The World's Inaugural Virtual Event about Science & Technology for Architecture, Engineering & Construction started yesterday and continues today (Sept. 23) -- and SPFA is part of it! AEC-ST Virtual bridges the entire life-cycle of the built environment in a unique, state-of-the-art environment for sharing information, collaboration, and education. While the live part will wrap up today, the "booths" will be online for 360 days. Check it out; attendance is free!

LICENSING | SPFA PCP Discussions in New Mexico -- A public hearing was held Sept. 14 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to discuss the state’s movement toward requiring SPFA PCP certifications as license. This topic was also the subject of a roundtable meeting co-hosted by SPFA and The Sprayfoam Coalition of ACC in Albuquerque on August 26. The Construction Industries Commission will consider pending agenda items at its Nov. 18 meeting.

SPFA’s Board of Directors has recognized the substantial growth of the SPF industry in recent years, and the subsequent increasing number of issues the industry is dealing with. Membership growth was identified as a critical priority to success, not just for SPFA to have the resources needed to properly represent the industry, but also to grow the ranks of members to populate committees, and to have important industry information reach a critical mass of dedicated recipients.

Sprayfoam 2016 planning is well underway! Exhibit spaces and sponsorship opportunities are now available. Please click here to see the exhibitor brochure for more information.

>>SprayWorks Equipment Group Donates $5,000 for Wounded Warrior Project
>>Accella Aquires Both Burtin Polymer Labs and Premium Spray Products
>>Huntsman Mississauga Site Celebrates 42 Years Without Injury
>>Compliance Path Based on Use of Filtered Recirculated Air Proposed for ASHRAE Residential IAQ Standard
>>Google's Big Local Search Change: Implications and Tips for Home Performance
>>OSHA's Confined Spaces Ruling Impacts Home Performance - Webinar, Sept. 24
>>First President of UFCA, Ray Clausen, Passes Away
>>ORNL to Host First EERE-Sponsored Industry Day Event - Sept. 23-24
>>Explore Projects in Your State
>>EPA Awards Money to Waddan Systems to Develop Air Pollutant Sensor Technology
>>Energy Department Releases the Second Quadrennial Technology Review
>>Industry Mourns Loss of Sig Hall

Dr. Richard Duncan, Technical Director at SPFA, sheds some light on the new OSHA standard related to confined spaces, which went into effect August 3, 2015.

The fall issue of SPRAYFOAM Professional has been mailed and emailed! If you didn't receive it in your inbox or mailbox and would like to be on our email list to receive the digital link, sign up here. Some articles in this issue include:
THREAT SURVEY: SPFA Reveals Results of Industry Survey
CONSIDERING CANADA? Guide to Spraying Foam in Canuck Country
CONTRACTOR AWARDS: COMMERCIAL WALL FOAM - Foam-Tech Insulation Service
SPEAKING SENSIBLY: How to Address a Retrofit SPF Job Properly
SAFETY FIRST: OSHA Publishes New Standard for Confined Spaces
ASK THE EXPERT: Applying SPF on Concrete
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

>>Free Safety Webinars for SPFA Members
>>Updates on New Mexico's Proposed Regulatory Licensing Requirement
>>2015-16 SPFA Membership Directory and Buyers' Guide
>>SPFA Member Benefits

The first step is to decide which project(s) you're going to enter. Then head to www.sprayfoam.org to check out the Tips on Winning. Next, nominate your best project(s) using our online forms! Nominations for the Contractor Awards are due Dec. 4, 2015.
Winners will be announced Feb. 11, 2016, when SPFA sponsors the Industry Excellence Awards Luncheon as part of the Sprayfoam 2016 Convention & Expo.

Source: protradecraft.com / John Straube, P.Eng. of Building Science Labs
When we're doing the blower door test, this is not a test of "Is the window airtight? Is the wall airtight? Is the roof airtight?" The blower door test methodology can't tell you that. All it can tell you is what the system as a whole is.

Source: gacowallfoam.com / Craig Messer
The thicker the resin the tougher it is to get a swirl of material in the drum. Most resins are anywhere from 500 centipoise and half-pound density all the way to 2 pound at around 1,000 centipoise and 3 pound density at 1,200-1,300 centipoise. They are very thick and need to be mixed thoroughly. Below are the key elements to successfully mixing your resin.

>>Time is Running Out for Free Written Examiner Training and Verification
>>Upcoming PCP Exam Prep Courses

The State Net Capitol Journal contains timely and pertinent information for almost every business owner in every state.
Volume XXIII, No. 29, Sept. 21, 2015

U.S. Federal Legislative & Regulatory Activities
>Markup of House Energy Bill Postponed Due to Disagreements Over Climate Change, Building Energy Codes
>Economic Impacts and Energy Savings Analysis of Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Non-Weatherized Gas Furnaces Completed by DOE
>Meetings Announced for DOE’s Walk-In Cooler and Freezer Refrigeration Systems Working Group
>DOE’s Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps Working Group to Meet in Coming Months
GGAC Regional and Chapter Activities
>Legislative Sessions for 2016
>Possible Ballot Initiative in Florida
>City of Austin Considers Adoption of 90.1-2013

Source: ashrae.org
A proposed standard from ASHRAE, currently open for public comment, would serve as the "backbone" of rating systems. ASHRAE Standard 214P, Standard for Determining and Expressing Building Energy Performance in a Rating Program, is being written to standardize building energy rating programs by requiring the minimum content of any labels associated with rating programs, establishing minimum requirements for rating program documentation and other essential components in rating programs.
The proposed standard is currently open for public comment until Sept. 28, 2015. To learn more or to comment, visit www.ashrae.org/publicreviews.

On October 13 at 2 p.m. (EDT) there will be a webinar to learn more about the Building Performance Database (BPD). This webinar will highlight BPD features that have been recently added to help you gain deeper insight on the data, and ways you can get involved. The BPD includes over 850,000 building records -- making it the largest database for energy-related information on existing residential and commercial buildings.

Source: constructormagazine.com / Amy Drew Thompson
Looking for new business? You probably need updated marketing strategies, tactics well-suited to the wireless age. But don't toss out all the old dogs for the new tricks just yet.

>>2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) to Consolidate ICC, ASHRAE Standards
>>Building Codes Assistance Project Updates on Building Energy Codes

>>DOE Releases Common Definition of Zero Energy Buildings, Campuses, and Communities
>>News from the Building Technologies Office
>>U.S. DOE Building America Update

See what's in store, as far as industry events, expos, training classes, online courses, certification programs and more.

>>Where to Look When You Are Not Making Money
>>Six Survival Tips for Small Business Continuity
>>Make the Switch to New Payments Technology

Source: agcga.org / Wayne Rivers
Why don't family businesses undertake more rigorous, thoughtful and productive business succession planning? We're sure there are a host of reasons, but these are the top ones.