IRC: Institute for Research in Construction

"The National Research Council's Institute for Research in Construction (IRC) is Canada's construction technology centre. Established in 1947, IRC provides research, building code development, and materials evaluation services. Working with partners, IRC addresses issues that have a large economic impact, assisting industry to innovate and develop technologies that are safe, durable and cost-effective."

IRC Publications (www.nrc.ca/irc/publications.html)

IRCPUBS (serpent.cisti.nrc.ca/dbtw-wpd/textbase/irc/) IRC Publications Database since 1947.

Construction Technology Updates (www.nrc.ca/irc/catalogue/ctu.html)



Web Links:

Construction Technology Updates

"..Practical 4-6 page publications for architects, engineers, specification writers, property managers, builders and building officials. " by IRC/NRC




MEWS Publications at IRC

Current publications on MEWS, downloadable .pdf files.




IRC: Institute for Research in Construction

"Canada's research, building code development, and materials evaluation services, .. issues that have a large economic impact, assisting industry to innovate and develop technologies that are safe, durable and cost-effective. "




IRC Publications

"IRCPUBS includes references to all the publications of IRC and its predecessor, the NRC Division of Building Research, since our founding in 1947."




Building Science Insights

A series of publications arising from a series of seminars offered by IRC: Institute for Research in Construction between 1982 and 1992. Each deals with a specific topic and provides scientific and technical information of a practical nature for construction professionals, on: Windows, roofs, walls, fire safety, noise transmission, sealants, coatings and protection systems, lighting, general.

• Beaulieu, P.; Cornick, S.M.; Dalgliesh, W.A.; Djebbar, R.; Kumaran, M.K.; Lacasse, M.A.; et al., (2001), MEWS methodology for developing moisture management strategies: application to stucco-clad wood-frame walls in North America
• Bomberg, M. T. and Brown, W. C., (1993), Building envelope and environmental control - Part 3: Issues of system integration
• Bomberg, M. T. and Kumaran, M. K., (1993), Building envelope design, Part 2: estimating field performance of thermal insulation
• Cornick, S. M., Chown, G. A., Dalgliesh, W. A., Djebbar, R., Lacasse, M. A., Nofal, M., Said, M. N., Swinton, M. C. and Tariku, F., (2001), Defining climate regions as a basis for specifying requirements for precipitation protection for walls
• Djebbar, R., Reenen, v. and Kumaran, M. K., (2001), Indoor and outdoor weather analysis tool for hygrothermal modelling
• Djebbar et al. , (2001), Environmental boundary conditions for long-term hygrothermal calculations
• Canada , (1998), Establishing the protocol for measuring air leakage and air flow patterns in high-rise apartment buildings
• Canada , (1998), Testing of air barrier systems for wood frame walls
• IRC , (1996), Review of non-destructive test methods for assessing strength, serviceability and deterioration in buildings
• Kumaran, M. K., (1996), Taking guess work out of placing air/vapor barriers
• Kumaran, M. K., (1996), Final Report, IEA-Annex 24, Task 3: Material Properties
• Kumaran, M. K., (1996), Vapor transport characteristics of mineral fiber insulation from heat flow meter measurements
• Kumaran, M.K., (2002), Protecting the long-term performance of building envelope components
• Kumaran, M.K.; Mukhopadhyaya, P.; Cornick, S.M.; Lacasse, M.A.; Maref, W.; Rousseau, M.Z.; Nofal, M.; Quirt, J.D.; Dalgliesh, W.A, (2002), A methodology to develop moisture management strategies for wood-frame walls in North America: application to stucco-clad walls
• Lacasse, M. A., O'connor, T. J., Nunes, S. and Beaulieu., P., (2003), Report from task 6 of MEWS project -- experimental assessment of water penetration and entry into wood-frame wall specimens, - final report
• Maref, W., Swinton, M. C., Kumaran, M. K. and Bomberg, M. T., (2001), Three-dimensional analysis of thermal resistance of exterior basement insulation systems (EIBS)
• Maref, W., Tardiff, Y. and Booth, D. G., (2002), Assembly and Calibration of a Compact Temperature and Relative Humidity Sensor
• Maurenbrecher, A. H. P., Rousseau, M. Z., Said, M. N. and Shirtliffe, C. J., (1998), Monitoring the hygrothermal performance of a masonry wall with and without thermal insulation
• Mukhopadhyaya, P. and Kumaran, M. K., (2000), Prediction of moisture response of wood frame walls using IRC's advanced hygrothermal model (hygIRC)
• Mukhopadhyaya, P., Goudreau, P., Kumaran, M. K. and van Reenen, D., (2002), Influence of material properties on the moisture response of an ideal stucco wall: results from hygrothermal simulation
• Mukhopadhyaya, P., Kumaran, K., van Reenen, D. and Tariku, F., (2001), Influence of sheathing membrane and vapour barrier on hygrothermnal response of stucco walls
• Nofal, M. and M.K. Kumaran, (1999), Durability assessments of wood-frame construction using the concept of damage-functions
• Nofal, M. and M.K. Kumaran, (2000), On implementing experimental biological damage-functions models in durability assessment systems
• Nofal, M. and M.K. Kumaran, (2002), Criteria for unaccesseptable damage on wood systems
• Rousseau, J., (1983), Rain penetration and moisture damage in residential construction
• Rousseau, M. J. (Ed.), (1999), Creating durable bonds between windows and walls