ABAA Field Auditor case studies
ABAA Field Auditor · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The ABAA Certified Field Auditor credential is intended for construction professionals who verify that air barrier materials, components, and assemblies are installed in accordance with project specifications, manufacturer instructions, and program requirements. Candidates typically come from roofing, waterproofing, glazing, general contracting, commissioning, and building-envelope consulting. The ABAA Field Auditor case studies are 5 cases and about 3,174 words.
1Frost on the Roof Deck: Air Leakage or Vapor Diffusion?
A six-story, 96,000 ft2 mixed-use building in a cold climate (ASHRAE CZ 6A) has a fluid-applied vapor-permeable air barrier over exterior gypsum sheathing, and a 6-mil polyethylene vapor retarder on the warm side of the stud cavity. During a winter walkthrough at outdoor -8 C (18 F) and indoor 22 C (72 F) with 38% RH, the auditor finds frost and dark staining on the underside of the steel roof deck above the top-floor corridor, and damp gypsum at the wall-roof intersection.
665 words, about 3 min2Building a Defensible Sample When the Contractor Offers a List
A third-party auditor must plan verification of a 14-story, 260,000 ft2 hotel tower. The approved QA plan identifies 1,850 discrete field joints: membrane laps at sheathing edges, sill and jamb terminations at 640 windows, and sealant terminations at 310 penetrations.
625 words, about 3 min3A Passing Number From a Test That Should Not Have Been Run
A whole-building pressurization test is performed on a 40,000 ft2 envelope: 28,000 ft2 of wall, 9,500 ft2 of roof, and 2,500 ft2 of exposed floor over open parking, with the ground-contact slab excluded by the specification. The measured leakage is 15,400 cfm50.
615 words, about 3 min4Cold-Weather Membrane Installation Under Schedule Pressure
On a five-story wood-frame project, the crew is installing a self-adhered SBS air barrier membrane over exterior gypsum sheathing. Ambient temperature is 2 C (36 F) at 8 a.m.
637 words, about 3 min5Fall Hazard, an Unwitnessed Test, and a Future Contract
During a routine audit of a 9,000 ft2 retail fit-out, the auditor sees two workers on a rolling scaffold 14 feet above the slab with no guardrail on the open side and no personal fall arrest, while the air barrier crew sprays a solvent-based contact adhesive nearby with containers left open and the only ventilation is one open man door. Later, the project manager asks the auditor to sign page 4 of the field report, which states that a smoke-pencil test of the roof-wall junction was performed and passed, although the auditor was off site that morning and the subcontractor ran the test unsupervised.
632 words, about 3 min