APPLICATION - SPRINKLER SYSTEMS New installations will bolster student protection in residence halls
The University of Notre Dame is one of only six universities in the United States with its own fire department. Since 1979, it has been retrofitting its residence halls with fire-sprinkler systems. The university's policy requires sprinklers to be installed in any new or renovated building. By 1999, 52 percent of the university's gross square footage of residence halls were fully sprinklered.
John Antonucci, Notre Dame's fire chief, is responsible for carrying out the decisions of the school administration for the fire protection needs of student residences.
"It is our responsibility to select the fire sprinkler contractor and materials that will best meet the needs of our facilities and our students," says Antonucci.
Antonucci says BlazeMaster CPVC Fire Systems from BF Goodrich provided many benefits that swayed the decision: excellent impact resistance, an installation schedule that was faster and easier than metal products; compatibility with metal fire sprinkler systems; greatly reduced disruption of students; and decreased cost.
In the summer of 2000, the systems were installed in six of 15 residence halls. The remaining residence halls will be completed by the summer of 2001. The installation project will total 751,050 square feet.
"Using BlazeMaster Fire Sprinkler Systems, we are not worried about being slowed down by time-consuming re-engineering in the field," says Antonucci. "[It] is also more flexible than steel in installations."
This flexibility reduces the amount of cutting and patching associated with metal fire sprinkler systems.
Taking a proactive approach to fire protection on college campuses can be a matter of life and death. The fire sprinkler installations at Notre Dame are of the highest priority to administrators, parents and future generations of Notre Dame students.
Wall carpet Eurotex offers Concourse, a flatweave wall carpet for absorbing sound and enhancing privacy. It brings a distinctive architectural aesthetic and has a natural and understated look. Concourse is woven in a durable blend of nylon and wool and has a flame-proof unitary back.
Storage sheds GE Capital Modular Space has introduced Modulaire Enclosures, a new line of fiberglass structures that provide fast, customized alternatives to wood and metal sheds, industrial enclosures and other traditional space solutions. The units are available for lease or purchase, and are long-lasting, expandable, lightweight and weather-resistant.
Lab benches Lista International introduces its new line of technical workbenches, ideal for assembly, quality, maintenance and laboratory applications. They are ergonomically designed, and can be configured into a variety of heights and lengths, with cabinet bases or legs.
APPLICATION - OFFICE EQUIPMENT New machines copy documents faster with less mess The Harrisburg School District in Harrisburg, Ark., sets high standards for its educational programs while striving to be cost-effective. To find the right balance, the district, which includes two campuses serving 1,100 students in grades K-12, tries to keep pace with technology and make wise investments in office equipment. A prime example is how the schools have progressed in offering copying solutions, starting with stencil machines and graduating to digital duplicators.
Cathy Spiegel, principal of the Harrisburg Elementary School, puts a special emphasis on the importance of printed documents available to her 430 K-4 students. Her experience with reprographic paper is typical to that of many other administrators.
Spiegel recalls the messy days of stencil and ditto machines. The next step was photocopiers, which were excessively expensive because they kept breaking down. Then came a digital copier. Unfortunately, the operators found the quality of the digital copier to be disappointing, as it often produced unacceptable black markings.
Then Harrisburg was introduced to the JP1030 Digital Duplicator (now being marketed as the SD330) from Standard Duplicating Machines.
"We have found the quality to be excellent and the price per copy to be very economical," says Spiegel.
The SD330 gets a good workout, producing about 40,000 documents a month. Other features include a fast printing speed (up to 120 sheets a minute) and an interactive LC display.
The school typically uses the SD330 for runs from 20 to 500. That means much less of a burden for the photocopier, which now handles just the very short runs.
Humidifiers DRI-STEEM Humidifier has two new models, the GTS-600 and the GTS-800, to offer higher capacities for large applications. Customers can choose indoor or outdoor mounting. The new VAPOR-LOGIC humidifier controller, which offers full modulation control of the burner section, has an easy-to-use keypad with menu-driven access to all system functions.
Braille signage Accent Signage Systems introduces the Auto Raster, a device for automatically inserting Raster Braille into signage. It allows users to insert Raster Braille into sign faces automatically, using their own engraving equipment.
Noise barriers PROSPEC Barrier from illbruck keeps offices and conference rooms quieter by blocking noise transmitted from machinery in adjacent work areas. The high-density vinyl is installed over substandard walls and is rated to block up to 26 decibels of noise. The 1/8- inch barrier is available in 54-inch by 20-foot sheets or 54-inch by 60-foot sheets.
Lighting fixture Ledalite's Soleo LP luminaire comes in standard white or a natural steel housing finish highlighted by translucent endcaps available in seven colors. It comes prewired and is available with either one or two T5 high-output or T8 lamps on a nine-day quick-ship program.
Communications jack The Mini-Com TX-5 Jack Module from Panduit Network Connectivity Group features the Giga-TX termination method, which speeds installation and reduces conductor untwist. The module's design meets all requirements of the TIA/EIA Category 5 industry standards. Each of the contacts is plated with 50 micro-inches of gold.
Security system Sanyo Security Products Division introduces a high-resolution video package. The DTL-4800 is a digital time-lapse recorder that can hold up to 960 hours. The VCC-6574 color DSP offers 520 lines of resolution. The VMC-8618 18-inch color monitor is capable of more than 800 lines of resolution.
Acoustic panels Eckel Industries offers Eckoustic Functional Panels, which reduce background noise and reverberation. Installing these panels on less than 30 percent of ceiling or wall surfaces usually provides the acoustic control required in a room. This allows building owners to avoid reconfiguring the layout of utilities. The panels come in several standard sizes.
Thermal energy storage Ice Bank C-models from Calmac Manufacturing now feature modular, internalized main headers under the cover of each tank. The internal headers can be configured easily in the field to dramatically reduce field piping and insulation. As a result, a series of Ice Bank tanks now takes up less square footage.
Access control Datakey introduces the Guardian Access Control System, a stand-alone controller installed at access points (gates, doors, entrances) without the need for a computer network. Instead of using a widespread security code that can be passed on easily to unauthorized people, users carry electronic memory keys to enter Guardian-protected facilities.
APPLICATION - ENERGY METERING System allows individual buildings to track usage The main Tampa campus of the University of South Florida (USF) is one of the 20 largest universities in the United States. Like many large campuses, a central energy plant with chilled-water and hot-water distribution throughout the campus provides heating and cooling to more than 80 buildings. Undertaking a campuswide metering project for more than 4.3 million square feet of conditioned space was no easy task.
USF did not have a comprehensive method of measuring actual energy usage in individual buildings. While some buildings had meters of various types in place, most did not. Internal utility bills were based on square footage of conditioned space, and this fixed-cost method offered no incentive for energy conservation by individual departments. In addition, the physical plant department had to manage vast resources with insufficient information regarding their uses.
As one of the largest energy users on campus, residence hall management pressed for a more accurate method of billing for its chilled-water and hot-water usage - one that would allow them more control over their budget and monthly utility bills. As a result, a committee was formed to search for a metering solution that would provide accurate cost allocation data and help create a more energy-conscious campus.
The committee selected a BTU Measurement System from ONICON to become the standard BTU meter for the campus. Each system consists of an insertion turbine flow meter, a pair of matched temperature sensors, a BTU meter that calculates energy based on inputs from the flow meter and temperature sensors.
The first phase of the metering program targeted the residence halls. USF has more than 900,000 square feet of student housing, with about 2,000 students living on campus. The university installed 56 BTU measurement systems in 21 buildings.
Most of the buildings are more than 20 years old and were constructed without provisions for submetering. Small, cramped mechanical rooms typically pose a challenge to flow measurement because of the lack of available straight pipe run that is required to maintain accuracy. During the planning stage, a field engineer from the factory surveyed each proposed meter site and marked the pipes for insulation removal and tapping locations. For locations with poor flow conditions due to limited straight pipe runs, dual-turbine flow meters were specified.
With a few exceptions, installations were performed with no interruption of heating and cooling water flow to the buildings.
The new systems also promote energy conservation by identifying problem areas and large energy users.
Boiler maintenance Miura offers an online maintenance system for its boilers. The system can predict a boiler's maintenance needs from information the boiler continuously reads and records, and can remotely adjust boiler settings. The system also calls Miura automatically if a boiler fails and pinpoints which of 28 possible culprits was responsible.
Leak detection Bacharach introduces The Informant 2, a handheld leak-detection device that checks for refrigerant and combustible gas leaks. The unit is lightweight and fits comfortably in a user's hand. It features two interchangeable sensor tips and has audible and three visual indicators to warn operators of leaks.
Training manikin Armstrong Medical Industries offers the Actar D-fib manikin for CPR and AED training. The unit features jaw thrust, abdominal thrust, head tilt with closeable airway, realistic chest compressions and all necessary landmarks. It is compatible with training electrodes.
Chillers McQuay International offers Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) as a factory-installed option on all single- and dual-compressor centrifugal chillers. They are available on machines from 50 to 2,000 tons. A chiller with a VFD has improved efficiency, and building owners can realize significant energy savings.
Messaging system Amtel Systems has added new features to its Direct-Line System that enable users to streamline their work communications. An emergency alert lets a person at one location send out a distress or important message requesting assistance. Another feature is a global alert bypass that automatically clears alert messages from all units when another unit responds to that alert.
Ballasts MagneTek Lighting Products Group has expanded its ballast family for compact fluorescent lamps to include a ballast for high-wattage applications. The C242UNV is designed for flexibility in downlighting, architectural and outdoor applications. It operates 42-watt, 32-watt or 26-watt fluorescent lamps, as well as 22-watt or 40-watt circular T5 lamps.
APPLICATION - SKYLIGHTING Window systems bring school out of the dark Just as magnets attract metal, Fort Vancouver High School's "magnet programs" attract students - 1,400, at last count. The curriculum includes culinary arts, law, health, electronics and computers, as well as television broadcasting. Nursing and sports medicine students have access to an actual exam room, laboratory and even a resident physician. Those enrolled in legal studies learn how to conduct trials in a courtroom, complete with judge's chamber and jury room, good enough to share with actual local and state courts.
Clearly, Fort Vancouver is an atypical school. However, until December 1998, it suffered from an all-too-typical problem.
"It was dark," says Steve Nelsen of LSW Architects. "There's no other way to say it."
Nelsen was the project architect for the school's $17 million, 220,000-square-foot renovation. "But of course, you can't just put in a bunch of clear glass windows wherever you want to. And believe me, you wouldn't want to. Part of our challenge was to maximize the amount of natural light entering the building while keeping glare to a minimum."
Nelsen selected Kalwall for the school's three skyroofs. A barrel-vaulted skyroof system lights the auditorium entry. A second lights up the space that leads to the commons. The third - at 2,800 square feet almost three times larger than the second - is just inside the school's main entrance.
"We chose Kalwall because their barrel-vaulted skyroof system reduced the structure needed to span the entire entry width," says Nelsen. "The translucent panels allow a maximum of glare-free light into the spaces."
The panels can be filled with various densities of specialized translucent insulation, which cuts down on heating and cooling loads, compared with clear glass panels.
The previously "dark" school has been transformed into an open and airy environment while minimizing eye-straining glare.
Roofing systems Honeywell Commercial Roofing Systems offers its Millennium family of products, which deliver advantages such as resistance to ponded water, unmatched flexibility at low temperatures and multiple applications methods. The products include granular surface membranes, smooth membranes, base sheets, adhesives and mastics. Surfacing options include traditional aggregate surfacing as well as granules in three colors.
Light fixtures The Low Bay fixture with a redesigned optical system from Ruud Lighting produces uniform, high light levels without the glare normally associated with lower mounting heights. It can be installed at mounting heights as low as 12 feet (bottom of fixture) with up to 250-watt lamps and 14 feet (bottom of fixture) with up to 450-watt lamps.
Security contacts Security Lock Distributors offers Sentrol mounting contacts. The line includes surface and recess types, overhead door styles, roller/plunger units with wire leads, steel door terminal and request-to-enter PIR contacts. High-security contacts with armor cable, miniature surface units and many other styles also are available.
Piping system Flo Safe introduces Flo Clear HPC, a line of plastic pipe and fittings for industrial use. Both pipe and fittings are molded from identical clear PVC resin to ensure system uniformity and consistency in clarity. Flo Clear HPC systems are available in sizes from 1/2-inch through 6 inches.
Architectural manual A new Architectural Resource Manual from Chicago Metallic provides all the information needed to specify its commercial ceiling, wall and door frame systems. It is organized in a familiar CSI format and consolidates previous binders into one.
APPLICATION - RESTROOM MAINTENANCE Cleaning system restores surfaces, removes odors Carol Ely had a nasty problem. For five years, the principal at Belleview Elementary School, just south of Ocala, Fla., had to endure dirty, dingy and smelly restrooms. A mop and a bucket weren't enough.
"You could smell it as you walked down the halls and just outside the cafeteria," says Ely. "I had one parent tell me she chose not to send her daughter here because of the restrooms. That was a real slap in the face."
Ely turned to SaniGlaze, a breakthrough in ceramic tile and grout maintenance, to solve the odor problem. The high-tech restoration technology not only makes old tile floors look new, but also produces a new surface characteristic that is easily maintainable and more sanitary in the long term.
"The restrooms look great," says Ely. "And they don't smell like before - that's the biggest part for me."
SaniGlaze extracts embedded contaminants from tile and grout surfaces and protects them from future absorption and deterioration with an impenetrable grout-glazing compound and a polymer-barrier shield. The shield is maintained with periodic service two to four times a year. In addition to restrooms, the shield can be used for food-service areas and other high-traffic commercial locations.
Mike Howell, technical services supervisor for Marion County Public Schools in Ocala, was thrilled that he didn't have to replace the restroom tile at Belleview.
"This was a great alternative because tearing out floors is quite a disruption," says Howell. "That can take weeks. SaniGlaze came in one weekend and did the process. We came back on Monday, and we were amazed."
Oven The new Convection Express from Amana can cook food twice as fast as conventional ovens. It combines the baking, browning an crisping capabilities of convection cooking with the speed of microwave cooking. It features a four-stage cooking option that allows the user to defrost, cook and hold any menu item with the push of a button.
Flooring catalog Action Floor Systems offers a new 12-page catalog featuring specifications for several types of flooring systems. The subfloor systems are designed to cushion and absorb shock, provide uniform resiliency and ball bounce, and reduce vibration and sound transmission.
Maintenance software MPulse Maintenance Software introduces MPulse Jump Start, which allows users to reduce the time and effort required to put a work order management system into place. The MPulse package includes data collection, data entry and live web training.
