Life Cycle and Resilience Assessment in a Changing World
Future-Proofing Use Stage Performance and Resilience Analysis
Sponsored by The Ornamental Metal Institute of New York | Presented by Catherine Houska
Live Webinar Airing on April 16, 2025 at 02:00 PM EST
Corrosion and resilience assessments are too often based on performance assumptions that are inaccurate for a specific site because the criteria for material and system selection are continually evolving. This can result in designs experiencing unexpectedly high levels of maintenance and premature replacement that can dramatically increase both a building’s overhead and carbon footprint and shorten its lifespan. Unfortunately, there is currently no international standard to provide detailed guidance for decision makers. The presenter will draw on trend data, international atmospheric corrosion research, and her metal selection and failure analysis site assessment experience to illustrate an approach to counter this. She will suggest resources that can be used to assist with assessments and summarize the on-going international standards and development efforts to address the matter.
Photo courtesy of IMOA
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Catherine Houska is an internationally recognized architectural and structural metals consultant who is involved with both new designs and failure analysis around the globe. She has authored more than 200 publications and is a frequent speaker on topics related to sustainability, site assessment, resilience, material selection, and both architectural and structural design. She is an active committee member on AISC, ASCE and AWS committees. At ASTM, she is Vice Chair of ASTM E60 on Sustainability, which develops international sustainability and resilience standards, and is leading an effort to write a Use Stage LCA standard. She is also a member of the US TAG to ISO TC59 SC17 Sustainability in Buildings and Civil Engineering Works. In ASTM A01 on Steel, she is the author or technical contact for several stainless steel and carbon steel structural standards. Catherine is also a member of AMPP, CSI, ASM, and ASTM committees E06, E50, E54, and G01. |
The Ornamental Metal Institute of New York is a not-for-profit association created to advance the interests of the architectural, ornamental, and miscellaneous metal industries by helping architects, engineers, developers, and construction managers transform designs into reality.
Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in March 2025
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Review the fundamentals of site assessment for predicting material and system performance.
- Recognize why and how the assumptions that should be used for site assessment are changing.
- Identify the differences between the performance of metals when exposed to different corrosion and resilience challenges.
- Acquire knowledge of resources to assist with more accurate site assessment.
