CREJ

DECEMBER 2017 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \

code requires extensive investment in equipment such as:

occupancy and vacancy controls, daylight harvesting sen-

sors, and centralized wireless or low voltage lighting con-

trollers. As a corollary, the sophisticated controls require

that light fixtures in the space have dimming capabilities,

which often triggers the need for an all-new LED light fix-

ture package to be installed in the space. While there are

exceptions in the code that allow for some leniency in satis-

fying these expensive requirements, unless the scope of the

remodel is minute, the

need for compliance is

inevitable.

The new code is also

influencing plumbing

design and construction.

An example would be

the code requirements

for public restrooms. To

reduce water usage and

provide instant hot wa-

ter, public lavatories re-

quire the hot-water loop

to be within 2 feet of the

plumbing fixtures. The

hot-water loop must run

down the wall to serve

the fixture before circu-

lating back up to the ceil-

ing. Older buildings may

require additional pip-

ing to meet code, which

greatly adds to the cost

of the project. However, if

the engineering team is

brought on in the begin-

ning of a project, it is able

to help determine a de-

sign direction that meets

the 2015 IECC from the

onset and save the team

on additional costs.

Because of the rising

costs of code implemen-

tation, architects/design-

ers no longer can afford

to remodel a commercial

space in the same way. It

has become necessary to

have more coordination

between the engineer

and the architectural de-

sign/ownership team to avoid retrofits that will be cost pro-

hibitive and unsound from an investment standpoint. The

engineer can provide significantly more direction to the

architects, tenants, building managers and contractors than

ever before on ways to offset the cost associated with the

extensive nature of proper implementation of 2015 IECC.

asinitsky@mdpeg.com bclark@mdpeg.com

Havey Productions

Tabor Center, another MDP project.

An example of an electrical box

ELEMENTS

Engineering