Design and Installation Considerations for Effective Air Barriers  

Air barriers for exterior wall cladding systems are commonly multi-purpose, also providing weather-resistive and/or vapor-retarder functions. Successful performance requires designers and installers to recognize the intended purpose of the air barrier for individual structures, design and installation challenges, and common failure mechanisms. This webinar will present an introduction on the various types of air barriers and will discuss common failure mechanisms of air barriers in exterior walls, as well as the considerations designers, specifiers and installers should be aware of. Lessons learned from new construction challenges, failure investigation and repairs will be used to explore design and construction considerations.

Photo courtesy of TYPAR

Amrish Patel joined Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH) in 2006. He has experience investigating, rehabilitating and designing many building enclosure systems, and specializes in roofing and waterproofing. He has designed and reviewed new building enclosure systems and has significant experience in the field monitoring new construction and repairs, and investigating failures of building enclosures. Amrish’s experience includes residential, commercial and institutional buildings; parking structures; plazas; schools; hospitals; and many other structures in both public and private sectors.