Athletic Competition Timing Standards
Today we update our understanding of best practice catalogs for outdoor and indoor watersport; primarily swimming and rowing. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Sapienza – Università di Roma
USA Swimming and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Swimming are two distinct organizations that oversee different aspects of competitive swimming in the United States. USA Swimming governs competitive swimming in the United States across all age groups and skill levels, while NCAA Swimming specifically focuses on collegiate-level swimming and diving competitions within the NCAA framework. Both organizations play crucial roles in the development and promotion of swimming in the United States.
Governing Body:
USA Swimming is the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States. It is responsible for overseeing competitive swimming at all levels, from grassroots programs to elite national and international competitions.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which governs intercollegiate sports in the United States. NCAA Swimming specifically deals with collegiate-level swimming competitions among universities and colleges.
Scope:
USA Swimming is responsible for organizing and regulating competitive swimming for all age groups and skill levels, from youth swimmers to Masters swimmers (adults). It oversees swim clubs, hosts competitions, and develops national teams for international events.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming focuses exclusively on college-level swimming and diving competitions. It sets the rules and guidelines for swimming and diving programs at NCAA member institutions.
Membership:
Individuals, swim clubs, and teams can become members of USA Swimming, allowing them to participate in USA Swimming-sanctioned events, access coaching resources, and benefit from the organization’s development programs.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming is composed of collegiate athletes who compete for their respective universities and colleges. Athletes are typically student-athletes who represent their schools in NCAA-sanctioned competitions.
Competition Format:
USA Swimming hosts a wide range of competitions, including local, regional, and national meets, as well as Olympic Trials and international events. Swimmers compete as individuals, representing their swim clubs or teams.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA Swimming primarily consists of dual meets, invitational meets, and conference championships at the collegiate level. Swimmers represent their respective universities or colleges, earning points for their teams in dual meets and competing for conference and national titles.
Scholarships:
USA Swimming itself does not offer scholarships. Scholarships for competitive swimmers are typically awarded by colleges and universities based on an athlete’s performance and potential.
NCAA Swimming: NCAA member institutions offer scholarships to talented student-athletes in various sports, including swimming. These scholarships can cover tuition, room, board, and other expenses, making NCAA swimming an avenue for athletes to receive financial support for their education.
Turning our pool deck into a GYM 🤙🏋️♀️ pic.twitter.com/vfilShA8Ef
— Bobby Guntoro (@bobbygunt) September 25, 2023
Your call 📱 pic.twitter.com/4ubIUklHCi
— uncwswimdive (@uncwswimdive) July 9, 2024
“Temple, Fountain and Cave in Sezincote Park” | Thomas Daniell (1819) | Yale Center for British Art
From time to time we break from our interest in lowering the cost of our “cities-within-cities” to enjoy the work of our colleagues responsible for seasonal ambience and public art. We have a dedicated post that celebrates the accomplishments of our gardeners and horticultural staff. Today we dedicate a post to campus fountains–a focal point for gathering and a place for personal reflection for which there is no price.
Alas, we find a quickening of standards developing organizations growing their footprint in the spaces around buildings now. They used to confine the scopes of their standardization enterprises to the building envelope. That day will soon be behind us as an energized cadre of water rights social justice workers, public safety, sustainability and energy conservation professionals descend upon campus fountains with prescriptive requirements for evaporation rates, bromine concentrations, training, certification and inspections. In other words regulators and conformity functionaries will outnumber benefactors and fountain designers 1 million to 1.
We will deal with all that when the day comes. For the moment, let’s just enjoy them.
We are happy to walk you through the relevant structural, water safety, plumbing and electrical issues any day at 11 AM EST during our daily standing online teleconferences. Click on any image for author attribution, photo credit or other information.
Purdue University
The Great Court at Trinity College, Cambridge
Regent University
University of Washington
Hauptgebäude der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Bayern, Deutschland
College of the Desert / Palm Desert, California
California Institute of Technology
Berry College
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Utah Valley University
Universitat d’Alacant / Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Spain
Collin County Community College / Plano, Texas
University of Toledo
University of Michigan College of Engineering
Harvard University
Florida State University
University of North Texas
After the rain. Personal photograph taken by Mike Anthony biking with his niece in Wirdum, The Netherlands
Today at 15:00 UTC we examine the technical literature about rainwater management in schools, colleges and universities — underfoot and on the roof. Lightning protection standards will also be reviewed; given the exposure of outdoor athletic activity and exterior luminaires.
We draw from previous standardization work in titles involving water, roofing systems and flood management — i.e. a cross-cutting view of the relevant standard developer catalogs. Among them:
American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Plumbing Engineers
ASHRAE International
ASTM International
Construction Specifications Institute (Division 7 Thermal and Moisture Protection)
Environmental Protection Agency | Clean Water Act Section 402
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FM Global
Water Cycle Equation:
Precipitation = Runoff + Infiltration + Evapotranspiration + ΔStoragehttps://t.co/DdIA3UWUxy
Georgia Southern University Civil Engineering & Constructionhttps://t.co/rVhv4tyuBt@GeorgiaSouthern pic.twitter.com/9yo5NZrJQH— Standards Michigan (@StandardsMich) September 10, 2020
IAPMO Group (Mechanical and Plumbing codes)
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
Heat Tracing Standards
International Code Council
Chapter 15 Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures
Why, When, What and Where Lightning Protection is Required
National Fire Protection Association
National Electrical Code: Article 250.16 Lightning Protection Systems
Lightning Protection
Underwriters Laboratories: Lightning Protection
Underground Stormwater Detention Vaults
United States Department of Agriculture: Storm Rainfall Depth and Distribution
Readings: The “30-30” Rule for Outdoor Athletic Events Lightning Hazard
As always, our daily colloquia are open to everyone. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
“Rainbow Connection”
Enjoying Princeton, with its replica of Magdalen's Great Tower, and its authentically British-style rain pic.twitter.com/FqaQTIUFqc
— Dinah Rose (@DinahGLRoseKC) September 10, 2023
The “lightning effect” seen in carnival tricks typically relies on a scientific principle known as the Lichtenberg figure or Lichtenberg figure. This phenomenon occurs when a high-voltage electrical discharge passes through an insulating material, such as wood or acrylic, leaving behind branching patterns resembling lightning bolts.
The process involves the creation of a temporary electric field within the material, which polarizes its molecules. As the discharge propagates through the material, it causes localized breakdowns, creating branching paths along the way. These branching patterns are the characteristic Lichtenberg figures.
In the carnival trick, a high-voltage generator is used to create an electrical discharge on a piece of insulating material, such as acrylic. When a person touches the material or a conductive object placed on it, the discharge follows the path of least resistance, leaving behind the branching patterns. This effect is often used for entertainment purposes due to its visually striking appearance, resembling miniature lightning bolts frozen in the material. However, it’s crucial to handle such demonstrations with caution due to the potential hazards associated with high-voltage electricity.
_-_Benjamin_Franklin_Drawing_Electricity_from_the_Sky_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
“Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky” 1816 Benjamin West
Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous experiment with lightning on June 10, 1752.
He used a kite and a key to demonstrate that lightning was a form of electricity.
This experiment marked an important milestone in understanding the nature of electricity
and laid the foundation for the development of lightning rods and other lightning protection systems.
Seasonal extreme weather patterns in the United States, resulting in damages to education facilities and delays in outdoor athletic events — track meets; lacrosse games, swimming pool closures and the like — inspire a revisit of the relevant standards for the systems that contribute to safety from injury and physical damage to buildings: NFPA 780 Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems
To paraphrase the NFPA 780 prospectus:
(Electric generating facilities whose primary purpose is to generate electric power are excluded from this standard with regard to generation, transmission, and distribution of power. Most electrical utilities have standards covering the protection of their facilities and equipment. Installations not directly related to those areas and structures housing such installations can be protected against lightning by the provisions of this standard.)
“Down conductors” must be at least #2 AWG copper (0 AWG aluminum) for Class I materials in structures less than 75-ft in height
“Down conductors: must be at least 00 AWG copper (0000 AWG aluminum) for Class II Materials in structures greater than 75-ft in height.
Related grounding and bonding requirements appears in Chapters 2 and Chapter 3 of NFPA 70 National Electrical Code. This standard does not establish evacuation criteria.
University of Michigan | Washtenaw County (Photo by Kai Petainen)
The current edition is dated 2023 and, from the transcripts, you can observe concern about solar power and early emission streamer technologies tracking through the committee decision making. Education communities have significant activity in wide-open spaces; hence our attention to technical specifics.
Public input on the 2026 revision is receivable until 1 June 2023.
We always encourage our colleagues to key in their own ideas into the NFPA public input facility (CLICK HERE). We maintain NFPA 780 on our Power colloquia which collaborates with IEEE four times monthly in European and American time zones. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Lightning flash density – 12 hourly averages over the year (NASA OTD/LIS) This shows that lightning is much more frequent in summer than in winter, and from noon to midnight compared to midnight to noon.
Issue: [14-105]
Category: Electrical, Telecommunication, Public Safety, Risk Management
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Kane Howard
Didn't really plan for all possibilities, did they. 🤓
NC State's brand-new scoreboard shorts out due to lightning storms https://t.co/KWm78nrRau
— DJ (@DJ87112331) September 10, 2023
The "Top engineering school in the state" just built a $15 million scoreboard without a lightning rod.
Wasn't it just last year that their game got delayed because they couldn't turn the lights on? https://t.co/wWt9gSMYIv
— Steele (@0Gstank) September 9, 2023
More
Installing lightning protection system for your facility in 3 Steps (Surge Protection)
IEEE Education & Healthcare Facility Electrotechnology
Readings: The “30-30” Rule for Outdoor Athletic Events Lightning Hazard
Churches and chapels are more susceptible to lightning damage due to their height and design. Consider:
Height: Taller structures are more likely to be struck by lightning because they are closer to the cloud base where lightning originates.
Location: If a church or chapel is situated in an area with frequent thunderstorms, it will have a higher likelihood of being struck by lightning.
Construction Materials: The materials used in the construction of the building can affect its vulnerability. Metal structures, for instance, can conduct lightning strikes more readily than non-metallic materials.
Proximity to Other Structures: If the church or chapel is located near other taller structures like trees, utility poles, or buildings, it could increase the chances of lightning seeking a path through these objects before reaching the building.
Lightning Protection Systems: Installing lightning rods and other lightning protection systems can help to divert lightning strikes away from the structure, reducing the risk of damage.
Maintenance: Regular maintenance of lightning protection systems is essential to ensure their effectiveness. Neglecting maintenance could result in increased susceptibility to lightning damage.
Historical Significance: Older buildings might lack modern lightning protection systems, making them more vulnerable to lightning strikes.
The risk can be mitigated by proper design, installation of lightning protection systems, and regular maintenance.
Virginia Tech
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA. Founded in 1793, it is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. The college was established through a bequest of Colonel Ephraim Williams Jr., a war hero who died in the Battle of Lake George during the French and Indian War. In his will, Colonel Williams left funds for the establishment of a free school on the condition that it be located in Williamstown.
“Heard melodies are sweet,
but those unheard are sweeter…”
John Keates (Ode on a Grecian Urn)
Click image
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
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