FRIDAY FUNNY: Culture Differences Extend Even To Toilets

While perhaps more in the realm of weird than funny, a story out of Beijing recently illustrated how cultural differences can apply to most anything and everything. A Reuters report in March reported on the fact that Olympic organizers in the host city have had to refit toilets at several Olympic venues. This was in response to foreign athletes' complaints about having to squat, rather than being able to sit, on the toilets.

Shown here is the National Aquatics Center (nicknamed Water Cube) in Beijing, which is one of the venues where toilets were an issue.

To read the rest of the story by Liu Zhen, click here...

Johnson Controls 1895 Energy Control System Named ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark

At an event celebrating more than a century of ingenuity and innovation, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) announced its designation of the Johnson Controls, Inc. automatic temperature control system as a historic mechanical engineering landmark. The invention of the first reliable and economical multi-zone temperature control system in 1895 by Johnson Controls founder Warren S. Johnson led to massive growth at the company and helped launch the modern building controls industry. S. Allan Johnson, great- grandson of the inventor, attended the event, along with more than 200 Johnson Controls employees, retirees and customers.

“ASME is pleased to honor an invention that changed the world in the late 1800s and which still helps companies and organizations keep their buildings comfortable and energy-efficient more than 100 years later,” said J. Lawrence Lee, Ph.D., P.E., chair of the ASME History & Heritage Committee.

Johnson Controls has grown to become the largest public corporation headquartered in Wisconsin. The company continues to globally lead the building controls and HVAC equipment industry, though it long ago diversified into the automotive industry through its automotive experience (seats and interior systems) and power solutions (automotive batteries) divisions.

"Milwaukee is proud to be the home of Johnson Controls, a global leader in the field of environmental technology for over 100 years," said Richard “Rocky” Marcoux, commissioner of the City of Milwaukee Department of City Development, speaking for Mayor Tom Barrett. "Johnson Controls provided some of the first 'green collar' jobs by helping businesses and homes save energy, which contributes to a cleaner environment. I fully expect Johnson Controls will continue to bring its ingenuity and innovation to environments around the world for future generations," he noted.

“The technology of the 1890s has come a long way since they had to bang on the pipes to alert custodial staff that it was too hot or too cold. Professor Johnson’s invention has evolved into the modern controls industry, including refrigeration, fire and security systems for commercial, industrial, and residential buildings,” said C. David Myers, president, building efficiency, Johnson Controls. “Our employees worldwide share my pride in accepting this honor.”

The event featured the unveiling of a bronze landmark plaque that is being mounted on the Johnson Controls building efficiency headquarters, the Brengel Technology Center at 507 E. Michigan St., Milwaukee. The facility, one of the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®)-certified in the world, now also includes a showcase of actual components from an 1895-era Johnson Controls system.

The ASME historic landmark designation is the eighth in Wisconsin and one of about 250 landmarks recognized worldwide. Other ASME Wisconsin landmarks include Milwaukee’s East Wells Street Power Plant (1918) next to the Milwaukee Repertory Theater; the Port Washington Power Plant (1935), the world's most thermally efficient steam plant for many years; the Appleton Vulcan Street Power Plant (1882), the first Edison hydroelectric central station; and the Evinrude Outboard Motor (1909), also developed in Milwaukee.

TFM Conducting Survey On Life Cycle Costs

With facilities budgets in many organizations tighter than ever, facility managers are under increasing pressure to maximize their investments. Initial cost remains a practical consideration, but the costs over the entire expected life of the asset are also part of the picture. Expenditures for operations, maintenance, and disposal are relevant, as well as expected service life and (increasingly) environmental impact.

Reducing life cycle costs requires knowledge of a number of factors, along with time to calculate the data. Through this survey, which is online now, TFM would like to hear from facility managers about how they use (or don't use) life cycle cost analysis in their purchasing decisions. We will include the results in the July 2008 issue.

To take the survey, please go to this link.

Thank you!

Experts Highlight Security Trends for Hospitals, Offices & Schools at Symposium

“About 10 percent or more of U.S. healthcare workers are assaulted each year,” said Tony W. York, CPP, CHPA, president, International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety (IAHSS) to security professionals attending the “Serious About Security—2008 Symposium” at the Intercontinental Hotel Conference Center—Cleveland Clinic Campus, Cleveland.

Sponsored by turnkey access control provider, Matrix Systems of Dayton, OH, the recent symposium also featured security expert presentations from Texas A & M University (TAMU), College Station, TX; medical imaging manufacturer, Carestream Health of Rochester, NY; and Security Risk Management Consultants of Columbus, OH. The symposium also featured a tour of the access control and security system command center controlling/monitoring the 1.5-square-mile Cleveland Clinic’s campus, home to the largest heart hospital in the US.

York, who is also senior vice president-security at Hospital Shared Services, bases his assaults estimate on a recent meeting with officials from the National Health Services (NHS), the United Kingdom’s publicly-funded healthcare system. “We don’t have a national incident reporting system here, but the NHS reports 55,000 assaults on UK healthcare workers last year and they suspect at least another 55,000 incidents weren’t reported,” said York during his “Security Design Considerations for the Healthcare Market” presentation. “That’s 110,000 assaults in a healthcare system with only 1.3 million employees.”

The “drying up” of US behavioral healthcare funding, which is illustrated by Denver’s recent closings of five primary mental healthcare facilities, according to York, is another reason for increased assaults on healthcare workers nationwide. With the decrease of behavioral care services, mental patients are flooding emergency departments and assaults are escalating.

York also cited another shocking emergency department statistic that must be addressed with security and access control. A four-year study conducted by the Henry Ford Medical Center in Detroit, reported that four percent of persons arriving at the emergency department carry weapons.

As an advocate of separating the walk-in/reception area from triage, treatment areas, and patient quiet/safe rooms, York urged the healthcare security people in attendance to design and retrofit emergency rooms with access control designs that protect hospital employees, but don’t inhibit the swiftness of ingress that care specialists need in emergencies.

Industrial Security on a Global Basis
Another speaker, Thomas J. Rohr, CPP, director of Worldwide Corporate Security, at Carestream Health, a recent $2.5 billion medical imaging equipment manufacturer sell-off from Kodak, urged security professionals to continue searching for new ways to challenge their existing access control systems. Rohr, who presented “Worldwide Corporate Security for Your Company,” encourages his building managers at facilities in seven countries to demand new and challenging applications for Carestream’s global security operation. “If your security needs aren’t increasing everyday, there’s something wrong,” said Rohr, “because there’s always something new, something better, or something more you can do with your existing system to increase security and usability.”

Rohr’s four-person staff solves most challenges with in-house security personnel or with assistance from Matrix Systems’ customer service. “Tell me you want contractors timed into the system and reported to the human resources systems,” said Rohr reading a list of past requests from facility managers that his department successfully implemented. “Tell me you want cashless vending services via ID badges. Tell me you want a touch-less access control system for vehicles entering the facility’s garage, because between our staff and Matrix customer service, we can find a way to make it happen.”

Cleveland Clinic’s New State-of-the-Art Security Command Center
Some attendees were also treated to a profile and tour of the Cleveland Clinic’s new state-of-the-art security command center, which was designed by presenter and guide, Martin Epstein, manager, Technical Operations-Protective Services, at the Cleveland Clinic. As a proponent of security managers taking a lead role in new construction projects Epstein, a 30-year veteran of Cleveland Clinic, said, “You have to get involved in every construction project, because only you (security professionals) know where to position access control card readers to create the traffic patterns that will enhance your facility’s security objective."

The 3,000-square-foot command center features eight workstations in full view of a 32 monitor video wall allowing Epstein, his supervisors, and security watch employees 24/7 views of Cleveland Clinic’s strategic areas. The center has several banks of digital video recorders and its own dedicated uninterrupted power supply (UPS) and generator.

Cleveland Clinic’s adjacent emergency management command center room accommodates 12 people with their own seating, telephone, internet and power connections, plus three plasma monitors, room cameras, and feeds to Cleveland Clinic’s administration offices. The room also has electronics for Ohio’s new Multi-Agency Radio Communications System (MARCS), an 800-megahertz, voice and data network for the Ohio highway patrol and other health, safety, and emergency agencies.

Cleveland Clinic’s Matrix Systems access control system is playing a major part in the hospital’s expansion. By 2009 the hospital will have expanded to 2,500 magnetic locks for entries, 1,700 ID card readers, 600 CCTV cameras with DVR capabilities, and 6,000 alarm points that monitor panic and intrusion alarms to incubators, laboratories, freezers, and many other critical areas that all culminate at Matrix’s Frontier software workstations.

Security During University Alerts
In light of recent mass shootings on university campuses, Walt Magnussen, TAMU’s director of University Telecommunications and associate director of the school’s Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center (ITEC), said more parents of prospective students are investigating the security of college campuses before enrolling. TAMU’s response has been a cutting-edge emergency management update that features text messaging. “They (students) invented it, use it, and have told us (older generation) that’s how they want to be communicated with,” said Magnussen.

Consequently, 32,000 of 47,000 TAMU students have signed up for text messaging alerts in the event of a campus emergency. Since emergency tests have demonstrated that networks can’t handle 32,000 simultaneous cell phone text messages, TAMU is devising methods of staggering the transmission.

TAMU is also using reverse 911 technology where cell phones within an 800-yard perimeter of an incident are contacted first. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) will also be used for radio and TV alerts. Computer screen pop-up messages, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) blasts, and other technologies are being considered and implemented.

Holistic Approaches to Security Management
Security experts in attendance were also instructed on “Implementing a Holistic Security Program Management Model: Planning for Your Organization’s Future,” presented by Elliot A. Boxerbaum, CPP, CSC, president of Security Risk Management Consultants, Inc.

A 25-year law enforcement veteran, Boxerbaum urged the audience of security professionals to establish a five to seven year security capital improvement plans with their CEO’s. “If you can sell your CEO and board of directors on your seven year vision for security and get them to sign off on it, you can always count on upgrading your system every year,” said Boxerbaum. “However if your department is locked into the annual budget cycle where you’re begging for money to make some unsuspected improvement every year, you’ll have a lot of extra work ahead of you.”

WEB EXCLUSIVE: High Performance Buildings For Summer

Today's Web Exclusive comes from John Conover, president of Trane Americas.

The summer months are a critical time to make sure your building is operating as efficiently as possible. This is especially true as energy costs continue to climb and considering that air conditioning systems in commercial buildings during hot weather are the highest contributors to peak electrical loads. These factors put pressure on facility managers to control energy use – or pay the price.

Working in high temperatures affects people in both commercial and industrial surroundings. In addition to high energy use as outside temperatures increase, buildings with inadequate air quality become unbearably hot and stuffy. This problem is compounded if sunlight penetrates into the building, causing a greenhouse-like effect, resulting in increased comfort complaints and loss of productivity. The real challenge for facility managers is to achieve a comfortable environment, while controlling energy costs.

Combating these issues requires a proactive approach that involves common sense preparation and smart building energy management. Following are some tips that can help make your building more energy efficient, environmentally responsible, and economically smart.

Intelligent Control
It’s not surprising that most energy use in a commercial building comes from keeping the space comfortable when it’s in use. That includes cooling warm rooms, warming cool rooms, and removing humidity.

For maximum efficiency, avoid cooling entire buildings or floors during off hours, and use energy efficient lighting and sensors wherever possible. Never over cool an entire building to correct an isolated problem. If, for example, an office space heats up due to south facing exposure, treat the windows in that area instead of adjusting the air temperature.

One way to reduce energy costs is to install a system that blocks fresh air requirements when the building is not in use. Computerized systems also are available that can dictate when and where fresh air, light, heat, and air conditioning infiltrate various parts of the building. A simple programmable thermostat that controls when the heating comes on and off can save up to 25% on energy costs.

Plant Wisely
Make landscaping part of your energy efficiency strategy. In addition to making your building look more attractive, properly placed vegetation will help reduce your energy costs. Deciduous trees, for example, provide natural barriers to summer sun while allowing winter sunlight to warm the building. In addition, plants and shrubs provide important windbreaks, not to mention environmental benefits.

Buildings surrounded with grass tend to be about 10˚ cooler in the summer than buildings flanked by asphalt or concrete. That’s because large areas of asphalt and concrete bounce solar radiation back to the building in the summer, which means air conditioning systems must work harder.

Think Alternative
More commercially viable alternative energy sources are available than ever. These include hydropower and solar harnessing systems. For example, consider photovoltaics (PV) for areas with low cloud cover and low obstruction. To reduce the likelihood of brownouts, use grid-tied photovoltaics to offset the electrical demand of high cooling loads, which often occur during the high-demand summer months.

The rising cost of fossil fuels, in concert with continuing technological advancement, makes PV an increasingly more cost-effective option. Though the payback period for investing in PV is long compared to other renewable strategies, it requires no fuel source and generates power as long as the sun shines.

Maintain Proactively
Energy consumption and conservation tie heavily to operation and maintenance practices. HVAC equipment must be well maintained for the complex array of chillers, boilers, air handlers, controls, and other hardware and software to assure they function at peak performance.

Here are some preventive maintenance techniques to save energy and improve the long-term, maximum performance of HVAC systems:

• Inspect pumps and cooling towers;
• Test motors when the system is running at its maximum to avoid unnecessary overloading;
• Ensure contactors are secure within tolerance starters and motor controllers are operating;
• Keep a close eye on refrigeration leakage;
• Make sure condenser and evaporator coils stay clean; and
  
• Check that drain pans are properly sloped for correct drainage and metal pans are not rusted.

Proper air filtration also plays an important role in protecting the rest of the HVAC system and in maintaining efficient operation. Air filters, whatever their design or efficiency rating, require regular maintenance – cleaning for some and replacement for most.

As a filter loads up with particles, it becomes more efficient at particle removal but increases the pressure drop through the system, therefore reducing airflow. Filters should be selected for their ability to protect the HVAC system components and general indoor air quality.

Improve Load Profile
Facility managers are very familiar with the demand charges utilities impose, which cut sharply into a building’s utility budget. To avoid these power demand peaks, it’s important to monitor power usage carefully through your building automation system to target possibilities for load shedding or load shifting.

For example, a building might use less than two megawatts throughout the day, but during peak times energy use might spike to three or four megawatts. Close monitoring also helps you determine if your cooling equipment lacks efficiency, allowing you to plan for replacements or updates during the winter.

To deal with this problem, change the schedule of building use and maintenance. Where possible, reschedule tasks to be done during periods of low energy demand. This raises valleys but lowers peaks in usage, thus lowering demand charges.


Make Safety A Priority
As you prepare to conduct unscheduled repairs, renovation work, or routine building systems maintenance, make sure safety is front of mind. It’s a matter of workers’ health, productivity, morale and money. Every cooling season, accident rates rise among facility staff and contractors, as is evident in reports by OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is due to heavy workloads and the rush to respond to unscheduled maintenance.

Safety failures inflict personal suffering, and in the worst case, can lead to serious injury or illness that leaves a worker out of commission for an extended period of time. They also cost your organization in lost work time, delayed projects, and higher project and insurance costs. This could mean less profitability on projects, and increased risk.

Here are a few tips on how to be safe this summer:

• Create a culture of safety. Make sure your facility has an effective Environmental, Safety & Health (ESH) program in place that it is understood and followed by all staff members.
• Conduct safety training monthly. All staff members, new and experienced, need safety training. The more training hours staff members undergo, the less likely they will be involved in a safety incident.
• Make project planning routine. Even under the pressure of a cooling emergency, take time to plan ahead. Some steps to take before starting equipment repair or replacement include assigning tasks to the most qualified personnel, ensuring you have the right tools and personal safety equipment, and determining how many people are needed to move heavy equipment.
• Watch your back. Some of the most common injuries to service technicians and maintenance personnel involve muscle, joint, or disc injuries to the back. To avoid these accidents, it is critical to understand correct positioning when lifting or moving heavy equipment.
• Choose a service provider with a strong safety record. Check the provider’s past performance, such as past incident records and references from past clients. The provider’s safety performance should be in line with your safety goals.

Have A Backup Plan
Even if you take all preventive measures, the possibility of a cooling system breakdown always exists. Buildings with critical cooling demands require a cooling contingency plan, which should include backup solutions for quick installation of temporary equipment to ensure operations continue until the situation is resolved.

Consult with a building specialist to guide you in plan development and outline the necessary components.

If you take the right measures before and during the cooling season, you will rest assured that your facility will stay high-performing and energy efficient through the summer.

Conover is responsible for growing sales and distribution of Trane’s commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning products, systems, services and solutions. Conover has served in a variety of roles in his 25-plus years with Trane, gaining innovative insights into the sales process, and ways to gain and retain customers. Conover also has played an integral role in introducing and developing account management into the organization.

Solar System Crowns Sacramento County Health And Human Services Building

Demonstrating leadership and a commitment to sustainability and the environment, officials in Sacramento County, CA have announced the successful commissioning of its 100-kW solar array atop the county’s Health and Human Services building. The solar energy system, which greatly offsets the electricity used by the facility, is the largest such system on any public building in Sacramento County.

The solar array is part of a larger, comprehensive energy efficiency retrofit program delivered by Siemens that is projected to produce a broad range of energy and operational savings across county facilities. “We are extremely excited to be switching on a new era of sustainability for our facilities,” says Sacramento County Director of Facility Planning, Architecture, and Real Estate, Carl Mosher. “I can’t think of a more appropriate site for our first solar system. Our goal is to serve the community and to do it in a fiscally and environmentally friendly way. The best evidence that we are doing that is right now we are making clean, electricity from the sun on the roof of the Health and Human Services building.”

At 100 kW, the output of the photovoltaic panels is enough to offset about 50% of the building’s power needs. “If sustainability is to deliver on its promises and return net positive benefits to everyone living in Sacramento County, it must be approached holistically, that is, from both sides of the meter,” says Siemens Building Technologies’ district manager Chris Lofaso. “Emissions-free power generation coupled with demand side reduction is the holistic, higher impact solution. With the efficiency improvements we’ve made to the building’s HVAC equipment and lighting, the solar system is able to make a real and lasting contribution.”

The performance of the solar energy system and the energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits help save the county and taxpayers money on their energy bills every month, and it also qualifies for more than $300,000 in rebates from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) as part of a rebate program designed to incentivize consumers and state and local agencies to invest in energy saving technologies. According to Siemens, the energy savings from the entire efficiency project will yield nearly $470,000 in SMUD rebate incentives.

Averaging about 265 days either clear or partly cloudy, Sacramento is an ideal location for a solar power generating system. According to Daniel L.Mendonsa, LEED AP® and Energy Program Manager for Sacramento County, “Powering the Health and Human services building with solar-generated electricity reduces the facility’s carbon footprint by about 100 metric tons. Counting all the efficiencies across the project, we expect to see an impressive total reduction of 800 metric tons.” According to SMUD, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by that much is equivalent to removing 22 cars off the road or planting 14 acres of trees every year.


With the energy efficiencies created by the installation of new building automation, HVAC equipment, lighting, and controls at the Health and Human Services, Parks and Recreation and Main Water Quality buildings, Siemens and the county expect to realize some $360,000 in operational, maintenance, and energy savings; enough to assure a simple payback of less than 10 years.

ASHRAE Publishes Nation’s First Airplane Cabin Air Quality Standard

Proper air quality is essential for general health and well-being in indoor spaces. Recognizing this, most people will take steps to address air quality in their homes and workplaces, but what about when on board an airplane when passengers have no control in a very high-density environment?

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) addresses air cabin air quality in its new Standard 161-2007, Air Quality Within Commercial Aircraft. The standard, which covers issues such as temperature, cabin pressure, air contaminants, and ventilation rates, can be voluntarily adopted by individual airlines or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or advocated for by airline passenger and employee groups.

“Compliance with this standard will go a long ways toward ensuring good air quality for passengers and crews,” says Byron Jones, chair of the committee that wrote the standard. “Aircraft passengers and crew make up a wide cross section of the general population, ranging from the very young to the very old, from the healthy to infirm. And unlike many other indoor environments, occupants do not have the ability to remove themselves from the environment, which is at a lower pressure and relative humidity than that found in many other environments. Standard 161 will help create a healthier, more enjoyable ride for the great variety of passengers on board.”

The standard also addresses chemical, physical, and biological contaminants that could affect air quality as well. Methods of testing are provided for ensuring compliance with the standard’s requirements.

Standard 161 applies to commercial passenger air-carrier aircraft carrying 20 or more passengers. It is intended to apply to all phases of flight operations and to ground operations when the aircraft is occupied by passengers or crew members.

WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Shrink Wrap Your Building

Shrink wrap is nothing new. In addition to its product packaging applications, the technique is gaining popularity as a method of securing everything from luggage to shipping pallets. But shrink wrapping construction projects? Now that's an interesting concept. But it's a pretty practical idea, when you think about it.

Dr. Shrink, a company out of Manistee, MI, is pioneering this approach based on the practical idea that most construction and remodeling jobs are not completed within a single day. The company's UV-protected BioShrink shrink wrap has additives that resist mold, mildew, algae, and bacteria, including E. Coli.

If building materials are left out for weeks or months without any protection, they can end up covered in mold or mildew. By attaching BioShrink to walls, the shrink wrap can be used to cover an entire room or area during construction.

To protect materials that will be left outside, BioShrink can be heat-shrunk like regular shrink wrap for a tight-fitting cover. It will provide full antimicrobial protection during storage or transportation.

The tan shrink wrap is suitable modular and pre-fabricated buildings. It comes in widths up to 20'.

Honeywell Delivers “Ice Cold” Energy Savings

Honeywell recently announced a $4.25 million permanent load shifting program with Southern California Edison (SCE) that will reduce the utility bills of commercial customers and decrease electricity consumption during peak day-time hours.

The Night Shift program is expected to deliver 2.5 megawatts of peak power relief between noon and 6 p.m.—when energy use and utility rates are highest. This is enough capacity to cover the electricity needs of more than 600 homes.

Honeywell will manage the program for SCE, retrofitting approximately 300 rooftop air conditioners with Ice Bear hybrid air conditioning units from Ice Energy. The Ice Bear system freezes water in a storage tank at night when electricity costs are low. When the air conditioner is on in the day, the stored ice cools the refrigerant instead of a condensing unit, which consumes the most energy in an air conditioner. As a result, the modules cut peak cooling demand by up to 95 percent.

The program also will reduce power generation emissions associated with cooling by about 20% or more, because generating sources used during peak periods have a higher emissions rate than those used to serve base load energy needs at night.

“The Night Shift program enables our commercial customers to maximize cost savings through innovative green technology,” said LisaCagnolatti, SCE vice president, Business Customer Division. “The program will help to reduce high energy demand patterns we typically see in the summer months.”

Night Shift is for mid-commercial customers who have buildings with three to 20 ton roof-top air conditioner units and an electricity demand of at least 200 kilowatt hours per day. Facilities that fit this profile typically include office buildings, libraries, school and university buildings, and big box retail stores. Customers who participate in the program will receive a rebate from SCE to help offset some of the equipment and installations costs. They also will realize ongoing energy savings based on time of use electricity rates that reward off peak consumption.

The hybrid cooling systems are specifically designed for refrigerant based air conditioners, which serve nearly 80% of commercial buildings in California. This differs from other permanent load shifting programs that have traditionally targeted only water based air conditioning units. Consequently, Night Shift can accommodate a wide range of commercial customers and help them cut their energy bills.

EPA Recognizes Performance Track Leaders

On May 21, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson announced 2008 awards to a limited number of National Environmental Performance Track members for exceptional achievements in reducing their facility environmental footprints, reaching out to local communities, working with state agencies, and demonstrating environmental stewardship at the corporate level. Performance Track, what EPA calls its most comprehensive environmental leadership program, recognizes and drives environmental excellence by encouraging facilities with strong environmental records to go above and beyond their legal requirements.

"Our Performance Track leaders are helping change the way businesses view their responsibility to protect our shared environment," said Johnson. "These companies are meeting this challenge by proving that doing what's good for our environment is also good for business."

Since the program's inception in June 2000, Performance Track membership has grown to more than 500 facilities in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and members have made more than 3,500 commitments to the environment. Through their combined environmental efforts, Performance Track member facilities have reported cumulative reductions in water use of 5.2 billion gallons, greenhouse gas reductions of 309,780 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, increases in use of recycled materials in production by 559,991 tons, and conservation of 16,809 acres of habitat. Many of the members' achievements address issues that are not covered by current regulations.

EPA is designating Xerox Corp. of Webster, NY the 2008 Performance Track Corporate Leader for its exceptional corporate wide commitment to environmental stewardship and continuous improvement, and for its substantial involvement in Performance Track. All five of Xerox's U.S. manufacturing facilities are members of Performance Track. Xerox joins the ranks of other Performance Track Corporate Leaders: Baxter Healthcare Corp., Johnson & Johnson, Rockwell Collins, and Xanterra Parks & Resorts.

Also receiving environmental performance awards were: TDK Components USA Inc., Peachtree, GA; Rohm and Haas, Kankakee, IL; Lafarge Aggregates SE, Douglassville, GA; and the Naval Air Engineering Station, Lakehurst, NJ. EPA made its selection based on members' progress toward achieving environmental performance goals and the breadth and challenge of these goals.

The winners for extraordinary efforts in outreach are the Management and Engineering Services, LLC, Longmont, CO; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Palmdale, CA; Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC., Wilson, NC; and Hewlett Packard, Corvallis, OR. Outreach award winners make a special effort to inform the public on what it means to be a Performance Track member through presentations, promotional materials, and employee awareness.

Two state agencies—the State of Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Environmental Services, and the State of South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Waste Management Division—received special recognition for supporting Performance Track and its members.

The state of Louisiana expedited issuance of air and water permits for Marathon Oil based on the company's environmental performance and Performance Track membership. In South Dakota, the state agency collaborated with Ellsworth Air Force Base to provide regulatory benefits that enable the facility to pursue its environmental goals.

At the awards ceremony on May 21, Administrator Johnson also officially welcomed 97 new facilities that have joined Performance Track since May 2007.

The awards dinner was is held in conjunction with the fifth annual National Environmental Partnership Summit, an interdisciplinary gathering of environmental professionals and assistance providers from diverse sectors all over the world. It was created five years ago with the merger of the annual meetings of the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, the Compliance Assistance Providers' Forum and the Performance Track Participants' Association.

Report From Germany: Upward Trend In Office Furniture Continues

The German office furniture industry maintained its growth course in the first quarter of 2008. The manufacturers, who are members of the BSO (Association of Office, Seating and Object Furniture/Verband Büro-, Sitz- und Objektmöbel), increased their turnover in the months January to March 2008 by 10.2% compared to the same period the previous year.

Commenting on this positive development, BSO Chairman Hendrik Hund, pointed out: “The investment restraint of previous years has led to strong backlog demand at many companies. We are now benefiting from this. For some time now, the quality of office furnishings and furniture has increasingly become the focus of customers’ attention. In particular, high ergonomic value furniture in high quality, attractive design is enjoying strong demand.”

In the past two years, the manufacturers of office furniture were already clearly able to increase their turnover. In 2007, the BSO members reported sales growth of 14.7%. This led to a rise in the office furniture production volume to 2.12 (1.85) billion Euro.

In 2007 the office furniture manufacturers benefited from the increased interest in connection with both the domestic market as well as exports. In contrast, foreign suppliers did not contribute to the growth of the domestic market.

While the BSO members in Germany reached sales growth of 14.5% (according to figures released by the Federal Statistical Office), imports were in decline. Imports of wooden and steel framed furniture fell by 2.6% compared to the previous year, while imports of swivel chairs declined by 0.2%.

The most important export markets for German office furniture were the other neighboring countries of Holland, France, Switzerland, and Austria. In terms of exports beyond the borders of the European Union, business and trade particularly with Russia and the Gulf states developed at a positive level.

According to observations by the BSO, in both regions the high quality associated with “Made in Germany” continues to apply as a powerful sales argument. In the area of office chairs, the export quota of total turnover achieved by the BSO member companies in 2007 was 41.7%. Nevertheless, 23.1% of framed furniture, which is more difficult to transport due to its bulky volume, was exported abroad.

The productivity factors for the German office furniture manufacturers also developed at positive rates last year. In this connection, the BSO member companies increased sales per employee by 9.0% and sales per rendered working hour improved by 8.4%. In 2007, for the first time in many years, additional staff and employees were taken on once again. Compared to the previous year, the number of employees increased by 4.9% to around 12,600.

Due to the turbulence on the financial markets and slight decline in worldwide economic activity, the BSO expects lower growth compared to last year. Currently the association assumes an average growth rate of 4% to 6%.

As Chairman Hund also explained, the trend in raw materials prices is a cause of concern for the German office furniture producers. In order to compensate for the rising costs of metals, wood, and plastics, which in some cases have reached double figure percentage increases, as well as the increases in energy and logistics costs, the beginning of the year already saw office furniture prices rise by an average of 5%.

According to the BSO, the fact that the prices have not increased further is in particular due to the increased efficiency of company procedures and processes. Further increases in material costs will however necessitate a renewed price adjustment by the end of the current year at the latest.

New Research Shows Employers Offering More Amenity Options

Companies are offering employees a wider range of amenities than in years past, according to results from a recent International Facility Management Association study. When compared to similar data from 2004,the most common amenities are still break rooms and coffee bars, but employers are increasingly providing Internetcafés , outdoor recreation areas, and employee health facilities as well, according to the report,"Benchmarks V: Annual Facility Costs."

While previous IFMA studies have shown employee workspace size decreasing—middle manager office space, for example, has shrunk from an average of 151 square feet in 1994 to 121 in 2007, a decline of nearly 20%—the variety of amenities being offered is on the rise. This increase in employee amenity options could be attributed to companies wanting to attract and retain the best employees while compensating for reduced workspace size.

“As companies reduce personal workspace, employees place greater importance on in-house amenities that simplify and enrich their work day, such as lunch-hour yoga at the company fitness center,” said AngieEarlywine, workplace strategist for HOK Advance Strategies. “Employees benefit from feeling refreshed and relaxed as they return to the remainder of their day, and employers benefit from the increase in afternoon productivity.”

Headquarter and educational facilities are the most likely to offer the majority of
employee amenities, according to the report, and while some amenities are being offered by fewer companies than in 2004, the emergence of new alternatives is pronounced. Multi-purpose space, for example, has become a popular feature, being offered by 35% of survey respondents. Other popular amenity options found by the new study include exercise parks, cot rooms, and nursing/lactation areas.

Based on a survey of 1,032 facility professionals from across North America, the
new report covers a variety of costs associated with employee amenities. The costs are broken down by industry, facility type, and geographic region. Companies on the West Coast, for example, annually spend an average of 30 cents per square foot to operate and maintain amenities, while those in the Midwest spend only 4 cents.

IFMA annually conducts a benchmarking survey of its members in an effort to
collect data that allows for easy comparisons of built environment costs and practices. These reports allow facility professionals to gauge their performance against similar facilities—whether in the same industry or a different one. This year’s report includes data from more than 1,000 facilities and isIFMA’s largest benchmarking study to date, with many survey respondents supplying information from multiple facilities.

To learn more about the "Benchmarks V: Annual Facility Costs" survey results and methodology, or to order a copy of the report, visit www.ifma.org/tools/research/benchmarks_v.cfm.

What amenities have you added to your facility in the recent year? What are employees looking for when it comes to amenities? Post a comment below and share your thoughts with other facility managers.

FRIDAY FUNNY: Facility Managers Know Better (We Hope!)

Most of the time, it takes the trained eye of a professional inspector to identify defects or potential hazards within a facility. On some occasions, however, certain maintenance issues are easy to spot. And in private residences, where untrained homeowners act as D-I-Y facility managers, well, the results can sometimes be catastrophes waiting to happen.

Each year, the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) releases unusual home inspection discoveries from the field. The photos below were submitted by ASHI Certified Inspectors and published in ASHI’s publication, the ASHI Reporter. Photos appear monthly in ASHI’s “Postcards from the Field” section.

“Some of the most unusual discoveries I’ve made as a home inspector have happened while I was inspecting dark crawl spaces, attics, and roofs,” said Brion Grant, 2008 ASHI president. “From time to time, though, I spot some pretty unusual and potentially dangerous issues simply by walking into a room.”

Monumentally Bad Planning
Electrical outlets come in all shapes and sizes, but even John Fryer, an ASHI Certified Inspector from Oakland, CA, was stumped by this unique contraption. While Silicone Valley (the site of this finding) is lauded as a premier location for creative minds and innovation, this improvised design is more dangerous than ingenious.

ASHI’s founder, Ron Passaro of Bethel, CT, advised the owner of this home to take caution when walking out this door. Watch out, that first step can be a little tricky.


Fun With Water
Each year, ASHI emphasizes the importance of winterizing outdoor faucets as part of an ongoing winter maintenance regimen. While inspecting this home in Hopedale, MA, however, ASHI Certified Inspector Ron Cook concluded that this homeowner did not heed the Society’s advice.

The owner of this home in Bartlett, TN, does not appear to believe in the expression “all things in moderation.” There are six hoses connected to the faucet shown here. ASHI Certified Inspector Brandon Dyles said the homeowner was hoping it would pass as a “sprinkler system.”

KA-BOOM!
The junction box shown here is the “Grand Central Station” of junction boxes with more wires coming and going than ASHI Certified Inspector Garet Denise of Littleton, CO, cared to count. Surprisingly, this is the work of a licensed contractor and was approved by the local municipal inspector.

Oops. A licensed contractor. Reminds me of my first house, which was owned by a former engineer from a company I will mention by initials only: G.E. The kitchen was wired in such a way that the dishwasher would only run when you turned on the wall oven. Needless to say, this gentleman's friendship with the inspector was the only reason he was able to get the Certificate of Occupancy required in order to sell the house. His engineering prowess was certainly dubious, at best.

Have you seen anything like this during your tenure in the facility management profession? Send your photos to us!

Greenpeace co-founder speaks out

Greenpeace co-founder and former leader Dr. Patrick Moore recently spoke out against attempts by activist environmental groups to politicize the green building agenda.

Addressing members of the National Association of Home Builders at their recent National Green Building Conference in New Orleans, Moore said, “Greenpeace is using the US Green Building Council's LEED green building standard as a Trojan horse to deliver an activist agenda that is not in line with science or sustainability."

“Ironically, many of the positions that Greenpeace and other activist organizations advocate run contrary to a sound green building approach and will likely do more harm than good,” said Moore, Chair and Chief Scientist at consulting firm Greenspirit Strategies Ltd.

“Greenpeace is opposed to the use of hydro power, nuclear energy, widely accepted sustainable forestry standards, and vinyl products, to name but a few of the things they are opposed to," said Moore.

"How ironic since nuclear and hydro are among the most sustainable of energy sources while wood and vinyl are among the most sustainable of building materials," said Moore.

“These unscientific biases, fostered by activist groups, have found their way into the LEED standard,” said Moore.

“Healthcare is an important field where vinyl materials perform well because of their low cost and anti-bacterial qualities," said Moore.

"In my opinion, banning vinyl from healthcare—as some activist organizations would have us do in the new LEED for healthcare standard—runs contrary to everything I know about sustainability," said Moore.

"A ban on affordable vinyl products might increase healthcare costs at a time when we can least afford it," said Moore. "Such a ban might also have negative implications on hospital hygiene," Moore said.

“We need to be practical and realistic," said Moore.

"There are over six billion people on this planet, all of whom need food, energy, shelter, and materials," said Moore.

"By initiating campaigns against nuclear and hydro power, wood, and vinyl, the Greenpeace agenda would have us deny people basic needs, and that runs completely contrary to true sustainability," said Moore.

“One way to ensure LEED and other green building standards are not unduly influenced by the activist political agenda is to encourage rigorous competition among the various standards,” said Moore.

“No green building standard should have a monopoly on the market,” said Moore.

“Competition is important to ensuring high quality green building standards that are based on sound science and focused on sustainability,” said Moore.

Bird-X, Inc. Adds Resources To Its Web Site

The company has introduced its redesigned site to offer more information on bird control issues. While retaining all of the information from the previous site, the updated site (www.bird-x.com) contains an array of relevant information pertaining to specific bird problems and solutions. It is designed to serve as a complete authoritative resource on bird and animal control with educational and practical information, along with links to articles and customer testimonials.

"We wanted to create a Web site that functions as more than just an online store," says Mona Zemsky, marketing manager for Bird-X, Inc. "For example, if a corporate complex has a problem with territorial Canada geese destroying the grounds, we want them to know how to solve it, of course, but also why that solution is going to be successful in the long-term."

The Web site encompasses information learned after four decades of working with scientists, biologists, humane and Audubon societies, animal rights groups, environmental groups, concerned citizens, and global leaders of industry. Secondly, it highlights the real world experiences of the organizations who have suffered the financial, aesthetic and health effects of birds and their droppings.

About Bird-X, Inc.
Founded in 1963, Bird-X, Inc. is known for producing the world's most humane bird and animal pest control products. With new laser, ultrasonic, sonic, and visual repellents, the Bird-X tradition of innovation, high quality, and premium materials continues to endure. The company is located in Chicago, IL.

Green Cleaning Firm Launches New Web Site

With the new site, The Ashkin Group LLC is striving to illustrate how green cleaning can be beneficial in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare and education. The site, launched in April 2008, is a project spearheaded by Ashkin technology director Eric Hauck.

“It has a lot more functionality for users,” explains Hauck. “We wanted to present green cleaning in a much more easy to understand format.”

President of The Ashkin Group, LLC., Stephen Ashkin, has been a leader in the effort to green the cleaning and maintenance industry for more than 15 years. He is a writer, speaker, and advocate for safer and healthier cleaning methods.

Among the materials available on the site is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about green cleaning. “We included the FAQ section because we wanted [the Web site] to be designed for those just now being introduced to green cleaning as well as those who are pros,” says Ashkin. “This is our second Web site and with each one we try to get more inclusive, more helpful, and more informative.”

The site is located at www.ashkingroup.com/homenew.html

About Stephen Ashkin and The Ashkin Group
Stephen P. Ashkin is president of The Ashkin Group, a consulting firm specializing in Greening the Cleaning process and executive director of the Green Cleaning Network, both based in Bloomington, IN.

China is Third Largest Destination for U.S. High-Tech Exports

AeA, a trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, has released the 23rd edition of its ongoing Competitiveness Series. The report analyzes the strong economic relationship between the U.S. and China in terms of high-tech trade and foreign direct investment.

“China’s economic rise poses not a threat but a host of opportunities and challenges to the rest of the world,” said Rob Mulligan, AeA’s Senior Vice President International. “Public policy in both the U.S. and China must recognize the interdependent nature of our economies and avoid protectionism and distorting trade practices. Such policies restrain trade, damage economies, and raise prices for consumers.”

U.S. high-tech goods exports to China more than doubled between 2001 and 2007. This makes China the third fastest growing (and the third largest destination) for U.S. high-tech exports. Only the United States’ two NAFTA partners, Canada and Mexico, are larger export destinations for American tech products than China. Between 2001 and 2007, U.S. high-tech goods imports from China rose from $26 billion to $112 billion.

Total U.S. direct investment in China was $22.2 billion in 2006, a 30% increase over 2005. In 2006, U.S. technology investments in China totaled $1.9 billion, a 69% rise over 2005.

"As China seeks to become a global leader in technological innovation,” continued Mulligan, “it will need to move away from policies promoting discriminatory local standards, domestic government procurement preferences, and protectionist competition laws."

The report outlines a series of public policy recommendations for dealing with China as a rising economic power.

Data Center Users Group Conference Tackles Today’s Most Pressing IT and Facilities Issues

More than 230 industry experts representing 135 companies with the world’s most business-critical networks discussed server virtualization, energy efficiency, cooling strategies, and high-density power distribution during the two-day Data Center Users’ Group® (DCUG) spring conference earlier this month in Tampa, FL.

The DCUG is a group of influential data center, IT, and facility managers formed by Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson. The group provides a collaborative, focused environment where those closest to the data center can address the issues, trends, challenges, and solutions associated with building a highly available, flexible, and cost-effective facility.

The spring conference focused on analyzing emerging technologies and best practices for data centers, 2010 and beyond, and featured a series of discussions with experts from different focus areas, including presentations on these subjects: The impact of virtualization on the data center; next-generation cooling–supplemental, embedded, and chip level; alternative UPS and distribution configurations; building an energy-efficient data center; and data center monitoring and measurement

“The evolving data center demands new technologies and strategies, and a forum such as this—that includes industry thought leaders and experts sharing experiences and ideas—is an invaluable resource as we tackle these challenges,” said Bob Miller, vice president, marquee accounts, Emerson Network Power’s Liebert business and a member of the Data Center Users’ Group board of directors. “As an industry, we must adapt to take advantage of the opportunities presented by issues such as increasing heat densities, demands for high-density power distribution, and the growing need for effective energy efficiency strategies.”

The DCUG members in attendance at the conference reviewed results from the group’s recent industry survey that indicates an overwhelming majority of data center operators are seeing rising power densities in their racks and expect the trend to continue.

Thirty-two percent of survey respondents reported an average of more than eight kilowatts (kW) per rack in their facilities, up from 25% at that level in 2006. Looking ahead, 57% said their rack power density would exceed that level by 2010.
“The significance,” said Miller, “is that once you get above eight kW it really points out the need for next-generation high-density cooling strategies.”

Respondents also demonstrated significantly more interest in monitoring and energy efficiency. In spring 2005, 18% said monitoring was important. That number jumped to 43% in this survey. The increased emphasis on energy efficiency is even more dramatic. In spring 2005, zero percent said it was important. Now 40% say energy efficiency is important.

More than 150 DCUG member companies and non-member Fortune 500 companies participated in the survey, which covered a variety of data center topics, including power management, precision cooling, server virtualization, and server consolidation.

Founded in 2003, the DCUG includes approximately 1,500 members; the group meets semi-annually to collaboratively discuss the most relevant issues affecting the reliability, availability, and cost of operation for mission-critical installations. The group’s membership comprises executives with a wide variety of IT and facilities management expertise from an assortment of companies, including board member companies Vanguard, Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions, and JPMorgan Chase, among others

WEIRD WEDNESDAY: The Ants Go Marching...

Today's Weird Wednesday story comes straight from the "you can't make this stuff up" file. For facility professionals outside of the Houston, TX area, this story is odd, but amusing. For fms in the largest city in Texas, it's "A Bug's Life" with a nightmarish twist, and the siege shows few signs of ending anytime soon.

The story is about ants...crazy rasberry ants. What makes them doubly nightmarish (especially for fms) is their appetite for electronics (computers, motors, wiring) and their tenacity (it's nearly impossible to kill them because of their extreme numbers and the cost of the treatment).

First spotted about six years ago, paratrenicha species near pubens (their formal name) may have arrived in Houston by way of cargo ships from South America or the Caribbean. Their numbers have gone from the thousands to the millions in the meantime, and their infestations have spread to five surrounding counties. Moving at the rate of a half a mile a year, the ants (named after Tom Rasberry, the first Texas exterminator to do battle with them) do bite, but they don't sting.

Linda Stewart Ball of the Associated Press reports:

Exterminators say calls from frustrated homeowners and businesses are increasing because the ants — which are starting to emerge by the billions with the onset of the warm, humid season — appear to be resistant to over-the-counter ant killers.

And when you do kill these ants, the survivors turn it to their advantage: They pile up the dead, sometimes using them as a bridge to cross safely over surfaces treated with pesticide.

"At this point, it would be nearly impossible to eradicate the ant because it is so widely dispersed," said Roger Gold, a Texas A&M University entomologist.

The good news? They eat fire ants, the stinging red terrors of Texas summers.

But the ants also like to suck the sweet juices from plants, feed on such beneficial insects as ladybugs, and eat the hatchlings of a small, endangered type of grouse known as the Attwater prairie chicken.

Worse, they, like some other species of ants, are attracted to electrical equipment, for reasons that are not well understood by scientists. They have ruined pumps at sewage pumping stations, fouled computers and at least one homeowner's gas meter, and caused fire alarms to malfunction. They have been spotted at NASA's Johnson Space Center and close to Hobby Airport, though they haven't caused any major problems there yet.

Apparently, Moscow has called Houston to make sure everything was safe at NASA.

Here's more on these critters from the Center for Urban & Structural Entomology, Texas A&M University, Department of Entomology:

They have been known to short out many different types of electrical apparatuses. In some cases the ants have caused several thousand dollars in damage and remedial costs. These ants often cause great annoyance to residents and businesses.

Currently, little is known regarding specific biology of this ant. Texas A&M's Center for Urban and Structural Entomology is currently investigating food source attraction (Rachel Wynalda, M.S. student), colony growth, and immature development (Jason Meyers, Ph.D. student). However, research regarding other Paratrechina species is available and may offer close approximations of this species.

Colonies are polygyne (multiple queens) with moderately sized numbers (several hundred to few thousand). However, size of the colony can be much greater, especially when considering their unicolonial (supercolony) behavior. The colonies can be found under or within almost any object or void, including stumps, soil, concrete, rocks, potted plants, etc.

Check out this news footage from a local Houston station:

This story makes me itch.

US Private Security CEO Addresses Mexican Government Leaders

Kent Moyer, CEO of The World Protection Group, a company specializing in executive protection, uniform protective services, investigations, and threat management based upon proactive U.S. Secret Service philosophies and security best practices, was recently a featured keynote speaker at the Simposium Interacional de Seguidad Publica in Mexico City. The symposium was attended by nearly 700 people involved in national security and safety including Mexico's congressional, judiciary, and law enforcement leaders, as well as attorneys and corporate and private security professionals operating in Mexico.

Moyer spoke by special invitation from the Mexican government based on his extensive career in private security, law enforcement, and operations in Latin America that relies on cooperation with local and federal law enforcement on both sides of the border. The symposium featured four English speakers including Moyer, a representative from the U.S. Department of Justice, and representatives from Scotland Yard and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Moyer's presentation emphasized the importance and relevance of recruiting, training, and incentivizing law enforcement and private security, highlighting the challenges facing Mexico such as lack of uniform standards and limited financial resources, that also challenge United States public-private partnerships. He also highlighted the value of "working together to combat criminal activity" citing working examples in the United States, such as Building Improvement Districts (BIDS), where businesses pool resources to employ private security to proactively deter, detect, and detain criminal activity in support of local law enforcement.

Moyer has been involved in private security for nearly 17 years and is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, at the University of Pennsylvania; the Executive Security International Executive Protection & Protective Intelligence program; the Executive Protection Institute, and the Los Angeles & Orange County Sheriffs Academies.

"LEED 2009" Open For Public Comment

The U.S Green Building Council (USGBC) has put proposed improvements to the green building rating system up for comment through June 22.

LEED 2009 represents a reorganization of the existing LEED rating systems for commercial buildings, combined with a series of major technical advancements focused on improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, and addressing other environmental and human health outcomes.

“Continuing to seek the right balance between technical advancement and market transformation was a driving force behind the LEED 2009 work,” explained Scot Horst, chairman of the volunteer LEED Steering Committee, which leads the technical development of the LEED rating system. “The ‘big ideas’ we’ve proposed include transparent weightings of LEED credits so the highest priority credits achieve the most points, a new mechanism for incorporating bioregional credits, and a more nimble framework that supports rapid response to emerging environmental and human health issues.”

The LEED Green Building Rating System was developed by USGBC to drive market transformation in the building industry by defining a consensus metric for leadership in green building that forms a basis for continuous improvement. The evolution of LEED is based on technical, scientific, and market-based advancements.

“When it was introduced in 2000, the LEED Green Building Rating System helped to spark a revolution that is changing the way we build and operate our offices, schools, hospitals and homes,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, USGBC. “LEED 2009 resets the bar for green building leadership because the urgency of our mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further.”

LEED 2009 is the product of thousands of hours of volunteer time and expertise provided by representatives from all areas of the building industry who serve on the USGBC member committees and oversee the development of LEED. LEED 2009, coupled with an expanded third-party certification program and enhancements to LEED Online, make up a multifaceted initiative referred to as LEED Version 3.0.

Detailed information about specific proposed technical changes to the rating system can be found in the number of background documents that accompany the public comment forms on USGBC’s Web site. Further information about the expansion of the certification process and improvements to LEED Online as well as future technical improvements, including the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into LEED, will be forthcoming in late summer.

About the Public Comment Period
The public comment period is a critical part of the consensus process by which LEED is developed. During public comment, all stakeholders are invited to review all proposed improvements and offer technical or market oriented perspectives through USGBC’s Web site on the slate of changes represented by LEED 2009. All public comments are reviewed by the USGBC volunteer committees that oversee the LEED rating system. USGBC will respond to all comments and post the comments and responses (without commenter names or organizations) to the USGBC Web site. If changes to the LEED system are made as a result of comments, a 15-day second public comment period will be undertaken. The resulting draft will be sent to all USGBC member organizations for ballot prior to release.

The public comment period will be open for 30 days, from May 19 through June 22, 2008, at 5 PM Pacific Time.

United Steelworkers Ratify New Contract with OMNOVA Solutions in PA

OMNOVA Solutions recently announced that members of United Steelworkers Local 22L have ratified a new labor agreement covering the company's Jeannette, PA plant. The agreement will take full effect on September 2, 2008, the expiration date of the current contract. Certain provisions were implemented as of May 12, 2008.

"The cooperative working relationship that exists today in Jeannette allowed early talks that resulted in a win-win for all involved," said Kevin McMullen, OMNOVA Solutions Chairman and CEO. "Hard work by the negotiating teams on both sides culminated in a fair agreement that continues to provide excellent jobs with very good wages and benefits for our union associates, while helping to secure a competitive position for the Jeannette plant in a very challenging marketplace."

The Jeannette, PA facility is part of OMNOVA's Decorative Products business unit, with about 116 of its 150 employees represented by Local 22L. The plant produces industrial films and laminates used in a number of products, including awnings, signage, swimming pools, window shades, and floors and ceilings for manufactured housing.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Wayfinding Strategies For Emergency Evacuations

Today's WEB EXCLUSIVE was submitted by Paul Moor, commercial manager, Evactools Limited.


Good evacuation maps save lives. Ineffective evacuation signage can confuse users and can be fatal during emergencies.

Some of the most common reasons for confusing evacuation maps include:
• Use of single orientation for all maps, irrespective of the maps location;
• Use of CAD floor plans as maps;
• No external reference; or
• Lack of reference to the readers position.

One key problem with existing map design is the use of a single reading orientation for all maps in all locations. The orientation is typically "north-up." which at least gives some orientation. However, the results are that when traveling south, the next exit on the left in reality is on the right.

Further complications arise when, in an attempt to make the evacuation map more relevant to the user, copies of the building's two-dimensional CAD floor plans are used. These often fail to be oriented to the basic "north-up" level, compounding confusion and resulting in false information being presented to the reader.

The aim of any evacuation map is to aid the safe egress from a building to an area of safe shelter. Correctly oriented, user-centered evacuation maps remove many of the barriers to effective wayfinding and aid successful evacuations.

How can Evacuation Maps be Improved?
To compare any map to the real world, the map has to be mentally noted and rotated to fit the building space as it is presented to the user. This can be difficult and time consuming, especially for children, the elderly, and for those with cognitive impairments. For these groups, this task is virtually impossible. Every second that occupants are delayed increases the risk that they lose their lives.

Effective evacuation or emergency wayfinding is accomplished by providing easy to interpret, informative signage at key decision points from the user’s location to a place of safety. As buildings become more complex, the need to introduce efficient wayfinding solutions that aid navigation increases.

During emergencies, effective navigation to a place of safety is vitally important. The lack of detailed knowledge of these complex environments or being in unfamiliar surroundings hinders a safe and effective evacuation.

Such complex environments result in the occupants becoming unaware of the most suitable means of escape, often opting to make use of the most familiar exits (such as building entrances), and ignoring closer or more appropriate emergency exits. The provision of effective evacuation maps in complex environments is essential for aiding emergency wayfinding and reducing the amount of time required to evacuate.

Evacuation maps should provide clear, concise information that the occupant may not have previously been aware of, providing options, suggestions, and the opportunity to decide on the best possible route for evacuation.

Existing wayfinding aids in the built environment may be difficult to access. For those who read in a different language, text based instructions are barriers. If the information is not provided in formats accessible to a wide range of abilities, its effectiveness is compromised. The provision of inaccessible signage during an emergency is a significant and foreseeable risk to the safety of the occupants of that building.

In an attempt to overcome these barriers, maps can be provided as an aid to wayfinding. While a significant improvement on the text based approach, many people have problems interpreting two dimensional maps which require mental translation and relation to a three dimensional space.

Three dimensional, egocentric (the tendency to perceive, understand, and interpret the world in terms of self) or "bird's-eye’"overview allows the user to view the building from various vantage points. These aid the interpretation of the map, allowing people to locate emergency equipment and exits in direct relation to their location and direction of travel. This 3D overview provides a more dynamic image that facilitates faster, easier to recognize, and more intelligibly perceptible and useful information than the standard "flat" two dimensional floor plan.

Complication Through Symmetry
Symmetrically designed buildings, while seemingly simplistic, can prove confusing during evacuations unless specific visual references are made to their internal and external orientation. These environments benefit from the designation of exit zones, color coded exits, and evacuation maps that clearly mark paths to the closest and alternate emergency exits.

Evacuation maps should be placed in relation to the path of travel. It is important to ensure that the maps are placed at regular intervals rather than relying on one centrally accessible map. This is especially important in large or complex buildings.

With an ever varying risk profile, the assumption that all emergency exits are available is one that introduces significant risk to the safe evacuation of building occupants. With the increasing number of non fire related incidents necessitating the closure of one or more emergency exits, the need to navigate from a closed exit to the next closest safe exit needs careful consideration and planning. Failing to provide adequate guidance at these exit points compromises the safety of occupants unfamiliar with the floor layout and location of alternative exits.

The reliability of evacuation information is critical to the safe evacuation of the building's occupants. Information should be legible and accurate. Changes to the building's infrastructure or internal layout should be reflected in the relevant evacuation maps at the time of the change. Failure to maintain the maps in line with building changes introduces foreseeable risk.

All public information becomes a part of the occupant’s information on how to use and navigate the environment. The representation of this public information needs to be consistent to be clear. Evacuation maps must agree with facility maps and current floor plans. With occupants attending meetings in other buildings or floors, this consistency aids the quick identification of evacuation instructions and facilitates effective evacuations in potentially unfamiliar environments.

Recommendations
• The simpler the map, the more accessible it becomes;
• Correct use of "You are here" markers significantly improves recognition of the user's location and best route to safety;
• Evacuation maps should be placed in common areas to aid occupant’s familiarity;
• Additional evacuation signs should be placed at each emergency exit to aid navigation to alternate exits;
• Evacuation maps should be oriented to ensure decisions on quickest route to safety are correct;
• Identify the building, floor, and/or room number on the evacuation map;
• Ensure that information on the map is reliable and regularly maintained;
• Map placement should be at a level that is accessible by wheelchair users;
• Consider including a map of the assembly areas as an addition to the evacuation map.

Contact the author by sending an e-mail to paul@evactools.com.

How Much Water Do You Need To Flush?

As plumbing products continue to become more water-efficient, including 1.0 gallon-per-flush water closets and urinals utilizing only one pint of water to flush, there's greater interest in low-consumption fixtures. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is expected to soon bring more clarity to some of these low-consumption flushing terms by defining them in applicable standards.

John Watson, director of technical services for plumbing manufacturer Sloan Valve Company and a member of the ASME A112.19.2 Working Group, says that no "official" definition has yet emerged in an approved consensus standard for High-Efficiency Urinals (HEU) and High-Efficiency Toilets (HET).

ASME will, however, likely provide those definitions when it next updates the ASME A.112.19.2 standard. For now, HEUs and HETs can be defined as follows:

An HEU is a urinal that performs to the current ASME A.112.19.2 performance standards while using no more than 0.5 gpf/1.9 Lpf to flush. This is a reduction from the current standard of 1.0 gpf/3.8 Lpf as required by the Energy Policy Act of 1992. By this definition, waterfree urinals are categorized as HEUs.

An HET is a water closet that meets the current performance requirements outlined in ASME A.112.19.2 but does so by either flushing at a maximum of 1.28 gpf/4.8 Lpf or by deploying a dual-flush device, which based on a typical 2:1 liquid/solid use ratio, averages a total flush volume of 1.28 gpf while achieving a MaP test score of removing at least 350 grams of waste.

"Dual-flush Flushometers are rising in popularity," says Watson, "partly because they easily meet HET performance standards."

In smaller buildings, Watson explains, it may be more advantageous to install manual dual-flush Flushometers in restrooms, because they have a regular set of users. "These users are more familiar with and conscientious about the facility, which means they are more likely to learn how to manually operate a dual-flush Flushometer to its full potential," he says.

But restrooms frequented by newcomers can certainly benefit from manual dual-flush Flushometers as well. Sloan includes signage with its UPPERCUT® dual-flush Flushometers, which can be affixed near the flush valve to quickly educate users on its usage and benefits. Proper operation by even a fraction of the users can equate to significant water savings.

Plus, as dual-flush flush valves become more common, restroom users will just intuitively know how to operate them—much in the same way they learned to adapt to sensor-operated Flushometers when they first emerged on the market.

Large commercial or institutional buildings with a transient population or restrooms in high-traffic areas such as airports, entertainment venues, and shopping malls may gain greater efficiencies from automatic operation. "For these restrooms, it makes sense to install the new electronic dual-flush Flushometers, which automatically initiate the appropriate flush cycle, depending on the amount of time the user remains in the sensor range," says Watson.

Boston's Fenway Park Drawing On Sun For Water Heating

The Boston Red Sox baseball team formally unveiled solar hot water panels on the roof of its stadium yesterday. The panels, which will help heat water used throughout the facility, are part of a series of environmentally sustainable practices that have been implemented at the Park this year. The Red Sox worked on this initiative with National Grid, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The Red Sox are the first team in Major League Baseball to have a solar thermal system at their ballpark. “The Red Sox have a duty and responsibility to help protect and preserve the environment and to help keep the Fenway neighborhood clean and green,” said Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino. “The installation of solar thermal panels is the next step in our commitment to endeavor to make America's Most Beloved Ballpark one of America's greenest ballparks.”

The 28 solar panels were installed from May 7 through May 12 on the roof of the fifth floor media level, overlooking the ramp and elevator shaft, and will be fully operational this week. This site faces almost directly south, with only a few hours of the winter solstice when the site is shadowed and the solar exposure is highly desirable. This location is also a close proximity to the water heaters in the mechanical room on the roof, and energy captured by the panels can be delivered to this equipment.

The energy generated by the panels will replace more than a third of the gas traditionally used for the process of heating water at the park. Fenway’s average daily water heating load is approximately 3.1 million BTU. The maximum daily solar panel thermal energy production will be approximately 1.1 million BTU, or 37% of the current load.

According to Bonneville Environmental Foundation, the installation of the panels will also help avoid 18 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Offsetting 18 tons of carbon dioxide is the environmental equivalent of planting 4.86 acres of trees, not driving a car for 43,611 miles, or offsetting the carbon dioxide produced through natural gas use from approximately four average U.S. homes annually.

The type of solar hot water panels being installed are the GOBI line of solar flat-plate collectors. The panels are manufactured by Heliodyne Incorporated of Richmond, CA. The panels were installed by groSolar, a leader in solar energy systems, and a minority-owned New England company based in White River Junction, VT.

"Five Year Plan"
Under the direction of the Red Sox ownership, the club is engaging sponsors, local groups, and the fans of Red Sox Nation to help execute a five year plan to bring green practices to Fenway Park. New greening initiatives in 2008 include: installation of solar powered ‘Big Belly’ trash compactors around the park; creation of the Poland Spring Green Team, the first of its kind in professional sports, to collect plastic soda and water bottles from fans during games; placement of 75 recycling bins throughout the park; the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices in the front office, on the field and in the ARAMARK concession stands and restaurants; and finally the installation of the solar panels to reduce energy requirements for heating water.

About National Grid
National Grid conducted a location feasibility study in 2007 and recommended the installation of solar hot water panels on the 5th level roof at Fenway Park. They also provided financial support for the Fenway project. National Grid is committed to the protection and enhancement of the environment, always seeking new ways to minimize the environmental impacts of their past, present, and future activities. As an organization, National Grid believes that everyone is responsible for good environmental performance as they incorporate environmental considerations into all their business activities.

About Bonneville Environmental Foundation
The Red Sox were advised on the solar thermal panel project by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit organization. Established in 1998 to further the development and use of new renewable energy resources and restore watershed ecosystems, the BEF funds projects that support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass and restore damaged watersheds. Revenues generated from its sales of Green Tags directly support additional new watershed restoration and renewable energy projects such as the national Solar4RSchools program.

About Natural Resources Defense Council
The Red Sox partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council last fall and through this relationship have made great strides in their efforts to adopt environmentally sustainable practices and educate both their fans and the entire organization about the importance of being green. NRDC has played an important role in the solar thermal panel project and will be conducting an environmental awareness/Greening 101 presentation to the entire Red Sox Front Office. NRDC's mission is to safeguard the earth: its people, its plans and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.

SFPE Supports Federal Legislation Aimed at Enhancing Building Safety

Each year in the United States, more than 3,000 people die, thousands are injured, and over $10 billion in property is lost as a result of fire. As a way to enhance public safety in buildings and reduce these losses from fire, a bill – the Community Building Code Administration Grant Act of 2007 – has been introduced in the U.S. Congress. The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) supports this bill that would improve building and fire code enforcement in jurisdictions throughout the country.

“Improved code enforcement will lead to better design and construction practices,” said Chris Jelenewicz, engineering program manager with SFPE. “As a result, our nation’s schools, hospitals, shopping centers, homes, and high-rise buildings will be better protected.”

This legislation will authorize a grant program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If enacted and funded, this law would provide locally matched federal grants to jurisdictions that seek to upgrade their local building and fire code administration and enforcement resources. These grants would provide $100 million per year over five years to help local governments employee building and fire code officials.

“Many fire protection engineers work as building and code officials to help build and maintain fire safe communities,” said Jelenewicz. “If this bill is enacted, many communities will have the opportunity to employee fire protection engineers as part of a community’s code enforcement team.”

This House version of this legislation was sponsored by Congressman Dennis Moore (Kansas) and was referred to the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee (H.R. 4461). The Senate version (S. 2458) was sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu (Louisiana) and was referred to the Senate Banking Committee.

Cannon Hygiene Launches New Web Site

The site is part of the England-based company's introduction to the United States market. Located at www.cannonhygiene.us, the site is designed to provide information on the company's full range of products and services.

Cannon Hygiene, based in Atlanta, GA, is a franchise now located in eight U.S. states and Puerto Rico.* The company provides comprehensive restroom hygiene services and products for commercial, educational, medical, and government facilities.

The new Web site includes descriptions, images, and video of the company's products and services, as well as detailed information on how cleaning professionals and others can become Cannon Hygiene franchises.

"Although we're new to the U.S., Cannon Hygiene is actually more than 50 years old and is well established in more than 30 countries around the world," says Doug Calvert, president of Cannon Hygiene, Inc. "However, visitors will find the information on the new site is very specific to the U.S."

The site includes information about the negative health and environmental impacts of improperly handling and disposing of sanitary waste. And it addresses the potentially harmful bacteria and viruses that can be contracted by cleaning professionals and users when improperly handled.

"Our goal is to take restroom hygiene to a higher level," adds Calvert. "We believe that our industry must take a leadership role in protecting health and promoting restroom hygiene. Hopefully, the site reflects this as well."

* Illinois, Maryland, Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia, California, Massachusetts, and Georgia

About Cannon Hygiene, Inc.
Cannon Hygiene is one of the world's top restroom hygiene service businesses. Based in Lancashire, England, it is responsible for maintaining health and hygiene standards for some of Britain's royal households including Buckingham Palace. Today the company's products are found in more than 30 countries around the world. Cannon Hygiene's wide range of products and services is tailored to the needs of companies and organizations large and small.

New Video Surveillance Network Helps Illinois Mall

Merchants, assets, and shoppers at the one million square foot Golf Mill Shopping Center in Niles, Ill., have been better served since the installation this month of a new wireless video surveillance system. Multiple network cameras inside and outside the mall deter theft, provide footage for review of insurance claims, enable rapid response to incidents and emergencies, and serve as an efficiency improvement tool. At the heart of this installation is a wireless network provided by Firetide Inc.

Over the past few years Golf Mill added exclusive restaurants, a movie theatre, an off track betting facility, and a 24 Hour Fitness location, resulting in increased vehicle and visitor traffic and requiring additional security measures. To avoid the costly process of ripping up newly installed floors to lay network cables for video surveillance, mall management—General Growth Properties in tandem with ownership—opted for Firetide's wireless network. Solutions provider Secure Integrations installed network cameras from Axis Communications in overt locations around the 120 specialty shops, four department stores, and 89 acres of parking spaces and connected them wirelessly over the Firetide network to the central security office in the mall.

''Our Firetide wireless surveillance system is a great tool to assist our tenants and customers,'' said Michael D. Williams, senior general manager at General Growth Properties. ''Whatever the situation – someone slipping and falling, shoplifting, or a major incident – our security staff can respond quickly and proactively.''

Mall security officers monitor the camera system, and video analytics software alerts officers when unauthorized movements are detected. During patrols, officers can access the video feed on PDAs, allowing them to view feeds from any location and making the officers significantly more efficient.

''Using cable and analog CCTVs would have cost a minimum of three times more in one million square feet of retail space,'' said Eugene Szatkowski, president of Secure Integrations. ''A wired system would have required the installation of multiple digital video recorders around the mall. Firetide wireless mesh nodes and access points together with the Axis cameras provide a cost-effective and flexible alternative and support what we believe to be the largest wireless security network in a retail environment.''

If any part of the network needs to be relocated, a Firetide node and Axis camera can be moved in a day. The Axis network cameras feature motion detection, audio detection, and tampering alarms, providing an additional set of tools for security personnel. Video footage is stored for 30 days, but any time an incident takes place, the evidence can be cataloged for up to two years. The system uses digital storage, which makes it easier to e-mail and distribute the video. Mall officials also use the footage to monitor traffic flows, helping event planners and security operations to anticipate and better manage crowds.

Willow School Promotes Sustainable Design with Help from Local Dealer

Dancker, Sellew & Douglas, a commercial interiors firm specializing in environmentally responsible approaches to workspace design, recently hosted an open house at The Willow School in Gladstone, NJ to promote the methods and benefits for incorporating sustainable concepts into commercial environments and corporate daily activities.


During the course of the event, Steve Lang, vice president and general manager at DS&D, also awarded a $2,500 donation to The Willow School, which was founded in 2000 to combine academic excellence and the wonders of the natural world for students ranging from kindergarten through the eighth grade. Since then, the independent day school has become a model for sustainable design while earning certification from the United States Green Building Council in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

"We are proud to be working with The Willow School to promote the latest philosophies and applications of sustainable design," said Lang. "Green building is becoming increasingly important to the corporate world for reducing energy costs, conserving resources and sustaining the environment."

"Our goal is to create a model of excellence," added Mark Biedron, co-founder of The Willow School. "We are committed to combining academic excellence and the joy of learning with an environment that promotes the wonder, beauty, pleasure, and richness of nature. This is achieved by dedicating ourselves to the mastery of the English language, science, and the arts in surroundings that fully embrace and preserve the area's natural beauty."

Located on a 34 acre campus, The Willow School is currently comprised of a recently constructed 13,500-square-foot classroom building, an administrative building that was the original farmhouse, and additional classroom facilities based in the site's refurbished barn. At the heart of each building is the use of sustainable materials that range from stones from the barn's original foundation to ceramic tiles, floorboards, and lumber retrieved and recycled from the demise of numerous other corporate structures and buildings. Even infrastructure items such as glue, wiring, and piping were painstakingly researched and selected based on their bio-friendliness and ability to foster the school's sustainable design concept.

As for the grounds themselves, each classroom within The Willow School features numerous skylights and windows specifically positioned to harvest sunlight throughout the day and reduce the dependence on lighting fixtures and electricity at all times. Rainwater is also collected on site and used for numerous activities including within restrooms. Garbage is turned to compost to nurture the school's many natural meadows, butterfly gardens, flowers, and foliage. In addition, high-efficiency gas heating is supplemented by solar panels, while the ground's wetlands are used for the filtration and treatment of wastewater, which then returns clean water to the school's groundwater system.

"The Willow School has already become recognized as one of the top five LEED facilities in the nation," further explains Lang. "It has provided an excellent example in how we all can work together to use our natural resources and create a greener, safer environment for all future generations."

Pikes Peak IFMA Chapter Recognizes Excellence in Facility Management

For the sixth consecutive year, the Pikes Peak chapter of the International Facility Management Association (PPIFMA) has recognized facility management professionals in the Pikes Peak and the Colorado Region through the Colorado Facility Awards of Excellence (COFAX). This event showcases best in class projects and celebrates exceptional facility management professionals in the area for the effective, innovative, and significant contributions to the profession, to employers, and businesses throughout the state of Colorado.

The 2008 COFAX event recognized exceptional entries in seven categories. These entries were judged by an independent panel of members from the West Michigan Chapter of IFMA, the 2007 IFMA Small Chapter of the Year -- recognized during the 2008 COFAX event for projects and three categories for service awards.

Environmental Impact/Resource Conservation – Property utilizes energy and/or resource savings measures. With 70 sites, 4.2M SF, 700 acres, 29,000 students, 3,200 staff and a $5.2M utility budget you can imagine the need for Colorado Springs School District 11 to focus on energy. The District created a Resource Conservation Management program, launched in May 1999 as a self-funding, multi-phased program utilizing consultant services to build an energy management infrastructure. In 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program recognized this organization as a national leader in energy management; seven sites have been given the official Energy Star label. This project includes self-funding energy projects paid from energy savings such as a $5M Energy Performance Contract that gives immediate benefit to schools with no additional burden on the tax payer. This project returns $1.5M to the classroom each year, which is equivalent to 20 teacher’s salaries and has provided $8.2M in cumulative energy savings since inception. Colorado Springs School District 11 has received numerous awards from the Energy Management Community.
This year's award for Environmental Impact/Resource Conservation goes to Colorado Springs School District 11.


Adaptive Re-Use – Modifying and/or restoring an existing facility or structure for: re-use, different use, or new purpose. Express Scripts of Pueblo took a 78,000 SF retail store and renovated it into a modern, comfortable call center. The renovation included all mechanical and electrical systems, a new roof, and state of the art flooring system which allows for all cabling and mechanical systems to be hidden. The architectural design is very trendy with curved walls, contemporary wall painting designs, beautiful art, and high end furniture to match. The ceilings were upgraded with fresh paint and air ventilation socks that help bring in fresh air from the outside and distribute throughout the call center. The call center was built with the employee in mind, as all areas are well spaced and allow for everyone to feel comfortable. Since the grand opening of Express Scripts of Pueblo in Sept. 2005, this call center has played a major part in helping the community of Pueblo and its economy by supplying hundreds of jobs and positions.
This year's award for Adaptive Re-Use goes to Express Scripts of Pueblo, CO.


Technology in Use – Being the leader in utilizing or coordinating technology. JE Dunn Construction Company with the Cheyenne Mountain Reentry Center of Colorado Springs tackled an age old problem with new technology: how to house inmates cost effectively. This four story 128,033 SF medium security correctional facility focuses on teaching life skills such as balancing a check book, basic computer skills, how to get a job, buy groceries and rent an apartment, in an effort to acclimate the inmates to life on the outside and reduce recidivism. With a total capacity of 780-beds, this facility is secured with 16 foot fencing with barbed wire and over 250 cameras. While most prisons require more guards to oversee inmates, this facility is designed with safety and efficiency in mind. The entire facility can be monitored by one room, with an emergency backup room, reducing the number of required guards. In addition to the numerous cameras the facility also includes locks and motion sensors with touch screen controls and redundant master controls, creating a fully secure facility.
This year's award for Technology in use goes to JE Dunn Construction Company for the Cheyenne Mountain Reentry Center in Colorado Springs, CO.

Leading Edge Elements – Demonstrating a “beyond the box” concept or design. The Senger Design Group working with the Ronald McDonald House created an energetic Family Room designed as a “refuge” for families of chronically ill children receiving in-patient hospital care. The Ronald McDonald House is an international family support system with the primary objective to allow family members of ill children the opportunity to recharge, refocus and step away from the hospital environment to address additional life issues. The Family Room’s innovative 800 SF layout is enhanced with flowing, organic forms, evident throughout the space with soffits, casework, furnishings, and finishes delivering maximum function. Project finishes and furnishing materials meet antimicrobial and durability needs of a mixed-use healthcare and hospitality environment. The Family Room’s success is due to volunteers and donors, as recognized on the vibrant donor wall. The donor wall, an artist’s donation, is a mural presenting a flash of color extending through the corridor and into the Family Room.
This year's award for Leading Edge Elements goes to the Senger Design Group for the Ronald McDonald House Family Room located in Memorial Hospital.

Great Building Solution – In one area, electrical, roofing, mechanical, landscaping, or other application. In response to an increased demand for on-site building amenities for the campus employee population at the Oracle Corporation facility in Denver, CO a project was initiated and completed to build out a full service Café and Fitness center. An under utilized layout of meeting rooms and conference center was demised and built out as space that included an 8226 SF café and 4620 SF fitness center. The full service cafeteria consists of the following; seating area with maximum capacity of 300 occupants, appointed with finishes that are bright and up beat, the intent of the design was to portray the look and feel of the outdoors, the lighting applications are warm and inviting and include timing applications to conserve energy. The 4620 SF fitness center includes women and men’s shower/locker facilities, cardiovascular, weight training and an aerobics center. Since the completion of the project the employee population has been very responsive to the Café and Fitness center. The monthly usage for the café averages around 5000 customers for breakfast and lunch. The Fitness center is utilized on a regular basis by 600 of the 1100 employees on the Campus.
This year's award for Great Building Solution goes to Oracle Corporation – Denver, CO.


Exceptional Existing Building – Certificate of Occupancy Issued prior to 1/2005. In 2000, the Rampart Library District in Woodland Park, CO consisted of one library that was an old log cabin with 1200 SF of usable space and the other was a 380 SF renovated coal shed with no indoor bathroom facilities. The District was able to win the support of the community to build and maintain new facilities. The new 29,000 SF main library opened for business in November 2003 and the new 6700 SF branch library opened in April 2004. The libraries were designed to meet the needs of the community for the next 20 years with state of the art resources, technology, programming and community involvement. They contain a significant amount of space (30-40%) for community use and library programming, a headquarters for local ham radio operators in case of emergency, a separate young adult/teen area, an art galleria for local artists, a Colorado Room, displays from the local historical societies, a children’s craft room, a computer lab and a homeschooling center. Visitors from all over the country rave about the physical facilities as well as the resources and programming available in a community of this size. Many residents have stated that one of the reasons they moved to the area was the quality of the library.
This year's award for Exceptional Existing Building goes to the Rampart Library District in Woodland Park, CO.


Exceptional New Building – Certificate of Occupancy Issued after 1/2005. The EPA Building in Denver, CO, managed by General Services Administration, demonstrates energy efficiency melded with good design. This 248,849 SF building not only blends in with the surroundings to preserve the look of the Downtown Historic District in Denver, but the upper levels of the building have three level, 20,000 SF green roofs consisting of grasses, perennials, and soil which minimize heat effects, reduce storm runoff by an estimated 25.7%, and absorb carbon dioxide. There are also 48 photovoltaic panels which produce 10,320 watts used for the emergency generator. This building features under-floor air delivery and day lighting. Since the completion of the project in 2006, the building has received many awards including LEED Gold certification. The building has many green products and other energy saving devices and is open for the public to tour.
This year's award for Exceptional New Building goes to General Services Administration for the EPA Building - Denver, CO.

In addition to the facility projects, the 2008 COFAX event recognized facility management professionals who have demonstrated exceptional achievements in their profession as well as unparalleled service to the Pikes Peak Chapter of IFMA.

The 2008 recipients of the Associate, Professional and Lifetime Achievement awards go to:
• ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR: Elizabeth (Liz) Seeger, RPA, Tolin Mechanical Systems
• PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR: Pam Cornella, Verizon
• LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Jerry Ludke, Retired, PPIFMA Chapter Treasurer

Congratulations to all the award winners!

FRIDAY FUNNY: Rainn Predicted for HON Showroom During NeoCon

The HON Company’s Chicago office furniture showroom will have a well-known “Office” visitor on Monday, June 9, 2008 during the NeoCon® World’s Trade Fair. Rainn Wilson, best know for his current role as eccentric paper salesman, “Dwight Schrute,” on NBC’s Emmy award-winning series, The Office, makes a day-long appearance in HON’s Showroom in Suite 1130 in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart.

Wilson, one of the most recognizable faces from the network’s “must see TV” Thursday lineup, will appear in the HON showroom from 10-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m. at NeoCon. During this time, fans will have the opportunity to meet Wilson and obtain autographs and photos. NeoCon® World’s Trade Fair is the largest exhibition of contract furnishings for the design industry in North America.

“From several notable and exciting product launches to Rainn’s appearance on Monday, The HON Company showroom is a ’must see’ stop on any NeoCon visitor’s agenda,” says Don Mead, The HON Company’s vice president of marketing. “Rainn and The HON Company are a perfect fit. HON is one of the largest contract furnishings manufacturers in the United States. Rainn is one of the most popular characters, not only on The Office, but on prime-time TV,” said Mead. “Who better to help us roll out our new products at this year’s show? We’re excited he is able to join us in Chicago while we introduce a number of innovative, new products to the contract design community. We’re certain NeoCon 2008 will be HON’s best show yet.”

Before joining the cast of The Office, Wilson first gained positive acclaim from television fans and critics alike as somber mortician’s apprentice “Arthur Martin” on HBO’s Emmy-winning series, Six Feet Under. He has also guest-starred on other television programs and has a number of film credits to his name, including a hilarious cameo in the Oscar-winning film, Juno.

New CareerBuilder Study Indicates Fattest Jobs

Swimsuit season is right around the corner, and for many people that means one thing: dieting. In an office setting, though, cutting back on calories and finding time to exercise can seem like an impassable hurdle, as a new CareerBuilder.com survey reports that 45% of workers have gained weight at their current jobs, similar to last year’s findings. The survey was conducted from February 11 through March 13, 2008 among 7,688 workers.

Twenty-six percent of employees report they have gained more than 10 pounds, and 12% say they gained more than 20 pounds while in their present positions. Comparing genders, women are more likely (50%) than men (42%) to say they have gained weight at their current jobs.

Comparing industries, 53% of financial services employees and 52% of government employees say they have gained weight in their current positions—the highest recorded weight gain among industries surveyed. Retail and leisure and hospitality had the lowest percentage of employees gain weight in their current roles, at 36% and 41%, respectively.

"Weight gain can be quite common in the workplace, especially when the winter months keep most of us cooped up all day and calorie-laden treats seem to wait around every corner," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder.com. "As the weather warms up and people are more likely to get in a healthy mindset, it's a great time of year to be more aware of your health, get active and be more cognizant of your food choices."

Eating habits can often be a culprit in workplace weight gain. Nearly two-in-five (38%) percent of employees surveyed eat out for lunch twice or more per week, making it difficult to control portions and calorie intake. An additional 12% buy their lunch out of a vending machine at least once a week.

Snacking can also be a slippery slope for those trying to cut back on calories, as two-thirds (66%) of employees surveyed snack at least once a day, while nearly 25% snack at least twice a day.

One of the ways employees can cut back on workplace weight gain is by heading to the gym during lunch hour, but according to the survey, only 9% of employees work up a sweat in the middle of the day.

More employees may be inclined to take advantage of gym facilities during lunch and outside of work, though, as 28% of companies now provide gym passes, workout facilities, or wellness benefits.

Haefner recommends the following tips for fending off workplace weight gain:

• Start the day off right - Eating a high-protein and fiber-filled breakfast can provide the energy you need to get you to lunch and avoid the temptation of break room donuts, candy, or other high-fat treats.
• Stay hydrated - Sometimes a snack craving can be mistaken for dehydration. Be sure to keep water or another healthy beverage at your desk throughout the day so that you can hydrate freely.
• Write it down - Keeping nutrition and food journal can help you track how your snacks and meals add up during the day, allowing you to notice when you overindulge.
• Mix up your routine - Every little bit of activity helps, so take the stairs to your floor, walk over to co-workers instead of calling or e-mailing them, or try parking your car farther away from the office.
• Keep your cool - Stress can fuel poor eating habits, as you can tend to overeat or make inadequate food choices when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Try to manage stress with regular exercise and speak with a supervisor if you’re workload is drowning you.

IFMA Research Report Shows Energy Consumption Declining While Utility Costs Continue To Rise

Led by a dramatic increase in utility costs, the overall cost of running a facility is 10% higher than it was just four years ago, according to results from a recent International Facility Management Association (IFMA) research report. The study, Benchmarks V: Annual Facility Costs, shows that utility costs, which include electricity, gasoline, fuel oil, steam water, and sewage, have jumped 19% compared to similar data from 2006.

While the increase in utility costs may come as no surprise to some, it is happening at a time when energy consumption is down. When compared to IFMA's 2006 benchmarking figures, average electricity consumption, measured in kBTUs per square foot, has dropped from 93 to 81, while gas consumption has remained constant at 35 kBTUs per square foot. This decrease in energy usage could be attributed to companies implementing energy conservation practices, lighting improvements, and equipment upgrades at their facilities.

''In recent years, many organizations have invested in their electrical and mechanical systems to make them more energy efficient,'' said IFMA Associate Director of Research Shari Epstein. ''Performing simple measures such as installing occupancy sensors, adjusting heating and air conditioning controls, and performing preventive maintenance checks to keep equipment running efficiently can make a measurable impact in reducing energy consumption.''

Based on a survey of 1,032 facility professionals from across North America, the new report covers a variety of costs, including lease, maintenance, housekeeping, security, environmental, recycling, waste disposal, and space planning. The costs are on an annual basis and are displayed as dollars per square foot. Many of the costs are further broken down by industry, facility type, and geographic region.

This year’s report reveals that expenses associated with environmental initiatives are also starting to increase. For example, the cost of recycling has doubled in the past four years. While facility managers today are spending an average of four cents per square foot on recycling, they were spending two cents per square foot in 2004, according to a previous IFMA benchmarking study.

''In years past, organizations could generate a little income from recycling paper, cans, and cardboard materials,'' Epstein said. ''With the current emphasis on sustainability, more organizations are stepping up their recycling efforts even though it comes at an increased operational cost.''

IFMA annually conducts a benchmarking survey of its members in an effort to collect data that allows for easy comparisons of built environment costs and practices. These reports allow facility professionals to gauge their performance against similar facilities, whether in the same industry or a different one. This year’s report includes data from more than 1,000 facilities and is IFMA’s largest benchmarking study to date, with many survey respondents supplying information from multiple facilities.

In Darkness, Where is the Light?

China has tried for years to show Western society that it is a modern nation, adding McDonald's, replacing bicycles with cars, erecting glass office towers, and inviting the world to see it all when Beijing hosts the Olympics in August. This presents a superficial first impression as the Chinese government hides its third world characteristics behind a curtain of capitalism and advancement.

The 7.9-magnitude earthquake which struck the Sichuan province earlier this week and its resulting destruction is a result of what happens when a rapidly developing country refuses to learn from its past and ignores its citizens. For centuries, China has been one of the most active earthquake zones in the world. The deadliest earthquake in modern history struck Tangshan in 1976, registering 7.8 on the Richter Scale (although some estimates outside of China have it as high as 8.2) and "officially" claiming the lives of a quarter of a million people. That estimate is low, and several reports state nearly 750,000 people perished as a result of that disaster.

That quake from over 30 years ago forced the national government to create tougher building codes. Weimin Dong of Risk Management Solutions, who has served on technical committees at the Earthquake Engineering Institute in California and studied earthquake-related insurance issues in China, told Newsweek's Katie Paul about the construction problem:

China's earthquake design code was not enforced until 1978...Before 1954, there was no design code. From 1964 to 1978, there was a very rudimentary design code. After 1978, that was a wake up call. But in a lot of rural areas, a lot of the buildings were old and were built before that. The requirement for intensity seven (on a scale of 1-10, with a 10 building to withstand the most severe earthquake) is only for new buildings. Many of the buildings in the area were not designed for earthquakes at all.

Why were so many structures designed only to withstand a seven? Dong explained that much of it has to do with expense, "You have to have larger beam sizes and everything else, so it's a cost consideration. After the Tangshan quake, China did spend a lot of money to retrofit brick buildings...So when you go to China, you see all these older brick buildings; there are concrete columns on the corner and ring beams around the buildings to try to keep the building from collapsing. They did a lot of this kind of retrofitting nationwide, but mostly in the cities."

For all the complaining that goes on about codes and regulations and the related construction costs, sometimes having too many people looking out for your safety beats having no one care. It is much better to have to follow the local fire inspector toting a clipboard than walking next to a casket carrying your child.

Shoddy building practices and ignorance of code enforcement contributed to the loss of over 20,000 people this week, while several thousand more remain unaccounted for underneath the cement of schools and apartment buildings. Can you imagine what it must be like to have to search for your loved ones in the aftermath of the devastation while you look up and see a government building standing as undisturbed as ever?

The pros and cons of building codes are a part of everyday life for facility managers (fms). The rules affect how fms do their jobs, and love them or despise them the codes are not going away any time soon. How do building codes affect you daily? Has the earthquake made you reassess how you view codes? Please post your comments.

WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Play That Funky Building, White Boy

On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from May 31, 2008 to August 10, 2008, there will be concerts on the Battery Maritime Building. Yes, concerts ON the building. David Byrne (formerly of The Talking Heads) has transformed the interior space of the structure into an interactive sound installation for all visitors to play.

Creative Time presents Playing the Building, a 9,000-square-foot, interactive, site-specific installation. The project consists of a retrofitted antique organ placed in the center of the
building’s second-floor gallery.


The organ controls a series of devices attached to its structural features—metal beams, plumbing, electrical conduits, and heating and water pipes. These machines will vibrate, strike, and blow across the building’s elements, triggering unique harmonics and producing finely tuned sounds.

As Byrne explains: “Typical parts of buildings can be used to produce interesting sounds. Everyone is familiar with the fact that if you rap on a metal column, for example, you will hear a ping or a clang, but I wondered if the pipes could be turned into giant flutes, and if a machine could make girders vibrate and produce tones.”

Playing the Building marks the first time in decades that the second floor of the Battery Maritime Building (located at the southern tip of Manhattan next to the Whitehall Ferry Terminal) will be accessible to the public. The space will be open and free on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout the summer of 2008. Everyone will be invited to sit at the organ, tap on the keys, and create sounds that travel through the space.

“David is most widely known as a musician, but he is an extraordinary writer, visual artist, and director who resists categorization, plays around with grey zones, and favors a life of broad creativity,” says Anne Pasternak, curator of the exhibition and President and Artistic Director at Creative Time. “Playing the Building is deceptive in its simplicity; it's layered with rich meaning relating to human nature, our contemporary relationship to place and sound, and considerations of shifts in culture at large.”

The exhibit and subsequent development of the Battery Maritime Building will preserve the historic features of the building, bring the grandeur back to the second floor Great Hall, and create a waterfront destination for all New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy. The Battery Maritime Building will be a great catalyst for the continuing revitalization of Lower Manhattan and the evolving New York Harbor District.

Designed by Richard Walker and Charles Morris and completed in 1909, the Battery Maritime Building is the last surviving East River ferry building from an era when 17 ferry lines traveled between Manhattan and Brooklyn. The building, which is in the Beaux-Arts Structural Expressionism style, was designated a historical landmark in 1967. The second story was home to the Great Hall, one of New York’s distinguished public spaces, which was at one time illuminated by a stained glass skylight. The Great Hall was used as a waiting area for many years, and in the 1930s was connected to the neighboring Whitehall Ferry Terminal by a pedestrian bridge. The Battery Maritime Building shut down its ferry service to Brooklyn in 1938, and consequently suffered structural deterioration due to lack of maintenance. It is now the property of the Department of Small Business Services and it is managed by the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

Playing the Building was originally presented and commissioned by Färgfabriken, Stockholm in 2005.

U.S. Papermaker Begins Transition To Carbon-Neutral, 100% Biomass Energy Production

SMART Papers has begun construction on a new $30 million high-efficiency energy co-generation facility at its manufacturing center in Hamilton, Ohio that marks an important first for the North American papermaking industry. By early 2009, SMART Papers will produce all of its own power and begin a transition to 100% cellulosic biomass fuel. By late 2009, all products will be fully carbon neutral and produced 100% fossil fuel free, company officials said.

SMART Papers, which makes premium coated and uncoated printing papers for businesses and consumers, including Fortune 500 companies, said its products will be carbon-neutral because its manufacturing center will be powered by 100% biomass, primarily yard waste as well as industrial wood and fiber waste. Biomass emits no net carbon dioxide, because the carbon in the biomass originates from carbon dioxide that was recently in the atmosphere.

The project’s full scope will enable SMART Papers to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its Hamilton manufacturing facility, located 25 miles northwest of Cincinnati. No food crops will be used, no farmland will be displaced, and no timber will be harvested to provide fuel, the company said.

The $30 million investment and drive to achieve full carbon neutrality at SMART Papers comes as the state of Ohio and the United States government develop new laws and regulations on carbon emissions. The Ohio Senate and House recently passed legislation, which requires that up to 12.5% of the state’s electricity consumption come from renewable sources by 2025. Under the law, half of that must be generated within Ohio.

SMART Papers officials said they are well positioned to play an important role in helping the Ohio meet its goal because the company will sell a significant amount of power on the electrical grid. By the end of 2010, all of the power supplied to the regional grid will be carbon neutral, providing a source of 100% “green” energy for businesses and homes throughout Ohio and the Midwest U.S.

Details on the new project:
The newly expanded 40-megawatt co-generation system, which ultimately will use 100% biomass fuel to generate electricity and steam to operate the mill, consists of four turbines, two condensers, a cooling tower, and auxiliary equipment.

Honeywell International supplied the co-generation system and is supervising project construction at the SMART Papers facility. Construction began in late April and is expected to be complete by spring 2009. The company has received all necessary permits for the project.

The move solidly positions the 115-year-old manufacturing center and its 550 employees for the future. SMART Papers will use a low-cost and plentiful supply of renewable fuel and will be fully energy independent. The facility, one of the oldest continuously operating paper mills in the U.S., is where coated magazine papers, coated two-side papers, and ultra-premium cast-coated printing papers were invented and first produced.

SMART Papers Leaders Discuss Significance
“SMART Papers is the first North American premium papermaker to begin the process of becoming truly 100% carbon neutral and fossil fuel free in its papermaking production,” said SMART Papers Chairman Tim Needham. “This is a major environmental advance in papermaking. We have set a new standard for environmentally responsible printing papers.”

“The production of these papers will leave the lightest environmental footprint of any premium coated or uncoated printing paper produced in North America,” Needham added.

The SMART Papers manufacturing center was an early industry leader in the production of 100% recycled premium printing papers and the company has continued to expand its environmental leadership. It currently uses up to 100% post-consumer waste to produce many of its premium coated and uncoated papers. It also has Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for the majority of its brands. “We are committed to being the green leader in the global paper manufacturing industry,” Needham said.

“This move to carbon-neutral production is the centerpiece of our environmental and energy strategies. It enables us to have a future that is completely independent of volatile energy markets,” said Dan Maheu, President and COO of SMART Papers. “We will reduce production costs, make carbon-neutral papers, and greatly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We will also be a positive contributor to the green power needs of Ohio and the Midwest.”

Maheu said SMART Papers has bought and sold power from the local utility for the last 10 years. However, the current power generation facility at the mill did not maximize return of its fuel inputs. New turbines were needed to substantially increase the amount of electrical energy that could be produced.

The biomass fuel that will be used in the co-generation facility is made up of short-fiber cellulosic waste material that is typically landfilled. Biomass is widely available in the region. Ohio ranks seventh nationwide in the availability of biomass stocks, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

SMART Papers said the project will generate carbon credits that can be bought and sold on the open market.

“We see our approach as the smart choice,” said Maheu. “We will be a more efficient manufacturer, fiscally and environmentally responsible, and energy independent. This will benefit our business, our customers, our employees, and the environment. We will always push to exceed customer expectations when it comes to environmental stewardship.”

ASHRAE President to Provide Testimony on Green Buildings to U.S. House Committee

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) President Kent Peterson, P.E., is slated to speak today at a hearing, Building Green, Saving Green: Constructing Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Buildings, before the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“As Congress examines all sources and causes of global warming emissions, it must consider how the buildings we work and live in can contribute to reduce the impact of climate change,” Rep. Edward Markey (Mass.), chair of the committee, said. “ASHRAE’s standards offer a foundation for energy-efficient buildings, and the Committee is interested in how building codes can be used to increase the number of green buildings throughout the nation.”

Peterson will talk about ASHRAE’s role in writing standards for adoption into building codes and its work in developing guidance that goes beyond minimum requirements in building codes.

“Today’s buildings mortgage our energy and environmental future,” Peterson said. “In the past, Standard 90.1 and other guidance fromASHRAE focused on minimum requirements to save energy. Recognizing that we must do more, ASHRAE
is looking ahead to producing advanced energy design guidance, with the goal of net-zero energy buildings. We welcome the opportunity to stress the need for a more energy efficient future before the House Committee.”

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Floor at Alamodome Gets A Facelift

Today's Web Exclusive comes from Greg Schwietz, president of L&M Construction Chemicals.


For facilities of many types, a new tweak on a tried and true flooring material is paying off with maximized durability, minimized maintenance, and an aesthetic that often draws compliments. Concrete, which has performed structurally underfoot for well over a century, is now emerging as a highly attractive, long wearing, easy to maintain, affordable flooring option.

Just about any structurally sound concrete floor, old or new, can be smoothed, dry polished, and hardened and densified (a process that chemically changes the composition of the top wear surface). This floor finish option does not require waxing, sealing, or frequent maintenance other than simple mopping to maintain a highly polished, scuff-free look. The concrete polishing system, which can also include color dying of the surface wear layer in a broad range of hues, can result in substantial savings in installation and annual maintenance costs over alternative flooring options such as stained or sealed concrete, VCT, stone or terrazzo.

When the architectural firm Marmon Mok looked for a way to revitalize the 102,000 square foot concrete floor plaza level of the Alamodome, it consulted with StoneCare of Texas, of San Antonio. The firm was looking for a solution that would wear well and require only minimal maintenance. The firm had designed the popular, multipurpose domed stadium, which opened in May, 1993, and retained responsibilities for overseeing all upgrades.

The facility, which hosts sporting events, concerts, conventions, and trade shows, can seat up to 65,000 and is expandable to over 72,000 seats. The floor, which circles the perimeter of the seating, was showing signs of age and had many layers of wax over bare concrete. Repeated waxing over the years had darkened the floor’s appearance and was absorbing some of the natural ambient lighting.

StoneCare of Texas had the solution: Dry polished concrete. This new method offers a mechanical, dust-free, water-free polishing floor system that features a diamond grind, dry polish and densify process that can be performed start-to-finish in eight to 10 hours.

The dry polish process, FGS PermaShine, uses HEPA filter vacuum air purification technology to collect the dust generated during the dry abrasive grinding and smoothing process. The dust is captured and collected in lightweight bags that can be easily and safely disposed of in a landfill. The filter and collection system can keep a jobsite virtually free of any airborne dust, eliminating any need for special protection or isolation of the work area.

The process uses a series of progressively finer diamond disks in the grinding machines, enabling a polish up to a very high degree of shine. After the floor is polished for the final time, it is still somewhat porous. To achieve maximum durability, the installer applies a water-based, solvent free, VOC-free, odorless and non-toxic penetrating hardener/densifier.

The hardener/densifier chemically reacts with components in the concrete to form a dense, hard crystalline compound in the top wear layer (about 1/16 of an inch) that adds strength and wear resistance and helps preserve the highly polished look over the life of the installation without completely sealing the surface. The top wear surface continues to breathe, enabling excess moisture to escape from within. The chemical interaction also eliminates dusting and micropitting of the concrete surface by abrasion over time. Yet, because the floor is no longer porous, spills do not penetrate and wipe right up completely.

The rejuvenation of the floor at the Alamodome took about eight weeks, with the installers averaging about 3,000 square feet per shift, with work proceeding in a circle around the circumference of the dome.

“Stadium management is very pleased with the degree of shine and how it illuminates all the corridors. The Alamodome now is much brighter and cheerier,” notes Bibi Nunez, project manager at Marmon Mok.

The resulting polished concrete floor meets the NFSI (National Floor Safety Institute) standards for certification as a “high traction” floor, retaining its non-slip qualities when wet, which could satisfy similar requirements at restaurants, healthcare facilities, manufacturing plants, supermarkets and auto showrooms, The floor also complies with ADAD and OSHA requirements for interior floor surfaces.

There are a couple of green perks, as well from the environmentally friendly process. A dry polished concrete floor can contribute to up to five LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) credits under various categories, including Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Low Emitting Materials, on projects all the way up to Platinum. And depending upon the color of the dye selection, the finished floor can reflect up to 35% of lighting which reduces the heat output from the lamps, reducing any demand on an air-conditioning system and can reduce overall lighting costs, to boot.

Though the Alamodome did not dye the floor, after a floor is polished almost to the desired degree and before application of the hardener/densifier, it can be permanently dyed with a specifier’s choice of color. Dye concentration can range from a relatively subtle 25% all the way up a rich and vivid 100%. Decision makers can also specify the level of shine and choose to incorporate logos or other designs achievable by dying adjacent spaces different colors.

Dyed or not, dry polish and densified concrete retains its “just finished” appearance for the life of an installation without the upkeep required by other flooring options, including stained and sealed concrete, VCT, stone and terrazzo. FGS PermaShine floors have been proven to save as much as 65% on on-going maintenance expense, which is typically the most costly factor in the life of a finish.

Schwietz (gschwietz@lmcc.com) is president of L&M Construction Chemicals, which produces chemical treatments for the construction, repair and protection of concrete and is the developer of the FGS/PermaShine concrete polishing system.

Milliken Donates Carbon Dioxide Credits For CARE Event

Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), an initiative to reduce carpet waste to landfills, announces that Milliken & Company, an international textile and chemical manufacturer headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, will donate carbon dioxide credits to neutralize the carbon impacts of the sixth annual CARE conference that occurred last week. This is the third consecutive year Milliken has made such a donation. The donation is administered by the Leonardo Academy, respected for its work on sustainable buildings and climate change.

"Beyond reducing waste to landfill, CARE and the carpet industry take our environmental impacts seriously," said Frank Hurd, vice president of the Carpet and Rug Institute. "Milliken's third donation of carbon credits to green our conference provides a good example and supports our broader goals."

Companies that take action to reduce pollutant emission earn global warming credits that represent the amount of greenhouse gasses prevented from entering the atmosphere. These credits offset the environmental impact of events or other activities.

"Milliken recently announced our second methane harvesting project to expand our renewable energy sources. We sequester more carbon dioxide in our forests than our factories produce, while we continue to innovate and measure to reduce our energy consumption," said Russell Grizzle, global president of Milliken Floor Covering.

CARE, a voluntary initiative of the carpet industry and government, focuses on developing carpet reclamation and recycling methods to prevent carpet from burdening landfills.

Milliken & Company is certified carbon negative without purchasing credits. LaGrange, GA-based Milliken Floor Covering, a division of Milliken & Company, sends zero waste to landfill from carpet manufacturing, uses alternative energy and offers its customers a No Carpet to Landfill Pledge. All Milliken carpet products are free of PVC and may be reused or recycled.

Leonardo Academy is a charitable nonprofit dedicated to advancing sustainability and putting the competitive market to work on improving the environment.

CoreNet Global Presents Award To Herman Miller

The real estate organization presented an Industry Excellence Award to Herman Miller, Inc. earlier this month for the company's Space Utilization Service. This inaugural award highlights corporate real estate industry performance and innovation. It also qualifies Herman Miller for the distinguished H. Bruce Russell Global Innovator's Award, which will be announced by CoreNet Global in November.

The Space Utilization Service is based on a patent pending, wireless technology developed by Herman Miller to measure space occupancy in building environments. Sensors temporarily attach to the underside of chairs or work surfaces and continuously collect movement data to provide results that may be studied to improve workflow and space usage.

"This information typically is collected through manual methods called 'bed checks,'" said Len Pilon, director of Workplace Strategy and Facilities at Herman Miller. "By implementing new technology that monitors workspace usage on a continual basis, we're able to collect reliable data to make informed, strategic decisions about the need to reconfigure or shed real estate."

Space Utilization Service studies are led by the Herman Miller Workplace Services team and typically last three weeks. Study costs are comparable to traditional data collection methods and calculated according to the size and scope of a project.

Antron Announces Carpet Fiber Design Award Winners

The 23rd Antron® Carpet Fiber Design Award grand prize was presented to Cohos Evamy integratedesign™ for its innovative use of carpet in designing the PCL Centennial Learning Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. Judges selected this project as Grand Prize winner for its application of carpet that provides a counterpoint to the architecture of the space and an artful solution to the floor.

The firm was honored alongside other category and merit-winning designers and architects in a celebratory ceremony and dinner. Entries were evaluated on carpet application, creativity and originality, and how well the design met client business objectives and challenges.

Grand Prize Winner: PCL Centennial Learning Centre
Built to celebrate this construction firm’s 100th anniversary, PCL Centennial Learning Centre is a model of sustainable design with a focus on professional development and staff training. Cohos Evamy integratedesign™ designed the building to showcase PCL’s core business of construction. While most of the building features cast-in-place concrete and exposed building system elements, designers used carpet and suspended ceilings to highlight the Centre’s gathering spaces. Atlas Carpet Mills’ “Perspective,” featuring Antron® Legacy nylon, was selected for its strong sculptural pattern which holds court with the materials around it and complements the vertical and horizontal elements of the design.

“This building serves as a high profile learning and gathering venue. As such, the building sees high usage and heavy traffic through a variety of weather conditions. Tracked in snow, salt, and grit are a reality” said Michelle Sigurdson, interior design associate, Cohos Evamy integratedesign™. “Antron® carpet fiber was right choice for this project because we needed a carpet that could stand up to staining and soiling while remaining attractive and meeting the LEED standard.”

Healthcare Category Winner: Perkins Eastman
The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center-Surgical Center Platform isn’t your typical hospital. Designers at Perkins Eastman sought to create an environment that comforts patients by providing positive distractions, such as art, and a hospitality-inspired design. The use of carpet is integral to the design because it softens spaces, provides comfort underfoot and controls acoustics, creating a soothing environment for patients, families and staff. Atlas Carpet Mills’ “Parterre” in two colors, constructed of Antron Lumena® solution dyed nylon, is used in waiting areas and stands up to the stringent cleaning criteria of hospital environments. The resulting design is loved by all who visit the space because it provides a positive environment for healing.

Hospitality Category Winner: Durrant-Minneapolis
When Durrant-Minneapolis was tasked to create the Cue, a new bar and restaurant at the Jean Nouvel-designed Guthrie Theater, it had to be a high-profile space that was all about hospitality and design, in a building that was about theatre and drama. The resulting space, located directly below the theatre’s main stage, features the facade’s signature midnight blue color, complemented by a neutral palette of charcoal and white. Light plays an important role in setting the stage inside the bar and restaurant, which features spotlight-style theatrical lighting that strikes both reflective and luminescent surfaces. Designers selected a custom charcoal colored carpet, “Bubbles” from Atlas Carpet Mills, featuring Antron® Legacy nylon. The dark carpet absorbs overhead light which prevents bounce-back, and the carpet fibers help control restaurant acoustics so they don’t interfere with stage performances in the theatre space above.

Large Office Category Winner: Gensler
The Office of the Attorney General of Washington State tasked Gensler’s Seattle office with updating their offices to attract and maintain talented young lawyers they were losing to law firms. Their previous space was dark and dated, which they felt was affecting their work. Designers maximized their small budget by using paint, carpet and drywall to transform the space. The resulting design is light, bright and dramatic, which was a challenge because of the need for private offices. “Scan” and “Torch Song” by Bentley Prince Street, featuring Antron® Legacy nylon, were used in dramatic shapes and colors to add interest, and in quiet linear patterns to break up long hallways.

Retail Category Winner: Gensler
The Allsteel San Francisco Resource Center was designed by Gensler’s San Francisco office as a destination spot for the design community. It pushes the design envelope with clever references to the Bay area, while being mindful of the company’s national brand. Custom banded carpets made of Antron® Legacy nylon, by Tandus, play on the diagonal nature of iconic San Francisco streets and plans of the nearby Bay Bridge. The diagonal pattern provides a contrast that sets off furniture displays and prevents the space from feeling rectilinear. Dramatic red walls reference the Pan Asian influence unique to the area, and abundant natural light contributed to the Silver LEED rating.

Healthcare Merit Winner: Looney Ricks Kiss Architects
When the doctors of OrthoMemphis PC asked Looney Ricks Kiss Architects to consolidate all of their locations under one roof, they requested a space that could serve 80-plus people and feel like a grand hotel, not a medical clinic. They also needed materials that could withstand abuse from crutches, wheelchairs and high traffic, as well as young patients. Designers used different types of seating in the lobby to overcome that ‘waiting room’ feel, and clean lines to create continuity throughout the office. Carpet was one of the first design elements selected, and the designers chose Lees Carpets’ “The Groove” and “Connecting Stripes,” featuring Antron® Legacy nylon, for it coloration, texture and varying pattern scale.

Public Spaces Merit Winner: EwingCole
Liberty Science Center was originally founded in the 1980s to support the science curriculum in New Jersey public schools. The demand proved so great that from the day the facility opened, it was too small to accommodate student visitors. The recent renovation and expansion by EwingCole consolidates offices, increases and consolidates the exhibition space and creates an entrance space sized to accommodate the busloads of children that visit the museum daily. Designers used color, signage and space to immediately engage young visitors. To quiet exhibition spaces, various colors of “Myth,” by Bentley Prince Street, featuring Antron Lumena® solution dyed nylon, were chosen to coordinate with the exhibits and resist the wear and tear of foot traffic.

Large Office Merit Winner: Corgan Associates, Inc.
Corgan Associates faced a rewarding challenge in designing the corporate headquarters for Rent-A-Center, who favored a neutral grey palette. The designers sought to create a classic, straight-forward design that also pushed the envelope, and they proposed a warm, neutral palette with bold color accents to add interest to the space. To join together the two wings of the boomerang-shaped building, they used a consistent palette and finishes. Carpet runs in straight lines through the wings and merges to form acute angles where they join. Various colors of “Boucle Twist” by Blueridge Carpet Mills and “Dessau” by Shaw Contract Group, both featuring Antron® Legacy nylon, blend seamlessly with the terrazzo floor in the lobby and carry the color palette throughout the building.

Large Office Merit Winner- HOK
AOL’s Los Angeles office features a combination of interactive environments, private offices and technical spaces. HOK capitalized on the unique geometries of the building and the company’s new branding to develop the design and palette of the office. Designers opened the low ceilings to create more space and built floating offices that are anchored by drop ceilings mirrored on the floor by carpet. Bentley Prince Street styles “Scan,” “Double Entendre,” “Au Courant” and “Fame,” featuring Antron® Legacy nylon, are some of the strongest components of the design because the colors and patterns signal the difference between public and private spaces, as well as help to guide foot traffic.

Small Office Merit Winner: Gensler
Incredible views of the San Francisco Bay inspired Gensler San Francisco’s design for client Chemoil Corporation. Designers chose two colors of “Glass Lines” by Karastan Contract, featuring Antron® Glimmer nylon, to evoke the iridescent colors and textures of the Bay. To reinforce the global nature of the company, designers painted the core of the building in four bold colors that symbolize the four corners of the world. The nearly 360º views of the bay are left unobstructed due to glass front conference rooms located along the perimeter, and open desk workspaces.

“The projects honored this year show the creativity that carpet can inspire,” said Bobby Berrier, vice president, INVISTA Commercial Flooring. “More and more, designers are looking to carpet to provide inspiration for their projects, and mills are meeting this need with innovative carpets inspired by the unique fibers and yarn combinations available only with Antron® carpet fiber.”

Judges for the Antron® Carpet Fiber Design Award were Richard Carlson of Swanke Hayden Connell Architects, Tama Duffy Day of Perkins + Will, Eric Engstrom, founder and emeritus, EDG Interior Architecture + Design, Carol Jones of Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning Ltd. and Richard Pollack of POLLACK architecture.

ASSE Raises Concerns Over OSHA Proposed Confined Space Rule

In a letter sent to the Assistant Secretary of Labor Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) said the proposed rule on Confined Spaces in Construction recently published by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is unduly complicated, introduces unnecessary new terminology and requirements that are burdensome, and fails to recognize current safety practices that have proven successful in practice both in general industry and in construction.

"These comments reflect the front-line experience of our members who strive to help protect workers on job sites across the country in all industries, including construction," ASSE President Michael W. Thompson, CSP, said in the letter. "They also reflect the expertise of the members of the ANSI Z117 Accredited Standards Committee for Confined Space Entry, for which ASSE serves as the Secretariat."

ASSE is responsible for several American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Committees including the Z117 Committee for 'Confined Spaces' as well as the A10 Committee for 'Safety Requirements for Construction and Demolition Operations'.

"This rule, if adopted without significant changes, would provide for a significantly lower level of safety than what is currently required throughout the construction industry by the Z117.1-2003 standard," Thompson wrote. "Rulemaking that provides less worker protections than that provided by a widely adopted voluntary consensus standard like Z117.1 goes against OSHA’s duty established under the 'National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995'."

This Act states that all federal agencies and departments shall use technical standards that are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies, using such technical standards as a means to carry out policy objectives or activities determined by the agencies and departments.

Further, rather than adding clarity or advancing safety consistent with current industry safety practices, Thompson wrote, the changes offered in this proposed rule instead add a new level of complexity to the work of our members and employers while adding little new to the approaches already successfully being used to address confined space risks. It also fails to address important confined space topics including harmonization of confined space classifications, hazard assessment, assignment of responsibilities, and the continued allowance of a chest harness as part of a vertical confined space rescue effort.

According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) "Confined Space" refers to a space which by design has limited openings for entry and exit, unfavorable natural ventilation which could contain or produce dangerous air contaminants, and which is not intended for continuous employee occupancy. Confined spaces include but are not limited to storage tanks, compartments of ships, process vessels, pits, silos, vats, degreasers, reaction vessels, boilers, ventilation and exhaust ducts, sewers, tunnels, underground utility vaults, and pipelines.

Thompson was also concerned that this rule is not in harmony with the widely accepted Z117.1-2003 consensus standard 'Safety Requirements for Confined Spaces'. A comparison of Z117.1 to the proposed rule demonstrates that the existing General Industry regulations together with Z117.1 does have the necessary scope, breadth and detail to help employers manage successfully confined space safety matters within the construction industry. It is apparent that the standards used in OSHA’s evaluations were outdated 1977 and 1989 standards no longer affirmed by the Z117 Committee. The Committee published 1995 and 2003 editions that have been used by OSHA to support over 50 general duty clause citations issued by compliance officers to employers.

In the letter, Thompson included examples of how Z117.1 has been used by OSHA with regard to the General Duty Clause and provided comments from ASSE members that reflect the variety of misdirected conclusions and statements found in the proposed rule.

"Taken as a whole, they point to rulemaking that is not complete and that has not been undertaken with the purpose of finding a way to work with those who are experts in confined space safety in order to advance properly this nation’s commitment to protecting workers," Thompson said. "ASSE is deeply concerned that OSHA decided against using terminology and definitions in its proposed standard that have existed for decades, are widely used in the safety and health community and in industry when addressing confined space risks to workers. Creating a new lexicon for this very particular safety area can only result in confusion and add to the potential for risk, not limit it.

"Nevertheless, rulemaking that is not consistent with current industry practices, especially when a widely respected voluntary consensus standard reflects those practices, does not advance workplace safety and health in a way we know OSHA wants its standards to do," Thompson concluded. "We look forward to working with you and to the revision of this proposed rule that affects the many workers in this country."

For more information on the Z117 Committee and the Z117.1-2003 standard please go to www.asse.org.

Installer Recognized For Concrete Floor

Brown Contracting, Inc. of Eugene, OR was chosen for the top prize at the Oregon Concrete & Aggregate Producers Association (OCAPA) and American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) recent annual awards ceremony.

Don Brown and his team at Brown Contracting were awarded first place in the Commercial Division at the OCAPA/ACI’s 28th Annual Excellence in Concrete Program for their work on the Market of Choice grocery store in Eugene, OR. The awards salute the best industry professionals working with concrete in Oregon and southwest Washington.

Brown placed, finished, and polished the 30,000 square foot floor, enhancing and protecting its surface with the FGS/PermaShine Polished Concrete Floor system from L&M Construction Chemicals.

Brown Contracting integrally colored the concrete with multiple colors and gradations of local river rock, marble, and glass aggregates seeded into the surface. Subsequent to water curing, the marble and glass were exposed, polished, and hardened by the FGS/PermaShine process, which resulted in a “green” flooring option for environments such as supermarkets.

Precast concrete stair treads and landings led to eating and management office areas that also used the FGS/PermaShine system.

“When one considers medium to long-term floor maintenance savings and payback, as well as surface durability for retail foot traffic, high traction certification through the National Floor Safety Institute, and the sheer ‘awe’ power of the look, no other flooring option measures up to L&M’s FGS/PermaShine System,” said Brown.

The FGS/PermaShine process uses a patented "dry-grind" installation method, which conserves water and eliminates messy slurry disposal at landfills. The GreenSpec-listed, FGS/PermaShine system contains zero-VOC’s. The high gloss finish, in conjunction with the surface application shake-on pigments during concrete placement, can increase light reflectivity.

Film Society Embarks On Restoration Of Its 100+ Year Clubhouse

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), the world's oldest continuously operating motion picture society, held the groundbreaking ceremony earlier this week on May 7, 2008. The event marks the commencement of the restoration and expansion of the Mission Revival-style clubhouse and construction of a new three story, 5,000 square foot building.

Wolcott Architecture Interiors (WAI), based in Culver City, CA, is performing the design for the restoration is consistent with the historic style of the 1903-era building, which has served as ASC's headquarters for the last 70 years. The addition, a contemporary stucco structure, will complement and not compete with the historic building.

Work to the existing building will include an expansion of the Board Room; Great Room, which is used for events and screenings; and renovation to the lounge/bar and kitchen. The new structure will accommodate ASC's administrative offices and provide space for national trade publication, American Cinematographer. Completion of the project is slated for late 2008.

According to Owen Roizman, esteemed cinematographer and vice president of the ASC, "Our revered cinematographer's society frequently hosts educational and social events for members and emerging filmmakers. With enormous changes in the digital media world, the ASC is called upon more than ever to provide guidance to the entire international filmmaking community. The renovation and expansion of our facility will allow our growing membership to not only honor our rich legacy, but will help affirm the ASC's commitment to the brightest of futures."

In attendance at the grounbreaking was Roizman, along with dignitaries including Tom LaBonge, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences; a representative from Eric Garcetti's office; LeRon Gubler, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce; and former Board of Governors Award recipients.

The ASC project is located at 1782 North Orange (corner Franklin St.), Hollywood, CA, across from The Magic Castle. Parking is available at the Hollywood & Highland Center (entrance on Orange Ave.).

About The ASC
The ASC traces its roots to the dawn of the motion picture industry in 1913, when the Cinema Club in New York and the Static Club in Los Angeles were organized by the first generation of cinematographers, who were inventing a new visual language. Fifteen members of those two clubs organized the ASC in January 1919. They wrote a charter that dedicated the organization to advancing the evolving art and craft of telling stories with moving images. There are some 290 ASC members from many nations today, and 150 associate members from allied sectors of the industry.

About Wolcott Architecture Interiors
One of the country's most accomplished commercial interior design firms, Wolcott Architecture Interiors has designed 32 million square feet of corporate interiors, since it was founded in 1975. Consistently ranked among the top interior design firms, the boutique Culver City firm specializes in the design of media and entertainment facilities, including production studios, the offices of media moguls, gaming companies and the local and international headquarters of cinematographers' societies.

izzy to Acquire Jami Inc.’s Harter, Fixtures Furniture, Zoom Seating, and ABCO Brands

izzy and its parent company JSJ Corporation have executed a letter of intent to purchase Jami Inc. The transaction is expected to close in May, pending completion of due diligence and execution of documents.

Established in 1995, Jami Inc. is a holding company comprised of four brands, each with its own market niche:

• Harter – higher design management, conference and executive seating and tables in work environments;
• Fixtures Furniture – stack seating and multi-purpose tables for education, healthcare and corporate spaces;
• Zoom Seating – mid-market ergonomic task seating; and
  
• ABCO Office Furniture – modular furniture, computer furniture, and conference and training tables.
  

Each of the four brands now operating under Jami Inc. will continue to pursue its independent brand position, working with izzy to leverage this strength in its individual market segment.

“We see this transaction with izzy and JSJ as a positive partnership,” said Gregg Masenthin, president and chief executive officer of Jami Inc. “Our brands have been extremely successful in the marketplace, so our new relationship with izzy and JSJ allows us the strategic business support to continue growing and developing these brands.”

“We are excited about the prospect of the Jami brands becoming part of izzy. Each brand has earned customer loyalty within its own market segment,” said Chuck Saylor, founder and president of izzy. “Since the launch of izzy, we have cultivated a business model that lets successful brands thrive and grow around organizations with people who have the energy and vision to develop them for the future. Like our strategic partnerships with HÅG and Nemschoff, this transaction will reinforce our strategy – to be a brand-driven business. We do not intend to change what is already working well. Instead, through good design, and leveraging the input and knowledge of many talented people, each of these brands will continue to deliver on their individual brand promises, focusing on product solutions that add value for their customers.”

The pending acquisition builds on JSJ’s history of seeking out successful companies that benefit from owners that offer a long-term, personal commitment to their business interests, says Nelson Jacobson, president and chief executive officer of JSJ Corporation.

“Our role at JSJ is to provide financial and strategic leadership, and essential support resources to help our businesses like izzy do what they do best – design, make and market products that meet their customers’ needs,” he said. “Our company founders began working together nearly 90 years ago as partners. This acquisition is another example of how we intend to continue building on this legacy of entrepreneurship – locally, nationally and globally.”

FRIDAY FUNNY: Every Office Has One

Today's Friday Funny is short and sweet. Which categories are covered in YOUR office?

Many thanks to Megan Knight for supplying this Friday Funny.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Cool Case Study

Wherever he goes, Bill Schuelie with SBE Hotel Group is ready to chill. And not long ago in Puerto Rico, he solved two cooling problems ― one which meant life itself.

As a construction manager, Schuelie is a roving warrior tasked with overseeing all things building related. On the construction project in Puerto Rico, he encountered two problem hot spots. One was a telephone equipment room. The other? A medical room that houses organs donated for transplants.

Hot Lines And Cool People
“We needed a way to keep both of these rooms at a cool temperature,” Schuelie says. “Equipment rooms are notorious for heating up. And we needed to keep the medical room cool seven days a week, even when the rest of the building had its air conditioning off for the weekend.”

The medical room solution sought to keep the employees cool and comfortable and support their efforts to keep the transplant organs in healthy condition. Adding to the cooling problem was the outside temperature. “Summer in the Caribbean is really hot, which makes it even worse,” Schuelie adds.

Cool Air By Air
An engineer designed an air conditioning solution, but it was expensive and inefficient, according to Schuelie. He contacted MovinCool in Florida and had two CM12s flown in. He chose the small, ceiling-mount system for several reasons.

“The units are ceiling mounted and self contained; there’s no condensate pan. The exhaust duct went into the plenum return. The unit has its own thermostat, so we just set it to the right temperature and that’s it,” he says.

“The whole experience was painless,” Schuelie notes. “You just install the CM12 and walk away. It doesn’t take up any floor space and there’s no special electrical required ― it’s 110/220v.”

The CM12 solution was not only convenient, but also more cost effective, Schuelie says. “We saved thousands. Everyone was really happy. The units more than paid for themselves.”

Today, Schuelie is in Los Angeles, overseeing a major transformation of the SLS Hotel (formerly Le Meridien Hotel Beverly Hills), which has been conceptualized by celebrated designer Philippe Starck. So far, Schuelie hasn’t needed any portable cooling solutions for the job. “But if a problem should arise, I have a MovinCool solution ready,” he says.

IAQ Council Lists Qualifying Companies

The American Indoor Air Quality Council (IAQ Council) is posting the names of IAQ consulting and remediation companies that employ at least one individual with a board-awarded IAQ Council certification.

The search engine, located at www.iaqcouncil.org/locator/companies.htm, provides direct hyperlinks to companies. Visitors to the site enter a zip code to see a list of qualifying companies located within 100 miles of the zip code entered.

"Thousands of companies already benefit from the knowledge and experience of Council-certified professionals," said Charlie Wiles, IAQ Council executive director. "Our new search engine enhances this benefit by making their companies more visible on the Internet."

About the IAQ Council
The American Indoor Air Quality Council is a non-profit certifying body founded in 1993 to serve the indoor air quality industry. The IAQ Council operates independent, third-party accredited certification programs for indoor environmental consultants, microbial consultants, microbial remediators, indoor air quality administrators, and residential mold inspectors. The IAQ Council certifies more than 5,000 professionals in the United States, Canada, and overseas.

Sika Acquires Flooring Business

Sika Corporation, the U.S. subsidiary of Sika AG, recently acquired the commercial and industrial polymer flooring business of ICS Garland, Inc. The transaction closed on April 25, 2008. Revenues for this business totaled approximately US$ 14 million for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007.

With its second acquisition in North America this year, Sika has added another player into its industrial flooring business in this region. The ICS Garland polymer flooring business has a portfolio of epoxy, polyurethane, and ESD technology products.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the sales price. Approximately 45 employees are expected to join Sika as part of the transaction, including the ICS Garland manufacturing facility and offices in Cleveland, OH. Sika Corporation is based in Lyndhurst, NJ.

Prior to the acquisition, Sika already held a place in the market for construction chemicals including adhesives and sealants, concrete admixtures, and repair and strengthening products. The company notes that this transaction creates for it a comprehensive range of epoxy, polyurethane, and other key polymer flooring products and technologies.

May 13 Humanscale Fundraiser to Benefit WWF

Humanscale’s eighth annual Faces in the Wild art auction and design competition will take place on May 13, 2008, from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m., in the company’s New York City showroom. All proceeds from the event will be matched by Humanscale and donated to World Wildlife Fund, the leader in international efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats.

The event will feature approximately 50 pieces of original artwork created and donated by artists and designers from around the world, including Yves Behar, Black + Blum, Scott Henderson, Karim Rashid, Marcel Wanders, Scott Wilson of MNML, and many more. In addition to online, live and silent auctions, a panel of distinguished judges will evaluate all entries and choose three winning designs.

In 2007, Faces in the Wild generated $26,000 for wildlife conservation, and since 2000, Faces in the Wild has raised more than $200,000, including matching donations by Humanscale. All proceeds from the event go directly to World Wildlife Fund, the largest conservation organization in the world. WWF leads international efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats. By 2015, the organization hopes to conserve 19 of the world’s most important natural places, including the Galapagos and Congo Basin, and significantly change global forces like agriculture and climate change to protect the future of nature.

Humanscale founder and CEO Bob King has served on WWF’s National Council since 1999. As a company, Humanscale is dedicated to environmental sustainability and continually strives to design, engineer and manufacture products that consume less of Earth’s limited resources.

WEIRD WEDNESDAY: X-treme Dress Down Friday

Just when you think you've seen it all, there are rumors (but no confirmation on the BBC's Web site) of a new reality television program in the works. Yes, BBC 3 has been putting out feelers for companies to participate in a show that will feature employees willing to report to work naked.

Sajeda Momin of indiainfo.com writes:

The first few episodes of the series, called Naked Office,will have cameras following fully clothed employees at work to gauge their views on nudity. Some will be asked to pose in the buff for life-drawing classes and it will be seen how comfortable they are about being naked in public.

In the next set of episodes, the channel will ask its employees to participate in a no-clothes event called Naked Friday.Cambridge University professor Chris Smith, notes, “The amount you spend on clothes shows how well you have done or are doing [in career] and where you stand in the office hierarchy. If you look at Britain of the 1950s, you will see an entrenched hierarchy in clothes; the idea of white or blue collar workers stems from there.”

Uniforms and “correct clothing for people holding particular positions” in certain professions outlines this hierarchy, Chris said.

“But these days, as people are dressing more casually, this hierarchy is being eroded. Even then, if we look at job interviews, it still stands that interviewers will see the shine on a candidate’s shoes to gauge how much effort he has put into the application and how serious he is about getting the job.”

So if you're interested in volunteering your workplace for this kind of "exposure," contact the BBC ASAP! Producers of the show are promising "a dress down day to remember."

Need To Spread The Word About Pest Control?

Facility managers can download free newsletter content on pest management from Orkin Commercial Services. The company is providing articles on a variety of pest management topics, including identifying and handling an infestation, weather trends, and kitchen sanitation.

Created with the input of Orkin’s board-certified entomologists and quality assurance team, the newsletter content offers managers a way to educate occupants about pest management and equip them with practical information to help stop infestations before they start. “Many people don’t realize that the dirty dishes they leave out on the counter or the opened candy bars in desk drawers can actually be feeding pests,” said Orkin director of quality systems Zia Siddiqi, Ph.D.

Orkin is offering text-only versions of the articles and high-resolution images available for download on its site. Facility managers can download the articles by visiting this Web page; on the right, there is a section titled "Property Management Newsletter Content."

About Orkin
Founded in 1901, Atlanta-based Orkin, Inc. provides essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Asia. With more than 400 locations, Orkin’s almost 8,000 employees serve approximately 1.7 million customers. The company serves homeowners and numerous industries including food and beverage processing, foodservice, hospitality, healthcare, retail, warehousing, property/facilities management, schools and institutions. Orkin is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rollins, Inc.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Learn the Details of NFPA 70E

This WEB EXCLUSIVE comes from Joseph Deane, PE, Principal, KTR Associates, LLC Engineering Solutions of Sinking Spring, PA. Deane is an industry expert on electrical safety; he recently spoke to the Electrical Generating Service Association’s annual meeting in Maui, Hi.

The NFPA 70E standard was created at the request of OSHA in 1979 to recognize the difference between design and workplace safety. The National Electric Code (NEC) reflects the installation (design) standard while the NFPA 70E is the workplace safety standard.

While National Fire Protection Agency’s NFPA 70 represents the National Electric Code (NEC), NFPA 70E represents the standard for electrical safety in the workplace. NFPA 70E describes in detail employer responsibilities and recommendations on topics such as employee training, safety-related work practices, tagout procedures, calculating flash protection boundaries, and personal protective equipment.

Why is NFPA-70E Standard Important?
Because following the NFPA-70E standard may save a life. Hazardous arc flashes can occur in any electrical device in which energy is high enough to sustain an arc. The heat exposure due to an electrical arc can produce first-degree burns, permanent blindness, or even death. NFPA-70E specifies boundaries within which flash protection is required in an effort to reduce the extent of potential injuries.

The National Safety Council estimates that approximately 360 fatalities occur each year, roughly a person a day, due to electrocution More than half occurred while working on energized equipment rated 600 volts or below. Five to 10 electrical “arc flashes” occur in the workplace everyday. Burn center cost for an individually exposed to an electrical arc flash is around $12 to $20 million.

Conscientious employers should include both shock and arc hazard identification in their safety programs. When working on electrical apparatus (switchgear, panelboards, motor control centers, etc.) the incident energy or available fault current to product an arc flash needs to be clearly identified on each respective enclosure or piece of electrical equipment.

It is important to document the incident energy (calories per square cm) for an employee when it has been determined they will be working within the flash protection boundary. Producing a Flash Hazard Analysis can do this.

According to the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269 (1) (6) (iii) requirement, employers will ensure that each employee who is exposed to the hazards of flames or electric arc flashes will not wear clothing that could increase the extent of injury when exposed to flames or arc flashes.

Does OSHA Recognize the NFPA 70E?
Absolutely. As stated previously, the NFPA 70E standard was created in 1979 at OSHA’s request. OSHA’s 29 CFR electrical sections 1910.302 thru 1910.308 were based on the initial 1979 NFPA 70E standard, which did not address arc flash incidents at that time. The NFPA has now incorporated this hazard into its standard.

OSHA will cite companies for non-compliance with 29 CFR 1910.335(a)(1)(i) which requires the use of protective equipment when working where a potential hazard exists and 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1) which requires the employer to provide an assessment of the workplace for hazards and the need for personal protective equipment.

OSHA also utilizes the “General Duty Clause” which states, “each employer shall furnish to each of its employees a place of employment that is free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm”.

Beginning with the 2002 NEC (NFPA 70) Article 110.16 states “Flash Protection: Switchboards, panelboards, control panels, MCC’s that require examination, adjustments, servicing or maintenance shall be field marked to warn of potential arch flash hazards”.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S Appendix A states, “The NFPA 70 and 70E can be helpful in understanding and comply with the requirements of Subpart S – Electrical.

New House Caucus Focuses on Green Schools

A new caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives has formed to raise awareness of and promote the benefits of green schools and their ability to foster learning, protect students’ and teachers’ health, save school districts’ money, and reduce their impact on the environment. The goals of the Green Schools Caucus are to raise awareness of the benefits of green schools, lead the policy discussion on the topic in various forums, create legislative opportunities for the collective efforts of the caucus members, and provide members of Congress with constituent outreach resources.

The Caucus was created in October 2007 by founding co-chairs Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore.; Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas; and Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah. Caucus members and their staff will participate in educational programs to learn what is going on nationally and in their districts, including site visits to green schools and educational panels with teachers, architects, and school officials from across the country.

“As a former teacher, I am thrilled to lead the way in Congress in forming the Green Schools Caucus,” Hooley said. “Through collaborative partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, we will work to raise awareness among the public and members of Congress of the benefits of building green. By using alternatives to toxic chemicals, pursuing green building and maintenance practices, changing resource consumption habits, serving nutritious food, and teaching students to be steward of their communities, we’ll help put future generations at the forefront of sustainable development.”

“Schools are vulnerable to the sky rocketing costs of energy,” Matheson said. “When their energy budgets take a hit, kids’ education suffers. By encouraging green school buildings, we help save money, demonstrate the latest technology, and increase educational opportunities for the kids who spend much of their day in that building.”

“The Green Schools Caucus is an outstanding opportunity to help our schools save money, help society save the environment and, ultimately and most importantly, help make sure our children are attending classes in the safest indoor environments possible,” McCaul said. “As a father of five children, making sure our children can learn in safe, clean, and efficient schools has always been and always will be a top priority.”

Fully 20% of Americans go to school every day. Too often, the schools they attend are unhealthy, inefficient, and not as conducive to learning as they could be.

Green schools create a nurturing learning environment, decrease student and teacher absenteeism from respiratory and other illnesses, and provide models for teaching the world’s future leaders about sustainability to benefit communities for generations to come. They create new hands on learning opportunities for students. And they save money through reduced water and energy bills.

A 2006 study sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers, the American Institute of Architects, the American Lung Association, the Federation of American Scientists and USGBC found that building green would save an average school $100,000 each year in energy costs alone – enough to hire two additional full-time teachers, purchase 5,000 new textbooks, or buy 500 new computers. According to “Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits, 2006,” it costs on average less than 2% more – about $3 extra per square foot – to build a green school rather than a conventional school. The payback occurs within one year based on energy savings alone.

For more information on green schools, including their benefits, resources for promoting green schools, and case studies of schools that have already gone green, visit this link.

Tensile Roof Held Strong

When a tornado touched down in Atlanta, GA this past March, the Georgia Dome escaped major damage. Part of this was due to the presence of a tensile roofing system on the facility.

Inspections revealed that the Georgia Dome survived relatively unscathed after undergoing what Carl Atkins, general manager there, called a "focused Herculean team effort" by Birdair Inc., the specialty roofing contractor for lightweight long-span roofing systems and other tensile structures that that constructed the original roof on the Georgia Dome. Birdair's PTFE fiberglass fabric membrane envelops the structure.

During a Southeastern Conference (SEC) basketball game on the night of Friday, March 14, the Georgia Dome felt the effects of the 100-plus mph winds that struck Atlanta. The scoreboard swayed from the force exerted on the building, but none of the fans inside were injured. Designed to be flexible, the fabric roof rippled and bellowed with the wind but sustained only minor damage.

The storm, initially classified as a thunderstorm with winds in excess of 60 mph, was later upgraded. "The storm that hit Atlanta was a tornado," said AccuWeather's Ed Adams, manager of forensic services. "Its classification as an EF2 tornado means that winds in excess of 100 mph swept through the region."

CNN, which itself sustained heavy damage at its Atlanta headquarters, reported that The National Weather Service's Peachtree City office rated the storm an EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, meaning it packed top winds of 135 miles per hour. Both the Georgia's governor and Atlanta's mayor declared the city in a state of emergency.

Upon inspection of the Georgia Dome after the event, Birdair officials noted that, on the west side of the building, a diamond panel, a small sub-panel, and some cabling needed replacement. "The remainder of the roof is in very good condition, as we've established this through a thorough inspection of the membranes and attachments," said Dave Ricci, director of customer service and warranty at Birdair, Inc. "All involved at the Dome are very impressed with its performance. Buildings and other facilities around the dome suffered far greater damage, and the two panels that were damaged on the Georgia Dome were in the direct path of the tornado."

The game, being played with 18,000 people in attendance, was briefly delayed when the tornado struck at 9:40 p.m. The Washington Post later quoted SEC associate commissioner Charles Bloom as saying there were no injuries inside the arena among the fans, players and media attending the game between Alabama and Mississippi State. Within an hour the building was reported to be structurally sound and the teams finished the game. (Still, following the weather event, all events at Georgia Dome were cancelled for that weekend to ensure the safety and security of occupants.)

The Georgia Dome did not get hit directly, as tests indicate that the tornado itself passed about 100 yards north of the Georgia Dome. However, "the structure was definitely affected by the 100 mph winds," says Adams, general manager.

The tornado is the first to strike downtown Atlanta on record.

Schneider Electric Contributes To Safety Efforts

In order to maintain electrical equipment safely, electrical workers have to be able to avoid serious hazards such as an arc flash. Workers must have a good understanding of this hazard in order to avoid it. Schneider Electric’s North American Operating Division is working hard to educate electrical workers about the arc flash hazard and how to avoid it.

The company recently made a $500,000 contribution to become a Platinum Level sponsor of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project. The research project has the objective of modeling the arc flash phenomenon so that the hazards can be better understood. Schneider Electric’s donation will help expand the knowledge of the electric arcing faults and enhance worker safety through advances in the codes and standards relating to safe employee work practices.

Safety is the number one priority of Schneider Electric's North American Operating Division President and CEO and has been embraced as one of the company's key operational objectives. A dedicated team of safety experts have instituted safety policies, processes and communications combined with a strong commitment from company leadershelp to build a culture of safety for its employees.

New VP of Facility Management Solutions At UGL Unicco

UGL Unicco, a subsidiary of United Group Limited (UGL), recently announced that Thomas Gunn has joined the company as vice president of facility management solutions (FMS). Gunn reports to CIO Jeffrey Peterson and is a member of the UGL Unicco Operating Committee. In his new position, Gunn leads many of the company’s efforts at driving process standardization, quality management, and performance management, as well as implementing solutions in support of UGL Unicco’s service delivery model.

Gunn joined UGL Unicco from Emcor Facilities Services where he was an account executive overseeing facilities services for 4.6 million square feet of commercial properties. Previously, he held management positions at Trammell Crow Company, CB Richard Ellis, and other facilities services and property management companies. He began his career in real estate operations at New England Telephone/NYNEX (now Verizon).

Mr. Gunn holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree from Lesley College in Cambridge, MA. He has numerous industry affiliations, including membership in BOMA International, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and the Environmental Information Association (formerly the National Asbestos Council).

In a related development, the company also announced the promotion of Heidi Anderson-Rhodes to senior director of FMS reporting to Gunn. She joined UGL Unicco in 2003. Recent responsibilities included working on teams to transition/start up new accounts, implement dashboard/performance reporting solutions, and define and implement operational improvement projects. Prior to joining UGL Unicco, she was a senior management consultant with Accenture and with Navigant Consulting Inc. where she implemented operational programs to improve service and productivity levels. Anderson-Rhodes holds a bachelor’s degree from American University in Washington, DC.

Facility Management Solutions is an operational team within UGL Unicco that is dedicated to customer transitions in applying process design, implementation and consulting services, and technological tools, which delivers a higher level of service to differentiate UGL Unicco from its competition.

Port Authority In Ohio Marks One Year With Solar Powered Camera

The Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority originally deployed the system in 2005 as a property management tool to watch construction of Kaiser Drive at the Central Ohio Aerospace & Technology Center (COATC). The camera system, developed by the Port Authority, passed the one year mark since solar power improvements were made. In that year, the system never lost power as it captured and delivered real-time video and digital images to the Web.

The Port Authority set out to continuously improve the camera system it first developed three years ago. In addition to the 2005 construction project, this same system was used to monitor construction of James Parkway which opened in May 2007. Also, Samuel Manu-Tech’s corporate officials in Toronto, Canada used it in 2006 during construction of the company’s new 151,000 square foot building on the COATC South Campus.

The system can be viewed live on the Internet, during daylight hours, at http://coatc.com/cam.

“You don’t normally think of a government engaging in research and development projects, but I’m proud of our team’s success,” said Rick Platt, executive director of the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority. “Our team was given a challenge to stretch our in-house capabilities, and they succeeded. One year of running something with so many possible uses and value, just on the power of the sun, is a major accomplishment.”

“Everything in it is commercially available right now,” said Port Authority facilities manager Bruce Boylan in describing the nuts and bolts of the system. He and project manager John Vermaaten are credited with development and improvements to the solar and Internet camera device. “We found a pretty economical way and, yes, hitting the mark of one year running only on sun is pretty extraordinary too.”

Going forward, the Port Authority is considering development of a low maintenance solar camera system that would be mounted on a trailer system and could be used by local governments and agencies in Licking County. The final product would be a mobile camera system useful for public events, safety, homeland security, and other uses.

TFM Show Sold to Hanley Wood

Group C Communications, Inc., an integrated business to business media company comprised of national magazines, events, and Web communities, announced that Hanley Wood, LLC has acquired The TFM Show. Hanley Wood, LLC will produce the annual TFM Show beginning with the 2009 event. Terms of the agreement are confidential. This acquisition followed the successful operation of the 2008 TFM Show, which was held April 22 - 24 at Navy Pier in Chicago.

For the past 11 years, The TFM Show has been attracting attendees and industry attention from every corner of the world. The TFM Show is the nation’s premier event for senior facility management executives, and is the only facility management event that offers a comprehensive program including top-notch educational courses; an exhibit hall featuring the latest facility products, services, and technologies; networking events; and unique facility tours.

The agreement fits the long-term strategic goals of both organizations. Ted Coene, co-president of Group C, said, "While the divestiture of an asset such as The TFM Show is never an easy decision, we feel that in the long run this move will prove beneficial to the event’s attendees and exhibitors. The facility managers who attend The TFM Show will now have the opportunity to network with architects, engineers, specifiers, and general contractors at CONSTRUCT, and our exhibitors will gain access to a wider audience that is responsible for the entire life cycle of the building environment—from design and construction to maintenance and operations."

"This is a milestone for our company which will accelerate the growth of Group C Communications," Coene added. "The sale of The TFM Show allows the company to expand its portfolio of hosted buyer events, print, and online media and broadens our opportunity to generate new revenue sources and profit centers."

As Group C Communications, Inc. enters the next stage of its development, the company plans to launch a new Web TVchannel in the spring of 2008, a new real estate publication in the fall of 2008, and two new hosted buyer events in the spring of 2009.

Group C Communication’s publication group includes Today’s Facility Manager magazine, which serves the information needs of facility management professionals; and Business Facilities magazine, which is read by executives who are looking to relocate or expand their companies.

In addition to these leading print brands, Group C Communication’s event division also produces two annual hosted buyer events—The TFM Forum, a hosted buyer event for senior level facility management executives; and Business Facilities LiveXchange, another hosted buyer event for corporate executives who are looking to streamline the site selection process.

Group C extends its reach and dominance online via an array of Web sites tied to its magazines and events. The company has also built Group C-Link, a matchmaking computerized appointment system that will allow hosted buyer event attendees to make the very best use of their time. In May 2008, Group C Communications will introduce TFM Tube, an exciting Web TV channel that provides facility management and real estate professionals with the industry’s most comprehensive selection of how-to videos and demos of the latest facility management products and services.

About Group C Communications
Group C Communications, Inc., founded in 1968, is an integrated business to business media company comprised of national magazines, events, and Web communities that educate and connect business leaders with high quality content that allows them to make informed decisions. As publishers of Business Facilities and Today’s Facility Manager, Group C reaches facility managers and top-level executives who make significant decisions involving the long- and short-term needs of their company and facilities. The company also offers targeted face-to-face networking and valuable educational opportunities through Business Facilities LiveXchange, and The TFM Forum.

FRIDAY FUNNY: Hula While You Work

FacilityBlog is not in the habit of making full fledged product announcements (or endorsements, for that matter), but this new offering is just too good to be true for a Friday Funny. This product does something truly amazing: it allows the user to exercise while performing a sedentary job.

The Perfect Hawaii Chair combines the ancient art of the Hula with a patented 2,800 RPM Hula motor to create an easy-to-use waistline slimming and fat burning aerobic workout exercise machine that takes the work out of your work. The Hawaii Chair fits in anywhere, is easy to use, and is perfect for the whole family. It targets improved waistline and shedding some unwanted fat from your body. For senior citizens, frequent exercising with the Hawaii Chair promotes vigor without strenuous exercising.

Here's a video from the Ellen DeGeneres Show, demonstrating the power of how the Hula Chair works.

Main features :

• Following in the footsteps of the graceful Hula dancers from Hawaii, the Hula female dancers maintain a svelte figure. The Hawaii Chair is designed to do all the work for you, without strenuous exercising for anyone who wants to achieve a good waistline and maintain a fit body.
• The Hawaii Chair is so convenient to use. Sit on the chair and adjust the speed level, depending on your comfort and health levels . You can use it while watching TV, surfing the net, at the office, or simply relaxing with the family. It is easy and accessible. You will enjoy the benefits of the Hawaii Chair for a long time.
• The Hawaii Chair will rotate counter-clockwise for two minutes and operate in the reverse direction for the next two minutes. There are nine different speed levels. You should start with Level One in the beginning and as a first time Hawaii Chair user. Depending on your comfort and health levels, you can adjust the speed level up or down. The repetitive circular movements target three muscle groups: (1) the core abdominal, (2) the thigh, and the (3) waist.
• It will help you break down some unwanted fat layers, tone your muscles, and keep you in shape. Regular exercise maintains ones good health. And you should use the Hawaii Chair often and regularly as part of your exercise. The Hawaii Chair helps improve the digestive system and blood circulation.

Specifications :

* Dimensions : 23.6 x 25.2 x 33.5 inches
* Power : 150W
* Product weight : 60.2 lbs

All this for the special low price of $293.96. Beware of imitations and knock offs. Only accept the original!

(This is not a joke.)

Many thanks to Gladys Roldan for sharing this story.

Baltimore Care Facility Receives Green Roof Donation

Magco Inc., a Tecta America Company, has announced that it will install a vegetative roof at a Believe In Tomorrow House at St. Casimir in Baltimore, MD. Operated by the Believe In Tomorrow Children's Foundation, this facility provides hospital and retreat housing services to critically ill children and their families. This House is one of eight such facilities operated by the Foundation. The Foundation, which began in 1986, also runs a Military Housing Initiative providing services for children in military families. The St. Casimir building will be topped with a Tecta Green Modular Green Roof.

Present in Baltimore for the announcement in Baltimore yesterday, May 1, 2008, were Mark Gaulin, COO of Tecta America Corp.; Angie Durhman, Tecta Green program manager at Tecta America Corp.; and Brian Morrison, founder and CEO of the The Believe In Tomorrow National Children's Foundation.

Architecture Billings Index Drops to Lowest Level Ever

Emblematic of the various struggling sectors in the overall economy, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dropped two points in March and fell to its lowest level since the survey’s inception in 1995. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI shows an approximate nine to 12 month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the March ABI rating dropped to 39.7, following its steep nine point decline in February (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The inquiries for new projects score was 48.0, also the lowest mark for the survey.

“We’ve seen an 11-point fall-off in the first quarter of the year, and the prognosis for commercial construction later this year is not favorable at this point,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “Aside from historically low project demand, all regions are showing very poor business conditions. This is not likely to reverse itself anytime soon.”

Key March ABI highlights:
Regional averages: South (45.3), Northeast (38.7), West (38.7), Midwest (36.9)
Sector index breakdown: institutional (50.8), commercial/industrial (38.3), multi-family residential (31.7)
Project inquiries index: 48.0

The Architecture Billings Index is derived from a monthly “Work-on-the-Boards” survey and produced by the AIA Economics Market Research Group. Based on a comparison of data compiled since the survey’s inception in 1995 with figures from the Department of Commerce on Construction Put in Place, the findings amount to a leading economic indicator that provides an approximately nine to 12 month glimpse into the future of nonresidential construction activity.

The diffusion indexes contained in the full report are derived from a monthly survey sent to a panel of AIA member-owned firms. Participants are asked whether their billings increased, decreased, or stayed the same in the month that just ended. According to the proportion of respondents choosing each option, a score is generated, which represents an index value for each month.

BISCI Executive Director Has Resigned

The professional association, which supports the information transport systems (ITS) industry, announced earlier this week that David C. Cranmer, RCDD, BICSI Executive Director, has tendered his resignation, citing personal reasons. The BICSI Board of Directors has appointed Betty M. Eckebrecht, BICSI CFO, as BICSI Acting Executive Director, effective immediately.

“Betty has proven her leadership skills with BICSI in the past as Interim Executive Director and continues to be an excellent Chief Financial Officer of BICSI,” said BICSI President Edward J. Donelan, RCDD/NTS Specialist.

The BICSI Board of Directors has formed an Executive Director Search Committee (EDSC) under the leadership of Brian Hansen, RCDD/NTS Specialist, BICSI President-Elect. The EDSC will immediately undertake the process of selecting a new Executive Director.

“David contributed to the success of BICSI in many ways,” said Donelan. “Although this is disappointing news to our community, we look forward to the future with an opportunity to all work together and maintain our directions with the BICSI Strategic Plan, the BICSI NxtGEN Business Plan and our Outreach Program. Most important to BICSI is adherence to our Core Purpose—advancing the knowledge and success of our members, their customers and the information transport industry; as well as adherence to our core values—integrity, leadership and respect.”

About BICSI
Headquartered in Tampa, FL, BICSI is a professional association supporting the information transport systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment for individuals and companies. BICSI serves more than 23,000 ITS professionals, including designers, installers and technicians. These individuals provide the fundamental infrastructure for telecommunications, audio/video, life safety and automation systems. Through courses, conferences, publications and professional registration programs, BICSI staff and volunteers assist ITS professionals in delivering critical products and services, and offer opportunities for continual improvement and enhanced professional stature. Membership spans nearly 100 countries.

Tips For Space Planning

SmartDraw.com, maker of SmartDraw, a program to automate the process of creating business graphics has compiled a list of tips for space planning. These tips can apply to both non-residential and residential settings.

Have you employed any of the tips listed here? Have you had success or challenges with any of the strategies below? What space planning tips strategies have you learned on the job?

SmartDraw, which offers a free trial on its Web site, contains hundreds floor plan templates that users can modify to create the graphic they need. This includes floor plans for corporate and office layouts, emergency evacuation and planning, home floor plans and room layouts, hotel floor plans, restaurant floor plans, landscape design, retail plans and planograms, and store layouts and facility designs.

The "Top Tips for Effective Space Planning" are as follows:
1. You can save yourself a lot of time and trouble by taking careful measurements and thinking through the following issues before you start drawing. When measuring existing spaces, lay your measuring tape flat on the floor and measure room dimensions in several places, especially where furniture will be a tight fit. Don't assume your walls are parallel.

2. Before laying out furniture, look for projecting windowsills, and note the location of electrical receptacles, light switches, vents, and thermostats.

3. When placing a desk, ask yourself, "What do I want to be looking at when I sit there?"

4. When planning an office, first determine whether the occupant's back will be toward the door. Some people feel very strongly about this. Other design decisions will flow from this basic choice.

5. To reduce glare, try to avoid having computer monitors directly facing windows.

6. Leave enough empty space in front of filing cabinets to fully extend the drawer, plus at least 18 additional inches if the drawers will be accessed by a person standing in front of them.

7. Allow adequate working space at desks or cubicles. The distance from the working side of a desk to the nearest wall or furniture should be at least 42" (and most people find 54" or 60" to be more comfortable).

8. The walkway between a piece of furniture and a wall should be at least 30" in a residential space (36" is preferred). In a public space it should be at least 36" (42" is preferred).

9. To get a feel for the width of a walkway before placing furniture, put a tape line on the floor to see how different dimensions would feel.

10. When placing furniture on a residential plan, remember that most furniture will actually sit 2" or 3" from the wall.

11. Don't line all the furniture up along the walls. Break up spaces by placing pieces out in the room. Setting rugs, sofas, or other furniture at angles can help avoid an overly rigid feel.

The SmartDraw features built-in-themes with professionally designed colors, schemes, and effects for polished results, as well as one-click copy to MS® documents such as Word® and PowerPoint®, as well as PDF.

About SmartDraw.com
SmartDraw.com is the creator of SmartDraw, a business graphics software and the first program that makes it possible for ordinary computer users to create presentation-quality business graphics. Each year more than two million people install and use SmartDraw and the company counts more than half of the members of the Fortune 500 as customers.

Founded in 1994, SmartDraw.com is privately-held and based in San Diego, CA. In addition to SmartDraw 2008 for general business and home use, the company also offers SmartDraw Healthcare and SmartDraw Legal editions which include graphics and applications for those respective fields.