“What’s good about it?”
I couldn't wait until another Wordless Wednesday rolled around to post this one.
Operational Force for Hardware
The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, effective in March of 2012, included an unexpected change regarding the maximum allowable force to operate door hardware. This modification to the standards was made as an "editorial change," which is typically used to address errors or make clarifications that do not affect the scope or application of the code requirements. Editorial changes do not go through the normal code development process including committee hearings and opportunities for public comment.
WW: Wreckreation
This post did start out as a Wordless Wednesday post but I got a little carried away.
Closed Fire Door Saves the Day!
There's nothing like a fire at a television news station to make sure that it gets complete coverage. After a 2-alarm fire at News 4 WOAI in San Antonio, Fire Chief Charles Hood said that the closed 20-minute fire door saved the building.
WW: 5 Motions to Release the Latch
As most of you know, a required egress door must typically operate with only one motion to release the latch. The common exception is dwelling unit entry doors in hotels and apartment buildings, which can have one additional locking device if the occupant load of the unit is 10 or less. Take a look at this door, sent to me by Jeff Strangio of Maffey's Security Group. Do you think you could figure out how to open it in smoky conditions?
Q&A: Continuous Hinge Retrofit
Question: I have a hollow metal fire door that is sagging due to failure of the top hinge reinforcement. Is it acceptable to remove the butt hinges and install a continuous hinge on the existing door and frame?
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City
I hope you had a wonderful Saint Patrick's Day, complete with the green beverage of your choice!
The Station Movie
Last month I wrote about the first episode of The Station Movie, a video series posted online in segments about the Station Nightclub fire that occurred 10 years ago and took the lives of 100 people and injured more than 200 others. The pain of the survivors is a reminder of why we need to continue to be vigilant about code requirements, including those pertaining to egress and fire protection. Here are the next 3 episodes:
Solution for Oversized Undercuts
Last year as one of my projects neared completion, the architect called me to say that the bottom latches of the fire exit hardware were not long enough to reach the floor-mounted strikes. This is a pretty common problem because that clearance needs to be very tight for the latch/strike templating - sometimes as little as 1/4" between the bottom of the door and the surface where the strike is mounted.
WW: Dead Battery – No Problem!
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo was submitted by Joy Davis of the Construction Specifications Institute (@CSIConstruction on Twitter). Thanks Joy!
Effects of Earthquake Damage on Fire Safety
While this test report was not heavy on door-related data, I thought some of you would enjoy reading about this groundbreaking study which looked at how a test building was affected by several simulated earthquakes, and then how the damaged building's fire safety systems performed in a series of fire tests. I found the video below fascinating:
Everywhere I Go – Church Edition
My husband has grown accustomed to me yelling, "Stop the car!" when I see a door of interest. We actually had to circle the block and come back to this one in Nashville, Tennessee. Judging from the entrance, I thought there might be some nice doors...I couldn't process what I was seeing in time to get him to pull over. This is not code-compliant, people! The elevator door was purty though.
Code Requirements for Doors with Access Control
This article was published in the March 2013 issue of Construction Specifier.
WW: Cut here to exit.
This photo was taken in a health care facility and was sent to me by both Jim Jensen and Jeff Tock of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. :-(
School Security Seminars with Paul Timm
Last month I mentioned a PBS special on school security called The Path to Violence. This show is currently available on PBS.org for online viewing (embedded below). Paul Timm is a board certified Physical Security Professional (PSP), the president of RETA Security, Inc., and one of the nation's leading experts in school and campus safety, and appears in this PBS special as well as one of the news stories I posted previously.
Code-Compliant Doors: What to Look For
This article was published in the February 2013 issue of the Locksmith Ledger:
Q&A: Permits for Access Control (March 2013)
This post was printed in the March 2013 issue of Doors & Hardware