Latest "Engineering Advisor" Newsletter
Building Envelope Commissioning
Building Commissioning is defined as “a quality-oriented process for achieving, verifying, and documenting that the performance of facilities, systems, and assemblies meets defined objectives a
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Energy Performance Ratings
Buildings consume 40% of our total energy requirement (heating, cooling, lighting).
The idea of rating building energy performance has been around for many years.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Snow on the Roof
The winter of 2009/2010 was remarkable in some ways and quite average in others. Remarkable in that measurable snow fell in 49 states.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Energy Audits
Energy audits are popular again. They were first offered in the ’70s and ’80s, but owners and consumers lost interest as fuel prices stayed low relative to income.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Chinese Drywall
So-called Chinese drywall refers to a product imported from China to be used in the construction of walls and ceilings of homes and other buildings.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Paying For Green
One cannot help but notice – every magazine and every professional publication these days has at least one article on green building technology.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Curtain Walls
Curtain walls are common today in commercial construction, adding simplicity and design options for buildings of all types.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
How Long Will It Last?
Determining how long a building component will last before it requires repair or replacement is one of the primary tasks in performing a Property Condition Assessment (PCA).
Categories: Criterium Engineers
How Big Is It?
When performing a Property Condition Assessment (PCA), we are often asked to confirm building dimensions.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Fiber Cement Siding
Fiber cement building materials are being used more and more in new construction, primarily for siding. In fact, it is used by most large builders in about 20 percent of the new home market.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Facility Management and the Bottom Line
Corporate real estate owners and real estate investors have traditionally viewed Facility Management (FM) as an expense.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER)
As of January 23, 2006, manufacturers of heating and air conditioning equipment can no longer manufacture single-phase central air conditioners and heat pumps with output of 65,000 BTUH (British th
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Commercial Painting
Approximately $7.6 billion was spent on architectural coatings in the U.S. in 2003 according to the National Paint and Coatings Association, Inc.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Cost Segregation Studies
Depreciation enters significantly into the financial performance of commercial buildings. Typically, property, exclusive of land, is depreciated over 39 years.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Reduce Lighting Costs
Energy costs for commercial buildings are estimated to run about $100 billion per year, or on average, about $1.50 per square foot of commercial floor space.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Green Technology and Existing Buildings
In the early ‘80s, a few designers started paying attention to sustainable architecture. Twenty years later, green buildings are mainstream.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Fire Safety
FIRE! Don’t shout it in a crowded theater. However, building occupants are more concerned than ever about fire safety.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Cabling Considerations for Networks and Telecommunications
The condition and appropriateness of the cabling within a building is almost always an afterthought for owners and tenants alike, according to Tom Wales, a Telcom consultant.
Categories: Criterium Engineers
Fair Housing Amendments Act
All multifamily buildings placed in service after March 13, 1991 must comply with the provisions of the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) of 1988.
Categories: Criterium Engineers