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-
Occupancy classification is a first principle in all International Code Council consensus products. Chapels and churches associated with educational institutions are grouped with all other “Places of Religious Worship” in Section 303.4 Assembly Group A-3. You may find the text of this section in the current 2024 edition in the link below:
2024 International Building Code | Section 303 | Assembly Group A
For the next few weeks we will sort through issues appearing in the transcript below:
2025 Group B Committee Action Agenda (2630 Pages)
Recent incidents in the tragic city of Minneapolis inspire revisiting the standards of care listed below:
Targeted Violence and Active Shooters: Incidents like mass shootings have increased, with 54% of attacks on U.S. houses of worship involving armed assaults, often motivated by religious or racial hatred (67% of cases). Comprehensive emergency plans and training are critical.
Vandalism and Arson: These are common, with over 400 attacks on U.S. churches since 2020, including property damage and desecration. Surveillance cameras and regular security audits can deter such acts.
Theft: Donation boxes, religious artifacts, and personal belongings are frequent targets. Access control and monitoring valuables reduce risks.
Cybersecurity Threats: Houses of worship are vulnerable to hacking, ransomware, and data breaches, especially as they rely on digital platforms. Implementing cybersecurity best practices is essential.
Internal Threats: Risks from disgruntled employees or volunteers, including theft or fraud, necessitate thorough background checks and clear protocols for handling sensitive information.
Proactive measures like risk assessments, security teams, and collaboration with law enforcement can mitigate these threats while maintaining a welcoming environment
Related:
Why is the State of Minnesota such a hot mess?
In any industry painting (and decorating) operations play a crucial role in facility management by enhancing the overall appearance, protecting surfaces, and maintaining a healthy and conducive environment. In the education industry we find these operations in both the business and academic units; often co-mingled with sign-making shops.
Today at 15:00 UTC we review best practice literature for large-scale painting operations — an exploration different than the one undertaken during our Fine Art and Signs, Signs, Signs colloquia — with attention to worker and chemical safety. Among these considerations:
Open to everyone. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
ASTM’s color and appearance committee (E12) has approved a new standard that will be useful in calculating the colors of objects. The new standard (E3415) expands on color calculations described in ASTM’s standard on CIE colorimetric systems (E308). https://t.co/7F97dcFkVe pic.twitter.com/zcAp6DT1tg
— ASTM International (@ASTMIntl) October 15, 2024
Relevant standards:
Chemistry
ASTM D-series titles
EN 1504-2: Products and systems that are graffiti-resistant
ISO 12944: Paints and varnishes
Application and Fire Safety
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers: Self-Operating Paint Bot
National Fire Protection Association
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
logical pic.twitter.com/V0UoqMMXdB
— Enez Özen (@Enezator) August 24, 2024
ASTM’s color and appearance committee (E12) has approved a new standard that will be useful in calculating the colors of objects. The new standard (E3415) expands on color calculations described in ASTM’s standard on CIE colorimetric systems (E308). https://t.co/7F97dcFkVe pic.twitter.com/5GCfEgP4TI
— ASTM International (@ASTMIntl) September 30, 2024
New Standard Will Aid in Color Calculation of Objects
ASTM Committee E12 on Color and Appearance
According to ASTM member Hugh Fairman, legacy standard E308 gathered data and pre-calculated weight sets for doing what is called “tristimulus integration,” which determines the actual color of a measured spectral reflectance or spectral power curve. While this standard is still useful in certain cases, a need has grown for the more updated practice described in E3415 to respond to interest in how illumination is perceived on painted surfaces.
Standards Michigan: ASTM International
Related:
A RAL number is part of a standardized color matching system developed by the RAL Deutsches Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung (German Institute for Quality Assurance and Certification) used primarily in Europe. It is widely used for defining colors for paint, coatings, and plastics.
International Building Code Chapter 23: Wood
Building schoolhouses with wood in the United States had significant practical and cultural implications, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries. Wood was the most readily available and cost-effective material in many parts of the country. Abundant forests provided a plentiful supply, making it the logical choice for construction. The use of wood allowed communities to quickly and efficiently build schoolhouses, which were often the first public buildings erected in a new settlement.
Wooden schoolhouses were emblematic of the pioneering spirit and the value placed on education in early American society. These structures were often simple, reflecting the modest means of rural communities, but they were also durable and could be expanded or repaired as needed. The ease of construction meant that even remote and sparsely populated areas could establish schools, thereby fostering literacy and learning across the nation.
Moreover, wooden schoolhouses became cultural icons, representing the humble beginnings of the American educational system. They were often the center of community life, hosting social and civic events in addition to serving educational purposes. Today, preserved wooden schoolhouses stand as historical landmarks, offering a glimpse into the educational practices and community life of early America. Their construction reflects the resourcefulness and priorities of the early settlers who valued education as a cornerstone of their communities.
Building schoolhouses with wood presents several technical challenges, including durability, fire risk, maintenance, and structural limitations. Here are the key challenges in detail:
Despite these challenges, wooden schoolhouses were popular in the past due to the availability of materials and ease of construction. Addressing these technical challenges requires careful planning, use of modern materials and techniques, and regular maintenance to ensure the longevity and safety of wooden schoolhouses.
Related:
Eurocode 5 (EN 1995): Design of timber structures
Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures
International Building Code Chapter 23: Wood
Chapter 8 of the International Building Code contains the performance requirements for controlling fire growth and smoke propagation within buildings by restricting interior finish and decorative materials. A great deal of interior square footage presents fire hazard; even bulletin boards and decorations; as a simple web search will reveal. We are respectful of the competing requirements of safety and ambience and try to assist in a reconciliation of these two objectives.
Free access to the current edition of the relevant section is linked below:
The public input period of the Group A Codes — which includes the International Fire Code; which contains parent requirements for this chapter — closed in July 2nd. Search on the word “interior”, or “school” or “classroom “in the document linked below for a sample of the ideas in play.
Update to the 2024 Group A – Consolidated Monograph Updates 3/18/2024
2021 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS ON THE 2021 EDITIONS OF THE GROUP A INTERNATIONAL CODES
Development of Group A proceeds in the calendar linked below:
Current Code Development Cycle 2024-2026
Most of the ICC bibliography lies at the foundation of the safety and sustainability agenda of education communities everywhere so we follow development continuously; setting priorities according to our resources. We keep the issues in this chapter on the standing agenda of our Interiors colloquium. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
The 2024 National Design Specification for Wood Construction was developed by AWC’s Wood Design Standards Committee and approved as a standard by ANSI (American National Standards Institute) on October 16, 2023. The 2024 NDS is referenced in the 2024 International Building Code.
International Code Council Mass Timber: Outcomes of the ICC Tall Wood Ad Hoc Committee
Related:
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.
Athletic Performance Properties of Indoor Sports Floor Systems
Elevator, escalator and moving walk systems are among the most complicated systems in any urban environment, no less so than on the #WiseCampus in which many large research universities have 100 to 1000 elevators to safely and economically operate, service and continuously commission. These systems are regulated heavily at state and local levels of government and have oversight from volunteers that are passionate about their work.
These “movement systems” are absorbed into the Internet of Things transformation. Lately we have tried to keep pace with the expansion of requirements to include software integration professionals to coordinate the interoperability of elevators, lifts and escalators with building automation systems for fire safety, indoor air quality and disaster management. Much of work requires understanding of the local adaptations of national building codes.
Some university elevator O&M units use a combination of in-house, manufacturer and standing order contractors to accomplish their safety and sustainability objectives.
In the United States the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is the dominant standards developer of elevator and escalator system best practice titles; its breakdown of technical committees listed in the link below:
C&S Connect: ASME Proposals Available for Public Review
Public consultation on a new standard for electrical inspector qualifications closes May 27th.
ASME A17.7/CSA B44.7 – 20XX, Performance-based code for elevators and escalators (280 pages)
Safety Code for Existing Elevators and Escalators
Guide for Inspection of Elevators, Escalators, and Moving Walks
Guide for Elevator Seismic Design
As always, we encourage facility managers, elevator shop personnel to participate directly in the ASME Codes & Standards development process. For example, it would be relatively easy for our colleagues in the Phoenix, Arizona region to attend one or more of the technical committee meetings; ideally with operating data and a solid proposal for improving the A17 suite.
All ASME standards are on the agenda of our Mechanical, Pathway and Elevator & Lift colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online teleconferences; open to everyone. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Issue: [11-50]
Category: Electrical, Elevators, #WiseCampus
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel
More:
Bibliography: Elevators, Lifts and Moving Walks
ISO/TC 178 Lifts, escalators and moving walks
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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