus the systems and assemblies of the envelope
are one of the four main building systems both in terms of their physical existence and in their
contribution to overall building performance.
 For this guide the building envelope also includes the below grade basement walls, foundation
and floor slab (although these are generally considered part of the building's structural system)
so that the envelope includes everything that separates the interior of a building from the outdoor
environment. The connection of all the nonstructural elements to the building structure is also
included. Finally, it is recognized that the exterior envelope plays a major role in determining the
aesthetic quality of the building exterior, in its form color, texture and cultural associations.

The following Building Envelope Systems are covered in separate chapters:

1. Below Grade construction

2. Exterior Walls, both structural (providing support for the building) and nonstructural (supported by
the building structure)
3. Fenestration, both windows and metal/glass curtain walls
4. Roofs, both low- and steep-slope
5. Atria.
This guide demonstrates that the design of the envelope is very complex and many factors have
to be evaluated and balanced to ensure the desired levels of thermal, acoustic and visual comfort
together with safety, accessibility and aesthetic excellence. As can be seen from the list of
functions of the building envelope detailed in the Function and Performance section, the envelope
plays a role in almost every building function, either directly or indirectly in its relationship to other
building systems.
Figure 1 illustrates the envelope systems of a typical building.

Figure 1. The building envelope systems: Left, the 4 systems; Right, a portion of the envelope
showing some of the other systems that integrate with the envelope.

The guidelines for each of these systems are authored by an expert in the subject matter and are
presented in the following uniform format:

 Introduction—An overall description of the system

 Description—The physical elements and properties of the system
 Fundamentals—A discussion of the design objectives to achieve ranges of performance
 Applications—The range of applications for building functions and external conditions
 Details—Generic construction details in CAD format with commentary
 Emerging Issues—A survey of significant current research and development
 Codes and Standards—Code philosophy and limitations and a summary of currently applicable
codes and standards
 Resources—References, major publications, industry and professional associations, and Web
sites

In addition, the following performance issues are examined for each of the envelope systems:

 Thermal performance
 Moisture protection
 Fire safety
 Acoustics
 Daylighting and perimeter visual environment
 System maintainability
 Material durability

Beyond these major performance issues the following more specialized building performance
topics are covered by separate authors in concert with the principal system authors and, where
appropriate, integrated into the main text for each system:

 Seismic safety
 Safety against blast and chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) attack
 Safety against extreme wind
 Safety against flood
 Indoor air quality and mold prevention
 Sustainability and HVAC integration

THE WHOLE BUILDING DESIGN GUIDE

The Building Envelope Design Guide is one of a series of guides in the Whole Building Design
Guide (WBDG) that are intended to assist designers in the integrated design of assemblies and
systems. As such, the Building Envelope Design Guide follows the general format of other guides
in the WBDG and are internally linked to Resource Pages and other levels and sections of the
WBDG.
The Whole Building Design Guide (www.wbdg.org) is an evolving Web-based resource intended
to provide architects, engineers and project managers with design guidance, criteria and
technology for "whole buildings". Accordingly, the WBDG covers the whole range of today's
issues in building design, such as sustainability, accessibility, productivity, and safety—both from
human and natural hazards. The WBDG is constantly augmented with updated and new
information and is structured as a "vertical portal", enabling users to access increasingly specific
information as they navigate deeper into the site.
The concept of the Whole Building Design Guide has been formalized to achieve four main goals:

1. To simplify access to government and non-government criteria and standards information using
a web-based approach so that valuable time is not wasted searching for this documentation.
2. To replace outdated, redundant paper-based criteria documents.
3. To guide managers and A&E firms through a "whole building" approach to building design so
that high performance, longer-lasting buildings are produced.

To provide a brief, up-to-date and informative resource that covers general and specific topics
in an encyclopedic form. However, unlike a traditional encyclopedia, the WBDG enables the user
to build up a private store of relevant information by direct links to other resources available on
the Internet with a few mouse clicks.

Reference: https://www.wbdg.org/guides-specifications/building-envelope-design-guide/building-
envelope-design-guide-introduction?fbclid=IwAR3E7hwaRuVM_SPPUR-L_Hs-
wkgQ4rDwkajLE8tDCUtzVbg4HnxTweAjNdc
B. AIR TIGHTNESS OF BUILDING ENVELOPE DESIGN SYSTEM

Introduction

Energy efficiency is one of the most important issues in the 21st century. Since 1970 the
awareness that energy sources are not unlimited grew. The understanding of this fact makes
people all over the world think about the reduction of energy consumption and search for
alternative sources of energy. In spite of this fact, the world’s energy consumption grew by 2,9%
in 2018. Scientists consider this growth as the highest one since 2010. The growth of energy
consumption entails higher emissions of greenhouse gases. Construction industry and buildings
take approximately 40% of the energy produced in European Union countries and give off about
36% of total direct and indirect CO2 emissions. Almost 75% of all buildings in Europe are not
energy efficient. Renovation of old buildings and making new buildings energy efficient may
significantly decrease energy production for their erection, maintenance and improve global air
quality. Moreover, energy becomes more and more expensive. The reduction of energy
consumption of buildings will shorten their costs and make them more economically and socially
beneficial. According to existing legislation, all new and existing buildings must meet energy
efficiency requirements and should save as much energy as it is possible.
One way of saving energy for heating and ventilation of a building is to make its envelope more
airtight. The airtightness of a building envelope shows how much air infiltrates through the building
envelope uncontrollably. Poor airtightness of the building envelope may increase the amount of
energy needed for heating of the building. It also may cause thermal discomfort of residents and
even moisture damages in the building.

Airtightness of a building envelope

There are many technologies that help to make building more energy efficient and achieve the
desired indoor conditions at the same time. One of them is making the building envelope more
airtight. Airtightness of buildings shows how much outside air comes inside the exact building and
leaves it through leakages in the building envelope. It is not only an indicator of the energy
efficiency of the building but also an indicator of building quality in general. Air leakages increase
heat losses of the building and influence structure’s toughness. They also usually cause
unwanted draughts, increase the concentration of indoor air pollutants, enchain supply ventilation
demand. Uncontrolled air leakage may become a reason of too high or too low moisture content
in the building and may lead to erosion of structure. These facts show the necessity of control of
airtightness of buildings. According to legislation, the amount of leakage air should be reduced to
the required level. Regulations regarding airtightness of buildings are different for different
countries 9 but the strategy is to make structures more airtight and control air exchange through
ventilation.

Determination of airtightness of building envelope

Airtightness of a building envelope may be defined as the opportunity of the building envelope to
inward or outward air leakage through unintentional leakage points or areas. It is a key issue in
the reduction of energy consumption and making a building a low energy one. Air leakage is an
uncontrolled airflow through defect points in the building envelope.

The calculation of the consumption of heat energy for leakage air of spaces of the building is done
according to the airtightness of the building or building unit. The airtightness of the building is
expressed by the air leakage rate figure for the building envelope, q50, m3/ (h·m2). It shows the
average leakage airflow of the building envelope per square unit of the envelope for one hour
when there is a pressure difference between outside and inside area of a building is 50 Pa. The
measurement ways of buildings’ airtightness and determination of air leakage rate of the building
envelope will be described below. According to legislation, if airtightness of a building is proven
by an industrial building construction quality assurance procedure or by measurements the
resulting rate figures for building envelope should be used in heat loss and E-value calculations.
Otherwise, the value of 4 m3/ (h·m2) is taken into account as the air leakage rate figure for the
building envelope.
Before 2012, airtightness of buildings was described by the air leakage value of the building with
a 50 Pa pressure difference between inside and outside space of a building, n50, 1 /h. This value
shows the number of air changes in a building per hour under the created conditions. It is a good
way to describe the airtightness of a building envelope because it is very informative, and it is still
used for this purpose. There is a relation between the air leakage rate of the building envelope,
which is the modern way to describe the airtightness of the building, and the air leakage value of
the building. Equation 1 represents this relation

A building should be airtight enough to provide the correct function of a ventilation system
according to its design. For buildings in which the designed ventilation system includes heat
recovery, airtightness is a crucial factor in the energy performance of the system. In addition,
airtightness of a building envelope has a huge influence on the indoor climate. These facts are
the main reasons why the airtightness of buildings should be measured controlled and taken into
account.
 Measurement of airtightness of a building envelope

The airtightness of building envelope should be measured because it is usually difficult to detect
gaps and cracks in the building fabric only by visual inspection in normal conditions. As the
airtightness of the building envelope has a significant influence on energy efficiency, indoor air
temperature and moisture content it is required that the airtightness of the building envelope
should be measured and documented when a building is taken into use. In this case, a smaller
value than the reference air leakage value may be taken into account in heat loss calculations.

Reference:
https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/334288/Paramonova%20Marina%20Bachelor_s%20Thesi
s.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

C. WATER TIGHTNESS OF BUILDING ENVELOPE DESIGN SYSTEM

What is a Building Envelope?

A building envelope encloses the structure to protect it from damage. Improving a structure’s
envelope includes protecting the building from the elements, assisting in mechanical load support,
and keeping the interior safe from outside forces or hazards. Building envelopes can also provide
an aesthetic appeal with attractive finishes, while maintaining the structure’s interior condition.
One of the most essential functions of a building envelope is to facilitate climate control. Climate-
controlled buildings have air conditioning and heating systems to make interior conditions
comfortable and safe. Building envelopes keep the conditioned air in the building and help to
maintain the internal climate and reduce energy waste, while also controlling ventilation and
airflow.

Tight vs. Loose Building Envelopes

There are two broad descriptors for types of building envelopes: tight and loose envelopes. Tight
building envelopes let very little air leak out of the building they are protecting. The elements are
tightly constructed to exact specifications, so there are few air gaps, drafts, or breaks in the
building envelope’s layers. This shell regulates the air transfer out of the building, forcing air in
and out through the predetermined vents and air conditioning system. These envelopes use
sealants, caulk, and insulation to contain the air along the exterior walls, roofs, and floors. The
benefits of tight building envelopes include: • Lower energy usage and costs. The conditioned air
is purposefully trapped inside the building, so the building does not have to use excess energy to
cool or heat new air. • Less mold and mildew. Almost all of the potential air gaps that would allow
moisture and rain inside of the building are sealed. Due to the envelope’s seal, moisture cannot
accumulate in the building’s systems or wall gaps to breed mold or mildew. • Better maintenance.
The building’s conditions are very tightly controlled, so there is a reduced risk of decay, corrosion,
and damage caused by potential infestations or temperature extremes. This lack of damage
makes equipment and building substrate last longer with less extreme maintenance demands.
Many of these benefits are attributed to tight control over building ventilation and envelope
coating. However, this relies on having multiple, well-functioning mechanical ventilation systems.
These often have additional maintenance and energy requirements. Loose building envelopes
are less precise. The buildings have increased air gaps and uncontrolled points of entry. This
increases the energy demands within the building, since treated air can escape and be replaced
with drafty air or unwanted heat. Loosely protected buildings also face an increased risk of mold
and mildew. While loose building envelopes do have a higher level of natural air transfer and a
corresponding rise in air quality, they can create unpredictable cold or hot spots in the building.
Many buildings have building envelopes with elements of both tight and loose envelope designs.
They may have insulation and sealants to improve climate control, but also have undiscovered
air gaps. Many buildings may also not have enough deliberate ventilation systems to facilitate
good air quality.
Considerations for a Properly Functioning Building Envelope
To have a properly functioning building envelope, the system needs to have these three key
elements:
1. Support A building envelope must keep the building structurally sound. It comprises the
building’s exterior. The building foundation should adequately support the weight of the building
and hold it firmly upright, regardless of the soil composition or environment. The walls must also
be structurally sound, with loading-bearing— or purpose-built—walls providing enough support to
keep the building safe. Almost every building is subject to regulations and building codes that
construction must comply with. These codes set up basic safety requirements and account for
regional concerns, such as hurricanes, tornados, or earthquakes.
2. Climate Control Building envelopes must facilitate climate control. Air conditioning, heating,
and air circulation systems treat the internal air to make it comfortable and safe. The building
envelope ensures the air doesn’t escape and that external, untreated air doesn’t replace it. Each
building envelope should be constructed with the surrounding climate and regional considerations
in mind. For example, a building in the northern United States needs more protection from cold
air than a building in the Southeast, which has to contend with hotter, more humid air.
3. Finish A building envelope provides aesthetic value. Commercial, residential, and industrial
buildings need to maintain certain levels of curb appeal, and the building’s exterior plays a
significant role in that. Using appealing exterior building materials and following popular styles
provides for a high-quality finish. For example, a metal roof helps lock in air, but it also has a
higher-quality appearance than a traditional shingle roof.

Components of a Building Envelope

Each of these considerations for creating and maintaining building envelopes involves several
different components. Most of a building’s exterior elements are part of the total building envelope.
Essential components of a building envelope often include the following:

• Foundation
• Wall assemblies
• Roofing systems
• Doors and doorways
• Other components, such as chimneys, vents, and windows

Challenges, Hazards, and Maintenance of Your Structure

Sometimes building envelopes fail. These failures may be gradual and incomplete, such as
increased air drafts and poor air control. Other times, the building envelope failures can be
immediate, overwhelming, or even dangerous.

Potential Causes of Building Envelope Failure

When building envelopes fail, it is often due to inefficiencies throughout the construction process.
These possible causes of failure include: Poor design. Every building needs a building envelope
designed for its specific regions and needs. Designs that are too generic or don’t address all
criteria may not adequately account for thermal movement, water exposure, and structural
demands. Improper materials. Building envelopes may use several different materials, such as
chemical adhesives, glass, and metal. These materials can fail if they are exposed to moisture
levels, temperatures, and stresses outside of their intended range. Materials may also be
defective due to faults in the manufacturing process. Low-quality workmanship. If the materials
aren’t assembled correctly and according to the building’s design, they won’t perform as intended.
Rushed construction jobs, work sites with poorly trained contractors, and jobs handled by multiple
parties without adequate oversight can accidentally sabotage the integrity of the building envelope
from the start. Building envelopes sometimes fail because of weather conditions and natural
 disasters. Water can damage even tightly constructed building envelopes if the components are
not adequately protected or sealed. Attention to detail throughout building construction can
reduce the risk of these contributing factors. Even if poor design, materials, or craftsmanship isn’t
noticed during the construction process, building owners can still catch early signs of failure with
frequent inspections or improvement projects.

Benefits of Applying a Weather Barrier Coating to a Building’s Envelope

A high-quality weather barrier coating can alleviate many potential building envelope failures and
their effects whether it’s applied to the roof or elsewhere in the building envelope. ThermaCote®
provides a range of benefits that help building envelopes perform at their peak functionality. These
benefits include:
• Efficiency. Building envelopes that incorporate a weather barrier from the start can be designed
to meet regulatory and environmental standards with fewer expenses, materials, and delays.
• Long-lasting protection. ThermaCote® resists weathering and corrosion. The weather barrier
also withstands abrasion damage. Environmental and moisture damage won’t be able to degrade
either the weather barrier or the substrate that it protects.
• Environmentally friendly product design. This product has a water-based formula. It has ultra-
low VOCs and is produced according to best sustainable practices. ThermaCote® is MAS
Certified GreenTM.
• Energy savings. ThermaCote® protects insulation from long- term degradation and moisture-
related damage. This allows the insulation to protect the building and control air transfer better.

D. STRUCTURAL ADEQUACY OF BUILDING ENVELOPE

Considerations for a Properly Functioning Building Envelope

To have a properly functioning building envelope, the system needs to have these three key
elements:

1. Support
A building envelope must keep the building structurally sound. It comprises the building’s exterior.
The building foundation should adequately support the weight of the building and hold it firmly
upright, regardless of the soil composition or environment.

The walls must also be structurally sound, with loading-bearing—or purpose-built—walls

providing enough support to keep the building safe. Almost every building is subject to regulations
and building codes that construction must comply with. These codes set up basic safety
requirements and account for regional concerns, such as hurricanes, tornados, or earthquakes.

2. Climate Control
Building envelopes must facilitate climate control. Air conditioning, heating, and air circulation
systems treat the internal air to make it comfortable and safe. The building envelope ensures the
air doesn’t escape and that external, untreated air doesn’t replace it.

Each building envelope should be constructed with the surrounding climate and regional
considerations in mind. For example, a building in the northern United States needs more
protection from cold air than a building in the Southeast, which has to contend with hotter, more
humid air.

3. Finish
A building envelope provides aesthetic value. Commercial, residential, and industrial buildings
need to maintain certain levels of curb appeal, and the building’s exterior plays a significant role
in that. Using appealing exterior building materials and following popular styles provides for a
high-quality finish. For example, a metal roof helps lock in air, but it also has a higher-quality
appearance than a traditional shingle roof.
1.6.2. Design Attachments/Illustrations (See attached)
Attachment 1: S1.pdf
Attachment 2: S2.pdf
Attachment 3: S3.pdf
Attachment 4: A2.pdf

1.6.3. Observation

The building design plan of the “Proposed Two-Story Residential Building does not have any
building envelope design. Thus, the JRVIE Builders redesign the whole building envelope.

Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

The original design plan of the building did not give a detailed plan for the ventilation of the whole
building. As a result of this our group JRVIE Builders provided a revised design to improve the
Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) of the building

Insulation
In the original plan includes several structural details specifically the wall details but It is not stated
in the plan if an insulation would take place.

Exterior Wall
A wall thickness was provided in the structural plan of the building; however, it is not indicated if
the exterior wall is insulated. Hence, JRVIE Builder redesigned the exterior wall to be insulated.
Insulation would add more comfort to the occupants by reducing the amount of heat escaping
through the walls

Fire Stopping Wall Insulation

As mentioned, the original plan did not provide a detail for insulation. So that JRVIE Builders
decided to make a fire stopping wall to give more safety to occupants. Reduce the
structural fire performance of fire barriers, such as roofs, floors, and walls, it increases their
thermal fire resistance, i.e., their ability to prevent excessive heat penetration through
the fire barrier.

Air Tightness
In the original plan they did not show the details regarding the air tightness of the building. The
air tightness of a house directly affects the efficiency of the insulation installed when undesired
air leakages alter the thermal performance, according to experts in the air tightness industry.
Small air pockets can affect the u-values of wall, roof, or floor insulation, where u-value
calculations are made under the assumption of complete airtightness. A lack of airtightness in a
building envelope can create thermal bridging at junctions between non-insulated and insulated
areas. In essence the most common example used is wearing a wooly jumper on a windy day,
you will not be protected from the wind and air without another layer under or over the jumper.
Insulation will perform as it should with an exterior air tightness barrier protecting from external
wind pressures, and an internal airtight barrier protecting against the hot air penetrating through
causing convection or air movement within the insulation.
 Water proofing
JRVIE Builders redesign the walls of every unit and made it a waterproof, the surface or the
floor of the roof deck was also designed to be waterproof to prevent water linkage on every
floor. JRVIE Builders make the house a waterproof because the inner part of the house is
usually exposed to many unpredictable weather elements like sun rays and rains. This includes
walls, floors, the foundation and even the insulation. How much ever you try to get your walls
sealed by using steel, concrete, etc., during the construction, they do crack and get rusted, and
waterproofing the house protects the walls from creating a seepage.

1.6.4. Conclusion

We conclude that the building envelope has its important role in the maintenance and protection
of the structure and it is the boundary between the interior and exterior of a building. This is the
one who helps the building structure to shield it from damage and, improves the protection of the
building from the elements, supporting mechanical loads, and keeping the interior safe from
outside hazards. Building envelopes may also provide some aesthetic appeal with attractive
finishes while maintaining the structure’s internal condition. The basic elements of a building
envelope are weather, air and thermal barriers that consists its roof, sub floor, water proofing,
doors, windows and the exterior walls. These are the Air tightness, water tightness and Structural
Adequacy.

1.6.5. Documentation