Daniel Jakobs

Pro Clima Australia
The small things that matter – Mechanisms for failures in façade testing

Australia is facing a big change in the construction industry. Weathertightness is no longer a topic of “she’ll be right”. Full-scale weather testing is becoming mainstream, and test reports emphasise that that have fully tested and certified weather resistive barriers (WRB) and cladding as a "whole system". Dry, healthy, and durable building envelopes are assumed common, but evidence suggests this is far from the truth. What is it that we expect from WRB membranes, and what are their limitations? 

This presentation takes a practical view of achieving a functional installation of monolithic vapour permeable membranes to meet NCC FV1.1 verification to AS/NZS 4284 full-scale weather testing. It will include a deep dive into capillary tubes, surfactants, porosity, emulsification, adhesion and cohesion. It's the small things that allow big results. 

The presentation will highlight the challenges and solutions for durable WRB installation and the double-edged sword design conundrum. Daniel will show how to remove this double-edged sword from the stone (wool). 

About Daniel Jakobs:

Daniel is a German master carpenter working as the technical and training expert for Pro Clima Australia. He is working on a national scale to upskill the Australian construction industry to use modern methods of construction in the move to net zero energy buildings.

He has decades of experience in timber construction and energy efficiency retrofitting of timber constructions to the highest EU standards. His expertise extends to a deep understanding of building physics and how to optimise insulation and building membrane installation for energy efficiency and moisture control. Involved heavily in R&D, he is tailoring his EU experience for customised solutions unique to commercial steel frame buildings in Australia.

(LinkedIn)