SEISMIC RESTRAINT MANUAL UNDERGOES ANSI CANVASS PROCESS

Courtesy of SMACNews Vol. 42, Issue 7, July 9, 2008

SMACNA, an American National Standards Developing Organization, is seeking re-accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for its standard, the Seismic Restraint Manual: Guidelines for Mechanical Systems, 3rd edition, 2008. SMACNA’s canvass method is accredited by ANSI.

In order to obtain evidence of consensus as required by the re-accreditation process, SMACNA announced the opportunity to participate in the canvass review. Participants can include organizations, standards developers, companies, government agencies, individuals – those directly and materially affected by the standard. The evidence from the canvass review will be considered by ANSI in the approval of the standard as an American National Standard.

The newly updated Seismic Restraint Manual: Guidelines for Mechanical Systems, 3rd edition 2008, is a set of flexible guidelines showing designers and contractors how to determine the correct restraints for sheet metal ducts, piping and conduit, so that they are more likely to remain attached to the building during an earthquake. The manual indicates how to accommodate both very low- and very high-risk areas of the country.

Anyone with questions about SMACNA’s ANSI procedures or documents should contact Peyton Collie, project manager in SMACNA’s Technical Department, at <pcollie@smacna.org>.

NEW PUBLICATION PROVIDES ENERGY EFFICIENCY GUIDANCE FOR WAREHOUSES

Courtesy of ASHRAE

The latest publication in the Advanced Energy Design Guide series will help guide the construction of warehouses using off-the-shelf technology that can cut energy use 30 percent or more annually.

The Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small Warehouses and Self-Storage Buildings, published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, gives guidance to architects, engineers and others on building design teams on how to use best design practices to create energy-saving warehouses.

Written in partnership with The American Institute of Architects, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, the US Green Building Council, and the US Department of Energy, the book is available for free in electronic form at www.ashrae.org/freeaedg. Hard copies are available for purchase in the ASHRAE bookstore through the same website. The Metal Buildings Manufacturers Association (MBMA) contributed to the book’s authorship.

The book, intended for use by contractors, designers and owners of small warehouse buildings, covers an integrated design process for delivering  energy efficient warehouses as well as sets of prescriptive requirements for efficient warehouses in each climate zone. Case studies of exemplary warehouse designs are also provided, as well as detailed “how-to” design guidance to help guide construction teams. Recommendations cover the subject areas of building envelope, lighting and daylighting, HVAC and service water heating.

The Guide covers warehouses up to 50,000 square feet and self-storage buildings that use unitary heating and airconditioning equipment. Warehouse and storage buildings represent a signifi cant amount of commercial fl oorspace in the United States and account for nearly eight percent of energy use of in commercial buildings.

“The Guide provides a clear, straightforward prescriptive path to meeting the 30 percent target savings,” says Ron Jarnagin, chair of the committee that wrote the publication. “Recommendations are easy to apply, allowing contractors, consulting engineers, architects and designers to easily achieve advanced levels of energy savings without having to resort to detailed calculations or analyses.”

The cost of the print version of Advanced Energy Design Guide for Warehouses and Self-Storage Buildings is $59 ($47 for ASHRAE members). To download the free electronic version, please visit www.ashrae.org/freeaedg.

To order a print copy of the book, contact ASHRAE customer service at 800.527.4723 (US and Canada), fax 404.321.5478, or visit <www.ashrae.org/bookstore>.