Presented by: M. Steven Doggett, PH.D., LEED AP of Principal Building Scientist Built Environments, Inc.

Water-Resistive Barriers (WRBs) have evolved to serve compound forms and functions.  Despite these advances, performance expectations still reflect over-simplistic assumptions and problematic testing methods.  Interfaces with modern wall components also remain ill-defined with respect to the WRB’s primary function of liquid water resistance.  Industry trends toward component integration have further strained the WRB’s intended role.

This presentation will review new findings from experimental research and computational modeling to demonstrate performance attributes of recognized WRB systems.  Moisture transport and storage will be reviewed for three dynamic interfaces: A) the exterior insulation interface; B) the substrate interface; and C) the fastener interface.  Directives for industry research, testing standards, and product innovation will be discussed.