PROGRAMME DES FOURNISSEURS D’ÉDUCATION (PFÉ)

The office furniture industry is an ever-changing marketplace, and this changeability has produced huge amounts of unwanted furniture. Remanufacturing addresses the waste, cost, and storage that comes with replacing office furniture.

This course looks at trends in the office furniture industry and the environmental impacts created by legacy furniture, and it provides a review of the environmental and economic benefits of remanufactured furniture as an alternative to scrapping, downcycling, or discarding to landfill.

There is an extremely wide array of coated or composite fabrics available on the market, each type formulated for specific uses and with different levels of performance and quality. To assist in the decision-making process, standards have been developed to show product performance, facilitate quality control, and assure designers that the product they are specifying is suitable for normal commercial use. This course briefly outlines the history, properties, and uses of coated fabrics, the intent and content of one coated fabric standard, and the testing protocols that support it.

This course discusses the code requirements for thermal and ignition barriers for spray polyurethane foam, the testing required, code requirements for vapor retarders depending on climate zone, and how these coatings are installed.

Thermally controlled environments such as cold storage freezers and coolers, and food processing and packaging facilities take many different forms. Their performance and functionality depend on their project-specific requirements and can be affected by the conditions the materials and systems are subjected to. This course discusses how insulated metal panels (IMPs) perform the necessary functions to provide an effective energy-efficient building envelope and why they are suitable for use within temperature-controlled hygienic environments—where performance is critical.

ONGOING

People experience color in different ways and in different settings; in particular, people in healthcare settings who are vulnerable, healing, or aging are influenced by colors used in interior design. This course presents an overview of color and how we perceive it, as well as some of the research findings on color’s effects on psychological, emotional, and physical health. Designers will also learn how color can enhance safety, orientation, and navigation, and the role that non-SBR rubber can play in offering optimal flooring solutions for healthcare institutions.

ONGOING

Over time, color patterns have developed through the historic events, society, arts, and technology that shape each decade. A correlation can be drawn between the circumstances and the prevalent colors through periods of rest and periods of upheaval. This course illustrates how the use of color can express our individuality and culture, and how the past can inspire us with fresh ideas for using color in the present. Highlighting the prevalent colors throughout history, this course also looks at the societal, political, technological, and cultural influences that impacted our color choices.

Color is often used functionally across many design elements; this can also be done with concrete by simply dosing standard concrete mix designs with pigment. Using pigment, concrete can be transformed from a plain, common material into a beautiful, sustainable, and enduring building element. Adding pigments to concrete elevates a project’s quality and impact. This course presents basic knowledge of how concrete pigments are manufactured and how they are measured and dispensed to produce the desired color hue and intensity capable of elevating a project to the next level.

The cleanliness of rooms in healthcare facilities is critical in preventing patients from contracting life-threatening infections. Along with proper hand hygiene, frequent privacy or cubicle curtain changes help prevent the spread of healthcare associated infections (HAIs). This course examines the social, economic, and operational impact HAIs have on a healthcare organization and explains why removable curtain systems make it easier to keep privacy curtains clear of dangerous pathogens and protect the physical health of the building users.  

ONGOING - FREE

ICF construction is cost effective and sustainable, and is a superior way to build stronger, quieter, healthier, and more energy-efficient commercial structures. This course explores insulated concrete form (ICF) construction, describing the forms themselves and their construction, performance, and sustainable benefits. Also presented are design guidelines, the installation process, flooring systems, and commercial project applications.

ONGOING - 1 HOUR - FREE

Commercial fenestration products, including sectional doors, rolling sheet doors, and rolling steel doors, can improve building performance and provide essential building and opening protection. This course discusses common door features, hardware, insulation, installation, and optional types of electric operators and evaluates the performance criteria required for a specific dock or drive-through opening.

ONGOING - 1HR - FREE

Now more than ever, architects and designers of commercial restroom facilities are responsible for meeting or exceeding guest and employee expectations for safety and cleanliness. Presented here are touchless fixtures for public restrooms, how restrooms affect sustainability goals, and the benefits of taking cost-saving measures.

ON-GOING - 1 HR - FREE

Commercial restrooms are used in various settings, from office buildings to hospitals. This course discusses how commercial restroom design can meet the needs of all users through accessibility, universal design, and inclusive design. The public nature of restrooms requires excellent air quality, a trusted level of cleanliness, durability, and water conservation. The importance of fixtures with features including touchless technology, vandalism resistance, and water efficiency is also discussed.

This course takes the reader through the world of commercial sectional door systems and their performance characteristics and includes a discussion on how to specify the correct door for your application. Strength, durability, energy efficiency, sound transmission, safety, security, and aesthetics are all important considerations in the selection of a sectional door system. There are many choices of doors and options but, in general, there are four main categories of commercial sectional doors, with variations in each category.

ONGOING - FREE - 1 HOUR

With the global rise in natural disasters and the increasing need for sustainable environments, resiliency has become a necessity in the design and building industries. This course provides an overview of resilient design, how it relates to building codes and standards, and the role it plays in ensuring the safety and sustainability of the built environment. It examines the role masonry construction plays in meeting resilient design goals and the inherent properties of masonry that make it resilient and provides examples and case studies of resilient design strategies.

While natural wood has traditionally been viewed as an ideal material for decking boards and tiles, wood-plastic composite (WPC) has emerged as a durable, easy-to-maintain, and sustainable alternative. This course provides insights into the advantages of composite decking, especially fully capped products, and explores topics including its environmental benefits; contribution to occupant wellness and safety; resistance to fading, staining, and other potential defects that decking experiences; various applications; and attractive aesthetics.