ATLANTA - New construction and major renovations represent opportunities to incorporate measures to mitigate the impact of natural, accidental, and intentional incidents as well as deliver more comfortable and cost efficient buildings. "With guidance from ASHRAE, architects and engineers can expand their abilities to evaluate risks and benefits associated with solutions that can provide these multiple benefits," said Lawrence Spielvogel, P.E.

A free satellite broadcast and simultaneous Webcast, "Multiple Benefits Solutions for Enhanced Building Security," from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) will be held on Nov. 14, 2006. It is sponsored by ASHRAE's Presidential Ad Hoc Committee on Homeland Security, of which Spielvogel is chair, under a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in New York.

The program will focus on methods that can be used in design, construction, and operation of buildings to reduce vulnerabilities while also providing benefits such as improved reliability, safety, comfort, energy use, and operating costs, according to Spielvogel. It is centered on proposed ASHRAE Guideline 29P, Risk Management of Public Health and Safety in Buildings.

The program will feature two panel discussions with short presentations, and live question-and-answer sessions with the audience.

The first discussion will focus on the principles of risk management and how they can allow treatment of health, safety, and security issues that extend beyond those normally considered in current practice, codes, and standards.

Panelists are George Glavis, P.E., the U. S. Department of State; D. Scott Fisher, P.E., State Farm Insurance Co.; James Wood, Ph.D., P.E., the Building Diagnostics Research Institute; Richard Bielen, P.E., National Fire Protection Association; and Ronald Vallort, P.E., Ron Vallort and Associates Ltd.

The second panel will discuss the application and integration of architectural and engineering principles and practices to achieve the levels of acceptable risks and benefits defined by the risk management approach.

Panelists are Stuart Knoop, Oudens + Knoop Architects P.C.; Andrew Persily, Ph.D., National Institute of Standards and Technology; William Coad, P.E., Coad Engineering Enterprises; Patrick Spahn, P.E., U. S. Department of Homeland Security; and Lawrence Spielvogel, P.E., consulting engineer.

Online registration will begin on Oct. 2, 2006. For the latest information regarding this broadcast/Webcast, visit www.ashrae.org/homelandsecuritybroadcast2, or call 678-539-1139.

Publication date: 06/19/2006