Cornell University’s status as a land-grant institution, coupled with its location in Ithaca, far from New York’s urban centers, fosters a campus atmosphere of grounded normalcy. As a land-grant university, Cornell emphasizes practical education, research, and outreach, rooted in its mission to serve the public good. This ethos cultivates a community focused on collaboration and accessibility rather than elitism.
Ithaca’s rural setting, surrounded by gorges and rolling hills, creates a tight-knit, insulated environment where students engage deeply with academics and each other without the distractions of a bustling city. The slower pace encourages a balanced lifestyle, with traditions like Slope Day and local eateries fostering camaraderie. The lack of urban pressures allows for a focus on intellectual curiosity and personal connections, while diverse student organizations and cooperative extension programs reinforce a sense of purpose and community, grounding Cornell’s atmosphere in authenticity and approachability.
At the moment all titles in this catalog seem to be stabilized although a great deal of economic activity in the commercial real estate market involves adjustment to the circumstances of the pandemic. Largely because a sizeable portion of square footage in every school district, college, university and university-affiliated healthcare research and clinical delivery system derives at least part of its funding from governments at all levels there are workgroups devoted to measuring square footage and documenting its use. For example:
Getting square-footage right is essential for securing an organization’s sustainability and “green” claims for example. The links in previous posts provide for information about future public consultations.
We maintain the BOMA catalog on the agenda of our Space Planning, Hammurabi and Architectural colloquia, hosted 6 to 8 times annually. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting, open to everyone.
We drill into the specifics commonly found in education communities: sub-lease of space to private industry in publicly-owned facilities. The Building Owners and Managers Association International is an ANSI-accredited consensus standard developer and revised its standard — BOMA Z65.5 Retail Properties: Standard Method of Measurement. Measuring the area of a retail building can quickly become complex when variables must be considered such as ancillary space, mezzanines and storefront lease lines. Many large research universities have long since leased space within many of their building envelopes for private industry to service their communities — student unions, hospitals, dormitories and athletic venues, for example. From the project prospectus:
Z65.5 is intended exclusively for retail properties and their associated structures and may be applied to single-tenant, multi-tenant or multi-building configurations. It features a single method of measurement, with two levels of measurement data, known as Partial Measurement and Overall Measurement for retail properties. It does not measure sidewalks, surface parking, drainage structures, or other ancillary site improvements. This standard is chiefly designed to generate Gross Leasable Area figures, a key metric in retail leasing; however, it also produces area figures which may be of interest to those examining space utilization, valuation, benchmarking, and the allocation of building expenses to various cost centers. The scope of this standard is not intended to be submitted for consideration as an ISO, IEC, or ISO/IEC JTC-1 standard.
Public consultation is open until February 8th.
You may obtain an electronic copy from: floorstandards@boma.org. Send comments (with optional copy to psa@ansi.org) to: floorstandards@boma.org. We encourage user-interest subject matter experts in education facility management to participate directly in the BOMA standards development process by communicating directly with Tanner Johnson at BOMA (tjohnston@boma.org) or 202-326-6357 for more information.
We keep the BOMA catalog on the standing agenda of our colloquia devoted to building construction best practice. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
– To promote an unambiguous framework for determining the areas of Industrial Buildings with a strong focus on Rentable Area calculations;
– To facilitate transparency and clear communication of building measurement concepts among all participants in the commercial real estate
industry;
– To allow a comparison of values on the basis of a clearly understood and generally agreed upon method of measurement; and
– To align concepts and measurement methodologies with the International Property Measurement Standards: Industrial Buildings (January 2018)
document.
Send comments (with optional copy to psa@ansi.org) to: tjohnston@boma.org
Standards Michigan follows, but d0es not advocate in most of the BOMA standards suite for the following reasons:
Educational facility occupancies are fairly well accounted for in existing federal and state regulations
Advocacy in energy-related best practice titles are a better use of resources at the moment.
We encourage user-interest subject matter experts in education facility management to participate directly in the BOMA standards development process by communicating directly with Tanner Johnson at BOMA (tjohnston@boma.org) or 202-326-6357 for more information.
We maintain the entire BOMA suite on our periodic Model Building Code colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Issue: [15-200]
Category: Architectural, Space Plaaning, Facility Asset Management
The language of the Internet is shaped by large language models, international standards, and software platforms developed by people from many linguistic backgrounds. The challenge is not that many contributors are non-native English speakers — and that is a serious cultural problem — the challenge is ensuring that, despite the differences in how English is taught, understood and used — technical English remains precise, stable, and consistently interpreted.
Ambiguous wording, subtle shifts in meaning, or differing cultural assumptions can introduce confusion into engineering, law, medicine, and public policy when replicated at Internet scale. The remedy is not linguistic exclusivity but stronger standards: carefully defined vocabularies, consensus terminology, authoritative style guides, and rigorous editorial review by diverse experts.
English has become the principal working language of science, engineering, and commerce because it supports a vast body of technical literature and international collaboration. Preserving its precision is therefore a matter of stewardship. As AI systems increasingly generate and interpret technical information, maintaining a common, standards-based engineering English will become as important as maintaining reliable communication networks themselves.
Electrical grounding is vital for safety and system protection. It provides a path for excess electrical current to safely dissipate into the earth, reducing the risk of electric shock, fire, and equipment damage. Grounding stabilizes voltage levels, ensuring the proper operation of electrical systems and devices. It also protects against electrical surges and lightning strikes by diverting harmful currents away from sensitive components. Overall, grounding enhances the safety, reliability, and performance of electrical installations, making it a fundamental practice in electrical engineering and construction.
In other words, without grounding, electric energy does no useful work. Today we review the grounding principles for exterior lightning protection and building interior telecommunication and audio-visual systems. Use the login credentials at the upper right our home page.
“Railroad Sunset” | Edward Hopper
Grounding protects buildings from lightning by providing a safe path for the immense electrical energy of a lightning strike to travel into the earth, thereby minimizing damage. Here’s how it works:
Lightning Rods: Metal rods placed on top of buildings intercept lightning strikes. These rods are connected to a network of conductors.
Conductors: These metal cables or strips carry the electrical charge from the lightning rod to the ground.
Grounding System: The conductors are connected to grounding rods buried deep in the earth, dispersing the electrical charge safely into the ground.
This system prevents lightning from passing through the building’s structure, reducing the risk of fire, structural damage, and electrical hazards.
“Rain in Charleston” 1951 Thomas Fransioli
Grounding in telecommunication systems is crucial for ensuring safety and operational reliability. Here’s how it works:
Surge Protection: Grounding helps protect telecommunication equipment from voltage surges caused by lightning strikes, power line faults, or switching operations. By providing a direct path to the earth, grounding allows excess electrical energy to be safely dissipated, preventing damage to sensitive equipment.
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Reduction: Proper grounding minimizes EMI, which can disrupt communication signals. By creating a common reference point for electrical potentials, grounding reduces noise and interference, ensuring clearer and more reliable signal transmission.
Safety: Grounding protects personnel from electrical shocks by ensuring that any fault currents are directed away from equipment and safely into the ground. This is particularly important in environments with high-power transmission equipment.
System Stability: Grounding stabilizes voltage levels within the system, preventing fluctuations that could cause equipment malfunctions or failures. This stability is crucial for maintaining consistent and reliable telecommunications services.
Overall, grounding enhances the safety, performance, and reliability of telecommunication systems by managing electrical faults, reducing interference, and protecting both equipment and personnel.
“Telegraph Poles with Buildings” | Joseph Stella (1917)
Grounding in audio systems is essential for ensuring high-quality sound output and preventing various types of electrical noise and interference. Here’s how it works:
Noise Reduction: Proper grounding minimizes hums and buzzes often caused by ground loops, which occur when different pieces of equipment are grounded at different points. By ensuring a common ground point, the potential differences that cause these loops are eliminated, leading to cleaner audio signals.
Shielding: Grounding provides a reference point for the shielding in audio cables, which helps to block external electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). This shielding prevents unwanted noise from being introduced into the audio signal.
Safety: Grounding protects both the equipment and users from electrical shocks. In the event of a fault, the grounding system directs the fault current safely to the earth, reducing the risk of electric shock and equipment damage.
Signal Integrity: By maintaining a consistent ground potential, grounding helps preserve the integrity of audio signals. This ensures that the signals are transmitted and received accurately without degradation, resulting in better sound quality.
Equipment Protection: Proper grounding can protect sensitive audio equipment from power surges and static discharge, extending the lifespan and reliability of the components.
Overall, grounding is a fundamental practice in audio systems to ensure high-quality sound, protect equipment, and maintain safety for users.
The purpose of the code is to establish minimum requirements to provide a reasonable level of health, safety, property protection and welfare by controlling the design, location, use or occupancy of all buildings and structures through the regulated and orderly development of land and land uses within this jurisdiction.
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Municipalities usually have specific land use or zoning considerations to accommodate the unique needs and characteristics of college towns:
Mixed-Use Zoning: Cities with colleges and universities often employ mixed-use zoning strategies to encourage a vibrant and diverse urban environment. This zoning approach allows for a combination of residential, commercial, and institutional uses within the same area, fostering a sense of community and facilitating interactions between students, faculty, and residents.
Height and Density Restrictions: Due to the presence of educational institutions, cities may have specific regulations on building height and density to ensure compatibility with the surrounding neighborhoods and maintain the character of the area. These restrictions help balance the need for development with the preservation of the existing urban fabric.
Student Housing: Cities with colleges and universities may have regulations or guidelines for student housing to ensure an adequate supply of affordable and safe accommodations for students. This can include requirements for minimum bedroom sizes, occupancy limits, and proximity to campus.
Parking and Transportation: Given the concentration of students, faculty, and staff, parking and transportation considerations are crucial. Cities may require educational institutions to provide parking facilities or implement transportation demand management strategies, such as promoting public transit use, cycling infrastructure, and pedestrian-friendly designs.
Community Engagement: Some cities encourage colleges and universities to engage with the local community through formalized agreements or community benefit plans. These may include commitments to support local businesses, contribute to neighborhood improvement projects, or provide educational and cultural resources to residents.
This is a relatively new title in the International Code Council catalog; revised every three years in the Group B tranche of titles. Search on character strings such as “zoning” in the link below reveals the ideas that ran through the current revision:
Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to the town of Gilbert, Arizona’s sign code, which regulated the size, location, and duration of signs based on their content. The court held that the sign code was a content-based restriction on speech and therefore subject to strict scrutiny.
City of Ladue v. Gilleo (1994): In this Supreme Court case, the court struck down a municipal ordinance that banned the display of signs on residential property, except for signs that fell within specific exemptions. The court held that the ban was an unconstitutional restriction on the freedom of speech.
Metromedia, Inc. v. San Diego (1981): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to a San Diego ordinance that banned off-premises advertising signs while allowing on-premises signs. The court held that the ordinance was an unconstitutional restriction on free speech, as it discriminated against certain types of speech.
City of Ladue v. Center for the Study of Responsive Law, Inc. (1980): In this Supreme Court case, the court upheld a municipal ordinance that prohibited the display of signs on public property, but only if the signs were posted for longer than 10 days. The court held that the ordinance was a valid time, place, and manner restriction on speech.
City of Boerne v. Flores (1997): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to a municipal sign code that regulated the size, location, and content of signs in the city. The court held that the sign code violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, as it burdened the exercise of religion without a compelling government interest.
Article 206 Non-Power-Limited Remote-Control and Signaling Circuits | Article 300 General Requirements for Wiring Methods and Materials | Article 335 Instrumentation Tray Cable — formerly Article 727 | Article 720 Limited-Energy System Installations | Article 721 Limited-Energy Power Sources | Article 722 Limited-Energy Cables | Article 723 Raceways, Cable Routing Assemblies, and Cable Trays for Limited-Energy Systems | Article 724 Class 1 Power-Limited Remote-Control and Signaling Circuits | Article 725 Class 2 and Class 3 Power-Limited Circuits | Article 726 Class 4 Fault-Managed Power Systems | Article 728 Fire-Resistive Cable Systems | Article 760 Fire Alarm Systems | Article 772
Chapter 9 Tables
Top 10 Issues
Issue
Summary
1. Consistency of Code Language
Standardize terminology throughout the NEC by eliminating inconsistent wording, duplicate phrases, and varying expressions that describe the same technical concepts.
2. Compliance with the NEC Style Manual
Many proposals seek removal of redundant requirements already addressed elsewhere in the Code, resulting in a cleaner, more concise document.
3. Restoring Lost Requirements
Numerous submitters argue that important technical provisions disappeared during recent article reorganizations and should be restored.
4. Article Organization
Improve article formatting, numbering, and overall structure to make the NEC easier to navigate and maintain.
5. Emerging Technologies
Expand the Code to better accommodate fault-managed power, battery energy storage, portable power systems, EV-based power sources, hydrogen technologies, and new circuit classifications.
6. Installation Clarification
Clarify requirements for raceways, wet locations, roof decks, cable trays, conductor spacing, barriers, and other installation practices.
7. Installer Safety & Reliability
Enhance electrical safety through improved wiring practices, better physical protection, stronger cable support requirements, and fewer failure points.
8. Definition Ownership
Assign definitions to the Code-Making Panels having primary technical expertise to improve long-term consistency and maintenance.
9. Coordination with Other Standards
Improve harmonization between the NEC and companion standards such as UL, ANSI, NFPA 79, and hazardous-location requirements.
10. Reducing Complexity
A recurring objective is to simplify the NEC by reducing duplication, improving readability, and making the Code easier for installers, inspectors, designers, trainers, and licensing authorities to use.
The Public Inputs demonstrate a broad desire to make the National Electrical Code more consistent, technically complete, better coordinated with related standards, and easier to understand without compromising electrical safety. Many proposals emphasize restoring requirements inadvertently lost during recent reorganizations while preparing the Code to accommodate rapidly emerging electrical technologies.
Mike recommends these issues as priority for the Joint IEEE IAS/PES committee
N.B. Public Input No. 2633-NFPA 70-2026 [ Global Input ] PDF Page 6, regarding re-organization of the NEC into below 1000 V and above 1000 V.
Noteworthy proposal concepts:
Cable trays interfering with HVAC ductwork and fire sprinkler lines. Parallel cable tray feasibility
Difficulty accessing lighting fixtures and fire alarm components for maintenance.
Potential violation of plenum clearance and airflow requirements. Some cable trays in plenums reportedly contain non-plenum-rated cables, which is a fire code violation.
Document flags this as a high-priority remediation item before any LED lighting retrofit proceeds.
Existing security wiring (CCTV, access control, intrusion detection) is a mix of old analog coax and early Cat 5 cables.
Many runs exceed recommended length for reliable video transmission. Frequent signal degradation and reliability complaints.
Security cables are sharing overcrowded cable trays with power-limited lighting control wires and fire alarm cabling.
Risk of electromagnetic interference (EMI) noted due to proximity to higher-voltage lines.
Plenum space constraints make it difficult to add new IP-based security cameras without major reorganization.
Current security wiring cannot support newer high-resolution IP cameras or PoE+ powered devices.
Several editorial proposals by Mike Holt. (He’s generally correct on clarity improvements that he needs for educational purposes)
Ω
For discussion next meeting, when we march through all proposals of interest to IEEE:
When electricians work in ceiling plenums above hallways while students pass below, several serious hazards emerge. Tools, screws, cable scraps, or ceiling tiles can fall, causing head injuries or slips. Disturbed dust, fiberglass, or potential asbestos particles may rain down, creating respiratory risks.
Live electrical work on lighting or cable trays raises shock/fire dangers if a fault occurs or debris shorts circuits. Open plenums can compromise fire-rated barriers, allowing smoke or flames to spread rapidly in an emergency.
Noise and visual distractions increase trip hazards for students. Without full barricades, lockout/tagout, and proper fall protection, these overhead activities expose young people to preventable injury. Scheduling work after hours or using full corridor closures is essential.
Power-limited (Class 2) cabling operates at low voltage (<60V DC) with current/power caps (~100VA), dramatically reducing shock and fire risks. Installation is simpler and cheaper—no conduit or heavy mechanical protection needed in many cases, allowing flexible routing. LEDs run cooler and more efficiently with remote drivers, improving lifespan and energy savings. Easier maintenance and safer for retrofits.
Severe distance and power limits due to voltage drop and 100W/5A caps require multiple drivers or shorter runs. Higher upfront costs for specialized power supplies. Potential reliability issues from more connection points. Less suitable for high-power or long-distance applications compared to line-voltage wiring.
Public Inputs Relevant to School and College Facilities
Campus Facility
Relevant Issue
Why It Matters
Student Health Centers, Medical Schools & Campus Hospitals
Improved protection of underground feeders, raceways, and wiring methods, together with replacement of conductors damaged by water, fire, corrosion, or severe physical impact.
Enhances electrical reliability for healthcare occupancies where continuous operation is essential.
Athletic Stadiums & Arenas
Improved protection of underground services, direct-buried conductors, warning ribbons, and raceways.
Supports reliable electrical service for stadium lighting, scoreboards, concessions, and outdoor utility infrastructure.
Temporary Athletic & Campus Events
Recognition of modern portable power sources, including battery energy storage systems and portable fuel cells, in addition to traditional generators.
Useful for commencement ceremonies, concerts, athletic tournaments, festivals, and temporary event power.
Research Laboratories
Expanded wiring methods for hazardous (classified) locations, including ITC-HL cable installations.
May affect university research laboratories, pilot plants, engineering facilities, and chemical research buildings.
Residence Halls & Classroom Buildings
Improved protection against concealed wiring damage caused by nails, screws, and furring strips during construction and renovation.
Helps reduce wiring damage during frequent campus remodeling and maintenance projects.
Campus Utility Infrastructure
Clarifications involving direct boring, underground raceways, service feeders, and warning ribbon installation.
Relevant to the large underground electrical distribution systems commonly found on university campuses.
Although these proposals would benefit campus infrastructure, the CMP-3 transcript contains very little discussion directed specifically at educational occupancies. Topics such as healthcare facilities (Article 517), stadium emergency systems, data centers, laboratories as occupancies, residence halls, libraries, and central utility plants largely fall within the jurisdiction of other NEC Code-Making Panels such as CMP-1 and CMP-15 where Mike has been a Principal or Alternate for IEEE.
April 29, 2026
At the request of IEEE Joint IAS/PES Standards Michigan, Mike Anthony moved to CMP-3 from CMP-15.
Articles Under CMP 3
Article 300 — General Requirements for Wiring Methods and Materials
Article 335 — Instrumentation Tray Cable (in some references for the 2029 cycle)
Article 590 — Temporary Installations (being relocated/renumbered in the 2026 cycle, e.g., potentially to Article 140 in Chapter 1, as temporary wiring is not treated as a special occupancy)
Article 720 — Limited-Energy System Installations (new/general article covering wiring methods for limited-energy systems)
Article 723 — Raceways, Cable Routing Assemblies, and Cable Trays for Limited-Energy Systems (newly created in the 2026 cycle)
Article 725 — Class 2 and Class 3 Remote-Control, Signaling, and Power-Limited Circuits
Article 726 — Class 4 Fault-Managed Power Circuits and Equipment
Article 727 — Instrumentation Tray Cable
Article 728 — Fire-Resistive Cable Systems
Article 760 — Fire Alarm Systems (power-limited and non-power-limited portions)
CMP 3 also handles associated content in: Chapter 9 — Tables, including Tables 11(A) & (B) and Tables 12(A) & (B) (related to conductor properties and other supporting tables for the above topics).
Notes on Changes and Scope CMP 3 focuses on general wiring rules, cable types, raceways/trays for low-energy applications, and signaling/communications-related wiring (distinct from higher-power utilization equipment or special occupancies handled by other panels).
In the 2026 NEC cycle, there has been significant reorganization of Chapter 7 to consolidate limited-energy systems under articles like 720–726 (and related ones), moving away from older structures. This includes new articles for raceways/cable trays specific to limited-energy systems and adjustments to scopes for clarity.
Article 206 (Non-Power-Limited Remote-Control and Signaling Circuits) appears in some 2026-related references as newly designated or relocated material handled in this area. Temporary installations (Article 590) are transitioning out of “special” categories in restructuring efforts.
During today’s sessions of the IEEE E&H Committee and our own we will prepare draft proposals relevant to the safety and sustainability agenda of the USA education facility industry. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
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 3; among them:
Article 206 Signaling Circuits
Article 300 General Requirements for Wiring Methods and Materials
Article 335 Instrumentation Tray Cable
Article 590 Temporary Installations
Chapter 7 Large sections of limited energy cabling for signaling and information technology
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
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
