For the past several years, the New York City high-rise construction market has been a challenge at best. Changes in the building code and fire protection philosophies have made most traditional cladding systems difficult to use in NYC. The city has added new requirements for fireblocking in walls with exterior cavities creating conflicts that make compliant wall construction nearly unworkable. Steve will delve into the code language, these conflicts, and the solutions now being implemented. The session will explore how a path opened for the acceptance of traditional cladding systems in NYC, touch on the testing involved, and outline the process used to navigate the New York City Department of Buildings. Attendees will learn about code-compliant solutions, how to meet city requirements, and what this means for reopening the market for affected materials and assemblies.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand recent changes to New York City building codes that impact the use of cladding systems in construction.
- Identify conflicts between fireblocking requirements and wall systems with rainscreens.
- Explore testing solutions and approval processes for achieving compliance with fire standards.
- Learn strategies for navigating building code-compliant cladding assemblies.
Presenter:
Steven Gaynor
Principal Consultant, Pivoth Corp.
Steven Gaynor is a Principal Consultant at Pivoth Corp. He also dedicates time to serving in in chair and advisory positions across the construction industry. Steven specializes in commercial façade product market entry and growth strategies, as well as product certification and compliance management. Drawing on over 20 years of industry experience, Steven regularly speaks on topics related to the navigating complex maze of stakeholder needs in order to properly produce, test, market, sell, distribute, and install rainscreen and related products in the US construction market. Steven believes that producers’ understanding and guidance on compliance topics, like fire performance, is essential for sustainable commercial success and constructing better buildings.