Buildings | The Latest News and Trends in Your Industry

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Human-centric lighting delivers improved productivity

June 20, 2018

In 2001, scientists identified a third photoreceptor—in addition to rods and cones—in the human eye. These photoreceptors are linked to our 24-hour body clocks (i.e., circadian rhythms, which affect our daily mental, physical, and biological changes). Thanks to their discovery, …

Categorized: Buildings

Modern LED strip lamp mounted on ceiling

Tubular LEDs: Are they worth it?

June 13, 2018

Designed to replace fluorescent lamps, tubular LEDs, or TLEDs, are becoming a popular choice for facility managers around the country. But are they a better solution than fluorescent light bulbs? Today’s fluorescent lighting technology is very efficient. If you …

Categorized: Buildings

Green wall, eco friendly vertical garden

Thinking of getting a green wall? Think moss.

May 2, 2018

Living walls—aka green walls or vertical gardens—have become a popular item for many facilities around the world. These walls are made of living plants growing into a support structure that includes the necessary growing elements like soil, irrigation, and drainage. …

Categorized: Buildings

Recording closed Radiator Heater with Infrared Thermal Camera

Find trouble before it finds you with thermal imaging cameras

April 25, 2018

Thermal imaging cameras have been around since the Korean War. But in recent years, thanks to technological breakthroughs and cost savings, facility managers have found ways to use this technology to detect early signs of building deficiencies, troubleshoot electrical and …

Categorized: Buildings

A caution sign warning of a lead hazard. Lead is a heavy metal and potentially hazardous to human health.

Keeping your home safe from workplace lead exposure

April 11, 2018

Since the 1970s, the government has spearheaded and implemented many protocols that have resulted in a significant reduction of lead exposure throughout our country. However, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Scott Pruitt, “Lead exposure poses a significant …

Categorized: Buildings

How to prioritize maintenance work orders

April 6, 2018

Sometimes it seems like every work order demands to be “top priority.” This can be frustrating and overwhelming for a busy facilities manager, but in the words of Douglas Adams, “don’t panic.” Here is a quick guideline to help you …

Categorized: Buildings

Exposed ventilation duct of modern office building. adobe rgb 1998 use...........

How’s your IAQ? New tech lets you optimize

March 9, 2018

In 2015, HEALTHfx did a study comparing employees’ cognitive function in offices that had good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)—meaning offices with high ventilation, low CO2, and low volatile organic compounds—and employees who worked in a conventional office environment. The study …

Categorized: Buildings

The problems of scale

February 28, 2018

Facility managers (FM) in charge of maintaining chillers, boilers, heat exchangers, cooling towers, compressors or condensers know it’s not a matter of if they’ll have to deal with scale buildup, but when. Scale is the buildup of minerals (calcium, iron, …

Categorized: Buildings

Facility Condition Index

February 21, 2018

This is part two in a series on preventative maintenance. Last month we looked at conducting a Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) as part of your larger preventative maintenance program. One outcome of conducting an FCA is it allows you …

Categorized: Buildings

New York City view behind the rainy window

How rainscreens can protect your facility and give you increased insulation

January 31, 2018

If your facility is located in a fairly wet climate, you could benefit from a rainscreen. Rainscreens have been around for more than 20 years in the U.S., but thanks to recent advances, their popularity is starting to boom. …

Categorized: Buildings