The First Facility Management Blog

You see them everywhere—intersections, parking lots, and storefronts—but in Houston, TX, the public will no longer be subjected to inflatable marketing devices. This comes after an incident on a shopping center rooftop just yesterday (1/28/10), when an out-of-control inflatable gorilla deflated and caused a fire.

From the AP:

District Chief Fred Hooker says some type of a “blowup doll” was on the roof, the item deflated and landed on some lights, leading to the fire. Fire authorities say two stores suffered minor water damage. Part of the rooftop also was seen to have suffered fire damage. No injuries were reported in the fire early Thursday.

(However, the gorilla is not doing so well…)

All Traffic Solutions recently announced the winners of its Traffic Safety Grant award—Eustace Independent School District in Eustace, TX and Lee County School District in Fort Myers, FL. The grant awards a radar speed display to the school(s) that best identifies traffic safety issues on or near their campus and clearly articulates how data captured by a radar speed display could significantly improve the safety of its community. All K-12 schools in the U.S. were eligible to apply.

“The grant submissions were outstanding,” said Scott Johnson, vice president of All Traffic Solutions, located in State College, PA. “We had schools submit You Tube videos, Google earth satellite images of their campus, and many chilling stories of near fatalities involving speeding cars in a school zone.”

Because of the high quality of the applications, All Traffic Solutions chose two winners this year, instead of the customary one.

Johnson continues, “A common factor across the applications was the shortage of police traffic resources within a community. Without enforcement, school zone speed requirements go unchecked. While a radar speed display does not replace a traffic safety officer, having a display dedicated to a school district will deliver critical data to the police department on the times of day when speeding occurs the most and the volume of traffic that disregards the posted speed limit. With this information, a police force can efficiently deploy resources at the right time thereby making the school zone safer.”

In addition to improving the safety of the students through speed reduction, the signs will play an important role in the education programs of local police departments. Award winner Lee County School District struggles with an influx of seasonal residents for about six months of the year. As the “snowbirds” begin to arrive, the police launch communication campaigns reminding drivers that school is in session. Lee County hopes to see an increase in school zone safety when the new radar speed display is deployed and plans to share the data from the signs with the local police department, the mayor’s office and city council.

Public ceremonies of the grant awards are being scheduled for the spring. All Traffic Solutions plans to continue and expand its grant program in 2010.

The International Facility Management Association has released its sixth annual FM Resource Guide, a comprehensive, easy-to-use listing of hundreds of facility-related companies, products and services organized by region and category.

The new publication also provides an overview of the benefits and opportunities available to association members.

“This guide can help today’s facility professionals further their careers with information on certification, professional development, networking and even social media,” said Kim Coffey, IFMA corporate connections representative. “We’ve surveyed our members to make sure we’re meeting their needs, and we feel this year’s guide will not only help them, but also vendors and advertisers who want to reach out to them in a very targeted way.”

To view the guide, or to learn more about advertising in the 2011 FM Resource Guide, click here. IFMA membership is required to view the guide.

A new standard for the design of high performance green buildings is set to revolutionize the building industry. Published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), in conjunction with the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is the first code intended commercial green building standard in the United States.

The standard provides a green building foundation for those who strive to design, build, and operate green buildings. From site location to energy use to recycling, this standard will set the foundation for green buildings through its adoption into local codes. It covers key topic areas similar to green building rating systems: site sustainability, water use efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and the building’s impact on the atmosphere, materials and resources.

The energy efficiency goal of Standard 189.1 is to provide significant energy reduction over that in ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007. It offers a broader scope than Standard 90.1 and is intended to provide minimum requirements for the siting, design, and construction of high performance, green buildings.

“The far reaching influence of the built environment necessitates action to reduce its impact,” Gordon Holness, ASHRAE president, said. “Provisions in the standard can reduce negative environmental impacts through high performance building design, construction, and operations practices. Ultimately, the aim is not just energy efficiency but a balance of environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, occupant comfort and well being, and community sensitivity, all while supporting the goal of sustainable development.”

Standard 189.1 has been written by experts representing all areas of the building industry, including engineers, lighting designers, sustainability experts, building owners, designers, architects, code and compliance officials, utilities, materials experts, and equipment manufacturers. The technical requirements in the standard were also supported by input from the building industry during the public review process.

For complete information on the standard, including a readable copy, visit this link.

Many organizations, including schools, universities, and municipalities, have made a commitment to become carbon neutral or energy efficient. However, many do not have the expertise or resources needed to report current energy use—the cornerstone to a successful energy efficiency project.

Organizations can receive quarterly, year-to-date, and annual reports on energy use with HEAR.

The Honeywell Energy Analysis Report (HEAR) service gives organizations the information to make educated, strategic decisions about reducing their environmental impact and creates an accurate baseline for measuring the success of sustainability programs. HEAR provides detailed tracking, reporting, and analysis of energy consumption. It identifies how, when, and where energy is used through a combination of data analysis and on-site observations that cover all the organization’s buildings and equipment.

Honeywell synthesizes this information in the report, helping reveal trends and anomalies that might otherwise go undetected and drain operating budgets. Specifically, quarterly, year-to-date, and annual reports include:

• Consumption anomalies/demand spikes and offer savings strategies
• Equipment control failures so that corrective action can be taken through spot or contract services
• Utility billing errors that are discovered
• Recommendations regarding retrofits including: high efficiency lighting, energy-efficient motors, variable frequency drives, HVAC systems, automation and control systems and power factor correction

For example, HEAR helped Moriarty-Edgewood, a 4,300 student school district located in New Mexico, uncover “sticky” meters, which were charging the district for unused kilowatt-hours. As a result of the findings, Honeywell helped the district secure $5,700 in rebates from local utilities to make up for the errors.

The report also revealed potential savings in other areas, such as climate control, lighting systems, and building automation. When the report revealed systems operating at full capacity even when buildings were not in use, district personnel took note and maintained better watch over equipment schedules, ensuring they’re set in accordance with school holidays and other special events to minimize unnecessary use. During a one-year trial at the Moriarty-Edgewood district, the HEAR service, combined with related infrastructure upgrades and an energy awareness program, delivered $134,707 in cost avoidance on a $39,350 investment.

Founded in 2004, ABRAFAC, the Brazilian Association of Facilities, celebrated its fifth anniversary last year. The association now represents more than 450 members from across Brazil. ABRAFAC has worked to raise the profile of both those working in the field and the facility management (FM) profession as a whole.

The formal concept of FM began to be used in Brazil around the middle of the 1990s. Although the activity is well established within large organizations and continues to evolve and gain status, FM still remains to be totally understood by local Brazilian organizations.

Brazilian facility managers (fms) have been enthusiastic in the search for both professional and organizational development, and since the 80s (before the formal adoption of the title of FM, many informal support groups came into existence, each aimed at promoting the exchange of experiences, benchmarking, and good practice. Today’s fms are now tasked with working within the additional framework of the organization’s wider environmental and social objectives and are therefore involved in corporate sustainability in its widest sense.

FM is also the subject of formal qualifications, ranging from a variety of introductory operational/vocational courses promoted and supported by ABRAFAC, to a formal MBA at POLI/USP (one of Brazil’s most respected universities), now in its seventh year.

In other international FM news, Stan Mitchell was honored in October 2009 with the BIFM Award for Overall FM Industry Impact. As BIFM Chairman from 2002 to 2004, he played a key role in the restructuring of the Institute during a period of rapid growth and change. He was also a key player in the workshops, discussions, and negotiations that culminated in a series of meetings in Philadelphia in 2005 to establish the Global FM alliance.

Competing for business with customer service is not new to the hospitality industry, but three Holiday Inn locations in the UK announced last week an amenity that may be taking it to another level. Holiday Inn management there is trying out a new way to provide guests a good night’s sleep with the availability of human bed warmers on staff.

The free service consists of a member of the hotel staff, dressed head to foot in a fuzzy pajama-like suit, occupying a guest’s bed for five minutes. The aim is to warm the bed ahead of time, so the guest can slip into a slumber more quickly and comfortably. Provided as a trial service, the hotel will gauge customer response to this offering.

While this idea may seem downright weird to some, sleep expert Dr. Chris Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, said the idea could help people get off to sleep. “There’s plenty of scientific evidence to show that sleep starts at the beginning of the night when body temperature starts to drop,” he said. “A warm bed — approximately 20° to 24°C [68° to 75.2°F] — is a good way to start this process whereas a cold bed would inhibit sleep. Holiday Inn’s new bed warmers service should help people achieve a good night’s sleep especially as it’s taking much longer for them to warm up when they come in from the snow.”

Witt Industries, a manufacturer of a full range of metal waste and recycling receptacles for indoor and outdoor environments, has introduced the Oakley Carousel Can. The cans are designed with ergonomics, functionality, and aesthetics in mind and are suitable for use in both indoor and outdoor environments, including for municipalities, parks, universities, office complexes, and apartment buildings.

The Oakley Carousel Can from Witt Industries

The receptacle features a sliding door for easy servicing, even in tight quarters. Sliding the door into the container safeguards against accidents during servicing, and it protects passersby as well as facilities personnel servicing the receptacles.

Lid options available include a flat top, a dome top, a rain cap, or an ash top, which allow flexibility and protect against the elements. A 36-gallon black plastic liner, a lid attachment kit, and an anchor kit are supplied with each unit to ensure a long service life.  Constructed of durable, heavy gauge steel, these containers are powder coated in black, brown, or green, and include built-in leveling feet. An optional lock, installed on-site, prevents unsolicited openings.

Autodesk, Inc., and FM:Systems are joining to transition Autodesk FMDesktop customer support to FM:Systems. Under the terms of the agreement FM:Systems will provide Autodesk FMDesktop customers with extended support as well as an option to migrate to the firm’s FM:Interact Workplace Management Suite.

Building upon a shared goal to bring the benefits of BIM to the operations phases of a building’s lifecycle, the two companies will now work together to integrate BIM data from Autodesk software products with FM:Systems’ facilities software to support enhanced building operation and maintenance. Resulting applications should complement Autodesk 3D products, specifically those in the Autodesk Building Information Modeling (BIM) portfolio of products, and help customers simulate their ideas early in the design process as well as reduce time and cost in manufacturing or construction.

Existing Autodesk FMDesktop customers will be contacted by FM:Systems sales representatives to discuss their extended support and/or migration options. Customers may also call (800) 648-8030 for immediate assistance.

A new publication from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the group that writes the specification for the seismic design of steel buildings in the U.S., provides a broad understanding of earthquakes and how they affect buildings. The American Institute of Steel Construction, headquartered in Chicago, is a not-for-profit technical institute and trade association established in 1921 to serve the structural steel design community and construction industry.

While “Facts for Steel Buildings Number 3: Earthquakes and Seismic Design” was written prior to and does not directly address the situation in Haiti, the reader gains a basic understanding of earthquake engineering and the U.S. buildings codes that are designed to prevent this level of catastrophe.

Written by Ronald O. Hamburger of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc., this publication presents an overview of the causes of earthquakes, the earthquake effects that damage structures, the structural properties that are effective in minimizing damage, and the organization and intent of seismic design requirements for steel structures in the U.S. today and also looks at the future of seismic design.

Hamburger is one of the world’s leading experts on seismic design and chairs the AISC committee responsible for prequalifying moment connections for use in high-seismic applications. He is a past president of the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations and played a key leadership role in the post-Northridge earthquake research that helped to create our current seismic design standards. For his work on performance-based seismic design, he received the AISC T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award in 2007.

AISC’s Facts series provides a look at the background and philosophy on various topics without delving into heavy technical details. They are written so as to be understandable by both engineers and laypeople. The previous two installments — “Facts for Steel Buildings Number 1: Fire” and “Facts for Steel Buildings Number 2: Blast and Progressive Collapse” — are also available for download.

To request a free PDF of the Earthquake report, send an e-mail to tfm@groupc.com with the words “Earthquake Design Guide” in the subject line.