Located on George IV Bridge, near the heart of the city’s historic Old Town. It is perhaps best known as one of the places where J.K. Rowling is said to have written parts of the early Harry Potter books.
— Universities UK International (@UUKIntl) March 27, 2025
Heavy financial dependence on international (non-citizen) students—who often comprise 20-30%+ of enrollments in Anglosphere universities (e.g., high proportions in Australia, Canada, UK)—shifts institutional priorities toward revenue maximization over preserving or promoting traditional Anglo-Western cultural norms and values.
Administrations adapt campuses to attract and retain large cohorts from Asia, the Middle East, and elsewhere by internationalizing curricula, diluting Western-centric content, emphasizing global/multicultural perspectives, and sometimes de-emphasizing local historical narratives (including Indigenous ones in settler societies like Australia, Canada, US). Socially, large enclaves form where students cluster by nationality, reducing meaningful integration with domestic students and altering campus social norms, events, discourse, and even language use in shared spaces.
Critics argue this erodes the distinctive Anglospheric ethos—rooted in English common law traditions, Enlightenment individualism, free speech norms, and Judeo-Christian/secular heritage—replacing it with a homogenized, market-driven globalism. Indigenous cultures face compounded marginalization as resources prioritize international accommodation over deeper indigenization efforts.
Western Colorado University Center for Cold Climate Food Security
Today we break down the catalog for food safety in education communities; with primary attention to consultations from private standard developing organizations and federal agencies charged with food safety. We do so with sensitivity to animals and plants and sustainability of the global food supply chain. Many schools are the communal cafeterias for the communities that own and operate them and run at commercial scale.
We prepare responses to public consultations released by standards developing organizations which, in many cases, have significant conformance enterprises.
The ASHRAE catalog is the most cross-cutting and fastest moving catalog in the land. If you claim ownership of the United States energy domain you pretty much capture everything related campus safety and sustainability. Best to deal with it on a day-by-day basis as we usually do according to daily topics shown on our CALENDAR.
Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies
National Electrical Safety Code (Our particular interest lies in the safety and reliability of off-campus agricultural and research facilities that receive power from regulated utilities)
Food safety and sustainability standards populate are of the largest domains we track so if we need a break0-out session, let’s do it. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
More than 4,000 cadets gather for lunch inside Mitchell Hall at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., Aug. 10, 2009. A staff of 200 food service professionals prepare nearly 13,000 meals per day for cadets throughout the academic year. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ann Patton)
The first elevator in the United States was installed at Harvard University in 1874. It was not a passenger elevator as we typically think of today, but rather a freight elevator used to move heavy items within a building. The installation of this elevator marked an important development in building technology and transportation within multi-story structures. It was based on the design of Elisha Otis, who is famous for inventing the safety elevator with a safety brake system that prevents the elevator from falling if the hoisting cable fails. Otis’ innovation played a pivotal role in making elevators safe and practical for everyday use, leading to their widespread adoption in buildings around the world.
Elevator design by the German engineer Konrad Kyeser (1405)
Education communities are stewards of 100’s of lifts, elevators and moving walks. At the University of Michigan, there are the better part of 1000 of them; with 19 of them in Michigan Stadium alone. The cost of building them — on the order of $50,000 to $150,000 per floor depending upon architectural styling — and the highly trained staff needed to operate, maintain and program interoperability software is another cost that requires attention. All building design and construction disciplines — architectural, mechanical and electrical have a hand in making this technology safe and sustainabile.
We start with international and nationally developed best practice literature and work our way to state level adaptations. Labor for this technology is heavily regulated.
Its a rarefied and crazy domain for the user-interest. Expertise is passionate about safety and idiosyncratic but needs to be given the life safety hazard. Today we review o pull together public consultation notices on relevant codes, standards and regulations today 11 AM/EDT.
At the 1853 New York World’s Fair Elisha Otis amazed a crowd when he ordered the only rope holding the platform on which he was standing cut by an axeman. The platform fell only a few inches before coming to a halt; thus proving the safety locking mechanism he had invented will work. These elevators quickly became the type in most common usage and made vertical living possible.
Most large research universities have 100 – 1000 elevators that are highly regulated, maintained by highly regulated service personnel and inspected by highly trained conformance operatives; thus our primary interest in state-specific regulations. We have a secondary interest in innovation in the technology generally. Many sustainability goals urged in academic circles — which include greater population density in smaller areas — are challenged by mobility issues.
From the project prospectus:
“…The main feature of these products is that they are an integral part of industrial, residential or public buildings. Consequently, they should be adaptable to the technical and architectural constraints of such buildings. They must also meet the capacity requirements imposed by the intended use of the building. These products are considered as means of transport and therefore represent an essential component of the functional life of the buildings in which they are installed. Contrary to most public means of transport, they are intended for free use and operation by their passengers, which makes the integration of safety an essential concern…”
We maintain the work products of this committee on the standing agendas of our Mechanical, Elevator and Global colloquia; open to everyone. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.
Michigan Stadium — the largest collegiate stadium in the world — has 19 elevators.
“Road to Versailles at Louveciennes” 1869 Camille Pissarro
Today and its Slip and Fall season everywhere. Accordingly, at the usual hour, we review best practice literature for the safety and sustainability of the surfaces beneath our feet; with special focus on the risk aggregation in educational estates.
Heat tracing is a process used to maintain or raise the temperature of pipes and vessels in order to prevent freezing, maintain process temperature, or ensure that products remain fluid and flow through the system properly.
Heat tracing works by using an electric heating cable or tape that is wrapped around the pipe or vessel, and then insulated to help retain the heat. The heating cable is connected to a power source and temperature control system that maintains the desired temperature by regulating the amount of heat output from the cable. Heat tracing is commonly used in industrial applications where temperature control is critical, such as in chemical plants, refineries, and oil and gas facilities.
There are several types of heat tracing, including electric heat tracing, steam tracing, and hot water tracing, each of which have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. The selection of the appropriate type of heat tracing depends on the specific application and the required temperature range, as well as factors such as cost, maintenance, and safety considerations.
The literature for snow and ice management (and enjoyment) produced by these standards-setting organizations:
It is a surprisingly large domain with market-makers in every dimension of safety and sustainability; all of whom are bound by state and federal regulations.
Join us at 16:00 UTC with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
— The Catholic University of America (@CatholicUniv) January 14, 2025
There have been several recent innovations that have made it possible for construction activity to continue through cold winter months. Some of the most notable ones include:
Heated Job Site Trailers: These trailers are equipped with heating systems that keep workers warm and comfortable while they take breaks or work on plans. This helps to keep morale up and prevent cold-related health issues.
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs): ICFs are prefabricated blocks made of foam insulation that are stacked together to form the walls of a building. The foam insulation provides an extra layer of insulation to keep the building warm during cold winter months.
Warm-Mix Asphalt (WMA): WMA is a type of asphalt that is designed to be used in colder temperatures than traditional hot-mix asphalt. This allows road construction crews to work through the winter months without having to worry about the asphalt cooling and becoming unusable.
Pneumatic Heaters: These heaters are used to warm up the ground before concrete is poured. This helps to prevent the concrete from freezing and becoming damaged during the winter months.
Electrically Heated Mats: These mats are placed on the ground to prevent snow and ice from accumulating. This helps to make the job site safer and easier to work on during the winter months.
Overall, these innovations have made it possible for construction crews to work through the winter months more comfortably and safely, which has helped to keep projects on schedule and minimize delays.
Elevator, escalator and moving walk systems are among the most complicated systems in any urban environment, no less so than on the #WiseCampus in which many large research universities have 100 to 1000 elevators to safely and economically operate, service and continuously commission. These systems are regulated heavily at state and local levels of government and have oversight from volunteers that are passionate about their work.
These “movement systems” are absorbed into the Internet of Things transformation. Lately we have tried to keep pace with the expansion of requirements to include software integration professionals to coordinate the interoperability of elevators, lifts and escalators with building automation systems for fire safety, indoor air quality and disaster management. Much of work requires understanding of the local adaptations of national building codes.
Some university elevator O&M units use a combination of in-house, manufacturer and standing order contractors to accomplish their safety and sustainability objectives.
In the United States the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is the dominant standards developer of elevator and escalator system best practice titles; its breakdown of technical committees listed in the link below:
As always, we encourage facility managers, elevator shop personnel to participate directly in the ASME Codes & Standards development process. For example, it would be relatively easy for our colleagues in the Phoenix, Arizona region to attend one or more of the technical committee meetings; ideally with operating data and a solid proposal for improving the A17 suite.
All ASME standards are on the agenda of our Mechanical, Pathway and Elevator & Lift colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online teleconferences; open to everyone. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Issue: [11-50]
Category: Electrical, Elevators, #WiseCampus
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel
Classical architects, drawing from ancient Greek and Roman traditions (as codified by Vitruvius), regarded building entrances as the primary expression of venustas (beauty), alongside strength and utility. Entrances served as grand thresholds, symbolizing transition from the profane exterior to the ordered interior.They achieved beauty through harmonious proportion, symmetry, and the golden ratio, ensuring visual delight.
Porticos with elegant columns (Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian), entablatures, and pediments framed doorways, creating majestic first impressions. These elements conveyed prestige, invited reverence, and embodied ideal order, making the entrance the façade’s focal point of timeless elegance and civic or domestic dignity.
We present improvements that are possible on the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus. We acknowledge that interior design and functionality may have to change.
Mason Hall South Entrance NOW | University of Michigan
Standards of beauty for building entrances in architecture emphasize creating a welcoming, harmonious, and memorable first impression. Core principles draw from timeless design tenets like proportion, scale, balance, and emphasis, ensuring the entrance feels appropriately sized relative to the overall structure and surroundings—neither overwhelming nor insignificant.
A beautiful entrance often features symmetry or thoughtful asymmetry for visual harmony, grand yet human-scaled elements like arches, columns, porticos, or recessed doorways that add depth and shelter. Materials matter: high-quality doors (glass for transparency, wood for warmth, or metal for modernity) combined with textures that complement the building’s style create tactile and visual appeal.
Ultimately, beauty arises from blending functionality (accessibility, security, weather protection) with emotional impact: an entrance that feels inviting, ordered, and reflective of the building’s purpose or cultural context.
Mason Hall South Entrance IMPROVED | University of Michigan
Means of egress rules, primarily from the International Building Code (IBC) and NFPA 101, dictate the number and sizes of exit doors to ensure safe evacuation.
Number of exits: Most spaces require at least two exits when the occupant load exceeds 49 (for many occupancies like assembly, business, or mercantile). Loads of 501–1,000 need three exits, and over 1,000 require four or more. Single exits are allowed for low-occupant areas (often ≤49 people) with limited travel distances.
Sizes: Exit doors must provide a minimum clear opening width of 32 inches (813 mm). Required total egress width is calculated from occupant load (typically 0.2 inches per person for nonsprinklered buildings or 0.15 inches for sprinklered), distributed across exits. Doors swing in the egress direction for loads over 50 and must remain operable without keys or special effort.
These ensure adequate capacity and redundancy during emergencies. We treat security standards separately. See our CALENDAR
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
.jpg)
