Association - News & Trends

ASHRAE offers certification

ATLANTA – The new certification program from American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) provides the necessary training and tools for the design of high-performance buildings that live up to their performance capability.

The first exam will take place June 25 at ASHRAE’s 2008 Annual Meeting, June 21-25, Salt Lake City. Exams at testing centers around the world will become available in the fall.

The content of the exam includes sustainability concepts, HVAC and sustainable processes and environmental improvement programs and rating systems; energy analysis; indoor environment; controls and monitoring; benchmarking with performance metrics; water conservation, commissioning in sustainable construction; and operation and maintenance of high-performance buildings.

The certification is renewable every three years, and those certified must earn 45 professional development hours during that time. For more information or to register, visit www.ashrae.org/certification

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OSHA forms alliances

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) are working together to provide information to NHCA members, young employees, small businesses and others on reducing and preventing exposure to noise and ototoxic (hearing damaging) chemicals.

This alliance will develop guidance and training materials on the recognition and prevention of hearing loss caused by workplace hazards, and communicate such information through workshops, seminars, print, and electronic media. OSHA will use the expertise of NIOSH and NHCA representatives to develop compliance assistance tools and web pages to help employers and employees in affected industries. For more information, visit osha.gov

OSHA also renewed its alliance with Altec Industries Inc. to provide safety and health guidance for employees, including non- or limited English-speaking employees, on the safe operation of cranes, digger derricks, insulated and non-insulated aerial devices including tree care devices, and on industry hazards such as falls and electrocutions. For more information, see osha.gov

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AC application guide

ROSSLYN, Va. — The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published NEMA Application Guide for AC Adjustable Speed Drive Systems, which was produced by the 1IS Industrial Automation Control Products and Systems Section, SC7 Subcommittee on Adjustable Speed Drives.

The document revision includes updated terminology and information on motor terminal voltage transients, fundamental contributors to peak voltages, and single phase input for three-phase drives, as well as modification of the information on overload capability for motor selection. It also incorporates replacement of the term “cable corona inception voltage (CIV)” by “partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV).” An electronic copy of NEMA Application Guide may be downloaded at no charge at www.nema.org/stds/acadjustable.cfm

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PCA offers cement guide

SKOKIE, Ill. — For more than 70 years, stabilized pavement bases such as soil-cement and cement-treated base have provided long-lasting road foundations, according to the Portland Cement Association. 

Today, more and more states, counties, and municipalities recognize the benefits of cement-stabilized bases as a cost-effective treatment for deteriorated and unpaved roads.  Plus, because full-depth reclamation (FDR) recycles old pavement into new base and conserves natural resources and the energy required to remove the old materials and bring in new aggregate, it allows departments of transportation to save money while being environmentally responsible.

A new publication from the Portland Cement Association, Guide to Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR) with Cement, is a step-by-step process, from initial site investigation, to mix design, and construction.  It includes a recommended construction specification for FDR as well. For more information, see www.cement.org/bookstore/

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Mercury use falls

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a program to decrease use of mercury – and that program has reached a major milestone: One million switches have been removed from scrapped vehicles.

The millionth mercury switch was removed through the National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program, a collaboration among EPA, automobile manufacturers, steel makers, scrap recyclers, automotive recyclers, states, and environmental groups.  For more information, see www.epa.gov/mercury/switch.htm

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FM fellow to head to DC

ATLANTA – The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) have joined forces to sponsor a one-year fellowship in Washington, D.C., that will allow the participant to work in the federal government in a technical advisory role. Members of ASHRAE or USGBC may apply.

Possible placement areas include Congress, a federal agency such as the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, or the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The fellowship runs from September through August 2009, and an orientation is conducted through the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Fellows receive a stipend of $50,000.

Candidates should possess a doctoral or other terminal degree in engineering or another building-related scientific discipline. Final placement of the selected fellow depends on the needs of the government offices and agencies at the time as well as on the skills and experience of the applicant.

The deadline for applications is May 1, 2008.  Contact Doug Read, ASHRAE program director of government affairs, at 202-833-1830 or dread@ashrae.org.

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Materials Aging Institute founded

PALO ALTO, Calif. — The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has teamed with EDF and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to create the international Materials Aging Institute, a collaborative research facility that will examine the critical link between materials science and power plant component performance and degradation.

The Materials Aging Institute’s mission is to explain and anticipate the aging of materials in existing power production facilities, to improve knowledge of high-temperature materials behavior in future power plants, and to maintain expertise and skills on materials science. Its research will provide the technical foundation that supports the continued safe, efficient and cost-effective operation of power plants worldwide and supports the construction of new plants built to the highest industry and technical standards. Research will encompass materials issues at nuclear, fossil, and hydroelectric generating facilities.

With an initial budget of $13.1 million, the Institute has selected nine projects to establish the research and development program for 2008. Among the areas that will be analyzed are equipment corrosion, component, and material degradation due to irradiation, non-metallic material performance (e.g., polymers), and concrete aging.

The Materials Aging Institute will be based at EDF’s facilities in Les Renardières, France. EDF is investing $22.3 million to erect a new building to house the Institute and is purchasing modern laboratory equipment, including three electron microscopes and powerful numerical simulation tools. For more information, see my.epri.com

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Murray to head BIFM

HERTFORDSHIRE, UK – Iain Murray was elected as chairman of the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM). Currently a deputy chair, he will take over from Peter Cordy at the Institute’s AGM on 1st July. Rob Greenfield was elected as deputy chairman to serve alongside Dave Wilson. Both posts are for a two-year term. For more information, see www.bifm.org.uk/bifm/news/5012

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