Several training and education opportunities took place during the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) 2024 Fall Conference in Minneapolis, including a session on mock-up testing in construction, a primer on corrosion, and an educational hands-on workshop demonstrating the proper application of materials common in fenestration installation, as presented by the FGIA Wall Interface Council.
A presentation entitled “Construction Mock-ups & Testing | Overview, Trends, and Best Practices” was led by Christopher Grey, principal at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger’s building enclosures division in Boston. “Mock-ups allow you to understand real-life conditions and enforce lessons learned throughout,” says Grey. “You can work out bugs early.”
Grey shared that there are several different types of construction mock-ups, including laboratory (off-site), preconstruction (stand-alone), in-situ (on-building), and digital. Laboratory ones are typically for unique systems. “A laboratory mock-up can help one identify water leakage locations so one can find the cause and course correct,” says Grey.
With stand-alone mock-ups, one can customize small and large projects and conduct smaller scale tests on or near site. “You can understand visual versus performance and meet specific jurisdictional requirements,” says Grey. “You can test the fenestration products, the wall assembly and cladding and the entire mock-up.”
In-situ mock-ups are for all project types and smaller scale tests with unique conditions on the building. Finally, digital mock-ups are also for all project types, varying in size and use. “There is no performance testing available yet, but you can use this to try out unique conditions,” says Grey.
Mock-ups can help to understand real life conditions. “They are not just a quality assurance program,” says Grey. When implementing mock-ups, be vigilant throughout, starting early, he says. “Specify and detail mock-ups in documents,” Grey says. “Get your contractor’s advice. Use available tools to mitigate potential risk at various phases of a project.”
Another session called “Introduction to Corrosion” was presented by Dr. Victoria Gelling, senior research fellow at Sherwin-Williams Co., based in Cleveland. She shared the science behind how corrosion is caused. “How do we stop corrosion? We don’t,” she says. “But coatings can slow water, salts, and oxygen from reaching the surface of the metal. All non-noble metals will eventually corrode.”
Corrosion is an electrochemical process occurring at metal/electrolyte interface, says Gelling. “Think of it as refining in reverse,” she says. “To stop corrosion, stop having a place for those electrons to go.” Multiple factors impact corrosion rates, including pH, oxygen availability, salts, contaminants, temperature, oxide layer properties, applied potential [voltage], and time of wetness. Important factors are pH, oxygen, and temperature. “Steel doesn’t care what pH you’re at,” she says, adding that “changes in pH of an electrolyte will not impact corrosion rate of iron as much as it will the corrosion rate of aluminum alloys.”
In conclusion, corrosion and its accurate measurement is a complex subject, says Gelling. “It’s a constantly evolving area, with new materials, substrates, pretreatments, and industry needs entering the marketplace.”
A hands-on workshop demonstrated six different processes, all displaying proper processes of applying materials during fenestration installation. Workshops included:
- Proper application of liquid applied flashing: Pat Downey, of PROSOCO Inc., based in Lawrence, Kan.
- Compatibility of materials and common signs of incompatibility: Guy Long of PROSOCO.
- Flashing application focused on weatherboard sequencing: Rod Calkum of Aquatech Consultancy Inc., based in Walnut Creek, Calif.
- Proper use of a J-Roller for self-adhering flashing: Eric Seaverson of Intertek, based in London.
- Sealant joints, types of joints, and proper joint design: Bill Longo of DAP Global Inc., based in Baltimore.
- Gunnable sealant and quality control for mixing two-component sealants: Steve Altum of Dow Performance Silicones, based in Midland, Mich.