What we're reading, following & covering

News ways with wood open up building opportunities

January 5 | Great Lakes Echo

Steel and concrete would be the classic choices for building a large new laboratory planned at Michigan State University. But experts in the university's forestry department are asking, "Why not wood?" They're not the only ones with that question as builder's nationwide push to build high rises, college laboratories and other large buildings with a construction material typically seen in houses. Read more.

Snowstorm floods Boston Harbor and Coastal Massachusetts streets with icy water

January 4 | ABC News

A powerful winter storm walloping the Northeast inundated coast Massachusetts with icy water today. Officials posted dramatic images on social media of Boston Harbor overflowing with chunks of ice. The rising tide brought vessels up to street level and flooded parts of Seaport Boulevard, while the harbor side entrance of the Aquarium subway station was temporarily shuttered due flooding. Read more.

Sedona Fire District encourages residents to avoid the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning

January 4 | Sedona Biz

With the recent tragedy in Parks, AZ we are reminded of the dangers of carbon monoxide in our homes. Sedona Fire District encourages residents to take precautions to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a year round threat, however as temperatures drop, the potential for CO poisonings rise due to the inappropriate use of portable heating units or furnaces that are improperly installed or not working correctly. Read more.

What NOT to expect: Instant adoption of 2018 I-Codes

January 4 | LP Building Products

Unlike banking and healthcare, the construction industry isn't heavily regulated by the federal government. Rather, building codes are enacted at the state, county and local levels. Every three years, the International Code Council updates its International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) — and the latter applies to specific types of construction such as single-family homes and duplexes. Read more.

Saves lives from fire with sprinklers

January 3 | Daily News

What can you do in three minutes? Three minutes is about the amount of time it takes to brush your teeth or microwave a bag of popcorn. Incredibly, it's also how fast New York’s Bravest arrived on the scene of the city's deadliest fire in 25 years. So why did so many die? Because three minutes is also the time it takes to reach "flashover," the stage of a fire in which rising temperatures cause a simultaneous heating of smoke and gas that cause the spread of flames rapidly throughout a space resulting in full room involvement. Read more.

Smoke alarms 'paramount' during cold snap, free units offered

January 3 | WTOP

It happens during most winters — as the temperatures go down, the danger of home fires goes up. "Just this last week, 106 people lost their lives in residential fires throughout the United States," said Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Chief Keith Brower. "The cold weather is bringing greater concern about heating safety — space heaters, overloaded electrical outlets and placing items too close to combustibles." Read more.

Seven software tools for energy managers

January 3 | Power

There are many tools available to assist companies as they gain a better grasp on how their energy is being used, and what that means for the goal of efficient energy management. Not all solutions are created equal. Each has its distinct benefits and advantages, designed to assist a particular sector, fulfill a certain requirement, or appeal to a specific cross-section of functions and roles. Here are some software tools, with their best features highlighted, that can provide solutions to tough problems facing energy managers at power plants and other industrial facilities. Read more.

Energy storage safety set to move forward in 2018 with new fire standards

January 2 | Utility Dive

Most of the focus on energy storage safety has been on mobile applications, given the spate of exploding laptop and phone batteries. Lithium-ion batteries used in those applications are under tighter restrictions for size and density that can lead to higher risks. Stationary storage applications are often safer than mobile uses because there are not the same space constraints. But in some markets, space can also be an issue for stationary storage, especially with projects that use lithium-ion batteries. Read more.

Designing backup, standby and emergency power for high performance buildings

January 2 | Consulting-Specifying Engineer

Electrical engineers must consider many factors when designing backup, standby, and emergency power systems. Safety, maintainability, code compliance, and economics play crucial roles in determining the topology of an emergency system for a critical facility. Specific requirements for emergency power vary based on building-occupancy type, facility use, and critical function (see Table 1). This article focuses on using backup power as an alternative source of the main utility in high-performance buildings, with Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park, Calif., as an example. The property uses three parallel diesel generators as its backup power source. Read more.

New smoke detector law in Maryland

January 1 | Active Rain

Maryland's Smoke Alarm Law applies to both hardwired and battery operated smoke alarms. The date will be on the back of the smoke detector. If you don't see a date then the smoke detector is probably over ten years old. The new law emphasizes the use of sealed smoke alarms with long-life batteries and silence buttons. Below is an outline of requirements. Read more.

How to get started building structural insulated panels

January 1 | Modern Contractor Solutions

Contractors face more challenges than ever to turn a profit — from severe labor shortages to needing to meet ever more stringent energy codes. To help overcome these difficulties, more contractors are turning to structural insulated panels (SIPs) for their residential and light commercial jobs. But, if you've never worked with SIPs, you might wonder how to get started building with the panels. This article describes the advantages of working with SIPs, and provides practical tips for making the switch. Read more.

Mount Holly council could make decisions on rental inspection program in January

December 31 | The Sentinel

Key decisions could be made on Jan. 8 to get a rental property inspection program up and running in Mount Holly Springs by the target month of June. The council on Dec. 11 adopted an ordinance to set up a program where all 628 rental units within the borough are inspected once every three years. Under the ordinance, a landlord would only be able to rent a unit if it passes inspection and is issued an occupancy permit. Read more.

Cheyenne gives four Central Avenue trailers 60 more days to get up to codes

December 30 | Wyoming Tribune Eagle

Residents of four mobile homes cited for building code violations Nov. 29 and ordered to come into compliance with 30 days have been given some extra time get things fixed up. Mayor Marian Orr said Friday that the city had granted a 60-day extension. Read more.

North Carolina reverses building code changes

December 29 | Green Building Advisor

Last June, the North Carolina agency responsible for making changes in state building codes voted in tougher energy efficiency standards for new residential construction. By December, on the urging of the North Carolina Homebuilders Association, the Building Code Council had reversed course, voting 15-1 to junk some of the changes because they would be too costly. Read more.

Child playing with stove started New York City's deadliest fire in over 25 years, official say

December 29 | The Washington Post

A 3-year-old playing with a stove accidentally started the deadliest fire in New York City in more than 25 years, officials said Friday. The flames spread quickly through a Bronx apartment building Thursday night, racing out the open door of the ground-floor apartment and up the stairwell, which the city's fire chief said "acted like a chimney." Five of the building's residents were dead when the fire department arrived three minutes after the first 911 call. Read more.

Hundreds of thousands of poor Americans will soon be able to move to better areas thanks to judge

December 28 | The Washington Post

A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to implement an Obama-era rule on Jan. 1 that would give low-income families greater access to housing in more affluent neighborhoods. The 2016 rule was designed to break up areas of concentrated poverty in two dozen metro regions, from Atlanta and Charlotte to San Diego and Honolulu. Read more.

Kress fire: Building upgrades, new codes helped stop blaze

December 26 | Montegomery Advertiser

After a years-long renovation, the historic Kress building in downtown Montgomery was weeks away from debuting its striking new retail space at a holiday market. People had already moved into the loft apartments on the upper floors. That's when an early morning call went out to the Montgomery Fire Department. Read more.

Backdraft dampers allow airflow in one direction

December 26 | Retrofit

Several Greenheck backdraft dampers (BD Series, ES-10 and ES-30 Series) are AMCA Licensed for Air Leakage and Air Performance. Designed to allow airflow in one direction and prevent reverse airflow, the dampers can be used as exhaust or intake dampers. BD Series dampers feature a galvanized steel frame and are available in horizontal or vertical mount configurations with velocities up to 1500 fpm. Read more.

South Korea fire at public gym and sauna kills 29

December 21 | BBC News

A fire at a sports centre in South Korea has killed 29 people and left many others injured. The fire, which started in the basement of an eight-story building, occurred in the southern city of Jecheon. Footage showed dark plumes of smoke as the blaze, which has now largely been extinguished, engulfed the property. Most of the victims were trapped in a sauna on the second floor. Officials say the death toll could rise as firefighters continue their search. Read more.

The National Fire Sprinkler Association praises tax reform provision

December 21 | Fire House

The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) praised sponsors and co-sponsors for their consistent leadership over the years that ensured fire sprinklers were included in the tax reform legislation passed by the House and Senate yesterday. The Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act has been pushed for years. Fire protection has now been included and overall fire and life safety systems have joined other tax incentives such as roofing, HVAC and security alarm systems. Read more.