C.C. Sullivan, Editorial Director

Build Value in Now … or Later?

Our enlightening and spirited discussion of value engineering (VE), also known as value analysis, continues. Its ardent defenders have been its practitioners, while the most vocal detractors have been consulting design engineers. For example, Gregory Josephs, P.E., of Philadelphia, was involved with modifications to sedimentation tanks at a large sewage-treatment plant, and VE was mandated by...

Economy Offers Mood for Thought

A down economy is always a downer. For most M/E engineering firms, however, the presumably weak business conditions are only affecting a small fraction of projects currently on the boards. Most consultants report being very busy, and there have been no announced workforce reductions at any of the major firms.

Fanning the Flames of Efficiency

Visitors from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory joined the Arlington Heights, Ill.-based Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) last month to announce a new public-private partnership that will promote fan-system efficiency and develop new assessment tools for fan systems...

Zero Waste and Green Buildings

Leading engineers discuss strategies for minimizing industrial and commercial sources of pollution

Of K-factor, Ground Faults and Simplicity

Specifiers often feel compelled to simplify very complex issues for the benefit of their clients and compatriots in other professions. As they often find, however, oversimplification can be a dangerous thing. And when the issue at hand is system safety, the last thing that engineers want is imprecision.Take electrical systems, for instance.

The Way of the World.Wide Web

There's no better time than today for another brief visit to www.csemag.com. We've updated our Web site, and we have more features and better functionality than ever before.

Electric Utility Conspiracy?

Last night I heard a radio program featuring a professor from a prominent California university proclaiming that the recent electricity shortage in California is the result of a conspiracy.

Cooling Data and Dot-Coms

As data centers, clean manufacturing and telecommunications come to dominate many an engineer's design work, unique issues are impacting heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. From air purity and cable management to thermal decay and fire suppression, mechanical designers must smooth technical snags and hold down installed costs.

Welcome Aboard, P.E.s!

To bestow a rare honor is a rare privilege, and in this issue, the editors are fortunate to have such an opportunity. After a long and fruitful search, we are proud to announce three new consulting editors-engineers tapped to serve as our technical and editorial advisors.

Integrating the Workplace

Office modernizations rarely rise to the level of a truly integrated engineering project. The reasons vary, but usually the utilitarian, cost-conscious aims of upgrades lead to well-intentioned shortcuts that undermine the long-term value of a workplace.Such can hardly be stated about the recently renovated general offices for Southern California Edison (SCE) in Rosemead, Calif.

Rudolph A. Wolfson, P.E.: A Rewarding Career

Modesty is an important quality in any individual, but Rudolph A. Wolfson, P.E.-Rudy, to his friends-often seems so humble as to be unconvinced of his standing and impact on the U.S. engineering scene.

Value(-free) Engineering

Value engineering: Both the term and the concept are the roots of most evil in building design, I believe. Before you turn the page, please allow me to explain.First of all, "value engineering" is a misleading misnomer. It is rarely undertaken by an actual, licensed engineer, and the fancy-sounding endeavor is often little more than an exercise in cheapening a well-designed project.

More Data, Fewer Darts

Consulting-Specifying Engineer is in a better position to help engineers than we've ever been in before. Suddenly, our magazine is in a unique position to help firms get more information on building systems, more project leads and more trend information.