The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) will once again be hosting their annual Architecture Faculty Workshop for college and university professors nationwide. The half-day, virtual event takes place August 4, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST. Registration for the program is now underway at http://ow.ly/7AXd30rDYdr and there is no fee for architecture educators to attend.

The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has published a new video, “How It’s Built,” now available on its YouTube channel. This seven-minute presentation gives viewers a comprehensive look at how a metal building comes together—starting with the manufacturing process, followed by construction on a job site, and lastly showing the final touches on a new facility.

The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) is pleased to introduce AGI Sentinel as its newest Building Systems member. AGI is a global agricultural products and services corporation comprising several brands, including Sentinel Building Systems, a U.S.-based division established in 1987 and headquartered in Albion, Nebraska. The company provides its custom steel building solutions in a diverse range of sectors including commercial, industrial, agricultural, retail, aviation and mini storage, among others.

The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has published a new guidebook, Common Industry Practices. This free publication, available for download here, provides an overview of standard practices for architects, engineers, owners, builders and manufacturers involved in metal building design and construction.

Changes to building codes are a fact of life for architects and designers and air leakage testing is currently a hot topic. Energy standard and code writers are currently looking at lowering air leakage limits while also requiring testing to ensure compliance. Both ASHRAE 90.1 and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) are spearheading such efforts. In most areas, whole-building air leakage testing is now an alternative compliance path, while it is required in only a few specific areas such as the state of Washington. With the coming updates, more states will require on-site testing of new buildings to meet the code.

To increase energy conservation, energy codes and standards have been stepping up the effort to reduce air leakage, moving toward a requirement for whole-building tests to ensure an adequate air barrier in addition to, or in place of, the prescriptive requirements for materials and assemblies. This recognizes that prescriptive requirements alone are only effective if good installation is practiced. The table below summarizes the key air leakage test requirements for multiple editions of various codes and standards of interest, including the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), ASHRAE 90.1, state of Washington (WSEC), state of California (Title 24), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE).

The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA), celebrating 65 years of industry leadership in 2021, welcomes Wolverine Advanced Materials and Thornton Tomasetti to its ranks as Associate members.

The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) annually honors member companies that demonstrate exceptional performance in maintaining workplace safety. These awards are given to Building Systems members as well as Associate members for their performance during the previous calendar year. Safety awards for the 2019 year were presented during the 2020 MBMA Annual Meeting, held virtually Dec. 8-9, 2020.

The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has released a new continuing education course titled, “Using Metal Building Systems to Meet and Exceed the Energy Code.” This course was created in partnership with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Architectural Record magazine and is now available through Architectural Record’s Continuing Education Center website and also via its continuing education app.

The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has released its 2020 Annual Report entitled Inspired Designs Coast to Coast. This resource notes the challenges that MBMA has faced this year and emphasizes how the association and its members have met them. It also celebrates many intriguing and appealing metal buildings from a range of end uses across North America. The report provides valuable information for anyone who works with metal building systems, has an interest in metal buildings or is involved in the low-rise commercial building market. It is available for free download at the MBMA blog, blog.mbma.com.