Morrison Hershfield is providing consulting services on building envelope issues from schematic through construction phases of the City Creek Center project. Services are being provided for two underground parking garages, five residential/office buildings, multiple retail stores, one building rehabilitation, and areas around and beneath the man-made stream and fountain areas.
Air barrier consulting is one of the specialty services we are providing. The design of the air barrier system is based on a continuous air barrier membrane for all opaque wall areas tied in with the glazing and roofing/waterproofing systems. We reviewed the Architect’s design and the trade submittals, observed the mock-up assemblies as well as the course of construction and witnessed air barrier testing of representative assemblies from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective.
At City Creek Center, the wall assemblies were designed with the air barrier, vapor barrier and weather resistive barriers all being one product. The air barrier was installed on the exterior sheathing and covered by all of the insulation required for the wall assembly. At the wall to curtain wall transitions the air barrier at the walls did not align with the air barrier in the curtain wall system (which is typically in line with the glass). At these locations metal flashings, with laps and joints sealed air tight, were used to bring the plane of air tightness at the walls out to tie into the curtain wall's air barrier.