The demand for more energy-efficient living and working space – smartly designed and built better and greener – is creating great opportunities and tough challenges for the construction industry worldwide. Dow Corning Corporation – a global leader with recognized success developing silicones and other silicon-based technologies for high-performance building – is helping the industry with not only a range of innovative materials, but also with application expertise and broad technical support.
Dow Corning will showcase its latest advanced technologies and in-depth expertise for high-performance building solutions at Construct Canada, being held December 4 through 6 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As an event sponsor, the company will feature selected new technology solutions in Booth 926. Also, a Dow Corning façade specialist for High Performance Building Solutions will give a seminar presentation December 4 on improving building enclosure design and performance.
Technologies Featured at Construct Canada
Visitors to Booth 926 at Construct Canada will see a range of Dow Corning's latest, robust silicon-based technologies designed not only to improve energy efficiency but also to enable greater design freedom:
- The Dow Corning® Silicone Air Barrier System, which provides airtight moisture control for more energy-efficient building envelope designs
- Dow Corning® Architectural Insulation Modules, which provide a design-enabling insulation solution for next-generation curtainwalls
- Dow Corning® Building Insulation Blanket, which provides a thin-profile, flexible insulation solution for difficult connection points in the building envelope
- Dow Corning® 121 Structural Glazing Sealant, an easy-to-use silicone sealant for repair or replacement of structurally glazed glass and other substrates
Expert Seminar at Construct Canada
Stanley Yee, LEED® Accredited Professional and a façade design and construction specialist for Dow Corning High Performance Building Solutions, will present "High Performance Insulation for the Façade: A New Paradigm in Building Enclosure Design and Performance" (Code W113) at Construct Canada, from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, December 4. As part of extensive learning opportunities at the event, Yee's seminar program will focus on providing insights on meeting today's ever-stricter energy regulations and helping designers deal with potential compromises and trade-offs affecting building enclosure design.
"Improving a building's energy efficiency does not have to restrict design freedom," Yee said. "Newer technologies, such as aerogel insulation and vacuum insulation panels, are emerging that provide specific energy-efficiency solutions to improve the building enclosure thermal performance without limiting imaginative design.
"These advanced technologies can be incorporated into visionary designs and conventional practices for compliance with existing and high-performance building codes," he said.
Additional Presentations on Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Construction
- At 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 5, Yee will present "High-Performance Insulation – Vacuum Insulation Panels (R-39/inch) and Aerogel Insulation (R-9.6/inch): Improve Whole-Wall R-Values."
- At 1 p.m. on Thursday, December 5, Scott Waechter, a senior application engineering specialist at Dow Corning, will present "High-Performance Air Barrier Systems – Airtight, Breathable, UV-Resistant Silicone Air Barriers."
Both presentations will take place in the Green Building Demonstration Area.
Highlights of Advanced Technologies
"At this year's Construct Canada, Dow Corning will showcase a collection of silicones and other silicon-based technologies squarely aimed at helping designers meet their goals for building performance without compromising their creative vision," said Dow Corning High Performance Building Marketing Manager Andy Shives. "Our advanced technologies will include innovative approaches to air and water protection; high-performance curtainwall insulation; thin-profile, flexible insulation; and even simplified structural glazing."
Some key highlights of Dow Corning's featured solutions include:
The Dow Corning Silicone Air Barrier System is designed to overcome shortcomings of other air barrier systems on the market – systems that may be unsatisfactory in terms of fire ratings, airtightness or UV resistance; require too many installation steps; are incompatible with other building envelope components; or lack technical support. The system includes:
- Dow Corning® DefendAir 200 – A silicone liquid-applied air and weather barrier that cures to a seamless, flexible membrane, which is vapor-permeable, exceeds industry requirements for airtight performance and does not have a limit on UV exposure.
- Dow Corning® Silicone Transition System – Silicone rubber strips and corners that are easy to install with silicone sealants for airtight window-to-wall transitions.
- Dow Corning® brand silicone sealants – Certain Dow Corning silicone sealants are compatible for use with the components of the barrier system.
Dow Corning Architectural Insulation Modules combine the aesthetics and convenience of curtainwall construction with the energy savings benefits of Dow Corning® Vacuum Insulation Panel. These high-performance, thin-profile next-generation curtainwall components can help significantly increase thermal resistance with high R-value performance (R-value of 50 with a 2-inch thickness) and optimize usable space by enabling slim wall constructions.
Dow Corning Building Insulation Blanket (PDF) has much greater thermal resistance (R-9.6/inch) than conventional insulation materials. It offers many of the advantages of Dow Corning Architectural Insulation Modules, but in a thin, flexible form that is easy to install in difficult profiles such as curves and corners. This makes it an ideal solution for sealing challenging connection points in building envelopes, such as where glazing systems meet cavity walls, where above-grade and below-grade systems meet, and where parapets meet roofs.
Fast-curing Dow Corning 121 Structural Glazing Sealant features a unique 1-to-1 ("121") mix ratio and is supplied in a two-part cartridge, complete with a static mixer. Whether for new construction, repair or restoration, this simplified solution eliminates the need for specialized pumps and mixing equipment and minimizes quality assurance issues. It is suitable for both on-site and in-shop structural glazing applications.
Expertise for High Performance Building Solutions
"Architects, building component designers and construction specialists need innovative new materials to help them achieve their goals," said Joy Govitz, Dow Corning's global strategic marketing leader for High Performance Building. "With 70 years of proven silicon-based technology expertise, Dow Corning is providing key solutions."
Information about Dow Corning's full range of silicon-based technologies for high-performance building is available at dowcorning.com/construction.