“Hurricane in a Box” Road Show

The “Hurricane in a Box” test chamber will hit the Pacific North West in June as part of a 50-city tour of the United States and Canada.

Built to showcase the importance of appropriate material selection, construction sequencing and design details in the construction of energy efficient building envelopes, the test chamber showcases how superior materials and construction can protect buildings from the forces of Mother Nature.

The free two-hour interactive demonstration is entitled Refining Construction Details through Design Verification Testing. The transportable test chamber is calibrated to conduct common ASTM, AAMA and extreme weather testing in excess of Category 5 Hurricane conditions or winds up to and beyond 155 MPH on building mock-ups. It tests how well a typical wall assembly, including windows, doors and other openings, can resist water penetration under such circumstances.

The chamber also tests air leakage through walls and around windows and doors — a leading cause of wasted energy and uncomfortable buildings.

The test chamber was designed by Building Envelope Innovations (BEI) to help builders create walls that wouldn’t wet-out in extreme or even ordinary weather conditions. BEI has used the test chamber to test their air and water-resistive/waterproof barrier products, as well as other products on the market. The test chamber is also available to manufacturers, engineers and design professionals to see if their products and designs survive the high-pressure condition generated by the test chamber.

The multi-city road show is presented by PROSOCO, Lawrence, Kan., the manufacturer of the extreme-performance air and water resistive barrier product line R-GUARD. PROSOCO makes a wide range of products for cleaning, protecting and maintaining concrete, brick and stone architecture.

During its Vancouver visit, the test chamber will feature a Tilt + Turn Window manufactured by Innotech Windows + Doors, a BC-based manufacturer of European style, high-performance windows and doors. Innotech tilt and turn windows were selected for the test chamber by BEI because of their superior ability to resist air and water penetration in extreme conditions as simulated by the test chamber.

“The use of the right building materials combined with correct installation is the key to any durable and high-performing building envelope,” says George Nickel, Business Development Director at Innotech Windows + Doors. “We’re excited to be part of the BEI-PROSOCO test chamber. It’s an exciting opportunity that will have a long-term impact on North America’s building industry.”

On June 22, 2011 the test chamber will be in Burnaby – the only Canadian city on the popular road show. The educational demonstration is free and open to design professionals, construction managers, general contractors, waterproofing contractors and air barrier contractors interested in learning how to improve the performance of their building envelopes.

Other dates in the Pacific North West include: Portland, OR on June 7, Lakewood, WA on June 9 and Seattle, WA on June 14. To register for any of these locations, visit: www.r-guard.com.

The two-hour demonstration meets AIA/CES and RCI criteria for continuing education. Every qualified attendee will receive a certificate for 2 AIA/CES unit hours (Health, Safety & Welfare / Sustainable Design) and/or two RCI Continuing Education Hours (CEH).