"renewable energy systems"

Buildings consume one-third of all energy and two-thirds of all electricity generated. Cool metal roofs can help reduce energy consumption by lowering cooling loads with their wide array of finishes, designs and colors.Cool metal roofs are energy-efficient. • The roof can have the greatest impact on the energy use of a building. On a typical summer afternoon, a light-colored, more reflective roof that reflects 80 percent of sunlight will stay about 310C (550F) cooler than a darker roof that reflects only 20 percent of sunlight, as reported by the Heat Island Group of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. • Cool metal roofs are an excellent option for commercial retrofit applications because they can be efficiently installed with above-sheathing ventilation, allowing heat to dissipate through the ridge vent in hot weather while acting as an insulating layer when it is cold. Metal roofs can result in as much as a 30 percent reduction in heat gain through the vented roof. • Metal roofs provide the optimal foundation for photovoltaic installations since the roof can be expected to last longer than the PV system it supports. • Wall and roof solar heat recovery systems can be integrated with steel cladding and used to provide air, water or process heating needs. • Cool metal roofing is available unpainted, with thermosetting coil-applied paint finishes, or with granular-coated surfaces. This family of roofing can achieve solar reflectance of over 70 percent, meeting the EPA Energy Star Roof Products Program performance criteria. • Emittance as high as 90 percent can be achieved for painted and granular-coated metal roofing. • Painted metal roofs retain 95 percent of their initial reflectance and emittance over time. They resist the growth of organic matter and shed dirt more readily than other materials. • Cool metal roofing can help to mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect because of its high reflectance, which can reduce ambient air temperatures. Cool metal roofs are cost-effective. • Metal roofing has low life-cycle costs, making it the choice of many school, government, commercial, industrial and institutional building owners. • Due to its light weight per unit area, structural savings can be realized in a building when compared with heavier non-metal roofing alternatives. • For re-roofing projects, metal roofing can often be applied over the original roof, saving removal and disposal costs. • Metal roofing is fully recyclable when ultimately removed as part of building renovation or demolition, allowing it to credibly claim both recycled content and 100 percent recyclability by recognized definitions. The product’s recyclability also provides significant savings on construction removal and disposal costs.

According to certain “studies,” wood claims a smaller environmental footprint than any other major building material. However, a closer look at the facts reveals some significant inconsistencies with that claim. MYTH: Studies demonstrate that wood is a more sustainable material than steel. REALITY: The most-cited study contained numerous incorrect assumptions about steel, and it omitted wood impacts. • A study cited often by the wood industry was published by the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) and is based on outdated information. For example, it made incorrect assumptions about the quantity of steel needed for its comparisons. • Wood is typically a single-use material. At the end of its life, a building’s wood frame is typically landfilled or incinerated. This returns any stored carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere as either carbon dioxide or methane, shifting greenhouse gas burdens to future generations. • In comparison, steel is the world’s most recycled material. Steel construction products have a recycling rate of more than 90 percent, meaning that at the end of a steel building’s life, more than 90 percent of its steel is recycled into another steel product, using significantly less energy than was necessary to create the original product. A material that can be recycled continually over centuries with no loss in quality and that lowers the burden on future generations is the very definition of sustainability! MYTH: Wood is more sustainable than steel because it is a renewable building resource. REALITY: Being renewable is not the same as being sustainable. • The wood industry claims that for every tree cut down, one or more new trees are planted. However, the claim does not take into account that it will take decades before those saplings mature. In the meantime, the forest is depleted of the oxygen, water storage and filtration, wildlife habitat, global cooling, and other benefits provided by the mature tree. 1 • Trees are often harvested by clear-cutting, leaving large gaps in the forestland that also impact the plants and animal species left behind. MYTH: Wood is more sustainable than steel because wood construction products store carbon. REALITY: Carbon storage for construction products is temporary, only shifting impacts to future generations. • Carbon is sequestered in the fiber of trees, but that does not mean that wood buildings become large reservoirs of carbon that is stored indefinitely. Upon harvesting, the unused root and leaf systems immediately return their CO to the atmosphere by decay. For wood products, the reality is that carbon storage is also temporary and it is released back into the atmosphere at the end of the wood building’s life either by the demolition and subsequent decay of the wood or by incineration. • Ann Ingerson of The Wilderness Society states: “As a result of wood waste and decomposition, the carbon stored long-term in harvested wood products may be a small proportion of that originally stored in the standing trees―across the United States, approximately 1 percent may remain in products in use and 13 percent in landfills at 100 years post-harvest.” 2 2 Photo courtesy of the American Institute of Steel Construction Photo courtesy of SCS Global Services MYTH: All wood construction products are certified as being sustainably harvested. REALITY: The majority of forests in the U.S. do not meet the wood industry’s own sustainable harvesting standards. • Eighty-one percent of forests in the United States are not certified, 11 percent are Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®)-certified, and seven percent are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®)-certified.3 The sustainable harvest certification provided by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative has often been challenged as to whether it reaches the required threshold of sustainable forestry. SFI was created in 1994 by the paper and timber industry. A report on SFI by ForestEthics concludes in part: - “SFI is funded, promoted and staffed by the very paper and timber industry interests it claims to evaluate.”4 - “Of SFI’s 543 audits, up to the time of the report’s issuance, there were no major noncompliance issues related to soil erosion, clear-cut procedures, watershed issues, or chemical usage.”5 - “SFI-certified logging practices are having a disastrous impact on North American forests.”6 • In actuality, only seven percent of the forestland in the United States reaches the threshold of being considered sustainably managed. References 1 “Understanding Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for Wood (Current Problems and Future Possibilities),” The Sierra Club Forest Certification and Green Building Team, September 24, 2013. 2 Ingerson, Ann, “Carbon Storage Potential of Harvested Wood: Summary and Policy Implications,” The Wilderness Society, October 23, 2010, p. 1. 3 “Forest Certification Around the World: Georgia-Pacific, Sustainable Forestry and Certification,” Georgia-Pacific, 2014. 4 “SFI: Certified Greenwash – Inside the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s Deceptive Eco-Label,” a report by ForestEthics, November 2010, p. 2. 5 “SFI: Certified Greenwash – Inside the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s Deceptive Eco-Label,” a report by ForestEthics, November 2010, p. 9. 6 “SFI: Certified Greenwash – Inside the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s Deceptive Eco-Label,” a report by ForestEthics, November 2010, p. 11.

It’s a fact that buildings consume two thirds of all the electricity produced in North America and one third of all the energy produced in North America. While it is recognized that adding insulation under the roof surface can reduce cooling and heating costs, there is a diminishing return on the strategy of increasing insulation to conserve energy costs. This is where “cool roofing” can play a role in further reducing the energy consumed, and in minimizing the Heat Island effect created in the big urban cities. Cool roofing relies on sustainable, energy efficient, coated steel products, in a wide variety of finishes, colours, textures and roofing profiles. It conserves energy through its properties of reflectivity and emissivity

Buildings have a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health and productivity. In North America, the built environment accounts for approximately one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions, energy, water and material consumption and generates similiar proportions of pollution. Indoor air quality is regarded as one of the top environmental health risks today, affecting the well-being, productivity and performance of many people. As concerns increase about sustainability in building design and operation, there is a need to develop a framework for assessing and quantifying buildings so that questions such as, “What is sustainable design?” and “How green is this project?” can be addressed. In response to this, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system was developed to provide such a framework for North America. This document explores how the use of steel structures and components can contribute to achieving a LEED certificate for a building.

Designers and builders have long recognized steel for its strength, durability and functionality. An important aspect of steel’s story is its high recycled content and end-of-life recovery rate. Both attributes are recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) green building rating system, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), but steel construction products can contribute to many other LEED credits as well, either directly or indirectly. USGBC’s latest version, LEEDv4, includes a completely revised and expanded Materials and Resources section, with new credits in the areas of life-cycle assessment (LCA), environmental product declarations (EPDs), and overall product transparency

It’s a fact that buildings consume two thirds of all the electricity produced in North America and one third of all the energy produced in North America. While it is recognized that cooling and heating costs can be reduced by adding insulation under the roof surface, there is a diminishing return on the strategy of increasing insulation to conserve energy costs. This is where “cool roofing” can play a role in further reducing the energy consumed, and in minimizing the Heat Island effect created in the big urban cities. Cool roofing relies on the properties of reflectivity and emissivity of the roofing material. Reflectivity Reflectivity is the ability of the roof to reflect solar radiation back into the atmosphere. Its primary measure is solar reflectance - the proportion of the total solar radiation that is reflected back to the atmosphere. Any solar radiation that is not reflected is absorbed into the building envelope, requiring further energy to cool the building; or partially convected into the atmosphere increasing the ambient air temperature in the surrounding environment (Heat Island effect). The measure of reflectivity is the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) which takes into account the properties of the material as well as the cooling effect of wind passing over the roof. The SRI for a low slope roof will be 0 for standard black (reflectance 0.05, emittance 0.90) and 100 for standard white (reflectance 0.80, emittance 0.90).

The new Orlando VA Medical Center needed glazing that would not only provide light and transparency, but fire and hurricane protection and improved energy performance. SuperLite® II-XL in GPX® Hurricane Framing from SAFTI FIRST® was installed in exterior fire-rated locations that were exposed to the elements. These assemblies were rigorously tested and certified for fire and radiant heat protection for up to two hours, large missile impact, air and water infiltration, and cyclic wind loading.

The newly opened Exploratorium has brought energy and excitement to the city's bustling waterfront. EHDD transformed the historic Pier 15, built in 1915, to a 330,000 square foot indoor and outdoor campus, being touted as the largest net-zero building in the city and potentially the largest net-zero museum in the world. SAFTI FIRST® supplied a total of 19 pairs of 45-minute steel doors 11 pairs on north side and 8 pairs on the south side using SuperLite® II-XL 45 IGU in GPX® Builders Series Fire Protective.

A building’s design is very much influenced by the function it performs and the perceived threats that it may face – whether it’s from natural disasters, accidents or terrorist attacks – with the latter being a foremost concern for federal courthouses, embassies, government facilities and other high profile buildings. Because of these security concerns, trade-offs have been made when it comes to daylighting, energy efficiency and aesthetics to name a few. The good news is that today, high-performance security glazing make-ups are available to meet the level of protection needed while continuing to provide natural light and a feeling of openness.

The architects at Morris Adjmi wanted large, 11-ft. tall glass walls to highlight the breathtaking views for the reimagined Warehouse in New York City’s growing architectural wonderland of Chelsea. However, the building was on a lot line, mandating 2 hour fire walls. SAFTI FIRST® made this dream a reality by supplying the largest tested and listed 2 hour fire resistive glazing available today. The inclusion of low-iron glass in the fire-resistive glazing units ensured superior clarity and aesthetic continuity with the adjacent non-rated windows. The fire resistive units incorporated high performance glazing and were filled with argon for energy efficiency and occupant comfort.

Global warming and climate change are two terms found increasingly in headlines around the world. Initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol have brought these issues to the forefront and provide a framework and objectives for reducing greenhouse gases (GHG). GHG are heat trapping gases, such as water vapour, carbon dioxide, or methane that absorb the earth’s heat and hinder it from being released into space. As levels of GHG build up in the atmosphere, a greenhouse effect takes place that warms the earth’s atmosphere and makes global climate change inevitable. A?itudes on environmental issues are changing worldwide. Developed nations are commi?ing to reducing GHG emissions to 5.2% below the 1990 baseline by 2012. Notably, Canada has commi?ed to reducing its GHG emissions to 6% below 1990 levels, which corresponds to a gap of 29.1% of where the nation is and where it wants to be. An ambitious undertaking, considering that Canada’s GHG emissions have been steadily on the rise over the years and in 2004 was actually 26.6% higher than 1990 levels. On a positive note, in the last two years emissions have started to decline, but there remains a long way still to go. =e quest for a greener Canada continues and helping to lead the way to a greener Canada is the nation’s steel industry, which is making great strides in reducing GHG emissions, conserving energy, and lessening impacts on our air, water, and land.

Introduction Sheet steel roofing and siding (cladding) is available in a wide variety of profiles, colours and paint systems. The modern prepainted systems used on Canadian-made products will provide decades of beautiful performance before there are any visible signs of deterioration of the paint surface. However, an important component of the cladding system is the fastener used to attach it to the structure. This fastener is not simply a screw; it is part of the roof or wall assembly and should be expected to provide the same long-term performance. This performance is not simply the capacity to safely hold the cladding in place, but also to match the colour and durability of the paint system. The selection of the correct screw for the job is the first step in the creation of a cladding system that will provide long-term performance. The next step is the installation. Installing screws in sheet steel cladding is commonplace and can be done very efficiently. The tool manufacturers have developed a wide range of options for installing fasteners into any type of substrate. Selecting the most appropriate tool will help the installation process.

Introduction Prefinished sheet steel building products, such as wall and roof cladding, liner sheet, flashing, and associated items, have experienced an enviable growth record during the past twenty years or so. Coil coated prefinished sheet steel in a variety of colours and paint systems has greatly enhanced the appearance of thousands of industrial, commercial, institutional, recreational, residential and farm buildings, providing an economical, durable and attractive alternative to traditional materials. As with all materials, a little care and maintenance pays off handsomely in terms of longevity and repair costs. The recommendations which follow have been learned at first hand and represent the collective industry experience with thin-film paint systems applied to metallic coated sheet steel by the coil coating process. In this publication the term “thin-film paint system” refers to a modified silicone polyester or a fluorocarbon type having a coating thickness about 25µm. When the guidelines listed below have been observed, thin-film paint systems have been used successfully for all types of environments other than severe industrial atmospheres which require special consideration. The guidelines are not intended for barrier coatings, laminates, and new formulations which have different characteristics than the thin-film paint systems on which these guidelines are predicated. 

For BART's Doolittle Maintenance Facility at the new Oakland Airport connector, SAFTI FIRST® provided 60 minute, fire resistive wall openings in the exterior using SuperLite® II-XL 60 insulated with low-e glazing in GPX® Framing with a clear anodized finish. SAFTI FIRST® engineered a connection that allows the structural elements of the GPX® Architectural Series Framing System to support an integral sunshade system, instead of being hung in front of it. The Doolittle Bart Station is one of the first installations of the GPX® Architectural Series System with sunshade connections, which also include SLCC New Instruction and Administrative Building in Salt Lake City, UT.

Sustainability, durability, fire resistance, structural performance and cost-effectiveness are some of the strongest reasons for using structural steel or cold-formed steel framing in mid-rise building construction. As a dependable, noncombustible material, steel-framed structures provide a wise investment for builders and the occupants who live and work in them. Steel structures provide long-term, consistent performance. • Steel framing will not rot, warp, split, crack or creep. • Steel framing is not vulnerable to termites. • Steel framing does not expand or contract with moisture content. • Steel framing is produced in strict accordance with national standards, with no regional variations. Steel is a noncombustible material and will not contribute to the spread of a fire. • Because steel is noncombustible, it reduces the fire risk to occupants, firefighters and property/business owners. Steel framing improves design efficiency, saves time, and reduces costs. • Steel framing provides a significantly greater strength-to-weight ratio than wood. • Steel framing allows for larger bays and wider frame spacing than wood construction. • Increased flexibility in bay spacing and framing layout maximizes usable floor space for owners and tenants. • Steel is typically fabricated off-site, reducing on-site labor, cycle time and construction waste. • Shorter construction time results in earlier occupancies and lower financing costs. Steel structures perform well during earthquakes and other extreme events. • Steel is a resilient material, with reserve strength and ductility that result in significant advantages in natural disasters such as hurricanes and earth- quakes, and in other extreme events like fire and blast. • Steel construction is engineered to provide a reliable, consistent load path. • Steel construction employs quality control and quality assurance procedures to ensure that the project requirements are met. Steel framing provides environmental benefits and complies with sustainable building standards. • Steel framing results in less scrap and job site waste than lumber. • Structural steel is continually recycled with a current recycling rate of 98 percent, meaning that these steels will still be in use hundreds of years from now, lessening impacts on future generations. • Steel, when recycled, loses none of its inherent properties and can be recycled into different products such as cars, bridges, cans, etc. • Steel can be used to comply with the requirements of sustainable design standards such as the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), ASHRAE Standard 189.1 (Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings), and the National Green Building Standard (ICC-700). Steel can also provide credit points for green building rating systems like the USGBC’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and the Green Building Initiative’s ANSI/GBI-01 (Green Building Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings).  

This Fact Sheet has been written to describe some of the factors that affect the cost of prepainted sheet steel cladding products. The most significant factors are: colour, paint system, order quantity, Fabricator's inventory and profile selection. Recognition of the impact of these factors can help you select a prepainted sheet steel cladding system to fit the aesthetic and durability requirements of your project, and still stay within a budget. 

The 1890s-era Midtown Community Court in New York City—a New York Historic Landmark—is currently undergoing a five year, $18 million renovation that includes a 9,650-square-foot addition for a new elevator, lobby and stairwell featuring fire resistive glass and curtain wall. The system consists of SAFTI FIRST®’s SuperLite® II-XL 120 IGU in GPX® Curtain Wall System.

An old block of apartments in Gt. Yarmouth getting a low carbon Retrofit for a higher, cleaner living standard and reduced energy bills. Passive Purple has been used externally on this huge scale block of apartments. with no margin for error and tricky details throughout, a liquid applied airtight membrane was the only way going forward. The building was being insulated externally and getting a whole new façade from render to aluminium panels. With the residents still inhabiting the building this had to be done quickly and easily with maximum results. Being a liquid applied airtight membrane, any cracks, gaps, and service penetration leaks in the existing building fabric quickly became thing of the past. That and the hundreds of Panel brackets being installed to support the new façade going on, this Retrofit had multiple penetrations and tricky details. Making good of the building fabric and awkward brackets with a near on impenetrable adhesion, Passive Purple made fast work of this great conversion, impossible for any other method. Being in liquid state on application, Passive Purple can be applied onto most/any surface (See data sheets for more information) and will find its way into all the unseeable tiny gaps and cracks all buildings will undoubtably have. Like this old pebble dashed façade, any rough, uneven and awkward areas are no longer an issue, our products simply flow into these areas. We also have the fibre reinforced Passive Purple brush, used on this job to prepare the brackets by filling the larger gaps between that of the bracket and the existing wall and also the large penetrating bolts. A huge win and demonstration of the power of liquid products by Intelligent Membranes.

Case study of Rockwool and Passive Purple together in a system and how together they are the perfect match for airtight buildings.

MAPEI’s Mapeheat™ radiant floor-heating system adds an extra touch of luxury to a five-star lodge.

We built the world first Passivhaus CPD training facility / pub, this is the worlds most airtight pub at 0.07ach at 50 pa. This is a twin wall timber frame, it’s 450mm wide insulation Huntsman which is made of thousands of recycled plastic bottles. Huntsman also recycled 1 billion plastic bottles from the sea last year. We have a 7.2 KW system solar panels system that powers the building, it’s got MVHR Nilan. On the external façade we applied Passive Purple External which is airtight up to 0.03ach.

Introduction Prefinished sheet steel is used on many building products from wall cladding, to architectural roofing to interior panels. Prefinished sheet steel has been used in Canada for over 30 years and there may be sites were the paint surface is in need of repainting. This bulletin is intended to give some guidance on repainting prefinished panels. Due to the diversity of factory applied prefinished systems, and the diversity of potential field applied repaint systems, it is impossible to offer one comprehensive repaint procedure for all possible situations. However, it is possible to offer a set of guidelines to be considered in every potential situation.

The construction industry is a vital part of the growth and success of a country. It is responsible for building the physical infrastructure that provides transportation and facilities for citizens, businesses, industries and institutions. Construction has a major influence on the economic wealth, societal well¬being and sustainability of the built environment. The Canadian construction industry employs more than 1.2 million people. In 2010 it accounted for 6% of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP), with a total value of 73.8 billion dollars. From 2000 to 2010, the GDP from construction increased 42.7% whereas GDP for all industries increased 20.2%.(1) Construction also has a profound impact on our natural environment. In North America, the built environment accounts for approximately one third of all the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as energy, water and materials consumption. Given the increased awareness of “green” construction, there is growing interest in using steel because of the major recycled content and recyclability attributes it provides to architects, engineers and specifiers in the construction industry. The steel industry, through the Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute is committed to providing steel solutions that promote the use of sustainable materials in construction applications. This fact sheet provides an overview of the two main methods used to produce steel, and describes the recycled content of the steels used to manufacture building products such as roofing, cladding, decking, structural and non-structural framing and the many other construction products used in the industry. Once iron ore is extracted and refined into steel, its life never ends. This makes steel an ideal material to deploy in sustainable strategies for the construction industry. Today’s steel is produced using two technologies both of which require “old” (recycled scrap) steel to make “new” steel. The combination of these technologies enables Canadian steel mills the flexibility to produce a variety of steel grades for a wide range of product applications

An independent assessment of the life cycle cost for various low slope roof systems revealed that steel roofing had the longest life span, no leaks due to material failures, and the lowest overall maintenance cost.

1. SCOPE 1.1 The following specifications shall apply to hot-dipped metallic-coated sheet steel prefinished with colours of proven durability and suitable for exterior exposure as delivered from the coil coater. Proven paint systems for building products have been designed for vertical applications whose surfaces are no more than 30° to the vertical and non-vertical applications whose surfaces ranging from 5° up to 60° to the horizontal. It is not recommended for aggressive atmospheric exposure. 1.2 The prefinish system shall consist of a primer and topcoat continuously applied and cured within the paint manufacturer’s specifications on cleaned, pretreated, metallic-coated substrate. The pretreatment specified shall be zinc phosphate for galvanized steel and metal oxide pretreatment for aluminum-zinc alloy-coated steel, applied in accordance with the pretreatment manufacturer’s specifications.

This new 120,000 square foot, state-of-the-art convening center features a 1,000-seat auditorium that is large enough to host the entire MBA class. The glass atrium floods the multi-purpose lobby with natural light, as well as provides a visual connection between the interior of the building and the outdoor environment. To maximize transparency, SAFTI FIRST® met with the architects during the design phase to create a large, 2-hour, glass wall that separates the lobby from the auditorium while providing a visual connection between them. Since this 2-hour glass wall also serves as the entrance to the auditorium, deciding on a 90-minute door system was of upmost important. SAFTI FIRST®’s in-house engineering department provided design assistance, system details, engineering calculations and support from the planning phase all the way to the submittal process.

Start at the foundation where the loads imposed by a steel frame are up to 50% less than those of a concrete alternative. There is evidence in the field and through third-party case studies and comparative cost studies that steel building systems offer significant cost benefits over competitive building materials when the total cost of construction is considered.

Because the Sapphire Towers' south facing elevation was in close proximity to the adjacent property, code regulations required the south façade to either be solid, which was contrary to the design, or to have openings with a minimum fire protection of 45 minutes. SAFTI FIRST® engineered a system that met the uniform design demands and performance requirements for the windows and balconies in all 32 floors in the south-facing elevation.

The David Eccles School of Business on the University of Utah campus features a 28- x 18-ft 2 hour interior glass wall with a 90 minute full-vision door in an exit enclosure/stairwell. The architects selected fire rated glass to meet fire rating requirements while providing maximum visibility and natural daylighting in the space. The project’s specifications also required the fire rated glass to have the same optical clarity as the adjacent non-rated glass systems.

When the people of Canada’s capital region seek relief from city life, they often retreat to the serene, natural beauty found in Quebec’s Gatineau hills. Here, where temperatures can drop to -38°F (-39°C) and snow falls seven months out of the year, heated flooring is a practical luxury. To help recreate a Scandinavian-style getaway for the Groupe Nordik Lofts du Village project, specifiers chose one of MAPEI’s Mapeheat floor-heating systems.

When a homeowner is considering the purchase of a steel roof a common question is whether it will increase the risk of a lightning strike. After all, steel is highly conductive, just like the materials used in lightning rods, so doesn’t it stand to reason that the steel roof will attract lightning? The short answer is, NO, steel roofing will NOT increase the risk of a lightning strike in any way. For all intents and purposes, nothing ‘attracts’ lightning. Lightning occurs on too large of a scale to be influenced by small objects on the ground, including steel roofs. The location of the thunderstorm overhead alone determines where lightning will hit the ground. A lightning bolt that is several miles long, generated by a cloud that is more than 6 to 10 miles high, is not going to be influenced by an object the size of your house. 652 Bishop St. N., Unit 2A, Cambridge, Ontario N3H 4V6 • Tel.: (519) 650-1285 • Fax: (519) 650-8081 • www.cssbi.ca The descending stepped leader of a lightning bolt doesn’t ‘decide what to strike’ until it is very close to the ground. When a cloud-to-ground lightning channel is forming, it is going to strike the ground where the opposing charges are greatest, directly underneath the storm’s most electrically active region. If you are standing at that exact location, you will be hit, even if there’s no metal within miles! Conversely, if you are farther than 500 feet from that location, you could wave your golf club or umbrella high in the air, but you won’t draw the lightning away, even slightly, from striking where it’s going to strike. Steel does conduct electricity, but steel roofs don’t attract lightning or increase the probability of a lightning strike. Four factors affect the probability of a lightning strike: • Topography: a structure located on a mountain or hill has a higher probability of a strike than one in a field. • Structure size and height: a tall structure or one that covers a great deal of ground has a higher probability of a strike than a short or small building. • Relative location in relation to taller structures: a small, short building near a taller structure has a lower probability of strike than the taller structure. • Severity and frequency of thunderstorms in the structure’s vicinity. However, on occasion, lightning does strike a house. If your home were hit, the steel roofing would disperse the energy safely through the structure. Since steel roofing isn’t combustible or flammable, it’s a low risk and desirable roofing option where severe weather is concerned -- especially for lightning. For More Information For additional information on steel roofing or other sheet steel building products, visit our website at www.cssbi.ca.

Codes required fire wall separations between parking garages and businesses, markets, homes and other uses. Architects can replace entire walls with glass to open up buildings like never before. For example, SuperLite® II-XL in GPX® Architectural Series Framing by SAFTI FIRST® is a USA-made fire resistive transparent wall system that blocks radiant heat and meets the same stringent ASTM E-119/ UL 263/ NFPA 251 code requirements that any opaque fire rated wall must meet.