Advancing the Effective Use of Light
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Electrical installations and Protection Against Electric Shock
“View of Lake Geneva” 1881 Gustave Courbet
Technical Committee 64 develops the International Electrotechnical Commission consensus product that covers similar territory for the global electrical power industry as NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code). Keep in mind that the safety traditions of the NFPA suite of consensus products are inspired by fire safety considerations. IEC 60363 Electrical installations and protection against electric shock — the parent document that applies to the wiring systems of education and healthcare facilities — was inspired from voltage safety.
The scope of IEC 60364 is reproduced below:
– concerning protection against electric shock arising from equipment, from installations and from systems without limit of voltage,
– for the design, erection foreseeable correct use and verification of all kind of electrical installations at supply voltage up to 1 kV a.c or 1,5 kV d.c., except those installations covered by the following IEC committees: TC 9, TC 18, TC 44, TC 97, TC99
– in co-ordination with TC 99, concerning requirements additional to those of TC 99 for the design, erection and verification of electrical installations of buildings above 1kV up to 35kV.
The object of the standards shall be:
– to lay down requirements for installation and co-ordination of electrical equipment
– to lay down basic safety requirements for protection against electric shock for use by technical committees
– to lay down safety requirements for protection against other hazards arising from the use of electricity
– to give general guidance to IEC member countries that may have need of such requirements
– and to facilitate international exchanges that may be hampered by differences in national regulations.
The standards will not cover individual items of electrical equipment other than their selection for use. Safety Pilot Function: Protection against electric shock.
KUPDF Commentary on 60364 and comparisons with NFPA 70 National Electrical Code
Since neither the USNA National Committee to the IEC (USNA/IEC), nor the US Technical Advisory Administrator (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) has a workspace set up for responding to IEC 60364 calls for public comment, we set one up for ourselves several years ago for education facility and electrical engineering faculty and students:
IEC | USNA IEC Workspace | Updated 12 June 2023
Note that anyone in the world is welcomed to comment upon IEC documents, contingent upon obtaining (free) login credentials. To review the the strike-and-bold you will need login credentials. Alternatively, you may click in to the 4-times monthly teleconferences of the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Massimo Mittolo, Giuseppe Parise
International Electrotechnical Commission – Central Office – Geneva
Sport Scoreboards
Building, operating, and maintaining athletic scoreboards requires a range of technologies, including hardware and software components. These are central features in nearly every athletic event, governing the state of play and attendee response.
Scoreboard Hardware: A range of hardware components, including display panels, control consoles, sound systems, and wiring, is necessary to build an athletic scoreboard. While there are no universal standards for LED displays in athletic scoreboards, but there is a common vocabulary used by manufacturers and installers follow to ensure quality, performance, and safety:
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- Brightness and Contrast: LED displays should be bright enough to be visible from a distance, but not so bright that they cause glare or eye strain. The contrast ratio between the LED display and the surrounding environment should be optimized for visibility.
- Pixel Density and Resolution: The pixel density and resolution of an LED display should be appropriate for the size of the scoreboard and the viewing distance. Higher pixel density and resolution can improve the clarity and detail of the scoreboard display.
- Color Accuracy: Athletic scoreboards often display team colors and logos, so color accuracy is important. LED displays should be capable of reproducing colors accurately and consistently.
- Refresh Rate: The refresh rate of an LED display refers to how quickly the display can update its image. A higher refresh rate can reduce motion blur and improve the clarity of fast-moving action on the scoreboard.
- Environmental Factors: Athletic scoreboards are often exposed to outdoor elements such as sunlight, rain, and extreme temperatures. LED displays should be designed and manufactured to withstand these environmental factors and maintain their performance over time.
- Safety: Athletic scoreboards should be designed and installed to minimize the risk of injury to players or spectators. This may include factors such as the height and location of the scoreboard, the durability of the display panels, and the strength of mounting hardware.
Power Reliability. Event timing and attendee emergency egress systems rest upon best practice found in Chapter 2 and Chapter 7 of NFPA 70 National Electrical Code and NFPA 110 Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems.
Lightning Protection. CLICK HERE for our coverage of the “30-30 Rule”
Operation and Maintenance Safety. Because so many scoreboards are occupiable the Chapter 3 Occupancy Classification and Chapter 10 (Means of Egress) of the International Building Code applies. Many are several stories high requiring attention to stairway construction details.
Control Software: Software that enables the scoreboard operator to input game data and control the scoreboard display is essential.
Mass Notification: Egress and Evacuation requirements are asserted in NFPA 72 – National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code.
Audio Standards: lorem ipsum
Wireless Communications: Many modern athletic scoreboards use wireless communication systems to connect the scoreboard control console to the scoreboard display. This allows for greater flexibility in installation and reduces the need for cabling.
LED Technology: LED technology has revolutionized athletic scoreboards in recent years. LED displays offer superior brightness, color accuracy, and energy efficiency compared to traditional scoreboards but must conform to local night-sky regulations.
Power Management Systems: Athletic scoreboards require significant amounts of power to operate, and efficient power management systems are necessary to ensure reliable and continuous operation. Maintaining temperatures — heating and cooling within specification — is a priority for maximum operable life.
Maintenance and Diagnostic Tools: To maintain and troubleshoot athletic scoreboards, specialized tools and software are necessary. This may include diagnostic software, specialized cables, and other testing equipment.
Overall, the technologies required to build, operate, and maintain athletic scoreboards are diverse and constantly evolving. A range of specialized hardware and software components, as well as skilled technicians, are necessary to ensure that athletic scoreboards remain functional and reliable.
Join us today at 11 AM/ET (15:00 UTC) when we review best practice literature. Open to everyone. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page. This topic is also tracked by experts in the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets online 4 times monthly in Central European and American time zones and is also open to everyone.
Federal Agency Conformity Assessment
NIST Headquarters / Gaithersburg, Maryland
The National Institute of Standards and Technology requests comments on proposed revisions to regulations updating policy guidance on Federal agency use of conformity assessment that reflects advancement in conformity assessment concepts, and the evolution in Federal agency strategies and coordination in using and relying on conformity assessment.
The provisions are solely intended to be used as guidance for agencies in their use and reliance on conformity assessment to meet agency requirements and do not preempt the agency authority and responsibility to make decisions authorized by statute or required in establishing regulatory, procurement, or programmatic activities.
Federal Register: Guidance on Federal Conformity Assessment Activities
LEARN MORE:
ANSI Blog: NIST Guidance on Federal Agency Conformity Assessment Activities
Class: A Guide Through the American Status System
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Bucolia 100
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
— William Butler Yeats
Anglo-americká vysoká škola, z.ú. Czech Republic
Today we walk through literature governing the safety and sustainability of the open space features of education community estates. Unlike the titles for the building envelope, which are known to most design professionals and contractors, the standards for grounds and landscaping are widely scattered; many of them occupational safety related; created, administered and enforced by units of government.
Bucolia 100. We present a broad overview of the dominant standards catalogs incorporated by reference into public safety and sustainability legislation.
Bucolia 200. We drill into technical specifics of the titles in Bucolia 100.
Bucolia 400. We pick through case studies in landscape, garden, tree and water literature. We also track titles about the reclamation of building roofs for permeable surfaces and gardens.
During the winter months (Bucolia 200) in the northern hemisphere we include snow and ice management; while covering summer month technologies for southern hemisphere (and vice-versa). Snowfalls in the southern hemisphere are mainly contained to the highlands and mountain ranges, which are almost exclusively in Victoria and Southern New South Wales, as well as the mountains in Tasmania. Winter does not pose as much of a cost burden to education facilities in the southern hemisphere as it does in the northern hemisphere.
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Landscape standards refer to guidelines or regulations that specify the requirements for the design, installation, and maintenance of outdoor spaces such as parks, gardens, streetscapes, and public spaces. Landscape standards typically cover various aspects of landscape design, including vegetation selection, planting arrangements, irrigation systems, hardscape materials, and lighting. These standards may be set by government agencies at the federal, state, or local level, or by professional organizations such as the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Landscape standards aim to ensure that outdoor spaces are safe, functional, and aesthetically pleasing while also promoting sustainability and environmental protection. Landscape standards may also address issues such as accessibility for people with disabilities, water conservation, stormwater management, and erosion control. They may vary depending on the specific location, climate, and intended use of the outdoor space. Compliance with landscape standards may be required for approval of development projects, public funding, or other permits. |
We track the standards catalog of two ANSI-accredited standards developers:
Tree Care Industry Association
Additional practice titles applicable to accessory systems:
ASABE/ICC 802 Landscape Irrigation Sprinkler and Emitter Standard
ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
National Electrical Code: Article 411 Low-Voltage Lighting
National Electrical Code: Article 225: Outside Branch Circuits and Feeders
Illumination Engineering Society (Lighting Library)
Land F/X: Landscape Lighting, Codes, Guidelines and Techniques
OSHA Landscape and Horticultural Services
Sports Turf Managers Association
As a cross-cutting subjectSports Turf Managers Association ( involving soil and water and sun many other standards developers, and all levels of government, produce best practice literature for today’s topic. We’ll have a look at what’s moving among those.
To join us use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Landscape Lighting
Luminaires receive operating energy at voltage ranges from 120V to 600V AC. For safety and aesthetic reasons — in gardens or inside stairway balustrades or bollards, for example — low voltage lighting is preferred. The illumination of the pathway, for example, reduces risk to the community far more than the risk voltage presents. These installations typically operate at 12 to 50 volts direct current. Manufacturers bear much of the electrical safety burden; assuming the Owner installs and maintains the system correctly.
Faster than anyone will expect, interior building lighting will morph into low voltage systems because 1) the lower energy supply required by LED luminaires will make it possible to pipe that energy through low voltage cabling systems, 2) the pace of innovation we see in information and communication technologies will use those cabling systems for greater control of illumination systems.
We see these trends tracking in two sections of the 2020 National Electrical Code:
Article 300 Wiring Methods (Table 300.5)
Article 411 Low-Voltage Lighting
CLICK HERE for Free Access to the current 2023 Edition.
Comments on Public Input for the 2026 Revision will be received until 28 August 2024. Use workspace linked below:
CMP-9 Public Input with Committee Response
CMP-18 Public Input with Committee Response
Apart from integrating a new definition of “extra low voltage” into the NEC, Article 411 is a relatively quiet part of the NEC. Not so with Article 300 which is of great consequence to wiring manufacturers, among others.
Transylvania University Kentucky
We coordinate our advocacy in all education community electrotechnologies with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets online 4 times monthly in both European and American time zones. We maintain low voltage lighting on the standing agenda of our Power and Bucolia colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Issue: [NFPA Workspace]
Category: Power, Illumination, Bucolia
Colleages: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey (University of Michigan), Kane Howard, Glenn Keates (Michigan State University), George Zsissis (University of Toulouse)
Readings / Frederick Law Olmsted
“Architect’s Dream” 1840 Thomas Cole
National Park Service: College and School Campuses
The large number of entries in the category of school campuses, which encompasses locations in many places in the United States and Canada, testifies to the importance of educational clients to the success of the Olmsted firm. It also reflects the ever-increasing importance that education came to occupy in American life after the Civil War. Frederick Law Olmsted was of a generation of social thinkers who gave credence to the notion that the physical environment of learning- buildings and grounds- played a significant role in the success of education. Olmsted had planned campuses for the new universities, notably Cornell University and Stanford University; his successors carried on and expanded this sphere of landscape architecture. The names of many well-known colleges and universities, such as Wellesley College, Johns Hopkins University and Princeton University, highlight the list of commissions from institutions of higher education. Together with many private and public universities, the Master List includes public elementary schools and secondary schools, religious and private schools, private preparatory schools, normal schools, liberal arts colleges, women’s colleges, and agricultural colleges. The bulk of the projects in this category date from the first three decades of the twentieth century, the time during which John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. guided the firm.
As is the case in other thematic project categories, many of the school campus projects have a job number but this Master List shows no associated plans. This does not necessarily mean the firm did not take on design work for these clients. For example, Gallaudet College (the present Gallaudet University) in Washington, D.C., was an important Olmsted project. Researchers are also advised to consult the thematic category of Ground of Residential Institutions, which includes some educational clients.
Text taken from The Master List, written by Francis R. Kowsky
More
Frederick Law Olmsted: The Passion of a Public Artist
University Planning and Architecture: The search for perfection
Beyond Central Park: Three Idyllic Landscapes by Frederick Law Olmsted
LIVE: Annual Meeting 2023
List of projects in which Standards Michigan is presently a user-interest voting member; or previously a voting member:
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/njrDAbSpwB pic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
— USPTO (@uspto) July 13, 2023
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