Occupancy Classification and Use

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Occupancy Classification and Use

April 2, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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In educational settings, where large numbers of students, staff, and visitors gather, these rules protect vulnerable populations, especially children, who may lack the awareness or ability to respond quickly in emergencies. Proper classification ensures adequate exits, fire-resistant materials, and ventilation suited for classrooms or assembly areas like auditoriums.
These classifications also inform zoning, insurance, and funding by aligning facilities with educational purposes.

Libraries are multi-functional spaces and at the physical, and the heart, of any school, college or university.   We take special interest in this discussion.    Leaving the evolution toward “media centers” aside, the relevant passage in the current International Building Code that applies to library occupancy classification and use is linked below:

Chapter 3 Occupancy Classification and Use

 

The original University of Michigan advocacy enterprise may have raised the level of debate on structural engineering three cycles ago.  Without any specific interest from attendees we will review our proposals in previous revision cycles:

  1. Education facilities as storm shelters
  2. Enhanced classroom acoustics
  3. Carbon monoxide detection in Group E occupancies
  4. Locking arrangements in educational occupancies
  5. Interior lighting power allowances for classrooms
  6. Occupancy sensors for classrooms
  7. Automatic control of receptacle power in classrooms and laboratories
  8. Expansion of voltage drop requirements into customer-owned service conductors

This is about as much as we can sort through this week.  We will host another focus teleconference next week.  See our CALENDAR for the date.

Finally, 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 Albuquerque region should take advantage of the opportunity to observe the ICC code-development process.   The Group B Hearings are usually webcast — and we will signal the link to the 10-day 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: [16-169]

Category: Architectural, Facility Asset Management, Space Planning

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben

#StandardsNewMexico


LEARN MORE:

ICC Group B Code Development Schedule

Little Big Horn College

 

 

 

 

 

Every month we direct our colleagues in the education industry to the US Census Department’s monthly construction report to make a point: at an average annual clip of about $75 billion, the education industry is the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States.  A large part of that construction involves infrastructure upgrades of existing buildings that contribute to sustainability goals but may not make flashy architectural statements for philanthropists.

EDUCATION INDUSTRY CONSTRUCTION SPEND

The International Existing Building Code (IEBC) is a model code in the International Code Council family of codes intended to provide requirements for repair and alternative approaches for alterations and additions to existing buildings (LEARN MORE).  A large number of existing buildings and structures do not comply with the current building code requirements for new construction.  Although many of these buildings are potentially salvageable, rehabilitation is often cost-prohibitive because compliance with all the new requirements for new construction could require extensive changes that go well beyond the value of building or the original scope of the alteration.

Education facility planners, architects and managers: Sound familiar?

ICC administered workgroups have been convening with considerable frequency over the past several months to pull together a number of relevant concepts for the next (2019 Group B) revision.  For the purpose of providing some perspective on the complexity and subtlety of the issues in play, a partial overview of working group activity is available in the links below.  Keep in mind that there are many other proposals being developed by our ICC working group and others.

IEBC Healthcare for BCAC December 11 2018

16-169 IEBC BCC Worksheet October 2-3 2018

There are other many other issues we have been tracking.  The foregoing simply presents the level of detail and subtlety that is noteworthy.

On Tuesday the ICC has released its the complete monograph for use at the Group B Committee Action Hearings, April 28-May 8 at the Albuquerque Convention Center:

2019 Group B Proposed Changes

It is a large document — 2919 pages — so keep that in mind when accessing it.  There are many issues affecting #TotalCostofOwnership of the education facility industry so we will get cracking on it again next week.   See our CALENDAR for the next online teleconference.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Finally, 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 Albuquerque region should take advantage of the opportunity to observe the ICC code-development process.   The Group B Hearings are usually webcast — and we will signal the link to the 10-day 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: [16-169]

Category: Architectural, Facility Asset Management, Space Planning

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben

#StandardsNewMexico


LEARN MORE:

ICC Group B Code Development Schedule

Little Big Horn College

 

 

 

 

Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy

April 2, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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“Kleinkinderschule in Amsterdam” 1880 / Max Liebermann

This ASHRAE consensus product specifies conditions for acceptable thermal environments and is intended for use in design, operation, and commissioning of buildings and other occupied spaces. It is impossible to underestimate the difficulty of engineering an acceptable room temperature in an educational setting that satisfies all people all the time.   Today, we simply identify the opportunity to ASHRAE Standard 55-2017, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy poststed on ASHRAE’s Public Review page:

Public Review Draft Standards / Online Comment Database

ASHRAE’s standards development platform is one of the fastest in the United States so frequently there is scant time to respond; though we hope other user-interests will.   As technical specifics relevant to the education facility industry become more clear we will develop this page accordingly.

All ASHRAE consensus products are on the agenda of our monthly 11 AM/ET Mechanical Engineering and Energy standards teleconferences.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

“The summer night is like a perfection of thought.” — Wallace Stevens

Issue: [14-115]

Category: Mechanical, Electrical, Energy, ICT, IoT

Colleagues: David B. Anderson, David Conrad, Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Larry Spielvogel

 

Dolus Festivus

April 1, 2025
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The Vernor’s Story

April 1, 2025
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Fish and Chips and the British Working Class

April 1, 2025
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“Fish and Chips” | Fred Laidler (1918–1988)

Fish and Chips and the British Working Class, 1870-1930

Fish and chips was in many ways the pioneer fast-food industry.  It became an essential component of working-class diet and popular culture in parts of London, and over wide areas of industrial midland and northern England and southern Scotland, in the early decades of the twentieth century…I propose to argue that the fish and chip trade was not only important enough in itself to justify sustained historical analysis, but also that it provides a useful vantage point for examining important changes in British society more generally.”

— John Walken, 1998, Journal of Social History


Hot Cross Buns

April 1, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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Hot Cross Buns | Nursery Rhymes | Super Simple Songs

Hot cross buns (Library of Congress) are a traditional Easter treat dating back centuries, symbolizing both the end of Lent and the crucifixion of Jesus. These spiced sweet buns, often containing raisins or currants and marked with a cross on top, are typically eaten on Good Friday.

The cross represents the crucifixion, while the spices symbolize the spices used to embalm Jesus. Sharing hot cross buns fosters community and reflects on the religious significance of Easter, marking a solemn yet celebratory time in Christian tradition.

Link to Dining Services specialty at the Mean Greens Cafe at Maple Street Hall and recipes in other education settlement traditions.

Texas Croissants & Wyoming Cowboy Coffee

Microwave Brown Rice Bowl

Institute of Culinary Education: Hot Cross Buns

Weston College: Perfect Hot Cross Bun Recipe

Algonquin College: A Sweet Easter Tradition

 


Commercial Kitchens

Kitchen Wiring

Kitchen Exhaust

Food hygiene practices: Ergonomics versus safety

Ventilation for Commercial Cooking Operations

An Open-Source Tool-Box for Asset Management Based on the Asset Condition for the Power System

April 1, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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“Big Ole” Renewable Energy Incentives

April 1, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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The Dumbest Members of Congress

April 1, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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“Down” for Maintenance and Upgrades

April 1, 2025
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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Michigan Central

Through Monday, April 21st. we will run maintenance routines for this website and its affiliates in the other 49 United States (some to roll out in 2025): Backups, security patches, SEO and plug in updates, database optimization, etc.

Our “Evergreen” library will remain accessible; though the visuals may appear a little janky from time to time.

Our State Street (Ann Arbor) offices will remain open; though with reduced holiday staff.

best PTG

“One of the Family” 1880 | Frederick George Cotman


 

 

michc

University of Michigan | Washtenaw County

 

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