• Building Officials
• Facility and Plant Managers
• Architects & Engineers (Designers and CA staff)
• Program Managers
• Project Managers
• Superintendents
• Trade Foremen
• Testing Organizations

Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) Description and Learning Objectives

Course Description

For years, we have commissioned the dynamic systems of a building to ensure performance throughout the building enclosure, assuming that the static exterior building envelope would also perform. Over the last several years, the process of commissioning (Cx) the exterior building envelope has gained momentum as a vital process in achieving optimal building performance. Reasons for the increased interest in the performance of the exterior building envelope include updated code requirements, incentives (tax credits) related to voluntary programs such as LEED, and a steep rise in construction defect lawsuits related to the building envelope. This presentation describes how building envelope commissioning can help manage the risks associated with the design and construction of the exterior building envelope and the potential subsequent litigation.

This 4-day course includes the five modules required to prepare for the exam for certification as a Building Envelope Risk Manager (BERM) by the North American Building Compliance Testing Association. The exam is administered on the last day of the course.

Learning Objectives from Each Module

1. BECx Fundamentals

1. Understand why BECx is critical in managing Litigious Exposure related to the design and the construction of the building envelope and the benefits associated with high-performance building envelopes.
2. Understand the difference between The Commissioning Process of the past versus the movement towards “whole building commissioning”; and how the evolution of codes (IBC and IECC) will influence the commissioning process moving forward.
3. Understand how to Navigate The Cx process in an undefined process; i.e. managing conflicts between commissioning documents, project specifications, and manufacturer requirements.
4. Be familiar with traditional BECx Testing and understand when specialized testing may be required.

2. Horizontal Roof/Plaza Systems

1. Understand the basic types of horizontal Roof/Plaza Systems and the performance requirements for each and when delegated design may be required.
2. Understand the various Components of the horizontal envelope.
3. Understand how to achieve Environmental Separation; Roofing vs. Waterproofing.
4. Understand Testing related to the horizontal building envelope.

3. Vertical Wall Systems

1. Understand the basic types of vertical Wall Systems, how performance standards are determined, and when delegated design may be required.
2. Understand the various Components of the wall systems that comprise the vertical building envelope.
3. Understand what it means to achieve Environmental Separation and the roles that Air Barriers/Water Resistive Barriers play in the process.
4. Understand Testing related to commissioning the vertical portions of the building envelope.

4. Fenestration Systems

1. Understand the basic types of Fenestration Systems, the performance requirements for each and when delegated design may be required.
2. Understand the various Components of the fenestration systems related to the building envelope.
3. Understand how to maximize Environmental Separation by product selection; low performing systems (i.e. storefront) vs. high performance systems (curtainwall).
4. Understand Testing related to the fenestration located within the building envelope.

5. Structural Considerations

1. Understand the Theory of how wind speed creates loads (pressures) on the building envelope, and how size and geometry affect those loads.
2. Understand which portions of the building envelope are typically not engineered by the engineer of record and will require Delegated Design.
3. Understand the various structural Components of the building envelope.
4. Understand Testing related to the structural requirements for cladding attached to the building envelope.