RCI Hawaii Winter Workshop: ETFE Case Studies

The SoCal Chapter of RCI will return to Oahu for it’s 19th Annual Hawaii Winter Workshop – and we can’t wait to be a part of it! This year’s focus is on Innovation in Building Enclosure Design and Solutions. The conference will take place January 14+15, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Stéphane Hoffman, Vice President, will present A Case History of ETFE on Current Projects. More information can be found here.

Presentation Overview:

ETFE, the fluorocarbon-based polymer ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, is quickly gaining popularity in North America and being used on some of the continent’s most prominent projects. ETFE was developed for architectural purposes in the 1970s, and since that time, mainstream use of ETFE in construction projects has been largely limited to Europe. The material has many attractive attributes that provide not only a new aesthetic quality, but also potential cost savings. Weighing in at roughly one percent of the weight of glass, significant reductions in structural costs are made possible by employing ETFE. Despite these great potential benefits, the material is not an equal substitution to glass or other roofing systems in many respects. Through review of material characteristics, performance modeling, and multiple case studies of current ETFE installations, the authors will discuss lessons learned, limitations, as well as the benefits of the material from the perspective of building science implications.

About our Presenter:

Stéphane Hoffman, Vice President
As Professional Engineer with a Master’s degree level education that combines structural engineering, building science and architecture, Stéphane brings a well-balanced consulting approach to the building envelope; blending scientific analysis with an understanding of aesthetics considerations.  Stéphane leads Morrison Hershfield’s Façade Engineering and Building Performance Analytics Teams focusing on conceptual design of cladding and glazing systems on projects throughout North America.