The importance of selecting an appropriate weather-resistive barrier (WRB), given project-specific conditions such as substrate types and anticipated in-service environmental conditions, has been emphasized in several past Failures articles by these authors.
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In our work as forensic architects and engineers, we are regularly involved in litigation over stucco failures, including hotels and high-rise condo complexes. (For this article, ‘stucco’ refers to traditional portland cement plaster direct-applied to a masonry substrate, rather than using lath.)
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The benefits of maintaining continuity and proper integration between varying components of the exterior building envelope are becoming better understood.
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When detailing a typical punched window opening surrounded by cavity wall construction, head and sill flashing manage bulk water within the cavity.
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Even within buildings experiencing recurring moisture-related issues, visible surfaces of interior finishes do not always provide an accurate indication of the underlying conditions within the exterior wall assembly.
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Natural ventilation has typically been the means of providing fresh air for occupants. Operable windows and doors allow occupants to control the amount of air that enters and leaves a building, or individual spaces.
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In stone veneer construction, the panels’ lateral support is typically provided by anchors connecting the stone veneer to a backup structure. Some lateral support anchors project from their attachment at the building structure, and are engaged within a slot or kerf cut into the stone thickness.
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With any façade repair, trials are key to refining approaches and protocols, and to assessing the effectiveness and appearance of the work to be done.
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Many building components (including the structure itself) are required to accommodate in-service dimensional changes associated with thermal and moisture variations, as well as reversible and irreversible movements created by other types of structural and environmental loadings.
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Galvanizing is one of the best ways to protect steel, but the complex series of reactions necessary to prevent corrosion can be undermined by exposure. When hot-dipped galvanized steel is first exposed to the atmosphere, near-pure zinc at the surface reacts with oxygen to form zinc oxide.
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