Since early 2020, it seems just about everyone has an opinion on viruses, disease transmission and what should be done as a society, as a business owner, and as a private citizen. We here are Barton Associates are not healthcare workers, epidemiologists, or even medical students. We are just a group of engineers who believe
Barton Associates' Insights
A large portion of commercial, educational, and healthcare facilities have been either partially occupied or unoccupied for several weeks, even months. With extended periods of unoccupancy, building systems can become stagnant, potentially resulting in adverse effects on air systems, domestic water systems and building materials. Most of us know the smell of dust burning off
Everyone is probably tired of hearing how unprecedented these times are and how the picture of what the “new normal” will look like seems to change on a daily basis. Beyond all of that, we will get back to some sense of normalcy and, when we do, we need to be ready. So what does
The recent COVID-19 pandemic events have forced healthcare providers around the globe to find creative ways to isolate infected patients from other patients and healthcare providers, often relying on temporary modifications to their facilities heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to create negative pressure spaces. Often facility managers are forced to work within the confines
Power quality can have a significant impact on a building’s electrical distribution system and the associated loads. The results of poor power quality can range from operational issues and premature failure of equipment to additional charges on your utility bill that can negatively affect an organization’s bottom line. One of the load types proven to
In an emergency, firefighters rely on good communication to coordinate their efforts and keep each other safe. They may approach a fire area deep within a building and realize they need additional personnel or equipment. If your building is especially large, has thick concrete walls, or has a lot of equipment that creates interference, the
“Hearing can be deceiving, seeing is believing, but feeling – that’s the naked truth” is a phrase which can be applied to many highly anticipated events in life. For the building industry, Pennsylvania’s long-awaited jump to the 2015 (2018 in Philadelphia) ICC International Codes last October was one of these greatly anticipated events. Historically, anticipation
As has been discussed in previous editions of “Insights”, Pennsylvania has recently updated their baseline building codes from the 2009 International Codes to the 2015 International Codes. Along with that change comes not only revisions contained in the International Codes themselves, but also updated references to other standards including the 2014 National Electrical Code (previously
Change. Whether good, bad, or somewhere in between, we must accept change and constantly adapt in order to move forward, grow and even improve. Changes in the International Plumbing and Energy Conservation Codes are no exception. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, except for the City of Philadelphia, adopted the 2015 International Codes the past October, superseding
The change from the 2009 International Codes to the 2015 International codes in Pennsylvania, except for the City of Philadelphia, ushered in many substantial changes when it comes to mechanical system design, construction and operation. Similar to other code updates, the hike toward sustainable design and operation continues in these common areas: increased equipment efficiency
