NOAA National Weather Service: Storm Total Maps and Verification
ASCE Codes & Standards Catalog
Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee
Code and Standards Open for Comment
Public Comment for ASCE/EWRI 78-XX Guidelines for the Physical Security of Water and Wastewater/Stormwater Utilities (Comment Deadline 12/18/2023)
America’s Infrastructure Score: C-
CLICK IMAGE
FREE ACCESS: 2025 Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems
Academy of Art University | San Francisco County
Elevators rely on electricity to function, and when there’s a power outage, the main source of power is disrupted. Modern elevators often have backup power systems, such as generators or battery packs, to lower the cab to the nearest floor and open the doors, but these systems may not work optimally, or be connected to all elevators or may not exist in older or less well-maintained buildings.
Today we start with getting the source of power right; leaving complicating factors such as alarms, reset and restart sequences. NFPA 110 is the parent standard which references NFPA 70.
Ω
Public Input Report | 5 October 2022
Second Draft Meeting Minutes | 2 February 2023
Public Input No. 31-NFPA 110-2022 [ Section No. 3.2.4 ] | Page 7
Bibliography
Type 10 Requirements for Emergency Power Systems
Not to worry, I have a permit. pic.twitter.com/SUp9ztTH2g
— Emily Laudin (@EmilyLaudin) August 4, 2024
2024 GROUP A PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES
2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE
ICC BCAC | Comments to be presented at October Hearings
Noteworthy Proposals:
IFC 1010.27 Locking arrangements, PDF page 252
IFC 1020.2 Corridor Fire Resistance Ratings. PDF page 356
IFC 915 More Carbon Monoxide Detection Systems, PDF page 1156
IBC 917 Mass notification for Group E occupancies, PDF page 1176
IFC 5701 More Process Hazard Analysis, PDF page 1571
The transcript (Complete Monograph) of Committee Actions should be available by September 5th.
Committee Action Hearings on Proposed Changes: October 23-31 Long Beach, California
_Mauritshuis_171.jpg)
“A Square with Imaginary Buildings” | Hendrik van Steenwijck (1614)
“Waking Effectiveness of Alarms for Adults Who Are Hard of Hearing” 2007 Victoria University, Australia
Health Facilities: Navigating IBC and NFPA differences
Posted February 14, 2023
Free access to the latest edition of the IFC is linked below:
Following the ICC Group A revision cycle public consultation on the 2024 International Fire Code will begin. The ICC will announce the development schedule sometime in 2022.
We limit our resources simply tracking the proposals that run through Group E (Educational) and Group I (Institutional) occupancies in the Group A suite with closer attention to the state they are adopted whole cloth or with local exceptions. In many cases, IFC adoption by state and local authorities is delayed by one or more previous code revisions. This delay in adoption may be necessary in order for jurisdictions to evaluate the impact of changes upon the region under their authority.
Public safety budgets historically support the local and state fire marshal and his or her staff. The revenue stream of many trade associations originates from membership, conference attendance, training and certification enterprises that service the public sector stakeholder. Manufacturer sponsorship of trade association conferences is noteworthy.
Unless there is an idea, or proposed regulation that has run off the rails (either in terms of rigor or cost increase) — we place fire safety in the middle of our ranking of priorities. With gathering pace, we find many fires safety goals being met with electrotechnologies where we place our highest priority.
Click on image for more information. The map is updated by expert agencies frequently so we recommend a web search for an update.
Significant code changes rarely happen within a 3-year cycle so it is wise to follow ideas as they travel through the agendas of technical committees through several cycles as administered by the Fire Code Action Committee.
The ICC posts the transcripts of public proposals, technical committee responses to public proposals, public response to the technical committee response and the final balloting in a fair and reasonable fashion as can be seen in the transcripts linked below:
2021 International Fire Code Proposed Changes
2021 International Fire Code Public Comment Agenda
A search on the terms “classroom” or “school” in any of the documents above offers granular insight into the trend of current thinking. We find fire extinguishers placement a perennial concern across several standards suites. You will note the careful consideration of proposals for use of the mass notification systems, now integrated into fire alarm systems and their deployment in active shooter situations.
The transcripts reveal detailed understanding and subtlety.
“The Country School” | Winslow Homer
There are many issues affecting the safety and sustainability of the education facility industry. We add value to the industry because of our cross-cutting perspective on the hundreds of “silos”created by the competition (and sometimes cooperation) among accredited, consortia and open-source standards developers. We have the door open every day at 11 AM Eastern time to enlighten understanding of them all. We also host a breakout teleconference every month to drill into the specifics of standards action on fire safety for the real assets of school districts, colleges and universities. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.
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.
The ICC Group B Code Meetings will be hosted soon and open to the public:
The Group B tranche is largely focused on energy, structural, residential and existing building concepts but all of the titles cross-reference the IFC in some way so it is wise to follow how the concepts re-arrange and cross-reference themselves with each cycle.
Issue: [16-169]
Category: Architectural, Facility Asset Management, Space Planning
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Casey Grant, Joshua Evolve, Marcelo Hirschler
More
2021/2022 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE
FINAL ACTION RESULTS ON THE 2018 PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE INTERNATIONAL CODES – GROUP A
2018 GROUP A PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES COLUMBUS COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS
2018 GROUP A PUBLIC COMMENT AGENDA | INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE
2018 GROUP A PUBLIC COMMENT AGENDA | INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE
2018 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS ON THE 2018 EDITIONS OF THE GROUP A INTERNATIONAL CODES
A Procedure to Estimate the Energy Requirements for Lighting
Giuseppe Parise – Luigi Martirano – Luigi Parise
Sapienza, University of Rome
Abstract: The amount of the electrical energy used for the interior lighting of medium and large buildings is generally considerable. The European Standard EN15193 was devised to establish conventions and procedures for the estimation of energy requirements of lighting in buildings by an energy performance numeric indicator. This methodology is based on the three derating factors that consider the influence of the daylight exploitation, the occupancy behavior and, if present, of a constant illuminance sensor. The factors are evaluated by a statistical approach on the basis of general reference data tabulated by the same Standard, not considering more detailed parameters of the control system that can impact severely in the effective energy savings. The Standard methodology appears extremely useful for a preliminary evaluation. For a more accurate evaluation, this paper suggests an improvement of the procedure that considers the effective operation time and occupancy behavior, the type of control and lamps, the number of control groups, the technique of modulation (dimming or switching), and the delay in turning off. The suggested procedure is compared with the Standard one to highlight the improvements.
Related:
Energy performance of interior lighting systems
Topology of Continuous Availability for LED Lighting Systems
Standards Michigan, spun-off in 2016 from the original University of Michigan Business & Finance Operation, has peppered NFPA 70 technical committees writing the 2016-2026 National Electric Code with proposals to reduce the size of building premise feeder infrastructure; accommodating the improvements made in illumination and rotating machinery energy conservation since the 1980’s (variable frequency drives, LED lighting, controls, etc.)
These proposals are routinely voted down in 12-20 member committees representing manufacturers (primarily) though local inspection authorities are complicit in overbuilding electric services because they “bill by the service panel ampere rating”. In other words, when a municipality can charge a higher inspection fee for a 1200 ampere panel, what incentive is there to support changes to the NEC that takes that inspection fee down to 400 amperes?
The energy conservation that would result from the acceptance of our proposals into the NEC are related to the following: reduced step down transformer sizes, reduced wire and conduit sizes, reduced panelboard sizes, reduced electric room cooling systems — including the HVAC cooling systems and the ceiling plenum sheet metal carrying the waste heat away. Up to 20 percent energy savings is in play here and all the experts around the table know it. So much for the economic footprint of the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States — about $120 billion annually.
The market incumbents are complicit in ignoring energy conservation opportunity. To paraphrase one of Mike Anthony’s colleagues representing electrical equipment manufacturers:
“You’re right Mike, but I am getting paid to vote against you.”
NFPA Electrical Division knows it, too.
University of Michigan
Rightsizing Commercial Electrical Power Systems: Review of a New Exception in NEC Section 220.12
Michael A. Anthony – James R. Harvey
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Houston, Clear Lake, Texas
For decades, application of National Electrical Code (NEC) rules for sizing services, feeders and branch circuits has resulted in unused capacity in almost all occupancy classes. US Department of Energy data compiled in 1999 indicates average load on building transformers between 10 and 25 percent. More recent data gathered by the educational facilities industry has verified this claim. Recognizing that aggressive energy codes are driving energy consumption lower, and that larger than necessary transformers create larger than necessary flash hazard, the 2014 NEC will provide an exception in Section 220.12 that will permit designers to reduce transformer kVA ratings and all related components of the power delivery system. This is a conservative, incremental step in the direction of reduced load density that is limited to lighting systems. More study of feeder and branch circuit loading is necessary to inform discussion about circuit design methods in future revisions of the NEC.
CLICK HERE for complete paper
University of Houston
— MythoAmerica 🌲 (@MythoAmerica) August 31, 2024
CLICK ON IMAGE
After athletic arena life safety obligations are met (governed legally by NFPA 70, NFPA 101, NFPA 110, the International Building Code and possibly other state adaptations of those consensus documents incorporated by reference into public safety law) business objective standards come into play. The illumination of the competitive venue itself figures heavily into the quality of digital media visual experience and value.
For almost all athletic facilities, the consensus documents of the Illumination Engineering Society[1], the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers[2][3] provide the first principles for life safety. For business purposes, the documents distributed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association inform the standard of care for individual athletic arenas so that swiftly moving media production companies have some consistency in power sources and illumination as they move from site to site. Sometimes concepts to meet both life safety and business objectives merge.
The NCAA is not a consensus standard developer but it does maintain a library of recommended practice documents for lighting the venues for typical competition and competition that is televised.
It welcomes feedback from subject matter experts and front line facility managers.
Our own monthly walk-through of athletic and recreation facility codes and standards workgroup meets monthly. See our CALENDAR for the next Sport or Lighting teleconferences; open to everyone.
Often called “The Big House” Michigan Stadium is the largest football stadium in the world.
Issue: [15-138]
Category: Electrical, Architectural, Lively, Athletics
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Jack Janveja, George Reiher
[1] Illumination Engineering Handbook | Sports and Recreational Area Lighting
[2] IEEE 3001.9 Recommended Practice for Design of Power Systems for Supplying Lighting Systems for Commercial & Industrial Facilities
[3] IEEE 3006.1 Power System Reliability
[5] Slaton High School Tiger Stadium Lighting Case Study
[6] Liberty High School Football Stadium Case Study
“Time, the devourer of all things.”
— Ovid, “Metamorphoses”
“Time is an illusion:” — Albert Einstein
Today we examine best practice literature for timekeeping in educational settlements, with special interest in metering the academic “day” and timekeeping in athletic competition. Time is the most measured quantity on earth; its significance worthy of a “periodic” revisit at the beginning of every semester, at the usual hour.
Structured Learning: Educational settlement rely on timekeeping to ensure that classes and activities start and end punctually. This structure – deadlines, for example — maintains a consistent learning environment.
Scheduling: Timely adherence to schedules allows for the efficient use of resources, such as classrooms, laboratories, and libraries, ensuring that these are available when needed.
Examinations: Accurate timekeeping is essential for starting and ending examinations on time, which helps in maintaining fairness and integrity.
Coordination: Timekeeping helps in coordinating various activities, such as extracurricular events, sports, and meetings, ensuring that they do not clash and that participants can attend multiple activities without conflict.
Patient Care: Timekeeping is vital in hospitals to ensure that patients receive timely medical attention, medications, and treatments, which can be critical for their recovery and health outcomes.
Shift Management: Accurate timekeeping is essential for managing staff shifts, ensuring that there is always adequate medical and support staff available to attend to patients.
Appointments: Punctuality in scheduling and maintaining appointments helps in reducing wait times and improving the overall patient experience.
Emergency Response: Timekeeping is crucial in emergency situations where every second counts. It helps in tracking response times and improving the efficiency of emergency services.
Medical Procedures: Many medical procedures and tests are time-sensitive. Accurate timekeeping ensures that these are performed correctly and within the required timeframes.
“Juvet Time Globe” / Smithsonian Institution
Measurement of Performance: Timekeeping technology provides precise and accurate measurements of athletes’ performance. This is essential for determining winners, setting records, and assessing personal bests.
Consistency: High-quality timekeeping technology ensures consistent measurements across different events and competitions, which is vital for maintaining the integrity of the sport.
Accurate Judging: In events where timing is crucial, such as track and field, swimming, and cycling, accurate timekeeping ensures that the correct winners are declared and that records are recognized legitimately.
Close Finishes: Advanced timekeeping technology, such as photo-finish cameras, can distinguish between competitors in extremely close races, providing clear and indisputable results.
Regulatory Requirements: Many sports have strict regulations regarding timing equipment and procedures. Compliance with these standards ensures that competitions are conducted fairly and uniformly across different levels and regions.
Timing standards, particularly the definition of the second and the maintenance of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), do not change very much. Changes in measuring technology and synchronization do change and are managed through national and international weights and measures consortia.
Related:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is responsible for maintaining and disseminating official time in the United States. While NIST does not have a direct role in implementing clock changes for daylight saving time, it does play an important role in ensuring that timekeeping systems across the country are accurate and consistent.
Prior to the implementation of daylight saving time, NIST issues public announcements reminding individuals and organizations to adjust their clocks accordingly. NIST also provides resources to help people synchronize their clocks, such as the time.gov website and the NIST radio station WWV.
In addition, NIST is responsible for developing and maintaining the atomic clocks that are used to define Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the international standard for timekeeping. UTC is used as the basis for all civil time in the United States, and it is the reference time used by many systems, including the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the internet.
Overall, while NIST does not have a direct role in implementing clock changes for daylight saving time, it plays an important role in ensuring that timekeeping systems across the country are accurate and consistent, which is essential for the smooth implementation of any changes to the system.
CLICK IMAGE to access complete document
More
Time Realization and Distribution
International Standardization Organization: Perspective
List of ISO Committees § ANSI List of ISO Committee Representatives
Current & Past Projects:
US Project Coordinator: Lee Webster
US Project Coordinator: Lee Webster
Noteworthy (Currently Tracking)
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
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