Four Barriers For Four Wetting Potentials: How To Design Effective Exterior Walls

Wednesday, April 19, 08:00 – 09:30

This presentation looks at the four wetting potentials that exterior wall assemblies are exposed to due to the climatic difference between the interior and exterior environment. The four barriers needed to effectively separate the two environments and not create moisture problems are identified. The science and physics behind the inclusion and location of these barriers will be discussed. Various exterior wall assemblies will be reviewed and critiqued. The 2012 International Energy Code requirements for insulation exterior wall assemblies will be reviewed and critiqued. Live hygrothermal analyses will be run to show which insulation schemes work and which ones do not.

Len Anastasi, FABAA, CSI, CDT

Chair
ABAA Conference Committee

Director
Air Barrier Association of America

President
EXO-TEC Group of Companies

Len Anastasi worked in the construction industry for twenty years in masonry, waterproofing and restoration work. He currently owns EXO-TEC Manufacturing, Inc. which manufactures specialty construction products, EXO-TEC Solutions, Inc. which performs marketing work for various quality and innovative manufacturers of construction products and EXO-TEC Consulting, Inc. which performs consulting services on building enclosure issues for building owners, managers, design professionals and lawyers. In his construction and consulting work, he has performed inspections and/or repairs on over 300 buildings as well as giving expert testimony in trials and reviews on dozens of legal cases.

He is a member of ASTM’s E 06 Committee on Building Performance where he has authored both proposed standards as well as proposed changes to existing standards. He is a member of the Boston Society of Architects’ Building Enclosure Council where he has presented on several topics and has been sponsored to speak at the Build Boston Exposition, AIA National Convention and CSI National Convention. He has authored several articles and papers on building enclosure performance and has spoken on these topics at several conventions, seminars and meeting.

He is the current President of the Air Barrier Association of America as well as a member of the Construction Specification Institute (CSI), the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) and the U. S. Government’s Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC). He is also a guest lecturer at the Boston Architectural Center.