2:45 - 4:15 PM | 90-Minute Workshops
New for 2026! Included with full conference registration.
+ School of Hard Knocks: The Complexities of School Remediation Projects
This presentation is a deep dive into a forensic investigation and the subsequent remediation of an elementary school in Southern California. The presentation focuses on the difficulties of dealing with advanced wood decay and unknown condition in a large, complex project. The presentation will provide information about the real-world decision-making process for multifaceted projects as well as information about the considerations made about whether a project will be remediated or demolished to start again. This presentation asks difficult questions and is meant to force the audience to think outside the box, discuss problematic situations, and deal with some grim scenarios. The conclusion of this presentation will be an open discussion with the participants about some of the difficult situations School Districts across the nation are forced to make and hopefully start a conversation about how to improve the built environments that our children learn in.
Learning Objectives:
- Examine a forensic investigation and school remediation case study involving extensive water damage, and evaluate how moisture intrusion, microbial growth, and material deterioration impact occupant health, safety, indoor environmental quality, and long-term building performance.
- Discuss decision-making strategies for remediation when limited information about existing conditions is available, including methods for assessing risk, protecting occupant welfare, and maintaining safe educational environments during investigation and repair activities.
- Identify the environmental, structural, operational, and occupant-safety factors that must be considered when responding to extensive water damage in educational facilities, and explain effective communication strategies that support coordinated remediation and risk management among the project team.
- Analyze maintenance and remediation approaches for educational buildings that improve durability, resilience, indoor environmental quality, and the continued health, safety, and welfare of building occupants.
Speaker:
Nathan O. Taylor, IIBEC, CSI, CDT, Senior Associate, ECS Limited
Approved for 1.5 AIA HSW LUs
+ You Specified a Water-Resistive Barrier and You Got an Air Barrier - What Gives?
There is confusion across the US about what is the difference between a vapor barrier and an air barrier. At first glance it should be very simple and that is true if you are only looking at the material. However, if you start to put it in a building, that’s where the confusion starts. The session will cover what are all the barriers, why do they change depending on where they are placed in a building assembly and how they are installed. It will also show that physics does not change no matter the type of building or where it is being built.
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate among air barriers, vapor barriers, and water-resistive barriers, and explain how each contributes to moisture management, indoor environmental quality, thermal performance, durability, and occupant health and safety within building enclosure systems.
- Analyze how environmental conditions, climate, and building assembly location influence barrier material properties and performance, including their role in controlling condensation, air leakage, and moisture migration that can affect building durability and occupant welfare.
- Critique how installation quality, sequencing, and continuity impact the real-world performance of barrier systems, and identify common failures that may lead to water intrusion, mold growth, energy loss, and compromised building performance.
- Evaluate the performance of barrier materials within different wall and roof assemblies to support resilient, code-compliant, energy-efficient building enclosures that protect occupant health, safety, and welfare.
Speakers:
Laverne Dalgleish, Executive Director, Air Barrier Association of America
Approved for 1.5 AIA HSW LUs
+ From Concept Through Closeout – And Beyond, The Life Cycle of a Project Manual
This presentation explores how various project stakeholders interact with the project manual throughout the lifecycle of a construction project. From project inception through construction contract administration, the project manual serves as a critical communication and contractual tool that defines requirements, responsibilities, and expectations.
Attendees will gain insight into the distinct roles of design professionals, building product manufacturers (BPMs), contractors, construction managers, and owners in the development, interpretation, and execution of project manual requirements. The presentation examines how architects and engineers write, edit, and apply technical specifications; how BPMs support specification development, participate in the bidding process, and prepare submittals; how contractors and construction managers review, interpret, and implement project requirements; and how owners contribute to and rely upon the project manual to achieve project objectives.
Through a discussion of responsibilities during design, bidding, and construction contract administration phases, participants will develop a clearer understanding of how effective collaboration around the project manual contributes to successful project delivery and improved project outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the roles and responsibilities of design professionals, building product manufacturers (BPMs), contractors, construction managers, and owners in the development and use of the project manual throughout the project lifecycle.
- Explain how the project manual is created, reviewed, interpreted, and applied during the design, bidding, and construction contract administration phases of a project.
- Analyze the interactions between project stakeholders and the project manual to understand how specifications, contract requirements, and project information are communicated and executed.
- Evaluate how effective collaboration and engagement with the project manual can reduce misunderstandings, improve compliance with project requirements, and contribute to successful project delivery.
Speaker:
Laura Derrick, CSI, Architect, Project Manager and Instructor, Missouri State University
Lynsey Hankins, FCSI, Color and Design Manager, Pittsburgh Paints Comany
Jarrod Mann, FCSI, CCCA, CDT, PE, Vice President, Head of MEP Engineering, BG Consultants, Inc.
Doyle Phillips, EdD, FCSI, CCCA, CDT, CPC, FCPE, Ed.D., Associate Professor, The University of Oklahoma
Approved for 1.5 AIA LUs