At BEC Conference, Design Assist, Division 10 top Installing Committee Agenda

The National Glass Association Installing Committee met on March 2 at the BEC Conference. The meeting was led by NGA Installing Committee Chair Joey Aragon, Aragon Construction. Task Group Chairs and other committee members provided updates on the progress, deliverables, and participation opportunities for various Installing Committee task groups, including technical papers, resource guides, and ongoing surveys.

Joey Aragon shared that the next Installing Committee meeting will be held at the Glazing Executives Forum (GEF) during GlassBuild America, September 23-25, in Las Vegas, with plans for a more interactive format and a call for volunteers to help facilitate the planning.

Here is a summary of the proceedings:

• Design assist, delegated design, and design build. The task group drafted a glass technical paper defining the concepts Design Build, Design Assist and Delegated Design from the glazier’s point of view, including expectations, deliverables, and contractual rights and responsibilities. The paper is at ballot and the task group, led by Matt Kamper, Woodbridge Glass, will meet to review ballot comments.
• Value Engineering. Task group Chair Rob Carlson, Tristar Glass, explained the committee's approach to value engineering, emphasizing the importance of maintaining safety, security, and performance when substituting products, and announced that the draft technical paper is complete and will be included in the March ballot for member review and comment.
• Frameless Shower Enclosures. The task group announced plans to develop a design guide for architects and invited interested members to join the group, chaired by Danny Donohue, FHC.
• Division 8 Specifications. The task group will continue reviewing specifications with the goal of making specs more realistic and beneficial for installers. Curtain wall and storefront system specifications will be reviewed next.
• Estimating Essentials Manual Revival. Chuck Knickerbocker, Technical Glass Products, shared that lesson 10, Estimating Labor, is under peer review in preparation for re-publication, with a call for additional volunteers to assist.
• Interior Demountable Wall Systems. Task group chair Joe Kaiser, Herzog Glass, discussed the ongoing survey to gather industry input on Division 10 work, including barriers to entry, installation practices, and market trends, and encouraged broader participation in the survey to inform future committee actions. The committee will conduct outreach to building owners, operators, architects, and general contractors who self-perform work to gather additional information for the Division 10 demountable wall systems survey. 
• Decorative Glazing Installation Challenges. Task group chair Michael Saroka, Goldray Glass, detailed the group's review of building codes with proposed clarifications for glass as cladding material.
• Workforce Development Initiatives: Jenny Chase, vice president of workforce development at NGA, outlined the NGA's Glazier Apprentice programs, and called for volunteers to review and update MyGlassClass courses.

The committee agenda also included updates from the NGA Advocacy, Fabricating and Forming Committees.

• Advocacy. Urmilla Sowell, vice president, advocacy & technical services, NGA, announced that NGA Glass and Glazing Advocacy Days will be held on Capitol Hill on May 13-14. The NGA Advocacy Committee identified three main priorities for the upcoming Hill visits: workforce development, bird-friendly glazing and school security. Supporting materials and talking points are being prepared for each topic. NGA members are encouraged to participate in the event to discuss these topics with legislators.
• Building Code Proposals: NGA building code contractor Tom Culp, Birchpoint Consulting, described recent code proposals submitted by NGA, Glazing Industry Code Committee and others, including a successful proposal to require minimum daylighting in classrooms and dormitories.
• Sustainability and EPD Tools. Lynn Brown, Aluminum Extruders Council, explained the development of a tool for generating site- and product-specific Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for aluminum extruders, the challenges of data collection, and the progress toward third-party verification. NGA is working on a similar tool for the glass industry.
• Industry Resources. Georgia Oehler, senior manager, technical services sustainability, NGA, highlighted new and updated industry resources, including the World of Glass Map with recycling locations, bird-friendly legislation tracking sheet, and sustainability legislation database, all available to members and regularly updated with new data and policy information.
• Upcoming Events. Karen Wegert, director, technical services, NGA, announced details for a new upcoming event, NGA Glass Fabricator Conference in Chicago June 14-17, featuring multiple tracks, workshops, and networking events, with registration opening March 31.