Provincial Engineering & Geoscience Week

4 | W I N N I P E G F R E E P R E S S P R O V I N C I A L E N G I N E E R I N G & G E O S C I E N C E W E E K A new technology centre at Red River College (RRC) is providing engineering technology students with access to real-world research. The Building Envelope Technology Access Centre, or BETAC, gives the construction industry the opportunity to access the college's equipment, resources and expertise. A building's envelope can significantly impact its construction cost, durability and appearance. It affects maintenance and repair expenses, occupant comfort and health, as well as energy use. BETAC's services address the inherent challenges in designing and constructing a durable, energy-efficient building envelope for Manitoba's unique climate. "We live in a really harsh climate, and there have been a number of building envelope fails in Winnipeg," says Rob Spewak, technology centre manager. "If done incorrectly, moisture can build up between the walls — it can blow up concrete. We've seen it happen to a number of buildings here in the city." The college received a grant of $1.75 million for the facility from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The council has long been supportive of RRC's research, recently recognizing its partnership with Manitoba Hydro with a Synergy Award. "Increased building complexity, new standards and code requirements, and increased pressure to reduce energy use are just a few of the challenges faced by Manitoba's construction sector," Spewak says. "With BETAC, our goal is to support the sector's building envelope-related productivity and innovation needs." BETAC's staff is able to test building envelopes for businesses throughout the city, and is capable of doing both pre- and post-renovation testing. The post- renovation testing demonstrates the results people can expect after improvements are made to the building envelope. "The building envelope is where the inside meets the outside. If it performs the way it should, the durability and energy of the building improve," Spewak Pushing the envelope By Holli Moncrieff for Free Press At the Building Envelope Technology Access Centre at Red River College, students get a chance to see real-world examples of how building envelopes function. Red River College photo

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