The Insight program aims to provide building science explanations for building performance problems in general and, in particular, the performance of materials used in the construction of buildings. The emphasis is partially on new materials, where these have been introduced to compete with the old, but mainly on older materials which appear to function less well than they used to. It is not the intent of the program to condemn any material or product, nor to recommend any. The intent is to communicate an understanding of the physical performance of the building envelope and of the materials that make it up. The Insight program is intended for an audience which includes architects, engineers, educators, builders, suppliers and building officials, as well as others involved in the building design and construction process.
Materials are what buildings are made of.
When something does go wrong, we tend to condemn the workmanship, and if the workmanship is good, then it must be the materials that are not up to standard. Examination of many material failures has led us to conclude that other factors appear to be more relevant to the failure. The choice of material may have been wrong for the environment in which it was placed or the environment may have changed from the original condition, but most often the function was improperly matched to the properties of the materials used. The essence of this Insight program is a discussion on the performance of materials used for the construction of buildings. However, since it is impossible to deal with all materials, the focus is on those areas where the material function, performance and durability are of particular interest at this time and where sufficient practical information is available for transfer to program participants.