The RCI-IIBEC Foundation is excited to announce the 2020–2021 recipients of the Robert W. Lyons and RCI Lewis W. Newlan scholarships. The Lyons scholarship is for $5,000 and is specifically for undergraduate education expenses for students studying construction sciences, architecture, or engineering. The RCI Newlan scholarship is for $2,500 and is open to both undergraduate and graduate students—again for studies in construction sciences, architecture, or engineering. Scholarship winners are selected based on financial need, letters of recommendation, and the student’s request for consideration.
RCI-IIBEC Foundation Inc.
The RCI-IIBEC Foundation's mission is to support research, education, and the dissemination of information for issues important to the building enclosure industry.
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2020–2021 Lyons and Newlan Scholarship Winners Announced
Robert W. Lyons Scholarship recipients
- Nabila Essakalli of Blacksburg, VA, is a fifth-year student in architecture at Virginia Tech. Essakalli’s interests lie in sustainable architecture. She is currently a member of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students and serves on the Student Affairs Community Advisory Board.
- Bethany Jackson-Price of League City, TX, is a senior at the University of Houston studying construction management. Her ideal career is to be able to contribute and educate communities on the value of sustainability and construction. Jackson-Price’s interests in construction management include energy issues, global warming, conservation, management of resources, and sustainable practices.
- Kristin Lorentzen of Pomona, CA, is a senior studying architecture at California Polytechnic University in Pomona. She is also pursuing a minor in regenerative studies. Lorentzen is currently volunteering as the environmental design ambassador for the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS).
- Juan Mancilla Vargas of Battle Creek, IA, is a senior in construction engineering at Iowa State University. He is currently interning with DPR Construction, and during his free time likes to read, meditate, and play soccer with his friends.
RCI Lewis W. Newlan recipients
- Mackenzie Anderson of Houston, TX, is a graduate student in the Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. She is currently serving as an intern at PGAL in Houston. Her interests are in green building construction and net-zero achievements.
- Julia Gravano of Lake Grove, NY, is a junior at Wentworth Institute of Technology studying construction management. She was recently elected president of the Construction Management Club. Gravano loves to travel, SCUBA dive, and go to the beach during her free time.
- Tyler Kleinsasser of Rapid City, SD, is a graduate student at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology studying construction, engineering, and management. Kleinsasser is a student member of IIBEC and attended the 2019 IIBEC Convention and Trade Show in Orlando, FL. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors, exercising, solving Rubik’s Cubes, and playing the piano.
- Daniel Lemmon of Toston, MT, is an undergraduate studying architecture at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA. His interests include log and timber home construction, model ship building, hunting, fishing, and equestrian sports.
Thanks to all the Foundation donors who made these scholarships possible. Donations are being accepted to both scholarship funds. To donate, visit the Foundation’s website at https://rci-iibecfoundation.org/donate.aspx or contact Foundations Development Officer Rick Gardner at 919-859-0742 or rgardner@iibec.org.
Diamonds Are A Student's Best Friend Promotion
This year, as part of the Foundations’ Auction, there will be a very special drawing to benefit the IIBEC Convention/Student Participation Fund. For a gift of $100 or more, the first 100 donors will receive a 1-in-100 chance to win a $3,000 pair of diamond earrings. These earrings are of 1.72 (0.85 + 0.87) total carat weight, with round brilliant diamonds in faceted girdle edges in a 14k white gold, champagne-style setting with double click rings. The pair comes with a certificate of authenticity and was mined in Brazil.
The goal of this drawing is to generate at least $10,000 for student attendance and participation in future IIBEC International Convention and Trade Shows.
For your chance, make a donation to the Student Convention Fund between now and the night of the Foundations’ Auction (at Phoenix Convention in March, 2021). You will be randomly assigned a number. During the live auction, a number will be pulled, and the person with that number wins the earrings! You need not be present to win. Donations can be made online at https://rci-iibecfoundation.org/donate.aspx.
Chances, if still available, can be purchased at the Foundations’ Auction until the time of the drawing.
For more information, contact Foundations Development Officer Rick Gardner at rgardner@iibec.org or 919-859-0742.
Foundation Funds Update on Roof Drainage Publication
The RCI-IIBEC Foundation has approved funding for the update of the 2003 edition of the Roof Drainage monograph as a result of significant changes in the International Building Code (IBC) and International Plumbing Code (IPC) standards and methods for roof drainage design. This effort is being led by IIBEC members Stephen L. Patterson, RRC, PE, of Roof Technical Services, Inc. and Dr. Madan Mehta, PhD, PE, with the University of Texas – Arlington, School of Architecture.
Stephen L. Patterson, RRC, PE
According to Patterson, “The IPC has eliminated the standard drainage charts that have been used for decades. Additionally, ASCE 7-16 has added a large section of roof drainage and overflow design, which is contrary to the current IBC/IPC standard. We hope to provide an in-depth discussion of drainage design requirements and to research other available international standards. Our plan is to provide a section that addresses combination wind and rain loads, which is a critical aspect of roof design that is often overlooked.”
According to Patterson, “The IPC has eliminated the standard drainage charts that have been used for decades. Additionally, ASCE 7-16 has added a large section of roof drainage and overflow design, which is contrary to the current IBC/IPC standard. We hope to provide an in-depth discussion of drainage design requirements and to research other available international standards. Our plan is to provide a section that addresses combination wind and rain loads, which is a critical aspect of roof design that is often overlooked.”
“We have been thrilled with the results and the feedback from Patterson and Mehta’s work on the updated Wind Uplift on Low-Slope Roofs,” commented Joe Hale, Chair of the Foundation, “and we know their work on the Roof Drainage monograph will also be a valuable tool for our members, industry, and the Foundation.” Hale added, “We need to rethink our unusual weather and how we are having 100-year storms every year now. Rooftop drainage is a critical part of this process.”
Madan Mehta PhD, PE
Expected completion date is January, 2021. When the publication is finished, the Foundation plans to provide a PDF version of the publication to all IIBEC members through their membership portals. Hard-copy versions will also be available for purchase through the IIBEC publications website.
Funding for this publication is made possible through a gift to the Foundation’s General Fund for Research and Education. If you have questions or would like more information about the Foundation, please contact Development Officer Rick Gardner at rgardner@iibec.org, or call 919-859-0742.
RCI Foundation Canada and Canadian Chapters to Host NRC Virtual Building Science Insights
Foundation Supports Research on Thermal Bridging via Roof Fasteners
The RCI-IIBEC Foundation approved funding for a study, titled “Laboratory Testing of Roof Assemblies for Comparison with Simulated Models: Thermal Performance Assessment of Thermal Bridges due to Roof Fasteners” at Virginia Tech. The team, consisting of Dr. Elizabeth Grant and Dr. Georg Reichard, along with their students, as well as industry sponsors Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) and GAF, will conduct selected laboratory tests to compare the thermal performance of physical models of simple roof assemblies under different controlled laboratory environmental conditions with computational models of these assemblies.
The overall goal of the project is to provide a better understanding to the industry of simulated versus tested thermal conductance in 3-D configurations, in support of relative comparison of quantitative thermal effects of fasteners in different roof assemblies.
The expected completion date is December, 2021. Following conclusion of the study, the research team hopes to share results through presentations at IIBEC conferences and meetings, as well as through scientific papers.
Funding for this research is made possible through gifts to the Foundation’s General Fund for Research and Education and, specifically, through GAF as well as through in-kind donations from SGH. “GAF and SGH are both very excited to support this research and the information it will provide for the entire building industry,” said Helene Hardy-Pierce, Secretary of the Foundation and GAF’s Technical Director.
“After running computer models for an SGH-sponsored paper published by ASTM in 2015, it became apparent that roofing insulation fasteners will cause significant thermal bridging,” said Eric Olson of SGH, the lead author of a 2015 paper considering thermal bridging of roofing details. “These effects are not considered by many in the roofing industry, and there exists no clear guidance on how to deal with them. Validation of the computer models with physical laboratory analysis—the aim of the current study—is the next logical step to building practical methods for considering their effects.”
How Would You Like to Help?
The RCI-IIBEC Foundation has implemented a focused effort on various initiatives within our organization. We want to give you, our wonderful donors, the opportunity to choose to earmark your pledges and donations in the areas that matter most to you!
The RCI-IIBEC Foundation has implemented a focused effort on various initiatives within our organization. We want to give you, our wonderful donors, the opportunity to choose to earmark your pledges and donations in the areas that matter most to you!
As such, we are garnering focus on four separate initiatives, each encompassing a different area supporting our industry. Please take a moment to make yourself familiar with what the Foundation is doing!
University of Kentucky Students Attend Louisville BES
Ten students and two professors from the University of Kentucky School of Architecture attended the IIBEC Building Enclosure Symposium in Louisville, KY. The RCI-IIBEC Foundation helped cover their registration and hotel expenses during the event. Here is some of the feedback received from the particpants:
“It is a real privilege to expose these students to IIBEC and to the engineers, architects, and other professionals who are involved. I especially want to thank the Foundation for making it possible for the students to receive scholarships to attend the Symposium. It was hugely beneficial for them and very exciting for me.” – Professor Dan Vivian, College of Design
“The entire IIBEC community was extremely welcoming and cordial toward our group, and it made a great impression on us. It was illuminating to see the various issues surrounding building enclosures, and I enjoyed the range of topics presented. Overall, the symposium was an invaluable exposure for my classmates and me, and we hope, as future architects, to build on this knowledge in order to address and alleviate potential problems with building enclosures.” – Alex Bosse, graduate student
“This event was absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to share my experience with my peers.” – Mary Kate Schaefer, graduate student
“I really enjoyed learning that there was more to architecture than just designing buildings. It opened my eyes to the new field of forensics in architecture. I feel like there was a good mix of speakers and lots of information to soak up.” – Dylan Brewer, senior
“I felt this event was exceptionally beneficial for future architects to experience how their roles and experiences can integrate with others’ professional backgrounds that benefit every element of the design process. This was also a great opportunity for students to engage in practicing networking and building professional relationships within the community, and I hope the visiting professionals and their organizations felt the same way as well. I will definitely recommend this symposium to students interested in architecture, civil engineering, design and construction fields who are interested in educating themselves and in building a better sense on new design and materials available within the market,” – Alan Hammell, freshman
If you have questions or would like more information about sponsoring students to attend future symposiums or the upcoming IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show in Houston, please contact Foundation Development Officer Rick Gardner at rgardner@iibec.org or call 919-859-0742.
IIBEC First Vice President Scott Hinesley, Professor Bruce Swetnam, Alex Bosse, Joe Holliday, Omolade Akinyemiju, Professor Dan Vivian, RCI Foundations Development Officer Rick Gardner, Frank Wang, Montreale Jones, Bryson Watson, Alan Hammell, Dylan Brewer, and IIBEC President Bob Card. (Not pictured: Mary Kate Schaefer and Afif Alahmad.)
The RCI-IIBEC Foundation's mission is to support research, education, and the dissemination of information for issues important to the building enclosure industry. With your help, we can make a difference for the industry, its professionals, students and the world at large. Thank you for visiting!