Recently added articles from PM Engineer:
Fun at the new drawing board.(editor's note)
Apr 01, 2009; ... Spring is a time of new beginnings, we are told, and I'm one to agree with this concept. Nothing brings this idea home to me better than the month of April and the start of the major league baseball season, where every team starts with a clean slate. Editors also can have clean ...
Ask the expert: drainback vs. glycol.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
Apr 01, 2009; ... Overall, I see a solar drainback system as being superior to a glycol system. Yet it seems a lot of installers prefer glycol systems. I wonder if John Siegenthaler, Solar Design Notebook columnist, can give me his opinion on why that is? Steve of Shelter Products Northwest ...
Wrong acronym?(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
Apr 01, 2009; ... In reading the Codes column by Julius Ballanco in the Feb. 2009 edition of pine, I was amazed to find a new engineering organization with the familiar ASPE acronym: the American Society of Professional Engineers. The Web site listed was www.aspe.org. Upon visiting the Web site, I found ...
Valves for design problems.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
Apr 01, 2009; ... I have had an interest in control valves for a long time and enjoy articles on this topic. I recently re-read "Selecting Valves to Solve Unusual Design Problems" (Jan. 2008) and feel it's necessary to make some comments on this article. First, except for on/off valves I find it ...
Plumbing products get greener: low-lead and lead-free items grab spotlight.(The Green Corner)
Apr 01, 2009 ... In recent weeks, the issue of low-lead and lead-free plumbing products has gained both industry and public notice. First, NSF Intl. announced that it had certified Kohler, Moan and Price Pfister as faucet companies that meet the new lead content requirement of [less than or equal to] 0.25 ...
Stiebel Eltron.(appointment of Doug Belden and Glenn Issac )(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2009 ... Stiebel Eltron has announced that Doug Belden is the company's western regional sales manager and Glenn Issac is eastern regional sales manager. Belden was formerly with Ferguson Enterprises and has more than 15 ...
PERC to research drain line transport.(Industry News)(Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition)(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2009 ... The Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition, comprised of five plumbing trade groups, will make dram line transport its first research project. Since the advent of 1.6-gpf toilets in 1992, many plumbing professionals have voiced concern on whether the restricted flushes provide ...
Shoot the messenger once again: despite one company's claims, all manufacturers of trap and rise tube protective covers meet the requirements of all the major building codes.(codes)(Viewpoint essay)
Apr 01, 2009; ... A little more than a year ago, I received a phone call from my good friend Mike McRoberts, the president of McGuire Mfg. Over the years, Mike has retained me to assist on some issues related to their products. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mike said he had a simple question ...
Expansion tank sizing for solar collector circuits: as with hydronic heating systems, the conservative approach is good "insurance" against the system requiring servicing following a stagnation condition.(solar design notebook)
Apr 01, 2009; ... In the Dec. 2008 Solar Design Notebook column, we calculated the temperature that the absorber plate in a solar collector could reach under stagnation conditions. If stagnation occurs on a hot/bright summer afternoon, that temperature could exceed 350[degrees]F, and it's very likely the ...
Cause and effect in our civilized world: people can be good, bad and careless. As these stories attest, provisions for fire safety need your continued support.(fire protection)
Apr 01, 2009; ... Medical Facility Requirements in the 2009 International Fire Code Among the plethora of new provisions unveiled for the 2009 IFC is this safety premium: All new and existing non-sprinklered hospitals, nursing homes, and other Group I-2 occupancies are to require automatic fire ...
Old tricks for new dogs: offering engineers a simple alternate system to use when performing domestic hot water temperature maintenance in high-rise buildings.(Cover story)
Apr 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hot water recirculation for high-rise buildings has been problematic since high-rise construction began, and it has become more complicated as buildings get taller. The basic systems referred to in the codes, text books and standards work well for shorter ...
Point Counterpoint: single-stack systems for high-rise buildings: why select the Sovent single stack.
Apr 01, 2009; ... Created in 1957, the single stack Sovent system works by utilizing two unique fittings: aerators and deaerators (see drawing on page 24). All other pipe and fittings and connections to these fittings are standard and consistent with conventional DWV systems. The Sovent system is vented ...
Point Counterpoint: single-stack systems for high-rise buildings: why select the Philadelphia single stack.
Apr 01, 2009; ... While researching the Philadelphia Single Stack system for this article, I frequently came upon the name of Joseph Smaul, P.E. Who was Joseph Smaul? In the ASPE Chapter/Philadelphia engineering world, Joe was the "Philly Single Stack" guy. He designed, built and taught the single stack for ...
Perks for high-rise building automatic sprinklers in the 2006 IBC: spend some quality reading time with this latest edition, and you will be able to help your clients save money while ensuring them their building will be a fire-safe haven for its future occupants.
Apr 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Back in their 1981 editions, two (BOCA and UBC) of the three legacy building codes (BOCA, UBC and SBC), began requiring sprinklers in new high-rise office and residential buildings. By comparison, the NFPA 10I (Life Safety Code] began requiring sprinklers ...
Robert Benazzi, P.E., CVE.(pme Profile)(Interview)
Apr 01, 2009 ... Do you have an area of specialty at your firm? In 1980, I became head of the plumbing and fire protection department at JB&B and continued in that capacity until my retirement from the partnership in early 2008. Before that, I performed hydraulic design calculations then ...
Connection system now includes PEX.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
Apr 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Connection System Now Includes PEX Cash Acme's SharkBite Connection System now includes PEX tubing with an oxygen barrier coating--ideal for hydronics or radiant heating applications. The system is ...
Commercial water heaters.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
Apr 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A. O. Smith introduces the Cyclone Xi, a part of the Cyclone XHE product family of technologically advanced commercial water heaters. The innovative design takes the units' ...
3. Vertical multistage centrifugal pumps.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
Apr 01, 2009 ... The extensive CR range of vertical multistage centrifugal pumps from Grundfos feature high efficiency and offer excellent ...
4. Bariatric toilet.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
Apr 01, 2009 ... Willoughby Industries introduces a new bariatric toilet (B 1490 series), designed specifically for use in the bariatric units of a hospital ...
5. Seismic expansion joint for fire sprinklers.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
Apr 01, 2009 ... The Fireloop seismic expansion loop from Metraflex is now available to compensate for even greater pipe movements in fire sprinkler systems, ...