Engaging and Interactive Program Set for Building Innovation 2017

Following its first-ever call for abstracts for its Building Innovation Conference Series, the National Institute of Building Sciences has developed a program schedule to engage the entire building community and foster collaboration during Building Innovation 2017: The National Institute of Building Sciences Fifth Annual Conference & Expo, to be held January 9-12, 2017, at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C. 

This was the first time the Institute had issued an open call for presenters to Building Innovation and the response was higher than expected, with more than 150 abstracts received. After a review and selection process that included feedback from across the Institute’s program areas, the Building Innovation 2017 Planning Team came up with a schedule that supports the theme of the event—Collaborating for a High-Performance Future—and the goals of the Institute, while providing an exciting, balanced, interactive and educational event. The program is designed to allow attendees the opportunity to select topics covered in individual sessions that are best suited for their interest and custom tailor their Conference education to get the most out of Building Innovation 2017. View the preliminary schedule of events.

Building Innovation 2017: New Advertising Opportunity Available

Stand above the crowd and present your organization’s message in a unique way during Building Innovation 2017: The National Institute of Building Sciences Fifth Annual Conference and Expo. The Conference location at the five-star Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C. features 11-foot pillars strategically located on the Conference level in the Pre-Function area between the Conference Registration Desk and the Exhibit Hall. The opportunity to wrap one of only six pillars, sized 35.5” wide x 26” deep x 11’ tall, with your custom advertising cling is now available. Take a giant stance with your message and have it seen by the entire diverse audience of building industry professionals during the full four days of the Conference. Attract attention before the Exhibit Hall opens and stick around for the last day. Claim your column today for only $2,500. This does not include the cost of the wrap available in full, 2/3 and 1/2 column sizes. The Mandarin Oriental recommends two vendors for creating your one-of-a-kind column cling. Find out more.

Putting the Focus on Designing for Low Vision

Low Vision Design Committee members Greg Guarnaccia of Double Edge Design, Baltimore, (left) and Greg Knoop of Delta EALS, Washington, DC, answer questions after their presentation of “Designing Supportive Environments for People with Low Vision” at the AIA Washington, DC Chapter’s annual DesignDC Conference on August 24.

August OSCC Webinar Gets the Most Out of Off-Site Construction

Institute Participates in White House Forum on
Smart Finance for Disaster Resilience
Discussion Focuses on Incentivization

Representatives from the breakout discussion groups present their summarized findings to the rest of the participants during the White House Forum on Smart Finance for Disaster Resilience. Among them were Multihazard Mitigation Council (MMC) Chair Kevin Mickey (left) and MMC Immediate Past-Chair Neil Blais (second from left).

The White House Council on Environmental Quality hosted a forum August 3 on innovative insurance, mortgage, tax and finance-based strategies to support pre-disaster mitigation and community resilience. The White House Forum on Smart Finance for Disaster Resilience brought together White House and Administration officials; representatives from federal, state and local government; mortgage and insurance representatives; codes and standards developers; and others interested in promoting mitigation. Among those participating were representatives from the National Institute of Building Sciences.

The purpose of the event was to highlight new investment approaches and incentive programs that are currently being deployed in communities, and to explore partnerships and opportunities to leverage additional resources in the future. These new approaches, which  reflect many of the concepts covered in the white paper, Developing Pre-Disaster Resilience Based on Public and Private Incentivization, developed by the Institute’s Multihazard Mitigation Council (MMC) and Council on Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (CFIRE), include: tax credits, insurance premium reductions, resilience bonds, mortgage rate incentives and layered incentive approaches.

Learn more about the Institute’s participation. Watch the video feed from the White House Forum on Smart Finance for Disaster Resilience.

Institute’s Newest Staff Member Published in ACI Structural Journal

JiQiu (JQ) Yuan, PhD, PE, the newest addition to the Institute’s staff and Project Manager for the Building Seismic Safety Council and Multihazard Mitigation Council, has had a technical paper published in the American Concrete Institute (ACI) periodical, ACI Structural Journal. The work, which was co-written with his former colleagues at the University of Kansas, evaluates the effect of laminar cracks on the lap-splice strength of reinforcing bars. This study, funded by First Energy Nuclear Operating Corporation, was of critical interest to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) because cracks had formed in the Shield Building at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Facility in Ohio. In the paper, Dr. Yuan and his colleagues demonstrate that the presence of the laminar cracks do not compromise the strength of the structure below its design basis. Based on these and other researchers’ findings, the NRC approved continued operation of the plant. View the abstract.

BSSC Committees Convene in California
Work on Updates to the Codes, Project 17, NEHRP Provisions

Fifty-seven members and guests of the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) gathered in three specialized project meetings in Burlingame, California on July 15, 18 and 19 to advance the Council’s efforts to resolve national earthquake safety issues. The first meeting was the province of the Code Resource Support Committee (CRSC), which, under the direction of Chair Steven Winkel, FAIA, reviewed the status of a number of public comments on proposed code changes for the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) development cycle.

The committee for Project 17, Development of Next-Generation Seismic Design Maps, convened on July 18 to discuss visions, goals and schedules. Chair Ron Hamburger directed an open discussion based on reports from the four Project 17 work groups on advancing precision, acceptability, simplicity and usability in the new seismic design maps to be developed by United States Geological Survey (USGS). A fifth work group was formed during the meeting. On July 19, David R. Bonneville, chair of the BSSC, Provisions Update Committee (PUC) for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) 2020 Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, facilitated finalizing the membership and scopes of work for the PUC’s nine Issue Teams that will develop proposals for balloting to create the 2020 edition. Presentations on Risk Targeted Liquefaction PGA Maps, and updates on development of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)/Structural Engineering Institute (SEI)’s ASCE 7-16 Minimum Design Loads For Buildings and Other Structures; Applied Technology Corporation (ATC); Project 17; and Multi-Period Spectra rounded out the program.

The next Project 17 and PUC meetings are planned for November 29 and November 30, 2016, respectively, in Burlingame. Learn more about BSSC and the NEHRP Provisions.

Popular Workshop Adds December Date
Find Out What to Do When Building Control Systems Get Hacked

A December date has been added for this new popular workshop that answers the question of what to do when building control systems have been hacked or taken over by ransomware. Sponsored by the National Institute of Building Sciences, this workshop is intended for building owners, facility managers, engineering, physical security, information assurance and other professionals involved with the design, deployment and operation of building control systems. The “Your Building Control Systems Have Been Hacked, Now What? Workshop,” will be held Tuesday, October 4, in Arlington, Virginia, and again on Tuesday, December 6, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Each workshop will provide a combination of classroom learning modules and hands-on laboratory exercises to help attendees learn how to detect, contain, eradicate and recover from a cyber event.

The workshop, taught by Michael Chipley, PhD, GICSP, PMP, LEED AP; Daryl Haegley, OCP, CCO; and Eric Nickel RCDD, CEH, CEP, is built around the Advanced Control System Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) developed by the U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), which provide detailed step-by-step guidance to respond to a cyber attack. Seats are limited to 20 per workshop. Register to attend the October or December workshop for only $300.

August BSSC Webinar Now Available Online

Seismic isolation is perhaps the most effective method available for protecting structures from earthquake damage. The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) 2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for Buildings and Other Structures contain updated requirements for the design and testing of seismic isolation systems and the design of isolated superstructures. Earlier this month, the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) hosted a webinar on the topic. During his presentation, Andrew W. Taylor, PhD, SE, FACI, introduced seismic isolation theory and systems, reviewed the seismic isolation design process and emphasized the revised requirements in the 2015 Provisions. He presented a design example and closed the webinar with a discussion of the properties of seismic isolation systems, including the variability of properties and seismic isolation testing requirements. View Taylor's presentation.

DOE, EPA Survey Looks at Energy, Water Use in Sports Venues
Input Wanted from Stadium and Arena Operators and Managers

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Green Sports Alliance and National Institute of Building Sciences launched a survey this week to get the input of sports venue owners and operators about their facilities’ energy and water usage. The purpose of this ground-breaking initiative is to identify opportunities to reduce energy and water use, save money and lead the way towards the possible development of a new ENERGY STAR® score and certification for stadiums and arenas.

For more than 20 years, EPA’s ENERGY STAR® program has helped consumers and building owners identify top-performing products and buildings, thus driving improvements in energy and water use in residential and commercial facilities. Now, stadium and arena owners and operators are working with the EPA to create an ENERGY STAR® score that would allow them to see how well their venues compare against their peers when it comes to energy and water use. Those that score high may receive ENERGY STAR® certification from the EPA and earn recognition for outstanding environmental leadership. But, to develop a certification, the EPA needs the assistance of sports venue operators throughout the United States and Canada to provide anonymous energy and water data on their stadiums and arenas.

Recognize Excellence: Nominate a Project for a Beyond Green™ Award

Now is the time to spotlight the newest buildings, initiatives and innovations that are shaping, informing and catalyzing the high-performance planning, design, construction and operations processes.  The Beyond Green™ Awards are a great way to recognize those projects and activities that contribute to making high-performing, resilient buildings and communities. The National Institute of Building Sciences Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) has issued the Call for Entries for its 2016 Beyond Green™ High-Performance Building and Community Awards.

The deadline to apply for the 2016 Beyond Green™ Awards is Monday, October 31, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. EST. Take this opportunity to recognize a deserving high-performance project. Read the release. Submit an entry.

Register Now for Buildings XIII Conference

The thirteenth International Conference on Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings will be held on December 4-8, 2016, at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The The Buildings XIII Conference is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Institute of Building Sciences Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC) and ASHRAE, and organized by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Buildings XIII will be presented in two concurrent tracks:

• Principles – Devoted to Research
• Practices – Focusing on Practical Applications and Case Studies.

Specific topic workshops will also be presented during the conference.

The “Buildings Conference” takes place every three years, alternating years with the Institute’s BEST Conference and the Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology. Registration information is available on the conference website.

Alliance to Participate in BIMStorm: Data Independence

The National Institute of Building Sciences buildingSMART alliance® and its Thought Leadership Subcommittee will participate in BIMStorm: Data Independence, being held from August to October 2016, to expand the challenge beyond the planning and preliminary design of a facility. During BIMStorm, participants will explore how a facility’s full life cycle can be supported through better access to information. This new generation of tools and processes allows for rapid collaborations between many subject matter experts in the building industry.