Building Envelope Physics

This Commercial course provides an overview of the basic performance criteria for commercial building envelopes. It is intended to give Specialists background knowledge of the heat, air, and water transport mechanisms through commercial wall assemblies that are vital to safe, durable, and energy-efficient buildings.

Course Structure

• Lesson 1 provides an overview of the course and a short pre-learning exercise that will be revisited at the end of this course.
• Lesson 2 defines the building envelope, examining how it works, how it evolved, and what the state-of-the-art is.
• Lesson 3 examines the main components of wall systems, and explores the multiple performance expectations of modern commercial wall assemblies.
• Lessons 4 reviews the science of heat transfer mechanisms, and introduces the basic scientific principles of moisture migration through wall systems.
• Lesson 5 examines the dynamics of air movement though commercial buildings, and introduces strategies for preventing uncontrolled ventilation.
• Lesson 6 examines the dynamics of water movement though commercial buildings, and introduces strategies for curbing moisture problems.
• Lesson 7 identifies the basic performance expectations for commercial envelopes, and summarizes some of the essential principles covered in this course by revisiting the exercise from Lesson 1.