A Procedure to Estimate the Energy Requirements for Lighting
Topology of Continuous Availability for LED Lighting Systems
“Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.”
— Henry Fielding “Love in Several Masques (Act IV, Scene 11)”
Simnel Cake: British Food History
Abstract: Indoor signage plays an essential component to find destination for blind and visually impaired people. In this paper, we propose an indoor signage and doors detection system in order to help blind and partially sighted persons accessing unfamiliar indoor environments. Our indoor signage and doors recognizer is builded based on deep learning algorithms. We developed an indoor signage detection system especially used for detecting four types of signage: exit, wc, disabled exit and confidence zone. Experiment results demonstrates the effectiveness and the high precision of the proposed recognition system. We obtained 99.8% as a recognition rate.
Is this not precious? I ❤️ 🐶’s pic.twitter.com/tCRblzdAIO
— Riley Nuttall (@nuttallriley1) January 11, 2024
— Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu
Heat tracing is a process used to maintain or raise the temperature of pipes and vessels in order to prevent freezing, maintain process temperature, or ensure that products remain fluid and flow through the system properly. Without electric heat tracing; much of the earth would be uninhabitable.
Heat tracing works by using an electric heating cable or tape that is wrapped around the pipe or vessel, and then insulated to help retain the heat. The heating cable is connected to a power source and temperature control system that maintains the desired temperature by regulating the amount of heat output from the cable. Heat tracing is commonly used in industrial applications where temperature control is critical, such as in chemical plants, refineries, and oil and gas facilities.
There are several types of heat tracing, including electric heat tracing, steam tracing, and hot water tracing, each of which have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. The selection of the appropriate type of heat tracing depends on the specific application and the required temperature range, as well as factors such as cost, maintenance, and safety considerations.
Heat Tracing for Piping Specification | NECA Standards (N.B. Link unstable)
2026 NEC CMP-17 Public Input Report | 2026 NEC CMP-17 Second Draft Report
Capturing snow flakes as the fall out of the sky
[📹 Dmitry Dotsenko / dots_foto]pic.twitter.com/e3rwNUGLmK
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) January 29, 2025
Today we review the literature for snow and ice management (and enjoyment) produced by these standards-setting organizations:
Accredited Snow Contractors Association
American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASTM International
Destructive Deep Freeze Strikes Cold and Hot Regions Alike
Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers
Electrical Heat Tracing: International Harmonization — Now and in the Future
Indiana University.
The most beautiful college campus in the country covered in snow. pic.twitter.com/Tp33cQgKuq
— Alex Paul Photo (@alexpaulphoto) January 11, 2025
International Code Council
International Building Code: Chapter 15 Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures
National Electrical Contractors Association
National Fire Protection Association
Winter is Coming: Is Your Facility Protected? (Holly Burgess, November 2022)
National Electrical Code: Articles 426-427
National Floor Safety Institute
Snow and Ice Management Association
Underwriters Laboratories
Manufacturers:
Chromalox Electrical Heat Tracing Systems Design Guide
It is a surprisingly large domain with market-makers in every dimension of safety and sustainability; all of whom are bound by state and federal regulations.
Join us at 16:00 UTC with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Red surely made the most of his snow day! 🛷 ☃️
Who’s team snow on campus? ❄️ pic.twitter.com/F03KX1XyaR
— The Catholic University of America (@CatholicUniv) January 14, 2025
There have been several recent innovations that have made it possible for construction activity to continue through cold winter months. Some of the most notable ones include:
Overall, these innovations have made it possible for construction crews to work through the winter months more comfortably and safely, which has helped to keep projects on schedule and minimize delays.
Somewhat related:
Capturing snow flakes as the fall out of the sky
[📹 Dmitry Dotsenko / dots_foto]pic.twitter.com/e3rwNUGLmK
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) January 29, 2025
Map showing what states can actually drive in snow pic.twitter.com/qgKEhLtKbr
— Midwest vs. Everybody (@midwestern_ope) February 7, 2025
Builders Hardware Manufacturer Association Standards Catalog
ARCHIVE: April 6, 2019
The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) is an ANSI accredited standards developing organization for building access and egress technology that education industry real asset managers find referenced deep in the architectural and electrical sections of construction contract specifications (as in “Conform to all applicable standards”). Architects, electrical, fire protection and information and communications technology professionals usually have to collaborate on the design, construction. operations and maintenance of fenestration technologies.
Gone are the days when a door was just a door (or “opening” or “fenestration”). Doors are now portals; an easily identifiable control point in the Internet of Things electrotechnical transformation. There are 100’s of thousands of them on large research university campus; for example. As we explain in our School Security Standards post the pace of standardization in public safety management and technology has increased; driven by events. Some of the risk management can be accomplished with integrated technical solutions that are complex and more expensive to design, build, operate and maintain.
A fair estimate of the annualized cost of a door now runs on the order of $1000 to $10,000 per door (with hospital doors at the high end).
BHMA develops and maintains performance standards for locks, closers, exit devices and other builders hardware. It has more than 40 ANSI/BHMA standards. The widely known ANSI/BHMA A156 series of standards describes and establishes features and criteria for an array of builders hardware products including locks, closers, exit devices, butts, hinges, power-operated doors and access control products. They are listed on the link below:
BHMA has opened one of its standards for public review that is relevant to our contribution to the security and sustainability agenda of the education facility industry; an agenda that necessarily involves a growing constellation of interacting specifics
BHMA A156.4 Standard for Door Controls – Closers. This Standard contains requirements for door closers surface mounted, concealed in the door, overhead concealed, and concealed in the floor. Also included are pivots for floor closers. Criteria for conformance include cycle, operational, closing force, and finish tests.
Given that BHMA consensus products are largely product standards (much the same way UL Standards are product standards) it is wise to keep an eye on a related installation standards found in the fenestration sections of model building and fire safety codes and in ASTM E2112 Standard Practice for Installation of Exterior Windows, Doors and Skylights.
Comments are due May 6th. You may obtain an electronic copies of any of the foregoing from MTierney@kellencompany.com and send comments to the same (with copy to psa@ansi.org).
The BHMA suite is on the standing agenda of our monthly Construction Specification and Design Guideline teleconference; an informal session that should interest building contractors and design professionals who prepare documents that use the general purpose clause: “Conform to all applicable standards”. That usually means the latest standard. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Issue: [19-129]
Category: Architectural, Electrical, Facility Asset Management, Telecommunication, Public Safety, #SmartCampus, Risk Management
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey. Jim Vibbart
LEARN MORE:
BHMA Standards Revision Status Tracking
Universität als weltoffenen Kosmos und Diskursraum schützen: Jahresfeier der Ruperto Carola mit Ansprache der Rektorin – Universitätsangehörige sowie Freunde, Förderer und Alumni begingen 638. Jahrestag des Bestehens der Universität Heidelberghttps://t.co/dpeDfShfdO pic.twitter.com/UHA9lwfEBe
— Uni Heidelberg (@UniHeidelberg) October 21, 2024
NFPA Fire Protection Systems Catalog (Lorem ipsum)
Crosswalk: NFPA Fire Code and ICC International Fire Code
Free public access to the current edition of NFPA’s parent fire safety document is linked below:
We attend to occupancy-specific chapters (listed below) because of their significant presence in education communities.
Chapter 25: Grandstands and Bleachers, Folding and Telescopic Seating, Tents and Membrane Structures (N.B)
Chapter 26: Laboratories Using Chemicals
Chapter 29: Parking Garages
Chapter 32: Motion Picture and Television Production Studio Soundstages and Approved Production Facilities
Chapter 35: Animal Housing Facilities
Chapter 36: Telecommunication Facilities and Information Technology Equipment
Chapter 50: Commercial Cooking
Chapter 52: Energy Storage Systems




Some of the chapters reference other titles such as NFPA 45 Standard of Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals which support risk management in other occupancies. It is noteworthy that in the 2021 revision cycle of NFPA 1 there are relatively few new concepts regarding education facilities that have been proposed. You get a sampling of the ideas in play from the transcript of public input for the 2024 edition.
Public Input Report (525 Pages)
Use search terms such as school, college, university, dormitory(ies), laboratory(ies), classroom, children, day-care, student, et cetera for a sense of the ideas in play.
Results of the 2027 First Draft meetings have not yet been posted as on November 9, 2024. A preview of the ideas in play can be found in the meeting minutes of the several committees linked below:
Fire Code (FCC-AAC): First Draft Meeting Minutes
First Draft: Fundamentals of the Fire Code (FCC-FUN)
Special Equipment, Processes and Hazardous Materials (FCC-HAZ)
Building Systems and Special Occupancies (FCC-OCP)
Public comment on the First Draft of the 2027 revision will be received until April 24, 2025.
We include NFPA 1 on our periodic fire safety colloquia — identified by the mnemonic Prometheus — and march along peak interests.










Campus fire safety is domain relatively well-covered by other organizations such as the Center for Campus Fire Safety and HigherEd Safety so we place NFPA 1 in the middle of our priority tier. We are more interested in the harmonization of NFPA 1 with a competitor title International Fire Code; published by the International Code Council; to wit:
International Fire Code: The purpose of this code is to establish the minimum requirements consistent with nationally recognized good practice for proving a reasonable level of life safety and property protection from the hazards of fire, explosion or dangerous conditions in new and existing buildings, structures or premises and to provide a reasonable level of safety to fire fighters and emergency responders during emergency operations
Fire Code: The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following: (1) Inspection of permanent and temporary buildings, processes, equipment, systems, and other fire and related life safety situations (2) Investigation of fires, explosions, hazardous materials incidents, and other related emergency incidents (3) Review of construction plans, drawings, and specifications for life safety systems, fire protection systems, access, water supplies, processes, hazardous materials, and other fire and life safety issues (4) Fire and life safety education of fire brigades, employees, responsible parties, and the general public (5) Existing occupancies and conditions, the design and construction of new buildings, remodeling of existing buildings, and additions to existing buildings (6) Design, installation, alteration, modification, construction, maintenance, repairs, servicing, and testing of fire protection systems and equipment (7) Installation, use, storage, and handling of medical gas systems (8) Access requirements for fire department operations (9) Hazards from outside fires in vegetation, trash, building debris, and other materials (10) Regulation and control of special events including, but not limited to, assemblage of people, exhibits, trade shows, amusement parks, haunted houses, outdoor events, and other similar special temporary and permanent occupancies (11) Interior finish, decorations, furnishings, and other combustibles that contribute to fire spread, fire load, and smoke production (12) Storage, use, processing, handling, and on-site transportation of flammable and combustible gases, liquids, and solids (13) Storage, use, processing, handling, and on-site transportation of hazardous materials (14) Control of emergency operations and scenes (15) Conditions affecting fire fighter safety (16) Arrangement, design, construction, and alteration of new and existing means of egress
Note that both ICC and NFPA parent fire safety documents are developed on coincident 3-year cycles.
Issue: [18-90]
Category: Fire Safety, Public Safety
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Joshua W. Elvove, Joe DeRosier, Casey Grant
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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