Education
The courses found below are sponsored by PIMA. All courses are managed and maintained by AEC Daily - one of the world's largest sources of FREE continuing education for Architects, Engineers and Construction Professionals. You will need an AEC Daily user account to complete these courses. You can create one, or log in here.
Online Courses
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Exterior Wall Fire Performance with Polyiso CI for Types I–IV Construction
The increase in building energy efficiency requirements has led to the use of exterior continuous insulation (CI) to improve the performance of the building envelope. This presentation reviews the benefits of polyiso continuous insulation and then examines in detail the NFPA 285 test standard and fire safety requirements of the 2021 International Building Code for the use of polyisocyanurate insulation in exterior walls of commercial buildings (Construction Types I–IV).
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International Code Requirements for Reroofing Commercial Buildings
Roofing is one of the most common renovation projects on commercial buildings. Upgrading a roof assembly to meet current building standards provides an opportunity to save energy and maintain the necessary fire and structural performance. This course reviews the code requirements for commercial reroofing and discusses how reroofing can improve a building’s energy efficiency.
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Polyiso CI for Code-Compliant Walls in Type V and Residential Construction
Continuous insulation is part of building standards and state and energy codes due to its ability to reduce thermal bridging and the associated heat loss and energy consumption. This course looks at the use of polyisocyanurate as a continuous insulation in Type V and residential construction and its use as a multifunctional envelope component—air barrier, weather-resistive barrier, and vapor retarder—by reviewing code requirements for the building envelope.
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Polyiso CI for Code-Compliant Walls in Types I–IV Construction
There are a multitude of building envelope products used and a variety of methods taken for achieving energy and building code requirements. Understanding the different roles a product plays in the envelope simplifies its design. In this course, we take a look at the code requirements for buildings classified as IBC Types I–IV, paths to achieving compliance, and the number of roles polyisocyanurate insulation plays in meeting these requirements.
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The ABCs of EPDs: An Introduction to Environmental Product Declarations for Building Designers and Managers
The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is not just an idea about how to “grade the greenness” of products; it is a well-developed, globally recognized way to make responsible comparisons and decisions regarding sustainable material design and continuous improvement. This course discusses the concept of the EPD as applied to building materials and how to integrate EPDs into design and product selection decisions. Detailed information from different thermal insulation EPDs is used to demonstrate how thermal insulation provides a unique and significant payback in terms of energy and environmental impacts.
Polyiso Insulation
Polyiso is a closed-cell, rigid foam board insulation used in roof and wall assemblies within commercial and residential buildings of all types. Because of its high thermal performance, it is the product of choice for energy-aware architects, specifiers, builders, building owners, contractors and consumers.
Learn MoreContinuous Insulation
National model energy codes emphasize the use of continuous insulation systems, which provide a continuous insulation layer over an entire wall, not just in the wall cavities.
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