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Design and Construction of Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations

Design and Construction of Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations

 

Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code

“Mechanic and Steam Pump” | Lewis W. Hine (1921)

 

The heating and cooling requirements of K-12 schools, college and university educational, medical research and healthcare delivery campuses are a large market for boiler pressure vessel manufacturers, installers, maintenance personnel and inspectors.  The demand for building new, and upgrading existing boilers — either single building boilers, regional boilers or central district energy boilers — presents a large market for professional engineering firms also.  A large research university, for example, will have dozens, if not well over 100 boilers that heat and cool square footage in all climates throughout the year.  The same boilers provide heating and cooling for data centers, laundry operations, kitchen steam tables in hospitals and dormitories.

The safety rules for these large, complex and frankly, fearsome systems, have been developed by many generations of mechanical engineering professionals in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC).   From the BPVC scope statement:

“…The International Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code establishes rules of safety — relating only to pressure integrity — governing the design, fabrication, and inspection of boilers and pressure vessels, and nuclear power plant components during construction. The objective of the rules is to provide a margin for deterioration in service. Advancements in design and material and the evidence of experience are constantly being added…”

Many state and local governments incorporate the BPVC by reference into public safety regulations and have established boiler safety agencies.  Boiler explosions are fairly common, as a simple internet search on the term “school boiler explosion” will reveal.  We linked one such incident at the bottom of this page.

University of Michigan Central Heating Plant

The 2023 Edition of the BPVC is the current edition; though the document is divided into many sections that change quickly.

ASME Codes & Standards Electronic Tools

ASME Proposals Available For Public Review

ASME Section IV: Rules for the Construction of Heating Boilers (2019)

Public consultation on changes to the BPVC standard for power boilers closes February 3rd.   

This is a fairly stable domain at the moment.  We direct you elsewhere to emergent topics:

Ghost kitchens gaining steam on college campuses

College: the Next Big Frontier for Ghost Kitchens

Illinois Admin. Code tit. 77, § 890.1220 – Hot Water Supply and Distribution

Design Considerations for Hot Water Plumbing

FREE ACCESS: 2019 ASME Boiler and Pressure Code (Section VI) 

Plumbing

 

 

Two characteristics of the ASME standards development process are noteworthy:

  • Only the proposed changes to the BPVC are published.   The context surrounding a given change may be lost or not seen unless access to previous version is available.  Knowledgeable experts who contribute to the development of the BPVC usually have a previous version, however.  Newcomers to the process may not.
  • The BPVC has several breakout committees; owing to its longer history in the US standards system and the gathering pace of complexity in this technology.

We unpack the ASME bibliography primarily during our Mechanical, Plumbing and Energy colloquia; and also during our coverage of large central laundry and food preparation (Kitchens 100) colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting, open to everyone.

Issue: [12-33] [15-4] [15-161] [16-77] [18-4] [19-157]

Category: District Energy, Energy, Mechanical, Kitchens, Hot Water

Contact: Eric Albert, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel

More:

Standards Michigan BPVC Archive

ASME BPVC Resources

Big Ten & Friends Energy Conference 2023

Standards Michigan Workspace (Requires access credentials from bella@standardsmichigan.com).

School Boiler Maintenance Programs: How Safe Are The Children? 

Boiler Explodes at Indiana High School

Heat Tracing Product Standard

Winter weather pipe-breaking and subsequent water flooding incidents on educational campuses around the world draw attention to Underwriters Laboratory product standard UL 515 Standard for Electrical Resistance Trace Heating for Commercial Applications which was last revised in July 2015.    From the home page of UL 515: the scope is as follows:

    (UL 515) requirements cover electrical resistance trace heating for commercial applications as applied to piping, vessels, traced tube bundles, and mechanical equipment. Trace heating includes heating panels and associated parts. This equipment is intended for installation in ordinary locations in accordance with the following installation guidelines:

  • National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70, Article 427
  • IEEE Standard for the Testing, Design, Installation, and Maintenance of Electrical Resistance Trace Heating for Commercial Applications, IEEE 515.1.

    Trace heating covered by this Standard is intended for applications where it is exposed to weather, unless specific markings and instructions limit the applications.

    Trace heating may be installed on metal or rigid plastic pipes. Unless specific recommendations are made for the plastic pipe material to be heated, plastic pipes are considered to have a maximum long-term thermal exposure limit of 50°C (122°F).

UL 515 is on a 5-year revision cycle; though comments on its improvement may be directed at any time to Julio Morales Julio.Morales@ul.com.    A review of the Standards Technical Panel suggests that User-Interest input — quite possibly product success and failure information — would be welcomed.   

In future posts, we will sort through the interdependency of related NFPA and ASTM standards on this technology

Issue: [18-10]

Category: Architectural, Electrical,  Structural, Facility Asset Managemet

Contact: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben

 

 

 

Electrical heat tracing: international harmonization-now and in the future

 

Electrical heat tracing: international harmonization-now and in the future

C. Sandberg

Tyco Thermal Controls

N.R. Rafferty – M. Kleinehanding – J.J. Hernandez

E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Company, Inc 

 

Abstract:  In the past, electrical heat tracing has been thought of as a minor addition to plant utilities. Today, it is recognized as a critical subsystem to be monitored and controlled. A marriage between process, mechanical, and electrical engineers must take place to ensure that optimum economic results are produced. The Internet, expert systems, and falling costs of instrumentation will all contribute to more reliable control systems and improved monitoring systems. There is a harmonization between Europe and North America that should facilitate design and installation using common components. The future holds many opportunities to optimize the design.

CLICK HERE to order complete paper

 

Heat Tracing Installation

Industrial electroheating and electromagnetic processing

Pipe Heating

Heat Tracing

Hot Water in North America

Estimating Daily Domestic Hot-Water Use in North American Homes

Florida Solar Energy Center | ASHRAE Conference Paper

Danny S. Parker | Philip Fairey | James D. Lutz, PE

 

ABSTRACT. The WVU campus in Morgantown, located in north central WV is identified to have elevated heat flows by low-temperature geothermal play fairway analysis of the Appalachian basin. Along with the elevated subsurface heat flows, WVU also has surface demand necessary to develop a deep direct-use geothermal system in the eastern United States. West Virginia University is currently using a steam-based water heating system. This study focuses on converting the current heating system to a geothermal deep-direct-use district heating system.

A comprehensive evaluation of the current heating system is being conducted to determine the university’s heating energy demand. Energy demand is calculated for the whole campus based on the equipment survey and readings from the steam meters. Based on the steam meter readings, the approximate hot water usage of the whole campus is in the range of 10,000-12,000 GPM (gallons per minute). For buildings where there are no existing data or steam meters available, the energy usage is estimated using e-Quest. The tool e-Quest (Quick Energy Simulation Tool) is available through the U.S. Department of Energy and can provide monthly building energy usage data for comparison purposes.

The study includes an in-depth analysis of existing heating and cooling equipment, such as air handling units (AHUs) and heat exchangers, to determine their compatibility with hot water systems. The potential for retrofitting these systems to enhance energy efficiency, reduce operational costs, and contribute to the university’s sustainability goals is evaluated. This retrofit requires significant infrastructure changes, including installing new pumps, pipes, and heat exchangers. A detailed study for retrofitting was conducted on one of the buildings, which includes air handling units, pumps, valves, and expansion tanks.

The total retrofitting cost was found to be approximately $130,000. A preliminary hot water distribution model using Aspen HYSYS is developed, incorporating key system components like heat pumps and geothermal plate heat exchangers with a hot water distribution temperature of 180℉. Similarly, Aspen HYSYS models are developed to study and compare the normal hot water distribution model.

 

Florida

Florida’s campus coffee scene picks up influences from Gulf of America nations. Hot options are popular in winter, though iced drinks never fully disappear.

National Champions

 

Limestone

Standards Indiana

Indiana University’s Signature Limestone Building Architecture

Indiana University’s Bloomington campus is renowned for its signature architecture featuring Indiana limestone, a high-quality, light-colored stone (geologically Salem Limestone) quarried locally in nearby Monroe and Lawrence Counties. This durable, fine-grained material has been the dominant building stone since the late 19th century, creating a unified, harmonious aesthetic that blends seamlessly with the surrounding natural landscape.

The campus’s core, particularly the historic “Old Crescent” area, showcases buildings from various eras constructed almost entirely of this limestone. Styles range from Richardsonian Romanesque and Gothic Revival in early structures like Maxwell Hall (1890s) and the iconic Sample Gates (1987, Gothic-inspired arches), to Collegiate Gothic influences, Art Deco elements in mid-20th-century designs like Woodburn Hall (1940), and Classical touches in landmarks such as the Lilly Library (1960). Even modern additions often incorporate limestone cladding to maintain visual continuity.

This extensive use of local limestone not only reflects regional heritage and fire-resistant practicality but also contributes to the campus’s reputation as one of America’s most beautiful, with its pale, timeless facades enhancing green spaces and historic charm. (148 words)

“IU Indy”

2025 Net Position: $6.00B (Page 17) 

The Indiana University satellite campus in Indianapolis, now known as Indiana University Indianapolis, traces its roots to 1891 when IU first offered classes in the city. It expanded through various extension programs, including the IU School of Medicine (1903) and other professional schools.

In 1969, Indiana University and Purdue University merged their Indianapolis operations to form Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), prompted by then-Mayor Richard Lugar’s push for a strong urban university to boost education, economic growth, job creation, and graduate retention in Indiana.

As IUPUI, it became Indiana’s premier urban research institution, emphasizing health sciences, research, and community impact, with major assets like the nation’s largest medical school and significant economic contributions.

In 2024, following a 2022 agreement, IUPUI split: IU Indianapolis emerged as a fully independent core IU campus on July 1, 2024, focusing on health sciences, liberal arts, business, law, and more. Its goals include becoming one of the nation’s preeminent urban research universities (achieving R1 status in 2025), driving innovation, workforce development, high-end research, and leading in an innovation-led economy for central Indiana and beyond.

As of fall 2025 (the most recent official census data from September 2025) IU Indy has 20,677 total students enrolled. This reflects growth in its second year as an independent IU campus following the 2024 split from IUPUI, including 2,699 undergraduate beginner (first-year) students, up about 10.7% from the prior year. The student body draws from all 92 Indiana counties, 49 states plus D.C., and 136 countries, with 93% Indiana residents.

For staff and faculty: Specific post-split figures for IU Indianapolis alone are not as prominently detailed in recent public reports, but the campus historically (and currently) employs over 2,500 academic staff/faculty based on legacy IUPUI data and ongoing operations as a major urban research institution.

Broader IU system-wide faculty and staff exceed 21,000, but campus-level breakdowns emphasize IU Indy’s focus on health sciences and research roles. Note that exact employee counts can vary by source and include part-time/instructional roles; for the latest precise numbers, check IU Indianapolis’s institutional research or official fact sheets.

Standards Indiana

Indiana Lake Michigan South Shore

Innovation Center

2029 National Electrical Code Panel 15

Electrical Safety Stack

The University of Michigan has supported the voice of the United States education facility industry since 1993 — the second longest tenure of any voice in the United States.  That voice has survived several organizational changes but remains intact and will continue its Safer-Simpler-Lower Cost-Longer Lasting priorities on Code Panel 3 in the 2029 Edition.

Today, during our customary “Open Door” teleconference we will examine the technical concepts under the purview of Code Panel 15; among them:

Article 120 Part VI

Article 517 Health Care Facilities

Article 518 Assembly Occupancies

Article 520 Theaters…and Performance Areas

Article 522 Control Systems for Permanent Amusement Attractions

Article 525 Carnivals, Circuses, Fairs and Similar Events

Article 530 Motion Picture and Television Studios

Article 540 Motion Picture Projection Rooms

IEEE-IAS/PES JTCC Representative: Daleep Mohla

Public Input on the 2029 Edition will be received until April 9, 2026.

Related:
  • Since the lifespan of educational buildings make the building core and shell susceptible to multiple changes not typically associated with commercial buildings, additional pathways should be placed in areas where the core and shell components of the facility are likely to re-main for extended periods of time
  • It is recommended that all areas of an educational building have wireless coverage unless prohibited

 

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