New books help in designing energy efficient buildings and safe pipe and ducts

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers has issued two new publications for mechanical and electrical consulting engineers.
One is a new user’s manual to encourage energy conservation in the design of buildings. The 90.1 User’s Manual provides detailed instruction for the design of commercial and high-rise buildings to ensure their compliance with ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2001, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.
“The manual illuminates the standard through the use of numerous sample calculations and examples,” Charles Eley of Eley Associates which wrote the manual, said. “It also streamlines the compliance process, making it as easy as possible for users to create effective energy-efficient designs.” Changes include new examples for fenestration performance in the building envelope, and reorganization of Chapter 6 on HVAC to reflect the corresponding section in the standard. There is an accompanying CD.
The second publication is a guide on how to design and implement seismic restraints for piping and duct systems. Written in cooperation with the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), the ASHRAE/SMACNA Seismic Restraint Applications CD includes material from an upcoming 2003 ASHRAE Handbook and the complete Seismic Restraint Manual Guidelines for Mechanical Systems, Second Edition, from SMACNA.
The guidelines are intended to minimize the damage caused by and two mechanical equipment if it becomes dislodged during an earthquake. The ASHRAE Handbook states: “Mechanical equipment that is blown off the support structure can become a projectile, threatening life and property. The cost of properly restraining the equipment is small compared to the high costs of replacing or repairing damaged equipment, or compared to the cost of building downtime due to damaged facilities.
See www.ashrae.org