“We see that the Pacific theater presents significantly longer distances than any theater we operated in the recent past, and that’s going to present some pretty significant fuel/logistic supply chain risk,” said DAD Roberto Guerrero.https://t.co/ncdcEwP6d3
— Air Force Energy (@AFEnergy) May 15, 2023
How many pounds of stuffing can a C-5 carry? Asking for a friend… #HappyThanksgiving @TeamCharleston @Travis60AMW pic.twitter.com/kKkBIEC5py
— Air Force Energy (@AFEnergy) November 23, 2021
The University has a strong reputation for research and innovation in many fields related to the prevention of backflow incidents:
Viterbi School of Engineering has a dedicated Environmental Engineering program that focuses on water quality and management. This program has faculty members who are experts in water treatment and distribution systems, including backflow prevention technologies. The school also offers research opportunities for graduate students to work on water-related projects, including those related to backflow prevention.
Keck School of Medicine has a Department of Preventive Medicine that conducts research on environmental health, including waterborne diseases and contamination. This department has published research on the prevention of waterborne disease outbreaks and the importance of backflow prevention measures in protecting public health.
The USC Environmental Health and Safety department is responsible for overseeing the safety and compliance of the university’s facilities, including its water systems. EH&S works closely with the university’s Facilities Management Services to ensure that backflow prevention measures are in place and maintained.
The USC Foundation drafts definitions and specifications covering cross-connection control and the assemblies required for the prevention of backflow.
The International Plumbing Code (IPC) is developed to harmonize with the full span of ICC’s family of building codes. The IPC sets minimum regulations for plumbing systems and components to protect life, health and safety of building occupants and the public. The IPC is available for adoption by jurisdictions ranging from states to towns, and is currently adopted on the state or local level in 35 states in the U.S, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
CLICK HERE for the 2021 Public Access Edition
SOURCE: CLICK ON IMAGE | Contact ICC for most recent IPC adoption map
The IPC is developed in the ICC Group A Code development framework and concluded its revision cycle in late 2021 under the circumstances of the pandemic. The 2023 International Plumbing Code revision cycle will not begin until early 2023 but it is never too soon to understand the issues from previous revision cycles to enlighten approaches to the forthcoming Group A revision cycle. The complete monograph of the Group A Codes is linked below, with comments on IPC proposals starting on Page 1417 of this 1613 page document:
2021 IPC | Group A Public Comment Monograph
Because transgender issues are on the agenda of many facility managers we direct you to Page 1424 of the rather large document linked above.
As always, we persist in encouraging education industry facility managers (especially those with operations and maintenance data) to participate in the ICC code development process. You may do so by CLICKING HERE.
Real asset managers for school districts, colleges, universities and technical schools in the Las Vegas region should take advantage of the opportunity to observe the ICC code-development process during the upcoming ICC Annual Conference in Las Vegas, October 20-23 during which time the Group B c Public Comment Hearings will take place. Even though the IPC has moved farther along the ICC code development process it is still enlightening to observe how it work. The Group B Hearings are usually webcast — and we will signal the link to the webcast when it becomes available — but the experience of seeing how building codes are determined is enlightening when you can watch it live and on site.
Issue: [16-133]
Category: Plumbing, Water, Mechanical
Colleagues: Eric Albert, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel
#StandardsNewMexico
LEARN MORE:
Neutral Public Bathroom Design
— Leslie (@Hopeleslie1234) August 10, 2024
IAPMO develops codes and standards in collaboration with industry experts, government officials, and other stakeholders. These codes and standards are designed to promote public health, safety, and welfare by establishing minimum requirements for the design, installation, and maintenance of plumbing and mechanical systems.
FREE ACCESS: 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code
While the IAPMO catalog may be less well-known beyond its home waters the path through their periodic revision process is very transparent; one of the most transparent accredited standards developers in the land. We get to say that because there is no one else on earth that has been slicing horizontally through so many “domain silos” for so long. (We have practically created an original academic discipline).
For example:
The IAPMO ANSI-Accredited Development Process
2024 Uniform Plumbing Code Report on Proposals (1200 pages)
2022 Uniform Plumbind Code Report on Comments (1056 pages)
TENTATIVE – 2027 UPC/UMC CODE DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE
We maintain the IAPMO catalog on our periodic Water 200/Water 400 colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
There were several barriers to the adoption of interior plumbing systems throughout history. Here are some of the key factors that contributed to the slow adoption of indoor plumbing:
Lack of technology: In the early days of plumbing, there was a lack of technological advancement, making it difficult to design and install effective plumbing systems. The development of new technologies such as water pumps, water heaters, and pipes made it easier to bring water into buildings and distribute it throughout the space.
High cost: Building indoor plumbing systems was a significant expense, and many people simply couldn’t afford it. Installing plumbing required digging trenches, installing pipes, and connecting to a reliable water source, all of which were expensive undertakings.
Health concerns: In the past, there were concerns about the safety and cleanliness of indoor plumbing systems. There was a fear that standing water in pipes could lead to the growth of bacteria and other harmful microorganisms, and that indoor plumbing could increase the risk of waterborne diseases.
Despite these barriers, the adoption of indoor plumbing systems slowly increased over time, as new technologies and innovations made it easier and more affordable to install plumbing in buildings. Today, indoor plumbing is considered an essential component of modern living, and is a standard feature in homes and buildings around the world.
Milestones:
Partial map of the Internet based on the January 15, 2005 data found on opte.org. Each line is drawn between two nodes, representing two IP addresses. The length of the lines are indicative of the delay between those two nodes. This graph represents less than 30% of the Class C networks reachable by the data collection program in early 2005. Lines are color-coded according to their corresponding RFC 1918 allocation
Today we refresh our understanding of energy-related best practice literature according to the topical tranches we have deployed since 2023:
Energy 200: Codes and standards for building premise energy systems. (Electrical, heating and cooling of the building envelope)
Energy 300: Codes and standards that support the energy systems required for information and communication technology
IEEE Energy Efficiency in Data Centers
ISO/IEC 30134 Series | CENELEC EN 50600 Series
ASHRAE 90.4 Energy Standard for Data Centers
ENERGY STAR Data Center Storage
European Code of Conduct for Data Centres Energy Efficiency
TIA-942 Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers
BICSI 002: Data Center Design and Implementation Best Practices, including energy management
Uptime Institute Annual Global Data Center Survey
Energy 400: Codes and standards for energy systems between campus buildings. (District energy systems including interdependence with electrical and water supply)
A different “flavor of money” runs through each of these domains and this condition is reflected in best practice discovery and promulgation. Energy 200 is less informed by tax-free (bonded) money than Energy 400 titles.
Some titles cover safety and sustainability in both interior and exterior energy domains so we simply list them below:
ASME A13.1 – 20XX, Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems | Consultation closes 6/20/2023
ASME Boiler Pressure Vessel Code
ASME BPVC Codes & Standards Errata and Notices
ASHRAE International 90.1 — Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
2018 International Green Construction Code® Powered by Standard 189.1-2017
NFPA 855 Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems
IEEE Electrical energy technical literature
ASTM Energy & Utilities Overview
Underwriters Laboratories Energy and Utilities
There are other ad hoc and open-source consortia that occupy at least a niche in this domain. All of the fifty United States and the Washington DC-based US Federal Government throw off public consultations routinely and, of course, a great deal of faculty interest lies in research funding.
Please join our daily colloquia using the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
ICYMI – here is our 50th anniversary lecture from Professor Helen Thompson on the 1970s energy crises and what we can learn from it, with some great questions from our audience! https://t.co/9XUqc3fx5f pic.twitter.com/zHvqY8HYL1
— Clare College (@ClareCollege) March 9, 2023
More
United States Department of Energy
International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook 2022
International Standardization Organization
Energy and heat transfer engineering in general
Economics of Energy, Volume: 4.9 Article: 48 , James L. Sweeney, Stanford University
Helmholtz and the Conservation of Energy, By Kenneth L. Caneva, MIT Press
NRG Provides Strategic Update and Announces New Capital Allocation Framework at 2023 Investor Day
From our video archive:
Ask me why pic.twitter.com/zQIpuI7vCh
— Grace Stanke (@Grace_Stanke) August 23, 2023
Geothermal systems cool buildings by leveraging the stable temperatures found beneath the Earth’s surface. A geothermal heat pump system consists of a ground loop, heat exchanger, and distribution system.
In cooling mode, the system extracts heat from the building and transfers it to the ground. The ground loop, typically composed of pipes buried horizontally or vertically, circulates a fluid that absorbs heat from the building’s interior. The fluid, warmed by this process, is then pumped through the ground loop where the Earth’s cooler temperatures absorb the heat, effectively dissipating it into the ground.
The cooled fluid returns to the heat pump, which distributes the now-cooler air throughout the building via the distribution system, such as ductwork. This process is highly efficient because the ground maintains a relatively constant temperature year-round, allowing the geothermal system to operate with less energy compared to traditional air-source cooling methods.
At the moment, though the technology has been made practical since Prince Piero Ginori Conti’s discovery in 1904, and has since tracked well in local building codes and environmental regulations, the bibliography for earth energy systems is nascent and relatively thin. One trade association is emerging from the gathering pace of applications and case studies: Closed-Loop/Geothermal Heat Pump Systems Design and Installation Standards
We maintain the IGSHPA catalog on the standing agenda of our Energy, Mechanical and Air Conditioning colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Partial Bibliography:
Handbook of Best Practices for Geothermal Drilling
Best Practices for Designing Geothermal Systems
Geothermal Direct Use Engineering and Design Guidebook
International Standards
ISO 13612-1:2014 – Heating and cooling systems in buildings — Method for calculation of the system performance and system design for heat pump systems — Part 1: Design and dimensioning.
ISO 14823:2017 – Intelligent transport systems — Graphic data dictionary.
ISO 52000-1:2017 – Energy performance of buildings — Overarching EPB assessment — Part 1: General framework and procedures.
IEC 61753-111-7:2014 – Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components – Performance standard – Part 111-7: Sealed closures for category S – Subterranean environments.
North American Standards
CSA C448: Design and installation of earth energy systems.
ANSI/CSA C448 Series-16 – Design and Installation of Earth Energy Systems.
ASHRAE Standard 90.1 – Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.
IGSHPA Standards – International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) Standards.
NFPA 54 – National Fuel Gas Code.
EPA Standards for Geothermal Energy (40 CFR Part 144) – Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program.
UL 1995 – Heating and Cooling Equipment.
“Neptune’s Horses” 1919 | Walter Crane
Bernoulli’s Principle pic.twitter.com/EwXrssQBtw
— NERD (نَرْد) (@NERD2040) October 2, 2024
Standards for a Kitchen Symphony | November/December 2024
ASTM International (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials) is a globally recognized organization that develops and publishes technical standards for a wide range of products, systems, and services. These standards are used by manufacturers, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders to ensure that products and services are safe, reliable, and of high quality.
In the field of measurement science, ASTM plays an important role in developing standards and guidelines for measurement techniques and practices. These standards cover a wide range of topics related to measurement science, including the calibration of instruments, the characterization of measurement systems, and the validation of measurement results. They are used by researchers, engineers, and other professionals in academia, industry, and government to ensure that measurements are accurate, precise, and reliable.
| ANSI Public Review |
ASTM standards for measurement science are developed through a process that involves input from experts in the field, including researchers, industry professionals, and regulatory bodies. These standards are updated regularly to reflect advances in measurement science and technology, as well as changes in industry and regulatory requirements. This is a far better way to discover and promulgate leading practice. In fact, there are regulations intended to restrain the outsized influence of vertical incumbents in legislative precincts where market-making happens.
Previous Posts
Athletic Performance Properties of Indoor Sports Floor Systems
Department of Justice | June 24, 2004
The average professional in this country wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes home, eats dinner, and then goes to sleep, unaware that he or she has likely committed several federal crimes that day. Why? The answer lies in the very nature of modern federal criminal laws, which have exploded in number but also become impossibly broad and vague.
In Three Felonies a Day, Harvey A. Silverglate reveals how federal criminal laws have become dangerously disconnected from the English common law tradition and how prosecutors can pin arguable federal crimes on any one of us, for even the most seemingly innocuous behavior.
The volume of federal crimes in recent decades has increased well beyond the statute books and into the morass of the Code of Federal Regulations, handing federal prosecutors an additional trove of vague and exceedingly complex and technical prohibitions to stick on their hapless targets.
The dangers spelled out in Three Felonies a Day do not apply solely to “white collar criminals,” state and local politicians, and professionals. No social class or profession is safe from this troubling form of social control by the executive branch, and nothing less than the integrity of our constitutional democracy hangs in the balance.
Related:
Have you been certified to do that work?
See Also: Cato Institute
2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) | April, May 2025
2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE
2024 GROUP A PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES
Public Comment Period on the IECC
AIA Michigan Comment on ICC Code Development Process
National Electrical Manufacturers Association
Shouldn’t energy conservation measures be determined by market forces rather than building construction regulations?
Energy codes in the United States are adopted and enforced at the state level, and the stringency of the energy codes can vary widely from state to state. For example, as of September 2021, four states (Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and West Virginia) had not adopted statewide energy codes at all, according to the Building Codes Assistance Project. Other states may have adopted energy codes but have not updated them to the latest version, which could be less stringent than more recent versions.
We do not spend too many resources challenging the zietgeist. Engineers, by nature, seek to do more with less but it is worth reminding our colleagues that energy conservation practices vary widely around the globe and not every nation supports what amounts to an energy police state.
“The Conquest of Energy” / José Chávez Morado / Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
The International Energy Conservation Code is a model building code developed by the International Code Council for incorporation by reference into state and local energy conservation legislation. Free access to the current edition is linked below:
2021 International Energy Conservation Code
Sell Sheet: Leading the Way to Energy Efficiency
2024 International Energy Conservation Code Update: Appeals Deadline Extended
Apart from product prescriptive passages IECC is a largely a performance code which draws its inspiration from other energy-related catalogs developed by United States standards developers; notably ASHRAE International. Several accessory titles supporting the current 2021 edition which address energy efficiency on several fronts including cost, energy usage, use of natural resources and the impact of energy usage on the environment are linked below:
Many of the ideas in play can be tracked in the transcripts linked below:
Complete Monograph: 2022 Group B Proposed Changes
Complete Monograph: 2022 Group B Public Comment Agenda
Note the pre-occupation with products such as insulation, fenestration, power outlets and lighting — reflecting the financial support of energy activists advocating on behalf of manufacturers who tend build the cost of their advocacy in the price of their product.
A commonly overlooked energy conservation measure is reducing standby power consumption, also known as “vampire power.” Many electronic devices, such as televisions, computers, and chargers, consume energy even when they are not actively being used but are still plugged in. This standby power can account for up to 10% of a building’s energy consumption.
While our focus tends to be on the commercial facility docket, we keep an eye on the residential docket because, a) many colleges and universities own and operate square-footage on the periphery of their campuses that is classified as residential, b) many student rental houses are obviously classified as residential and we want property owners to be able to afford reasonable energy conservation measures for the houses they rent to students.*
From previous posts we explained we summarized our priorities for the Group B cycle and the IECC in particular:
We encourage our colleagues in energy enterprises in education communities to participate directly in the ICC Code Development Process.*
2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE
The IECC is a standing item on our periodic Energy 200, Power, Mechanical and Hello World! colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
University of Michigan
Issue: [Various]
Category: Architectural, Facility Asset Management, Space Planning
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel
* More:
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
Standards Michigan Group, LLC
2723 South State Street | Suite 150
Ann Arbor, MI 48104 USA
888-746-3670
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
