The building envelope includes the foundation, walls, roof, glazing, and doors and acts as a barrier between the interior and exterior environments. It has three main functions: support, control, and finish. The foundation supports the building and controls moisture transfer through waterproofing and drainage. Wall assemblies contain exterior cladding, sheathing, insulation, and vapor barriers to support the structure and control air and moisture flow. Roofing systems use shingles, sheathing, and insulation to keep weather out. Glazing refers to glass panels in windows and doors that admit light. Doors are also part of the envelope and need good seals to maintain efficiency.
The building envelope includes the foundation, walls, roof, glazing, and doors and acts as a barrier between the interior and exterior environments. It has three main functions: support, control, and finish. The foundation supports the building and controls moisture transfer through waterproofing and drainage. Wall assemblies contain exterior cladding, sheathing, insulation, and vapor barriers to support the structure and control air and moisture flow. Roofing systems use shingles, sheathing, and insulation to keep weather out. Glazing refers to glass panels in windows and doors that admit light. Doors are also part of the envelope and need good seals to maintain efficiency.
The building envelope includes the foundation, walls, roof, glazing, and doors and acts as a barrier between the interior and exterior environments. It has three main functions: support, control, and finish. The foundation supports the building and controls moisture transfer through waterproofing and drainage. Wall assemblies contain exterior cladding, sheathing, insulation, and vapor barriers to support the structure and control air and moisture flow. Roofing systems use shingles, sheathing, and insulation to keep weather out. Glazing refers to glass panels in windows and doors that admit light. Doors are also part of the envelope and need good seals to maintain efficiency.
The building envelope includes the foundation, walls, roof, glazing, and doors and acts as a barrier between the interior and exterior environments. It has three main functions: support, control, and finish. The foundation supports the building and controls moisture transfer through waterproofing and drainage. Wall assemblies contain exterior cladding, sheathing, insulation, and vapor barriers to support the structure and control air and moisture flow. Roofing systems use shingles, sheathing, and insulation to keep weather out. Glazing refers to glass panels in windows and doors that admit light. Doors are also part of the envelope and need good seals to maintain efficiency.
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1/ 3
Building Envelope System and Assemblies
1) What is building envelope? (10 pts.)
The building envelope is the physical barrier between the exterior and interior environments enclosing a structure. Generally, the building envelope is comprised of a series of components and systems that protect the interior space from the effects of the environment like precipitation, wind, temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet radiation. The internal environment is comprised of the occupants, furnishings, building materials, lighting, machinery, equipment, and the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system.
2) What are the three (3) categories of the building envelope function? Give details. (15 pts.) Support: to ensure strength and rigidity; providing structural support against internal and external loads and forces. Control: to control the exchange of water, air, condensation and heat between the interior and exterior of the building. Finish: this is for aesthetic purposes. To make the building look attractive while still performing support and control functions. 3) What comprises building envelope physical components? Give details each. (25 pts.) The building envelope includes the materials that comprise the foundation, wall assembly, roofing systems, glazing, doors, and any other penetrations. The connections and compatibility between these elements is critical to ensure that the building envelope functions as intended
Foundation
The foundation is the structural component that transmits the loads from the building to the underlying substrate. Typically, some combination of reinforced concrete walls, slabs, and footings constitute the structural components of the foundation. However, the foundation must also be designed to control the transfer of moisture and thermal energy into the interior space.
The transfer of thermal energy through the foundation can be controlled by providing insulation between the interior and exterior environments; however, in some cases the foundation insulation is neglected to reduce construction costs.[5]
Waterproofing the foundation is typically completed by applying a liquid applied
asphaltic, damproofing. Additional waterproofing products such as sheet-applied membranes, liquid membranes, cementitious waterproofing, and built-up systems are also viable options. Drainage around the perimeter of the foundation must be provided to prevent long- term underwater submersion of the waterproofing membrane. One example of a perimeter foundation drain is weeping tile placed in trench complete with gravel ballast backfill, also known as a french drain. In some cases, a sump pit and pump system will be required in addition to the perimeter drain.
Wall assembly
The wall assembly consists of a system of components that fulfill the support, control, and finish function of the building envelope. While the precise placement and configuration of each component may vary between climates and individual buildings, the following components are typically found in the wall assembly (from exterior to interior). Exterior cladding Exterior sheathing membrane Exterior sheathing Insulation Structural components Vapour barrier Interior sheathing
Roofing system
The roofing system is an important part of any house, as it keeps weather out. It consists of shingles on the outside, which are on top of tar sheeting as a vapor barrier. Inside of the tar paper is wood sheathing. Beyond this, the attic areas in most houses are insulated with fiberglass spray insulation. It tends to be fluffy, pink fiberglass. Inhaling fiberglass is extremely bad for a person's respiratory system, so it is important to wear a mask if this insulation type is in one's roofing system.
Glazing
Glazing refers to the panels in windows, doors and skylights - usually glass - that let light through.
Door Doors are included in the housing envelope as they tend to be the biggest holes in the envelope. Having outer doors that seal well drastically improves the thermal efficiency of a house.
