Teulo Ed / Building Performance: Controlling Air, Water & Access:

Event overview: A building's performance comes down to what gets in, what stays out, and how people and goods move through it. This Teulo Ed session brings together two practical perspectives on that: controlling air and moisture through the building envelope, and designing loading dock systems that protect the envelope while keeping operations safe and efficient. Both sessions share one idea: performance comes from planning early and thinking about the whole system, not from choosing products after the fact.

Session 1: Air tightness and building performance

Presenter: Chris Caiger, Aero Solutions

• Why air tightness matters in NZ. It affects energy efficiency, comfort, indoor air quality and moisture management. NZ has focused on weathertightness and largely ignored airtightness.
• The building science. How ACH50 is measured with a blower door. BRANZ research showed a 50% energy reduction going from 9 to 1 ACH50, plus about 40% more savings with heat recovery ventilation.
• Where NZ homes sit. Most existing homes are very leaky, while high-performance homes reach 1–3 ACH50. Uncontrolled airflow leads to mould and mildew in wall and roof cavities.
• Aero Barrier in practice. How the atomised sealant is applied under pressure before painting, and the certified sealing report it produces. An Albany case study went from 8.17 to 0.85 ACH50.
• Cost and applications. Roughly 4,000–5,000 for a new home. It suits new builds, retrofits, community housing and Homestar projects, without changing construction methods.
• Myths. Whether a house can be "too airtight," concerns about sticky surfaces, and why airtightness should be considered at design stage.

Session 2: Designing loading dock systems for whole-of-life performance

Presenter: Andrew Suckling | Ulti Group

• Docks as operational systems, not equipment. Why early input from the client, operations team, architect and dock provider matters.
• NZ-specific challenges. Mixed truck fleets, on-grade container loading and truck-height variation make generic specifications risky.

Dock system types:

• Horizontal levelers: common and cost-effective, but they need suitable pits.
• On-grade container loading: uses extender shelters and container levelers.
• Vertical levelers: allow doors to open inside, which suits cold chain.
• External loading pods: useful for retrofits and for keeping high-bay internal space.
• Cold chain and the envelope. Sealing, door sequencing, shelter design, and preventing moisture, icing and energy loss.
• Safety and efficiency. Truck restraints, red/green signals, master interlocks, bumpers and labelling.
• Specification guidance. Avoiding like-for-like specs, accounting for structural loads, drainage, fire requirements and future automation, and getting stakeholder sign-off before tender.

Key Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Explain how air tightness affects energy efficiency, moisture management and occupant health in NZ buildings.
• Interpret ACH50 results and identify when and how to specify air tightness testing and sealing.
• Identify the operational information needed before specifying a loading dock system.
• Compare the main dock system types and select one that suits the freight, temperature and site constraints.
• Apply safety, sealing and sequencing principles that protect both people and building performance.