1:20 pm - 2:30 pm | Room: Sinatra | Session Chair: Rachel Smith

Glazing And Glazed Envelopes

Quality In Fenestration Systems: An Alphabet Soup Of Compliance Standards Is Not Enough

The need to demonstrate fiscal responsibility for building projects typically drives owners, construction managers and general contractors to consider cost savings available through the global supply chain.  Global procurement is often relied upon for curtain wall, window wall and other fenestration systems and components.  Although global procurement has its opportunities and risks, the financial advantages can be considerable. 
Ensuring acceptable quality offshore products is not just a matter of writing into a specification a requirement to comply with applicable building codes, standards and industry practice documents.  In terms of global procurement, free-trade agreements requirements may also create limits.  Technical documents contain surprising limitations and omissions so that despite best efforts, a Quality Assurance (QA) plan and Quality Control (QC) program may not achieve the desired quality outcome.  Even if initial product quality samples and production are correct, quality may diminish over time, an effect known as Quality Fade (QF). 
To be fair, QA, QC and QF can be an issue with domestic producers also.  The same latitude in industry practices and standards available to offshore suppliers is, of course, available to domestic suppliers.  So, whether or not fenestration systems are globally or locally procured, the building owners, the design team and the construction team.  should be aware of omissions and limitations of industry practices and standards to avoid unexpected surprises too late in the construction process to make changes.  Well-developed QA plan and QC programs, implemented from design through bidding and into the construction phases can be instrumental to attaining the intended quality level.

Anik Teasdale-St-Hilaire, Morrison Hershfield Ltd.

Anik Teasdale-St-Hilaire is a Façade Specialist and Department Manager of Morrison Hershfield’s Façade Engineering Team.  She has a wide area of building expertise, including design and construction review of new residential, commercial, institutional, recreational and health buildings; building envelope condition assessments; glazing, glazing systems, sealant and roof failure investigations; building envelope rehabilitation projects, and hygrothermal simulations of building envelope assemblies.

Anik has developed an expertise in concept design of glazing systems, which has allowed her to assist project teams in the design of buildings with higher performance requirements, notably thermal performance.  Anik has also developed proficiency in the creation of outline and technical performance specifications for building enclosure systems.  Her Ph.D. in Building Engineering and her 16 years of practical experience in the construction industry has given her the solid foundation to solve daily challenges.