National Institute of Building Sciences

Strengthening Infrastructure: Mitigating the Climate Crisis
2022-12-06 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
This session of the Infrastructure 2022 webinar series will highlight disaster preparation projects to address worsening natural disasters. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is the largest-ever federal investment in climate change.
The IIJA earmarked $8 billion for wildfire management, $6 billion for drought management, $8.3 billion for water storage and sanitation, and $12.5 billion for flood mitigation. Funds will be filtered through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Department of the Interior to state and local governments.
Join our expert panel, as they discuss community resilience, the role infrastructure plays, challenges and opportunities, and perspectives from researchers, practitioners, federal programs, and policymakers.

EV Revolution, GM RE100 Goal and General Motors Perspective
2023-04-25 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
The EV revolution is here, and GM is focused on efforts that drive a 0,0,0, future (Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, and Zero Congestion). A crucial transformation of our transport system to EV is necessary, if we are to achieve the goals of climate change, while at the same time decarbonizing the grid. Maintaining reliability is essential.
This presentation will highlight GM’s key efforts in electrification, while detailing GM’s 4-Pillar Strategy to achieve the RE100 Goal. Included will be various technologies and services GM is launching that combined with recent actions by Congress (The Inflation Reduction Act) and Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act will provide and why these are important.
General Motors is a leading player in this field. The presentation also will highlight GM’s Sustainability goals and product transformation to meet our aspiration to make our entire flight of light duty vehicles EVs by 2035. The challenges facing this industry will be discussed as well as how GM proposes to meet them.

Women Executives in Building Symposium
2023-05-24 10:00 - 17:30 UTC
Women in the built environment are daring the rest of us to confront stereotypes that lead to harmful hiring practices and personnel policies that reinforce barriers of the past and continue to hold women back. These groundbreakers defy the odds in the male-dominated industries that support the built environment, and they must be aligned to increase awareness and diversity, particularly for young women who may be considering careers in the AECO industry.
In this edition of the Women’s Leadership Forum, the National Institute of Building Sciences will convene female leaders from all sectors of the built environment to a one-day event. Here, we will share successes, challenges, network, and equip females in the built environment with actionable strategies to overcome the hurdles women often face in the workplace, and specifically in the building industry. NIBS will provide the platform.
Women in the industry: Come ready to join forces and empower each other, drive results, and inspire change focused on diversifying the workforce.
This event will be filled with immersive learning for female leaders in the built environment, networking opportunities, facilitated panel discussions, and keynotes.
Presentations
Delta Controls Intro
Green Building Initiative Intro
Social Media and Your Personal Brand
Resiliency A Business Imperative with Profitable Benefits
My Path to Success & the Importance of Technology to the Building Lifecycle
Social Sciences, Natural Hazards Mitigation, and the Built Environment

Total Cost of Ownership – Maintenance of Essential Data
2023-06-01 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is an accepted approach to gather all the costs associated with ownership of a facility over its life. The inputs to TCO are drawn from several sources and require transparency and collaboration. However, as several of these inputs are forecasts, the resultant TCO is affected by the accuracy of the input data as well as changes to the input data over time. TCO is not static, it requires periodic recalculation and review to ensure accuracy. Like Earned Value Analysis, updated information results in changes to the TCO projections. When TCO is first calculated, assumptions are made about annual expenditures for operations and utilities as well as the life cycle and renewal costs for the many components and systems. Deviations in annual expenditures can be magnified over time resulting in significant under or over valuation of TCO. Likewise, assumed life cycles may be inaccurate and affect TCO. Examples of TCO sensitivity to annual expenditures and other assumptions will be presented as well as opportunities for research into TCO variability. Attendees will learn about TCO, the sensitivity TCO to variations of the inputs, and where to pay attention to inputs and measurements.
Learning objectives
Attendees will be able to:

Describe the five elements of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Calculate the values that comprise TCO
Identify factors that affect annual cost inputs to TCO
Demonstrate how annual cost inputs change over time

The Intersect of Resilience, Low-Embodied Carbon, and LCCA in Materials Selection
2023-10-03 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
Priorities in material selection have changed. From global environmental objectives to specific federal policy changes, the way we go about material selection and justifications must check several boxes. This presentation will outline how climate resilience, low-embodied carbon materials objectives, and LCCA intersect while also providing separate important data points in the evaluation of materials for each client project. The panelists’ significant experience on federal and private sector projects will provide valuable lessons learned to improve the sustainability impact and performance of all buildings.
Learning Objectives
Understand the environmental drivers that are reshaping business as usual to focus on specifying low-embodied carbon materials within federal and commercial real estate sectors.
Recognize the different expectations for applying consideration of climate resilience (risk), global warming potential (net zero), and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) for each project based on a variety of client objectives.
Recognize that building cost decisions should be made with an understanding of long-term economic and environmental impacts instead of merely upfront costs.
Identify opportunities for each evaluation in materials selection to contribute to ESG reporting, green building certification, and federal compliance.

Accelerating Digital Transformation with the U.S. National BIM Program
2023-11-23 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
The U.S. built environment has yet to realize the full benefits of digital transformation. NIBS is leading the development and dissemination of next-gen practice standards and processes for the built environment. The U.S. National BIM Program will provide a step-change in capacity, creating a platform and community to support the next phase of digital innovation.
In this session we will outline the framework of the program, including its core values and goals, as well as the industry workgroups identified to achieve success. We’ll also explore the five-year plan for the program (past, present, and future), the purpose of the workstreams, and the connection to specific stakeholder groups.

Cyber-Physical Impact Modeling Webinar
2023-11-28 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
The risk profile of current and emerging cyber threats to commercial and institutional building sites cannot be overstated. Sites include and may not be limited to critical utilities such as electric, water and waste management, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, airports, stadiums, office buildings, prisons, and courts. Protecting these sites from bad actions or errors from employees can minimize outside takeover of operational systems, risk to loss of life, personal injury, and harm to the environment. Threats are being orchestrated by increasingly sophisticated bad actors that can include nation-states, terrorists, organized crime syndicates, and other individual or sponsored hackers. This panel will review a framework architected by a non-profit entity called BuildingCyberSecurity.Org to assign a risk assessment score at each site using a method called cyber-physical impact modeling (CIM).
This approach serves to incentivize comprehensive enhancement of technology, processes, and training to respond to a rapidly evolving cyber-physical threat. The strategic intent is to achieve the highest short- and long-term reduction of risk and cost that may be triggered by a disruption or adverse alteration to building operations, per highest emphasis on hazard mitigation from personal injury, loss of life, and harm to the environment. Core to each CIM is harmonizing existing government frameworks, such as ISA/IES 62443 and the NIST Tier Model and convert for private industry adoption, as per application of subject matter expertise in: a). Building Management Systems; b) Telecom networks; c). Artificial Intelligence; d). Data science; e). IoT sensors; f) Environmental health and safety policies; and g). Digital twins for virtual interactions and behavioral mapping to understand and apply correlations to targeted business outcomes. A resulting learning curve provides decision makers evidence-based logic to optimize risk reduction with workplace satisfaction and financial outcomes. It is the intent of this panel to foster a collaborative and forward-thinking discussion to drive positive change in the building sector.
Learning objectives:

Understand that the risk profile of current and emerging cyber threats to undermine the functional, operational, and safety needs of occupants and owners of commercial and institutional buildings cannot be overstated.
Discover the need for a trusted cyber-physical framework for scoring the risk profile to protect building management systems and reduce risks to life, safety, and health for protection of employees and visitors.
Gain understanding and access to implement a market-driven cyber-physical framework (CIM) created by cyber-secure stakeholders to improve physical citizen security and safety.
Understand that the strategic intent of this framework is to achieve the highest short- and long-term reduction of risk and cost that may be triggered by a disruption or adverse alteration to building operations, with the highest emphasis on hazard mitigation for personal injury, loss of life, and harm to the environment.

Innovations and Operations: Developments in Sustainable Precast Concrete
2023-12-12 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Precast concrete is a durable and resilient material that provides many benefits to efficient, sustainable structures in the long term. While precast concrete has an upfront CO2 impact, the industry is working to reduce GHG emissions and increase the efficiency of its products.
This presentation will discuss technical innovations to reduce the carbon footprint of precast concrete and examine current process improvements that are pushing the industry forward to a more sustainable future.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn about attributes, benefits, and considerations of using precast concrete in the holistic design of sustainable structures.
Participants will understand established and developing technologies aimed at reducing the environmental impact of precast concrete.
Attendees will discover process improvements, production efficiencies, and other producer efforts that are creating GHG reductions today.
We will demonstrate ways that precast concrete producers are lowering the environmental impact of their products, and how projects are achieving sustainability goals with concrete.

Off-site Construction: Delivering Better Buildings
2024-03-26 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
There is no shortage of excuses not to build differently, but the current challenges we face as a building industry and society are becoming too tenuous to continue the status quo. From workforce availability and jobsite safety to housing affordability and availability, building quality and sustainability – we need solutions.
With national housing costs rising 52 percent from 2017 to 2022, off-site construction offers an affordable solution, capable of curbing construction timelines and reducing costs. Off-site construction can deliver projects 20 percent to 50 percent faster than traditional methods, which can provide cost savings of up to 20 percent. However, off-site construction makes up only a small proportion of construction activity.
This session will explore some of the challenges to the widespread deployment of off-site construction and how off-site construction leaders are working to overcome these challenges. Specific attention will be paid to the critical importance of aligning design, manufacture, finance and regulations to deliver successful projects. From barriers and best practices to finance and regulation, this session will discuss why off-site construction is a solution to drive innovation and sustainability.

Learning Objectives

Inform participants on the current challenges across the building and construction sector and explore solutions provided by off-site construction.
Develop understanding of off-site construction methods and current innovative trends across the industry.
Explore the current state of off-site construction regulation and provide an examination of the regulatory landscape through available resources.
Establish knowledge of the sustainability and affordability features of off-site construction and opportunities to integrate building innovation through relevant success cases.

NIBS congressional briefing
2024-05-07 12:00 - 13:00 UTC | Rayburn Congressional Office Building, Room 2325, Rayburn Congressional Office Building, Room 2325
NIBS NEHRP AND NWIRP CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP)
National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP)
National Institute of Building Sciences
in cooperation with the
United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Nearly half of all Americans live and work in high seismic regions throughout the United States. These regions currently have $108 trillion of national building assets and the work of NEHRP must continue to mitigate risk from earthquakes.
Separately, windstorms are responsible for 60% of the nation’s total damage from natural disasters. Human and economic recovery from these events can take years, even decades. The negative impacts from windstorm damage will only increase as “Tornado Alley” creeps eastward, making future risk mitigation from the work of NWIRP just as crucial.
NEHRP and NWIRP rely upon the nation’s experts to conduct applied and basic research, share cutting-edge knowledge with community stakeholders, and take action to protect American lives and livelihoods through prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation practices. Both programs enable our nation’s security and prosperity.
The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), a Congressionally chartered building science organization, along with our partners, invite you to an important and time-sensitive briefing where we will:

Share and celebrate some of the success stories that Congress, lead agencies, and the private sector have collaboratively achieved over the past 46 years. Speaker: John Hooper, a National Academy of Engineering member and leader in building code and standard development (see page 3 of Briefing Summary).
Discuss the future of community resilience requirements. Speaker: Dr. Daniel Kaniewski, former Deputy Administrator for Resilience with FEMA and leader in emergency management, insurance, and policy (see pages 4-5 of Briefing Summary).
Share and describe recommended Congressional priorities for advancing our nation’s safety, preparedness, and resilience. Speaker: Dr. Lucy Arendt, Chair of the NEHRP Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction (see pages 6-7 of Briefing Summary).

Hon. Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, NAC, CCM, LEED AP
Interim CEO, NIBS
11th Architect of Capitol
Supporting Organizations:
American Institute of Architects (AIA)
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA)
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Applied Technology Council (ATC)
BuildStrong America
California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP)
Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup (CREW)
Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC)
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI)
International Code Council (ICC)
International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)
Reinsurance Association of America (RAA)
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA)
National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
Seismological Society of America (SSA)
Steel Tube Institute (STI)
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

NIBS Lifeline Infrastructure Hub Workshop
2024-05-21 13:00 - 18:00 UTC
National Press Club, Room: The Fourth Estate

From the flow of electricity to the pulse of communication, from the arteries of transportation to the veins of water supply, these essential systems quietly weave together the fabric of our society. Often taken for granted in their seamless operation, it’s only during moments of disruption that we truly recognize their paramount importance.
As natural disasters become more frequent and devastating, safeguarding these lifeline services emerges as a critical imperative. The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), an institution in the realm of building science, is poised to lead the charge in addressing these challenges. Join us as we embark on a collaborative journey towards community resilience and disaster recovery at the Lifeline Infrastructure Hub.

Launching on May 21st, 2024, the Lifeline Infrastructure Hub is an ambitious initiative aimed at fostering robust partnerships across government, the private sector, and various stakeholders. Together, we’ll confront Lifeline Gaps, tackle National and Public Priorities, devise innovative policies, and engineer solutions to fortify our infrastructure against future calamities.
Our esteemed attendees represent a diverse array of stakeholders from across the built environment, including renowned organizations such as:

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Applied Technology Council
BuildStrong America
CB&I Storage Tank Solutions LLC
Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium
Chevron
City of Portland Environmental Services
Department of Homeland Security, Science & Technology Directorate
U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT)
DeSimone Consulting Engineering
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Power Company
Guy Carpenter
IEM
ImageCat, Inc.
Lehigh University
Moulton Niguel Water District

National Emergency Management Association (NEMA)
National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
National Science Foundation(NSF)
Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command
NYC Department of Buildings
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E)
Portland State University
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Seft Consulting Group LLC
Southern California Edison
STV Inc.
House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
Texas A & M University
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
University of Delaware
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Pittsburgh
Wavelength Infrastructure
White House- National Security Council

This convergence of industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators underscores the urgency and breadth of our mission.
Join us at the forefront of innovation and resilience. Together, let’s build a future where our lifelines remain unbroken, even in the face of adversity.

Schedule

12:30-1:00 pm
Check in and networking

1:00– 1:15 pm
Welcome, NIBS & Lifeline Infrastructure Hub Introduction
JQ Yuan

1:15-2:00 pm
Panel: Lifeline National Gap and Future Directions

Daniel Kaniewski, Committee on Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate Chair and LIH Advisory Panel member
Greg Soules, BSSC PUC and Functional Recovery Committee member and ASCE 7 Chair
Ron Eguchi, LIH Advisory Panel Chair

Moderator:
Yumei Wang

2:00-2:50 pm
Panel: Public and Private Partnership to Strengthen the Nation’s Lifeline Infrastructure.
1. Madhu Beriwal, IEM and National Infrastructure Advisor Council
2. Derrick Hiebert, FEMA
3. Jason Averill, NIST
4. Ken Hudnut, Southern California Edison
Moderator:
Sissy Nikolaou

2:50-3:05 pm
Break

3:05-3:55 pm
Panel with Policy Leaders

Caitlin A. Durkovich, National Security Council, White House
Lauren Gros, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Natalie Enclade, BuildStrong America

Moderator:
Daniel Kaniewski

3:55– 4:50 pm
Public Input (Open Q&A, open discussion, and survey)
Moderator:
Iris Tien

4:50-5:00 pm
Wrap-Up and Next Steps
JQ Yuan

5:00-6:00pm
Reception at The Zenger Room, on-site at the Press Club
All

Digital Twinning in Practice: Insights, Potentials, and Challenges
2024-06-03 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Digital twins – detailed digital replicas of physical buildings – are recognized for enhancing design, management, and operational processes.
This session will present the fundamentals of digital twin technology, its integration with building information modeling (BIM), and the creation of interactive, real-time building models. It will highlight the technology’s role in optimizing various stages of a building’s lifecycle, from planning to operation.
Attendees will learn about the application of digital twins in the building sector through case studies. These examples will demonstrate the technology’s impact on occupant health, environmental sustainability, and operational efficiency. The presentation also will address challenges in adopting digital twins, including industry standardization, setup costs, data privacy, skill requirements, and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration.

Learning Objectives

Understanding digital twin basics
Real-world applications and case studies
Navigating implementation challenges and potential solutions
Exploring common use cases
Anticipating future trends and innovations

U.S. Design Guidance for CLT Floor Systems with Residential and Office Occupancy Loads
2024-06-11 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Mass timber structural systems are gaining popularity in U.S. construction of multi-unit residential buildings and office buildings for a number of reasons. Mass timber is well suited for prefabrication and reduced construction schedules, has low embodied carbon, can be exposed aesthetically, and can be built taller than traditional light-framed wood construction.
Because modern uses for mass timber are relatively recent, practitioners are still learning about mass timber system selection, relevant design provisions for mass timber structures, and design decisions’ effects on final design performance. Many guides and tools for mass timber structural design exist; however, these resources offer limited guidance during the early design stage when key decisions are made. Further, the available resources do not typically link multiple design goals to each other to understand how early-stage design decisions affect multiple project goals.
Based on the parametric modeling of mass timber floor structures, this presentation discusses design guidance for early decision-making related to the following performance goals: embodied carbon, fire design, structural depth, floor mass, and acoustic insulation. The discussed guidance and related parametric model data will be included in a free design guide to be released at the end of the year as part of the AIA Upjohn Research Initiative.

Learning Objectives

Discover how parametric modelling generates data for the early-stage design of mass timber floor structures.
Understand how design decisions related to floor structure type and layout, bay size, bay aspect ratio, and prescriptive fire design strategy affect design goals.
Learn how mass timber floor systems perform for embodied carbon, structural design, and acoustic insulation.
Apply early-stage design guidance to mass timber floor structures.

Unlocking the Metaverse: The Cyber-Physical Relationship
2024-06-16 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Emerging tech solutions like Metaverse, AI, Blockchain and Digital Twins are providing opportunities and challenges for the built environment. Join the author of “Unlocking the Metaverse: A Strategic Guide for the Future of the Built Environment”, published by John Wiley & Sons, for an exploration of real-world solutions and projects that are challenging our industry and discover how to deliver successful solutions for you, your projects, and your company. The Age of Cyber-Physical relationships is before us, will you meet the challenge?

Learning Objectives

Understand the new technology terms and definitions so you can make informed decisions.
Identify the value that Digital Twins, Metaverse, AI and Blockchain provide you.
Implement practical slotting of technology and innovation strategies and solutions that meet market needs.
Position you and your company to meet the challenges and opportunities the next generation of the Internet and data management in the form of Metaverse and Blockchain provide.

Women Executives in Building Symposium
2024-06-17 08:30 - 16:00 UTC
Join us for another thought-provoking Women Executives in Building Symposium. This event is focused on women’s leadership in the built environment. The symposium is designed to empower and inspire women in the industry to reach new heights in their careers. From interactive discussions to networking opportunities, attendees will gain valuable insights and strategies for success in a male-dominated industry. NIBS, with the help of our partners, are thrilled to offer this transformative experience and opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals. Reach out to Jennifer Hitzke, jhitzke@nibs.org, if you are interested in attending this invitation only event.
If you’re interested in learning about our exclusive sponsorship opportunities, please view the prospectus here.

Schedule

Time

Coffee and name tag pickup
8:30am – 9:00am

Welcome
Stephen Ayers, Interim Chief Executive Officer, NIBS
9:00am – 9:25am

A Global Construction Perspective
Tracy Thomas, Managing Director for Construction, Facility & Security Management, U.S. Dept. of State Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations
9:30am – 10:10am

Is the Built Environment Workforce Actually Changing for Women?
Vicki Worden, President & CEO, Green Building Initiative (moderator)
Indra Gutierrez, President, Gutier
Laura Dwyer, Business Development Leader, DuPont Performance Building Solutions
Jennifer Dewees, President, Maryland Center for Construction Education and Innovation
10:15am – 11:00am

Break
11:00am – 11:15am

Women in Government
Christine Merdon, CEO/Founder, Merdon Strategies
Marcy Weldin, Deputy Legislative Director, Army Programs, NGAUS
Alice Yates, Director of Government Affairs, ASHRAE
11:15am – 12:00pm

Networking Lunch
12:00pm – 12:45pm

Women & Financial Health: What You Can’t Afford to Miss
Matthew Koppelman WMCP®, Financial Planner, Prudential
Craig Schubert, RFC®, Financial Planner, Prudential
12:50pm – 1:30pm

The Role of Women in the Housing Industry
Ashley Prendergast Northcutt, President & CEO, National Women’s Affordable Housing Network
Emily Cadik, CEO, Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition
Regina Gray, Director, Affordable Housing Research & Technology, Policy Development & Research, HUD
1:35pm – 2:15pm

Roundtable Discussions
2:25pm – 2:55pm

Symposium Close
Rebecca Liko, Chief Financial Officer, NIBS
2:55pm – 3:00pm

Networking Reception
3:00pm – 4:00pm

The Circular Economy – A Pathway to Net Zero
2024-06-20 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-20 11:00 - 12:00 UTC
The built environment consumes 40% of all resources globally, generally following the take-make-waste linear economy.
By contrast, the circular economy in the built environment is a systems-based industrial framework designed to tackle global sustainability challenges, such as climate change, waste, and biodiversity loss. In a circular economy, products and materials are reused, repaired, recycled, or repurposed to create new products, contributing to a more sustainable and resource-efficient economy.
A circular economy is a crucial component of the pathway to net zero. It’s being used by several companies, including Desso, Interface Carpet, IKEA, and Patagonia. It’s also been a long-standing pathway for William McDonough’s Cradle to Cradle concept for architectural design.
Further, the latest U.S. Acts (IRA, CHIPS, and IIJA) include circular economy goals as a way forward to:

recirculating critical materials
federal buy clean initiative
extending product lifecycles
reducing greenhouse gas emissions
creating new industries and jobs
avoiding unnecessary disposal of products and materials to mitigate emissions associated with embodied carbon

In this webinar, attendees will learn about the elements of the circular economy and why it is a resilient and timely system that is good for business, people, and the environment.

Learning Objectives

The difference between a linear economy and a circular economy.
The shift from product lifecycles to material lifecycles.
How the circular economy establishes links between sustainable resource management and digital technologies, such as BIM, IoT, Sensors, Asset Management, and Digital Twins.
How a shift in design and earlier intervention can create new innovative approaches and business models in the built environment.

The Intersection of AI and Building Sciences: A New Era of Intelligent Infrastructure
2024-06-25 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in facility design, construction, and operation is revolutionizing our industry, fueling both excitement and apprehension as professionals navigate this rapidly evolving landscape. As AI technologies continue to advance, early adopters have experienced a spectrum of outcomes, ranging from groundbreaking successes to unexpected challenges.
In this session, we will delve into the captivating world of AI applications in the building sciences, share the lessons learned by these pioneers, and present outcomes from a series of global webinars that the National Institute of Building Sciences, Asset Leadership Network, and American Institute of Architects have participated in.
Our discussion will explore the transformative impact of AI on digital twins, industry standards, building information modeling (BIM), resiliency, sustainability, and more. Participants will gain an introductory understanding of how AI can be harnessed to optimize various aspects of the design, construction, and operation processes in the building industry. The presenters will share recent observations from the BuildingsAI conference about how Owners and the C-Suite are starting to notice the value of their data, how AI can use it, and how AI is driving the need for standards to reduce “building hallucinations.”
Moreover, this session will present valuable methods and processes that promote effective communication and collaboration among architects, stakeholders, and AI tools. By adopting these techniques, attendees can drive project outcomes and contribute to the development of safer, healthier, and more sustainable built environments. Case studies, practical examples, and insights from the global webinar series will be shared, illustrating the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI in the building sciences.
View the Webinar Slides

Fostering Collaboration for Climate Adaptation and Decarbonization in the Built Environment
2024-07-09 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
In a time characterized by rising climate extremes, this session underscores the significance of bridging the gap between the public and private sectors to effectively prepare for climate challenges. Led by experts from Arcadis, the session will delve into two key aspects of climate action: climate mitigation, which focuses on energy conservation and sustainable operational practices, and climate adaptation, which emphasizes readiness for extreme weather.
The evolving regulatory environment, exemplified by measures like Local Law 97, now positions decarbonization of the built environment as a necessity rather than a choice.
Speakers will share case studies of successful responses to risks following extreme weather events over the past decade and long-term public initiatives. By demonstrating the long-term cost savings for private owners through reduced insurance claims and damages and to public cities/agencies by preventing or reducing future hazard response and recovery costs, the discussion will underscore the benefits of public-private collaboration in working toward adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change.
Arcadis, renowned for its expertise in sustainable development and resilience, will moderate the panel discussion. Through Arcadis’ Dutch roots and metropolitan clients such as the city of Rotterdam, New York City and Miami, there is tremendous potential to re-evaluate urban areas in a way that they are climate resilient and include other measures to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Learning Objectives

Understand the value proposition associated with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) performance, including the benefits and significance of effectively implementing ESG practices within buildings.
Understand the current state of practice of climate resilience planning and risk preparedness in the public and private sector through best practice introductions.
Understand climate risk mitigation through risk scoring and defining base and design flood elevations for built assets, performing vulnerability assessments, and defining conceptual solution strategies for flood mitigation.
Learn from real-world examples, such as Battery Park City in New York City, and 7 Square Endeavour in Rotterdam, on how private sector investments can supplement public resources for an integrative approach on climate resilience, decarbonization and hazard mitigation.

Introduction to 2024 Edition of the IRC/IBC Seismic Design Category Maps and FEMA’s Building Code Strategy Implementation to Advance National Building Code Adoption
2024-07-11 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Virtual Event

Join us for an inside look into the 2024 editions of the Seismic Design Category (SDC) Maps for the International Residential Code (IRC) and International Building Code (IBC). The SDC maps were developed under FEMA’s responsibilities within the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and have been adopted by the 2024 IRC and IBC. This webinar is one of FEMA NEHRP’s outreach activities to keep at-risk communities and relevant professionals informed about the latest seismic hazard information for building design and construction. As one of the four NEHRP agencies, FEMA NEHRP’s responsibilities include helping translate and implement research results and lessons learned from recent earthquakes into practical guidance through publications, tools, trainings and building code work to improve the Nation’s earthquake resilience.
Seismic design maps illustrate the varying earthquake demands considered in the design of buildings and other structures across the U.S. and territories. These maps also provide general earthquake hazard information and informing earthquake risk reduction projects.
The concept of the SDC integrates several key factors that influence seismic performance of structures, including potential earthquake ground motions, site soil amplification of ground motions, structure size and configuration, and structure occupancy and use.
This webinar also will feature an introduction to FEMA’s Building Code Strategy program, advancing the adoption and enforcement of hazard-resistant building codes and standards for FEMA programs. The program’s goals and objectives focus on leveraging partnerships to promote current hazard-resistant building codes and understanding stakeholder needs to identify opportunities that advance building code adoption and enforcement.

Learning Objectives

Learn the illustration objectives and development process of the 2024 IRC/IBC Seismic Design Category Maps through FEMA NEHRP.
Understand how to use the SDC maps to assess seismic hazard and risk.
Recognize when the SDC maps apply to different building types and locations.
Learn how the FEMA Building Code Strategy supports building code adoption through FEMA grant programs and partnerships with other Federal Agencies.

NASA’s POWER Project: Global Solar Insolation, Meteorological Parameter Data, and Web Services to Support Sustainable Building Design and Operations
2024-07-31 14:00 - 15:00 UTC | Virtual Event
The building industry is striving to adopt green solutions to make infrastructure more energy efficient to meet the 2050 net-zero climate goals.
Planning requires reliable environmental datasets that are crucial in designing, building, and maintaining the global built environment, as well as other energy-related processes and investments. NASA’s Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) Project informs decision-making and development for sustainable building design and operations by enabling public open discovery, efficient access, and convenient distribution of NASA’s Earth Observations and atmospheric model datasets to support three focus areas: 1) renewable energy deployment and management, 2) sustainable infrastructure, and 3) agroclimatology applications.
To this end, solar data from several NASA projects and meteorological data from NASA assimilation models have already been reformatted and disseminated to the public via a user-friendly web GIS-enabled based data portal through the POWER platform.
The POWER Data Access Viewer (DAV) also features data consistent with ASHRAE Climate Design Conditions and has developed web image services showing building climate zones and their variability. Through those tools, the data can be downloaded into multiple formats that support the infrastructure community, including CSV, Geo-JSON, and Energy Plus Weather (EPW).

Learning Objectives

Provide an overview of the NASA POWER Project’s data and services developed in collaboration with the sustainable infrastructure community
Discuss the data sources and the process of determining their uncertainties
Feature brief demonstrations of using the DAV to obtain parameters
Discuss examples of how the renewable energy and building communities have utilized POWER data products to make decisions and preview of future data product expansion, including climate projections, and web services will also be provided

Construction and Fire Risk: An Insurance Perspective
2024-08-01 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-01 13:00 - 14:30 UTC
Buildings are built using a variety of construction types, methods, and materials. There are many risks to property and occupants, including fire, water, intrusion, extreme weather, and other natural disasters.
Developers and owners of multifamily buildings must insure these buildings during construction and occupancy over the building lifetime against these risks. Fire, however, continues to result in more fatalities in the United States than all other disasters combined.
Jeff Benson will present on the current state of the construction insurance marketplace, focusing on underwriting issues related to the increasing wildfire exposures around the country and how construction materials affect availability and cost of insurance for projects under construction.
Shamim Rashid-Sumar will provide an overview of the 2024 survey of insurance costs for multifamily buildings constructed with wood-frame and concrete, quantifying differences in costs to insure buildings of combustible versus non-combustible construction.
Dr. Anne Cope will discuss the ongoing wind and wildfire research of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). Dr. Cope will provide insights on how the findings lead to actionable resiliency guides and voluntary designation programs.

Learning Objectives

Understand the risk to buildings posed by fire.
Develop an awareness of the current state of the construction insurance marketplace.
Recognize how construction materials affect availability and cost of insurance for building projects.
Learn how current research in wind and wildfire translates into resiliency programs.

Integrating BIM and Digital Twins: Unveiling a Position Paper for the AECO Industry
2024-09-04 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-09-04 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Join us for an insightful webinar focused on the integration of BIM and Digital Twin technologies in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) industry. This session, based on a newly released position paper developed by the National Institute of Building Sciences and written by leading AEC practitioners, educators, consultants, and technology leaders, will dive into the innovations and efficiencies that these technologies bring.
The webinar will not only demystify technical capabilities and promote efficiency but also highlight the availability and key insights of this comprehensive position paper. Attendees will gain an understanding of the distinct yet complementary roles of BIM and Digital Twins and learn how the position paper will help with integrations and streamlining practices.

Learning Objectives

Understand the main takeaways from the newly released position paper on BIM and Digital Twins.
Explore the distinct yet complementary roles of BIM and Digital Twins.
Discover the importance of using existing data standards and clear use-cases.
Understand the importance of clear communication and proper use-case definitions.

The Intersection of Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency
2024-10-17 11:00 - 12:30 UTC
Public awareness of the need to improve indoor air quality (IAQ), ventilation, and air filtration in buildings greatly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Post-pandemic, several things have taken place: The Biden Administration announced the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge in 2022, held a White House Summit on Sustainable K-12 School Buildings and Grounds, and released a toolkit this past spring. In June 2023, ASHRAE finalized Standard 241, Control of Infectious Aerosols, a pioneering consensus-based standard that provides explicit requirements for airborne infection risk management, which have been absent for a century from IAQ standards. In July, Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act.
The Environmental Protection Agency refers to IAQ as the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce the risk of health concerns and is the job of everyone on the building team.
The U.S. Department of Energy defines energy efficiency as “the use of less energy to perform the same task or produce the same result.” As buildings use less energy, we need to know how indoor air quality is affected by:

Ventilation
Insulation
Building materials
Energy-efficient appliances
Control systems and operations

Balancing IAQ and energy efficiency is crucial to create healthy, comfortable, and sustainable buildings. By integrating efficient ventilation strategies, choosing the right materials, and utilizing advanced technologies, it is possible to enhance both IAQ and energy performance?
Our expert panel will discuss strategies for integration, including whole building design, performance monitoring, education, and workforce training.
Presentations
ASHRAE Presentation USGBC Presentation WELL Institute Presentation

Precast Protects Life: Healthy Buildings
2024-12-03 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
Precast, prestressed concrete is a durable material well known for its strength, resilience, and ability to protect the lives, livelihoods, and lifestyles of people and communities. Part of that equation is contributing to safe and healthy spaces where occupants can live and work.
This presentation will discuss how precast concrete can be used to create safe and healthy spaces. It will highlight case studies that utilized precast to accomplish goals.
Attendees will learn about attributes, benefits, and considerations of using precast concrete in the holistic design of healthy buildings. Participants also will understand what a healthy building is, as well as related programs and definitions to measure them.

Learning Objectives

Attendees will learn about attributes, benefits and considerations of using precast concrete in the holistic design of healthy buildings.
Participants will understand what a healthy building is, as well as related programs and definitions to measure them.
Attendees will discover ways that precast contributes to indoor environmental quality, fire/life safety, acoustics, daylighting and more.
Case studies will highlight healthy buildings that utilized precast to accomplish their goals.

Making Digital Twins useful via Mobile Robotics, AI, and Augmented Reality
2025-01-23 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
As the pioneer of BIM-based Digital Twin development, we’ve worked with the leading facility owners and builders, and the biggest challenges were related to creating BIMs for existing facilities, ensuring that new construction delivers BIMs that are of the appropriate quality, and making the created Digital Twins useful considering existing workforce isn’t used to new workflows. The Session will present how to address these challenges using the new technologies and processes.
Learning Objectives

Learn how to set up rules for BIM data and control its quality
Learn how Augmented Reality (AR) can make the adoption of BIM/Digital Twin easier
Learn how mobile robots (e.g. robot dogs or wheeled platforms) can utilize Digital Twins for automating redundant workflows.
Learn how AI/ML can be used to create BIMs from 2D floorplans.

Calculating Moisture Risk in Roofs
2025-02-20 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
The prevention of moisture accumulation in roof decks is a tale as old as roofs. Designers have traditionally used dew point analysis or the Glaser method to determine steady-state moisture risk in roof assemblies of buildings around the globe. However, building systems have become more complicated, and highly technical analysis software has become easier to access.
More designers are turning to hygrothermal analysis to get a more in-depth look at the performance of a roof assembly as components or building usage change over time; this helps account for future climate change or when sensitive materials or building occupants are involved.
This presentation will highlight the critical assumptions that go into different types of roof moisture models. It also will look at the impact of variables incorporated only in hygrothermal analysis, such as air leakage, moisture content of materials and reflectivity. Finally, this presentation will review previous research to show how the changing of basic assumptions can impact the results of both types of analysis – for better or worse.
Learning Objectives

Understand the key differences between the Glaser method and hygrothermal modeling.
Identify the impacts different variables have on roof hygrothermal models.
Determine when to use a Glaser method analysis versus a hygrothermal model to evaluate moisture risk.
Recognize how to hygrothermally model roof assemblies to reduce the risk of moisture issues.

The Importance of Standardized Data for Your Digital Twin
2025-03-13 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Many building owners are starting their transition to digital twins.
There are a plethora of use cases for a digital twin, but having standardized, accurate digital models as your foundation is key to being successful. It sometimes can be challenging to know what to ask for in a model and know that you are getting one that is useful.
Come see best practices for creating your own modeling standards and ensuring you are efficiently receiving valuable models. We will discuss examples of the right and wrong ways to define these standards and go over tips and best practices. Then, we will discover ways you can perform quick model compliance checking.

Learning Objectives

Understand the key considerations you need to know as a building owner before embarking on a digital twin journey
Learn best practices for creating your own modeling standards and ensuring you are receiving valuable models efficiently
See specific examples of the right and wrong way to define these standards and go over tips and best practices
Discover ways you can perform quick model compliance checking
