Public Works Management
Housing
Adequate, safe and sufficient housing is a priority for any
community. Limited resources, however, often means that housing
supply does not meet mounting demands. A growing number of
communities manage their housing stock through Housing
Authorities to ensure that existing housing stock is well
maintained and that affordable housing is available to meet
community needs.
Housing design and construction methods coupled
with ongoing appropriate maintenance are additional
ingredients to successful community housing. A well-built
and maintained housing stock will free up funding for new
construction by virtue of avoiding a large number of unplanned
major repairs and pre-mature replacement needs.
Good construction methods and appropriate design can go far
to prevent problems such as mould growth and energy inefficiencies.
In any construction, including housing, there are many systems
such as vapor barriers, insulation, attic ventilation, heating
systems, doors and windows etc., that need to be sized and
installed properly - each with appropriate performance specifications
that will naturally depend on climate. For example, heavy
rainfall coastal climates will dictate different house designs
to handle the moderate temperature and high humidity than
houses located in the far north - where extreme cold and fine
blowing snow pose other design challenges.
There are many vendors offering high performance construction components
and have a wealth of information on their respective web sites.
Some materials such as styrofoam concrete forms are quite a departure
from "traditional" materials. Other research-orientated
internet sites, the Institute of Research Construction in particular,
consider a range of construction elements and how they perform under
various end use and climatic conditions. For example, a recent study
of water infiltration for exterior walls offers good insight as
to the construction details required to avoid wet interior wall
spaces - an ideal environment for mould growth. 
Documents
Training
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