While firestopping and firestopping inspections have been required for a long time, they are not always given the attention they deserve. The A/E industry has developed a false sense of comfort in simply seeing the red goop (intumescent fire sealant). It is not that the industry does not think fire stopping is important, the issue is that there is a lack of understanding of the basic requirements. Currently, there is a renewed effort by municipalities to ensure that firestopping and firestopping inspections are performed properly.

Let us look at what firestopping is, and why we should all be paying more attention to it.

Compartmentation is a passive fire protection system designed to impede the spread of fire and smoke. It is a key component of the life safety triangle and has been a Code requirement for many years. Firestopping is an enhancement of that system, it is used to seal around openings and between joints in a fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assembly; ensuring the fire rating of a compartment is achieved or maintained. Compartmentation, and the required separation of adjacent spaces, is the purview of the architect, as is the construction of the barriers to achieve the necessary separation and the sealing of joints between these barriers.

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Electrification may be the latest industry buzzword, but government agencies in New York have only increased the number of incentives programs which aim to reduce the state’s dependence on fossil fuels. If you have established electrification as part of your portfolio-wide energy strategy, consider using the funds the state has reserved to help you achieve your goals.

One of the state’s programs, NYS Clean Heat, promises funding for the most popular alternatives to oil- and gas-fired equipment: air-source heat pumps (which includes VRF) and geothermal (ground-source) heat pumps.

Eligibility Requirements
1. For Existing Buildings:
An active electric utility account.
2. For New Construction:
Design Phase – Intent to obtain a temporary utility account
Construction Phase – Temporary utility account
3. The site must be/will be occupied year-round
4. Installed heat pumps must be used for heating in order to offset existing fossil fuels (e.g. natural gas, oil, steam)
5. Heat pumps must be designed to provide domestic/service hot water heating and/or both space heating and cooling. Heat pumps used primarily for space cooling are not eligible.

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Collado Engineering has earned a 2021 Diamond Engineering Excellence Award in the category of Building/Technology Systems for its innovative design of a flood resistant Utility Services Building for Haven Plaza, a mid- to low-income housing complex on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The plant is part of a resiliency program to harden infrastructure for the complex, which was massively damaged in 2012 by Superstorm Sandy.

Presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) New York affiliate, the Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) are judged on a rigorous set of criteria, which includes complexity, innovation, and value to society. Diamond award winners from each state chapter can compete for ACEC’s prestigious Grand Conceptor award in February 2021.

“We are so pleased to be honored with the highest award in the Building Technology/Systems category for the Haven Plaza project. Our work has had an immediate and direct impact on average New Yorkers, providing them with the security that their lives would not be disrupted by another flooding event like Sandy,” said Andy Hlushko, President of Collado Engineering.

Financial support for the project was provided by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) under the City’s Build it Back program.

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With the tri-state area reopening amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many building owners and operators are looking for ways to mitigate the spread of the virus to building occupants. In addition to disinfection of commonly touched surfaces, social distancing, and screening procedures, the building’s HVAC system – the respiratory system of the building – has come under scrutiny as a potential mechanism for circulating contaminants throughout the building. Vapor droplets suspended in the air are the primary carriers of viruses, so their removal is key to slowing the spread of infection. While no one approach offers a silver bullet for stopping the spread of airborne particles, each will reduce the likelihood of transmission.

What Options Do I Have?
The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) sets the standards for indoor air quality. While ASHRAE’s list of recommendations for air treatment options pertain mostly to healthcare facilities with high risk of disease transmission, these approaches can be implemented by any building.

Filtration: Removing contaminants from the airstream to prevent them from recirculating throughout the system.
Dilution: Increasing the amount of outside (ventilation) air to reduce concentrations of contaminants.
Elimination: Deactivating or destroying living biological contagions in the air stream.
Environment: Maintaining the proper indoor ambient air conditions that are unfavorable for contagions.

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In response to New York State’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050, New York City has passed legislation to limit emissions from new and existing buildings. Local Law 97 is part of a package of legislation, The Climate Mobilization Act, that has been covered in our previous article http://collado-eng.com/new-york-citys-climate-mobilization-act/. This local law has the potential to be the largest disruption to NYC’s built environment in decades. Buildings are responsible for about 70 percent of the city’s emissions and as a result, will be the focus of efforts to reduce environmental impacts.

Key Points:

• If your building(s) are over 25,000 square feet or combine for over 50,000 square feet on the same tax lot, you will be required to comply.
• Building emission limits will be based on square footage and occupancy type of your building.
• Tons of carbon emissions equivalent (tCO2e) levels are derived from your total utility consumption, including directly metered tenants.
• Buildings with at least one rent stabilized apartment will be required to implement a prescriptive set of upgrades leading up to 2035.
• NYC’s Department of Buildings will implement a new Office of Building Energy and Emissions Performance.
• This local law is still under development by the appointed advisory committee. Future enhancements and clarifications are sure to follow as subsequent local laws.

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How Does New York City’s Climate Mobilization Act Impact Building Owners and Developers?

By Harrison Young, Collado Engineering

Leading up to Earth Day 2019, the Climate Mobilization Act passed New York City Council in a bold effort to combat climate change at the local level. Within this act, there are multiple pieces of industry-altering legislation that establish requirements and create opportunities for NYC real estate owners and developers.

In conjunction with New York State’s 80/50 goal – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions levels by 80% by 2050 in relation to emission levels in 2005 – the components of this act will impose limitations on both new and existing buildings to curtail emissions. According to the New York City Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability, buildings are responsible for the overwhelming majority of New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions. With almost three-quarters of the city’s emissions generated by buildings, it is no surprise that buildings are going to be heavily targeted under the upcoming emissions goals.

The Real Estate Board of New York estimates that the investment needed to reach these goals could be as high as $4 billion. This expenditure will mostly fall on building owners and tenants. The legislation under this act is in place to provide a roadmap and mechanisms for NYC’s real estate industry to meet the State’s ambitious 80/50 goal.

Key Pieces of Legislation Within the Climate Mobilization Act

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Like restaurant grades, new energy ratings to be prominently displayed

By Felix Feliz, PE, CEM, Collado Engineering
Real Estate Weekly, May 16, 2018

What’s all this noise about Hearing Loops?

As you may have heard, New York City has recently signed into law a requirement for Hearing Loops to be installed in building projects of a certain size, that are funded by the NYC Treasury Department.  Hearing loops are a clever technology that harness the power of electromagnetic waves to directly transmit sound to compatible hearing aids; they assist in amplifying desired sounds and reducing background noise, inconspicuously and inexpensively, in all kinds of situations from large assembly halls to ticket counters.  The technology has been employed in Europe for some time and is starting to gain some traction within the United States. Continue on for more information on the NYC local law and the technology…

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Arriving home after a long day of work, you might turn on the lights, put some dinner in the microwave, and put on the TV to watch that episode of your favorite show to help you unwind – pretty typical. Many people never come to the realization that all of these scenarios involve electricity. In fact, almost everything we do and take for granted requires electricity to function (even your car requires a battery). For many people, the mention of this word, or the words “voltage” and “current” are enough to send the brain into a state of either panic or indifference.

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Over the last 25 years, engineers and architects have strayed from the core values of their professions and pursued policies that reduced their involvement in projects for the sake of maximizing profits. This shortsighted policy of withdrawing from the central role in projects has had a devastating effect, reducing the design professional ’s influence and creating the need for other entities such as construction managers (CMs) and owner’s representatives to emerge and fill the vacuum created by the retreating professionals. Due to the absence of the design professionals from the construction site, CM’s and owner’s reps have had to rely heavily on the input of contractors, who may not always understand the nuances of the design and who, at any rate, have a different objective; consequently, too often negating the value and benefits of the design.

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