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Project Profile: Towson University New Science Center Commissioning
The science complex is the new home for science departments in Towson University's Fisher College of Science and Mathematics.
Project Profile: National Institute of Standards and Technology Radiation Physics Building 245 Renovation
The project included the renovation of the existing building and included 74,000 sq ft and 14,000 sq ft additions.
Project Profile: Georgia Institute of Technology Campus Center Expansion/Renovation Commissioning
Georgia Institute of Technology selected RMF to provide third-party commissioning services for their 300,000 sq ft Campus Center Expansion/Renovation Project.
Project Profile: Southeast Missouri State University Campus Tunnels Renovation Project
In 2018, Southeast Missouri State University engaged Bernhard to complete a Utility Tunnel Assessment as well as a Campus Integrated Energy Master Plan.
Project Profile: Brown University Lindemann Performing Arts Center
The Brown University Lindemann Performing Arts Center offers an unprecedented, one-of-a-kind architectural approach that transcends typical acoustic and spatial barriers.
Project Profile: East Halls Renovations Curtin, Bigler, & Packer Residence Halls, Phase 2B
This project integrated new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, including air conditioning into an existing building structure that was not designed to accommodate ductwork.
Top 5 Consulting-Specifying Engineer content, May 24-30, 2024
Top CSE articles this week covered topics including indoor air quality in K-12 schools, heat pumps and fire alarm technologies
Consulting-Specifying Engineer most-viewed educational articles in 2024
Read the best educational articles about air systems, 40 Under 40, power conductors and more.
Improving indoor air quality and energy efficiency in K-12 schools
Amidst concerns about indoor air quality and energy efficiency, K-12 schools are implementing HVAC upgrades and innovative solutions
Innovative electrical solutions increase flexibility and efficiency in schools
Electrical engineers focus on strategic placement of branch electrical rooms and spare breakers, while collaborating with architects and owners to ensure efficient, flexible and sustainable electrical/power systems in K-12 school projects.
New and innovative sustainability measures in K-12 schools
K-12 schools are adopting net zero energy goals and implementing innovative sustainability measures, such as photovoltaic arrays, HVAC condensation recovery systems and advancements in energy recovery products.
Unique safety and flexibility challenges in K-12 buildings
Engineers in K-12 school projects are prioritizing safety, health and flexibility by integrating emerging technologies, adapting learning environments and conducting thorough cost analyses.
K-12 buildings focus on energy efficiency and accessibility
K-12 insights The integration of accessibility requirements, such as ADA guidelines, into MEP designs ensures equitable access for all occupants in K-12 schools. Renovating existing buildings to meet current code compliance poses challenges, particularly in reconciling structural limitations with HVAC upgrades and determining project scopes [caption id="attachment_542631" align="alignnone" width="645"] Courtesy: WTWH Media[/caption] Respondents: Keith Hammelman, PE, Principal, CannonDesign, Chicago Sean Holder, P.E., Principal, Salas O'Brien, Houston Steven Mrak, PE, Vice President, Peter Basso Associates, Inc., Troy, MI Johnny P. Wood, PE, LEED AP BD+C, CxA, CPD, Associate Vice President, Regional Market Segement Leader, Dewberry, Raleigh, NC Please explain some of the codes, standards and guidelines you commonly use during the project’s design process. Which codes/standards should engineers be most aware of? Keith Hammelman: There is a series of standard building codes either produced by the International Code Council (ICC) and, in the case of California, the development of the Title 24 building code, but there are also additional codes, standards and guidelines that may not be used in every project.
Project Profile: Library + Archives Canada Preservation and Access Facility
Coordinating 230 resources in seven different offices, using information sharing and building modeling technologies on an accelerated design schedule with an integrated approach may seem arduous, but it was small compared to the challenges that were met.
Trends and information to know to design better college and university buildings
Environmental considerations and building for future flexibility are top considerations when looking at college and university buildings
Project Profile: Butler University Esports Park
This project focused on a multi-use space at Butler University that provides a hub for the tech community with esports, gaming PC's, event spaces and more.
Project Profile: Education First Academy Pasadena
This entailed substantial gut and renovation of some buildings while also blending in new construction, which required detailed analysis and upgrading of their campus utility infrastructure.
Consulting-Specifying Engineer most-viewed education articles in 2023
Read the best articles about education including door locking requirements, HVAC implications, design model shifts and more
K-12 roundtable focuses on advanced technologies
HVAC and security systems are being upgraded at K-12 schools
Project Profile: Clemson University Wilbur O. and Ann Powers New College of Business
This 176,000 SF building is the new home for Clemson University's College of Business
Project Profile: UNC Charlotte University Recreation Center (UREC)
UNC Charlotte's University Recreation Center (UREC) is a 148,000-SF, $66-million state-of-the-art facility merging classroom space with fitness facilities and administrative offices.
Project Profile: PS182X
In the attempt to perform geotechnical, structural and plumbing surveys for this SCA school, as well as provide designs to repair and reinforce a collapsed structural tab, we discovered that our architectural team had both never worked on a ground up building/addition or used REVIT.
Project Profile: Banneker Academic High School
This project focused on adding renewable energy while making it affordable for a high school in an urban setting.
Project Profile: NC A&T State University Engineering Research and Innovation Complex
NC A&T State University's (NC A&T) new Harold L Martin, Sr. Engineering Research and Innovation Complex (ERIC) is the culmination of the University's effort to attract and retain the brightest minds in research, teaching and student body.
Lighting design engineers look at LED lighting advancements in K-12 schools
The evolution of lighting from incandescent to light-emitting diode (LED) has resulted in many changes that drove lighting technology.
Video: K-12 schools can be both energy efficient and comfortable
In this video conversation with Steve Mrak, he discusses how new and existing buildings can be made more sustainable and comfortable to K-12 school occupants
Consulting-Specifying Engineer most-viewed educational articles in 2022
Read the best articles about education including lighting controls, emerging technology and COVID's effect on sustainability.
Promoting student and teacher wellness through K-12 school design
Best practices for designing a school building that promotes occupant well-being
Rooftop solar array construction completed
The New York Power Authority partnered with the University of Albany to develop a 1.9 MWdc rooftop solar array project, providing long-term energy cost savings.
Lighting design engineers look at LED lighting advancements in K-12 schools
New LED advancements provide a level of capability that previously had been inaccessible to school facilities. PBA and Illuminart explore the evolution of lighting from incandescent to LED
Technology drives K-12 school changes, while meeting codes and standards
Updates, COVID and tech trends are shifting the way K-12 schools are designed to achieve code
Technology drives fire, life safety design in K-12 schools
Updates, COVID and tech trends are shifting the way K-12 schools’ fire and life safety systems are designed
Technology drives K-12 school changes: Electrical, power and lighting
Updates, COVID and tech trends are shifting the way electrical and power systems in K-12 schools are designed
Technology drives K-12 school changes for energy efficiency, sustainability
Updates, COVID and tech trends are shifting the way K-12 schools are designed. Here’s a look at the topic of energy efficiency, sustainability and renewable energy systems
Technology drives K-12 school changes in automation and controls
Updates, COVID and tech trends are shifting the way K-12 schools are designed with regard to building automation and controls
Technology drives HVAC, plumbing changes in K-12 school
Updates, COVID and tech trends are shifting the way K-12 schools are designed, specifically the HVAC and plumbing systems
Technology drives K-12 school changes
Updates, COVID and tech trends are shifting the way K-12 schools are designed
Is extended reality shaping the future of academic libraries? This Dean thinks so.
Mary Ann Mavrinac, vice provost and dean of the University of Rochester Libraries, shares insight into how the campus community directed the development of Studio X, the library’s new extended reality hub featuring advanced technology and expert training
MEP designers engage students in immersive campus tour
East Carolina University provides an interactive tour of their latest building addition.
Design through the lenses of mental health & trauma: Reimagining the lecture hall experience
The first in a series of reimagining spaces through the experiences of those living with a mental health condition or diagnosis, traumatic experiences and other obstacles.
Effective space utilization in 21st century learning facilities
Now, more than ever, schools are looking at their spaces differently
COVID, sustainability drive codes and standards in college building design
Colleges and universities have been sustainability trendsetters over the past several years. COVID-19 has required designers to think differently
COVID, sustainability drive college building design
Colleges and universities have been sustainability trendsetters over the past several years. COVID-19 has required designers to think differently
Where engineers, students cross paths
School buildings have changed quite a bit over the past several months, and engineers are tasked with designing for these fluxes
Is your building back-to-school ready?
In this panel, experts discuss specific strategies relating to building systems that can promote health and wellness in learning environments.
Designing ‘smart’ security for smart devices
University of Missouri researchers received a grant from the National Security Agency to explore the need for "smart" approaches to security.
School transformation highlights creative solutions
CMAA Honors Pre-K Center Project on Staten Island
Case study: High schools achieves sustainability
This Phoenix high school achieved several sustainability goals
Lighting: How codes and guidelines affect lighting design
Before starting any lighting design specifications, several resources must be considered, which will be presented at this session. Engineers also should seek third-party objective sources for information on and comparison of directionality, efficacy and other properties.
UW-Madison Vet Med celebrates groundbreaking for new campus updates
The University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine broke ground on its long-anticipated building expansion.
Spend or invest: the dilemma for K–12 Schools relief funding
K–12 schools have been big winners in the receipt of funds under the three COVID-19 Relief Acts
Building Readiness: Reopening educational institutions
There are many educational administrators who are committed to reopening but are uncertain about the best, most cost-effective path to welcoming staff and students back safely.
Lighting design engineers look at LED lighting advancements in K-12 schools
New LED advancements provide a level of capability that previously had been inaccessible to school facilities. PBA and Illuminart explore the evolution of lighting from incandescent to LED
Taking Shape: The Evolution of AB 841 to CalSHAPE
Many business and facilities experts in California K–12 districts have been following the ongoing development of the Schools Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program (also referred to as the SEES Program, SEESP, Assembly Bill 841, or AB 841).
Research puts robotic technology on campus construction sites
An autonomous robot dog named Spot is being used on Virginia Tech University construction sites as a way to investigate the applications of using robots to monitor construction progress.
Case study: K-8 school upgrades power generation
At a K-8 school in the U.S. Virgin Islands, photovoltaics and battery storage will help modernize the space
Finding comfort in early childhood classrooms: consider radiant floor heating
Radiant floor heating systems have progressed in their longevity and reliability
Enhancing learning in K-12 schools: Electrical systems
Students and teachers benefit from many electrical engineering technologies in K-12 schools
Enhancing learning in K-12 schools: Fire and life safety
Students and teachers benefit from many fire and life safety engineering technologies in K-12 schools
Enhancing learning in K-12 schools: HVAC systems
Students and teachers benefit from many air quality and HVAC technologies in K-12 schools
Enhancing learning in K-12 schools via building codes
Students and teachers benefit from many engineering codes and standards in K-12 schools
Enhancing learning in K-12 schools with energy-efficiency buildings
Students and teachers benefit from many engineering technologies in K-12 schools, including sustainable building systems
Enhancing learning in K-12 schools via building automation systems
Students and teachers benefit from many building automation, controls technologies in K-12 schools
Enhancing learning in K-12 schools
Students and teachers benefit from many engineering technologies in K-12 schools
Safely reopening schools with AB 841
Assembly Bill 841 (AB 841) is one of many ways schools and lawmakers are trying to safely reopen schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CFE Media and Technology to Host Spring Virtual Training Week for Engineers
The five-day learning experience will cover a variety of topics and feature presentations from the industry’s leading experts, all of which will allow registrants to earn continuing education credit.
How higher education stays ahead of the sustainability curve
Four Arup experts weigh in on the cultural, social, and commercial forces that help higher-ed institutions drive ambitious sustainability goals.
The future of higher education
The world of higher education has been profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and is forcing designers and administrators to change their approach.
Will COVID-19 affect future engineers?
The answer is maybe, unless experts and educators can help students catch up on STEM and other topics.
Implement COVID-19 guidelines at K-12 schools without hurting the learning experience
COVID-19 has shifted the focus from how best to teach to feasibility and safety issues surrounding teachers and students meeting in person at all. Following CDC guidelines is key.
How student unions are the next frontier for community colleges
Student unions are not that common for community colleges, but that is changing in the time of COVID. Creating a vibrant, but safe, environment for students is a challenge.
Five reasons universities are renovating student housing
Universities are renovating student housing for many reasons including reducing overall costs, restoring historical buildings and more.
Students, tech, COVID drive higher ed design
College and university building design is being driven by student needs, technology and new air quality demands
Design strategies to help K-12 schools reopen amid COVID-19
K-12 school systems are trying to providing safe, comfortable and effective learning experiences for students while also adhering to necessary safety guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Selfless engineering
Mentoring, education and training never get old
Reshaping the student experience for Fall 2020
Colleges and universities are racing to answer a remarkable question in the weeks ahead: How do you safely and effectively educate students during a pandemic?
College campuses will look different this fall
CannonDesign examines how colleges and universities will look different because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design guidelines for infection control in higher education facilities
To help ensure colleges and universities are safe to reopen their campuses this fall, Henderson Engineers' education design experts have put together a set of guidelines for infection control.
Heroism, healthcare and the future of emergency medicine
Dr. Arthur Pancioli, MD, chair of the department of emergency medicine at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine, talks about how medical education has shifted, what impact COVID-19 will have on emergency departments for the future and more.
Designing socially distant K-12 schools
Schools have to adjust to the new normal because of COVID-19. This includes making them socially distant. See how one engineer is working on that for K-12 schools.
What can higher ed STEM design learn from commercial research, development?
Institutions looking to enhance their STEM research and teaching facilities face a shared challenge: how to create a space that is functional, appealing, and flexible to nimbly adapt to changing research and workforce demands.
How St. Louis schools can evolve this fall
CannonDesign offers advice on what will change for schools in the St. Louis area and how the education experience will change.
Operating schools in 2020 and beyond
Many school districts across the country will face budget reductions and reduced state education funding due to COVID-19. Compensating for this is a multi-faceted challenge.
Designing tornado-safe schools that don’t feel like bunkers
Tornado-safe schools don't have to be designed with an imposing look to keep students and faculty safe.
Universities turn to designers on how to reopen campus safely due to COVID-19 pandemic
Building designers are being recruited to help universities open their campuses safely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CannonDesign's efforts in Texas were highlighted.
University rec center converted to COVID-19 care center
The California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo’s Recreation Center has been converted into a COVID-19 care center.
How to design K-12 schools: Building automation and controls
With increasingly complex systems and technology coming into play, work on modern K-12 projects is anything but elementary
How to design K-12 schools
With increasingly complex systems and technology coming into play, work on modern K-12 projects is anything but elementary
High Point University: Congdon School of Health Sciences and the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy
The Congdon School of Health Science and the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy is a 220,000-square-foot health care education facility includes a musculoskeletal lab/classroom, a biomechanics lab, a wet lab, a 370-seat tiered auditorium and more.
Designing schools equipped for future adaptability
Instead of creating various rooms for specialty functions, schools are now incorporating educational spaces that can serve many needs.
How Master Planning Helps the Future of Science Learning
Colleges and universities across the United States are facing unprecedented challenges related to funding in both operations and capital. It is also becoming more difficult to recruit and retain the best students and faculty as competition increases.
From Buffalo to Pittsburgh: A Look at 3 Exciting K12 School Projects
Here’s a look at three K12 projects and what makes each of them unique
Three-step retirement plan for engineers
Career Update: A three-step plan can help engineers begin engineering retirement planning with a checklist, looking at employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) details, anticipated spending, choosing a date and revisions over time.
Learning how to engineer colleges, universities better
Read about emerging trends in college and university buildings, and learn about the emerging trends impacting their design
George Washington University: Milken Institute School of Public Health
Engineered for health.
Choosing and managing an engineering career: 7 things to know
A well-managed engineering career means a lifetime career outside the rut. Apply these seven tips to manage a successful engineering career.
Honoring history: Renovations for the historic Wiley Elementary School
For the first time since opening, the school and site were stripped down to the “bones” and built back to accommodate necessary modern functions while retaining much of the unique historical features.
Integrated active learning: Transforming healthcare education
The OSU Allied Health Building and the Tandy Medical Academic Building showcase the latest programming in integrated active learning for science-based environments
Learning environment trends: Key takeaways from A4LE regional conferences
A common theme among education conferences is an exploration into what we can do as design partners, facility managers, district leaders, educators, etc. to continuously improve the learning experience for students.
Ask an Engineering Expert: What trends do you see in designing K-12 schools?
In this installment of our Ask an Engineering Expert series, April L. Halling, P.E., Project Engineer at RTM Engineering Consultants, answers the question: What trends do you see in designing K-12 schools?
Campus Energy 2019: Presentations
Learn about the presentations from Campus Energy 2019.
Future of Schools
Schools must prepare students with the knowledge, skills and adaptability for unknown jobs and technology that has not yet been invented.
Engaging Students in the Design Process for Seneca Valley Schools
There are numerous exciting aspects of our team’s current work with Seneca Valley School District, outside Pittsburgh, but one that stands out to me is our chance to engage students in the design process.
Designing high-tech K-12 schools
The technology at play in today’s K-12 schools is evolving rapidly—inside the classrooms, and in the various systems behind the scenes. Engineers handling such projects, whether the work is on new facilities or retrofits, have their work cut out for them.
Three important developments at DBIA Expo 2018
The DBIA conference is an event that unites AEC professionals, building owners, leaders in design-build delivery, and relative newcomers to share the latest trends, ideas and best practices that can fuel both progressive project delivery models for the future.
Dehumidification Alternatives for Commercial Buildings
Controlling humidity in commercial buildings used to be a difficult undertaking that was best accomplished by overcooling the supply air to increase moisture removal, then reheating the overcooled air to the desired temperature. This was a huge waste of energy. While gas desiccant systems were a viable alternative, they were relatively costly and more often used for industrial applications where very low humidity levels were required.
Examining higher education facilities
As technology advances in every field, the college and university students being prepped for future careers in those fields need the tech they’re learning with to keep up. That presents unique challenges for the engineers working on such structures—specifying advanced systems that satisfy the unique needs of each institution. Here, professionals with experience in the area offer advice on how to tackle such facilities and receive top marks.
Case study: University of Wyoming energy plant upgrade
The normal and standby power system at the University of Wyoming’s central energy plant was upgraded.
Three key tech takeaways from CNBC Talent@Work
Read about the key takeaways from HR leaders regarding trends such as data in decision making, robots, and artificial intelligence.
Leach Wallace Associates Inc.: University of Maryland Medical System,Capital Region Medical Center
Automation, controls; electrical, power; energy, sustainability; fire, life safety; HVAC, mechanical; lighting; plumbing, piping; health care facility; and new construction
McKinstry: Washington State University Everett
Automation, controls; electrical, power; energy, sustainability; fire, life safety; HVAC, mechanical; lighting; plumbing, piping; educational facility; and new construction
Spectrum Engineers: University of Utah Campus Wide Electrical Infrastructure Upgrade
Utilities; public works; transportation; electrical, power; energy; and electrical infrastructure upgrade
Women in engineering profile: Paulina Olesinska
International Women in Engineering Day, celebrated on June 23, 2018, celebrates the achievements of females in various engineering industries. Here’s a Q&A with Paulina Olesinska.
Challenges for Today’s Construction Owner
As the unemployment rate continues to shrink, the construction labor pool is becoming smaller leading to staffing shortages.
Case study: Using the design-build approach for increased value
The team pursued an integrated project delivery (IPD) approach for a Chicago college, incorporating trade subcontractors for assistance in the detailed design effort and using the request for proposal (RFP) submission’s preliminary design as the guideline for performance-based design.
2018 40 Under 40: Ibrahim Odeh, 39
Founding Director, Global Leaders in Construction Management, Columbia University, N.Y. BS civil engineering, Jordan University of Science and TechnologyMBA, University of St. Thomas, Minn.PhD civil and environmental engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Odeh is the founding director of Global Leaders in Construction Management (GLCM) at Columbia University. He is a unique combination of a strategist, academic, innovator, and entrepreneur.
Designing efficient K-12 schools: Fire/life safety
In a digital age, children across the U.S. are more technologically advanced than ever—and they require educational facilities that can keep up. Here, engineers with experience working on K-12 schools share views on fire/life safety.
Designing efficient K-12 schools: Electrical, lighting, power
In a digital age, children across the U.S. are more technologically advanced than ever—and they require educational facilities that can keep up. Here, engineers with experience working on K-12 schools share views on what’s trending with electrical/lighting/power in these facilities.
Designing efficient K-12 schools: Automation and controls
In a digital age, children across the U.S. are more technologically advanced than ever—and they require educational facilities that can keep up. Here, engineers with experience working on K-12 schools share views on automation and controls in these facilities.
Training program targets experiential learning for power engineering fields
Participating in training programs, such as Eaton’s program for consulting engineers,creates professional development and application training for emerging engineers.
Case study: Centralizing campus emergency power
Duke University studied emergency power aesthetics, noise, emissions, and maintenance costs. The result—a central generator plant.
An engineer inside the classroom: How the built environment influences engineering education
Given the function of an engineering course to equip students with skills to design buildings in the future, there is no better place to leverage the built environment than in the engineering classroom.
Case study: Field house lobby
A project currently under construction provides an example of how lighting design does not have to sacrifice quality to meet energy codes.
Building efficient colleges and universities: electrical/lighting/power and fire/life safety
Colleges and universities face a long list of challenges, as do the engineers tasked to help construct and modify the facilities at these institutions. Here, experienced professionals share their knowledge regarding electrical/power/lighting and fire/life safety.
Building efficient colleges and universities
Colleges and universities face a long list of challenges, as do the engineers tasked to help construct and modify the facilities at these institutions. Here, experienced professionals share their knowledge.
Why work with Generation Y?
Millennials are often misrepresented as unwilling to communicate. I disagree, especially after a terrific conversation with eight young professionals.
Making the grade with K-12 projects
With state-of-the-art learning facilities, sustainability concerns, and modern design, K-12 schools can be just as advanced as colleges and universities and—for consulting-specifying engineers—just as demanding.
Making the grade with K-12 projects: electrical/lighting/power and fire/life safety
With state-of-the-art learning facilities, sustainability concerns, and modern design, K-12 schools can be just as advanced as colleges and universities and—for consulting-specifying engineers—just as demanding. The following focuses on electrical/lighting/power and fire/life safety in K-12 schools.
Making the grade with K-12 projects: automation and controls
With state-of-the-art learning facilities, sustainability concerns, and modern design, K-12 schools can be just as advanced as colleges and universities and—for consulting-specifying engineers—just as demanding. The following focuses on automation and controls in K-12 schools.
Electrical, power systems in educational facilities
Respondents to the 2016 Electrical and Power study share details about these systems in educational facilities.
Storage battery requirements
The International Fire Code (IFC) and NFPA 1: Fire Code need to be considered when specifying stationary storage battery systems to ensure public safety.
CityLab profiles Malcolm X College teaching hospital
Malcolm X College has invested in new architecture and high-tech simulation space to prepare its students to take future jobs in health care.
Dual technology wall switch occupancy sensor
The DW-311 is an occupancy sensor designed to provide building and energy code compliant occupancy and 0 to 10 V dimming control for LED lighting applications.
Effective design approaches for academic teaching laboratories
Communication strategies help everyone involved understand the goals of the project while creating a design that meets the owner’s needs.
Fire, life safety in educational facilities
Respondents to the Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2016 Fire and Life Safety Study identified 5 findings as they relate to K-12/college/university projects.
Exploring the high demands for higher education facilities: electrical/lighting/power
The design process for higher education facilities has its own set of challenges and requirements. Engineers discuss the current trends, challenges, and experiences with college and university facility projects regarding electrical/lighting/power.
Exploring the high demands for higher education facilities: fire/life safety
The design process for higher education facilities has its own set of challenges and requirements. Engineers discuss the current trends, challenges, and experiences with college and university facility projects regarding fire/life safety.
Exploring the high demands for higher education facilities: automation and controls
The design process for higher education facilities has its own set of challenges and requirements. Engineers discuss the current trends, challenges, and experiences with college and university facility projects regarding automation and controls.
Top 5 Consulting-Specifying Engineer Articles, September 19-25: 2016 Product of the Year winners, MEP Giants, central utility plant design, more
Articles about the 2016 Product of the Year, MEP Giants, central utility plant design, applying NFPA 75 in data centers, and hospital electrical systems were Consulting-Specifying Engineer's five most clicked articles from last week, September 19-25. Were you out last week? You can catch up here.
Louvered commercial lighting bollard
TLED-ELB LED louvered commercial lighting bollard utilizes LED technology to deliver uniform illumination and low glare due to its optical design.
Wood Harbinger Inc.: Green River Community College Mel Lindbloom Student Union
Electrical, power; lighting; communication systems; audio/visual.
Three types of innovation centers influencing higher education
The challenges we face are becoming more complex, and academic institutions are recognizing the power of crossing traditional academic lines to best respond. This recognition is fueling the creation of innovation centers that drive cross-pollination and fuse creative fields like computer science, math, design, engineering, and others to expand potential for developing new products and real-world applications.
Universities need to recruit and retain STEM students with design
STEM experts say universities must address current rates of STEM learning-program attrition. Reports indicate that only 40% who enroll in STEM programs graduate with STEM degrees.
High-performance medical and educational building design: Sustainable buildings/energy efficiency
The design of high-performance medical and educational projects are challenging and need to meet specific standards, codes, and trends. A major trend is designing buildings that are energy-efficient and sustainable.
High-performance medical and educational building design
The design of high-performance medical and educational projects are challenging and need to meet specific standards, codes, and trends.
Three key trends in student housing for Boston’s higher education community
Student housing remains a leading focus for the city of Boston and its higher education institutions.
BIM for universities: Three reasons to use it
Using building information modeling for effective and efficient project delivery is not a new idea. At the same time, the integration of BIM into the day-to-day activities of a building owner is more of a new concept.
2016 40 Under 40: Kevin Chow, PE, LEED AP BD+C, 31
Associate, Mechanical Engineer, WSP l Parsons Brinckerhoff, Dallas BS Architectural Engineering, Kansas State University
2016 40 Under 40: Louis DeAlba, 31
Electrical Designer and Revit Administrator, Primera Engineers, Chicago BS Interior Design, Westwood College
2016 40 Under 40: Paul Erickson, LEED AP BD+C, 38
Principal, Sustainable Practice Leader, Mechanical Engineer, Affiliated Engineers Inc., Madison, Wis. BS Environmental Geosciences, Michigan State University MS Civil Engineering and Building Sciences, University of Colorado
2016 40 Under 40: Scott Foster, PE, LEED AP, 39
Principal, Mechanical Engineer, Affiliated Engineers Inc., Chicago BS Architectural Engineering, Kansas State University
2016 40 Under 40: George Fragulis, PE, LEED AP BD+C, PMP, MP, CEM, BEMP, 36
Principal, Program Manager, Mechanical Engineer, Pond & Co., Norcross, Ga. BS Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
2016 40 Under 40: Michael Heinsdorf, PE, LEED AP, CDT, 36
Assistant Director of MasterSpec, Architectural Computer Services Inc., Alexandria, Va. BS Electrical Engineering, Drexel University
2016 40 Under 40: Sara Lappano, PE, LC, LEED AP BD+C, 36
Principal, Electrical Engineer, SmithGroupJJR, Washington, D.C. BS and MS Architectural Engineering, Penn State University
2016 40 Under 40: Alex Mathers, PE, LEED GA, 35
Senior Mechanical Engineer, Project Manager, exp, San Diego BS Engineering, Environmental Science, James Madison University MS Mechanical Engineering, San Diego State University
2016 40 Under 40: Colin Rees, LEED AP, LCC, LCEA, 34
Consultancy Manager, IES Ltd., Glasgow, U.K. BEng Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde
2016 40 Under 40: Dareen Salama, 28
Assistant Project Controls Manager/BIM Manager, STV, New York City BS Construction Engineering, American University, Cairo, Egypt MS Civil Engineering/Construction Management, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2016 40 Under 40: Suraj Soudagar, LEED AP, 36
Project Executive, KJWW Engineering Consultants, Naperville, Ill. BE Instrumentation Engineering, University of Mumbai MS Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago MBA, St. Ambrose University
2016 40 Under 40: Elie Touma, PE, PMP, CEM, LEED AP, CC, 35
Senior Project Development Engineer, Pepco Energy Services, Arlington, Va. BE and ME Mechanical Engineering, Lebanese University/Faculty of Engineering, Roumieh, Lebanon MS Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of NYU
2016 40 Under 40: Saahil Tumber, PE, LEED AP, HBDP, 31
Senior Associate, Environmental Systems Design Inc. (ESD), Chicago BS Mechanical Engineering, Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune, India MS Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
2016 40 Under 40: Elizabeth Valmont, PhD, LEED AP, 35
Senior Acoustic Consultant, Arup, Los Angeles BA Architecture, MBS, and PhD Architecture, University of Southern California
Decentralized lighting controller
The Dialog Room Controller manages classrooms, offices, conference rooms, or small rooms to meet local and national lighting requirements.
Wireless receptacle controls
The WattStopper Wireless Receptacle Controls (WRC) series is an easy, low-cost retrofit solution for plug load controls, as it uses radio frequency technology and works with existing line-voltage wiring.
Designing places with purpose
Creating successful schools and hospitals is not simply about designing modern facilities with cutting-edge technology.
Enhancing the learning experience in K-12 schools: Fire and life safety
K-12 schools are among the most important projects engineers can tackle. Fire and life safety—including mass notification systems, fire suppression, and emergency communication systems—are discussed.
Enhancing the learning experience in K-12 schools: Electrical and power systems
K-12 schools are among the most important projects engineers can tackle. Professionals with expertise in electrical, power, and lighting, offer design advice for educational facilities.
Enhancing the learning experience in K-12 schools: Automation and controls
K-12 schools are among the most important projects engineers can tackle. Automation and controls help keep these educational facilities running smoothly.
Nicholas Rich to head electrical department in Seattle for WSP | Parsons Brickerhoff
Nicholas Rich has been named a vice president in the Seattle buildings sector office of WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global engineering and professional services organization.
Constructing college, university buildings wisely: Sustainability and energy efficiency
Engineering mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), and fire protection systems in colleges and universities requires designers to look toward the future of postsecondary education, and consider all aspects of a building and its occupants, including sustainable design.
Constructing college, university buildings wisely: Fire and life safety
Engineering mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), and fire protection systems in colleges and universities requires designers to look toward the future of postsecondary education, and consider all aspects of a building and its occupants.
Constructing college, university buildings wisely: Electrical, power, and lighting
Engineering mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), and fire protection systems in colleges and universities requires designers to look toward the future of postsecondary education, and consider all aspects of a building and its occupants. Electrical and lighting systems are of key importance.
Lighting in educational facilities
The Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2015 Lighting and Lighting Controls Study indicated that 58% of engineers specify, design, or make product selections for educational facilities—and eight in 10 of these engineers are responsible for determining requirements/writing specifications, researching and evaluating options, and/or recommending the product brands for these projects.
Constructing college, university buildings wisely: Automation and controls
Engineering mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), and fire protection systems in colleges and universities requires designers to look toward the future of postsecondary education, and consider all aspects of a building and its occupants. Building automation systems and controls are frequently specified.
Intelligent lighting controls achieve energy performance
An advanced lighting control system is implemented at Ohlone Community College District's Academic Core Building to help the campus achieve its aggressive energy conservation goals, while creating state-of-the-art learning spaces.
Elevating the engineer’s role
Fire and life safety engineers have never been more important as they design today’s schools. The ability to communicate also ranks highly among consultants. Here’s a look at how to enhance both of these skills.
Fire protection changes in schools
Changes in codes and in society’s expectations for school safety have driven increased fire protection and security requirements for colleges, universities, and K-12 schools.
Protecting our schools
Schools require fire detection and suppression, mass notification systems (MNS), and emergency communication systems (ECS) to protect occupants. Because many schools are becoming multi-use buildings with theaters, computer rooms, and flexible classroom spaces, the fire protection engineer's job has become more complex.
Burns Engineering Inc.: Temple University Microgrid: Campus Electrical Infrastructure Modernization
System overhaul of an educational facility
A free way to help young engineers
It won’t cost you a cent to encourage young engineers to become involved in the engineering community.
High-bay light-emitting diode (LED) luminaires
Eaton helped improve the lighting performance and energy efficiency in a campus recreation facility at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Case study: university campus CHP
Cogeneration systems—also known as combined heat and power (CHP) systems—generate both electricity and usable thermal energy. These systems typically are used on campuses that have high heat load requirements.
Implementing microgrids: Controlling campus, community power generation
Microgrids can lower cost and raise reliability for the owner, and for surrounding communities.
Case study: Microgrid at Princeton University
Microgrids can lower cost and raise reliability for the owner, and for surrounding communities.
Amity Dubai rising from the sand
In January 2014, a ceremonial ground-breaking was held for the Amity Dubai campus. It was exciting to see the campus coming out of the ground and taking shape in a big way. Here is some additional information about the campus design and delivery.
2015 40 Under 40: Jenny Ziegler Baker, PE, LC, LEEP AP, 37
Senior Lecturer, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa BS and MS Architectural Engineering, Kansas State University
2015 40 Under 40: Amanda C. Beck, PE, CET, CFPS, 30
Fire Protection Engineer, Primera Engineers, Chicago BS Mechanical Engineering, Arizona State University
2015 40 Under 40: Keith S. Butler, LEED AP, 29
Practice and Office Leader, Aon Fire Protection Engineering Corp., Houston BS Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology, Oklahoma State University
2015 40 Under 40: Jonathan A. Carter, PE, LEED AP BD+C, 36
Senior Associate, Lead Electrical Engineer, ccrd Partners, Dallas BS Architectural Engineering, Kansas State University
2015 40 Under 40: Thomas L. Earp, PE, ATD, 34
Principal, Senior Electrical Engineer, Page, Austin, Texas BS Electrical Engineering, Duke University
2015 40 Under 40: Monte K. Engelkemier, PE, 36
Project Principal, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Stanley Consultants, Muscatine, Iowa BS Mechanical Engineering, Kansas State University; MS Mechanical Engineering, University of Kansas
2015 40 Under 40: Calina Ferraro, PE, CxA, CPD, LEED AP, 30
Mechanical Associate Principal, Randall Lamb Associates, San Diego BS Mechanical Engineering (minor Environmental Engineering), McGill University
2015 40 Under 40: Katie McGimpsey, PE, LEED AP, 33
Katie McGimpsey, PE, LEED AP, 33 Principal, Affiliated Engineers Inc., Rockville, Md. B.A.E and M.A.E. Architectural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
2015 40 Under 40: Stephen Niez, PE, LEED AP BD+C, 30
Associate, Mechanical Engineer, AECOM, Arlington, Va. BS Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
2015 40 Under 40: Jordan O’Brien, LEED AP, MBA, BSc, 36
Senior Manager, Arup, San Francisco BS Biochemistry, University of California; MBA, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School
2015 40 Under 40: Michael Pollock, MEng, LEED AP, LCC, 32
Project Leader, Special Projects, Integrated Environmental Solutions Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland MEng Building Design Engineering, University of Strathclyde
2015 40 Under 40: Eric Rubottom, PE, RCDD, CTS, LEED AP, 34
Senior Associate, Lead Technology Systems Specialist, Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers Inc., Fort Collins, Colo. BS Architectural Engineering, Kansas State University
2015 40 Under 40: Talya Santillan, PE, LEED AP BD+C, 38
Senior Associate, Kohler Ronan LLC, New York City BE Mechanical Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology
2015 40 Under 40: Nathan Wesselius, PE, LEED AP BD+C, 39
Vice President, WSP Group, Seattle BS Mechanical Engineering, Montana State University
Learning objective: Designing K-12 schools: Automation and controls
In K-12 schools, technological advancements, code requirements, and other demands placed on engineers are consistently increasing, while limitations like budget restraints remain a challenge. Building automation systems and controls are key to occupancy comfort.
Learning objective: Designing K-12 schools
In K-12 schools, technological advancements, code requirements, and other demands placed on engineers are consistently increasing, while limitations like budget restraints remain a challenge.
Early planning simplifies BIM design
BIM models have helped simplify the design and engineering process at an educational facility.
Case studies: Lighting controls for educational facitilies
ASHRAE Standard 90.1 requires lighting professionals to include power allowances, daylighting controls, functional testing, and submittals in their lighting designs. This discussion includes an overview of lighting control options along with best practices for lighting designers and electrical engineers in working with their clients.
Six strategies give university a ‘lighting’ edge
At Coppin State University, a sophisticated lighting control system helped the Science and Technology Center achieve energy efficiency.
Advanced lighting controls on California campus
Ohlone College selected an advanced lighting control system to help the campus achieve its aggressive energy conservation goals.
Ductless systems for diversely occupied buildings
Water-Source VRF Ductless Systems are energy-efficient climate solutions designed to use water as the energy exchange medium to heat and cool.
Top 5 Consulting-Specifying Engineer articles, January 5-11: 2015 business trends, dirty LED secrets, designing higher education facilities, more
Articles about top business trends in 2015, dirty LED secrets, designing higher education facilities, commissioning lighting systems, and the 2014 NEC were Consulting-Specifying Engineer’s five most clicked articles from last week, January 5-11. Were you out last week? Miss something? You can catch up here.
Education practice expands expertise with George Kacan, PreK-12 education leader
CannonDesign’s national PreK-12 practice has built its legacy in partnering with our clients who are focused on transforming learning environments for tomorrow's leaders. George Kacan, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, has joined the firm as Chicago’s PreK-12 Education Practice Leader.
Designing higher education facilities: Sustainability
The world is getting more high-tech, and the colleges and universities preparing students to work in an increasingly advanced environment must keep pace. Energy-efficient and high-performance buildings often are requested by clients.
Designing higher education facilities: HVAC
The world is getting more high-tech, and the colleges and universities preparing students to work in an increasingly advanced environment must keep pace. HVAC systems, indoor air quality, and other related issues are discussed.
Designing higher education facilities
The world is getting more high-tech, and the colleges and universities preparing students to work in an increasingly advanced environment must keep pace. Engineers with expertise on college and university buildings share advice on how to complete such complex projects, with honors.
Designing higher education facilities: Fire and life safety
The world is getting more high-tech, and the colleges and universities preparing students to work in an increasingly advanced environment must keep pace. Emergency communication and mass notification systems are key elements of the fire and life safety systems.
Designing higher education facilities: Electrical and power systems
The world is getting more high-tech, and the colleges and universities preparing students to work in an increasingly advanced environment must keep pace. Electrical, power, and lighting systems are discussed.
Designing higher education facilities: Automation and controls
The world is getting more high-tech, and the colleges and universities preparing students to work in an increasingly advanced environment must keep pace. Building automation systems and controls help these buildings run efficiently.
Fire and smoke modeling
Fire design scenarios were tested in a new building at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, scheduled to be occupied in fall 2015.
2014 40 Under 40: Stephanie Ellis, 30
Director, Corrosion College, Gilmer, Texas
University updates fire pump
This case study describes redesigning the electrical system in one of the existing buildings at a university.
Engineering in K-12 schools
Engineers offer practical advice and best practices on how to design HVAC, electrical, lighting, and fire protection systems in K-12 schools.
Engineering in K-12 schools: Controls and automation
Engineers offer practical advice and best practices on how to design controls and automation systems in K-12 schools.
Engineering in K-12 schools: Electrical, power systems
Engineers offer practical advice and best practices on how to design electrical, power, and renewable energy systems in K-12 schools.
Engineering in K-12 schools: Fire and life safety
Engineers offer practical advice and best practices on how to design fire and life safety systems in K-12 schools.
Smart college, university building design
College and university campus buildings have a lot going on—classes, research, dining, and sleeping. Added to the challenge: life safety, air quality needs of research facilities, sustainability goals, and other issues. A group of engineers offer advice on how to tackle college and university projects and achieve a degree of success.
College, university building automation and controls
College and university campus buildings have a lot going on—classes, research, dining, and sleeping. Building automation systems must be carefully specified to control the systems within these buildings.
College, university building electrical and power system design
College and university campus buildings have a lot going on—classes, research, dining, and sleeping. Electrical and power systems—including standby, emergency, and backup power—are key components.
College, university building fire/life safety design
College and university campus buildings have a lot going on—classes, research, dining, and sleeping. Fire, life safety, mass notification, and emergency communication systems are key components of these campuses.
Wanted: Female engineers
The number of female engineers is low. As engineering professionals, we need to ensure we’re engaging more young women—and mentoring recent engineering graduates—to help bolster these numbers.
Know your audience
Engineers are competent technical professionals, but when it comes to adding notes to a drawing or writing a design report, language may not always come naturally to some.
Emergency notification systems: Best practices for specifying in schools
The installation of fire alarm and ECS can have a significant impact in preserving life safety within schools and campuses. Here are the portions of NFPA 72 to watch.
High-profile shootings spur rapid growth of market for US school security system integration
IHS reports that the market for school security system integration to rise by more than 80% from 2012 to 2017 to $4.9 billion.
The next generation of science standards
The Next Generation of Science Standards (NGSS) are designed to progress science education and integrate engineering.
Grand Valley State University Science Lab, Classroom, and Office Building
New construction; Grand Valley State University Science Lab, Classroom, and Office Building; Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr and Huber Inc.
Thomas Jefferson University – Jefferson Tower Construction and Edison Building
New construction, existing building renovation; Thomas Jefferson University - Jefferson Tower Construction and Edison Building; Stantec
University of Oregon: Central Heat and Power Plant
Existing building retrofit, new construction; University of Oregon: Central Heat and Power Plant; Wood Harbinger
University of Florida – East Campus Data Center
New construction; University of Florida - East Campus Data Center; Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.
James B. Hunt Jr. Library
New construction; James B. Hunt Jr. Library; Affiliated Engineers Inc.
Designing electrical systems for higher education
By accommodating diverse functional requirements while following safety codes and standards, engineers can design reliable and durable electrical systems for colleges and universities and their high-performing buildings.
Designing labs, research buildings: Electrical, power systems
Labs and research facilities house sensitive equipment and must maintain very rigid standards. Electrical and power systems are of key importance.
Designing labs, research buildings: Building automation and controls
Labs and research facilities house sensitive equipment and must maintain very rigid standards. In this discussion, the engineers will discuss building automation and controls.
Designing labs, research buildings: HVAC systems
Labs and research facilities house sensitive equipment and must maintain very rigid standards. Ventilation, air quality, and HVAC systems are discussed here.
Manufacturer focus: Designing labs, research buildings
Labs and research facilities house sensitive equipment and must maintain very rigid standards. Two manufacturers provide insights.
Designing labs, research buildings
Labs and research facilities house sensitive equipment and must maintain very rigid standards. Key areas include air quality, security, and flexibility. This provides a general overview.
When projects change lives
There is nothing better than reading an article about how our projects are changing lives—it's why we do what we do.
Window shades offer energy savings
Calvert high school’s skylight shades make use of daylighting while reducing HVAC costs.
How to specify an arc flash relay
Engineers must consider arc flash prevention in the electrical systems that supply power for HVAC, elevators, plant machinery, and other high-power equipment.
Educational experience: Designing automation systems in K-12 schools
Engineering work on K-12 schools is complex—and not just because of dwindling school budgets. The facilities must meet a broad range of exacting standards coming from officials and state regulatory bodies, in addition to meeting energy efficiency standards. This discussion covers building automation and controls.
Educational experience: Designing electrical/power systems in K-12 schools
Engineering work on K-12 schools is complex—and not just because of dwindling school budgets. The facilities must meet a broad range of exacting standards coming from officials and state regulatory bodies, in addition to meeting energy efficiency standards.
Educational experience: HVAC systems and energy efficiency in K-12 schools
Engineering work on K-12 schools is complex—and not just because of dwindling school budgets. The facilities must meet a broad range of exacting standards coming from officials and state regulatory bodies, in addition to meeting energy efficiency standards. HVAC, energy efficiency, and sustainability are discussed in this Q+A.
Manufacturers’ focus: Designing K-12 schools
Engineering work on K-12 schools is complex. Here are insights from manufacturers who provide products, equipment, and solutions.
Educational experience: Designing K-12 schools
Engineering work on K-12 schools is complex—and not just because of dwindling school budgets. The facilities must meet a broad range of exacting standards coming from officials and state regulatory bodies, in addition to meeting energy efficiency standards. Here’s a general overview.
University of Michigan North Quad
Integrated project delivery profile
Coffman Engineers wins two IES awards
Coffman Engineers won two awards from the Illuminating Engineering Society chapter in Puget Sound, Wash., for its work in interior lighting for a Montessori school and upgrading a technical college.
Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery
Integrated project delivery profile
College campus engineering: Challenges, retrofitting, renewable energy systems
Colleges and universities bear the important responsibility of molding the minds of future generations. To tackle the formidable task, such institutions require the expertise of engineers to ensure the complex buildings on campuses (laboratories, classrooms, computer centers) meet their needs.
College campus engineering: Codes and standards, HVAC, fire and life safety
Colleges and universities bear the important responsibility of molding the minds of future generations. To tackle the formidable task, such institutions require the expertise of engineers to ensure the complex buildings on campuses (laboratories, classrooms, computer centers) meet their needs.
LEDs advance learning environment: Web exclusive
A college’s switch to state-of-the-art LEDs allows it to efficiently tailor lighting to classroom needs.
Holistic approach to energy management: Web exclusive
In 2011, Lakeland Community College developed a plan to help reduce energy use on campus. The building of the Holden University Center has helped the college be recognized as a leader for energy conservation among higher learning facilities.
Stinson-Remick Hall Multidisciplinary Engineering Building
New construction: Stinson-Remick Hall Multidisciplinary Engineering Building; BSA LifeStructures
Michigan Technological University Great Lakes Research Center
New construction: Michigan Technological University Great Lakes Research Center; Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr and Huber Inc. (FTC+H)
BJC Institute of Health
New construction: BJC Institute of Health; McClure Engineering
2012 40 Under 40: Erin Lowery, PE, LEED AP BD+C, 34
Senior Associate, Facilities Engineering Group, Primera, Chicago
2012 40 Under 40: Jonathan Mesik, PE, CPD, LEED AP, 34
Associate, Director of MEP Engineering, Holabird & Root, Chicago
2012 40 Under 40: John P. O’Brien, PE, LEED AP BD+C, 38
Principal, Indiana Operations Manager, Heapy Engineering, Indianapolis
2012 40 Under 40: Robert P. Schaffer, PE, 32
Senior Structural Engineer, Assistant Project Manager, Bala Consulting Engineers, King of Prussia, Pa.
Building automation institutional market sees growth
Building automation equipment in institutional buildings like schools and hospitals is expected to grow as owners look to cut down on energy costs and make operations more efficient in buildings that require a lot of energy for a variety of uses.
School uses DV in underground athletic facility
For the subgrade athletic center at Sidwell Friends School, a K-12 school on 15 acres in Washington, D.C., displacement ventilation (DV) was ideal for the 23,000-sq-ft, four-court gymnasium, which is equipped with retractable bleacher seating for 600. In this enclosed, high-ceilinged space, airborne contaminants consist mainly of carbon dioxide and odor from athletes and spectators.
When, where to use displacement ventilation
Displacement ventilation can be used instead of mixed-flow ventilation in HVAC systems. To evaluate its suitability, consider IAQ, comfort, energy consumption, and cost.
Zero energy buildings on the rise across the U.S.: report
Report finds projects expanding in number, geography, and building type of zero energy commercial buildings as well as zero energy-capable buildings.
SOC, Siemens collaborate on fire, safety seminars
Security on Campus and Siemens will offer Jeanne Clery Act Training Seminars.
Back to school
I have been thinking about going back to school, and what it means to be a student again.
Engineering a university
Colleges and universities remain a hot market for engineers, whether it’s a new facility or an update of an existing building.
Classroom acoustics affect student achievement
Classroom mechanical systems should be designed with lower noise levels to optimize student reading comprehension.
High expectations in higher educational facilities
Colleges and universities must keep up with a demand for high-tech facilities, sustainability requirements, competition for students, and decreasing public funding. Engineers are charged with meeting the complex needs of such buildings.
Merging HVAC and lighting controls
Manage both HVAC and lighting from a single controller for a more cost-effective and scalable BAS.
School’s BAS controls lights, HVAC
An elementary school’s new BAS combined HVAC and lighting controls provide wireless capabilities and lower costs.
2011 40 Under 40: Marcus Sanchez, PE, LEED AP, 37
Vice President and Director of Operations, Henderson Engineers Inc. (HEI), Phoenix
Private engineering firms cut costs for public projects
Polytechnic Institute of New York University finds private engineers save public works projects at least 15%.
Video: Building Envelope Commissioning
Discover how the commissioning process is applied to building envelopes using the exterior enclosure technical requirements of NIBS Guideline 3-2006 in conjunction with ASHRAE Guideline 0-2005. This introduction will review fundamentals of building enclosure design and offer insight into commissioning the envelope from the pre-design though occupancy.
How to avoid building enclosure problems
Led by Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH) Senior Principal Peter E. Nelson, PE.
Uptime Institute announces its designer program schedule
Uptime Institute announced its Accredited Tier Designer program schedule. The Accredited Tier Designer program limits the attendance at each session due to the intensive nature of the course material and the emphasis on topical discussions. The course provides instruction to design professionals, in the context of real-life designs, on practical application of the Tiers, including common issues...
A real energy star
Jean Lupinacci, Chief of the Energy Star Commercial and Industrial Branch in the Climate Protection Partnerships Division at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
MEP Insider – 2010-01-07 – 2010-01-07
Recent promotions and hires
Capital’s buildings get greener
Washington, D.C., building owners will start measuring the energy use of commercial properties under a new law aimed at reducing energy use and costs for building owners and tenants.
Engineering for the unknown
Predicting the future is hard, but by preparing for it, your engineering firm can excel down the road.
Industry Roundup – 2009-12-09
Contracts awarded and other industry news
Bell & Gossett announces Little Red Schoolhouse training course schedule for beginning of 2010
Bell & Gossett announced the 2010 schedule for its free training seminars at the Little Red Schoolhouse Education Center.
Engineering gets a boost from the president
President Obama will encourage students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math.
MTU Onsite Energy named official testing center
EGSA and Ferris State University now officially recognize the training center at MTU Onsite Energy's North American headquarters in Mankato, Minn., and the Caterpillar Inc. facility in Peoria, Ill., as official testing centers for the EGSA Generator Technician Certification Program. “Our designation as an official Testing Center helps us provide even more value for technicians who come to...
PLTW creates innovators
A report finds that Project Lead the Way is succeeding in creating a new generation of innovators.
Youths’ image of engineering needs a boost
Pre-college engineering programs and camps work on changing youth attitudes and encouraging the innovative minds of the future.
Summit on high-performance educational buildings coming soon to New York City
Summit on high performance educational facilities announced for Sept. 16th in New York City.
Former power plant to save power as LEED school
The 104-year-old Chicago power plant-turned-public school will earn LEED gold.
Houston school cuts costs, increases efficiency
Parents and students have high expectations when they select a school, whether it is public or private. They want a quality education that prepares students for the future. State-of-the-art facilities, safety, and security are of primary concern.
DOE tightens efficiency standards for distribution transformers
New standards mean that distribution transformers are probably getting pricier, but are they getting more efficient?
University smart grid uses Facebook and Twitter
The University of Mississippi plans on real-time reporting of campus energy usage via RSS and social networking tools.
Dept. of Energy hosting energy efficiency jobs webinar
On Aug. 27, the DOE will host a free webinar about retrofit jobs in the buildings industry.
LEED-platinum data center uses geothermal cooling
A geothermal system cools the ACT data center in Iowa.
Harvard to install solar panels on office complex
The prestigious university will place 500 kW panels on buildings in Cambridge, Mass.
Major stimulus for solar energy integration
The U.S. Dept. of Energy and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act announce the investment of nearly $12 million for solar energy grid integration systems.
Unemployment up for engineers
Electrical engineers have been hit hard by the struggling economy and increased overseas competition, as a report from the U.S. Labor Dept.'s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that the unemployment rate for that field hit a record high in the second quarter of 2009. According to USA Today, the BLS study stated that 8.
Education center seeks first Living Building certification
The 6,200 sq ft Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL) on the Omega Institute campus in Rhinebeck, N.Y., is not only on track to achieve U.S. Green Building Council LEED platinum, it may be the first building in America to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge (LBC), according to an article on JetsonGreen.
Antimicrobial copper could improve HVAC
Research into copper HVAC units may improve indoor air quality and efficiency.
First LEED for retail platinum awarded
Chipotle Mexican Grill earns first platinum in LEED for retail pilot program.
Engineering school’s building green in theory and practice
The University at Buffalo's new engineering building will earn LEED gold and educate the engineers of the future.
Letters – 2009-07-01
Transformer costs I am writing you with concern about significant errors in the Pure Power article “Calculating the 'Real' Cost of Ownership for Transformers” (Spring 2009, page 20) by Thomas Patzner and Wendell Leisinger. The article is a disservice to readers seeking to reduce electricity waste. It overstates cost and underestimates savings of higher efficiency transformers, thereby making the wrong lifecycle cost conclusion. This is all the more troubling given the article's title.
LEED requires performance data
In the latest version of LEED, buildings seeking certification must submit data periodically.
RJA Group Inc. hires new exec with goal of growth
Fire protection engineering firm RJA Group Inc. has hired Carl Baldassarra as its new executive vice president, and also has announced plans of creating an academy for its employees.
Energy-efficient data center breaks ground
IBM, Syracuse University, New York State to build one of the world's most energy-efficient data centers. New facility will feature green technologies to reduce energy use by more than 50%.
NSF backs professor studying power grid
Wayne State University in Detroit will look at energy and how it can be improved, thanks to funding from the National Science Foundation.
Students design low-cost electric generator
Marquette University students create an electric generator made from auto salvage parts. The generator runs off a water wheel or windmill.
ASHRAE appoints first DOE Building Energy Codes fellow
The new fellow will assist the DOE in assessing the impact of updating state energy codes to meet the 2010 version of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1.
DOE to fund wind power initiatives
Energy Secretary Steven Chu promises attendees at AWEA Windpower Conference that the government is serious about backing developments and deployment.
The voice of youth is everywhere at Hannover Fair
TecToYou includes a series of guided tours of the fairgrounds and a robotics competition.
Industry Roundup – 2009-04-09
Details about contracts awarded, and other industry news
What’s the premium for a green building?
A systemic study on the financial performance of green buildings reveals that green office buildings have higher market value than uncertified buildings.
Webcast highlights Advanced Energy Design Guide
Free webcast will help you implement recommendations from the Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings.
The Battle of Little Bighorn
Custer's last battle proved to be a power-problem.
ASHRAE educational programs help raise awareness
To help students gain a better understanding of how being plugged in impacts building energy use, ASHRAE is funding a teaching project for students at the University of Oregon called Plugged In!
Universities teach about green building
Oregon State and Portland State universities to partner on green building research programs.
Solid-state lighting designers honored
At its annual Solid-state Lighting R&D Workshop, the DOE honored lighting designers, manufacturers, researchers, and others for fostering solid-state lighting technology.
Calculating the “Real” Cost of Ownership for Transformers
View the full story , including all images and figures, in our monthly digital edition Specifying a transformer is often a balancing act—you want it to be both energy-efficient and cost-effective to operate, but you also have to take the client’s budget into account, as well as the total costs of ownership over the building’s lifetime. In recent years there has been some confusion in the marketplace due to mixed messages about energy-efficient transformers and their viability for commercial building projects. The National Electric Manufacturers Association (NEMA) chose a 24-hr average loading of 35% for its TP1 transformer standard in 1996, an energy-efficiency level that was subsequently adopted by the U.S. Dept.
Engineering a BIMStorm
View the full story , including all images and figures, in our monthly digital edition High-impact decisions that affect a building's performance can be made at early design stages when engineering input has the highest potential impact. Web-enabled building information modeling (BIM) tools allow specifiers to position themselves as profitable information managers and can yield great value for clients. A traditional engineering process is very linear—waiting for the architect to complete his or her task before the engineer becomes involved. This is the limitation of current processes.
Resources for the Resourceful –Arc flash
Blog contributor David Sellers discusses the hazards of working with live electrical equipment. Video clips, vivid images, and personal injury stories drive Sellers' point home about electrical safety in the workplace.
Kansas universities lag on maintenance
The state’s Board of Regents reports that its six state university campuses face a backlog of deferred maintenance with a price tax exceeding three-quarters of a billion dollars.
Companies team to provide fire protection to power management company
IFP-2000 fire alarm control panel meets building’s requirements for reliable fire protection solution.
Minimize lifecycle cost of desiccant dehumidifiers
Energy is the most costly item to consider when looking at the lifecycle of HVAC equipment.
St. Olaf College science hall goes green
The Minnesota school's Regents Hall of Natural and Mathematical Science is on track to be the first university building of its size to earn LEED Platinum certification.
Beloit School District powers up with UPS protection
The School District of Beloit, Wis., is responsible for more than 7,000 students in 17 schools and administrative buildings. Ranging from kindergarten to high school to alternative education, the school district emphasizes the implementation of new technology to further student achievement. Due to its growing size, the school district began to face problems connected to loss of data, interrupt...
ASPE inducts fellows
The American Society of Plumbing Engineers inducted new fellows as its annual meeting.
EGSA: The Voice of the On-Site Power Generating Industry
In 1965, at a time when on-site electrical power generation was still in its infancy, a handful of U.S. generator-set manufacturers saw the need for a more focused identity for their industry. Banding together, they formed what is known today as the Electrical Generating Systems Assn. (EGSA). After 43 years of service to the industry, the association has come a long way from its modest beginni...
California efficiency laws save the state big bucks
Energy Efficiency, Innovation, and Job Creation in California" a study from the University of California Berkeley, confirmed the research done by California Air Resources Board that energy efficiency practices help states cut energy independence, create jobs, and increase the gross state product.
U.S. mayors work for greener schools
Pooling national sustainability knowledge and resources, the Mayors Alliance for Green Schools seeks to push environmentally friendly practices at American educational facilities.
Turbines ‘no risk to farm birds’
Wind turbines pose less of a risk to farmland birds than previously thought, a study has concluded.
LEED 2009, USGBC’s new strategic plan
The strategic plan is available online, carrying members into 2013.
2009 Construction Outlook Series
The Construction Forecast Webcast Series is a unique online event delivering the most up-to-date information on current construction activity and a clear forecast of the construction industry in 2009 and beyond.
USGBC launches ‘green’ school campaign
The U.S. Green Building Council’s Fifty for Fifty initiative seeks to partner with state lawmaker to promote eco-friendly construction of learning facilities.
ASHRAE withdraws Air Barrier Addendum z
ASHRAE has withdrawn BSR/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard Addendum z, which would have added requirements for a continuous air barrier to ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007.
Can’t you just fax it to me?
Essential communications in engineering often are broken because of mismatches of various kinds. CAD system formats don't match, the occasional Mac shows up in a world of PCs, someone sends a Word 2007 file to someone who uses Word 2003. It's natural that everyone uses what they own. It is considered unnecessary to change software just for the sake of change.
MIT discovery unleashes solar revolution
First, MIT scientists recharged batteries wirelessly. Now they can mimic essence of plants' energy storage system.
IEEE chair on NBC’s Today Show
Karen Panetta, IEEE Women in Engineering Committee chair, appeared on NBC's The Today Show on July 18. Panetta discussed the nationally acclaimed Nerd Girls program, which she created and founded.
Decentralized boiler system schools campus in efficiency
In September 2006, Concordia University, a 187-acre campus nestled on the banks of the Huron River in Ann Arbor, Mich., began a project to reduce energy use.
Get a life (cycle)
Green building rating systems, such as U.S. Green Building Council's LEED, Green Globes, and BREEAM, encourage designers to select products and materials that minimize the negative environmental impacts of building products over the lifetime of a building. Such considerations are embodied in what is known as a lifecycle analysis (LCA).
Letters – 2008-07-01
Letters to the editor
Using demand-based reset strategies
Thanks to the growing application of energy management and control systems (EMCS), it has become possible to monitor equipment much more closely than what was possible with pneumatic and electric control systems.
Grounding and bonding practices for hazardous areas
Within certain industrial facilities, there are areas of atmospheric conditions that may be inherently harmful to humans. If an ignition source is present within those areas, an explosion or fire can take place, causing damage to equipment, and injury or death to personnel.
U.S. Army gives $3.5 million to pre-college engineering camps for minorities
The U.S. Army Research Office supports a series of pre-college engineering summer camps held at nine universities across the country to foster an interest in engineering among high school students. The program, UNITE, serves minority populations by helping students prepare for engineering careers at 4- to 8-week summer camps that are structured around academic courses and hands-on activities.
Mentoring HVAC engineers
Mentoring is the process of transferring knowledge and experience between individuals and groups of people.
Technical training high priority
A/E firm leaders say design and technical training is the most important type of training to provide to employees, according to ZweigWhite's newly released “2008 Training & Development Survey of Architecture, Engineering, Planning & Environmental Consulting Firms.”
Report data shows strong labor market for engineers
According to NSF data from three separate surveys, individuals working in science and engineering occupations grew by 4.3%, and their unemployment rate dropped to 2.5% in 2006, the lowest unemployment rate since the early 1990s. Read on for other engineering employment trends.
Industry roundup: partnerships, mergers, etc. – 2008-04-23
News from, Fluke, Schreder Lighting, Yaskawa Electric America, Johnson Controls, LENOX, Q-Tran, Emerson Network Power, UTC Canada Corp., Trane, S&C Electric, and Dover Corp.
Commissioning on campus
When practitioners in the buildings industry think of campuses—college universities, resorts, industrial complexes, etc., they envision large, expansive systems that perform exotic HVAC processes.
Engineers Without Borders-USA holds annual conference this weekend
Co-hosted by the University of Washington and Seattle University student chapters, and the Puget Sound professional chapter, the three-day conference will focus on the theme “Sustainable Engineering, Global Health."
U.S. DOE announces solar cell investment
The U.S. DOE announced that it will invest up to $13.7 million over the next three years in 11 projects run by nine universities that will develop advanced solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing processes and products.
M/E insider: recent new hires and promotions – 2008-03-13
News from BSA LifeStructures, Environmental Systems Design, EMCOR Group, KlingStubbins, Jacobs Carter Burgess, CMTA, SmithGroup, RTKL Assocs., and Maregatti Interiors.
On-site power generation school
School offers two-tiered approach, with basic and advanced levels designed to meet the needs and diverse backgrounds of those who attend the schools. The basic school is a general, but still technical, overview of on-site power generation equipment. The advanced school is more highly technical with in-depth coverage of the equipment.
Energy efficiency building guide available online
ASHRAE and several organizations, in an effort to encourage energy efficient design in a range of building types, have made the Advanced Energy Design Guide series available free online.
2007 ARC Awards: Winning through quality and communications
In judging Consulting-Specifying Engineer's sixth annual Advancing, Reinvigorating, and Cultivating excellence in engineering (ARC Awards), we decided to keep it simple, awarding three projects for new construction and two for renovation/reconstruction. In doing so, the achievements demonstrated by the winning projects stand out in the engineering community.
Fault current limiter project for Southern California Edison
American Superconductor Corp., Westborough, Mass., and Southern California Edison (SCE), Rosemead, Calif., in October announced a cooperative agreement award from the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) on a project to develop and perform in-grid testing of a transmission-voltage fault current limiter (FCL) solution.
Benefits of green office buildings
The Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate at the University of San Diego and CoStar Group, Bethesda, Md., have produced a comprehensive nationwide analysis on the financial benefits of green office buildings. The study focuses on green buildings that carry the Energy Star rating, provided by the U.S.
Survey says: This is my fave building
The Livable Buildings Awards have been bestowed on three commercial buildings. In a twist, occupants ranked their buildings, thus selecting the awards.
The climate has changed for energy efficiency
The U.S. EPA has lead the charge on energy efficiency and the environment, and is encouraging engineers to take on the challenge.
German university wins architecture contest in Solar Decathlon
The German Technische Universität Darmstadt took an early lead on Monday, Oct. 15, in the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon by winning the architecture contest—the first of 10 contests—receiving 193.25 points out of a possible 200 points.
High-Tech, Solar-Powered Homes Come to the National Mall
The U.S. Dept. of Energy’s third Solar Decathlon has brought students from 20 of the world’s leading universities to Washington, D.C., to transform the National Mall into a solar village.
Escape plan hidden in Deutsche Bank fatal fire
Firefighters who responded to the Aug. 18 former Deutsche Bank building fire did not know of the special plan to allow emergency use of the building's sealed stairs, according to official documents and interviews. The stairwells were sealed with heavy plywood and plastic to prevent toxic materials from escaping, but hinged trapdoors were put in the plywood slabs.
Q&A with mass-notification Web cast speaker available now
A question-and-answer with William Sako, executive vice president, RJA, Chicago, has been posted on Consulting-Specifying Engineer's Web site. Sako presented a CSE Web cast "How to Address Integration and Interoperability for Campus Mass-Notification Systems."
New Findings Contradict Common Perception of Parallel Fan Efficiency
A new study finds that despite common perception, parallel fan-powered air-terminal units, which are used to distribute cooled or heated air in commercial building cooling systems, may not be more efficient than series fans.
Site highlights
• A question-and-answer with William Sako, executive vice president, RJA, Chicago, has been posted at www.csemag.com. Sako presented a CSE webcast “How to Address Integration and Interoperability for Campus Mass-Notification Systems.” • “The art of weighing sustainable lighting solutions,” by Insiya Divan, lighting designer with Syska Hennessy’s Los Ang...
Safeway store becomes solar-powered
A broad renewable energy initiative pushes a California grocer into adding solar panels on its roof, among other things.
SmithGroup merges with AREA Design, Ltd.
SmithGroup, a leading architecture, engineering, interiors and planning firm, announced that it has merged with Chicago-based AREA Design, Ltd, a commercial interiors firm headed by architect Angie Lee, FAIA, IIDA.
NASA’s science building breaks eco-friendly ground
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is LEED Registered and actively pursuing LEED for New Construction Silver Certification. It has integrated sustainable design initiatives on sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
M/E Insider: Recent New Hires and Promotions – 2007-08-09
ASHRAE appoints new officers, KTA and RJA open new offices, and more.
CSE Webcast Addresses Integration of Campus Security
CSEis proud to present security-system expert William Sako, executive vice president, RJA, as the instructor for this how-to webcast. The 60-minute webcast, How to Address Integration and Interoperability for Campus Mass-Notification Systems, originally aired June 21 and includes a 15-minute live Q&A session with the audience.
NFPA Gives Awards at World Safety Conference
Each year the National Fire Protection Assn.’s (NFPA) Standards Council recognizes individuals for outstanding service to the organization in the development of codes and standards. Awards were presented to 35 individuals at the World Safety Conference & Exposition, which took place in Boston June 3 to June 7.
Marriott International Approves Viking Electronic as Vendor
In one of its latest moves to improve the safety and comfort of its guests, Marriott International, Inc. has certified Viking Electronic Services as an approved vendor for life and property protection.
EWeek 2008 At-a-Glance
Engineers Week 2008 aims to offer a broad program of outreach and education efforts to encourage more women and other diverse groups to consider engineering careers. EWeek 2008, scheduled for Feb. 17 to Feb. 23 in Washington, D.C., is co-chaired by IBM and the Chinese Institute of Engineers-USA. Throughout the next months, CSE will bring its readers information on Engineers Week 2008 through p...
Letters: Reader Feedback – 2007-07-01
More on “Engineering Shortage: Employers to Blame?” I was shaking my head up and down saying yes to myself as I was reading your article. Unfortunately, many companies are public and have to work on a quarter-to-quarter basis for “shareholder wealth.” That's no way to run a company properly, but it's the way most businesses are run—even if they're private.
Site Highlights…
“How to Address Integration and Interoperability for Campus Mass-Notification Systems,” a CSE live webcast on www.csemag.com. Security-system expert William Sako, executive vice president, RJA, is the instructor for this how-to webcast that is archived on the website and available free-of-charge to all interested users.
Studies Confirm Public Health, Economic Risks of Dampness and Mold
The journal Indoor Air will publish a pair of studies, from Berkeley Lab and the EPA, that quantify the public health risks and economic consequences from building dampness and mold.
Face Recognition Vendor Test Available from NIST
The Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) 2006, latest in a series of large scale independent evaluations for face recognition systems, is available. The FRVT 2006 was sponsored by multiple U.S. government agencies and was conducted and managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
DOE to Invest up to $8.2 Million for Hydrogen Storage Research
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman announced earlier this year DOE plans to provide up to $8.2 million over four years—FY07 to FY10—for six hydrogen storage research projects, directly supporting President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI). The aim is to increase U.
ASHRAE Publishes New Standard 62.1
ASHRAE has published the latest version of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2007, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, which sets minimum ventilation rates and other requirements for commercial and institutional buildings.
Case study: Crestwood Condominiums
This grande dame of Kansas City, Mo.’s historic Country Club District has a long, storied and varied history. Originally built in 1917, the Crestwood was originally known as the Brookside Hotel and Apartments. It has served as temporary housing for military personnel in World War II, as a dorm for the St. Paul School of Theology, and as a home away from home for flight attendants. Most recently, it sat vacant and in a state of disrepair.
Engineer Shortage: Employers to Blame?
At least once a week, my phone rings or I get an e-mail message from someone looking to hire an engineer. And whenever two or more engineering managers are in a room together, one of the most passionate discussions they have is about the shortage of engineers—not just experienced engineers who can lead projects, but engineers fresh out of school, too.
Case Study: Rural Texas School District Upgrades Facilities
The Nueces Canyon Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) in Barksdale, Texas, completed more than $1 million in facility upgrades to improve building operations and comfort, while enabling the district to better control utility costs.
AASHE Requires LEED Silver
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has established a policy requiring all campus construction be built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Silver standard as part of AASHE's support of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment.
New Products for Power Quality and Reliability – 2006-12-19
On-site power generation school schedule for 2007 has been released. The schools provide a complete overview of the components of an on-site power generation system. The three-day program provides students with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the technical aspects of the on-site power generation industry.
Electrifying Integ Ration
With CSE's emphasis on integrated engineering, it's no surprise we'd take note of a building as integrated as Cleveland's recently renovated Idea Center at Playhouse Square. Constructed as a furniture showroom in 1912, the structure brings together both radio and television broadcast capabilities, along with live performance space and the ability to capture video from performances in the surrou...
Health Code
The whole is the sum of its parts. And nothing demonstrates this old maxim better than the seamless integration of engineered building systems at the recently completed Center for Health & Healing at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland. “The building has so many different kinds of systems.
ASPE Highlights: Touch-Based Faucets; Better Toilets; Piping
The most unusual sight on the floor of the biennial American Society of Plumbing Engineers convention and Engineered Plumbing Exposition, held in Tampa last month, were the oversized beriatric toilets which were available in both traditional ceramic and stainless steel. The neatest product on the floor was a set of prototype touch-based faucets also capable of automatic shut-off.
Parents Weigh in on School IAQ
While industry organizations and the HVAC engineering community are certainly concerned with classroom indoor air quality, it's not surprising that parents have an opinion on the issue as well. Increased absenteeism, decreased concentration levels and declining academic performance—all resulting from poor school IAQ—were revealed as areas of concern for parents of school-aged children. A national survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation on behalf of Kimberly-Clark Filtration Products found that half of 476 parents polled were concerned with air quality at their children's schools. And an even higher number, 80%, said they believe that poor school IAQ can have a direct negative effect on a child's performance and health.
New Business Tools: September 2006
Online continuing education program provides unlimited on-demand e-learning or a fixed annual fee. It covers the use and administration of MicroStation, ProjectWise, and the company’s comprehensive portfolio of building, civil, geospatial and plant solutions. For more information on Bentley LEARN, click here . Intern-management tool provides businesses with step-by-step guidance and reveals the best practices to effectively recruit, train and manage student interns.
Katrina Impacting K-12 Design
The Gulf Coast has been battered by hurricanes and tropical storms for years, yet local school officials haven't always taken building design guidelines for natural disaster mitigation to heart. But a year after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, one K-12 school designer says things are improving. “Initially, many K-12 districts we worked with were slow to embrace the EHPA [Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area] requirements, viewing these 'added' building requirements as an unfunded mandate to increase their facility's initial cost while providing no source of revenue to pay for it,” said Jim Keohane, P.E., a principal and senior mechanical engineer with the Ft. Myers, Fla.
ASHRAE Student Design Competition Winners Announced
Night pre-cooling, naturally daylit areas and low-emission HVAC systems are some of the sustainable measures selected by students as part of ASHRAE’s 2006 Student Design Competition. This year’s competition focused on the mixed-use renovation of the Dallas Power & Light building in a historic area of Dallas. The renovation includes converting the majority of the former office building into residential apartments, with retail space occupying the first floor of the building. Awards were announced in three categories: HVAC system selection, HVAC system design and architectural design. The winning entries in the HVAC system selection and HVAC system design categories were awarded to the same team from The Pennsylvania State University: Justin Bem, Kevin Kaufman, David Melfi, Jon Gridley, Jessica Lucas and Yulien Wong.
Clarkson University Partners with College Prep Engineering Program
Project Lead the Way, Inc. (PLTW), a national program forming partnerships among public schools, higher education and the private sector, has developed a four-year sequence of courses for high school students and a preparatory program for middle school students that Clarkson University says is a great match with its interdisciplinary Engineering and Management (iE&M) program. PLTW combines college preparatory mathematics and science courses and introduces students to the scope, rigor and discipline of engineering and engineering technology prior to entering college. The PLTW courses include: Introduction to Engineering Design, Digital Electronics, Principles of Engineering, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Civil Engineering and Architecture, and Engineering Design and Development; on the horizon are Biotechnical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering. "Students participating in PLTW courses are better prepared and tend to be more successful in college engineering programs, especially those like that of Clarkson University's engineering and iE&M programs," stated Michael H.
ASIS Announces Winner of School Security Funding Competition
ASIS International announced MiraMesaHigh School, San Diego, Calif., as the winner of its “School Security Funding Competition.” For its winning entry, ASIS will award the school $20,000 to begin implementing security improvements. The competition was launched in conjunction with ASIS International’s 52nd Annual Seminar and Exhibits, being held in San Diego, September 25-28, 2006. The competition was open to all 216 elementary, middle and high schools in the San DiegoUnifiedSchool District. In an essay format, school administrators were asked to assess the level of security on their campuses, discuss how particular security concerns impacted their educational goals for students and suggest how they would use the prize money to address those concerns and improve their school’s overall security. A committee of security experts from the San Diego Chapter of ASIS evaluated the entries and selected the winning school. MiraMesaHigh School will be recognized at a special awards luncheon on September 28that the San DiegoConvention Center.
Buildy Award Winners Announced
A gathering of building integration and IT experts selected five Buildy Award winners at the Industry Gala at BuilConn 2006 last month in Palm Springs, Calif. This marks the third year for the Buildy Awards program, which honors North American organizations and individuals who best support the vision of networked building systems and was designed to increase awareness of the benefits of whole-building integration and honor successful implementation and product development strategies. Here are the winners: John J. “Jack” McGowan, President, Energy Control, Inc., was presented the Vision award for his vision of whole-building integration and interoperability through advocacy, promotion, education and training endeavors.
Fuel Cell Market Powering Up
The fuel cell market is expected to reach more than $18.6 billion by 2013, and could hit almost $35 billion by that time, according to a new report. Residential and small stationary applications are the latest target for manufacturers, researchers say. The report, "Fuel Cell Technology and Market Potential 2006," was developed by Dublin, Ireland-based Research and Markets. Automotive, stationary and portable applications will provide the majority of sales. Proton exchange membrane products remain dominant in the overall market, the study reports, with molten carbonate cells taking the lead in larger installations.
Call for Paper Abstracts: International Congress “Fire Safety in Tall Buildings”
There’s less than a month left to enter paper abstracts for the “Fire Safety in Tall Buildings” International Congress to be hosted by the University of Cantabria (Spain) on October 19, 2006. The deadline for sending abstracts is May 20, 2006 . For information regarding the abstract guidelines and registration, please visit https://grupos.unican.es/gidai Should you need additional information, please contact Pablo Espina, espinap@unican.es.
Energy Benchmarking: Does Your School Get a Passing Grade?
For this story download this PDF .
Direction on Directional Sound
Directional sound technology is a quantum leap for fire-emergency egress systems. Along with standard audible-visible devices, directional sounders allow designers to specify "audible exit signs" or map egress routes to the nearest exit. Using broadband, multi-frequency sound, directional sound is adaptable for two different applications. In a Type 1 installation, the intent is to place a sounder near each exit, stairwell or area of refuge as an audible cue for locating an egress during an emergency. Type 2 uses directional sounders to guide occupants along an escape route.
The Good (Google) Earth
Many readers have probably heard of Google Earth. But besides being a cool web program to play with, does it offer any professional application for consulting engineers? Yes, says Bentley Systems. The Exton, Pa.-based CAD software company has debuted a new, and free, visual tool for subscribers of its Microstation Select program. Users can import real images of places from Google Earth into their 2-D or 3-D building models. The idea, according to Joe Croser, global marketing director, is that you can make more exciting, or at least more realistic, renderings for non-CAD users of how buildings, bridges or power plants will actually look in a placed environment. Users can create hyperlinks that will take them to more details about a building, such as the CAD drawings of a cladding system.
Judicious Design
Home to the University of Oregon, the city of Eugene offers breathtaking scenic views and sprawling bike trails. But natural beauty isn't all the city has to offer. Eugene also has its fair share of art and culture.
Industry Roundup: Acquisitions, Changes and Accreditations
• Berk-Tek, New Holland, Pa., manufacturer of copper and fiber-optic cabling products, was awarded a TL 9000 Code of Practice for Quality Systems certificate from Underwriter Laboratories for its New Holland factory. • Invensys Building Systems, Loves Park, Ill., has announced that its subsidiary, Precision Control Systems, Griffith, Ind., has moved back to local ownership and management, but will continue to represent Invensys regionally. • Mission Critical Power Systems, a supplier of power protection equipment and systems, is moving its corporate headquarters from Chino, Calif. to Las Vegas, Nev. • Phihong, Fremont, Calif., has joined with other PoE technology developers to form the Power-over-Ethernet Technology consortium, which will work to implement IEEE 802.3 Power-over-Ethernet equipment by defining a new set of standard specifications. • Siemens Energy & Automation, Alpharetta, Ga., has selected Datalliance, Cincinnati, Ohio, to enhance existing relationships with key customers. Datalliance is a complete electronic commerce service that utilizes comprehensive VMI functionality to allow collaboration between suppliers and their distributors across the Internet. • SimplexGrinnell, Boca Raton, Fla., a business unit of Tyco Fire & Security, has earned certified status in Microsoft's Partner Program by demonstrating its expertise with Microsoft technologies and ability to meet customer needs. • Stanley Security Solutions, Noblesville, Ind., a provider of access control and security solutions, has acquired West Chester, Pa.-based Pinnacle Electronic Systems.
Results Announced for 2005 Lighting Certification Exam
Some 220 lighting practitioners sat for the 2005 Lighting Certification Examination, according to Robert Cilic, LC, with OSRAM Sylvania and president of the National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions , Austin, Texas. NCQLP is a non-profit association, founded in 1991 to promote effective and efficient lighting practice. Through a peer review process, the NCQLP establishes the education, experience and examination requirements for certification in the lighting industry. In July 2005 , we reported that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has recognized the LC certification credential and included in its Facilities Standards for Public Buildings Service: “Lighting design shall be performed or supervised by a practitioner credentialed as Lighting Certified (LC)…” While we were unable to confirm this requirement with GSA (the agency did not respond to our attempts to contact them), we did solicit and receive opinions from the engineering community ( GSA Mandate Gets Mixed Reviews ). As a result of the 2005 LC exam, with a pass rate of 77.5%, the roster of LCs has been increased by 171.
“Governator” Launches “Green California” Website
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration recently unveiled a sweeping new "Green California" website, based on his vision of an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly California. The new site, www.green.ca.gov , is filled with ideas, guidelines, reference materials, engineering data and environmentally friendly purchasing information to assist state and local government agencies and California businesses with the shift toward environmental sustainability, energy conservation and the reduction of landfill waste. It also provides government and business purchasing officials with detailed information on environmentally friendly products and services, and shows officials how to write environmental specifications into their bid solicitations. In a December 2004 executive order, Governor Schwarzenegger launched an aggressive action plan to reduce California's energy purchases for the thousands of state-owned buildings by 20% by 2015, while conserving other scarce natural resources. The executive order also urged local governments, K-12 schools, universities, community colleges and businesses to adopt the same goals.
Univ. of Maryland Engineers Offer Long-Term Relief for Heating and Cooling Costs
New software developed at the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering, with support from industry sponsors, may provide some solutions for spiraling heating and cooling costs. Called CoilDesigner, the software helps manufacturers design customized HVAC systems that cost less to build and use less energy.
M/E Insider: Mergers, Promotions and New Hires
SEi Companies, Boston, and PKP Engineers, Washington, D.C., have announced a merger combining the staff and resources of their respective consulting engineering firms. The combined annual billings of the privately-held SEi Companies are expected to approach $20 Million in 2006. RTKL Assocs. has added two new health-care principals to its Los Angeles office.
EWeek: Introduce a Girl to Engineering
With a sharpened focus on diversifying the ranks of engineering, Engineers Week 2006, February 19-25, will spearhead an all-out effort to reach young women and girls, especially during the sixth annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day on Feb. 23. “Girl Day,” as it’s known among engineers, is one of the most crucial components of the EWeek outreach. Women engineers, with help from their male counterparts, are planning to reach as many as one million girls through workshops, tours, speaking engagements, on-line discussions and a host of other activities aimed at showing that engineering is an important career option for everyone. Engineers have long promoted diversity outreach, but Girl Day 2006 takes on added urgency on the heels of startling findings from a survey of attitudes among high school girls, teachers and counselors, engineering students, and engineers. According to the Extraordinary Women Engineers Project (EWEP) study, led by a coalition of engineering associations and the WGBH Educational Foundation and released in April 2005, more than 90% of high school girls do not even consider engineering as a career option. More troubling is the fact that there is no lack of ability or preparation on the part of girls and young women.
Briefly … – 2006-02-01
The Thermostat Recycling Corp. recently announced it has recovered close to 88,000 thermostats containing more than 819 lbs. of mercury in 2005—up 10% and 12% respectively from the devices collected in 2004. Engineers searching for government project opportunities can now take advantage of an enhanced version of the U.S.
Arc Flash Labeling Setback
Going into hearings last month for proposed revisions to the 2008 edition of the National Electrical Code, our correspondent discovered much anticipation about new requirements for arc flash hazards, particularly mandatory labeling on electrical equipment regarding incident energy. A number of manufacturers, notably Square D, have already taken steps toward this end. But in preliminary committee balloting of the 2008 NEC, in Hiltonhead, S.C., these more rigorous requirements for labeling flash hazard suffered a significant loss of support. According to Mike Anthony, P.E., a senior electrical engineer with Architectural and Engineering Services at the University of Michigan, and a member of the panel considering the code change, the proposal was defeated seven to one and incident energy labeling will remain as spelled out in the 2005 code cycle.
Cogen Plant, Under Construction, Already Saving NJ University $1 Million
The New Jersey Clean Energy Program--managed by South Jersey Gas and sponsored by the NJ Board of Public Utilities--will refund $1 million to RowanUniversity, Glassboro, for its cogeneration plant, an $11 million combined heat and power project that’s expected to be completed in September. Rowan is being rewarded because the plant will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dramatically improve efficiency. Once online, the plant will generate 80% of Rowan's electricity. Steam, created as a by-product, will be extracted and utilized for heating, hot water and air conditioning.
Key to the Future: Franklin’s Kite?
I would be remiss if I didn't point out an important anniversary that takes place this month: The 300th birthday of Benjamin Franklin. One of my favorite American historical figures, Dr. Franklin is owed a debt of gratitude by all of us, not only for helping to launch this nation, but also for his pioneering work in electrical power.
Carolina Connectivity
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the nation's first state university, founded in 1789. So perhaps it's appropriate that the home of the Tar Heels will be the first school of its size to integrate all of its individual building automation systems (BAS) into an enterprise building management system (EBMS) using web services. This new system, designed by Affiliated Engineers, Inc. will be fully implemented over the next 12 to 16 months. Due to the massive size of the current building automation infrastructure—more than 140 buildings with approximately 33,000 BAS points throughout the school's 729-acre campus—UNC felt that it was time to integrate all of the disparate systems and system points into one graphical user interface.
More on the Upcoming 2006 AHR Expo
AHR Expo 2006, which billed itself as the world's largest trade show for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry, will take place from Jan. 23 through 25 at Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center. With more than 1,800 exhibitors, both national and international, in more than 375,000 net sq. ft.
A $1.5 Million Pledge for an Indoor Environmental Quality Laboratory
Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., has pledged $1.5 million to the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems to create a world-class laboratory to study the effects of indoor air quality in buildings. Dr. Greg Powers, Carrier's vice president of engineering, was joined by Congressman James T. Walsh (R-N.Y.) and Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor in making the announcement before 200 attendees at the annual symposium sponsored by the Center of Excellence.
SBIC Announces Annual Award Winners
The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) has announced the winners of its Best Sustainable Practice Awards and Exemplary Sustainable Building Awards at the 2005 SBIC Awards ceremony on Dec. 15 at the WashingtonConvention Center in Washington, D.C. The Exemplary Sustainable Award recognizes institutional, residential and government buildings that demonstrate the successful application of the whole building design approach. The Best Sustainable Practice Award recognizes the contributions SBIC members make sustainability across the U.S.
Tech-Development Efforts Hope To See Green From Clean Energy
Recently announced ventures in New York, Michigan and California are proof that regional development authorities are starting to see clean-energy technology development as a possible jobs booster. Managers of the programs, which include two recently opened technology centers and a proposed venture-capital competition, hope to spur the same kind of economic growth from these alternative-energy efforts as was seen by high-tech incubators in the 1980s. At the Troy, N.Y. , campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this summer, New York state officials opened a $20 million Center for Future Energy Systems , developed in partnership with Cornell University and the Brookhaven National Laboratory .
A+ for IAQ IQ
Many engineers are predisposed to the notion that a high-performance building simply can't deliver ideal indoor air quality because of the costs associated with conditioning lots of outside air. To that, the engineers from Lentz Engineering Assocs., Avon, Conn., say, "Nuts." WWII buffs know that's the famed response of General Tony McAuliffe to a request by the advancing German Army for him to surrender at Bastogne. That bit of American vernacular confused the German officers.
Latest in Lab Design: Sweaters
The vision of college professors in tweed jackets is a common stereotype. Perhaps that preconception subconsciously affected the M/E/P designers of Clark University's new Lasry Center for Bioscience in Worcester, Mass., as the team cast aside traditional schemes for one that's left school officials telling its researchers to "put on a sweater." The odd mandate stemmed from the desire of school officials to make its new 50,000-sq.-ft. Cathy '83 and Marc '81 Lasry Center for Bioscience a project that was not only sustainable, but also stuck to the roughly $250 per-sq.-ft.
Studies in Power Management: Two Cases
Large facilities, whether spread out over a campus setting or housed under a single roof, face unique challenges in keeping energy costs and usage under control. With utility costs rising, the ability to allocate expenses to various budget units is becoming an important factor in understanding where efficiency measures make sense. And getting better control of electrical operations can mean substantial savings when utility peak-demand pricing programs are involved. Facility managers for the University of Chicago's main campus in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood are responsible for buildings serving a range of needs, from typical classroom structures to specialized medical, biological and physical science facilities.
Green Georgia on My Mind
The state of Georgia leads the U.S. in the number of LEED-certified public buildings, according to the Sept. issue of Energy Ace Newsletter .
Internship: Testing Ground for New Recruits
Hiring new engineers can be a lot like getting married. This is a relationship you want to get right the first time. In fact, the number of hours your new employee spends at work will probably be greater than the waking hours he or she spends with a partner.
M/E Insider: New Hires
• A/E firm Kling has hired Scott Waters, AIA, as director of projects. Waters has worked extensively with the federal government during his more than 24 years in architecture, and will help grow Kling’s federal government business, as well as enhance the overall capabilities of the company’s Washington, D.C. office. • Gene Heyer, P.E., PMP, has joined DL Engineering & Controls, Inc.
U.S. Dept. of Energy Selects Developer for Hybrid Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine System
Atlanta-based GE Energy has been selected by the U.S. Dept. of Energy to develop a highly efficient, multi-megawatt solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)-based power system operating on coal. Under a 10-year, three-phase agreement with DOE valued at $83 million, GE Energy's Hybrid Power Generation Systems (HPGS) business will design and demonstrate an integrated gasification fuel cell (IGFC) system that incorporates a hybrid SOFC/gas turbine as the primary power generation unit.
Controlling Energy Use at Argonne National Laboratory
One of the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s largest science and engineering research laboratories is equipping its facilities with intelligent energy management technology to help control energy-related costs and improve reliability. Based near Chicago and operated by the University of Chicago, Argonne National Lab conducts a range of scientific research in the physical, life and environmental sciences.
Internship Programs Can Be a Testing Ground for New Recruits
Editor’s Note: The following is a very brief digest of a much longer article on the same topic that will appear in an upcoming issue of CSE. Hiring new engineers for your firm can be a lot like getting married. The number of hours your new employees will spend at work is probably greater than the time they will spend with a spouse, friend or anyone else.
Sizing Neutrals for Transformers
K-rated transformers are typically used where anticipated loads include nonlinear power supplies. They don't remove harmonic distortion from the system. Rather, they handle the added current and heating effects resulting from nonlinear loads without damage. Underwriters Laboratories has established ratings of 1, 4, 9, 13, 20, 30, 40 and 50 as standard K-factor ratings.
National Standard on Classroom Acoustics Now Available
Thanks to a unique partnership of industry supporters—including Armstrong Ceiling Systems, ANSI S12.60-2002 American National Standard Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools , provides guidance to design professionals, educational facilities planners and the general public.l districts, architects and building planners in designing classrooms to optimize the ability of children to learn and prosper. ASA relies upon sales of standards to help fund its standards development activities, so it cannot give them away for free. Armstrong manufacturers acoustical ceilings and wall panels, metal and wood ceilings, as well as ceiling sound systems. illbruck Architectural Products manufactures ceiling and wall panels, plus a variety of other architectural products for acoustics and noise control. Trane is a global provider of HVAC systems. “These businesses, all innovators in their fields, are demonstrating their great leadership by partnering with us to make this important classroom acoustics standard freely available to all. The standard is available through the ASA Standards Store at https://asastore.aip.org/ .
Energy Management 101: Controlling Costs Campus-wide with EEM
It’s becoming more challenging for educational institutions to find the funds for facility upgrades and expansion, but in many cases, an untapped source of revenue exists in improved energy-management practices. Across North America, innovative colleges and universities are deploying energy management technology to help reduce electricity bills and avoid costly power-quality related interruptions. By their very nature, large educational institutions have a lot to gain from managing their energy wisely. Characterized by a sprawling campus, multiple buildings, thousands of residents and a diverse range of power requirements, a typical university campus is like any progressive community—a large energy consumer.
New Products: Trends in IT
• Bentley Systems, Exton, Pa., says that thus far this year, more than 30,000 students representing the future of engineering have become empowered by MicroStation PowerDraft CAD software. The software is being offered by the BE Careers Network to all students and instructors through a free download at www.becareers.org . • Corecon Technologies, Huntington Beach, Calif., unveiled its Corecon 4.0 software earlier this year. The application uses web-based solutions for estimating and project management for the A/E/C industry with a built-in interface to most popular accounting software.
Feds Turns to Classrooms to Fight Fires
Each year in the United States, there are enormous economic losses as a result of fire. According to federal statistics, almost 1.6 million fires were reported in the U.S. in 2003.
Ventilation That Makes Labs Safe and Energy-Efficient
Commissioning is great business for consulting engineers. One problem, however, is selling clients on why they should pay extra for commissioning. But if the building is a laboratory, then the sales job becomes much easier. This is because safety is paramount in a lab and depends on properly operating ventilation systems to protect occupants and—in the case of bio-containment labs—the environment. The modern laboratory is composed of many systems and subsystems bound together in complex ways.
Fifty Years of Promoting Security
This year the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS) International turned 50, and as is fitting for a major anniversary celebration, the organization anticipates a large crowd of some 19,000 security industry professionals at its 2005 meeting in Orlando, Fla., from Sept. 12 through 15. Special sessions, presented by former Secretary of State Colin L.
Audio Big at WSCE
Much of the buzz at the expo portion of NFPA's World Safety Conference and Expo in Las Vegas this past month had to do with sound itself, notably directional sound and mass notification. "The floor of a casino would be perfect," said Warde Comeaux of Global Fire Protection Consulting, Inc., Concord, Calif., speaking of the directional sounding device exhibited by System Sensor. "It really is a good piece of equipment that I'd like to see in a lot of buildings." In a nutshell, the product, branded as "ExitPoint" and selling under the Notifier label, sends out a different type audible signal vs. traditional horn alarms that helps direct people in smoke-filled areas to exit points. Even bigger news was talk that the technology may be included in the 2006 revision to NFPA 72.
HVAC News and Solutions: June 24, 2005
CSE Magazine is pleased to present you with CSE HVAC Solutions. For customer support or to stop receiving e-mail promotions from CSE Magazine please scroll to the bottom for instructions. HomeAbout CSE Advertise with CSE Electrical Fire HVAC Lighting Plumbing Power June 24, 2005 This special edition of CSE NewsWatch focusing on the HVAC market is brought to you by the editors of Consulting-Specifying Engineer. This Issue's Stories 1.
Communications/ Security FINALISTS
316L by Cablofil Stainless-steel cable tray for corrosive environments installs faster than traditional cable management methods, according to the manufacturer, because it can be configured on site to any installation. The tray utilizes a passivation and etching process to prevent rust and scales on the stainless steel surface. www.cablofil.com 4000 Series Raceway by Wiremold/Legrand Pre-wired raceway designed for schools, institutions and commercial facilities installs in as little as one-third the time required for field-assembled perimeter raceways, according to the manufacturer.
Two New Algorithms for Data Center Cooling Design
Consulting Engineers who are involved in the design of data centers know the effects of packing greater and greater computing power into smaller and smaller spaces. With the advent of blade servers in computer rooms, a data center’s annual cooling bill can run literally into the millions of dollars. Several manufacturers of data center cooling and power applications have developed integrated solutions to the problem, but now a research team from Duke University and Hewlett-Packard Labs have developed new algorithms for addressing the problem of high temperatures at data centers. Justin Moore and his colleagues have developed algorithms to avoid the hot spots that are created when temperatures in a data center are kept at a uniform level. One algorithm gives a server less work as its environment heats up.
California, Florida to Lead K-12 Construction through 2008
Several states will experience growth in the K-12 school construction market through 2008, according to 2005-2008 K-12 School Market for Design and Construction Firms from Natick, Mass.-based construction management consulting firm ZweigWhite. Leading the way is California, which boasts the largest K-12 school market in the U.S. and where K-12 enrollment is projected to grow by more than 10% between 2005 and 2013. And since November 2002, voters have approved two school bond measures of $10 billion or more to repair, modernize and build schools. Florida is also projected to see a large amount of school construction by 2008, largely in response to a public school enrollment increase of nearly 12% between 1997 and 2005.
Green Power
In this era of green architecture, there is one sustainability tool at our disposal that has been most underutilized—the technology of power-factor correction. In fact, the U.S. Green Building Council would do well to include power-factor correction as one of its credits for its Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design certification program. We engineers know power factor (PF) mainly as a mathematical expression of the efficiency with which electrical energy is used.
Nuns’ Green Building Yields Crop Of Savings
Sustainability pays. And not just earthly dividends. After adding up a year’s worth of utility bills, the IHM Sisters The savings come from installing features like a geothermal heating and cooling system, a constructed wetland, water-conserving fixtures and energy-efficient lighting and power management. The geothermal heating and cooling system takes advantage of the earth’s constant 55 Cutting their water consumption in half came as a result of two factors: putting in a constructed wetland that supports a gray-water flushing system and installing a boatload of water-conserving fixtures. The constructed wetland purifies water just like a natural wetland.
News from the Education Front: HVAC Playground for Penn State Undergrads, Risk Training for A/Es
Here are but a few of the many educational activities going on in the engineering world these days. Another successful National Engineers Week just passed in late February, but engineering education continues year-round. ASHRAE, hoping to provide students with a place where they can gain hands-on experience, has provided a grant for construction of an HVAC&R playground at Pennsylvania State University. In fact, 26 grants, totaling some $110,000, have been awarded by ASHRAE to colleges and universities worldwide to promote the study and teaching of HVAC&R, encouraging undergraduate students to pursue related careers.
SBIC Publishes Second Edition of High-Performance Schools Guide
The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) this month announced the publication and release of the second edition of its High-Performance School Buildings Resource and Strategy Guide . Geared primarily toward the design and construction of K-12 schools, the 86-page guide is comprised of three core sections: Section 1 defines what a high-performance school building is and explains its value; Section 2 acts as a Process Guide, focusing on issue-specific questions for each stage of the design process; and Section 3 describes each of the 17 key “Building Blocks” that result in a high-performance building when integrated together in a “whole-building” design. This new edition includes a new Building Block on durability and updated Blocks on acoustics and safety/security, as well as new case studies, photos, resources and web links. SBIC originally offered the book in 2000 as part of its High-Performance School Buildings Education Campaign, with support from the U.S. Dept.
M/E Insider: A New Department for RTKL, a New Project Director for Carter & Burgess and More
• RTKL Associates, Inc. recently announced the formation of an audio-visual design department. The new department is based in the firm’s Baltimore office as part of its Special Systems Design Group.
Can Airports Improve One’s Sanity?
Over the past few weeks I've been doing a lot of personal and professional reflection: we've been preparing to launch a redesigned website; it's the annual staff and self-evaluation process; at home my eight-year-old is preparing for his first communion and confession; and my oldest, after bombing his first semester, is back from college much to my chagrin.
Oregon Schools Produce Work-Ready Grads
Jill Pinkstaff is a 23-year-old mechanical engineer who has worked for Eugene, Ore.-based Hynix Semiconductor and Intel Corp, Hillsboro, Ore. Although Pinkstaff has cultivated a great career, she's missing one thing: her degree. Sound like a real-life Doogie Hauser? Try MECOP participant. MECOP—The Multiple Engineering Cooperation Program—launched at Oregon State University (OSU) in...
Nevada Developing Burning Interest in Biomass
Nevada, like many Western states, is facing a growing forest-fire threat as its population expands into wilderness areas and drought conditions continue. The U.S. Forest Service is accelerating forest-thinning efforts to provide potential fires with less fuel, and both state and U.S. officials see the piles of nonmarketable brush as a potential biomass fuel source.
Briefly … – 2004-11-01
New Hampshire has recently adopted two National Fire Protection Assn. safety codes: the 2003 edition of NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code , and the 2000 edition of NFPA 101, Life Safety Code . BetterBricks, an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, recently honored six commercial building professionals for their commitment to sustainable, high-performance building in Oregon and southwest Washington. More information, including the winners, is available at www.betterbricks.com . Automated technologies company ABB will officially open a corporate research center at its industrial control system facility in Wickliffe, Ohio, near Cleveland.
Guest Opinion: The Multi-Discipline Myth—Do Clients Benefit?
By John D. Gaskell, P.E.PresidentGaskell AssociatesWarwick, R.I. When selecting design professionals for any construction project, there are several important choices: Should an architectural or engineering firm be hired to head the project? Is the project best served by in-house engineers or outside consulting engineers? How about the issue of single-discipline vs.
National Qualifications-Based Selection Awards
Each year, the American Council of Engineering Companies partners with the National Society of Professional Engineers to sponsor the Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) Awards. The purpose of these awards is to recognize public and private entities that make exemplary use of the QBS selection process at the state and local levels. QBS is a procedure designed to help owners find the most qualified engineer or architect for their projects In turn, the QBS Award winners provide examples of how well the process works and help ACEC and NSPE promote the practice in states that are not currently using QBS for the selection of engineering services. ACEC and NSPE present a grand QBS award each year in each of two categories: non-governmental and governmental sectors. Non-government entities include private corporations, privately-funded research labs, private utility companies, design professionals, construction contractors, developers and any non-government entity that uses design professional services on a regular basis. Government entities include states, municipalities, local governments, departments or agencies of government, school districts, university systems, public utility systems, research laboratories (if publicly funded), special purpose districts and the like. Of course, these lists are not exhaustive. In addition to the two QBS Awards, the QBS Awards program will designate up to four Merit Award winners, who will be presented a plaque locally at an event coordinated by the PEPP State Chair and the ACEC Member Organization President. The deadline for nominations for the 2004-2005 QBS Awards is Friday, December 17, 2004 .
Industry Roundup: 10/21/04
Liebert, Columbus, Ohio, has rolled out a number of new products for mission-critical applications. The DS is a new design of its precision air-conditioning system. MP is a family of products for managing the distribution of power for mission-critical facilities and systems.
Product Showcase 10/19/04
Visit www.csemag.com for industry news and featuresOctober 19, 2004 Special Advertising SectionDear Reader,Here is the next edition of Consulting-Specifying Engineer's product and system solutions showcase. Browse Products: Triatek Lighting | System Sensor | Greenheck | Steril-Aire Lighting Control Solutions TRIATEK Lighting offers ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2001 Energy Code compliant lighting control solutions that integrate into a Building Automation System or integrate into Microsoft Internet Explorer. Products include Programmable Circuit Breaker and Relay panels, Addressable Digital Switches, Retrofit Kits, Dimming and Light Level sensors.
UPS and Gensets: Better, but Still a Potential Problem
Over the years as UPS and generator equipment manufacturers have worked together to solve the problems that arise from operating uninterruptible power supply (UPS) equipment with gensets. Solutions to common problems have been uncovered and designers are increasingly aware of these issues: %%POINT%% Since UPS equipment is a non-linear load to a generator set, the harmonic currents drawn by the UPS were recognized to cause incremental alternator heating. Designers, recognizing this, can specify oversized alternators to serve this type of load.
Briefly … – 2004-10-01
Osram Sylvania has awarded the University of Colorado at Boulder a $50,000-per-year Lighting Education Grant geared toward providing more extensive coursework and integrating lighting engineering and technology with design and architecture. A Pennsylvania State University engineering scholarship has reached its endowment goal of $100,000. The scholarship was created in memory of Dean Meyers, a civil engineer and Penn State graduate who was killed in the Washington, D.C. sniper attacks of 2002. ZING Communications has announced the publication of its 2004—2005 Dimming Study.
Taking a Look at LEED
CSE: EwingCole has done or is doing a number of LEED projects, including jobs for NASA and a new lab facility for pharmaceutical manufacturer Aventis. How does the whole LEED process start? Do you approach the client or vice versa? Kowalski: With Aventis, we actually brought up the idea. In this case, they found it appealing from a PR standpoint.
Business 101: Everyday Reality
Everyone who has ever owned a radio at some point has heard Mick Jagger tell the tale of "Satisfaction," or lack thereof. The singer croons about driving around in his car hearing soap and cigarette sales pitches telling him why he can't achieve the objective of the song's title. Of late, I've been driving a lot, too, notably to deposit my eldest to his chosen institution of higher education.
A Super Job of Cooling at Virginia Tech
When Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University de-cided to build a supercomputer, it was an ambitious goal—creating one of the five fastest supercomputers in the world. But coming up with a solution for cooling such high power density required equal innovation and determination. School officials at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, planned to create their supercomputer by clustering...
Get Wired
Get more on this month's news stories with the following web links: American Superconductor Corp. www.amsuper.com Clean Edge www.cleanedge.com Clear Green Biotechnologies www.clear-green.com Florida Hydro Power and Light www.floridahydro.com Frost & Sullivan www.frostandsullivan.com Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy www.
Utility Pulls Plug on Boston Fuel Cell Effort
Organizations looking to save electricity costs by incorporating fuel cells and other distributed generation resources should study the experience of Boston University (BU), which recently cancelled plans to install a 4-MW fuel cell. The decision illustrates a major challenge to facility managers—just how far off the grid do they want to go? The unit was anticipated to be the primary powe...
R&D Announces Labs of the Year
Labs of the year have been announced by our sister publication, R&D Magazine. The big winner is Stanford University's James H. Clark Center. The $146 million, 76,000-sq.-ft. lab is described by R&D editors as "the culmination of innovative solutions and reworked definitions that lead to a living design experiment.
Ah, Ute!
Utah, University of Illinois, urbanism. Besides as an alliterative hook, why am I touting the letter "U"? Perhaps it's a subconscious remnant of working with my five-year-old on his ABCs (we just finished "T"). On a conscious level, it has to do with my travel itinerary—and with sharing a glimpse into the mind of an 18-year-old would-be engineer.
On Campus: Education and Recruitment
Engineering Expo Day at the University of Kansas (KU) is really, really loud. The hallways of the school's engineering building seem to be specifically designed to amplify the voices of the hundreds of junior high and high school students who roam like packs of Vandals just dying to sack Rome. Engineering classes are cancelled.
Energy Wheel Puts College on Efficiency Roll
When Haverford College in Haverford, Pa., decided to build its new Integrated Science Center, school administrators wanted the facility to fit the campus' classical look. But nostalgia for architectural style didn't carry over to the HVAC. In fact, school officials made it clear to designers from Princeton, N.
Is Online Learning Here to Stay?
More than 2/3 of all U.S. states require engineers to accrue professional development hours. But in the face of ever-compressed schedules, where and how are engineers doing so? An increasingly popular option is online learning. "It's more and more in vogue," said David Courtemanche, P.E., chief electrical engineer, Vanderweil Engineers.
Letters – 2004-01-01
Get involved In reference to December's Editor's Viewpoint and your call for more engineers in the profession regardless of their place of birth, you can keep calling, but if the engineering community at large does not get involved, nobody will be coming. I keep reading all these articles about the alarming lack of students entering the engineering fields, the alarming rate of engineering jobs ...
Air in Motion: Fans, Blowers and AHUs
Systems for moving and controlling air include many more types of equipment than those featured here. In addition to fans, blowers and air-handling units, there are diffusers, louvers, dampers and many more types of components. Presented below is a selection of some of the most recent product offerings from major suppliers in this general category.
’04 Economic Outlook
Held up by stalwart consumers of cars, new homes and their associated accoutrements, the U.S. economy fared better than expected in 2003, helped by a welcome, yet surprising surge from retail construction. Unfortunately, as 2004 approaches, economists remain cautious as the fear of continued job loss may kill the golden goose.
Researchers Exploring New, Smaller Cogen Applications
Researchers at three California universities are exploring new ways of applying existing combined heat and power (CHP) technologies to encourage their adoption by small businesses and even residential homeowners. The $300,000 effort is one of five such regional projects being funded by grants from the U.
The Greening of the FDA
Until now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's laboratories and offices have been far-flung and fragmented, to say the least. The FDA currently occupies space in more than 40 different buildings in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. To make matters worse, many of these facilities are in leased spaces that are not ideally suited for their occupancy and use.
Cabinets, Cabling and Cooling
CSE: Is it safe to say that many of the notions the engineering community has about cooling data centers and similar mission-critical facilities are already outdated? SPINAZZOLA: Without question. The focus must be on kilowatts per cabinet, not watts per sq. ft. STACK: The reality is that newer rack-based servers generate much more heat than older systems, creating hot spots within the control...
Briefly … – 2003-07-01
The International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials' (IAPMO) Mechanical and Plumbing Technical Committees are currently searching for members to fill positions in the labor, insurance and consumer categories. Applications are at www.iapmo.org. More than half of the U.S. science and engineering workforce will retire in the next 20 years, according to a study conducted by the sta...
Research Energizes Fuel-Cell Potential
Research into new energy sources and component materials may expand potential fuel-cell applications, in some cases by shrinking them to sizes appropriate for laptop computers and small appliances. Investigators at St. Louis University are studying the use of alcohol to power fuel cells of postage-stamp proportions.
Letters – 2003-06-01 – 2003-06-01 – 2003-06-01
For NFPA 5000 Your article about NFPA 5000 and the "Comprehensive Consensus Codes (C3)" series published by NFPA, IAPMO and ASHRAE (05/26 CSE p. 27) correctly identifies an important reason why all consulting engineers should be supporting this new family of building codes—they are ANSI-approved.
BACnet’s BIBBs Up Close
It was two year ago this June that ASHRAE's board of directors approved final publication of three new addenda to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135—the BACnet communications protocol. One goal of these changes to the protocol was to make the specifying of BACnet easier. To this purpose, Addendum d to the standard introduced the concept of BACnet Interoperability Building Blocks (BIBBs).
Cal Lutheran Does a Wireless Act
California Lutheran University (CLU)—in an effort to guard against rogue wireless networks, authenticate student and faculty users, control network access and maintain connectivity across subnets—installed a wireless communication system at its Thousand Oaks, Calif., campus in February. The system can be managed remotely and scaled to support future additions.
Clear Connection
Facility managers of campus environments—universities, school districts, military bases and large office complexes—have had to face unique challenges over the past 30 years in acquiring building automation systems. In cases where the campus owner has procurement freedom, inevitably, that individual ends up dealing with a single proprietary vendor on a negotiated basis, and then incr...
New Test Facility To Aid Alternative-Energy Developers
Plans were announced in January for a $20 million "test farm" in Albany, N.Y., that is designed to promote development of alter-native-energy technologies. The facility will be sited at Albany Nanotech, a nanotechnology research center on the State University of New York's Albany campus. The 10,000-sq.
University Gets an Energy Education
Knowledge is power, so the old adage goes. And for Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y., knowledge about power is even more, well, powerful. As part of a continuing effort to cut both its energy use and costs, the school has begun a power-metering program to give it more information about actual energy use and greater control over costs.
Web-Based Communication Suits Rowan U. Well
Rowan University in southern N.J., hopes to soon realize a long-term goal: better inter-building communication, and with it, greater energy savings. The institution, with an enrollment of over 10,000, is about six months from completing its five-year, $270-million project to install an open energy management and control system.
Fourth Annual CSI Student Design Competition
Planning is underway for the 4th Annual Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Student Design Competition, to be held at CSI University, June 26-28, in Philadelphia.
Briefly … – 2003-02-01
During his State of the Union Address last month, President Bush announced the launch of a $1.2 billion fuel cell initiative. The FreedomCAR and Fuel Initiative is intended to develop technology to produce hydrogen-powered fuel cells for use in cars, trucks, homes and businesses. Planning is currently under way for the 4th Annual CSI Student Design Competition to be held at the upcoming CSI Un...
A Guide to Shop Drawings: Who Should Review?
Editor's Note: This is the second installment in a two-part series on reviewing and approving shop drawings. References to AIA Form A201, General Conditions of the Contract for Construction, are to the 1997 edition unless otherwise noted. For purposes of processing shop drawings, when a consulting engineer is the architect's agent, references in A201 to the architect apply to the consultin...
A Real Cool Sound
After years of study, thermo-acoustics—using sound as a cooling agent—may finally move out of the research lab and into actual use. Although not yet commercially viable, test projects have shown that the technology can work. In the recently completed "Triton" project, conducted for the Office of Naval Research, researchers, including those from Penn State University, were able to ap...
Sky’s the Limit
Poor air quality and high energy use are problems especially severe in educational facilities. This, of course, is due to consistently high occupant densities and high required rates of ventilation. But these twin dragons have also come home to roost because of the way school HVAC systems have historically been designed.
Improving Insulation at Old Dominion University
With insufficient insulation, chilled-water pipes at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., were suffering from high temperatures and high relative humidity. Water from condensation was dripping from the pipes, forming rust, staining the floors and ceilings and causing mold and mildew growth. To resolve the situation, a retrofit was in order.
ARC Awards
Engineers are sometimes accused of practicing “cookie cutter” design, and that they’re afraid to move beyond the minimum accepted standards and practices. This, of course, is a gross generalization. And in an effort to laud those designers not afraid to deviate from the straight line, so to speak, CSE is proud to present its inaugural “ARC” Awards to engineers we feel are Advancing, Reinvigorating and Cultivating excellence in engineering. We chose the concept of an arc for a couple of reasons: 1) its very definition, “deviating from a straight line,” as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary; and 2) its visual symbolization of taking something from point A to point B by literally reaching over given obstacles. As with many awards and competitions, maintaining that the projects selected are indeed the “best” by far is clearly a stretch without the participation of the majority of the engineering community.
Creating a Cutting-Edge Learning Environment
One of the nation's most technologically advanced schools—East Lyme Middle School in Connecticut offers access to the Internet, multimedia presentation/communications technology, mobile computer workstations and an internal video-on-demand and information network. The school opened its doors to approximately 1,200 students this fall with a layout that complements this cutting-edge techno...
Vernal Convergence
Sharp readers will note the cover has a very Louis Sullivan flavor. Indeed, we purposefully chose one of the wonderful frieze panels from the master of Organic architecture as the basis of an illustration to represent another inspired design phenomenon: green building and the LEED movement. As demonstrated in the re-created panel from the since-demolished Garrick Theater in Chicago, Sullivan ...
A Reader’s Recap of ASIS
Some 17,000 people recently converged on the City of Brotherly Love to discuss measures not so fraternal in nature—most notably, how to keep unwanted brethren out of their respective businesses. Indeed, attendance at the American Society of Industrial Security International's Annual Seminar and Exhibits in Philadelphia, Sept.
Why More Women Drop Out of Engineering
Analyzing the reasons why the dropout rate among female engineering students is high when compared to males, a recent study conducted by the University of California-San Diego provides some insights.
Briefly … – 2002-09-01
Providing energy design guidelines for schools, the U.S. Dept. of Energy has released a series of publications designed to help schools save significant sums of money in utility bills. The main thrust of the initiative is to instruct schools how to utilize energy-efficient designs compatible with their regional climates, with the ultimate goal of cost savings and creating comfortable environmen...
Relay Race
For a fast-track industrial generator protection project, engineers specified a relay and supporting software that allowed the firm to meet a short design cycle while offering the client high performance protection. Relay features allowed engineers to apply a single design for three machines, while appropriately accounting for each generator's individual requirements, saving time—and cos...
Bridging the Future
In the engineering arena today, no one would be shocked to hear that electrical system designers regularly face access and space challenges. But the gauntlet is significantly more daunting for initiates of the engineering and construction world's newest kid on the block—telecommunication. In this particular arena, the major challenges involve supporting customers' present and future need...
Continuing Ed: Defining Professional Development
Regardless of whether they're dubbed continuing education units (CEUs), learning units (LUs), professional development hours (PDHs) or mandatory continuing education units (MCEs), they're all ultimately the same thing—a measure for documenting continuing education among design professionals. But what's more important than the nomenclature is figuring what continuing education should mean ...
Breaking the Code
Now that the 2002 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) is on the street, the code's developers at the National Fire Protection Association are offering several opportunities for users to become more familiar with changes and updates. The necforum, to be held Sept. 25-27 in Schaumburg, Ill., presents important information on new code specifications, along with interpretations from code-writing e...
Engineering Firms: A LEED Influence
The U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating program for "green" buildings has established itself as an important certification in the industry, as evidenced by the growing number of engineering firms hiring LEED-certified experts. "As engineers, we have always been concerned with energy efficiency," says John Hess, vice president and head of the...
Lighting the Way for LEDs
When it comes to energy efficiency and long life, lighting experts consider light-emitting diodes—better known as LEDs—to be a very promising technology. However, these solid-state lighting systems that convert electrical energy directly into light must first overcome a number of technological and market hurdles before breaking into general lighting applications.
Americans Get Low Marks For Tech Literacy
Americans are not technologically savvy, concludes a report released by the Committee on Technological Literacy, under the auspices of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council.
National Engineers Week Expands Its Reach
Even though it is difficult to measure the tangible effects that National Engineers Week—which took place February 17-23—has on improving the public's awareness of engineering, program organizers have reported some indications that the program is working.One of the program's new offerings, "Zoom into Engineering," provided engineers with toolkits to visit grade schools and spa...
San Francisco Voters Go for Wind, Solar
Last November, 73% of San Francisco voters approved a $100 million revenue bond issue to fund the installation of 40 megawatts of renewable power—including 10 to 12 MW of solar power—on city-owned facilities and schools.San Francisco's city government consumes 160 MW of power. The balance of the renewables would come from wind turbines.
The Quest for a National Energy Policy
Although many are skeptical that Congress will be able to pass energy legislation this year, representatives of the engineering community are cautiously optimistic that some sort of energy policy will emerge, especially with a national concern about energy security and infrastructure.At press time, the Senate was still developing its energy bill, which currently matches up with 80% of the...
Calif. Schools to Receive Much Needed Funding
Although available funding is likely to fall short of California's school construction needs, Los Angeles voters recently approved a $2.4-billion bond for school improvements and San Francisco voters passed close to $1 billion in funding.According to A/E firms active in the K-12 market, this trend reflects what's been going on nationwide.
Tech College Opts for High-Tech Controls
The College of Technology at Montana State University-Billings offers degrees and programs that train students to excel in a technologically advancing business world.In keeping with the spirit of the college's mission—and as a way to more efficiently control energy costs—school administrators decided to fully automate the campus' building-control systems.
Shedding Light on UFAD
Modern corporations restructure and reorganize at an increasing rate, and their offices must keep pace. Furthermore, such office areas demand more—and cleaner—power than ever before. Under these circumstances, many engineers are faced with the challenge of designing a power system that meets the ever changing electrical demands of technology, while still being flexible enough ...
Adieu to friends who will be missed
In the wake of the turbulence of 2001, I wished everyone, in my last column, an uneventful New Year in the hope that we might see a return to life and business as usual. I still hope this may be the case, but sadly, in the near-term, I must report otherwise.Frank Valvoda, a long-time contributor and consulting editor for CSE, passed away Dec.
Energy Park In New York
New York state will establish the Saratoga Technology Energy Park to promote the development of clean energy technologies. Funding the project will be the state, the University of Albany and the Saratoga area economic development organization. A 280-acre site in Malta, N.Y., has been selected. From Pure Power, Winter 2001.
A move and other changes
As I write this column, I'm fighting a cold, trying to dig out of a week's worth of mail and e-mail (that's what you get for going to a trade show), plan an industry roundtable in New York, close this issue and pack for a company move—a typical day at the office.What's not typical is our address.
Letters to the Editor – 2001-11-01
School HVAC debate revisited and questionedI would like to compliment CSE for publishing the exchange of letters between Mark Lentz and Fred Schultz (CSE, September 2001). Mr Lentz' letter raised numerous valid issues, and this type of exchange is good for our industry—and badly needed.
Web Resources for Engineering Ethics
Ethics, like all other areas of philosophy, can be perplexing. It requires much research and discussion. Fortunately, the Internet is proving to be a valuable tool that enables design professionals to join the engineering community's discourse on professional ethics.There are seldom easy answers to ethical questions.
School IAQ Solution Debate
In a continuation from our September "Letters to the Editor," ASHRAE TC 9.8 Chairman Mark Lentz addresses some more of the issues surrounding poor IAQ in schools and HVAC design engineers...
