Author Archives: mike@standardsmichigan.com

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Campus Micromobility 300

Artist: Syd Mead | Photo Credit: United States Steel

We find town-gown political functionaries working to accommodate students traveling on micro-scooters.  Several non-profit trade associations compete for “ownership” of some part of the economic activity associated with micromobility.   One of several domain incumbents is SAE International.   Here is how SAE International describes the micromobility transformation:

“…Emerging and innovative personal mobility devices, sometimes referred to as micromobility, are proliferating in cities around the world. These technologies have the potential to expand mobility options for a variety of people. Some of these technologies fall outside traditional definitions, standards, and regulations. This committee will initially focus on low-speed micromobility devices and the technology and systems that support them that are not normally subject to the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or similar regulations. These may be device-propelled or have propulsion assistance. They are low-speed devices that have a maximum device-propelled speed of 30 mph. They are personal transportation vehicles designed to transport three or fewer people. They are consumer products but may be owned by shared- or rental-fleet operators. This committee is concerned with the eventual utilization and operational characteristics of these devices, and how they may be safely incorporated in the transportation infrastructure. This committee will develop and maintain SAE Standards, Recommended Practices, and Information Reports within this classification of mobility. The first task of the committee will be to develop a taxonomy of low-speed micromobility devices and technologies. Currently, many of these terms are not consistently named, defined, or used in literature and practice. This task will also help refine the scope of the committee and highlight future work….”

Micromobility standards development requires sensitivity to political developments in nearly every dimension we can imagine.

University of Toledo

Specifically, we follow developments in SAE J3194: Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Micromobility Devices.  Getting scope, title, purpose and definitions established is usually the first step in the process of developing a new technical consensus product.   From the project prospectus:

This Recommended Practice provides a taxonomy and definitions for terms related to micromobility devices. The technical report covers low-speed micromobility devices (with a maximum device-propelled speed of 30 mph) and the technology and systems that support them that are not normally subject to the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or similar regulations. These devices may be device-propelled or have propulsion assistance. Micromobility devices are personal transportation vehicles designed to transport three or fewer people. They are consumer products but may be owned by shared- or rental-fleet operators. This Recommended Practice does not provide specifications or otherwise impose requirements of micromobility devices.

 

SAE standards action appears on the pages linked below:

SAE Standards Development Home Page

SAE Standards Works

 

Apart from the rising level of discussion on vehicle-to-grid technologies (which we track more closely with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee) there is no product at the moment that business units in the education industry can comment upon.   Many relevant SAE titles remain “Works in Progress”.  When a public commenting opportunity on a candidate standard presents itself we will post it here.

We host periodic Mobility colloquia; SAE titles standing items on the agenda.  See our CALENDAR for the next online session; open to everyone.

University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Issue: [19-130]

Category: Electrical, Facility Asset Management, Transportation

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Paul Green, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben

 


 

LEARN MORE:

SAE International ABOUT

Inspiring a College Campus to Design, Create, and Build Green Small Engine Vehicles 2009-32-0107

All-Electric School Bus for Total Zero Emission

S. 1420: Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2023


Laken Riley Act passes 251-170, with 37 Democrats joining all Republicans in support

The murder of Laken Riley occurred on February 22, 2024, in Athens, Georgia. Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University, disappeared when she was jogging at the University of Georgia (UGA). Her body was found near a lake of a wooded area at UGA; her death was caused by blunt force trauma.  The police described Riley’s killing as a “crime of opportunity”, and that no murder had been committed at UGA in almost 30 years; a gap filled by the open border policy of Democrat President Joseph Biden, Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and chain of Democrat District Attorney’s who let the perpetrator run free.

The murder has international news, generating extensive media attention — though not nearly as much as the George Floyd tragedy and the Black Lives Matter zietgeist — sparking debate over illegal immigration in United States after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Ibarra is a Venezuelan illegal immigrant who is not a U.S. citizen and was caught crossing the border but released back into the United States

Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan citizen who entered the US illegally, was arrested by UGA police and has been charged with felony murder, false imprisonment, and kidnapping.[4] Ibarra lived about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the area where Riley’s body was found..

European political leaders are indifferent to the killing of their young women by migrant men also:


But what is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?  If men were angels, no government would be necessary.  If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.  In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this:  you must first enable the government to control control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”James Madison, Federalist 51

Relevant Federal Executive & Legislative Committees

House of Representatives: Committee on Education & the Workforce

Senate: Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions 

SCOTUS: West Virginia, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency

United States District Court, Michigan | Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School et al. v Ann Arbor School District Board


H.R. 305: One School, One Nurse Act of 2023

H.R. 6078: GROWTH Act of 2023

H.R. 3425: To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to authorize capacity building grants for community

H.R. 221: Expand Pell Grant eligibility to certain trade schools

H.R. 193: Teach Relevant Apprenticeships to Drive Economic Success Act

H.R. 202: States’ Education Reclamation Act

H.R. 302: Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Act of 2023

The University Campus As A Designed Work and an Artefact of Cultural Heritage

John A. Paulson Center

The New York University Paulson Center 181 Mercer dormitory is a state-of-the-art residence hall located in the heart of Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. The building was designed by COOKFOX architects and completed in 2020.

The Paulson 181 Mercer dormitory is a 23-story building that houses more than 700 students in a mix of singles, doubles, triples, and quads. The building features a number of amenities designed to enhance the student living experience, including a fitness center, music practice rooms, a game room, and a rooftop terrace with stunning views of the city.

One of the most unique features of the Paulson 181 Mercer dormitory is its focus on sustainability and green design. The building is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification, which recognizes buildings that are designed and constructed to minimize their environmental impact. Some of the sustainable features of the building include a green roof, rainwater harvesting system, and energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems.

The $1.2 billion John A. Paulson Center — which opened in January 2023 — provides all of the occupancy classes for the “university without a quad”.

Student Accommodation

Schenkingen

Standards New York

*In 2005, Paulson began investing heavily in credit default swaps, which are essentially insurance contracts that pay out if a particular debt instrument defaults. He used these swaps to bet against the subprime mortgage market, which he believed was overvalued and ripe for collapse. When the housing market crashed in 2008, Paulson’s bets paid off in a big way, earning him billions of dollars in profits.

Paulson has also been involved in other successful trades, including investments in gold and banking stocks. However, his bet against the subprime mortgage market remains his most famous and lucrative trade.

 

Student Accommodation

Harvard University Dormitory Room | Smithsonian Museum | Thomas Warren Sears Collection

Today we break down public consultation notices for literature that sets the standard of care for the safety and sustainability of student housing in K-12 prep schools, colleges and universities.  We deal with off-campus housing in a separate session because it involves local safety and sustainability regulations; most of which are derived from residential housing codes and standards.

Monograph: The Case for Campus Housing

Off-Campus Housing

The topic cuts across many disciplines and standards setting organization bibliographies. We usually set our bearing with the following titles:

2021 International Building Code: Section 310 Residential Group R-2 + related titles such as the IFC, IMC, IPC, IECC

2021 Fire Code: Chapter 6 Classification of Occupancy  + related titles such as NFPA 70B, NFPA 72 and NFPA 110

2023 National Electrical Code: Articles 210-230 + related Articles 110 and 410

ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings: Annex G

Like any other classification of real property the average cost for room and board for a public university student dormitory depends on several factors such as the location of the university, the type of dormitory, and the meal plan options.  According to the College Board, the average cost of room and board for the 2021-2022 academic year at a public four-year in-state institution was $11,620. However, this figure can range from around $7,000 to $16,000 or more depending on the specific institution and its location.   It’s important to note that this average cost only includes the basic meal plan and standard dormitory room. Students may also have additional costs for a larger or more luxurious dorm room, a premium meal plan, or other expenses such as laundry or parking fees.   

According to ring Rider Levett Bucknall, a global property and construction consultancy firm, the average construction cost for a student housing facility in the United States in 2021 was around $202 per square foot. However, this figure can range from around $150 to $300 per square foot or more depending on the specific project.  Life cycle cost for new facilities with tricked out net-zero gadgets is hard to come by at the moment.

Because money flows freely through this domain we examine scalable densities and the nature of money flow patterns; partially tracked by the Electronic Municipal Market Access always on the standing agenda of our Finance colloquium.

More

National Institute of Standards & Technology: The Character of Residential Cooktop Fires

Deserted College Dorms Sow Trouble for $14 Billion in Muni Bonds

Dormitory, Fraternity, Sorority and Barrack Structure Fires

Here are a few pros and cons of private sector construction of university-owned student housing:

Pros:

  1. Increased housing availability: Private sector developers may be able to build more student housing units than a university could build on its own, which can help to alleviate the shortage of on-campus housing for students.
  2. Faster construction: Private developers may be able to complete construction projects faster than universities, which can help to reduce the amount of time that students must wait for new housing options.
  3. Reduced financial burden on the university: The cost of building and maintaining student housing can be significant, and private sector developers may be willing to bear some of these costs. This can help to reduce the financial burden on the university and free up resources for other initiatives.
  4. Professional management: Private developers may have more experience managing large housing projects and may be able to provide more professional management services than a university could provide on its own.

Cons:

  1. Higher costs for students: Private developers may charge higher rents than a university would charge for student housing, which can make housing less affordable for some students.
  2. Reduced university control: Private developers may have different priorities than a university would have when it comes to building and managing student housing. This can lead to a reduced level of control for the university over housing quality, management, and policies.
  3. Potential conflicts of interest: Private developers may be more focused on making a profit than on meeting the needs of students or the university, which can create potential conflicts of interest.
  4. Less transparency: Private developers may not be subject to the same level of transparency and accountability as a university would be when it comes to housing policies, decision-making processes, and financial management.

It’s important to note that these pros and cons may vary depending on the specific circumstances and context of each individual university and private sector partnership.


Gallery: Off-Campus Accommodation

Quadrivium: Spring

“The Laws of Thought” 1851 George Boole

American National Standards Institute: Standards Action

International Electrotechnical Commission

International Organization for Standardization

International Telecommunication Union

 

More LIVE Campus Cameras

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace

Spring Week 13 | March 25 – March 31

Standards March: Water

We sweep through the world’s three major time zones; updating our understanding of the literature at the technical foundation of education community safety and sustainability in those time zones 24 times per day. We generally eschew “over-coding” web pages to sustain speed, revision cadence and richness of content as peak priority.  We do not provide a search facility because of copyrights of publishers and time sensitivity of almost everything we do.

Cognitive Science: An Introduction to the Study of Mind

Our daily colloquia are typically doing sessions; with non-USA titles receiving priority until 16:00 UTC and all other titles thereafter.  We assume policy objectives are established (Safer-Simpler-Lower-Cost, Longer-Lasting).   Because we necessarily get into the weeds, and because much of the content is time-sensitive and copyright protected, we usually schedule a separate time slot to hammer on technical specifics so that our response to consultations are meaningful and contribute to the goals of the standards developing organization and to the goals of stewards of education community real assets.

1. Leviathan.  We track noteworthy legislative proposals in the United States 118th Congress.  Not many deal specifically with education community real assets since the relevant legislation is already under administrative control of various Executive Branch Departments such as the Department of Education.

We do not advocate in legislative activity at any level.   We respond to public consultations but there it ends.

We track federal legislative action because it provides a stroboscopic view of the moment — the “national conversation”– in communities that are simultaneously a business and a culture.  Even though more than 90 percent of such proposals are at the mercy of the party leadership the process does enlighten the strengths and weakness of a governance system run entirely through the counties on the periphery of Washington D.C.  It is impossible to solve technical problems in facilities without sensitivity to the zietgeist that has accelerated in education communities everywhere.

Department of Energy

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Federal Aviation Administration

Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools | Consultation closes April 14, 2023

Science & Technology Policy Office

Request for Information; NSPM 33 Research Security Programs Standard Requirement | Consultation closes June 5, 2023

 

North Dakota

We typically post one federal and one state level consultation or action every day for at least one of the 50-states — in the lower right corner of our home page when most education communities in the United States have begun a new work day.  Examples, irregularly linked:

U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security: Public consultation on US standards system rule (November 8)

2National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Post-Quantum Cryptography Practice Guide (June 8)

Public Consultation on Semiconductor Manufacturing (November 28)

NIST Awards Funding to 5 Universities to Advance Standards Education

NIST Center for Neutron Research: 2022 Outstanding Student Poster Presentation

Commerce Levels Playing Field to Support U.S. Stakeholder Participation in International Standards Setting Activities

NIST Report Outlines Strategic Opportunities for U.S. Semiconductor Manufacturing

Occupational exposure and indoor environmental quality evaluation from operating multiple desktop 3D printers in an office environment within a library.

3ANSI ISO Business  (Many of these projects are normally covered during our Hello World! colloquia

ANSI April 2023 Public Policy Update

ANSI January Report 2023 on ISO, IEC & ITU Work Items

ISO Standardization Foresight Framework | Trend Report 2022

New ISO Subcommittee ISO/TC 197/SC 1 – Hydrogen at Scale and Horizontal Energy Systems

New ISO Subcommittee ISO/TC 67/SC 10 – Enhanced oil recovery

Update: Certification+Degree (C+D) pathways in information technology (IT) and health sciences.

2023 Student Paper Competition Theme: Standards Supporting United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.  Submissions due 2 June 2023

Standards Coordination Office | USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point 

USNC/IEC

Consultations (Some posted with IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee) | Direct access to primary workspace

4. Fast Forward  

Looking Ahead: 2024

5. Rewind

Retrodiction

Lights Out

6. Corrigenda


International Standardization Organization Week Date

 

Readings

Glossary: Education

The College Idea: Andrew Delbanco

Uniform Plumbing Code

“Niagara” 1857 Frederic Edwin Church

Although the 2024 Revision is substantially complete there are a number of technical and administrative issues to be resolved before the final version is released for public use. Free access to the most recent edition is linked below.

CODE DEVELOPMENT

TENTATIVE – 2027 UPC/UMC CODE DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE

Report on Comments for the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code

 

Life Safety Code

The Life Safety Code addresses those construction, protection, and occupancy features necessary to minimize danger to life from the effects of fire, including smoke, heat, and toxic gases created during a fire.   It is widely incorporated by reference into public safety statutes; typically coupled with the consensus products of the International Code Council.   It is a mighty document — one of the NFPA’s leading titles — so we deal with it in pieces; consulting it for decisions to be made for the following:

(1) Determination of the occupancy classification in Chapters 12 through 42.

(2) Determination of whether a building or structure is new or existing.

(3) Determination of the occupant load.

(4) Determination of the hazard of contents.

There are emergent issues — such as active shooter response, integration of life and fire safety systems on the internet of small things — and recurrent issues such as excessive rehabilitation and conformity criteria and the ever-expanding requirements for sprinklers and portable fire extinguishers with which to reckon.  It is never easy telling a safety professional paid to make a market for his product or service that it is impossible to be alive and safe.  It is even harder telling the dean of a department how much it will cost to bring the square-footage under his stewardship up to the current code.

The 2021 edition is the current edition and is accessible below:

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code Free Public Access

Public input on the 2027 Revision will be received until June 4, 2024.

 

Since the Life Safety Code is one of the most “living” of living documents — the International Building Code and the National Electric Code also move continuously — we can start anywhere and anytime and still make meaningful contributions to it.   We have been advocating in this document since the 2003 edition in which we submitted proposals for changes such as:

• A student residence facility life safety crosswalk between NFPA 101 and the International Building Code

• Refinements to Chapters 14 and 15 covering education facilities (with particular attention to door technologies)

• Identification of an ingress path for rescue and recovery personnel toward electric service equipment installations.

• Risk-informed requirement for installation of grab bars in bathing areas

• Modification of the 90-minute emergency lighting requirements rule for small buildings and for fixed interval testing

• Modification of emergency illumination fixed interval testing

• Table 7.3.1 Occupant Load revisions

• Harmonization of egress path width with European building codes

There are others.  It is typically difficult to make changes to stabilized standard though some of the concepts were integrated by the committee into other parts of the NFPA 101 in unexpected, though productive, ways.  Example transcripts of proposed 2023 revisions to the education facility chapter is linked below:

Chapter 14 Public Input Report: New Educational Occupancies

Educational and Day Care Occupancies: Second Draft Public Comments with Responses Report

Since NFPA 101 is so vast in its implications we list a few of the sections we track, and can drill into further, according to client interest:

Chapter 3: Definitions

Chapter 7: Means of Egress

Chapter 12: New Assembly Occupancies

Chapter 13: Existing Assembly Occupancies

Chapter 16 Public Input Report: New Day-Care Facilities

Chapter 17 Public Input Report: Existing Day Care Facilities

Chapter 18 Public Input Report: New Health Care Facilities

Chapter 19 Public Input Report: Existing Health Care Facilities

Chapter 28: Public Input Report: New Hotels and Dormitories

Chapter 29: Public Input Report: Existing Hotels and Dormitories

Chapter 43: Building Rehabilitation

Annex A: Explanatory Material

As always we encourage front-line staff, facility managers, subject matter experts and trade associations to participate directly in the NFPA code development process (CLICK HERE to get started)

NFPA 101 is a cross-cutting title so we maintain it on the agenda of our several colloquia —Housing, Prometheus, Security and Pathways colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

 

Issue: [18-90]

Category: Fire Safety, Public Safety

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Josh Elvove, Joe DeRosier, Marcelo Hirschler

More

ARCHIVE / Life Safety Code 2003 – 2018

 


Fire and Life Safety in Stadiums

Energy Standard for *Sites* and Buildings

ANSI Standards Action Weekly Edition

 

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is an ANSI-accredited continuous-maintenance standards developer (a major contributor to what we call a regulatory product development “stream”).   Continuous maintenance means that changes to its consensus products can change in as little as 30 days so it is wise to keep pace.

Among the leading titles in its catalog is ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.  Standard 90.1 has been a benchmark for commercial building energy codes in the United States and a key basis for codes and standards around the world for more than 35 years.  Free access to ASHRAE 90.1 version is available at the link below:

READ ONLY Version of 2022 ASHRAE 90.1

Redlines are released at a fairly brisk pace — with 30 to 45 day consultation periods.  A related title — ASHRAE 189.1 Standard for the Design of High Performance Green Buildings — first published in 2009 and far more prescriptive in its scope heavily  references parent title 90.1 so we usually them as a pair because 189.1 makes a market for green building conformance enterprises. Note the “extreme prescriptiveness” (our term of art) in 189.1 which has the practical effect of legislating engineering judgement, in our view.

25 January 2023: Newly Released ASHRAE 90.1-2022 Includes Expanded Scope For Building Sites

ASHRAE committees post their redlines at the link below:

Online Standards Actions & Public Review Drafts

Several energy related redlines are open for consultation through April 1st.  

Education industry facility managers, energy conservation workgroups, sustainability officers, electric shop foreman, electricians and front-line maintenance professionals who change lighting fixtures, maintain environmental air systems are encouraged to participate directly in the ASHRAE consensus standard development process.

We also maintain ASHRAE best practice titles as standing items on our Mechanical, Water, Energy and Illumination colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [Various]

Category: Mechanical, Electrical, Energy Conservation, Facility Asset Management, US Department of Energy, #SmartCampus

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Larry Spielvogel, Richard Robben

Under Construction:  ASHRAE WORKSPACE


More

The fundamental concept in social science is Power, in the same sense in which Energy is the fundamental concept in physics. - Bertrand Russell

ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2019: Energy Standard For Buildings

ARCHIVE 2002-2016 / ASHRAE 90.1 ENERGY STANDARD FOR BUILDINGS

US Department of Energy Building Energy Codes Program

ASHRAE Guideline 0 The Commissioning Process

Why Software is Eating the World

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