Unlocking the Advantages of QAP
Wednesday May 7, 1:15pm – 2:15pm
The ABAA Quality Assurance Program (QAP) is set up to help owners, specifiers and contractors ensure that their project will have a quality installed air barrier assembly. But does it work? Does it help make for a more successful project? Join us for a panel discussion to hear from an owner, specifier, ABAA Certified Installer and manufacturer on how they have leveraged the ABAA QAP to improve buildings, increase their business and reduce their overall risk. We will discuss the key pieces of the program as it relates to each member of the project team. You will hear how the program can be leveraged to achieve other parts of the project goals, such as being a portion of the building enclosure commissioning process. Finally, the panelists will provide key actions that can be taken to improve the quality of the air barrier installation on your next project.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the value of third party verification of air barrier installation.
- Recognize how third party quality control can be incorporated into a project specification.
- Analyze Logistical and Sequencing Challenges in Expansion Joint Installation.
- Identify Common Types of Expansion Joint Materials and Installation Challenges.
Benjamin Meyer, AIA, LEED AP
Siplast, Dallas TX
Benjamin Meyer, AIA, LEED AP, serves as Building Enclosure Business Director for Siplast. He also serves as chair of the ASHRAE 90.1 Envelope Committee, Director of the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA), Member at Large on the NIBS BETEC board, past LEED Technical Committee member, and Technical Advisor of the LEED Materials (MR) TAG.
Andrea Wagner Watts, LEED Green Associate
GAF, Arlington VA
Andrea Wagner Watts is the Building Science Education Manager for GAF, engaging with industry professionals to provide guidance, technical support, and education for roof and wall assemblies. With more than 15 years of experience in the industry, Andrea strives to improve the overall performance of building enclosures through application innovation, product development, and building science research. Andrea has published on building science, assembly interfaces, durability, and resilience and holds multiple patents. She serves as the First Vice Chair of the ABAA, co-chairing their Technical Committee, and chairs the ASTM E06 Task Group on air barrier systems and the ASTM D08 Task Group on Roof Air Barriers.
Caitlin Clark, MBA
Vice President, BARCON Ventures LLC
Caitlin Clark is Vice President of BARCON Ventures, a family company that primarily does Commercial and Military Construction. She holds the NC General Contractor’s License for the company. Additionally, Caitlin obtained her MBA from UNC Pembroke in 2022. After beginning at BARCON she quickly stepped into an expanding role. She now works on projects during the entire lifecycle, specializing in bidding and estimating. In 2021 she received her ABAA Quality Assurance Administrator Certification, leading her company into a new line of business.
Nicholas Alexander
Senior Quality Assurance Representative, US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District
Nicholas Alexander is a Senior Quality Assurance Representative with the US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District. He has been in the design and construction industry for 25 years and is the US Army Corps of Engineers Subject Matter Expert for air barriers and high-performance building envelopes. Nicholas has authored and co-authored numerous publications on air barriers and high-performance building envelopes as well as co-authored ASHRAE research publications and USACE Construction and Engineering Research Laboratory works for the same. He is the lead instructor and team lead for the USACE Building Envelopes and Envelope Testing training course and is a technical representative for USACE on air barrier and envelope related requirements. Nicholas is a two-time USACE Hard Hat of the Year Award Winner and is a Certified Passive House Consultant, Certified Building Commissioning Professional, ICC Certified Commercial Inspector and holds a degree in Construction Management from Colorado State University.