When the time comes to replace a cooling tower, all too often the recommendation is to source an identical replacement; however, cooling tower technology is evolving, and some building owners are reaping the rewards by researching the benefits of the newest options.

From my perspective of working in the intersection of two very different professions, medicine and design of the built environment, I’m frequently surprised by the resistance of each group to embrace concepts from the “other side.

Once again, research has revealed an entire new dimension of the role of indoor air quality in determining human health.

This month’s Facility File will focus on the B2B April test for a K-8 school temporary heating project in sync with a utility rebate to furnish and install a new 120 boiler horsepower (BHP) condensing boiler application.

When a building is found to be consuming excess energy, the next step is usually an energy audit followed by retro-commissioning of the HVAC system. If available, an infrared scan of the building exterior might follow.

The International Building Code defines institutional occupancies under Institutional Group I and includes the use of buildings or structures where care or supervision is provided to persons who are or are not capable of self-preservation without physical assistance.

Once upon a time, humans lived outdoors in harmony with vast and diverse populations of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, largely unaware of the presence of these microbes.

One big difference between building systems and the human body is the immediacy of an “alarm” when something goes wrong. If we lose a mitten while skiing, we know immediately that there has been a breach in our insulation.

Most of us have experienced one of our best solutions backfiring and unintentionally creating a bigger problem in the future. One historical example of an unintended consequence occurred in the early 1900s in Hanoi, Vietnam. Under French Colonial rule, the city was proud of the sanitation benefits of its indoor toilets supported by a vast sewer system.

Balancing relative humidity plays a key role in not only comfort but the health of occupants.