Changes to help make buildings and systems more sustainable are part of the newly published version of the high-performance green building standard from ASHRAE, the USGBC, and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).
The U. S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2250, the "EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011,'' last month by a vote of 275 to 142 (not enough to override an expected Presidential veto)?—?and then they went home for a week of campaigning.
Over the past 20 years, there have been a number of significant revisions to Section 1 of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code relating to water level instrumentation.
Incorporating a plenum can have its design advantages, but corridors serving adjoining areas of health care occupancies are prohibited from being used for a portion of an air supply, air return, or exhaust air plenum. This article and its illustrations can strengthen your grasp of the related NFPA code details and exceptions so you can design and ventilate properly for this special population.
Earthquakes and strong gusts are threats in the physical world that creep into the HVAC design world of isolators, supports, and special louver considerations. Furthermore, a new legal world in terms of codes, insurance, and liability can leave inattentive engineers, owners, and manufacturers quaking in their boots. Read on to stay safe in more ways than one.
An engineer with the 9th-largest school district in the United States writes about the IAQ testing and final report that his district commissioned. From offices to classrooms to cafeterias and restrooms, the monitoring was extensive. Read the results and some author comments about acceptable IAQ in schools, the possibility of overdoing fresh air, and the associated costs.