Engineering

A Faster Way to Find Crossflow Problems

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Ask any facility manager or plumber, and they’ll tell you that identifying and fixing crossflow issues is one of the challenges that costs them significant time and effort on the job.

Retrofitting Backflow Preventers Without Undercutting Sprinkler Performance

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Some existing systems were never hydraulically calculated. Some were designed around pipe schedules. Some have little or no remaining safety margin. Add a backflow preventer without understanding the available water supply, system demand and device pressure loss, and a system that once appeared adequate may fail to deliver.

Working in Existing Buildings

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In a 2025 article in Health Facilities Management titled “Deferred maintenance and master planning,” author Mike Mochel discusses the growing need for organizations to prioritize infrastructure renewal due to building age and systems that are beyond their serviceable life.

From Bicentennial to Semiquincentennial: Plumbing the Modernization of the National Air and Space Museum

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

On July 1, 1976, President Gerald Ford dedicated the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum as “a perfect birthday present from the American people to themselves.” More than 1 million visitors passed through its doors in the first six weeks.

The Latest FGI Guidelines and Sink-Mounted Eyewash Station Changes

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In hospitals and outpatient facilities, the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) is the standard basis for patient care and staff safety requirements for engineering and architectural firms to follow

I Am the Perfect Leader

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

America 250: History of Independence and Infrastructure

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Reengineering Fire Protection in Parking Structures

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Did you know the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) estimates approximately 650 parking garage fires occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated $8 million in property damage and 15 injuries each year?

The History of Backflow Prevention and Plumbing Codes, Part 1

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The history of backflow prevention is a story of public health incidents over the years, in which health officials and members of the plumbing industry learned the dangers and health hazards associated with cross-connections after investigating backflow incidents that sickened and killed many people.

ASPE September MedGas Workshop Heads to Atlanta

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 13:41:00 -0400

Taught by MedGas expert Mark Allen, the workshop provides the 32 hours of training needed to take the ASSE 6060: Medical Gas Systems Designer exam.

Layers of Protection: Fire Suppression Strategies for Museum Collections

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Discover how the Baltimore Museum of Art uses layered fire suppression strategies—from wet pipe to preaction to clean agent systems—to protect irreplaceable collections from both fire and water damage.

Mentoring the Next Generation of Engineers

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

To combat the impending retirement wave and transfer critical institutional knowledge, engineering firms must embrace intentional, structured mentorship to prepare the next generation of talent for real-world challenges.

An Expert Guide to Fire Protection Systems for Data Centers

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

As data center construction rapidly expands, project teams must carefully weigh the critical tradeoffs between protection, cost, and operational impact to choose the right fire protection strategy.

DHW Temperature Control: Designing for Scald Protection and Legionella Risk

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Designing a safe domestic hot water system requires balancing the need for high distribution temperatures to prevent Legionella growth with code-compliant temperature controls to eliminate the risk of scalding at the fixture.

ACEC Research Institute Releases Engineering Business Sentiment Survey

Tue, 26 May 2026 11:53:00 -0400

The ACEC Research Institute has released its Engineering Business Sentiment Survey Q2, painting a picture of an industry that remains fundamentally sound.

Congratulations to Missy Meigs, Recipient of The Bolton Family Scholarship

Tue, 05 May 2026 10:55:00 -0400

The scholarship honors the family’s dedicated volunteer work within the communities they serve in Rhode Island.

Engineering Water Safety: The New Intersection of Sustainability and Infection Prevention

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Learn how to balance water conservation with infection control by implementing intelligent plumbing design and management strategies in healthcare environments.

Elevated Hot Water Temperatures: Balancing Legionella Control, Scald Prevention and Professional Liability

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Learn how plumbing engineers must balance the conflicting risks of Legionella control and scald prevention by applying ASSE standards to meet the modern professional standard of care.

A Century of Safeguarding Public Health: IAPMO’s First 100 Years

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Trace the century-long evolution of IAPMO and the transformation of plumbing and mechanical codes from local rules into global frameworks for health and sustainability.

Implementing Onsite Water Reuse Using the Risk-Based Framework, Part 2

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

See how San Francisco’s Fifteen-Fifty high-rise achieves a 27% reduction in potable water demand through its pioneering onsite graywater treatment system.

The ‘Digital Electricity’ Revolution: Why Class 4 Wiring is the Secret Weapon for Geothermal Retrofits

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Discover how Class 4 wiring acts as a "secret weapon" for geothermal retrofits by bypassing electrical infrastructure bottlenecks to enable affordable building decarbonization.

It Takes a Village

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Discover how intentional collaboration and Lean construction principles are driving success in a major hospital expansion project.

Fire Protection and Backflow Prevention: Lack of Supervision and Testing

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Ensure your fire sprinkler systems remain effective and water supplies stay safe by understanding the critical role of backflow assembly supervision and testing.

The Common Code Format for the Model Plumbing Codes

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Discover the history and key structural differences between the IPC and UPC to ensure your plumbing installations remain safe and code-compliant.

Registration Open for ASPE June 2026 MedGas Workshop

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:58:00 -0400

The next in-person ASPE MedGas Workshop will be held at ASPE’s headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois, June 11–14, hosted by MediTrac.

Multifamily Residential Walls: How Big Do They Need to Be?

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In high-rise residential design, every inch of floor space counts—but underestimating the depth of a plumbing chase can lead to major headaches during construction.

Codes, Standards and Usage of Their Various Editions

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In the world of fire protection engineering, "the latest and greatest" isn't always the law of the land—but following the minimum requirements of an outdated code could be a costly mistake.

Repair, Replace or Wait It Out?

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Tariffs, inflation and rising equipment costs continue to reshape the HVAC landscape, and wholesale distributors remain squarely in the middle of that transition.

From Equations to Application: Exploring Essential Mathematical Foundations for Plumbing Engineering

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Most people have heard or even said to themselves, “I will never use algebra in the real world.” However, most don’t realize they use algebra every day.

The Invisible Guardians of Museum Collections

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Discover how advanced plumbing engineering and "smart" leak detection systems act as the invisible guardians of our cultural heritage by protecting irreplaceable museum collections from water damage.