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1 2 11 5

5 4

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Energy Recovery Ventilator

Spun Aluminum Upblast Exhaust Fan

10 Centrifugal Supply Fan 11 Louvered Equipment Screen 12 Make-Up Air 13 Centrifugal Inline Fan/ Fire Smoke Damper

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the ART of Building Sustainability

HVAC

DI N

LIT Y

B UIL

Lighting

ART o

S U S TA I N

Security

Sustainability requires a high level of integration between HVAC, lighting, and security systems. The art of building sustainability skillfully combines this integration with other technological and supporting elements that must endure over the long term. When these additional elements are maintained over the life of your building, true building sustainability emerges. To learn more about the ART of Building Sustainability please visit reliablecontrols.com /TABS10CSE19

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Vol. 56, Number 10

NOVEMBER 2019

BUILDING SOLUTIONS 12 | Following an OPR to design lighting systems

Lighting designers must consider many factors when specifying lighting systems and lighting controls for nonresidential buildings, including the owner’s project requirements

18 | Designing an energy-efficient lighting system

Understanding codes, controls and commissioning are key to an effective lighting design for a new or existing building

26 | Electrical design for smoke control systems

ON THE COVER: The City of Columbus Department of Recreation and Parks McKnight Outdoor Education Center features LED lighting and multiple daylight harvesting sensors to automatically dim the LED lighting as well as occupancy sensors to turn off the lighting. Courtesy: Tara Grove, Metro CD Engineering

NEWS &BUSINESS 5 | Viewpoint

Engineers designing electrical infrastructure to support smoke control systems must be aware of the stringent requirements listed throughout multiple code sections

32 | NFPA 20: Fire pump design

When designing a fire pump, there are a number of factors to keep in mind, particularly NFPA 20

40 | NFPA 110-2019 concepts and changes

Understand NFPA 110 and its relation to emergency power supplies

It’s not just about the money

7 | Research

ENGINEERING INSIGHTS

9 | Future of Engineering

46 | Ask an expert: Hospitals, health care facilities

Five electrical, power system findings

Three aspects of digital transformation

10 | Salary survey

Salaries remain flat, other compensation increases

Health care facility designers are expected to keep pace with increasingly complex, advanced engineered systems and features

CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER (ISSN 0892-5046, Vol. 56, No. 10, GST #123397457) is published 11x per year, monthly except in February, by CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Jim Langhenry, Group Publisher/Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/Co-Founder. CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER copyright 2019 by CFE Media, LLC. All rights reserved. CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER is a registered trademark of CFE Media, LLC used under license. Periodicals postage paid at Downers Grove, IL 60515 and additional mailing offices. Circulation records are maintained at CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Telephone: 630-571-4070. E-mail: customerservice@cfemedia.com. Postmaster: send address changes to CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40685520. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Email: customerservice@cfemedia.com. Rates for nonqualified subscriptions, including all issues: USA, $165/yr; Canada, $200/yr (includes 7% GST, GST#123397457); Mexico, $200/yr; International air delivery $350/yr. Except for special issues where price changes are indicated, single copies are available for $30 US and $35 foreign. Please address all subscription mail to CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Printed in the USA. CFE Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever.

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consulting-specifying engineer

November 2019

•

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NEWS&BUSINESS VIEWPOINT

CONTENT SPECIALISTS/EDITORIAL AMARA ROZGUS, Editor-in-Chief/Content Strategy Leader 630-571-4070 x2211, ARozgus@CFEMedia.com AMANDA PELLICCIONE, Director of Research APelliccione@CFEMedia.com MICHAEL SMITH, Creative Director MSmith@CFEmedia.com McKENZIE BURNS, Production & Marketing Coordinator 630-571-4070 x2231, MBurns@CFEMedia.com

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD JERRY BAUERS, PE, Vice President, NV5, Kansas City, Mo. MICHAEL CHOW, PE, CEM, CxA, LEED AP BD+C, Principal, Metro CD Engineering LLC, Columbus, Ohio TOM DIVINE, PE, Senior Electrical Engineer, Johnston, LLC, Houston CORY DUGGIN, PE, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP, Energy Modeling Wizard, TLC Engineering Solutions, Brentwood, Tenn. ROBERT J. GARRA JR., PE, CDT, Vice President, Electrical Engineer, CannonDesign, Grand Island, N.Y. JASON GERKE, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Cx A, Mechanical Engineer, GRAEF, Milwaukee JOSHUA D. GREENE, PE, Associate Principal, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Waltham, Mass. RAYMOND GRILL, PE, FSFPE, Principal, Arup, Washington, D.C. DANNA JENSEN, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Principal, Certus, Carrollton, Texas WILLIAM KOFFEL, PE, FSFPE, President, Koffel Associates Inc., Columbia, Md. WILLIAM KOSIK, PE, CEM, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP, Senior Energy Engineer, Oak Park Ill. KENNETH KUTSMEDA, PE, LEED AP, Engineering Manager, Jacobs, Philadelphia SARA LAPPANO, PE, LC, LEED AP, Managing Principal, Integral Group, Washington, D.C. JULIANNE LAUE, PE, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP, Director of Building Performance, Mortenson, Minneapolis DAVID LOWREY, Chief Fire Marshal, Boulder (Colo.) Fire Rescue JASON MAJERUS, PE, CEM, LEED AP, Principal, DLR Group, Cleveland BRIAN MARTIN, PE, Senior Electrical Technologist, Jacobs, Portland, Ore. DWAYNE G. MILLER, PE, RCDD, AEE CPQ, CEO and Co-Founder, UNIFI Labs Inc., Las Vegas FREDDY PADILLA, PE, ATD, Principal/Senior Electrical Engineer, Page, Austin, Texas GREGORY QUINN, PE, NCEES, LEED AP, Principal, Health Care Market Leader, Affiliated Engineers Inc., Madison, Wis. BRIAN A. RENER, PE, LEED AP, Principal, Electrical Discipline Leader, SmithGroup, Chicago SUNONDO ROY, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Vice President, CCJM Engineers Ltd., Chicago RANDY SCHRECENGOST, PE, CEM, Austin Operations Group Manager/Senior Mechanical Engineer, Stanley Consultants, Austin, Texas MATT SHORT, PE, Project Manager/Mechanical Engineer, Smith Seckman Reid, Houston SAAHIL TUMBER, PE, HBDP, LEED AP, Senior Associate, Environmental Systems Design, Chicago MARIO VECCHIARELLO, PE, CEM, GBE, Senior Vice President, CDM Smith Inc., Boston RICHARD VEDVIK, PE, Senior Electrical Engineer and Acoustics Engineer, IMEG Corp., Rock Island, Ill. MIKE WALTERS, PE, LEED AP, Campus Energy Market Leader, MEP Associates, Verona, Wis.

It’s not just about the money Engineers are, for the most part, happy in their positions and with their overall compensation

veryone seems to be curiLast year’s study showed fire proous about what other people tection engineers made the highmake. Are they paid as well est base compensation and nonsalary as their peers? Are bonuses. This year, electrithey keeping up with their cal engineers had the edge, neighbors? What kind of making $126,554 on average. health benefits do they have Bonuses were generous too; compared with other firms? electrical and mechanical How much of a raise did engineers earned the most in their officemate get last year? nonsalary compensation. While some people are willThe number of junioring to share these details, it’s level team members is slowAmara Rozgus, often taboo to talk about sally rising, shifting workforce Editor-in-Chief aries or other benefits. benefits and demands. To Professional associations, enhance employee retenpeer groups and mentors often help tion, companies offer these five items answer these questions. Websites that most frequently: track salaries and job information are extremely helpful in a job search, but • Vacation, sick leave, PTO, not always useful if a job change isn’t etc.: 81%. part of your future. So how do you know what you’re • Health insurance benefits worth? Is your engineering firm stay(at any level): 78%. ing on par with the competition? Do companies really offer unlimited paid • Flexible work schedule: 63%. time off? What kind of bonus package or sign-on bonus should you offer a • Casual dress code: 60%. new employee? The most recent Consulting-Speci• Life insurance: 57%. fying Engineer Salary Survey includes some of these answers. On page 10 At the bottom of the list were benyou’ll learn that most employees are efits that are being eliminated or are pretty happy where they’re at. Some simply unavailable in many industries: of this workplace satisfaction may be pension (12%); sign-on bonus (10%); directly related to the fact that their enhanced or unlimited vacation, sick company is doing a good job overall. leave, PTO, etc. (9%); global experiOne-third (33%) of respondents feel ences/international travel (7%); and their company is ahead of the compe- paid meal plan (2%). tition and 36% feel their firm is just As you review the data and compulling ahead. To keep individuals and pare yourself to others in the industheir firms competitive, 72% of respon- try, take note that every firm is quite dents feel they’re doing more work different, and no two jobs are exactly than they did three years ago. alike. cse

APRIL WOODS, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Vice President, WSP USA, Orlando, Fla. JOHN YOON, PE, LEED AP ID+C, Lead Electrical Engineer, McGuire Engineers Inc., Chicago

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consulting-specifying engineer

November 2019

•

No two hospitals are alike and neither are their boiler systems.

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Call 1-800-296-4110 to find your local representative, or visit cleaverbrooks.com for more information. ÂŠ2018 Cleaver-Brooks, Inc.

Integrated lighting design

NEWS&BUSINESS

RESEARCH

Extremely difficult

Don't know

8% 19%

ELECTRICAL & POWER STUDY

29%

14% 30% Not difficult Slightly difficult

Moderately difficult

Thirty-seven percent of engineers are challenged with designing more integrated lighting systems, such as IPD or EPC. Courtesy: ConsultingSpecifying Engineer 2019 Lighting & Lighting Controls Study.

66%

of engineers report building owners to have the most input/impact on HVAC and controls system design. Source: ConsultingSpecifying Engineer 2019 HVAC & Building Automation Systems Study

6 in 10

engineers expect to see an increase in intelligent detectors and network and intelligent fire alarm control panels in future projects. Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2019 Fire & Life Safety Study

47%

of engineers have recently observed and been affected by changes to alternative energy/renewable systems and electrical and power codes and standards. Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2019 Electrical & Power Study

More research Consulting-Specifying Engineer covers several research topics each year. All reports are available at www.csemag.com/research.

www.csemag.com

Five electrical, power system findings

espondents to the Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2019 Electrical & Power Study identified several high-level findings impacting the electrical and power industries: 1. Electrical, power revenue: The average engineering firm specifies about $3.6 million annually for electrical and power systems in new and existing buildings, up 21% over 2018 data. 2. Systems specified: Eight in 10 engineers currently specify circuit breakers, fuses, etc.; cable, wire, etc.; and cable management, raceways, busways, etc. 3. Selection involvement: Ninetytwo percent of respondents are responsible for determining the requirements/ writing specifications for electrical or power systems. Another 69% research and evaluate options, while 68% recommend the brand and 64% supervise or consult on projects.

4. Design factors: Ninety-nine percent of engineers agree that product quality is the most important factor to their specification of one electrical or power system over another, followed by manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation (88%), previous experience with a manufacturer (88%), design support offerings (87%) and technical advantage (87%). 5. Top challenges: Eighty-four percent of engineers agree that an inadequate budget for high-quality design is a difficult challenge affecting the future of electrical and power systems, engineers, and/or the industry; other top challenges include speed of project delivery (77%) and the subjective interpretation of regulations by code authorities (70%). cse

M More RESEARCH

Access more electrical and power trends at www.csemag.com/research. Amanda Pelliccione is the research director at CFE Media.

Electrical, power system specifications written Always

Frequently

11%

Prescriptive

63% 28%

Performance Open: proprietar

11%

Open: alternate or substitute

11%

45% 51% 51%

Closed: single source and alternate

32% 22%

Closed: proprietary 0

Twenty-eight percent of respondents always write performance electrical or power specifications, and another 45% frequently write this type of specification. Courtesy: Consulting-Specifying Engineer consulting-specifying engineer

November 2019

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NEWS&BUSINESS

FUTURE OF ENGINEERING

By Steve Jones, Dodge Data & Analytics, New York City

Three aspects of digital transformation Here are three ways engineers and other team members are benefiting from emerging technologies and integrated processes

he digital transformation of the design and construction industry is changing all aspects of how professionals execute and deliver projects all over the world. Three studies address aspects particularly relevant to consulting engineers.

1. Connecting design insight

To help designers create more wellreasoned solutions and comparatively analyze design options to strive toward the best possible performance, this study explores the use of building information modeling, the emergence of generative and computational design, the integration of reality capture and geographic information systems data, as well as access to outside sources of data to analyze, simulate, benchmark and optimize potential solutions. Key findings: • 88% agree BIM enables better design insight and 74% say the insight improves performance predictability of their completed buildings. • 91% want more industry data on building performance and other key design parameters to be made accessible digitally to improve their design insight workflows. • Conducting early-stage sketching that connects conceptual design to BIM and analyzing building performance during early conceptual design stage are the most frequent insight-related BIM activities.

2. Connecting design and construction

Digital tools and processes are enabling integrated digital workflows where design files are further developed for detailing, fabrication and as-built

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installation, providing unprecedented benefits for everyone. This study examines adoption and positive impact of these BIM-based workflows among key project team members. Key findings: • 27% of mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers and 34% of structural engineers are participating in full (or nearly full) integrated digital workflows with their project teams on at least some of their projects.

‘

Cloud-based collaboration platforms are powering these integrated digital workflows.

’

• Top benefits reported by all the companies participating include better coordinated designs and shop drawings in less time, more accurate estimates from trades, fewer iterations between architects and engineers, fewer field errors, improved schedule performance, better final quality, less material waste and improved profitability. • Engineers are particularly positive about better communication among the whole team during design, detailing and fabrication. • Creating visual logic to explore parametric conceptual designs is still emerging in terms of industry awareness, although usage among those who are aware exceeds 75%, indicating value and suggesting adoption growth. • Similarly, while only half are familiar with contextual design (i.e., incorporating reality capture and GIS data into design), more than 70% of those are using it, so growth can also be expected.

• Although fewer than 20% currently use generative or computational design, they report better,

3. Connecting teams

Cloud-based collaboration platforms are powering these integrated digital workflows, connecting designers’ optimized solutions more effectively to the team members that implement them. This study explores the benefits, return on investment and ideal functions of cloud-based collaboration solutions, as well as the growth in both owner-provided platforms and collaborative delivery models. Key findings include: • 98% report some experience with cloud-based collaboration solutions on their BIM projects with 63% using one more than half the time. • 82% of companies that have invested in this type of solution report a positive ROI. • Top benefits include less project error, faster workflows and decisions, more satisfied clients and higher quality, more creative designs. • Added benefits of better client understanding and fewer design changes result when teams equip an owner with a cloud-based collaboration solution. The confluence of these important trends is creating an exciting new future for design and construction and will continue to improve productivity, enhance design quality, streamline processes and boost outcomes for all the companies involved. cse

Stephen Jones is senior director, industry insights research, at Dodge Data & Analytics. He focuses on how emerging economic, practice and technology trends are transforming the design and construction industry.

consulting-specifying engineer

November 2019

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NEWS&BUSINESS

2019 SALARY SURVEY By Amara Rozgus, Editor-in-Chief, and Amanda Pelliccione, Research Director

Salaries remain flat, other compensation increases Are your salary, bonuses and benefits on par with others in the industry? Review the latest data to learn where you rank among your peers Salary by system specified Engineering system primarily specified

Average base annual salary

Average nonsalary compensation

TOTAL

Electrical/power

$105,999

$20,554

$126,554

Fire protection/life safety

$106,945

$10,048

$116,992

Lighting

$83,591

$10,227

$93,818

Mechanical (including HVAC, plumbing)

$104,592

$15,094

$119,686

Electrical/power compensation Primary job function

Average base annual salary

Average nonsalary compensation

TOTAL

Senior administration

$140,937

$74,895

$215,832

Engineering management

$110,143

$10,613

$120,756

Engineer

$91,333

$8,702

$100,034

Fire protection/life safety compensation Primary job function

Average base annual salary

Average nonsalary compensation

TOTAL

Senior administration

$128,250

$33,750

$162,000

Engineering management

$87,360

$4,564

$91,924

Engineer

$107,045

$3,655

$110,700

Lighting design compensation Primary job function

Average base annual salary

Average nonsalary compensation

TOTAL

Senior administration

$94,500

$13,250

$107,750

Engineering management

$72,000

$1,000

$73,000

Engineer

$86,357

$11,000

$97,357

Mechanical (including HVAC, plumbing) compensation Primary job function

Average base annual salary

Average nonsalary compensation

TOTAL

Senior administration

$132,038

$34,596

$166,635

Engineering management

$110,060

$13,899

$123,959

Engineer

$84,873

$6,378

$91,251

•

November 2019

consulting-specifying engineer

he fifth annual Consulting-Specifying Engineer salary survey of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and lighting engineers shows that the average base annual salary in 2018 was $104,349 and the average nonsalary compensation was $16,358. The average base salary was nearly flat compared with the previous report and nonsalary compensation was up approximately $3,000 over 2017 numbers, or an increase of 20.5%. About half (53%) of all respondents said they worked at a consulting engineering firm and 20% indicated they worked for an architectural engineering firm. These numbers are based on the anonymous responses of professionals from a variety of engineering disciplines and at different levels in their professional career. Of these respondents, 91% are male, down from last year’s 92% and a drop from 2016 results of 94%. From the 2018 study results, the largest age groups are 55 to 64 years old (24%), 35 to 44 years old (22%) and 65 years or older (21%). In the previous study, the largest age groups responding were 50 to 59 years old (31%), 60 to 69 years old (24%) and 40 to 49 years old (16%). Younger staff, defined by the U.S. Department of Labor as 40 or younger, equate to 30%, a dramatic increase from 21% of survey respondents in last year’s study. On the flip side, assuming people retire at 65, 21% of respondents are 65 years old or older, up from 18% in the last report. This, coupled with the lack of technical and professional development training at engineering firms, should be a concern for several engineering firms as their technical expertise departs. See Figure 1 for the comparison of age groups. Many respondents seem to be content in their current positions; 88% indicated they have the same job title as they held last year and the year before. And half (48%) have worked for their current employer for 10 years or longer, down slightly from the previous report. www.csemag.com

The good news is that total compensation has grown for the majority of respondents. As shown in Figure 2, compensation increased 1% to 4% for 46% of respondents, 5% to 9% for 18% of respondents and 10% or more for 14% of respondents. When comparing compensation, the numbers shifted yet again this year. Those who primarily specify electrical/power systems had the highest salaries in 2018, earning an average of $126,554 ($115,939 last study). The other core systems specified include mechanical systems, earning an average of $119,686 ($119,456 last study); fire/life safety, with total compensation averaging $116,992 (a drop from first place with $125,589 last study); and lighting, earning an average of $93,818 ($100,015 last study). See the compensation tables for a more detailed breakdown.

Employee satisfaction

According to the survey, 11% of respondents are looking to change jobs in the next year and 17% aren’t sure, meaning close to one-third of employees could be moving to a new position. About onethird (32%) of respondents have been working at their company less than five years, with 20% at the same company for five to nine years, an increase over the last study’s 15%. See Figure 3 for the number of years respondents have worked in their respective industries. Evening out with previous years, 51% of respondents have a mentoring program at their firm (over the past three reports, it was 53%, 36% and 51%, respectively). To help junior staff members obtain the guidance they need, 70% of respondents personally mentor junior staff. This is good because 59% of respondents felt that recent college graduates (Generation Z) do not understand products, systems and their physical requirements or size as they enter the workforce. Also missing from college graduates’ skill sets are communication and project management skills plus an understanding of how to apply the theoretical knowledge learned in school. This is a disconnect from what firms are doing to train newer staff — only 30% have an official training program in place at their company. Also, job satisfaction among respondents remains high for another year: 50% are satisfied and 40% are very satisfied. For this year’s study, that’s 90% of happy employees (that total number was 93% and 95% in the past two studies, a slight dip).

Current age 2018, average age 48 2017, average age 48 2016, average age 53

24% 22%

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21%

20% 15%

25% 24% 22%

16%16% 15% 12% 10%

6% 3%

Younger than 30 years old

30 to 39 years old

40 to 49 years old

50 to 59 years old

60 to 69 years old

70 years old or older

Figure 1: The age of survey respondents continues to remain on the older side; most respondents are older than 40. The average age of this year’s respondents is 48, remaining flat from last year’s data. Courtesy: Consulting-Specifying Engineer

Total compensation change, increased 46%

43%

40%

2015 versus 2016 2016 versus 2017 2017 versus 2018

38%

18%

19%

18%

12%

Increased 1% to 4%

Increased 5% to 9%

14%

Increased 10% or more

Figure 2: Most respondents to the study saw their total compensation increase 1% to 4%, as has been typical in previous years. Courtesy: Consulting-Specifying Engineer

Industry experience in years 40 or more

Less than 10

19% 22%

Survey methodology

A survey was emailed to Consulting-Specifying Engineer audience members and information was collected in August and September 2018. A total of 314 qualified responses were returned, with a margin of error of +/-5.5% at a 95% confidence level. Participants frequently had the option to select more than one response, thus totals do not always equal 100%. cse

31%

14% 25% 20% 10 to 19

30 to 39

20 to 29

Figure 3: The average number of years in the industry is 23, according to respondents from this year’s research study. Last year, it was 24 years of experience, showing that numbers are starting to flatline. Courtesy: Consulting-Specifying Engineer consulting-specifying engineer

November 2019

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BUILDING SOLUTIONS

LIGHTING AND LIGHTING CONTROLS By Michael Chow, PE, CxA, LEED AP BD+C, Metro CD Engineering, Columbus, Ohio

Following an OPR to design lighting systems Lighting designers must consider many factors when specifying lighting systems and lighting controls for nonresidential buildings, including the owner’s project requirements

ne of the first things a lighting designer should do on a project is to obtain the owner’s project requirements. The OPR contains elements for design and should contain requirements for illumination and related items. Other items typically found in an OPR: • Lighting construction budget. • Code requirements. • Desired light source, color temperature, color rendering index, etc. • Desired luminaire type and style. Note that a luminaire definition in NFPA 70: National Electrical Code is defined as “a complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp or lamps together with the parts designed to distribute the light, to position and protect the lamps and to connect the lamps to the power supply.” A lighting fixture typically includes the metal or plastic components and the lens and may or may not include the ballast or driver or the actual lamps themselves. • Illumination levels, minimum foot-candle levels, maximum foot-candle levels, maximum to minimum foot-candle ratios, etc. • Desired controls systems. • Special requirements such as emergency lighting, daylighting harvesting, dark skies, etc.

Figure 1: The City of Columbus Department of Recreation and Parks McKnight Outdoor Education Center is a net zero energy building. The two-story space features clerestory windows that allow daylighting into the activity room. The windows automatically or manually open, providing passive natural ventilation and bringing fresh air into the building. The lighting power density for the building was 0.54 watts/square foot and exceeded the energy code by 47%. Courtesy: Tara Grove, Metro CD Engineering

•

November 2019

consulting-specifying engineer

www.csemag.com

Figure 2: A daylight harvest sensor is mounted on the ceiling in an open multispace room. This sensor will automatically dim the LED lighting in this space based upon ambient daylight. Courtesy: Metro CD Engineering LLC

• Sustainability goals. • Commissioning requirements. • Training requirements. • Operations and maintenance requirements. With smaller projects, the lighting designer may not receive an OPR. In this case, the lighting designer should go over the key lighting elements with the owner. Another approach is to work with the architect to develop a basis of design that lists the key lighting elements and the design approach. This document should be presented to the owner for approval before design.

Lighting construction budget

The budget for luminaires and controls can vary greatly. The lighting designer will need to know the lighting budget to assess if it is realistic for the project’s OPR. Typical installed (including labor and material) square foot costs can range from $5/square foot for a lighting upgrade project to $15/square foot for higher-end commercial projects.

Code requirements

The OPR should state the desired energy-efficiency goals. For example, the OPR may state the project shall meet or exceed state energy codes by a minimum of 15% including lighting. The lighting designer will need to keep this in mind while selecting luminaires and their efficacy (lumens per watt) and total input watts per luminaire. How does a lighting designer know what codes and standards apply to the designer’s project? A very useful resource can be found at the U.S. Department of Energy’s website, which lists the energy codes for each state. Local codes should also be checked by the lighting designer because local codes may supersede state codes in some states. Also, if a project pursues U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification that will also have an impact on which energy code should be followed. It is highly recommended to enter luminaires into the COMcheck or other lighting compliance form that is required by the local code authority during the schematic phase or design development phase of the lighting design. Waiting until the end of the 100% construction documents design to check for compliance may result in noncompliance and require changing to different luminaires with lower total input watts per luminaire. This can delay the schedule as typically the architect and owner need to determine if the suggested replacement luminaire is acceptable. There is an online article that shows a

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lighting designer a step-by-step procedure to complete the COMcheck form.

Light source

The OPR should state the owner’s preference for the light source. Most owners want LED lighting due to their long life, lack of hazardous materials (whereas fluorescent lamps contain mercury) and high efficacy. Color temperature is an important detail; if it’s missing in the OPR, it should be obtained. A typical office color temperature is 3,500 Kelvin. However, some owners may want a higher color temperature such as 4,100 Kelvin, and some want even higher color temperature. Conversely, some owners — especially in the hospitality industry — want warmer color temperatures such as 2,700 Kelvin. It is important for lighting designers to find out the desired color temperature because it can be costly to replace entire luminaires or components of a luminaire if the incorrect color temperature is specified. Some retail owners may require high CRI. The minimum CRI level should be stated in the OPR. The R9 color rendering index is another value that owners may state. LEDs may have difficulty rendering red colors well. High R9 values are desirable in restaurant, food and retail applications.

Desired luminaire type, style

Typically, lighting designers work with architects and owners to determine the type and style of luminaires selected for a project. For example, an owner may require linear LED luminaires that are end-to-end for a long corridor with a frosted lens. The lighting designer should ask for additional details if it is missing from the • Know the owner’s project requirements for lighting. OPR. For example, if the OPR did not state • Understand how to design frosted lens and the lighting designer speclighting systems to meet the ified a clear lens, then this could result in a OPR. costly change order if ordered and installed. • Determine how to implement A recent project involved an architect commissioning, training and that requested clear lenses for recessed can operations and maintenance manuals. LED luminaires without consulting the

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LIGHTING AND LIGHTING CONTROLS owner. After installation was completed, the owner said the glare from the luminaires was unacceptable and frosted lenses replaced the clear lenses. It is also critical that the lighting designer select the correct luminaire for the ceiling type. An example of improper coordination is when a lighting designer specified a surface-mounted luminaire for multiple operating rooms and the architect specified a lay-in ceiling. The luminaire was custom-built and more than 100 were ordered. Unfortunately, the luminaire could not be modified with to fit within a lay-in ceiling. This delayed the opening of the operating rooms and new luminaires had to be purchased.

Illumination levels, The lighting designer needs to know if the owner would like to meet Illuminating Engineering Society lighting levels or if there is another requirement. The IES has recommended minimum lighting levels depending upon the type of space and the users or occupants in that space. The age of users also comes into play as older occupants may require higher light levels compared to younger occupants. A typical OPR may state: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The lighting levels (a combination of the natural lighting and electric lighting) in the open-office area shall provide a maintained illumination average of 30 horizontal foot-candles (minimum) without the use of task lighting measured at the work plane height. Daylight harvesting shall be used to achieve the required foot-candle levels.â&#x20AC;? It is important to know where the measurement of light levels occur. Typically, this is at the work plane level, which is an industry standard of 30 inches above finished floor. The OPR may leave out requirement for lighting levels for certain rooms/areas that are deemed noncritical or for transition areas like corridors. The IES recommended corridor light levels are typically much lower than what is stated for recommended office light levels. Some owners have been dissatisfied with low corridor light levels even though these levels meet the recommended IES level. The owners wanted light levels in the corridors similar to office light levels. The lighting designer needs to ensure the OPR has recommended light levels for all areas/ rooms to avoid these types of issues. The owner may have maximum foot-candle levels as well in the OPR. Some owners do not want spaces/ rooms to be over lit. Maximum to minimum light level ratios may be included in the OPR. This is how uniform the light levels are in an area. This typically is used for parking lots to ensure uniform lighting for safety. A typical recommendation is 15:1 for parking lot lighting.

Controls systems The type of lighting controls should be stated in the OPR. The owner may want a lighting controller

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tied into the building automation system to control all lighting with time-of-day shut-off. The OPR should also state if wireless controls are acceptable. Some owners do not want wireless controls; they prefer hard-wired options. Owners may want a different lighting control for a room than what is acceptable by the energy code. For example, an owner may want only light switches in a conference room and no other type of control. However, the energy code may require an automatic shut-off device such as an occupancy sensor. The lighting designer shall review the OPR and advise the owner of conflicts between the OPR and codes to avoid issues later in the project. The engineer of record (usually a licensed professional engineer) for a project shall comply with the applicable codes, including the energy code. The owner cannot mandate that codes be ignored. For instance, an owner of a jewelry store wanted a new high-end jewelry store to be built. The OPR stated to use all halogen light sources in the sales area. At the schematic design level, the lighting designer informed the owner that the current energy codes would not allow all halogen light sources in the sales area. Ceramic metal halide light sources were used that were acceptable to the owner and also met the energy code. After the new store was completed, the owner decided he liked the new ceramic metal halide luminaires more than the halogen light sources. Owners may require occupancy sensors in private offices to control both luminaires and heating, ventilation and air conditioning devices. For example, if the occupancy sensor does not detect anyone in an office, the owner may require the lighting be turned off in the room and have the HVAC variable air volume box move the damper to the minimum coderequired position to save energy. Dimming should also be covered in the OPR. Does the owner want 1% dimming? If so, dimming controls will need to be specified that are compatible with the dimming luminaires. Scene control in certain rooms such as large classrooms and auditoriums should be specified in an OPR. For example, an owner may want pre-programmed scenes for a classroom with audiovisual projectors. Site lighting control in the OPR should state if photocells should be used in each exterior luminaire or if one photocell is to be used for control of all luminaires. Time-of-day control also can be used to control outdoor lighting instead of photocells.

Special requirements Owners should state in the OPR how emergency lighting is to be powered. Emergency egress lighting is typically powered through battery packs, an inverter or a generator. There are some owners that want all lighting in the facility on generator power. The www.csemag.com

lighting designer needs to follow code requirements for egress lighting while also meeting the OPR. Owners may want to implement daylighting harvesting to save energy. It is important for lighting designers to determine the extent of daylighting harvesting that owners desire. Simply stating “incorporate daylighting harvesting” in an OPR does not provide enough information for the lighting designer. The OPR should state which rooms daylighting harvesting is desired. The lighting designer should keep in mind that energy codes may mandate which

spaces are required to have daylighting harvesting and if multiple daylighting zones are desired. The OPR should also include dimming levels (1% or 10%) and also how many rows of luminaires should be controlled per room/area. Owners may state in an OPR they require exterior lighting fixtures to have certain backlight, uplight and glare ratings. BUG is an acronym coined by the IES and the International Dark-Sky Association. The BUG rating of a luminaire determines how much light trespass the luminaire produces. The OPR may state to meet the LEED BUG requirements.

CASE STUDY: Ongoing commissioning at a park recreation center

new lodge and educational center was built in 2018 for the City of Columbus, Ohio, McKnight Outdoor Education Center, located along the west riverbank of the Scioto River. Featuring a multipurpose space, the lodge is used for camps as well as rented for events. The facility also features a science room, activity room, offices, kitchen, quiet room and restrooms. The project is designed to net zero energy, meaning it is designed to generate as much energy as the building uses over the course of a year. The lighting design includes limiting the electricity consumption including all LED lighting, advanced metering, daylighting harvesting and lighting controls. This project achieved U.S. Green Building Council LEEDNC v4 Silver certification and received all possible points in the Optimize Energy credit. The project also is listed as a Zero Energy Emerging building with the New Buildings Institute.

Through the ongoing commissioning process, it was found that the luminaires in two rooms were staying on all the time six months after the project was completed. The lighting designer, the architect, the commissioning authority/agent, the lighting controller’s authorized service technician and the owner’s representatives met on-site to assess the problem. There were many theories before the site visit, one of which was the reptiles in the cages and tanks were triggering the occupancy sensor to keep the luminaries on during the night. The lighting controller was found to have jumper wires installed to keep these two rooms luminaries on all the time, thus bypassing the programmed lighting control of end-of-day shut-off. It was not known why these jumper wires were installed, but upon removal and functional testing, the lighting control was fixed and the luminaires turned off at the end of the day as programmed.

Figure 3: The City of Columbus (Ohio) Recreation and Parks Department McKnight Outdoor Education Center net zero energy building faces south and has 80 monocrystalline solar panels rated at 285 watts each. Courtesy: Metro CD Engineering LLC

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BUILDING SOLUTIONS

ARCHITECTU RAL

LED EDGE-LIT EXIT COMBO

LIGHTING AND LIGHTING CONTROLS

Circadian lighting is a growing movement for owners to incorporate into their buildings. The color and intensity of light can be used to regulate the timing of humans’ biological clocks, also known as circadian rhythms. There are claims of improved employee productivity, reduction in obesity, shorter hospital stays and other benefits of using circadian luminaires. Owners may want to meter or track the lighting energy usage and run-time of luminaries. There are several strategies to incorporate this such as installing a sub-meter on the lighting panelboards and tracking energy usage through the lighting control software or BAS. Tracking the amount of time luminaires are on can help an owner with determine when it is time to replace luminaries as they approach their end of life.

Commissioning requirements Commissioning of lighting systems is important to ensure the systems are working as the lighting designer intended. An OPR should state if the owner’s commissioning requirements for lighting and other systems that use energy and affect operation of a building. Energy codes and LEED certification have made commissioning of lighting controls a requirement. ASHRAE Standard 90.1: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings requires functional testing of lighting controls and systems. LEED and other sustainability certifications require commissioning in order to obtain certification. Ongoing commissioning should be recommended to an owner. This process is to ensure that the lighting systems continue to operate and save energy as originally designed. The lighting designer should work with the commissioning authority/agent early in the project, preferably the pre-design stage to determine the commissioning requirements for the lighting systems. For example, the commissioning authority or agent may do a review of the design documents and review lighting related shop drawings. The commissioning authority/agent reviews the OPR and the design team’s BOD to ensure the OPR are met.

Fully adjustable 2.5W LED lamps Up to 54’ on-center spacing Architectural low-proﬁle design Surface & recessed conﬁgurations Includes single & double-face panels Optional remote capability

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O&M requirements In addition to training, the OPR should state what documentation is required for the contractor to turn over to the owner’s facility staff form operations and maintenance of the lighting system. This typically includes record drawings of as-built conditions and the specifications. Shop drawings of the luminaires and the control devices are usually required as well. The lighting designer shall incorporate into the specifications the requirements for the O&M manual as directed by the OPR. An OPR is critical to the success of a lighting project. There are many critical lighting items that need to be listed in an OPR. The lighting designer shall meet these requirements in the design for an energy-efficient lighting system. cse Michael Chow is the founder and President of Metro CD Engineering. He holds a BSEE from Ohio Northern University and is the current Chair of the university’s Engineering Advisory Board, a member of the Consulting-Specifying Engineer editorial advisory board and a 2009 40 Under 40 winner.

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BUILDING SOLUTIONS

LIGHTING AND LIGHTING CONTROLS By Jerry Manavalan, Kohler Ronan LLC, Danbury, Connecticut

Designing an energyefficient lighting system Understanding codes, controls and commissioning are key to an effective lighting design for a new or existing building

he foundation of a good lighting design is establishing an appropriate energy code compliance path early in design. Two energy codes, the International Energy Conservation Code and ASHRAE 90.1: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, should be compared and reviewed against the project requirements. These model codes may be adopted by jurisdictions with amendments that must be reviewed together to establish the codes the project must comply with. The key differences between IECC and ASHRAE 90.1 lie in the requirements for the architectural design, mechanical design, lighting fixture selection and lighting control design (see Table 1). The code selection should be combinative • Establish project-specific codes effort of the design team as it relates and standards parameters for to the project budget, design and compliance with regulations future goals for the building. adopted by the jurisdiction. Pending the overall analysis, an • Select lighting control strategies appropriate energy code must be in compliance with code and the selected. Each individual energy code owner’s project requirements, with coordination with the provides prescriptive lighting controls architectural programming of the and lighting power density requirespaces. ments for the project. Lighting con• Determine the commissioning trol strategies include the use of requirement for the energy daylight responsive control systems, efficient lighting system. occupancy sensing and scheduling, lighting reduction (dimming/bi-level switching) and astronomical time clock scheduling. Furthermore, if the project is seeking U.S. Green Building Council LEED accreditation, mandatory requirements of ASHRAE 90.1 must be provided and the requirements tracked throughout the design process. These parameters should be used to design the energy-efficient lighting control system. . Once an appropriate energy code is determined, the lighting design should be geared toward providing adequate foot-candles for each space within the

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project. The foot-candle requirements for each space can be established through a step-by-step method. First, establish the minimal levels required for egress by reviewing amended model codes such as the International Building Code, NFPA 101: Life Safety Code and NFPA 70: National Electrical Code. Next, review the program specific publications for project specific foot-candle requirements/ recommendations. For example, educational projects would use campus standard manuals while hospital projects might reference Facility Guidelines Institute Guidelines for Design and Construction documents, health care equipment manufacturer requirements or other adopted standards. It is essential to review program specific publication requirements with owners before construction. This review process will allow the owner to take exception to certain requirements/recommendations that are deemed unreasonable for the project. The last resource in assigning project footcandles is the use of the Illuminating Engineering Society Lighting Handbook, which provides industry standard foot-candle values for nearly all spaces. The IES Lighting Handbook provides horizonal and vertical foot-candle values for each space type in a building based on the functionality and age group of the space. It is the designer’s responsibility to assess the IES recommendations and select a suitable foot-candle value. Once the project parameters are established, the design of the energy-efficient lighting system — composed of a luminaire layout and lighting control devices — should commence with the review of the architectural programming of each space. The layout of each space will instruct the designer to recommend certain energy-efficient lighting fixtures and control systems that fit the profile of the project. It is important to dissect the different layers of architectural programming in a project by focusing on each individual room, then by gradualwww.csemag.com

Table 1: IECC 2015 versus ASHRAE 90.1-2013 IECC 2015 Insulation

Slight differences in the amount and type of required insulation.

Fenestration

Stringent U-value requirements.

Stringent but has more compliance options.

ENVELOPE Maximum area of fenestration

HVAC SYSTEMS

LIGHTING

ASHRAE 90.1-2013

Slight differences in the amount and type of required insulat ion.

30% maximum. 40% is allowed if certain conditions are met.

40% maximum.

Vestibules

Required for main entrances.

Required for main entrances. Not required if revolving doors are installed.

System efficiencies and requirements

Same for both.

Lighting power density

Building area method: same.

Building area method: same

Minor differences in space by spaces.

Additional allowance 1

Not included.

Included as room cavity ratio adjustment.

Additional allowance 2

Not included.

Additional lighting power allowance for advanced controls.

Controls

Similar approaches but some differences in application. Please review in detail with lighting designer.

Similar approaches but some differences in application. Please review in detail with lighting designer. Automatic receptacle controls to control at least:

Receptacle controls

1. 50% of all 125-volt 15- and 20-ampere receptacles in all private offices, conference rooms, printing, copy rooms, break rooms, classrooms and individual workstations.

Not required.

POWER

2. 25% of branch circuit feeders installed for modular furniture. Energy metering COMMISSIONING

Not required.

Metering devices shall be installed to monitor electrical energy use by end uses.

Must include HVAC, lighting, service hot water and renewables.

Only includes HVAC controls.

One efficiency feature must be added: • More efficient HVAC.

ADDITIONAL EFFICIENCY

• Reduced lighting power density. Requirements

• Enhanced lighting controls.

Not required.

• On-site renewables. • Dedicated outdoor air system. • More efficient service hot water system.

ly expanding the view to capture connecting spaces, floors and the site to understand the architect’s and owner’s intentions. In addition to specific architectural programming, each area of the building will feature unique traits that characterize that space relative to those in the rest of the building. For example, each space will contain different natural daylight, interior wall color, ceiling types and furniture layout. Having developed a good understanding of the architectural programming and codes governing the space, the designer should select appropriate energy-efficient lighting fixtures. www.csemag.com

Table 1: This provides a brief summary between International Energy Conservation Code (2015 edition) and ASHRAE 90.1: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings (2013 edition). This is just a brief list. Other differences and similarities exist and must be considered by the design team after a thorough review of both energy codes. Courtesy: Kohler Ronan

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LIGHTING AND LIGHTING CONTROLS Figure 1: This bird’s-eye view of the David H. Koch Plaza at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is taken from 5th Avenue. Courtesy: OLIN/Sahar Coston-Hardy

Thanks to the advancements in LED lighting, meeting the wattage requirements for each project is easily attainable. The lighting design should meet the energy allowance, outlined in the IECC or ASHRAE 90.1, while delivering the correct footcandles, highlighting the architectural features of the space and containing the appropriate controllability features. The lighting designer should develop a typical lighting fixture layout, based on the selected lighting fixtures, for each space type in the project for internal review by design consultant, owner and commissioning professional. Once the typical layout is approved, the designer can repeat the layout throughout the project for consistency. This approach will ensure the design process is smooth and progressing toward a well-developed end product for the owner.

Controls The next phase in an energy-efficient lighting system is the development of a lighting control scheme that both meets the codes established earlier in design and incorporates the owner’s requirements. The designer should review the approved lighting fixture layout for each space and compare it to the available control methods established in the energy code for the corresponding space type. The minimum control methods identified in the selected energy code compliance path must be adapted to the program specifics. For instance, a version of the IECC relevant to a K-12 school project may permit classrooms to be controlled by occupancy sensors, vacancy sensors

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and/or a time clock feature. Alternately, a university’s facility manual could only allow occupancy or vacancy sensor control of the space. If the project team is pursuing an energy incentive from the utility company, the lighting control scheme must be further evaluated to comply with the utility program requirements. The most important aspect of the lighting control system is that designated emergency lighting fixtures in each space function during life safety events. If the emergency lighting within the space is switched and uses an emergency lighting inverter or generator as the emergency source, the control scheme must include a UL 924 emergency bypass relay to override the local lighting controls and provide full brightness of lighting fixtures for occupants exiting the building. Alternate emergency lighting designs require the 24/7 illumination of emergency lighting fixtures within owner selected spaces that provide a secondary night light feature in the space. Once a control scheme is implemented in each space, the designer should review the lighting control system topography and connection requirements. The topography of the lighting control system is determined by the owner’s required level of monitoring and control of the lighting fixtures. The level of monitoring and control of the lighting fixture is often determined by the intended daily maintenance of the building, LEED requirements and/or utility energy rebate program requirements. These requirements should be reviewed by the owner, design team and local utility company to provide an appropriate recommendation. www.csemag.com

CASE STUDY: Historic university building lighting update

building project that displayed appropriate light- tent while introducing 21st century building systems into ing code parameters early in design was the the project. renovation/restoration of the Rotunda at the UniAdditionally, the university requirements entailed versity of Virginia in 2016. Before exploring the code developing a design that met U.S. Green Building Counanalysis of the project, it was important to establish ade- cil LEED standards. With proper input from the appropriquate background information on the project. ate parties, the project established ASHRAE 90.1-2007: The Rotunda is located within the Academical Village Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residenof UVA, which was designed and completed by Thom- tial Buildings as the correct energy code for the building. as Jefferson in 1828. The Rotunda was originally used to Once the energy code was selected, the design house classrooms and a library. The renovation/restora- team proceeded with establishing the correct foot-cantion of the Rotunda required a complete revamping of all dle requirements for each space. The initial source for systems within the exterior, interior and landscape areas this information was the UVA Facility Design Guideof the building. lines. This publication listed The exterior repairs conthe required foot-candles sisted of work on the two in offices, mechanical/ Improvements to the lighting porticos including, but electrical rooms, exterior and fixtures and lighting control not limited to, LED lighttelecommunication rooms ing, structural repairs, roof and directed designers to systems, as a result of interior replacement, replacement the Illuminating Engineering alterations, occurred to meet code of the Corinthian column Society Lighting Handbook capitals and repairs to the for all other spaces. Estabrequirement as well as the public column shafts and bases. lishing the proper energy Masonry repairs to the brick code and design parameters and private use of the building. and stone on the four wings early in design provided the and connecting colonnades, project with a strong foundawindow repairs in the wings, repairs to the north porti- tion, which allowed the project team to proceed in develco stairs and renovations in the cryptoporticus were also oping a lighting system composed of energy-efficient part of the exterior work. lighting fixtures and controls. The interior repairs included replacement of the The design team used the energy allowance and mechanical, electrical, lighting, plumbing and fire detec- desired foot-candles, established earlier in design, to tion and suppression systems. Interior alterations includ- select the LED lighting fixture layout that best fit the ed replacement of the interior lining of the dome in the architectural programming of each space. Once the lightdome room and included the addition of a stair to pro- ing fixtures were selected, the design team provided a vide access to the first balcony in the dome room. lighting control narrative for each space that conformed Improvements to the lighting fixtures and lighting con- to the energy code and university facility guidelines. trol systems, as a result of interior alterations, occurred The commissioning professional reviewed the lighting to meet code requirement as well as the public and pri- system design along with the university staff and finevate use of the building. The landscape improvements tuned each space to avoid any constructability issues. required the renovation of the east and west court- This guidance allowed the design team to produce yard landscapes and the north side of the Rotunda as design development and contract documents with more well. The new lighting fixtures and control system will detail and information. During the construction phase, allow better integration of future outdoor events at the the commissioning professional compiled a deficiency log Rotunda. to help track all installation issues for the lighting system. The code analysis for this prestigious project required The deficiency log was used by the construction team to the evaluation of the historic nature of the building and resolve all issues and allowed the commissioning profesconsideration of current code requirements. The design sional to provide appropriate documentation that certiteam reviewed the architectural features and explored fied that the project had met the energy code and LEED modern building design options that would allow for the requirements. proper cultivation of an energy-efficient building. The The excellent design, management and delivery of an design team developed schematic design documents for energy-efficient lighting system provided a LEED Silver university staff and commissioning professional review certification for the most historic building on the Univerthat proposed techniques to preserve the historical con- sity of Virginia campus.

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BUILDING SOLUTIONS

LIGHTING AND LIGHTING CONTROLS Depending on the additional building systems provided by other trades on the project, interconnections of the lighting control system might be required with the building management system, fire alarm system and audiovisual/information technology systems for life safety and occupant comfort. The next factor in completing the development of a lighting control system is specifying the appropriate manufacturer to provide the lighting control equipment. The lighting control manufacturer

is selected based on its ability to meet the project’s requirements, the quality of the equipment it provides and the level of maintenance delivered to the equipment after the project is complete. The final factor in delivering a fully developed lighting control system for the owner is designing within the project budget. It is important to monitor the lighting control budget at project milestones, via estimates, to ensure that an affordable system is delivered to the owner.

Lighting and shading controls functionality matrix Space type

Local manual control

Remote override

Occupancy sensor

Daylight harvesting

Dimming

M and P

Typical laboratory

Private office, perimeter

Private office, interior

Conference room, perimeter

Conference room, interior

Open office

Seminar room

Classroom, perimeter

Classroom, interior

Reception

Bilevel control

Shading, automatic

AV integration

M and P

Lounge

Lobbies

Corridor

Restroom

Café/server lighting

Stairwells, egress v

Electrical and technology closet

Café

Building, exterior

v v

M and P

D D

v v

Active storage

Scheduling via BMS integration (BACnet IP)

Atrium adjacent corridor

Centralized control and scheduling

LEGEND D

Dimming: 10% to 100% dimming, dependent on lighting foot-candle level

Manual, manually adjusted dimming level

Occupancy sensor, automatic on/off

Program, preset, selectable dimming scenes

Step dimming, set dimming levels dependent on lighting foot-candle level

Vacancy sensor, manual on/automatic off

Figure 2: A typical lighting and shade control matrix for an educational project are shown. Courtesy: Kohler Ronan

Control sequence of operation Space type

Lighting control narrative

Typical laboratory lighting control

The typical laboratory lighting control strategy shall consist of local slider wall switches to control three dimming zones. Zone 1: Front row. Zone 2: Remaining light fixtures. Zone 3: White board lighting. In addition, occupancy sensor overrides will provide automatic on/off control of the lighting for the user. Daylightresponsive dimming, controlled by photocell, will dim the general laboratory 2x4-foot recessed troffer fixtures within 8 feet of glazing. Task lighting provided with integral occupancy sensor to turn light 100% automatically of control at each shelving location.

Typical classroom

The typical classroom lighting control strategy shall consist of local slider wall switches to control three dimming zones. Zone 1: Front row. Zone 2: Remaining light fixtures. Zone 3: White board lighting. In addition, occupancy or vacancy sensor overrides will provide manual on/automatic off control of the lighting for the user. Daylight-responsive dimming, controlled by photocell, will dim the general classroom 2x4-foot recessed troffer fixtures within 8 feet of glazing.

Figure 3: This contains a typical lighting control narrative for an educational project. Courtesy: Kohler Ronan

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BUILDING SOLUTIONS

LIGHTING AND LIGHTING CONTROLS Commissioning

The most essential part of producing an energy-efficient lighting system is commissioning the system by an accredited design professional or third-party commissioning professional to ensure it is operating as designed. To guide and track the progress of the lighting control system for the project, the commissioning professional must be included throughout the different phases of the project, which include pre-design, design (including schematic design, design development, construction documents and construction administration), construction and occupancy. The most

‘

Commissioning also benefits a project to the extent that it can significantly reduce the overall energy consumption and operating cost of the building for the owner.

’

beneficial contribution provided by the commissioning professional is the ability to track potential issues early in the design process. Commissioning also benefits a project to the extent that it can significantly reduce the overall energy consumption and operating cost of the building for the owner. Commissioning will ensure that the end product is acceptable and understood by the client. Both the energy code and LEED certification require the commissioning of lighting controls to be completed at the end of each project. The best approach in commissioning a lighting system is adopting industry standard guidelines such as, but not limited to, ASHRAE Guideline 0-2019: The Commissioning Process; ASHRAE Standard 202-2018: Commissioning Process for Buildings and Systems; IES DG-29-11: The Commissioning Process Applied to Lighting and Control Systems; and various associations’ guidelines. These guidelines stress the importance of functional testing, documentation, verification, acceptance activities, providing systems manuals on all components and training the facility personnel and end users. Enhanced commissioning for LEED, if pursued, involves either envelope commissioning or enhanced system commissioning of the building. Once the commissioning professional and guidelines are established, the designer must absorb the commissioning professional’s review comments and requirements for each project phase. During each phase of the project, the designer will be required to illustrate different lev-

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els of information geared toward providing a clear image of project requirements. For example, it is beneficial to include a lighting control narrative during schematic design than elaborate with a lighting control matrix, drawings and specifications in design development and contract document phases (see Figures 2 and 3). Another beneficial contribution to the contract documents is the incorporation of commissioning requirements into the book specifications. The commissioning requirements will indicate essential information such as required lighting control system testing, individual responsibilities for all parties and appropriate scheduling procedures for all test. The ultimate goal for commissioning review in design is to resolve all issues before the construction phase of the project begins. During the construction phase, each component of the lighting control system will be performance tested. For example, each photocell will be tested to ensure appropriate dimming is provided when adequate foot-candles are delivered from the natural sunlight within the space. If any issues should arise, the problem will be documented in a deficiency log and assigned to the appropriate party for correction. The construction phase will be completed with the turnover of operation and maintenance manuals, as-built drawings, submittals and deficiency log to the owner for each lighting control element. The final phase of commissioning consists of confirming that all testing is complete and systems manuals are maintained. If ASHRAE 90.1 and/or LEED requirements apply, a secondary commissioning professional, not involved in the design or construction, must perform the final phase. The commissioning professional will examine if each space is being used as designed. For instance, the commissioning professional will verify that time clocks are calibrated to turn on and off at the designated times per contract documents. The project is concluded with the submission of documentation by the commissioning professional indicating that lighting systems are in compliance with or exceed the performance requirements. Providing an energy-efficient lighting system, while navigating project requirements, is one of the key components to accomplishing a high-performance building. The designer must understand the codes, controls and commissioning requirements for each project in detail to create an effective design. A successful lighting design is realized in the energy savings for the owner and the longevity of the building. cse Jerry Manavalan is a senior engineer at Kohler Ronan LLC, specializing in lighting and building systems. www.csemag.com

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GROWING DEMAND FOR COGENERATION SOLUTIONS Greater savings and efficiency in areas where electricity costs are high. The terms cogeneration and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) are synonyms for the simultaneous production of hot water and supplemental electricity for on-site use. These “Micro CHP solutions” (<50 kW/hr) are often powered by an internal combustion engine, and they are easy to install in a variety of commercial applications. Micro CHP technology is a promising solution in regions where there is a substantial “spark spread.” That’s the difference between the cost of electricity and natural gas in a particular location. By using relatively low-cost natural gas to provide hot water solutions and supplemental electricity, a Micro CHP system enables a business to use less of the expensive electricity from the grid.

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Cogeneration technology is already widespread in

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Europe and businesses in some countries (including

such as air temperature and customer distance from the power provider. In addition, the

Denmark, Finland and Germany) currently generate

average efficiency of fossil-fueled power plants in the United States is only about 33

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BUILDING SOLUTIONS

INTEGRATION: ELECTRICAL, FIRE PROTECTION By Andrew Varilone, PE, LEED AP BD+C, SmithGroup, Detroit

Electrical design for smoke control systems Engineers designing electrical infrastructure to support smoke control systems must be aware of the stringent requirements listed throughout multiple code sections

moke control systems are a critical piece of infrastructure that play an important role in the overall fire protection design of a building. When we think about the design of smoke control systems, the focus is often placed on the mechanical design of the system; this makes sense since the main components of these systems are fans that provide positive or negative pressure to a space. However, it can be easy for design engineers and inspectors to overlook the electrical design of these systems. To provide a design that is safe and code compliant, engineers must have a complete understanding of the requirements of the International Building Code, specifically section 909.

Learning

OBJECTIVES

• Know the applicable codes that affect smoke control system electrical design.

Standby power

One of the most important aspects of the electrical design of a smoke con• Learn how to provide proper trol system is the reliability of the sysfire protection design for wiring tem. When we think of reliability, one supporting smoke control of the first things that usually comes systems. to mind is a backup power source. • Understand the difference Standby power is a requirement listed between a smoke control in multiple places in IBC 909 (909.11, system and a smoke removal system and how that will affect 919.20.6.2, and 909.21.5). Smoke the electrical design. control systems must be served by a standby power system that complies with IBC Section 2702 and NFPA 70: National Electrical Code Section 701. Two of the main requirements listed in these sections for standby power systems are that they must provide power to the standby loads within 60 seconds of loss of normal power and they must have enough fuel to operate for a minimum of two hours without being refueled. A standby power system requirement specific to IBC 909 is that the power source and its trans-

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fer switches must be located in a one-hour fire-rated room separate from the normal power equipment and also must be ventilated directly to and from the exterior (IBC 909.11.1). It is also important to understand that standby power is not the same as emergency power in the way that the codes define it. Emergency power systems have their own dedicated transfer switch that cannot be shared with standby power loads; typical emergency system loads are egress lighting, emergency voice communications systems and fire alarm systems.

Electrical fire protection considerations

Another electrical design consideration for smoke control systems that may be even more important than providing standby power is the overall fire protection design of the electrical system. This is important because providing standby power does not make a difference if the wiring from the standby power distribution equipment to the smoke control equipment is not properly protected during a fire event. The most stringent electrical fire protection requirements in IBC 909 are for smokeproof enclosure ventilation systems. A common application of a smokeproof enclosure ventilation is a pressurized interior exit stairwell. IBC 909.20.6.1 has a long list of design options and exceptions, the intent of which is to provide two-hour protection for the equipment, power wiring, control wiring and ductwork associated with the smokeproof enclosure ventilation system. This requirement makes sense since an interior exit stairwell is typically two-hour rated and we want to provide the same level of protection for the ventilation system that serves that stairwell. To provide this two-hour protection, the design engineer must carefully plan out the wiring pathways for not only the branch circuit wiring to the stairwell pressurization fans, but also the feeders that connect the branch circuit panelboards to the www.csemag.com

Figure 1: This shows the atrium of a research facility with a smoke control system. Courtesy: SmithGroup

upstream distribution equipment. Any wiring located inside the building that is not protected by a two-hour enclosure or room must be either a two-hour listed electrical circuit protective system (see Figure 2), such as mineral-insulated cable or encased within a minimum of 2 inches of concrete. Encasing conduits in concrete above a ceiling is not always practical and MI cable is significantly more costly than standard wiring methods, so it is advisable to use underground conduits and risers through two-hour rated rooms or through the smokeproof enclosure itself (see Figure 3) as much as possible to avoid difficult and costly wiring installations. Elevator hoistway pressurization systems differ from smokeproof enclosure ventilation systems in that two-hour protection for the fan system and its associated wiring is not specifically required. The code requires that the fan system that provides the pressurization be protected with the same fire-resistance rating that is required for the elevator shaft enclosure (IBC 909.21.4.1). For example, if the elevator shaft enclosure is one-hour rated, any portion of the power and control wiring that is not located within the elevator shaft must have a fire resistance rating of at least one hour. The same strategies discussed for smokeproof enclosure wiring routing can be used for onehour rated elevator hoistways to avoid special wiring methods. If routing wiring outside of one-hour enclosures cannot be avoided, the engineer could again specify MI cable to provide a fan system that will have a fire rating equal to or greater than the hoistway. However, MI cable carries a two-hour rating, which is more than what is required in this application and has a significant cost premium. In this case, it may be a better approach to use a wiring method with a one-hour rating. One such system is the UL FHIT electrical circuit integrity system No. 25B, which consists of a specific type of RHW-2 wiring in electrical metal tubing conduit. This system is rated for two hours in horizontal installations and one hour in vertical installations. It should be noted that the manufacturer for both the wire and the conduit must be exactly those that are specified in the UL specification, otherwise the system fire rating is void. For other smoke control systems that do not serve smokeproof enclosures or elevator hoistways, www.csemag.com

Figure 2: Shown is an example of the routing of stair pressurization wiring outside of twohour rated enclosures. Courtesy: SmithGroup

Figure 3: In contrast, to Figure 2, this shows the routing of stair pressurization wiring through twohour rated enclosures. Courtesy: SmithGroup

such as atrium smoke exhaust systems (see Figure 1), the exact fire rating requirement for the fan system wiring is not as straightforward. One applicable section that can help inform the design is IBC 909.4.6, which states that all portions of smoke control systems shall be capable of continued operation after detection of the fire event for either 20 minutes or 1.5 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER

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BUILDING SOLUTIONS

INTEGRATION: ELECTRICAL, FIRE PROTECTION times the calculated egress time, whichever is greater. A conservative approach to addressing this requirement would be to specify one-hour rated wiring methods, as this would ensure continuous operation of the smoke control systems during the building evacuation. Engineers also need to consider the fire ratings of rooms that house equipment serving smoke control systems. For example, all smoke control fans require a motor controller (see Figure 4); this motor controller should be located in a room with a fire rating that is equivalent to the minimum duration of operation or fire rating that is required by IBC 909. If a motor controller for a stairwell pressurization fan is located in a room with less than a two-hour fire rating, this is a weak point in the system that may compromise the overall integrity of the smoke control fan system during a fire event.

Fire alarm integration

The fire alarm system needs to be considered as equally important system component, as the overall smoke control system will not function properly without these inputs and outputs. Similar to power wiring, IBC 909 has requirements that are intended to increase the reliability of the fire alarm wiring. All fire alarm wiring that serves inputs and/or

Figure 4: A smoke control fan variable frequency drive and fire alarm relay could control several aspects of the smoke control system. Courtesy: SmithGroup

output signals to the mechanical smoke control system must be fully enclosed within a continuous raceway (IBC 909.12.2). The term “continuous raceway” effectively disallows the use of open wiring methods or metalclad cable for these specific fire alarm circuits; an enclosed raceway such as EMT must be used. The fire rating requirements applied to the power system wiring also should be matched for the fire alarm wiring to ensure the system remains fully functional. If a stairwell pressurization system is being activated by a fire alarm relay module, the wiring to that module must carry a two-hour fire rating (IBC 909.20.6.1). For low-voltage systems, there are fire-rated wiring products available that can still be installed in a raceway system like any other standard fire alarm cable. Circuit integrity (Type CI) cable is available in shielded or unshielded cable assemblies and is listed as a two-hour fire-rated wiring method for UL FHIT electrical circuit integrity systems 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D, 40 and 40A. Each one of these circuit integrity systems has minor variations, including but not lim-

Table 1: International Building Code section reference Smoke control system design component

909.4.6

909.5.3.1

909.11.1

909.11.2

909.12

909.12.2

909.12.3

909.16

909.16.1

Duration of operation

Electrical equipment room requirements Elevator hoistway fan shutdown Elevator hoistway power/control wiring fire rating

Elevator hoistway system activation X

Fire alarm and smoke control panel UUKL listing Fire alarm cabling fire rating

Fire alarm raceways Smoke control panel controls

Smoke control panel indicating lights X

Smoke control panel location X

Smoke detection

Smokeproof enclosure power/control wiring fire rating Smokeproof enclosure system activation Standby power

X X

Surge protection

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ited to manufacturer, raceway manufacturer, raceway size, number of cables permitted in a raceway, etc. It is critical that the installing contractor is familiar with the specific circuit integrity system they are installing to maintain the fire rating of the cabling. IBC 909 contains specific requirements that help to determine the proper fire alarm sequence of operations for smoke control systems. For smokeproof enclosure ventilation systems, a smoke detector is required to be placed at the entrance of the smokeproof enclosure and this smoke detector must activate the ventilation equipment upon detection (IBC 909.20.6). Elevator hoistway pressurization systems must be activated upon smoke detection in any of the elevator lobbies or when the fire alarm system is in an alarm state (IBC 909.21.6). For other types of smoke control systems, the exact placement of smoke detectors that will activate the smoke control equipment must be determined by the engineer (IBC 909.12.4).

Firefighter’s smoke control panel

A key component in any smoke control system is the firefighter’s smoke control panel. This panel serves as a master station that a firefighter can monitor damper and fan status, manually control fans or override automatically controlled fans. The smoke control panel must be located in a fire command center (if present); in buildings that do not require a fire command center, the panel must be located adjacent to the fire alarm control panel, at a location approved by the authority having jurisdiction (IBC 909.16). IBC 909 contains very specific requirements for the graphical representation of the smoke system as

909.16.2

909.16.3

909.20.2.1

909.20.6

909.20.6.1

well as the indicating light colors (IBC 909.16.1). There are also specific requirements for how smoke control system components must be controlled at the panel (IBC 909.16.2, 909.16.3). Engineers should show a detailed diagram of the smoke control panel on the construction documents (see Figure 5); this provides the contractors, plan reviewers and inspectors a clear understanding of what is required.

Smoke control equipment listing

One item to note when specifying a fire alarm control panel or smoke control panel is that these panels as well as their individual system components must be listed as smoke control equipment (IBC 909.12). This specific UL listing is known as UUKL. The UL product specification website is an invaluable resource when writing specifications for UUKL smoke control equipment, as it provides a listing of all of the currently listed manufacturers and their individual components that carry this listing. Engineers should always ensure that project specifications list only manufacturers on this list when their projects require smoke control.

Fan monitoring and control

The question of whether smoke control fans should be controlled by the building management system or the fire alarm system is something that needs to be closely coordinated by the project’s mechanical and electrical engineers. At first glance, it may seem like it makes the most sense to have the BMS handle the fan control, as this system is typically providing status indication and start/stop control for all the other fans on the project.

909.20.6.2

909.21.4.1

909.21.4.2

909.21.5

909.21.6

X X X X X

Table 1: Use this reference table to have an understanding of the requirements of the International Building Code, specifically section 909. Courtesy: SmithGroup

X X

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INTEGRATION: ELECTRICAL, FIRE PROTECTION However, there are a couple of issues with this approach. One common issue is that the BMS and/or its individual components may not have the required UUKL listing. Another potential issue is that the installing contractors may not be experienced with installing fire-rated wiring methods and the installation may not comply with the UL FHIT listing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and that is assuming that fire-rated wiring methods are being provided in the first place. There are situations where it may be preferable to use the BMS to handle the smoke control system monitoring and control, such as complex systems that would require advanced programming to achieve a very specific sequence of operations. Also, the building owner may prefer the smoke control equipment be operated as part of the BMS. In this case, the engineer must pay close attention to the potential issues, such as specifying UUKL listed components and fire protection for control wiring. It should be noted that fire alarm control unit will still need to carry a UUKL listing, as the fire alarm system will still provide alarm and smoke detection inputs to the BMS.

Smoke removal systems

It is important for architects and engineers to understand the differences between smoke control systems and smoke removal systems. Smoke and heat removal system requirements can be found in IBC

Figure 5: In this example of a smoke control panel diagram, the panel serves as a master station that a firefighter can monitor damper and fan status, manually control fans or override automatically controlled fans. Courtesy: SmithGroup

Section 910. The purpose of these systems is typically to facilitate smoke removal in post-fire salvage and overhaul operations. These systems are not intended to serve any life safety functions and is not intended to be operated during a fire event; therefore, the requirements are much less stringent when compared to a smoke control system. Smoke and heat removal systems are only permitted to have manual controls and these controls must be located in a room with direct exterior access and separated from the building by a one-hour fire barrier or horizontal assembly (IBC 910.4.5). Like smoke control systems, the IBC has requirements that increase the reliability of the power source serving smoke removal equipment. The wiring for the operation and control of mechanical smoke removal systems is required to be connected ahead of the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main disconnecting means (IBC 910.4.6). The code does not provide an alternate compliance path in which simply providing standby power to the smoke removal system would be considered equivalent. While tapping conductors ahead of the main disconnecting means is possible, it may not be the most desirable design solution when the building already has a standby power system. It is advisable to discuss the power source design with the AHJ to determine if they would permit standby power as an acceptable substitute to the power source requirements listed in this section. IBC 910.4.6 also requires that the smoke removal system wiring be protected against interior fire exposure for at least 15 minutes. The IBC commentary implies that because of testing summarized in NISTIR 6196-1, conduits protected by a finished ceiling will be afforded the 15 minutes of protection required by the code without any special provisions such as fire-rated wiring. However, this is not explicitly spelled out in the code, so again it is best to confirm that the AHJ agrees with this approach and will not require fire-rated wiring for smoke removal systems. There are numerous code articles that need to be considered when designing the electrical infrastructure for a smoke control system (see Table 1). Engineers should be intimately familiar with the applicable sections and how they can be applied for different projects. It is always advisable to engage with the local AHJ in the early stages of the smoke control system design; this will provide all parties involved (inspectors, architects, engineers, owners and contractors) with increased confidence in the system design and will avoid any unnecessary surprises when the system is being inspected and commissioned. cse Andrew Varilone is a principal and an electrical engineer with SmithGroup. He specializes in electrical system design for health care facilities.

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BUILDING SOLUTIONS

FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY

By Tracey Foster, SET, CFPS, Dewberry, Raleigh, North Carolina

NFPA 20: Fire pump design When designing a fire pump, there are a number of factors to keep in mind, particularly NFPA 20

FPA 20: Standard for the Installation of Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection protects life and property by providing requirements for the installation of fire pumps to ensure that systems will work as intended to deliver adequate and reliable water supplies in a fire emergency. A fire sprinkler system is a critical component of life safety in a building. The International Building Code grants a number of exceptions when a building is “fully sprinklered,” such as reductions in rated separations, reductions in fire hydrant flow demands, increased egress travel distances and increased building heights and areas. These exceptions are permitted with an expectation that, in the event of • Learn how to properly size a fire a fire, the sprinkler system will suppump. press the fire to a sufficient degree • Understand the differences that occupants can safely evacuate the between various styles of fire building and the growth of the fire will pumps. be controlled until the fire department • Know how to design fire arrives to fully extinguish it. pump piping to meet NFPA 20 Often, the municipal water sysrequirements. tem has sufficient pressure to oper• Appreciate cost variations ate the sprinkler system. A fire pump between different pump styles is required when the available water and controller options. source does not have adequate pressure. When a sprinkler system relies on a fire pump, the performance of the system is dependent on the pressure created by the pump. Because of the critical importance of the fire pump, careful consideration should be employed when selecting and designing a fire pump.

Learning

OBJECTIVES

Sizing a fire pump

A fire pump’s size is dictated by the most hydraulically demanding area of the fire protection system. In many high-rise buildings, this can be the automatic fire standpipe system demand which requires 500 gallons per minute at 100 pounds per square inch at the top of the most remote standpipe, plus 250 gpm

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for each additional standpipe, up to a maximum of 1,000 gpm for wet systems or 1,250 gpm for dry systems. For nonhigh-rise buildings, the most demanding area could be any number of different hazards. Though the IBC requires buildings with a highest finished floor located more than 30 feet above the lowest fire department vehicle access to be equipped with Class III standpipes or Class I if the building is fully sprinklered, NFPA 14: Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems allows the standpipes to be manual type with the necessary pressure provided by the fire department pumper truck through the fire department connection (2013 NFPA 14, Section 5.4.1.1), thus eliminating the standpipe demand from consideration. It is important to perform a hazard analysis of the building before attempting to size the fire pump. For example, a new sprinkler system might be installed in a five-story medical office building with a partial basement (overall building height of 69 feet). The building construction is noncombustible, Type II-B and each floor is approximately 18,000 square feet. The basement level contains electrical rooms, general storage rooms, a small oxygen storage room (250 square feet) enclosed by a two-hour fire rating and a covered exterior loading dock. Floors one through four are comprised of offices, exam rooms and outpatient procedure rooms. The fifth floor is a large mechanical penthouse with a roof slope of 3:12. The center core areas on levels zero through four contain elevator lobbies, public corridors and public restrooms. The building is equipped with a Class I wet manual standpipe system. The predominate hazard classification for the overall building is that of light hazard occupancy, however, the building contains spaces that warrant higher hazard designations. While the oxygen storage room requires the highest density (0.30 gpm for extra hazard occupancy), this space is not the most hydraulically demanding. The two-hour rated enclowww.csemag.com

Figure 1: A vertical inline fire pump is equipped with a flowmeter bypass and a low suction throttling valve. Courtesy: Dewberry

‘

sure provides an effective barrier to prevent fire spread outside of the room. For this reason, the calculated area need only extend to the perimeter walls of the room (NFPA 13-2013, Section 11.2.3.3). The exterior loading dock requires the second highest density: 0.20 gpm for ordinary hazard group 2. It also requires a 30% increase to the remote area size because the system type must be dry due to exposure to freezing conditions (NFPA 13-2013, Section 11.2.3.2.5). The estimated flow demand for this area is approximately 507 gpm (0.20 gpm x 1,950 square feet = 390 gpm + 30% for sprinkler head overflow = 507 gpm). A preliminary hydraulic calculation for this area indicates a required system pressure of 65 psi. The most hydraulically demanding area in this example is the level five mechanical room. Though the density for this remote area is only 0.15 gpm (ordinary hazard group 1), the top floor location requires additional pressure to overcome the head loss from elevation. The remote area size is increased to 1,950 square feet due to a 30% increase for slopes exceeding 2:12 (NFPA 13-2013, Section 11.2.3.2.4).

Because of the critical importance of the fire pump, careful consideration should be employed when selecting and designing a fire pump.

’

The estimated flow demand for this area is approximately 380 gpm (0.15 gpm x 1,950 square feet = 292.5 gpm + 30% for sprinkler head overflow = 380 gpm). A preliminary hydraulic calculation indicates a required system pressure of 90 psi. Once a hazard analysis and preliminary hydraulic calculations have established the fire flow and pressure required to meet the standpipe or sprinkler system demand, a review of a recent water flow test can identify if a fire pump is necessary. The water flow test used to size the fire pump is required to have been completed within the last 12 months (NFPA 20-2013, Section 4.6.1.2). In the example scenario, the water flow test indicates pressures of 54 psi static, 48 psi residual, flowing at 940 gpm. When the required outside hose demand is added to the system flow demand (380 gpm + 250 hose = 630 gpm) and plotted on a graph, the available city water pressure is approximately 49 psi when flowing at 630 gpm. www.csemag.com

Figure 2: Correct and incorrect orientation of fittings are depicted in the suction line of a horizontal split-case pump. Courtesy: Dewberry consulting-specifying engineer

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BUILDING SOLUTIONS

FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY

Typically, a minimum safety factor of 10 psi is required. To meet the demand, the fire pump size should be at least 400 gpm rated at 51 psi (100 psi – 49 psi city pressure = 51 psi). Fire pumps are typically sized by pressure range, therefore a 400 gpm pump with a revolutions per minute speed of 3,550 can deliver a rated pressure from 40 to 56 psi without increasing the size of the pump. Because there is no cost difference between the rated pressure of 51 and 56 psi, and high pressure is not a concern, the 400 gpm pump rated at 56 psi is acceptable. Fire pump pressures will be explored in further detail later. For exceptionally tall buildings, more than one fire pump may be necessary to deliver the pressure required to the higher floors. NFPA 20 permits a maximum of three pumps to operate in series (NFPA 20-2013, Section 4.19.2.1). Fire pumps cannot operate in parallel because the discharge check valve is forced closed when the pressure on the outlet side of the valve is higher than that on the inlet side. For this reason, it is not possible to add a parallel fire pump to boost the pressure and/or flow to a system.

power to supply an electric motor, a diesel fire pump may be utilized. A fuel storage tank with the capacity to hold 1 gallon of fuel per horsepower plus an additional volume to provide room for thermal expansion is required. A dike must be provided beneath the fuel storage tank to contain any potential fuel spills. Often, a pressure-relief valve is required on the discharge side of the pump to relieve excess pressure in the event the engine revs out of control or if a combination of suction pressure and pump pressure rise above a certain threshold. The diesel motor exhaust must be routed through a muffler to the outside. A diesel fire pump must be located in a separate enclosure or in a room with direct access to the exterior. The enclosure size is substantially larger than normally required for an electric fire pump because of the stored fuel and batteries necessary to provide a backup power source. Diesel fire pumps are more expensive to install and maintain because of the large number of mechanical parts, which can be prone to failure. In buildings where the electrical capacity is not a concern, an electric driver is the preferred choice. Electric motors are more compact, require fewer Selecting a fire pump mechanical parts and produce fewer negative enviSelection of the fire pump depends on the build- ronmental impacts. ing infrastructure and available space. The most Though NFPA 20 provides guidelines for various common choices for fire pump drivers are electric types of pumps (centrifugal, vertical shaft turbine, motors and diesel engines. Electric motors requiring positive displacement and multistage multiport), high horsepower are commonly run on 460 volt or centrifugal fire pumps are — including horizontal higher, three-phase power. Steam turbines are also an split case and vertical in-line — the most common option, but are fairly uncommon. among commercial buildings and thus highlighted In buildings that are not equipped with enough in this example. Vertical in-line pumps are generally more compact, with a smaller footprint. While horizontal split case pumps must be mounted on a concrete housekeeping pad, vertical in-line pumps can instead be mounted on pipe stand supports. For these reasons, vertical in-line pumps are often a preferred choice for replacements or retrofits. The impeller rotation in a vertical in-line pump is less susceptible to mechanical damage from water turbulence, allowing for more flexibility in the piping arrangement on the suction side of the pump. Horizontal split case pumps are only permitted to have elbows and tees installed perpendicular to the pump when the fitting is located at least 10 pipe size diameters from the suction flange (NFPA 20-2013, Sections 4.14.6.3.1 to 4.14.6.3.3). These requirements are not applicable to vertical inline styles. The impeller on a horizontal splitFigure 3: This example shows a performance curve of a 400 gpm pump rated at case pump is located in a separate cas56 psi. Courtesy: Dewberry ing in front of the motor, allowing for

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Figure 4: The section view of a vertical inline fire pump equipped with a flowmeter bypass and an optional lowsuction throttling valve. Courtesy: Dewberry

easy access if maintenance is required. On a vertical in-line pump, the impeller is beneath the motor, requiring the entire motor be raised and/or removed to access the impeller. For this reason, it is recommended that a hoist beam or another means of lifting is provided for vertical inline pumps greater than 30 horsepower.

Fire pump pressures

The total head of a fire pump is the energy imparted to the liquid as it passes through the pump, usually expressed in psi. For fire pumps such as horizontal split-case and vertical in-line centrifugal pumps that are required to operate under net positive suction head, the total head of a fire pump is calculated by adding the suction head (city pressure) to the discharge head. The discharge head of the pump varies along a performance curve that is determined by three limiting points: the shut-off, the rating and the overload. The shut-off represents the maximum allowable total head pressure when the pump is operating at zero flow; this is sometimes also referred to as the churn pressure. The rating is the listed pressure and flow that the pump should produce when operating at 100% of pump capacity. The total head pressure should not be less than 65% of the rated total head when the pump is operating at 150% of rated flow capacity, this is the overload point. System flow demands that exceed the overload point can expose the pump to possible cavitation and damage. A fire pump performance curve has an allowable operating range not to exceed 140% of the rated pressure of the pump. Consider the previous example of

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Though NFPA 20 provides guidelines for various types of pumps, centrifugal fire pumps are the most common among commercial buildings.

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a 400 gpm pump rated at 56 psi. This pump will produce 400 gpm at 56 psi when operating at 100% of pump capacity. It also can produce a maximum volume of 600 gpm at 36 psi when operating at 65% of pump capacity. The available volume and pressure vary along the pump curve. Referring back to the medical building example, the loading dock required an estimated 507 gpm at 65 psi. From the pump curve in Figure 3, the pump will deliver approximately 47 psi when flowing 507 gpm. When this discharge pressure is combined with the city supply (47 + 48 psi = 95 psi), it is evident that the selected pump can easily satisfy the hydraulic demand for the loading dock dry system. A fire pump’s churn pressure is the amount of pressure generated when the pump is operating at zero flow. The churn pressure is combined with the static water pressure from the connected source, resulting in a combined static pressure for which all components must be rated. As an example, a churn pressure rating of 126% will produce 71 psi of static discharge pressure from the aforementioned pump. When the churn pressure is combined with the static city pressure, the total amount of static pressure expected on the discharge side of the pump is 122 psi (71 psi discharge pressure + 51 static city pressure = 122 psi). consulting-specifying engineer

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has been specified. Many electrical engineers prefer “soft start” reduced-voltage controllers instead, because these controllers reduce the immediate power draw on the backup generator by slowly ramping up the voltage, allowing for a reduction in generator size. Consult with the electrical engineer to discuss the pros and cons of the different controller styles. The cost savings to the overall project may be greater by selecting the more expensive soft start controller to reduce the size of the generator.

Fire pump design

Figure 5: Shown is the proper arrangement of transitional fittings connected to the suction and discharge of a horizontal fire pump. Courtesy: Dewberry

If the static pressure exceeds 175 psi (the pressure rating for standard sprinkler components and maximum pressure allowed for fire hose valve connections), pressure-reducing valves may be required unless all components of the system are rated for high pressure. It is important to include the pump churn rating in the factors to consider when weighing all of the options to make a proper pump selection. The cost of a fire pump is largely based on the horsepower rating of the pump and the type of controller. Vertical inline pumps are usually more cost effective when compared to horizontal splitcase pumps in smaller sizes (less than 1,000 to 1,250 gpm ratings). It is recommended to consult a local fire pump representative to compare the horsepower ratings between horizontal split-case and vertical in-line pumps, as the horsepower rating can drive up costs related to controls and electrical connections.

Controllers

NFPA 20 requires that a fire pump be supplied by a continually available power source, usually identified as an uninterrupted power source (NFPA 20-2013, Section 9.1.5 and 9.2.1). In many cases, this requirement necessitates that a backup generator be provided as a secondary source in the event of a power failure, in which case the fire pump controller must be equipped with an automatic transfer switch. An ATS is an option on a fire pump controller that must be specified; a controller does not come normally equipped with an ATS. The least costly type of fire pump controller is an “across-the-line” direct-voltage controller without an ATS. This is the default controller that will usually be supplied unless a different style

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An outside screw and yoke gate valve must be installed in the suction pipe to provide a means of isolation from the incoming supply line (NFPA 20-2013, Section 4.14.5.1). This is the only device that is explicitly permitted to be installed in the suction line within 50 feet of the pump suction flange, though NFPA 20 does provide allowances for other equipment, which may be required by the authority having jurisdiction or by other sections of the standard. These valves must be electrically supervised through the fire alarm system. Where the local AHJ and/or municipal water department requires a backflow preventer to be installed in the fire pump suction line, it must be located a minimum distance of 10 times the pipe size diameter from the pump suction flange (NFPA 20-2013, Section 4.27.3). This distance requirement is specific to backflow preventers equipped with outside screw and yoke gate valves. If a backflow preventer is equipped with butterfly valves, the minimum distance to the suction flange is increased to 50 feet (NFPA 20-2013, Section 4.27.3.1). This increased distance is provided to allow for dissipation of air bubbles that may form as water passes across the center disk of a fully open butterfly valve. Other nontraditional methods of backflow prevention, such as break tanks, are not addressed within the purview of this article. NFPA 20 also provides an exception for a pressure-sensing line connection to the suction line when the AHJ requires a low-suction throttling valve to maintain positive pressure on the suction piping (NFPA 20-2013, Section 4.15.9.1). The low-suction throttling valve is installed on the discharge side of the pump before the discharge check valve. On the discharge side of the pump, a check valve and an indicating control valve are required. The control valve must be installed after the check valve (NFPA 20-2013, Section 4.15.7). If the fire pump is equipped with a flowmeter bypass, the bypass connection to the discharge pipe should be between the check valve and control valve. Where fire pumps are installed in a series, butterfly valves are not permitted to be installed between the pumps. www.csemag.com

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A fire pump bypass is required on all fire pumps where the suction supply is of sufficient pressure to be of material value without the pump (NFPA 20-2013, Section 4.14.4). The bypass must be at least as large as the discharge pipe and should be equipped with a check valve installed between two normally open control valves oriented in a manner to prevent backflow to the suction side of the pump. The bypass line should be connected before the outside screw and yoke on the suction side and after the control valve on the disThere are many charge side of the pump. Every fire pump must factors to consider be equipped with a metering device or fixed nozzles when designing a fire to accommodate pump testing. This equipment must pump. NFPA 20 contains be capable of water flow not less than 175% of rated pump valuable requirements, capacity (NFPA 20-2013, Section 4.20.2.2). When the which should be strictly metering device is installed in a loop arrangement for fire followed to ensure that pump flow testing, an alternate means of measuring the the fire pump will flow must also be provided. perform as intended. A flowmeter bypass is preferred in some municipalities as part of a water conservation effort. The flowmeter bypass allows routine tests to be performed without discharging water to the environment. The bypass line is equipped with a Venturi flowmeter located between two normally closed butterfly valves. To achieve proper performance of the flowmeter, manufacturer-specified minimum distances must be maintained between the flowmeter and the adjacent normally closed butterfly valves. The flowmeter bypass must be connected after the outside screw and yoke on the suction side and between the check valve and the control valve on the discharge side of the pump. The minimum pipe diameter and number of outlets required for a fire pump test header is dictated by the flow capacity of the pump. These minimum requirements are outlined in NFPA 20 (NFPA 20-2013, Table 4.26(a)). When the pipe between the test header and the pump discharge flange exceeds 15 linear feet, the pipe diameter must be increased to the next size up. When transitional fittings are required to reduce or increase the pipe diameter at the pump flange, care should be taken to select the proper reducing fitting. On the suction side of the pump, the flanged reducer must be the eccentric tapered type, installed in a manner to avoid air pockets. The reducer on the discharge side of the pump should be the concentric type.

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The fire department connection should tie into the system on the discharge side of the pump. When an FDC is located upstream of a fire pump, the result can be high velocities that increase water turbulence and expose the fire pump to damaging conditions. Many fire pumps have maximum suction pressure ratings that can be exceeded by the pressures distributed through the FDC.

Fire pump enclosure

Lastly, when determining a location for a new fire pump enclosure, it is important to consider service accessibility and proximity to the building exterior. A fire pump room should be located on an exterior wall adjacent to the fire lane and above the floodplain. If the enclosure must be located inside, it shall be accessible by a passageway with a fire rating equal to that of the fire pump enclosure. NFPA 20 requires the fire pump room to have a minimum two-hour fire rating when located in a high-rise building. The fire rating can be reduced to a one-hour rating when the fire pump enclosure is located in a fully sprinkled, nonhigh-rise building. The enclosure should be large enough to provide adequate clearance for installation and maintenance of the fire pump and related components. A good rule of thumb is to provide at least 12 inches of clearance behind the fire pump and a minimum distance of 12 inches from the edges of the entire fire pump assembly, piping and valves to the walls. If the room consists of multiple sprinkler and/or standpipe risers, a minimum clear distance of 12 inches between risers should be maintained to allow for easy access to equipment. An approach clearance of at least 3 feet should be maintained in front of the fire pump and related equipment. Minimum clearances in accordance with NFPA 70 must be maintained around energized electrical equipment. The fire pump room is intended solely for fire protection equipment and is not to be shared by other mechanical trades. This rule is applicable to all equipment that is nonessential to the operation of the fire pump except equipment related to domestic water distribution. NFPA 20 provides an exception for domestic water equipment to be located within the fire pump room. There are many factors to consider when designing a fire pump. NFPA 20 contains valuable requirements, which should be strictly followed to ensure that the fire pump will perform as intended, should it ever be needed. cse

Tracey Foster is a senior fire protection designer for Dewberry. She is a NICET level IV fire protection designer and an NFPA certified fire protection specialist. Foster has more than 17 years of experience in the fire sprinkler industry as a designer, estimator, design manager, project manager and company license holder. www.csemag.com

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By John Yoon, PE, LEED AP ID+C, McGuire Engineers, Chicago

NFPA 110-2019 concepts and changes Understand NFPA 110 and its relation to emergency power supplies

odes such as NFPA 101: Life Safety Code, NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code and the International Building Code dictate when it is legally required to install emergency power supply system to support the emergency and essential electrical systems within a building. However, simply having an emergency power supply doesn’t guarantee that it will be reliable or will perform as intended for the duration of a utility outage. Those codes often lack clear and comprehensive performance, testing and maintenance requirements for an EPSS. NFPA 110: Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems is intended to fill that void • Understand NFPA 110: Standard for Emergency and Standby for applications where the legally Power Systems classifications of required emergency power supply is emergency power systems. a generator.

Learning

OBJECTIVES

• Recognize common misconceptions regarding what NFPA 110 applies to.

• Examine notable changes in the most current version of NFPA 110-2019.

What doesn’t NFPA 110 apply to?

There are many common misconceptions about what NFPA 110 applies to. It is not the role of NFPA 110 to determine whether a generator is legally required or not. NFPA 110 is focused solely on the EPSS’s performance and the associated installation, testing and maintenance as they relate to maintaining that performance. NFPA 110 applies to the complete EPSS and, as such, is not limited to just the generator but also addresses supporting auxiliary systems and related power transfer equipment. NFPA 110 does not: • Apply to other portions of the EPSS such as the normal utility source, electrical distribution equipment upstream or downstream of an automatic transfer switch, feeder conductor sizing, overcurrent protection size, grounding and other design considerations normally governed by NFPA 70: National Electrical Code.

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• Allow uninterruptable power supplies/battery invertor systems, fuel cells or any other form on on-site energy storage or generation system for use as an EPS. Use of stored energy systems for emergency power is governed by NFPA 111: Standard on Stored Electrical Energy Emergency and Standby Power Systems. • Determine which loads are legally required to be connected to the EPSS, nor which type, class or level of performance should be provided to support those loads. • Apply to portable generators that are not permanently installed. • Determine if natural gas or diesel fuel is a more reliable or appropriate fuel source in any given part of the country. • Have installation/construction requirements that retroactively apply to existing generator systems unless specifically directed by the authority having jurisdiction. However, the routine testing and maintenance requirements of NFPA 110 still apply to existing generators. Adherence to NFPA 110 testing procedures can improve reliability of all generator systems since those procedures continuously evolve with each code revision cycle based on industry research, investigation of generator common cause failures after disasters, etc.

Acceptable EPS sources

Energy sources that may be used as an EPS as defined in NFPA 110, Chapter 5 are limited to “rotating equipment” consisting of a generator driven by one of three prime mover types: • Otto cycle engine (spark ignited four-stroke engine, typically natural gas type for generator applications). www.csemag.com

• Diesel cycle engine (compression ignited engine). • Gas turbines (continuous flow of air and fuel through a rotating compressor, ignitor and turbine). Both NFPA 99 (section 6.4.1.7) and NFPA 70 (sections 700.12E and 701.12F) permit use of fuel cells for emergency power. However, they are not approved as an EPS in NFPA 110. Motions have been made repeatedly during the public comment period for this and previous versions of NFPA 110 to include fuel cells as an approved EPS. Those motions have been consistently voted down by the NFPA 110 Technical Committee. The primary reason for this rejection is the lack of supporting technical data and operational experience that would demonstrate that they have equivalent reliability, performance and fault tolerance compared to a standard generator when used as an EPS. Note: The standards development site at www.nfpa.org is an excellent resource for further insights on the rule-making process for all NFPA standards. As a consensus-based standard, draft reports with substantiation, comments and ballot results for all proposed changes are publicly posted online.

Understanding EPSS performance categories NFPA 110 quantifies the performance of emergency power supply systems in three different categories noted as type, class and level. The formal NFPA 110 definition for each is as follows: • Type: “The maximum amount of time, in seconds, that the EPSS will permit the load terminals of the transfer switch to be without acceptable power.” The amount of time ranges from uninterruptable to 120 seconds with 10 seconds being the most common for life-safety loads. See below: NFPA 110 emergency power supply system types Type

Maximum allowed time until power restored

No interruption allowed: uninterruptible

10 seconds

60 seconds

120

120 seconds

No time limitation: manual operation

• Class: “The minimum time, in hours for which the EPSS is designed to operate at its rated load without being refueled or recharged.” This amount of time ranges for five minutes to 48 hours (see below). There is also a “Class X” classification for other run times that do not fall into one of the preset time www.csemag.com

Figure 1: In this photo, shown are 2,000 ekW medium-voltage diesel generators. Equipment certification by a field evaluation body is often required for medium-voltage generators. Revisions to NFPA 110-2019 have more clearly defined the role of field evaluation bodies in the certification process. Courtesy: McGuire Engineers Inc.

intervals such as a 96-hour requirement for certain health care facilities located in seismic design categories C through F as defined by ASCE 7: Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. NFPA 110 emergency power supply system classes Class

Minimum acceptable amount of runtime at full load

0.083

5 minutes (0.083 hours)

0.25

15 minutes (0.25 hours)

2 hours

6 hours

48 hours

Other runtime as dictated by code or user

• Levels: Level 1 “where failure of the equipment to perform could result in loss of human life or serious injuries,” which typically corresponds to legally required NEC Article 700 and NFPA 99 life safety loads or Level 2 “where failure of the EPSS to perform is less critical to human life and safety,” which corresponds to legally required NEC Article 701 standby loads, which does not directly and immediately impact life safety such as communication systems, sewage ejectors/sump pumps, etc. Note that these categories apply to the performance of the complete EPSS, not just the generator that is used as the EPS. Improper selection of individual auxiliary system components (starting batteries, fuel transfer systems, remote cooling system components, etc.) can severely impact overall system reliability and performance. When determining which type, class and level of performance should be provided, the entire system needs to be evaluated, not just the generator. Simply stating a requirement for a “NFPA 110-compliant generaCONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER

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• Section 5.6.5.5: acceptable means of remotely starting a generator. • Section 5.6.5.6: emergency stop button quantity and location. • Section 7.13.4.3: generator coolant temperature while testing. Figure 2: This shows a small 60 ekW diesel generator being prepared for a load bank test. Courtesy: McGuire Engineers Inc.

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While the pace of NFPA 110 major revisions, such as the adoption of emerging energy conversion technologies, is glacial, there are always a handful of significant changes that are of particular importance to engineers.

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tor” within the specifications provides inadequate guidance for what is really required to ensure a reliable system.

Notable changes in NFPA 110-2019 Like most other NFPA standards, NFPA 110 is updated every three years. Most revisions usually amount to little more than administrative housekeeping — changing language and organization so that they are consistent with NFPA’s “Manual of Style” and editing sections so that they don’t conflict other standards and code. While the pace of NFPA 110 major revisions, such as the adoption of emerging energy conversion technologies, is glacial, there are always a handful of significant changes that are of particular importance to engineers. The 2019 version of NFPA 110 has the following notable changes: • Section 3.3.5 and 5.2.5: definition and role of field evaluation bodies. • Section 5.3.5: generator room temperature. • Section 5.6.3.6.1/5.6.4.7: changes in battery chargers.

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• Section 8.3.7: diesel fuel testing. We’ll examine each of these changes and their potential impact on the design engineer.

What is a field evaluation body? The AHJ inspects installations for compliance with the applicable codes and standards. It is the AHJ’s discretion to determine what is approved and what is rejected. For installations to be approved, you typically have to use equipment that has been listed per the applicable standards by Intertek Testing Services NA Inc., UL, FM Global or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL). Given that most AHJs do not have the technical expertise to evaluate a generator for compliance with all of the applicable technical standards, such a requirement for equipment certification by a third party is not unreasonable. NFPA 110 also requires prototype testing to validate the capability of a fully assembled generator, not just the individual components, to survive and function after being exposed to abnormal operational conditions such as excessive vibration (earthquakes), short circuit faults, etc. This testing is usually performed on a representative sample of that particular model of generator, not every generator of that model that is manufactured. This is because factory prototype testing can potentially damage a unit and/or reduced its useful service life due to the stresses placed on it during testing. Proper evaluation of the tests also may involve a full teardown of the unit. Given these considerations, it is not feasible to perform this type of complicated testing on every generator. While the expectation is that most generator manufacturers should be able to provide certification that their product meets all applicable standards, there are significant exceptions. Generators are often highly customized to an extent where they may technically no longer be equivalent to the prototype model. There is also currently no listing process for medium voltage stationary engine-generator assemblies. To address these situations, the 2019 version of NFPA 110 added sections 3.3.5 and 5.2.5, which state the definition and role of field evaluation bodies. www.csemag.com

FEBs are intended to provide a technically competent third party that will review the installed equipment for risks related to shock, fire and mechanical hazards. Most NRTLs have field evaluation services but the quality of those services is still determined by the individuals that the NRTL sends to the field. Although NFPA 110 allows the use of FEBs, NFPA does not specifically approve or evaluate the field evaluation services provided by individual testing laboratories. The AHJ still has to be satisfied that the FEB has the appropriate knowledge/experience and understands the scope and extent of the evaluation. The field evaluation process typically involves a document review, visual and mechanical inspections and applicable tests to ensure safe and reliable operation. The applicable standard for this evaluation is NFPA 791: Recommended Practice and Procedures for Unlabeled Electrical Equipment Evaluation. There are some limitations in field evaluations compared to factory prototype testing. For example, field tests have to specifically be nondestructive. As such, some tests that have an unacceptably high rise of equipment damage may possibly be omitted. If the FEB finds the generator to be compliant with the applicable standards, they will provide a field label and issue a detailed report to the AHJ. If noncompliant, the report will provide an itemized list of issues that can be used as a guide for corrections.

Generator room temperatures

Cold engines are typically slower to start and accelerate to full speed. However, in a Level 1 EPSS, load acceptance has to be unusually quick, 10 seconds. Any type of delay is not acceptable, regardless of weather conditions. With this in mind, it should be clear why NFPA 110 has requirements for maintaining the temperature of the EPS itself (water jacket and batteries) in addition to the room or enclosure that it is located in. Section 5.3.5 was revised with an important clarification for the required temperature of the generator equipment room or outdoor housing. Before the 2019 edition of the standard, it was simply stated that the room or housing needed to be maintained at 40Â°F. However, the language was such that it could be interpreted as meaning that the temperature had to be maintained at that temperature at all times. This would be an unreasonable in that it would be nearly impossible when the generator was operating during the winter. After all, how would you realistically maintain that temperature in the equipment room when the outside air louvers are open and the generator is drawing in as much air as possible? The 2019 revision added the important clarification that these environmental conditions only

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Figure 3: The interior of a linear operator type automatic transfer switch has associated line voltage and control wiring. NFPA 110-2019 has been updated to allow normally closed generator starting circuits which are required for circuit continuity supervision. Courtesy: McGuire Engineers Inc.

when the equipment is not operating. Again, the intent of the standard is only to prepare the generator to start quickly as possible.

Properly maintaining starting batteries is critical

Ask a generator vendor what the most common reason for a generator failing to start and picking up the load. The most likely answer is starting battery failure. Unfortunately, batteries are often poorly maintained and seldom replaced at the 24 to 30 month intervals recommended in the annex of NFPA 110. As such, any changes in NFPA 110 that affect batteries potentially have an outsized impact on the overall reliability of the EPSS. Typically, generators are provided with two methods of charging the starting batteries; a charger/alternator thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mechanically driven by the prime mover and a separate alternating currentpowered battery charger. Having both provides some level of redundancy. However, earlier versions of NFPA 110 had an exception that allowed the mechanically driven charger to be omitted if the AC powered charger had a high-low rate capable of fully charging the batteries during running conditions. That exception in section 5.6.3.6 has been revised. That exception is now only allowed for Level 2 EPSS installations. The mechanically driven charger is required for all Level 1 installations. consulting-specifying engineer

Figure 4: A rack of NiCAD starting batteries and associated battery charger are shown. Temperature compensated chargers are required for any Level 1 emergency power supply system. Courtesy: McGuire Engineers Inc.

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This change was made to address perceived reliability issues with AC powered battery chargers compared to a charger that was mechanical driven by the generator’s engine. AC powered battery chargers have several potential points of failure including the branch circuit wiring, overcurrent protection devices, the charger, etc. Section 5.6.4.7 was changed to add a temperature compensation in battery chargers used for a Level 1 EPSS. This was added because proper charge rated is dependent on temperature. Extreme heat and cold will reduce charge acceptance, necessitating slower charging until the batteries come up to temperature. If the charge rate is not temperature compensated, battery cells may age excessively and prematurely fail. The type of batteries (lead acid vs NiCad) will also impact the temperature dependent charge rate.

Harmonizing NFPA 70 and 110 The 2017 edition of the NEC brought sweeping changes in Article 700 and 701. One of these changes was a new requirement that the generator start circuit integrity be properly supervised. This type of supervision usually requires a normally closed starter circuit. However, generators were traditionally started by a contact closure signal (consistent with requirements in previous versions of NFPA 110) from an automatic transfer switch. This older NFPA 110 requirement meant that the starter circuit was normally open and therefore difficult to monitor for proper circuit continuity. Section 5.6.5.5 in the 2019 edition of NFPA 110 deleted the requirement that remote engine staring be initiated by closing a switch or set of contacts. While the official technical committee statement inferred that this was a relaxation of the requirement so that either normally open or normally closed starting circuits would be allowed, this change effectively harmonized generator starting circuit requirement between NEC and NFPA 110.

Figure 5: Shown is an emergency stop button mounted on the control panel for a 1990-vintage generator. When determining where an ESTOP button should be located, consider what hazards an operator may be exposed to when the button needs to be used in an emergency. Courtesy: McGuire Engineers Inc.

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Emergency stop buttons ESTOP buttons are furnished to allow the generator to be shut down without having to enter the generator room/enclosure. In scenarios where the ESTOP might be needed, remotely mount-

CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER

Figure 6: Resistive load banks are used for testing of a generator – this example show temporary load banks on a roof for testing of a generator located in a high-rise building penthouse. Regular testing is important in ensuring the performance of a generator system. Courtesy: McGuire Engineers Inc.

ing the button reduces the chance that the person pushing the button would be directly exposed to an unsafe condition such as a fuel fire or catastrophic mechanical failure. While ESTOP buttons were required in previous editions of NFPA 110, it was unclear exactly where it had to be located and if more than one ESTOP button was acceptable. The language was ambiguous enough where it could be interpreted that only one ESTOP button was allowed and that there had to be significant physical separation between a generator in a weatherproof enclosure and the location of the ESTOP button. If there is more than one generator, it is reasonable to expect that there may be a need for more than one ESTOP button. Also, the standard location for the remote ESTOP button for a generator installed outdoors is on the side on the weatherproof enclosure. Revisions to section 5.6.5.6 have clarified that both are acceptable.

Overheating The purpose of testing is to demonstrate that a generator can reliably support a connected load. One of the key indicators that a generator is having a hard time supporting a connected load is unstable coolant temperature. The installation acceptance procedures within NFPA 110 details a requirement for a two-hour full load bank test. In earlier editions, coolant temperature had to be recorded during this test but there were no specific requirements beyond recording that data. Section 7.13.4.3 now requires that the engine water/ coolant temperature stabilize at a constant value relative to the outdoor ambient temperature at least 30 minutes before the completion of the test. www.csemag.com

Diesel fuel, like food, can get stale

Diesel fuel is not maintenance-free. It will oxidize during long-term storage. This oxidation mechanism is similar to how animal fat becomes rancid. While biodegradation of diesel fuel may be desirable from an environmental standpoint, it can cause significant generator performance issues. Oxidation causes the formation of sediment and gum, which usually ends up clogging fuel filters, one of the more common causes for generator failure. As moisture inevitably condenses in partially filled storage tanks, the resulting water can corrode generator fuel system components like injectors and promote microbial growth which will only make the situation worse. When you consider that diesel fuel can sit in storage tanks for months — if not years — in some generator installations, the potential magnitude of the issue becomes a bit clearer. The formulation/blends of diesel fuel and their associated characteristics have changed significant in the last few years due to Environmental Protection Agency requirements and the emergence of biofuels. These new fuels have only made the situation worse. The most common diesel fuel in the United States is ultra-low sulfur diesel, which is also refer to as S15. S15 references the 15 parts per million sulfur, which is a significant reduction from the previous limit of 500 ppm. This reduction dramatically improves engine exhaust emissions. However, sulfur is also a natural biocide and reducing it can promote additional microbial growth. Bio-diesel generally refers to traditional petroleum derived fuels blended with a bio-fuel feedstock. Within the United States, soybean oil is usually the source of the feedstock for the bio-diesel. In Europe, it is usually canola oil. In the U.S., the relative percentage of bio-fuel is referenced by B-XX, where XX is the volume percent of bio-fuel in the final product. Bio-diesel blends up to B5 are acceptable to most generator manufacturers. In fact, biodiesel concentrations up to B5 are allowed to be called “diesel fuel” with no separate labeling requirements identifying the presence of bio-fuel. Bio-diesel blends can significantly improve the lubricity of ULSD and reduce emissions (in particular, NOx emissions). However, bio-diesels are also excellent solvents and can dissolve accumulated sediment in fuel storage tanks, which can cause fuel injector deposits, clog filters, etc. There are also concerns over the stability of the bio-fuel components in long term storage.

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Figure 7: In this, a 2,250 ekW generator is in a weatherproof enclosure mounted top of a sub-base diesel fuel tank. Using the stairs for scale, visual the overall volume of diesel fuel that’s stored in the tank. Given that amount of fuel, what are the potential financial and operational impacts of contaminated fuel? Courtesy: McGuire Engineers Inc.

A proper fuel testing program can help identify potential issues with a generator’s fuel supply. However, the testing requirements in NFPA 110 were vague and only required on an annual basis. In fact, the standard that was originally referred to within NFPA 110, ASTM D975, was a specification for new virgin diesel fuel, not testing requirements for fuel used in long-term storage. Although it was not included in the initial release of the 2019 NFPA 110, a proposed tentative interim amendment (TIA 1388) was submitted in late 2018 to address ongoing uncertainty regarding proper diesel fuel testing — namely what to test for, not just when to test. This TIA revises section 8.3.7 and the associated annex material. This revision requires that testing begin on the first day of installation and trending data be kept for future comparison. This TIA was balloted but not passed by the NFPA Standards Council. However, the nature of the issue merits further consideration. The testing intervals also have been shorted from 12 to six months. Six-month testing needs to include ASTM tests for microbial contamination, water and sediment, and bio-diesel concentration. Fuel stability tests are also required every 12 months. Finally, the annex material calls for remediation to restore fuel quality should the testing results be outside the acceptable range of the applicable ASTM tests. Many fuel suppliers recommend use of stabilizers/anti-oxidants, biocides and fuel polishing (water removal and filtering) to ensure fuel quality when diesel is stored for more than six months. cse

Figure 8: Note the red-dyed diesel fuel visible through the clear filter housing in this inline diesel fuel filter system. While this particular filter system is installed between the generator and fuel storage tank, the general function of a fuel polishing system is similar. A fuel polishing system recirculates fuel in the storage tank and remove particulate contamination and water when the generator is not in operation. Courtesy: McGuire Engineers Inc.

John Yoon is a lead electrical engineer at McGuire Engineers Inc. and is a member of the ConsultingSpecifying Engineer editorial advisory board. consulting-specifying engineer

November 2019

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Ask an expert: Hospitals, health care facilities Health care facility designers are expected to keep pace with increasingly complex, advanced engineered systems and features CSE: What’s the biggest trend in hospitals, health care facilities and medical campus projects? Neal Boothe: Currently in Florida, freestanding emergency departments have become very popular. Many hospital groups are expanding their service territory by building FSEDs in areas away from their main facility. In many cases, these FSEDs become a way for the hospital to introduce themselves in a new community. Following this, they may have future plans to expand provide additional services to this community — such as building a new greenfield hospital adjacent to this FSED in the near future. Mark Chrisman: There are a few major trends that we continue to see: modular design and construction, medical or retail health care and technology. Modular design would include everything from prefabricating head walls to drop-inplace toilets and exam rooms. We are seeing more contractors and vendors offering different aspects of the design and construction that can help in terms speed, cost and ease of installation. With some of the larger recent mergers, we expected to see the standard health care model and it is happening with several traditional retailers offering up a version of retail health care with some simple functions like an exam room, blood draw and even an X-ray room. They are also tying this to

general wellness in hopes that you could get a physical or quick checkup and then do some quick shopping afterward. Additionally, many of these retailers have locations closer to the patient/consumer than many of the local health systems, becoming the front door to health care. Technology also continues to challenge engineers, owners and constructors during design and construction like integration of many of the low-voltage systems and way finding in hopes of making the patient experience better. Tom Divine: Over the last couple of decades, we’ve seen increasing requirements for standby power and for more reliable power. Hospitals want more of their spaces to operate with full function during power outages, calling for full heating, ventilation and air conditioning support of those spaces. We also see more imaging equipment on standby power and more of those installations driven by uninterruptible power supplies. In recent years, we’ve had inquiries about UPS support for operating room power. The drivers for these requirements are patient experience, concerns about frequent severe weather events and the increasing complexity and extended restart times of medical equipment. Roger Koppenheffer: The biggest continuing trend is speed — both speed to market and speed of care. Heath care systems are building more small, stand-alone

Neal Boothe, PE Principal/Senior Electrical Engineer TLC Engineering Solutions Orlando, Fla.

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November 2019

consulting-specifying engineer

Mark Chrisman, PhD, PE Healthcare Practice Director/Vice President Henderson Engineers Lenexa, Kansas

facilities for specialized care and outpatient services. With enhanced recovery after surgery shown to reduce the average length of stay, ambulatory surgery centers, especially orthopedics, are building inpatient rehabilitation facilities attached to the ASC. Creative partnerships and collaborative delivery models are continuing to gain momentum as a key to speed to market without sacrificing overall value. Nick Martin: One of the biggest trends for health care facilities continues to be evaluating whether to decentralize ambulatory care from primary medical campuses. The recent trend suggests the tendency to keep higher acuity level care on pre-existing medical campuses and push ambulatory level care out to strategic locations within the surrounding communities. Michael Phillips: The biggest trend I have seen is the continued focus on the patient experience. This means the ability for the patient to interact with their environment in different and meaningful ways. Especially as health care facilities compete for elective procedures, they are more aware of the effect the environment has on the patient. This includes lighting, audiovisual options and temperature control. Jose Torres: In new facilities, the most popular trend is prefabrication. What systems can the construction team start to assemble early? How Tom Divine, PE Senior Electrical Engineer Johnston, LLC Houston

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Figure 1: Henderson Engineers worked on the expansion of The University of Kansas Hospital’s Indian Creek campus, providing mechanical, electrical and technology design for a new interventional radiology fluoroscopy machine using artificial intelligence. Courtesy: Henderson Engineers

we take advantage of an abundance of labor in another state? The ultimate is goal is to shorten the construction period so the facilities can be populated early. In the Duke Health Bed Tower Addition (500,000 square feet), the prefabrication efforts focused on the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems in the corridor and the MEP infrastructure running vertically through the 11-story bed tower. The Hillsborough addition (90,000 square feet) is focused on the prefabrication of the patient toilet rooms, plus the previous systems mentioned above. April Woods: Future-ready health care is the biggest trend that we are currently seeing in the marketplace. Owners are getting the appetite for smart buildings, which will require flexible, adaptable building design that is future-proofed for emerging technologies. We’ve already seen the need for robust and resilient infrastructure in our designs to accommodate Roger Koppenheffer, LEED AP Principal Certus Carrollton, Texas

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the most technologically advanced procedures, and health care facilities will continue to evolve into technology hubs that will change how we implement design and support this sort of infrastructure needs. CSE: What future trends should engineers expect? Torres: In the past two years, we have seen requests from the owner and the

construction manager to provide early foundation and underground packages at the end of design development and pre-purchase packages for long lead MEP items at 50% construction documents. These requests can be challenging as it starts to limit the flexibility of adjusting the floor plan or change the function of the floor plan. It requires early focus on locking down the floor plan, coordinating critical spaces and the sizing of the air

Jose Torres Partner RMF Engineering Raleigh, N.C.

Nick Martin, PE, LEED AP Principal Affiliated Engineers Inc. Madison, Wis.

consulting-specifying engineer

April Woods, PE, LEED AP BD+C Vice President WSP USA Orlando, Fla.

Michael Phillips Integration Business Manager Southland Industries/ Envise Sterling, Va.

November 2019

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For Over 70 Years Setting the Standard...

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handling units, chillers, boilers, switchgear and generators. Then, it is important to balance shop drawing reviews as the design team is completing the construction documents. Martin: Speed to market for ambulatory care projects should continue to be a primary focus of health care providers as they compete for market share within their regions. Chrisman: I expect we will continue to see more health care spaces becoming modularized to help facilitate a faster construction timeline for the owners. Engineers and constructors should be prepared to be flexible with design and installation to accommodate these new features. Also, as health care continues pull in design features from retail and hospitality for consumerism and we focus on the whole being, a focus will be placed on true healing spaces, which will include design features that may not have been as prevalent in years past. Phillips: The focus on the heath care experience, care efficiency and better patient experience means that engineers should expect to see more approaches to unified room controls or the convergence of technologies that make this all happen. This is the ability to let patients control their environment directly in an intuitive and easy way. In addition to the patient experience, engineers need to reconcile the need for operational efficiency, whether that is in energy efficiency of the facility or technologies that aid the staff in being more efficient at their jobs. Boothe: Engineers must be thinking about the future needs of a larger campus to include a possible hospital, medical office

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We understand how important it is for you to proficiently calculate the load of a space and select the system that’s best for your mission critical clients’ budget, capacity goals and expanding energy efficiency requirements. And while data center power consumption has been growing, one may think that that equates to shrinking profits. But that’s not necessarily the case. Become the Hero of the Story Gone are the days of being bound by a manufacturer’s catalog. Or, at least they should be. Today, you can ensure the highest performance at the least amount of energy expenditure by choosing a system that is purpose-built to your design. Swanson Rink, an engineering firm much like yours perhaps, partnered with Data Aire to develop a system that exceeds strict energy efficiency requirements in Los Angeles – with 50% plus hours of free cooling. CRAC System Criteria • DX coil capacity and free cooling coil have same capacity • Consistent flowrate and pressure drop between DX and ES modes • Condenser water must be controlled with a 2-way valve • Achieve a 72° supply air temp with 67° con denser water without compressor operation • DX coil can be used to trim the free cooling coil

The Solution: Dual-cooling CRAC System Data Aire’s system has two cooling coils in series. A refrigerant coil – using the compressors to make cooling and a chilled water coil (the Energy Saver Coil) – cooling with water from the cooling tower. The re-imagined system has lowpressure drop coils, low-pressure drop valves, and internal piping to take advantage of every gallon of water from the tower. The chilled water coils and condensers are oversized, providing maximum economization hours. Most importantly, the system includes a Variable Speed Compressor operated by a VFD, which saves energy. While a digital scroll compressor changes capacity to match the load, it doesn’t save much energy. Our Variable Speed Compressor, on the other hand, adapts to cooling demands to stay in close synch with the heat load. The outcome: our system can provide full-economization for 260 days– that’s almost 72% of the year!

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building, parking garage, etc. In some cases, the owner may want to include future infrastructure with the initial FSED project while in other cases they may want to save this expense for the future construction. Woods: Engineers need to be ready for smart building concepts continue to evolve. They already are becoming the norm and technology advances will continue to increase their implementation. Hospitals built today are expected to operate for many years to come and our job is to ensure that we are designing for maximum adaptability. Koppenheffer: Engineers can expect compressed design and construction schedules and should play a key role in achieving the best value in a shorter period of time. Developing standards through an ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project requirements process to be implemented across multiple projects can shorten the front-end design duration on each individual project. A collaborative design delivery such as integrated project delivery (whether a true IPD contract or not) or design-

assist is paramount to maximizing value through designing the way it actually will be built, early procurement, maximizing and designing around prefab opportunities, etc. CSE: What types of challenges do you encounter for these types of projects that you might not face on other types of structures? Martin: Ambulatory care requires a comprehensive understanding on how to approach health care facilities with mixed occupancies and different system requirements with regard to codes, resiliency and flexibility. Phillips: Often you are dealing with technologies that are not found in commercial office buildings, at least not to the same degree. These technologies include way finding, headboard systems, nurse call systems, radio frequency ID resource locations, AV controls and the various ways these technologies integrate. The biggest challenge is that there are a limited number of engineers who truly under-

stand how all these technologies integrate and a limited number of contractors that can do this type of work effectively while maintaining the promised cost savings. Woods: Stringent health care codes and standards have always been a unique challenge to the health care industry and they will continue to evolve as continued research and development is accomplished to validate these code requirements. New design strategies are being implemented every day as the health care delivery model continues to change and new infection control procedures need to be considered. A delicate balance between patient safety and energy efficiency is continually being evaluated to make health care facilities not only a safe haven for the patients but also a robust, high-performing building. Boothe: The expansion and connection of existing utilities and systems becomes a major consideration when a smaller building such as an FSED is later expanded with a large new hospital. A good example of this would be the fire alarm design. While a project such as

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a single-story FSED would have a basic fire alarm design, a large hospital project (which often will include high-rise considerations) requires a more significant fire alarm system. The design engineer must understand that in the initial FSED fire alarm design, system capacity and design considerations must be maintained to allow this system to integrate easily into a larger, more complex system. In the full hospital design, the fire alarm system will require a survivable design (both in device loops and in network loops) that might not be required in a small, singlestory initial FSED construction. Further, the hospital fire alarm design will often include voice evacuation-type devices and programming that needs to be considered when designing the FSED, which typically would use a chime system for audible notification only. Koppenheffer: Historically, women’s services were the primary services deemed marketable. Today, many other services are shopped by the consumer. As a result, finishes, technology and a hospitality feel are becoming more important

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for units such as oncology and palliative care. The percentage of the overall construction budget allotted to MEP tends to be less, while the more stringent codes and standard of care result in higher overall MEP costs. Operational costs are about more than just energy. Health care engineers must be in tune with the hospital business, paying attention to the impact

of design solutions on the clinical operations, reimbursements, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores and speed to revenue generation. Chrisman: A challenge we often face on larger health care projects is staff turnover from the owner side. We have had several projects that took a

year or longer to design and then several more years to construct and we ran through several department directors, all of whom had different opinions about space use and function, which required redesign and sometimes changes in construction. These changes can slow the construction process and often have unintended consequences later in other areas if not fully vetted. CSE: What is the biggest challenge you come across when designing such projects? Woods: The first challenge for highly innovative systems is always cost as upfront capital is always a sensitive discussion with how certain system types fit within the allocated budget. Lifecycle costs analyses should be performed on each high-performing building project to validate the best decision making for the owner. The second roadblock is typically sophistication of the facility personnel that will be tasked with maintaining the system. If the staff cannot be properly trained on how to implement advanced control sequences or technology, then the system will not perform as designed. Martin: The biggest challenge comes in helping a client to understand and weigh options for high-performing energy-efficient concepts that deviate from what they have traditionally done in the past. Energy savings these days comes with a shift in system configurations and operations. Health care facility groups need to be part of the design process to ensure that when such systems are installed, they can be successfully operated as intended to achieve their intended potential. cse

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November 2019

Case studies provide valuable discovery of challenge situations, recommended solutions, and implementation actions to solve specific real-life issues. Consulting-Specifying Engineermagazine invites you to learn from the following companies who have shared their case study success stories:

ABB Motors and Mechanical Benshaw Biamp Systems C&C Power Cleaver-Brooks Cummins ESL Power Greenheck

cse201911_caseStdy_lead.indd 1

Gripple Lochinvar Corporation Meltric Corporation Noritz Patterson-Kelley Pottorff Ruskin Schebler STI Firestop

11/11/2019 3:15:56 PM

ABB Ability™ Smart Sensors Increase Reliability, Reduce Unplanned Downtime and Increase Worker Safety Summary: The company needed a way to safely and quickly maintain the bearings on the recyclable sorting machine. These bearings are located on banks behind chains and sprockets, making them hard to reach, or near the “waterfall line,” where recyclables spill over, so they are exposed to a lot of contamination. The bearings operate continuously so their reliability and performance are critical.

Challenge: A recycling and waste removal company needed a way to quickly identify and safely maintain banks of identical bearings on a recyclable sorting machine. The bearings are located in hard to reach locations where they are subject to contamination.

Solution: The company installed an ABB Ability™ Smart Sensor on each bearing to continuously monitor them during operation. The ability to monitor remotely eliminated the need for maintenance to access difficult locations unless it was necessary, unlike traditional maintenance schedules that have teams check equipment routinely, even if maintenance is not needed.

Result: Implementing the sensors has resulted in safer and more efficient maintenance practices, as well as longer uptime as the company has experienced instances where the sensors alerted maintenance problems before unexpected downtime occurred.

The ABB Ability Smart Sensor for mechanical products is an easy-to-use, wireless sensor which monitors the health of Dodge® mounted bearings and gear reducers, allowing users to reduce downtime, improve reliability, and operate safely. The sensor gives warnings on decreasing health status, which allows you to plan maintenance before there is a problem and the system is down. The ability to monitor bearings remotely allows maintenance and other relevant personnel to safely get a health check of the bearing without touching the equipment. For the recycle and waste company, the sensors meant that maintenance crews had to access the bearings behind the chains only when needed. This not only increased safety for the team, but also allows them to focus on other areas that may need attention. In three instances, the sensors indicated a rise in temperature in one or more of the bearings. Maintenance crews were alerted to the rise before a failure occurred, allowing them to identify which specific bearing was experiencing health problems. This is a benefit as the team can only perform maintenance during a 45-minute lunch break. Due to the cost savings of avoiding downtime, along with the benefit of increased safety and an overall view of the health of their equipment, the company is now implementing sensors on more bearings in their process. ABB Motors and Mechanical Inc. 479-646-4711 baldor.abb.com • abb.com input #21 at www.csemag.com/information

Innovative Medium Voltage Variable Speed Drive Design Opens New Possibilities, and Will Save You Money! Summary: Benshaw’s state-of-the-art Modular MultiLevel (M2L) MV Drive product family is the latest innovation in medium voltage variable frequency drive market. This patented product is designed and developed to enhance reliability, improve safety, and reduce the total cost of the ownership.

Challenge: Expansion of a Cryogenic plant required installation of a 3500 HP, 4160 V medium voltage drive. Utilizing all-indoor MV drive solutions made building a new PDC and bearing its high costs inevitable, and challenging project feasibility.

Solution: Benshaw’s M2L Medium Voltage VFD allows for separation of transformer, rectifier, and inverter. Providing a solution with an oilfilled transformer and a specially engineered NEMA 3R rectifier, both installed outdoor, allowed the end user to install the inverter in the existing PDC with no impact on HVAC capacity.

Result: Project feasibility due to a smaller footprint, and significant cost savings!

The M2L’s architecture differs radically from other multi-level systems in the market today. The drive consists of three independent components: a standard multi-pulse phase-shifting transformer, a standard multi-pulse diode-based rectifier, and a modular power-cellbased multi-level inverter. This modular system arrangement creates tremendous installation flexibility, greatly reduces arc flash energy and substantially improves reliability. Other benefits of the Cryogenic plant project included: • Small footprint - No need for a new PDC, resulting in significant cost savings! • Outdoor installation of transformer - 50% Smaller indoor footprint, 60% HVAC capacity reduction. • Outdoor installation of rectifier - Minimized footprint, granting project feasibility. The end user was so pleased with the result of this project, both in the performance and reliability of the solution, that they have used Benshaw’s M2L MV drive on additional projects. For more information, visit Benshaw.com/M2L

Benshaw, Inc. 412-968-0100 benshaw.com/contact

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The Bottom Line on Workplace Noise Summary: As workplace architecture trends continue to favor open-office floor plans, noise distractions will remain a persistent drag on employee productivity. And while many of today’s open layouts and collaboration-themed design changes are positive, they are not always implemented with employee productivity as a primary consideration.

Challenge: Due to increasing population densities in modern work spaces, companies today have realized the benefits of open office plans and collaborative work spaces. However, the negative impact on acoustics—and staff productivity— is tremendous.

Solution: Many companies today integrate sound masking technology as a solution to resolve acoustical issues within their work spaces. Sound masking is the addition of an unobtrusive background sound, much like airflow, to reduce the intelligibility of human speech and reduce distractions.

Result: Affordable and invisible sound masking technology boosts employee productivity without sacrificing office aesthetics. The resulting environment leads to greater productivity and increased privacy and acoustical comfort.

Population densities continue to increase in modern work spaces, and companies today have quickly realized the benefits of open office plans and collaborative work spaces – including an increased use of lower cubicle partitions and reflective surfaces like glass, steel and concrete. However, the negative impact on acoustics—and staff productivity— is tremendous. In fact, 60 percent of employees report being more productive at work when the office is quiet. Researchers found that on average, employees wasted 21.5 minutes (4%) per day due to conversational distractions1. Even using conservative estimates, this loss of productivity adds up to big monetary losses for companies. Bottom line? Noise distractions cost money. Not only are office workers being interrupted every 11 minutes2, but it can take up to 23 minutes for the interrupted employees to get back into the “flow” of what they were doing prior to the disruption. So, how can facility managers combat this acoustical problem? Many companies today integrate sound masking technology as a solution to resolve acoustical issues within their work spaces. Haapakangas, Helenius, Keskinen, Hongisto, 9th International Congress of Noise as a Public Health Problem. 2 Mark, Gudith, and Klocke, “The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress,” Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

Soundmasking.com/CSE 800-219-8199 input #23 at www.csemag.com/information

Battery Cabinet Convection Cooling and CoolCab Fan System Summary: Typical VRLA batteries want to be no warmer than 77°F. Optimizing battery temperatures maximizes battery life. Our engineering team at C&C Power has invested many months in developing and testing thermal temperatures of batteries while enclosed in battery cabinets. Small strategic changes in airflow have a big effect on a cabinet’s ability to transport heat up and out the rear of the cabinet. By running thermal tests on battery temperatures and airflow at an ambient temperature environment of 75°F, our engineers were able to design options to optimize convection cooling. Their conclusions through Computational Fluid Dynamics have led them to develop our patented, tiered battery cabinets featuring industry-leading temperature attributes. This innovative convection cooling solution achieves temperature deltas as low as 1.9°F on float charge.

Challenge: Help reduce the internal battery cabinet temperature taking into consideration the cabinet internal battery layout and the environment of the battery cabinet.

Solution: Design a cabinet to optimize cooling of batteries in normal convection application as well as design a solution that will guarantee airflow in any environment.

Result: Standardized cabinet manufacturing with optimal convection cooling with strategic placement of optional CoolCab cooling fan.

The standardized battery cooling solution also has an optional CoolCab cooling fan for tackling rooms with characteristics that inhibit natural convection cooling. Overly pressurized rooms or layouts that block rear venting may need this additional precaution. Simulation tests on each cabinet have led us to pinpoint the optimal location for each CoolCab fan system. The result is that a battery cabinet with the fan option yields a remarkable less than .5°F battery to battery delta temperature and a 1.5°F battery to ambient while on float. All battery cabinet units shipping today have this optimal convection cooling solution. The optional fan can either be factory installed or retrofitted to existing cabinets. It is designed for easy snap-in installation on site.

sales@ccpower.com • 630-617-9022 www.ccpower.com/coolcab-battery-cabinet-cooling input #24 at www.csemag.com/information

Chinook Regional Hospital Installs CBEX Elite Boilers, Reduces Costs and Achieves Low-NOx Benefits Summary: Chinook Regional Hospital is a 270-bed facility that serves as the main hospital for the city of Lethbridge and Southern Alberta, Canada. When the Lethbridge Regional Hospital (now Chinook Regional Hospital) opened in the mid-1980s, three 500-HP traditional Cleaver-Brooks steam boilers ran the facility. In 1999, the hospital replaced the burners on these boilers to restore boiler efficiency to its original level.

Challenge: Change boiler plant classification from a Class 2 building to Class 3 one by reducing total heating surface below 5000 kW

Solution: Three 400-HP Cleaver-Brooks CBEX Elite boilers with Hawk PLC controls and stack economizers

Result: Reduced fuel usage by 8% and electrical costs by 40%

In 2016, Chinook Regional Hospital completed a new five-story wing. In addition to expanding hospital capacity, the administration wanted to change its boiler plant classification from a Class 2 building to a Class 3 one to reduce its operating costs and environmental impact. To qualify as a Class 3 building, the total heating surface had to be reduced below the 5000 kW rating. Another goal was to achieve 30 ppm NOx emissions. The hospital administration reached out Tundra Process Solutions in Calgary for a boiler system recommendation. The hospital had been very pleased with their existing Cleaver-Brooks boilers due to their reliability and durability and desired to stick with the brand. Tundra recommended three 400-HP Cleaver-Brooks CBEX Elite boilers with Hawk PLC controls and stack economizers. Not only did the boilers meet the hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s criteria, but the units offered the added bonus of a small footprint. Read more at http://info.cleaverbrooks.com/ChinookRegional.

800.296.4110 info@cleaverbrooks.com cleaverbrooks.com input #25 at www.csemag.com/information

Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center Turns to Cummins for Emergency Standby Power Summary: Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is a dominant institution in healthcare in the greater Baton Rouge area. As the largest private medical center in Louisiana, it treats approximately 25,000 patients each year in the hospital, and serves about 350,000 persons through outpatient locations. The need for additional reliability was heightened by the geographic location of Baton Rouge in the “hurricane zone.” Cummins Power Generation was chosen to design and install new generators, digital controls, paralleling switchgear and transfer switches for life safety and supplemental power.

Challenge: Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center was looking for a company to design and install emergency standby and supplement power at their facility.

Solution: Cummins supplied one 1750 kW diesel generator and five 1750 kW lean-burn gas generators equipped with digital controls, paralleling switchgear and transfer switches.

Result: This Cummins integrated solution not only provided Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center with additional reliability in the event of a hurricane but also provided a system that was designed for the future.

Several factors influenced the organization’s choice of Cummins. One of these can be characterized as redundant reliability, but not because of the number of generators. Rather, Cummins Power Generation’s switchgear and paralleling configuration provide customers with a unique approach to ensuring operation of the generator sets. According to the general manager at ESB Americas, the customer also chose Cummins Power Generation as the vendor because of their ability to provide a total integrated power solution. The Power Electronics, ESB and Commercial Products divisions of Cummins combined forces to deliver a comprehensive design, product and service solution. Cummins’ ability to provide the unique paralleling configuration, digital controls, switchgear and transfer switches helped secure the sale. Cummins’ strong distribution network was also instrumental to the sale and provided counsel as well as installation reviews and commissioning services. Read the complete case study at: www.cummins.com/generator-case-studies ask.powergen@cummins.com • cummins.com 1-800-CUMMINS™ (1-800-286-6467) input #26 at www.csemag.com/information

Power U: As Utility Power Outages Rise, 3 Universities Keep Emergency Backup Costs Down Summary: As centers for education and community life, universities are challenged with meeting the needs of a diverse range of people and activities. From student housing and dining, to classrooms and administrative offices, assuring reliable backup power in the event of an emergency or outage is of paramount concern. ESL’s case study addresses how three universities made decisions about the best type of backup-power system for their facilities and why.

Challenge: When it comes to providing on-campus backup power, administrators are faced with the question “How fast is necessary?” Does the application call for immediate, automatic backup power restoration with a permanent/dedicated generator and ATS? Or, a simpler, less-costly solution: backup power restored within minutes using a portable generator.

Solution: ESL’s StormSwitch (MTS) allows for quick safe connection of a portable generator, while ESL’s TripleSwitch can be installed in critical power applications that utilize an ATS.

Auburn University - The Haley Center at Auburn University is home to the College of Education. It houses the main power source and backup generator for campus-wide life-safety systems. Because of this, the system and its backup generator must be tested regularly. Options for temporarily shutting down power can be limited. AU needs a way to load bank or test an emergency backup generator quickly and efficiently, with minimal downtime. A New Hampshire college - A New Hampshire college distributes its own power to select campus areas. The institution’s engineering and utilities team recently installed a large, new backup generator at the facility. The engineers know that in order to comply with NEC 2017 700.3(F) the system must include a provision to connect a portable backup generator. A leading North Carolina university The fuel pump failed on a permanent backup generator at a public television center for a leading North Carolina university. Fixing it meant leaving the facility without backup power in the event of an emergency. Before starting the repair, engineers looked for a better way to hook up a backup generator during future emergencies and discovered this meant installing a manual-transfer switch.

Result: University applications that need an immediate means of backup power transfer and to load bank test, chose ESL’s TripleSwitch. Those that opt for using ESL’s StormSwitch can restore power within minutes.

Read how each university solved their challenge in the full case study: https://blog.eslpwr.com/case101 ethorson@eslpwr.com • (951) 739-7000 eslpwr.com input #27 at www.csemag.com/information

Greenheck Provides Quiet, Energy Efficient Ventilation System to Meet Diverse Needs of Wausau Curling Club Summary: The Wausau Curling Center in Wausau, WI is among the largest and most technologically advanced curling centers in North America. Played on ice in an indoor controlled environment, temperature and humidity are critical to setting ice speed and the amount of “curl” the stone will incur. Another design challenge was dealing with the variable loads without over-ventilating which would lead to extremely high utility bills.

Challenge: Meet the demand for large quantities of outdoor air to satisfy diverse load requirements. Install a cost-effective air handling system that heats and cools the hospitality and viewing areas. Control temperature to prevent fogging of glass between warmed hospitality area and much colder competition area. Minimize energy costs with energy recovery technology.

Solution: Install energy recovery ventilators, rooftop ventilators, and make-up air units.

Result: The ventilation system serving the hospitality and viewing areas “works very well and is whisper quiet,” according to Wausau Curling Club president Jeff Stubbe. “Our club’s overall energy consumption is lower than other curling clubs of similar size.”

A large viewing and hospitality area surrounds the curling competition area and needed to be efficiently heated, cooled and ventilated for postcompetition parties hosting hundreds of competitors and spectators. Large amounts of outdoor air are required for these diverse loads. Two, pre-engineered, energy recovery ventilators, Model ERV, with total enthalpy wheels were installed to handle exhaust air from the rest rooms while recovering energy from the exhaust airstream to precondition the ventilation air and reduce heating and cooling energy requirements. Model IGX make-up air units with indirect fired-gas heating feature an 80% efficient furnace and heating capacities up to 1,200,000 BTU/hr (input). Supply airflow of up to 9,500 cfm and 3 in. w.g. help meet peak demand loads when the hospitality and viewing areas are filled to capacity. Two additional rooftop ventilators, Model RV, were installed to efficiently deliver and condition the appropriate mixture of outdoor and return air. This Wausau Curling Club case study can be viewed in its entirety at: www.greenheck.com/resources/library/project-profiles

info@greenheck.com 715-359-6171 www.greenheck.com input #28 at www.csemag.com/information

Gripple hangers solve safety issue at UC Health Hospital job site in Greeley, Colorado Summary: UC Health Hospital in Greeley, Colorado is a $185 million hospital and health center, providing convenient and comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services to residents in this growing area. On this project, US Engineering (the contractor) installed over 30,000 of Gripple’s UniGrip hangers for the suspension of schedule 40 steel, PVC, copper lines, and cast iron piping.

Challenge: Due to safety concerns from other installation contractors regarding the poking hazards of threaded rod, US Engineering was prevented from dropping the threaded rod more than 1 foot from the deck when suspending the piping on this project.

Solution: The local Gripple Territory Manager introduced US Engineering to Gripple’s UniGrip hanger as an alternative to suspending the piping with threaded rod. Gripple’s hangers, and in particular the UniGrip hanger, come in ready-to-use, load rated kits that allow the installation to be heightadjusted and/or leveled.

Result: Gripple’s UniGrip cable hangers presented the perfect solution, as they could be attached to the clevis and band hangers on the ground, and then raised up to the proper elevation, eliminating the threaded rod poking hazard concerns and safety issues of the other trades.

The initial reason US Engineering chose to use Gripple’s cable hangers on this project was to alleviate the health and safety concerns associated with the hazards of exposed threaded rod on site. Gripple was able to offer the perfect solution to overcome these concerns with their lightweight and adjustable UniGrip cable suspension kits, eliminating the risk of running into threaded rod when walking around the job site. In addition, Gripple hangers provided significant time and labor savings, and required no tools to install, which meant there were less tools on the installer’s belts. This was US Engineering’s first plumbing / piping installation job using Gripple, and it was a very positive experience. Said Greg Kocol, Superintendent at US Engineering, “It’s a pretty slick system. It’s fast, it’s quick. The reason we went with it in the beginning was because of a safety issue. Personally as a Superintendent I would use Gripple again.” Watch the video at http://bit.ly/2oVImnM

grippleinc@gripple.com • 630-406-0600 • www.gripple.com input #29 at www.csemag.com/information

HIGH-ACHIEVING SCHOOL CHOOSES HIGH-PERFORMANCE BOILER: Dorman High School installed Lochinvar CREST boilers Summary: Paul M. Dorman High School serves about 2,600 students at two main facilities: a separate 9th grade building and a 550,000 sq. ft. building for its 10th through 12th grade students. Campus-wide, there are three gymnasiums and a new 170,000 sq. ft. Fine Arts addition to the 10-12 building. Mark Kirkland, Dorman’s director of maintenance and construction, attended a Lochinvar seminar and decided that the 5 million BTU/hr. CREST® condensing boiler was the ideal replacement choice. Dorman’s CREST boiler delivers up to 93 percent thermal efficiency and is fully modulating up to 10:1 turndown.

Challenge: Paul M. Dorman High School in Roebuck, South Carolina serves about 2,600 students at two main facilities: a separate 9th grade building and a 550,000 sq. ft. building.

Solution: The school decided to replace its existing 3.5 million BTU/hr. steel boilers with higher efficiency condensing boilers to achieve multiple goals: reducing the cost of hydronic space heating and water heating, improving reliability, and making the schools more comfortable.

Result: Dorman’s CREST boilers deliver up to 93 percent thermal efficiency and are fully modulating up to 10:1 turndown. “[Dorman] can now easily turn down to 500,000 BTU/hr. [The facilities] are now able to provide lower temperature water to the buildings and still maintain the comfort level. That’s a huge savings!”

“We now have two CREST units for the 10-12 building that occupy less space in the boiler plant than the previous units,” said Kirkland. “The CREST’s modulating features are a major advantage. We can now easily turn down to 500,000 BTU/hr., whereas the steel boilers would burn at least 2.8 million BTU/hr. anytime they were running.” There’s also been a big improvement in the comfort level of Dorman’s hydronic space heating. “With the steel boilers, we were averaging about 70 percent humidity, and with CREST we’re now in the 55 to 65 percent range,” said Kirkland. “Humidity is definitely a problem in the Southeast,” adds Dorman principal Ken Kiser. “Since getting the CREST units, our 1,500-seat auditorium has low humidity and stays very comfortable. There’s a lot of fabric in the auditorium seats, and by extracting humidity we don’t have to worry about mold issues.” Dorman leaders were so impressed by the boilers improvements that they’re adding a 6 million BTU/hr. CREST boilers to the 9th grade building.

615-889-8900 Lochinvar@lochinvar.com www.lochinvar.com input #30 at www.csemag.com/information

Founders Brewery – Brewing Company Stout on Electrical Safety

Summary: Brewery workers spend their days in a wet, humid environment. When their work includes connecting and disconnecting electrical equipment for production, sanitation, or maintenance, they are at increased risk for electrical shock. Founders Brewery retrofitted their production equipment with MELTRIC waterproof Switch-Rated plugs to eliminate the danger of electrical shock and improve employee safety. In addition to watertightness, MELTRIC Switch-Rated devices increase user safety through a clever design that causes load making and breaking to occur in an enclosed arc chamber shrouded by a safety shutter. Users are completely isolated from live parts; the plug cannot be physically removed from its receptacle until the load is safely disconnected.

Challenge: Brewery workers connect and disconnect electrical equipment while working in a wet environment, increasing their risk of electrical shock.

Solution: Founders installed MELTRIC Switch-Rated plugs and receptacles, which combine the safety and functionality of a disconnect switch with the convenience of a plug and receptacle. They are waterproof and safe to make and break under full load, even in wet environments.

Result: MELTRIC Switch-Rated devices are used on equipment throughout the brewery. “We use MELTRIC plugs because brewery safety and efficiency are top priorities for Founders. MELTRIC connectors make both worlds easier for our brewery employees,” said Alec Mull, Director Brewing Operations.

“Brewery safety is a keyword at Founders. We are in a wet environment all day so we don’t want to put our staff at risk. MELTRIC plugs were the most cost effective and the safest product that we were able to secure. Since we don’t have an electrician on site all the time, MELTRIC plugs just add to the convenience,” said Alec Mull, Director Brewing Operations. He continued, “We use MELTRIC plugs because brewery safety and efficiency are top priorities for Founders. MELTRIC connectors make both worlds easier for our brewery.” Visit meltric.com to read the full case study. Plug into Blue.

Meltric.com 414-433-2700 mail@meltric.com input #31 at www.csemag.com/information

Noritz Commercial Water Heating System helps Florida Fertilizer Producer Cut Maintenance and Energy Costs Summary: Noritz tankless water heating technology has so far proven an unqualified success for Wedgworth’s, a custom blender of dry and liquid fertilizers for agriculture and other applications in Florida. Founded in 1932, the company aggregates from around the country and around the world an assortment of raw materials to custom-produce hundreds of plant-nutrient blends. When their antiquated boiler suffered a crack, Wedgworth’s faced a replacement cost of up to $250,000. Their team began researching alternatives and discovered Noritz and their highly efficient Commercial Water Heating Systems. Their switch to tankless came down to three critical needs:

Challenge: Meet Wedgworth’s daily demand of up to 30,000 gallons of hot water required to dissolve and blend their raw materials.

Solution: A 17-unit Noritz Commercial Water Heating System, together with a hot water storage tank, was installed to meet Wedgworth’s daily hot water demands.

Result: Coupling multiple tankless units with a large storage tank resulted in unlimited hot water, even during peak seasons with extremely high demands. The system also helped Wedgworth’s and their dedication to being environmentally friendly by eliminating wasteful boilers that continuously burn fuel 24/7/365.

1. The Need for a Large Supply of Hot Water. This was achieved by supplementing the 17-unit Noritz system with a storage tank, filled with always-ready hot water to meet their higher demands during peak seasons. 2. Meeting Energy Efficiency Requirements. The Noritz Commercial Water Heating System helped with energy efficiency and environmental friendliness by operating on demand only, compared to standard boilers that operate 24/7. 3. The Need for Fast, Affordable Maintenance. Unlike boilers that can become expensive to service, tankless water heaters can be easily maintained by a trained plumber. In the end, the results exceeded all cost and performance expectations. The Noritz Commercial Water Heating System was able to answer all Wedgworth’s issues and more.

marketing@noritz.com 1-800-766-7489 www.Noritz.com input #32 at www.csemag.com/information

JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa recovered 50% in fuel costs with Patterson-Kelley! Summary: The JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, AZ, contacted P-K’s local representative, McCook Boiler & Pump, to perform the replacement of an outdated and highly inefficient system. The objective was to produce instantaneous domestic hot water to three DHW zones throughout the resort, while mitigating legionella by eliminating the storage tanks. P-K’s MACH SONIC and DURATION III were selected as the ideal combination to achieve this goal.

Challenge: Over-sized storage tanks were heating hot water separately from the domestic hot water. The main goals of the project were to eliminate 6,000 gallons of stored hot water and ensure that the new system could meet compliance with corporate initiatives for performance and legionella mitigation.

Solution: To meet these goals, PattersonKelley condensing boilers were installed in three different zones to assist in supplying hot water to the resort.

Result:

The condensing boilers installed include a SONIC® SC4000 and two MACH® C1050s. The P-K SONIC® is a stainlesssteel condensing boiler that operates at 97% efficiency. The P-K MACH® is an aluminum condensing boiler also operating at 97% thermal efficiency. Both units are equipped with the NURO® Touch-Screen Control system which provides full cascading capabilities to ensure peak performance. The DURATION® III is designed to offer low cost of ownership through simplicity, high efficiency, durability and ease of installation. The instantaneous generation of domestic hot water will help the management team at the JW Marriott Resort reduce their operational costs, increase system efficiencies, while safely supplying hot water to the facility. The team at McCook Boiler & Pump offered product and system expertise, thorough engineering analytics and design services as well as comprehensive project management.

The new system is expected to achieve fuel savings of 50%, which will yield a total cost payback in less than 5 years. www.harscopk.com • Phone: 570.476.7261 Toll Free: 877.728.5351 • Fax: 570.476.7247

input #33 at www.csemag.com/information

Ten Thousand, Santa Monica Boulevard: Luxury Living Tower Features Pottorff’s Superior Life Safety Products. Summary: The Ten Thousand, Santa Monica Boulevard 40-story luxury tower was designed by Handel Architects and features a contemporary design for a sophisticated lifestyle. The residences offer floor to ceiling windows and unobstructed site lines resulting in panoramic views of downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood Hills and the Pacific Ocean. Building amenities include 75,000 sq. ft. indoor lap pool with sauna and steam rooms, boardrooms, children’s study, game room and lounge. This building is sustainable and is LEED Gold certified by the US Green Building Council. Pottorff supplied our UL rated FSD-142 triple-V blade combination fire smoke damper for this project. The FSD-142 is qualified to 2,000 ft/min and 4 in. wg. and may be installed in vertical walls or partitions, or horizontally in floors or assemblies with fire resistance ratings up to 2 hours.

Challenge: New multi-story, elevated living tower in Los Angeles requires high-performing HVAC products to guarantee the safety and comfort for occupants in 283 residential units and common spaces.

Solution: Pottorff’s UL Rated Combination Fire/Smoke and Curtain Style Fire Dampers are rigorously tested for consistent performance and trusted for safety. An economical and integral part of a well-designed fire protection system.

Result: Pottorff supplied these dampers on-time, on budget and code compliant. The owner, architect and builder have peace of mind concerning the safety of the building’s residents and their families.

Pottorff life safety dampers are tested for performance and trusted for safety. They are an economical solution to fire and smoke control in your project’s HVAC systems.

Pottorff also supplied our industry leading VFD-10D curtain style blade fire damper for this residential tower. The VFD-10D is qualified to 4,000 ft/min and 4 in. wg. and may be installed in vertical walls or partitions, or horizontally in floors or assemblies with fire resistance ratings up to 2 hours. Our VFD-10D is the largest single section dynamic curtain fire damper on the market today.

info@pottorff.com • 817-509-2300 • www.pottorff.com input #34 at www.csemag.com/information

An Innovative Solution for Testing and Maintaining Life Safety Dampers Summary: Facility managers recognize the significant life and property protection life safety dampers can provide. An increasing number of building owners and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) require fire, smoke and combination fire/smoke dampers to be operationally tested and serviced on a regular basis to help ensure the dampers will function when needed.

Testing and maintenance challenges

Challenge: Testing and maintenance of life safety dampers can be problematic for several reasons. Fire dampers are often installed in areas that are challenging to access. Also, the design of the dampers can make them difficult to test.

Solution: RuskinÂŽ Addressable Damper Controller ADC105 meets NFPA 80 and 105 life safety remote damper testing requirements and addresses the challenges of regular monitoring while eliminating the accessibility issues.

Result: Pairing the Ruskin ADC105 with the Simplex ES fire alarm system, or any fire, smoke or combination fire/smoke damper, delivers a low-cost, addressable controller that can save thousands in testing and maintenance.

With a dynamic fire damper or a combination fire/smoke damper, an operational test is conducted after the HVAC system is balanced (NFPA 105, 7.4). This verifies the damper functions properly under airflow and can be incorporated into acceptance testing. But ongoing damper testing and maintenance can present challenges. First, life safety dampers are often installed in areas that are not easily accessible â&#x20AC;&#x201C; often in penetrations of fire-rated walls and floors. Second, the design of these dampers can make them extremely difficult to test and reset.

An innovative, approved solution RuskinÂŽ Addressable Damper Controller ADC105 meets NFPA 80 and 105 life safety remote damper testing requirements and addresses both the challenges of regular monitoring while also removing accessibility issues. The ADC105 allows for periodic testing required by NFPA 80 and NFPA 105 and works directly with both new and pre-existing Simplex ES addressable fire alarm panels. With the ADC105 connected to a Simplex fire alarm system, it allows continuous monitoring and alarm capability and can save thousands in testing and maintenance costs.

ruskin@ruskin.com 816-761-7476 Ruskin.com input #35 at www.csemag.com/information

Schebler Chimney Systems Brings Expertise To A Prestigious University Upgrade Summary: While upgrades in hydronic heating systems to new condensing boilers greatly improves efficiency, it creates several design challenges for venting of these gas fired appliances. In partnership with Atlantic Air Products, the team at Schebler Chimney Systems designed and implemented a venting system with new condensing boilers in a 50-year old dormitory on a prestigious university campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Challenge: Design and implement a venting system with new condensing boilers in a 50-year old dormitory on a prestigious university campus.

Solution: Existing boilers were upgraded to Lochinvar condensing boilers requiring CAT IV UL 1738 listed product to be installed into the existing chimney, including a draft induction WingFan due to limited stack size. Additionally, a new liner was required to fit in the masonry chimney for the existing hot water heaters, both stacks need to be self-supported due to limited access. To provide continuous CAT IV operation Schebler Sequence Draft Control system was utilized to maximize boiler performance and efficiency.

“Existing buildings always have many challenges. When you’re renovating you don’t have the luxury of designing what you want, you must design around existing challenges,” says Steven J. O’Connell, LEED AP, Atlantic Air Products. O’Connell says the project started out and continued to be successful due to being able to work with Mitch Scott of AHA Consulting Engineers, Inc., early on. “Schebler Chimney Systems and Atlantic Air Products were a pleasure to work with on this project which proved to be fairly challenging with the existing building and available structure. From beginning to end, both companies were very responsive and readily available to assist with the design of this system,” says Mitch Scott, AHA Consulting Engineers, Inc.

Result: Schebler and Atlantic Air Products successfully completed the project, despite the challenges of the existing building and available structure.

mmommsen@scheblerchimney.com 563-359-0110 www.scheblerchimney.com input #36 at www.csemag.com/information

Kettering Medical Center Implements Barrier Management Program to Ensure Fire System Integrity Summary: The facility management team at Kettering Medical Center is raising the bar on fire barrier management. Their proactive approach ensures compliance with Life Safety Standards, NFPA 101 Life Safety Codes and NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives by clearly defining and regularly communicating firestopping protocols to all contractors who work in the medical center.

Challenge: Individuals involved in firestopping at Kettering Medical Center needed more education about barrier remediation.

Solution: Documentation procedures that manage the process of creating, sealing and subsequent access of penetrations were required. Firestop training was also needed. STI provided in-depth Firestop Instructional Training and the Firestop Locator App to assist with their Barrier Management Program.

Result: STI’s products and services help Kettering reduce operating costs. Commenting on the hospital’s relationship with STI, McCloud said, “They offer a good barrier management program, service us well, and they work with Grainger, our major vendor, for convenience and cost control. We control our costs whether it’s us, the hospital or the contractor who is purchasing the products.”

“Sealing penetrations to ensure the hospital’s fire-rated barriers stay in compliance takes constant vigilance,” said Danny McCloud, director of facility management at Kettering Medical Center. “We regularly check the whole hospital from top to bottom to make sure all penetrations are in compliance. Part of our proactive approach is a requirement that contractors receive Firestop Instructional Training (FIT) to provide them with a better understanding of firestop techniques, uses and product changes. Specified Technologies Inc. (STI), our firestop products supplier, came on-site to conduct Level 1 FIT training.” Firestop training is an essential element of the Barrier Management Program® (BMP) that is now in place to help Kettering control its barriers in a proactive and timely manner. A big part of the program is its documentation procedures that manage the process of creating, sealing and subsequent access of penetrations. STI’s new digital program, Firestop Locator, does just that. “The goal was to put a good process in place and to educate all our contractors on proper firestopping methods. It helped us ensure contractors working in rated barriers were being responsible for obtaining a permit before putting holes in the walls” explained McCloud. Learn more at: www.stifirestop.com/news/firestop-locator/

techserv@stifirestop.com 800.992.1180, x2 www.stifirestop.com input #37 at www.csemag.com/information

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