- Author
- Persily, A. K.
- Title
- Technics Envelope Design Guidelines for Federal Office Buildings.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Journal
- P/A Progressive Architecture, 39-45, March 1992
- Keywords
- office buildings | building design | thermal performance | weather effects | building construction | concretes | bricks | curtain walls | insulation | penetration | roofs | walls
- Abstract
- Office building envelopes are generally successful in meeting structural, aesthetic, and thermal requirements. However, shortcomings in thermal performance do occur and affect energy consumption, the durability of envelope materials, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality. One study of eight Federal office buildings specifically designed to meet energy performance standards employes thermal envelope diagnostic techniqes to identify specific thermal envelope defects and to quantify their impact on thermal performance. These defects included missing and misinstalled insulation, thermal bridges, and inadequate air barrier systems or no air barrier at all. Such defects are caused by designs that do not adequately account for heat, air, and mositure transmission, are difficult to construct, do not have sufficient durability to perform for a reasonable length of time, or cannot withstand wind pressures or differential movements of adjoining elements. Other thermal defects are caused by poor construction technique.