PM Engineer articles from April 2008

PM Engineer archives from April 2008

BIM! Turning design up a notch.(Editor's Note)(building information modeling)(Editorial)
April 1, 2008... For some time now I've been quite curious about BIM (building information modeling) as a result of its increasing appearance in news stories related to engineering (plumbing and otherwise). Yet it wasn't until the recent viewing of a television...

BIM strives for coordinated construction solutions.(News)
April 1, 2008... "BIM (building information modeling) is a process change, not just a design tool," said Robert Middlebrooks, industry programs manager for Autodesk during the recent annual Mechanical Contractors Association of America convention held in Palm...

IAPMO, Indonesia BSN agree on standardization.(News)(International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials)(Badan Standardisasi Nasional )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The National Standardization Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (commonly referred to as BSN) and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) agreed upon a cooperative arrangement that will enhance the ability of...

Tyco Fire & Building Products.
April 1, 2008... Tyco Fire & Building Products has become certified and now offers CEU credits for both its "General Fire Protection Training" and "Residential Fire Protection Training" courses, which are offered at the company's Global Technology Center in...

Rheem Manufacturing Co.
April 1, 2008... Rheem Manufacturing Co. has announced the appointment of JR Jones to succeed I. Stewart Farwell as president and CEO. Farwell assumes the new role of special advisor to the company for the remainder of 2008. Jones, a mechanical engineer, was...

WERF shares ideas on sustainable stormwater practices.(The Green Corner)
April 1, 2008... The Water Environment Research Foundation recently unveiled a new Website (www.werf.org/ livablecommunities) that gives engineers, designers, stormwater managers, elected officials and the public creative new ideas on sustainable stormwater...

New members for USGBC, GMC.(The Green Corner)
April 1, 2008... Uponor announced at the recent AHR Expo that it has joined the Green Mechanical Council (GreenMech) as a Founding Member. Uponor, formerly Wirsbo, joins several other organizations as a leading member of GreenMech, including NIBCO,...

Residential sprinklers at ICC--no & yes: after two weeks of extensive hearings, the issue still won't be decided until September.(Codes)
April 1, 2008... The buzz at the International Code Council (ICC) Code Change Hearings in Palm Springs, CA, was all about residential sprinklers. Since the Rochester, NY, hearings last May--where mandating residential sprinklers in all one- and two-family...

Here we go again: frustration abounds when working with those who simply won't be part of the fire safety team.(Fire Protection)
April 1, 2008... After 28 years in this business, I thought I'd seen the worst of the misguided plan reviews, but a couple of years ago a brand new authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) proved me wrong. My client, a builder, had completed construction of 15...

When you need a million: the author asks a simple question: What does a 1,000,000 Btu/hr boiler look like?
April 1, 2008... Our firm designs hydronic heating systems for custom residential and light commercial buildings. Many of the homes have floor areas of 10,000 square feet or more. They include loads such as high-capacity water heating, driveway snowmelting, and...

Online software for selecting water pressure booster systems: with a little Web work, engineers can find valuable resources to help them design systems using either VFD or PRV to control water pressure.(Cover story)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the spectrum from "you can only get it one way" to "anything is possible," We suppose that packaged pump systems fall closer to the latter. If the components are available, you can find a company that will put...

An introduction to patent law: essential information for plumbing, piping, fire protection and hydronics engineers who design systems with patented products.
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Patent law is constantly changing, with new theories and defenses developed by various federal, district and state courts, as well as the legislature. Patent law is a federal law and related intellectual property...

Back to basics: sprinkler piping materials: what to consider before specifying one of the three basic types of pipe: steel, copper tubing and plastic.
April 1, 2008... Steel Pipe Steel pipe has long been the mainstay of piping materials for sprinkler piping systems. Steel is considered strong, durable and resistant to fire. With a melting point of about 2,700[degrees]F, steel pipe can withstand the heat...

Top 10 prods of 2007.
April 1, 2008... Here are the products run in PME throughout the year 2007 that received the most attention from our readers, according to the number of reader inquiries we received after they appeared. In case you missed the opportunity the first time around,...

Waterfree urinal spec sheet.(Products)
April 1, 2008... Sloan Valve Co. now has a specification sheet that explains the benefits of its four waterfree urinals so specifiers can determine which models are appropriate for particular applications. The three-hole-punched sheet features fourcolor images...

PEX tubing.(Products)
April 1, 2008... Cambridge-Lee Industries, LLC, now distributes a new PEX tubing product called CAMLEX to its plumbing customers to give them the convenience of ordering copper tubing and CAMLEX together from a single source. CAMLEX is available in red, white,...

V-Port Ball Valves.(Products)
April 1, 2008... TRIAC "V" Series Control Port Ball Valves from A-T Controls deliver precise, consistent flow control with the simplicity and sealing features of a ball valve. The V-port valves are available with 30[degrees], 60[degrees] or 90[degrees] V notch....

Fire suppression system.(Products)
April 1, 2008... The Tyco Fire Suppression Group has introduced the SHUROUT fire suppression system--a small, disposable, clean agent system that is perfect for Class A, B and C small fire hazard areas such as ATMs, safe deposit boxes, electrical enclosures,...

Protects against limescale.(Products)
April 1, 2008... HydroCare USA says its physical water conditioners are a non-chemical alternative to protect against limescale in domestic water systems. Unlike traditional water conditioners on the market, HydroCare is not dependent on the use of chemicals or...

Brochure on large-diameter fittings.(Products)
April 1, 2008... Learn more about Charlotte Pipe and Foundry's line of PVC DWV large diameter fittings in this informative brochure. All of Charlotte Pipe's fittings, including the 10-inch and 12-inch large diameter sizes, are injection molded. When combined...

CPVC hanger and restrainer.(Products)
April 1, 2008... TOLCO, a brand of Nibco Inc., now offers a double offset CPVC hanger and restrainer for plastic fire sprinkler pipe. The newly designed TOLCO Figure 29 eases installation by eliminating the need for a wood block extension and allows retrofit...