Geoff Weisenberger, Production/Web Editor

NFPA Makes Push on Coasts, but IBC Maintains Strong Hold in Majority of U.S.

In the battle to reign supreme as the national model building code, at least on paper, the International Code Council's (ICC) International Building Code (IBC) appears to be winning by a wide margin. The IBC has been adopted in nearly all 50 states at the local level, approximately 30 states at the state level and by the U.

All Wet

There is no life without water. And like life, water is something that many people take for granted. While some parts of the United States, particularly the Southwest, face very real shortages, it doesn't look as though we'll be reduced to wearing the water-capturing suits of Frank Herbert's desert-world Dune novels any time soon.

School HVAC Noise Levels a Case of Internal Affairs?

There are many reasons for poor performance in school, but one that isn't widely recognized is ventilation noise in classrooms. Ricardo Gamboa, manager of engineering and technical services for performance materials for Denver-based Johns Manville believes it's not an issue to be taken lightly. "It is a big problem.

VFDs In Tune with 90.1

The benefits of variable-frequency drives have long been apparent. When it comes to increasing, decreasing or maintaining electrical motor speed, VFDs can provide precise control and ensure that the motor uses only the energy required. "If you're not changing the speed of the motor in your fan, then you have to vary the airflow via mechanical or some other means, and it's just not economical to...

Killing Kilowatt Hours

If you've taken a trip to the gas station lately, you've no doubt paid more money to fill your tank than you did a year ago—maybe even just a few months ago. That is, unless you've recently traded your vehicle in for a smaller one. While many people tend to groan about higher prices at the pump, cursing the oil companies as they fill their tanks, most of us forget how good we've got it.

Controlling Condensation with the Right Insulation

Changes in one type of technology often make changes in related technologies necessary. For example, about a half-decade ago, facilities began running their chilled-water systems colder in an effort to reduce piping size and the required pumping power. While many engineers embraced this philosophy, it presented a new problem—condensation, especially in places like the southeastern United ...

A New Chapter in Health-Care Design

The standards have risen for pharmaceutical compounding areas. As of July 1 of this year, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) will begin surveying these areas—where intravenous and other sterile solutions are prepared—for compliance with a new chapter in the 2004 United States Pharmacopeia-National Formulary (USP-NF).

Design-Build: Why not Engineers at the Helm?

Who should lead a construction project? For many centuries, the answer was a simple one: the Master Builder, i.e., the architect. Then, for much of the 20th century, the answer became "the general contractor." For the past decade or so, however, that question has become a bit more difficult to answer, as the master builder concept resurfaced in the form of multiple design-build schemes.

Factoring Smoke Dampers into the System

While sprinklers, fire-alarm systems and firestopping are at the forefront of current fire-safety discussion, one overlooked measure is the smoke damper. Yet this device is crucial in commercial/industrial fire safety. It's the traffic cop of the system, routing smoke out of the building while keeping it away from areas where it could do harm.

Putting a Stop to Scalding and Thermal Shock

In an effort to educate plumbing manufacturers on the codes and standards that affect their industry, the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute, in February, held its second Codes and Standards Workshop. Approximately 60 PMI members and nonmembers from 25 plumbing manufacturers attended the workshop, which is part of a larger initiative to provide the industry with current information on issues and ...