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NRC-IRC web site provides extensive building science information
Burrows, J.; Gallagher, J. F.
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Home Builder Magazine, 22, 6, p. 10, 2009-11-01
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N RC-I RC w e b sit e provide s e x t e nsive building sc ie nc e inform a t ion
NRCC-51323
Burrows, J.; Gallagher, J.F.
November 2009
A version of this document is published in / Une version de ce document se trouve dans:
Home Builder Magazine, 22, (6), Nov, pp. 10
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NRC-IRC website offers extensive building science information
w w w .n r c- cn r c.gc.ca / ir c
By John Burrows and Jim Gallagher
Submitted to Home Builder
This article briefly reviews the publications page of the NRC-IRC Institute for Research in
Construction.
The National Research Council’s Institute for Construction (IRC) has improved its website to
make it easier for builders and other professionals to access its wealth of practical
information. As the leading construction research agency in Canada, NRC-IRC emphasizes
the importance of translating research results into practical information for those who design,
construct, operate and repair the built environment.
The website provides information about research programs, initiatives, research programs,
publications software, facilities, and news and events.
Builders will find the most useful information for building science knowledge and skill
upgrading on the Library and Publications page of the website. This extensive library of
building science information contains hundreds of complete publications, both current and
archived, most of which available free of charge. The most popular current publications are:
Construction Technology Updates: These free publications, part of a regular series
reporting the results of NRC-IRC research, are intended to explain building science issues and
solutions in clear, easy-to-understand language. The publications, which are short and
concise, explain the issue or problem, provide background knowledge to put the issue into
context, present the results of NRC-IRC research, and discuss their application and
implications. Of the 72 titles available, 33 are applicable to residential construction, covering
such topics as wall design, window technology, sound control, fire safety, and indoor air
quality. The three latest issues that are of direct interest to builders are:
−
No. 69 Site Grading and Drainage to Achieve High-Performance Basements
−
No. 70 Options in the Selection of Materials for Basement Construction
−
No. 71 Selecting Residential Window Glazing for Optimum Energy Performance
Construction Innovation newsletter: This free quarterly newsletter keeps readers posted on
NRC-IRC research projects, building product evaluations, code developments, and the latest
publications. All past issues are archived and accessible as well.
Registry of Product Evaluations: The Registry contains all Evaluation Reports and
Listings for products evaluated by NRC-IRC's Canadian Construction Materials Centre,
providing easy access to technical and standards-related data on hundreds of
evaluated materials, products and construction systems, many of them application to home
building.
Codes and Guides: NRC-IRC is the home of the National Building Code, the National Fire
Code and the National Plumbing Code, the models for virtually all building, fire and
plumbing regulations in Canada. These codes and several other model codes, along with
various companion guides, are all available from NRC-IRC and can be purchased online or
through traditional means. By following the links to the codes web pages, builders can find a
great deal of background information related to code changes and the ongoing code
development process, in which NRC-IRC participates, working with the provinces and
territories, not to mention many representatives of the construction industry.
On the Library and Publications page, to find information addressing a specific problem,
builders can search a comprehensive database of publications by subject or report name.
Searchable topics of interest include:
•
Air and vapour barriers
•
Basements and foundations
•
Heating
•
Indoor air quality
•
Insulation (fibre, foam and insulation finish systems)
•
Materials (brick, concrete, masonry, plastics, sealants, coatings)
•
Roofs (heat and moisture performance)
•
Sound insulation of floors and walls
•
Wall/window interfaces
•
Walls (heat and moisture performance, rainscreen walls)
•
Windows (heat and moisture performance)
•
Roofs
The website also contains a number of software packages, which are often generated as a final
outcome of a research project. Some of these softwares are applicable to the building industry
and are free of charge.
For example, IA-QUEST is an indoor air quality simulation tool that can help a builder select
materials that lower chemical exposure in a house, especially important for potential buyers
with sensitivities. As another example, after conducting studies at the Canadian Centre for
Housing Technology (CCHT) on the feasibility of recovering heat from residential drain
water, NRC-IRC and its partners developed an on-line calculator that can be used to estimate
energy savings from heat recovery: (http://ceatech.ca/calculator/)
NRC-IRC, in carrying out its research addressing key technical issues of interest to designers
and builders, benefits from its impressive slate of full-scale research facilities. These
facilities, which are highlighted throughout the website, include a two-storey house for wall
and ventilation studies, a new facility for the study of ventilation and air quality, a flanking
noise facility, and the twin houses of CCHT, operated by NRC-IRC in conjunction with
CMHC and Natural Resources Canada. These facilities allow the Institute to carry out
realistic research under tightly controlled conditions which, in turn, means that the results are
objective and reliable for the benefit of builders and consumers alike.
John Burrows is an engineer and technical writer. Jim Gallagher is the former manager (retired)
of Publication Services at NRC-IRC.