On June 3, 2020, the IIBEC Chicago Area Chapter hosted their first in a series of virtual summer programs. The program titled, “Covid-19 at Chicagoland Construction Sites” was presented by Ralph Barszcz, Vice President of Safety for Leopardo Companies. The program included tips on how to recognize and abide by common practices to keep yourself and others safe at construction sites, as well as key safety guidelines related to Covid-19.

Upcoming IIBEC-Chicago virtual programs have been scheduled for the following dates this year:

• July 1st – “Gaining Traction in your Building Enclosure Consulting Business” Presented by Beckie Hayes, founder of Merchab Consulting Group, Inc.

• August 5th – “Composite Sub-framing and how it Benefits Building Envelope Design” Presented by Peter Grotenhuis, Midwest Area Sales Manager for Advanced Architectural Products/Smart CI Systems

• September 2nd – “Electronic Leak Detection Testing, Standards, Science, and Practical Applications” Presented by Shaun Katz, Sales Manager for Detec Systems, LLC.

For more details on these upcoming webinars, please visit the calendar page, https://chicagoarea.iibec.org/calendar/.

IIBEC-Chicago’s Fall Program and Holiday Social has been tentatively scheduled for November 6th at Revolution Brew Pub  in Chicago, Illinois. The Chapter will continue to monitor local and national Covid-19 guidance with regards to best practices for gatherings, and will provide updates on LinkedIn and on the chapter’s calendar page.  The program will include 2 technical presentations:

• Resilient Roofing – Meeting the ASCE 7-16 Standard, by Robert Anderson of Firestone
• Topic TBD, by Emily Lorenz, IIBEC Director of Technical Services

Lastly, IIBEC has once again recognized IIBEC-Chicago with Platinum ranking for the 2020 Outstanding Affiliated Chapter Award for the Chapter’s efforts in 2019. This award was initially scheduled to be presented during the Awards Luncheon at the 2020 IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show, which was cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Instead, the chapter will receive the award at the IIBEC Building Enclosure Symposium+ (BES+) this November in Houston.

Welcome to the new IIBEC-Chicago Website!  Formally the Chicago Area Chapter of RCI, Inc. (CAC-RCI), we are now the Chicago Area Chapter of the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants or IIBEC-Chicago.  To learn more about IIBEC-Chicago, please visit the About Us page.

To learn about IIBEC-Chicago Membership, and to join, please visit the Membership page.

To view IIBEC-Chicago events and other related industry events, please visit the Calendar page.

To learn about IIBEC-Chicago’s leadership and committees, visit the Leadership page.

As part of its continuing philanthropic efforts, IIBEC-Chicago made a donation of $560.00 to the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. A portion of the registration fees from IIBEC-Chicago’s Fall Meeting and Holiday Social, held on November 20, 2019, was collected and donated to Lurie Children’s. On January 31, 2020, IIBEC-Chicago chapter members visited the hospital for a brief tour and presentation of the check in front of the beautiful Crown Sky Garden space. Located on the hospital’s 11^th floor, this space includes light, sound, water and wood elements to create a calming effect. Replicating an outdoor garden, the garden’s two-story windows also frame a great view of the city. As part of evidence-based design features intended to improve care for children, the Crown Sky Garden is always open for patients and families to relax and seek respite.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is consistently regarded as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals. Lurie Children’s provides superior pediatric care in a state-of-the-art hospital that offers the latest benefits and innovations in medical technology, research, and family-friendly design. Located in downtown Chicago on the campus of its academic partner, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Lurie Children’s relies on philanthropic support to care for more than 173,000 children each year. Learn more at www.luriechildrens.org. IIBEC-Chicago is proud to support Lurie Children’s and hopes to continue with these efforts.

 

 

 

IIBEC-Chicago hosted its Annual Meeting & Program for the 17th consecutive year, on Wednesday, January 15, 2020.  The meeting was held at Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois. Approximately 110 consultants, architects, engineers, contractors, facility managers, and manufacturers participated in the one-day program that featured 4 technical presentations (6 CEH’s) and ample networking opportunities.

Table-top exhibitors included: Architectural Building Solutions, International Leak Detection, SJ Mallein & Associates, Tecta America, Siplast, Velux, Sika, Sarnafil, and Soprema.

Technical sessions included:

• “R-Value Optimization for Low-Slope Roofs” by James Kirby, GAF
• “Emerging Liability Issues for Failure to Adapt to Climate Change” by Josh Leavitt, Much Shelist, P.C.
• “Difficult Detailing and Specification Gaps” by Corey Zussman, Pepper Construction
• “Reroofing in the Sky– Special Considerations for High-rise Reroofing Projects” by Jason Wilen and Allysia Youngquist, Klein and Hoffman

Following the technical sessions, the chapter convened for a brief Chapter Business Meeting before proceeding to the CAC Building Envelope Foundation’s 5th Annual Cocktail Reception and presentation of Chapter Awards.  IIBEC-Chicago presented Awards to Architectural Building Solutions as the Exhibitor of the Year, to Ms. Lurita Blank as the Presenter of the Year, and the Past Presidents Award to Mr. Charlie Sietmann.

As a continued tradition, IIBEC-Chicago coordinated efforts with the Chicago Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA) which held its 37^th Annual Trade Show at the nearby Drury Lane Conference Center the two days following the IIBEC-Chicago Annual Meeting.

With 2020 now in full swing, the chapter is gearing up for spring programs and events.  On April 24th, the chapter will sponsor the IIBEC Educational Program: Roof System Thermal Moisture and Design.  A full calendar of chapter events can be found at the Calendar page.

The IIBEC-Chicago Area Chapter conducted its Fall Program and Holiday Social on Friday, November 22, 2019 at Revolution Brewing BrewPub in Chicago, Illinois. In the spirit of the holidays, $5 of every registration fee was donated to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

The event was attended by approximately 55 IIBEC-Chicago Area Chapter members, speakers, guests, and exhibitors. We were especially excited that Brian Pallasch (EVP|CEO), Bob Card (President), and Emily Lorenz (Sr. Director of Technical Services) of IIBEC joined us for this great event! Table top exhibitors included Tecta America, Hydrotech, IR Analyzers, Architectural Building Solutions, and Comstruct Sales. We are sincerely thankful to the tabletop exhibitors for supporting the IIBEC-Chicago Area Chapter!

The first program presentation was “Edgewater Beach Apartments Garden Terrace Renovation,” by Kim Lis and Jason Aspin, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates. The second presentation was “Non-Destructive Roof Moisture Surveys – A Practical Review,” by Rolf Snobeck, Tecta America Corp. Both presentations were

well received and provided an opportunity for attendees to interact with the speakers. Following the educational program, the IIBEC-Chicago Area Chapter sponsored a holiday social and open bar happy hour to cap a great day of learning and networking.

IIBEC-Chicago hosted our 2019 Summer meeting on Friday, September 13^th.  The educational program consisted of a discussion panel format which inspired a lively discussion about several hot topics related to troubleshooting the building enclosure. The following topics were discussed:

• Moisture in roofing: construction generated moisture and moisture in concrete
• Roof drain design
• Air barrier detailing
• Product compatibility
• Testing technologies

Troubleshooting the building enclosure is a broad subject with many facets.  Contributions from the audience provided a well-rounded perspective with representation from designers, contractors, and manufacturers alike.  Chapter members and guests, regardless of their stake in the industry, provided insightful input which captured the essence of why IIBEC’s diverse membership is one of its strongest qualities.  Tabletop exhibitors for the event consisted of A&D Products LLC, Division 7-23 Group LLC, SJ Mallein & Associates, Tecta America Corp., and Versico Roofing Systems.  A round of golf followed the educational program giving everyone the opportunity to end their week with some friendly competition.  This year marked IIBEC-Chicago’s 3^rd annual golf event.

On April 27, 2019, members of the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants Chicago Area Chapter (IIBEC-Chicago) participated with the Chicago Chapter of the Construction Specification Institute (CSI on National Rebuilding Day.  This event partners with about 100 organizations to rehab dozens of homes in Chicago.

The selected homeowner was Mrs. Smith, a loving and endearing 93 year old woman who lives in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago with her recently disable daughter Gloria (63), who is confined to a wheelchair after suffering a stroke.  They have lived in their home for the past 46 years.  The Smith’s home was in need of major ADA improvements and repairs.  Through the support of IIBEC-Chicago, and many other donors and volunteers, the following repairs were able to be made:

• General Electrical upgrade to the residence
• All rooms were re-painted
• Carpeting was installed in 4 rooms
• Extensive work on kitchen area
• 2 bathrooms were upgraded and now conform to ADA requirements
• General Yard Clean up
• Installed a new wheelchair lift at the front door including concrete walk and pad.

A full recap of the event, including a list of all volunteers and donors, can be found at the following link:  https://www.csiresources.org/chicagochapter/blogs/beth-winkler/2019/05/22/2019-rebuilding-together.

IIBEC-Chicago was honored to be part of this National Rebuilding Day and proudly received a Champion Supporter Award from the CSI Chicago Foundation for our support of this event.  We look forward to participating in future National Rebuilding Days.

RCI, Inc. is embracing its future.  As of April 1, 2019, RCI, Inc., a nonprofit association originally incorporated in 1983 as the Roof Consultants Institute (RCI), has officially become the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC; pronounced eye-bec).

The change, approved by membership after extensive study, brand assessment, and industrywide feedback, will align the association’s name and brand with its purpose and strategy heading into the future.

RCI has grown from a small core of dedicated roof consultants to represent some 3,500+ members, comprised of building enclosure consultants and other industry stakeholders specializing in roofing, waterproofing, and exterior wall specification and design. The evolving focus of the institute’s members in embracing the entire building enclosure called for a name that would clearly define its purpose as:

• An international association
• A professional institute representing building enclosure consultants – architects, engineers and others such as ex-contractors who have gained the required education and experience
• A knowledge hub and leading authority on all things building enclosure (roofing, waterproofing and exterior walls)
• Striving to become more diverse and to attract younger generations
• Endeavoring to increase exposure, recognition and usage of the institute’s resources by nonmember architects and engineers, government agencies (state and federal), as well as end-users such as school boards, universities, facility managers, etc.

Please join us in celebrating our new name.

The Chicago Area Chapter of RCI, Inc. (CAC-RCI) hosted its Annual Meeting and Program for the 16th consecutive year on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.  The meeting was held at Hamburger University in Oak Brook, IL. Approximately 110 consultants, architects, engineers, contractors, facility managers, and manufacturers participated in the one-day program that featured four technical presentations (six CEHs) and ample networking opportunities.

Tabletop exhibitors included: Architectural Building Solutions, A&D Products LLC, BASF, International Leak Detection, SJ Mallein & Associates, Tecta America, Siplast, and Situra.

Technical sessions included: “Restoration of the World’s Largest Commercial Marble-Clad Building – Detroit’s Fisher Building” by Ziad Salameh of ZS LLC; “Concrete Deck Moisture Issues: Causes and Preventative Measures” by Pete Baker of Sika Sarnafil; “Roofing and Exterior Wall Requirements of the International Building Code” by Rich Walke, Alpesh Patel, and Aldo Jimenez of Underwriters Laboratories; and “Building Enclosure Trends and Outlook: To Infinity and Beyond!″ by Elise Love of WJE and Patrick Reicher of RRJ.

Following the technical sessions, President Jeff Valentine convened a brief CAC-RCI Chapter business meeting before turning over the gavel to the new CAC-RCI President, Charlie Sietmann. Awards were presented to Tecta-America as the Exhibitor of the Year, and to Mr. Kami Farahmandpour who received the chapter’s Distinguished Service Award.

The proceedings then adjourned to the CAC Building Envelope Foundation’s Fourth Annual Cocktail Reception. This year’s cocktail reception was co-sponsored by SOPREMA.

As with previous years’ programs, CAC-RCI coordinated efforts with the Chicago Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA), which held its 36^th Annual Trade Show at the nearby Drury Lane Conference Center the two days following the CAC-RCI Annual Meeting.

The Chicago Area Chapter of RCI, Inc. (CAC-RCI) hosted its Fall Meeting and Program on Friday, November 2, 2018 at Revolution Brewing BrewPub, located in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. A mixture of building consultants, contractors, architects, engineers, facility managers, and product manufacturers participated in the one-day meeting and program that featured lunch, 2 technical presentations, a brewery tour, and a networking happy hour.

Table-top exhibitors including Architectural Building Solutions (ABS), Soprema, Sika Sarnafil, SJ Mallein & Associates, and Hunter Panels offered a wide range of product displays and information for meeting attendees, and sponsored a networking happy hour following the meeting.

The 1-hour technical sessions included “Managing Project Specific Details – Real time Collaboration Between the Design Professional and Product Specialist” by Dave Kimball, PROSOCO; and “Wind Warranties vs Wind Uplift Requirements for Roofing Systems” by Joe Schwetz, Sika Sarnafil.

Following the meeting and program, attendees were offered a private guided brewery tour that provided an up-close glimpse of the brewing process, packaging, and bourbon barrel-aging at Revolution.

Overall, the afternoon was filled with great speakers, networking, and delicious beer.

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