THE WINNER'S CIRCLE

Indianapolis Chapter CSI Newsletter

 January 2017

winners circle skyline
"I call architecture frozen music"






Deep Thoughts

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe



Please let us know if you have any ideas for future newsletters.

Your Humble Narrator,


Mike Halstead
Indianapolis CSI Newsletter Co-Editor
Mild Mannered Reporter,

Ryan Muzzillo
Indianapolis CSI Newsletter Co-Editor
The Insider

January 19 we start the New Year off with a joint program with the Door & Hardware Institute.  Paul Baillargeon, with the Door Security & Safety Foundation, will present how life safety and fire codes affect security devices.  He will also have an afternoon seminar on Authorities Having Jurisdiction.  Believe it or not the design professional does not have jurisdiction - learn more tomorrow.  Thank goodness Paul and Audrey Wyser actually enjoy putting together hardware specifications. 

We have another joint meeting with the International Roofing Contractors Association on May 11.  Lora Manning of IKO will teach us how to deal from the bottom of the deck, how to hide cards and the code standards and requirements for asphalt shingles.        

February 16 Mark Dorsey, our CSI National President, will be in Indy to give us the State of the Union address.  Do you think any Hollywood celebrities showed up for his inauguration?  March 16 one of our members Chip Parsley of Poynter Sheet Metal will guide a facility tour of their plant in Greenwood and a presentation on fire dampers from Greenheck.    

The Great Lakes Region Conference will be May 18-20 in Akron, Ohio.  Just think - a weekend with Ken Schmidt, et al - what could be more enticing?     

Come watch our Indy Fuel hockey team on Saturday, March 18, as they take on the evil Kalamazoo Wings for "Pink in the Rink" night against Breast Cancer. Wear your pink - even you Ed Brown!  A portion of all proceeds go toward breast cancer awareness and research via Susan G. Komen of Central Indiana to help women in our community. The puck drops at 7:35 pm at Indiana Fairgrounds Colosseum.  Reservations: digital invitation/online reservation or contact Kent Hughes (317) 690.5820 ([email protected]). 
 
Has anyone heard from Nate Davis?  Hope he is feeling better.  How many of you were sick right after the holidays?  All that family in crowded spaces.  Coincidence - I don't think so.  I suggest we hibernate like bears, squirrels, turtles and frogs - they got it right - it's too cold! Whatever happened to global warming?  And where do frogs and turtles go anyway?  I heard they burrow into the mud under water.  Someone get back to me on that. 
 
Was Aaron Rodgers on fire last Sunday or what?  As long as the Patriots lose.  I heard the Cowboys lost because Ryan Muzzillo didn't put the lucky Cowboy sweaters on his dogs.            

- Your Humble Narrator 
Upcoming Events
Programs Committee

 

 

 

2016-2017 Standing Reservation List

Monday August 8, 2016 at 9:00 AM EDT -to- Friday June 30, 2017 at 1:00 PM EDT

Riverwalk Banquet Center

 

Indianapolis Chapter CSI January Education Seminar: Authority Having Jurisdiction Awareness

Thursday January 19, 2017 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM EST

This presentation will help AHJ's and design professionals to understand NFPA 80 and NFPA 101 inspection requirements, as well as features of fire and egress doors to understand adn verify inspection reports for compliance with code requirements.

Willows on Westfield

 

Indianapolis Chapter CSI January Meeting: How Life Safety and Fire Codes Affect Security Devices

Thursday January 19, 2017 from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM EST

This presentation will explore how the installation of security devices on fire and egress doors must be performed in compliance with IFC, IBC, ADA, and NFPA life safety and fire codes.

Willows on Westfield

 

Hockey Game and Breast Cancer Fundraiser, with CSI Indy

Saturday March 18, 2017 from 6:45 PM to 10:00 PM EDT

Come join us as the Indianapolis Chapter of CSI root on the Indy Fuel as they take on the Kalamazoo Wings for "Pink in the Rink" night against breast cancer. A portion of the total proceeds go directly to Susan G. Komen Central Indiana to fund breast cancer research and breast health services to women in our community.

Indiana Farmers Coliseum

 

Indianapolis Chapter CSI Trade Show - Exhibitor Registration

Thursday September 28, 2017 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT

This is a chance for exhibitors to sign up for booths to the 43rd Annual CSI Indianapolis Trade Show, #DESIGNINDY2017. It will be held at the JW Marriott Indianapolis on Wednesday, September 28, 2017 from 3-7pm.

JW Marriott



YouTube Channel  
Visual Education

 

The Indianapolis Chapter CSI has entered into a new phase of the digital communication era, and now has a dedicated YouTube Channel for the benefit of our membership.
View from the Tower


"When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable."    -Walt Disney

'Here's where the power of belief comes in.  You don't want to go halfway when it comes to believing.  You want to push that level of belief way up until you believe it entirely.  That's when the real magic happens, and Walt knew a thing or two about creating magic in life.  There's just no way around it, that when you believe something with all your heart, the entire universe shifts to accommodate you and give you what you want.  Hold back some of that belief, and it will hold back what you want.'

Before I took on the challenge of President, I took a look inside, talked to family and friends, and we all believed I could do it.  I didn't want to just be a name on a list; I strongly believed I could do this as well as most if not better.  The past 6 months we have had several joint programs, an outstanding trade show, and special events that I'm sorry some of you missed out on.  Yes, all of this was done by committees - committees that I believe in.  I hope my belief in them to try new things can and will spread to other members.  We are all making a difference, and I believe that is one reason this chapter is so strong and is looked at as a model.

What a year 2016 was: outstanding Chapter programs, well taught and attended education seminars, a newly revamped golf outing that had great weather, a holiday party like no other, and a trade show that introduced new registration and tracking software that was beneficial to the vendors.  In addition, the CONSTRUCT 2016 show in Austin, TX, was well attended by our Chapter as was the Great Lakes Region Conference in Louisville, KY.  We had 2 new social events that will be repeated in 2017, and Joe McGuire made his 51st National Convention.  These events could not have happened without all of you volunteering for our committees and believing in the CSI mission.

December was a great month for celebrating with friends and family. The wife and I may have gone overboard this year with generosity, but it's all about giving.  Our holiday party was well attended, saw a great performance and had some excellent food.  A big thank you goes out to Pete Baker and his team; we look forward to what you have in store for us in June.  The program this month is a joint meeting with DHI, and I want to thank Laura Frye, Audrey Wyser, and the program/education committee for making this happen.  The topic of 'How Life Safety and Fire Codes Affect Security Devices' sounds like a topic that affects everyone in construction.  Paul G. Baillargeon will be looking at identifying codes and standards, how they relate to the installation of security devices, determining if the devices meet ADA-2010 requirements, and whether the devices hamper egress or access through fire-rated doors.  Looking forward to the February meeting, we will be welcoming CSI Executive Director Mark Dorsey who will be speaking on "My Vision of CSI."  Please check out the website for registration information for future events and mark your calendars; visit http://indianapolis.csinet.org/

Gene King, President-elect, is the chairman of the 2017 nominating committee.  He is looking to fill vacancies that will be opening up in June with board members' terms expiring.  Gene and his committee may approach you to fill one of those opportunities to be a director.  If you have an interest, you can always approach him or any of the current board members.  Being a part of the board, you are the voice of the membership and you get to see the behind the scenes of what keeps this chapter strong.  Please consider serving.

The Disney books for December went over well based on the feedback I received from the 10 winners.  The most common comment was that these great stories would be shared with grandchildren.  The photo I have selected this month is of me at Disneyland in the elevator to Club 33.  If you don't know what Club 33 is, you should look up its history.  I believe one day I will make it into the secret club and enjoy what Walt dreamed of building before he passed in 1966.

  












Ralph R. Pitman, Jr. CSI, CDT
Indianapolis Chapter CSI - President 2016-17 
Certification Quiz
Jack Morgan - Quizmaster

1.  Insurance is a contractural relationship synonymous with assurance.

a.  True

b.  False

 

2.  All of the following could be Articles in PART 1 - GENERAL of a specification except for which one?

a.  References

b.  Action Submittals

c.  Source Quality Control

d.  Measurement and Payment

 

3.  In MasterFormat 2004, what is the name of Division 11?

a.  Specialties

b.  Equipment

c.  Special Construction

d.  Conveying Equipment

 
4.  In the Specifications, the stated requirements address the:
a.  Owner's responsibilities.

b.  Subcontractor's responsibilities

c.  Contractor responsibilities

d.  Architect's responsibilities

 

5.  Which of the following should be avoided in a specification?

a.  Articles (the, an, a)

b.  Symbols (#, $, &, ")

c.  Abbreviations (conc., ptwd., aess.)

d.  All of the above


Table Tops

Kent Hughes

Indianapolis Chapter CSI

 

 The Indianapolis Chapter of CSI is accepting reservations for Table Tops for upcoming Chapter meetings. The list of programs for upcoming Chapter meetings is published in this newsletter, the web site, or contact Program chairman Jeremy Hoffman - [email protected] , if you would like to target a particular meeting, be sure to make your reservation early. We do have a limit of four spaces available for Table Tops in a standard meeting room and 10 if we have a double room.

 

Table Tops are an opportunity to promote your company, products, or services to all attendees of our regular chapter meeting during the social hour. There is a maximum of 20 minutes for Table Top presentation at a regular Chapter meeting. You have the floor for maximum of five minutes after dinner before the speaker to communicate to the entire group if there are four presenters. If there is a greater demand, the 20 minutes will be divided by the number of presenters and rounded down to the nearest 30 seconds.

 

The Table Top presentations are FREE, one time, to new members, and cost current Indianapolis Chapter members only $75. Non-members get the same opportunity for $125. A 30 by 60 table with a cover and skit will be included. All proceeds go to support the Chapter. Payment is due at the time of setup.

Another opportunity for a Table Top is during an Education Seminar. The cost is if you combine it with the Chapter meeting and Education Seminar the cost would be $100 for current members and $150 for non-members.

If you would like to schedule a Table Top for a future meeting or seminar, contact:

 

Kent A. Hughes RA CDT - American Structurepoint

[email protected] - 317.690.5820

 

Be sure to put 'Table Top Request in the subject line

Life as an Architect
Joe McGuire
 
Now that I am 95 years old and been an architect for 55 years in Indianapolis, I think there may be interest in some of the odd-ball things that have occurred during this time.  For example, the first major project that I worked on, the Cit-County Building.  The preliminary design for the structure by Robert Lakin was an attractive relationship of the office tower with the court rooms and police department area.  When submitted to the Cit County Building Committee for approval in 1958, however, it was soundly rejected and sent back with emphatic instructions to provide a symmetrical City County Building.  Courtenay Macomber, a talented designer, was subsequently hired to satisfy the Building Committee and they were quite happy with his design.  The building we have today reflects the late-1950's glass curtain wall novelty of the Seagram's Building in New York City, but some in our profession wryly nicknamed it the "bowling trophy" building.  I specified all the architectural and structural materials for its construction.  My favorite areas, and fortunately never summoned to them, are the original court rooms for their rich wall paneling.  Half of them are a traditional, somber, rich walnut, and the other half are light, optimistically cheerful Primavera maple wood reflecting the diverse emotion to the administration of justice.
 
In my experience, Hoosiers struggle with boundaries.  For example, the next expansion of the Indianapolis Convention Center might be vertical instead of horizontal to take advantage of a design quirk in the original main hall.  The original main exhibit halls were huge areas with 35 foot high ceilings, capable of being divided into smaller areas by means of segmented movable partitions, normally suspended from tracks in the ceiling, and stored out of the way when necessary, by accordion-folding the segments into an end wall.  Since these storage areas made unattractive "lumps" in the room, the Architect-in-Charge decided to eliminate the lumps by storing the movable partitions in the ceiling.  This required not only some heave-duty hoisting machinery, and storage areas for the partitions, but also a substantial increase in the strength of the roof structure.  The partition storage and extra roof strength were mainly accomplished by providing a pair of bridge trusses for each length of partition.  Sheathing and roofing over the trusses provided a weatherproof nest for storing the partitions.  However, when the bids for construction came in over the budget, substituting standard movable partitions for the stored-in-the-ceiling areas provided a very substantial savings.  But the roof was never redesigned.  It seems there was no readily available money to pay the structural engineer for the redesign when it was needed.  So the trusses and other extra roof structure are still there, waiting for something to support.

When Lawrence Central High School was built in 1971, it also flirted with innovative partitions, as well as being one of the first high schools in the nation to have a domed basketball fieldhouse.  The main school building was constructed as a space frame with windowless interior classrooms.  This was quite innovative and needed special permission, being able to shift walls of classroom sizes at will.  Due to the rising population from the baby-boom generation moving to suburbs like Lawrence, the school's administrators were quite worried about what class sizes they would need to accommodate each year.  we agreed that an architectural solution was to move the walls.  Though partitions can be very heavy, the relatively light and sturdy space frame structure gave the school an ability to reconfigure class floor plans to suit any size of room needed.  Since the space frame building had no windows, we were concerned - would Lawrence Central teachers suffer claustrophobia?  Nothing of the sort happened.  Our follow-up showed that teachers become so immersed in their craft, that windowless rooms did not affect them.  Nonetheless, after all that planning and building in flexible options, the walls were never moved, a rather extraordinary situation that shows even when boundaries were adaptable to students, administrators in the end still opted for students to conform to the all pattern set in 1972.

There is a Roman saying, "Ars longa, vita brevis," which translates to "Art is long, life is short."  I rue the day that we let the Roosevelt Building to be demolished.  A classic Chicago-style 12-story skyscraper especially noted for its exquisite ornamental terra cotta facade, it was designed by Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller, the architectural firm of the author Kurt Vonnegut's father.  Construction was completed in 1922, part of the building boom before the Great Depression.  Although it became a victim of the Circle Center Mall development, it was intended that the beauty of the Roosevelt Building be preserved.  When the Mall officials requested permission to demolish the building, they were firmly denied by Reid Williamson of Landmarks of Indiana, who had that authority.  After extensive negotiations, permission to demolish was finally given, but with a strict condition.  Although no doubt a different size, the replacement building was to otherwise look just like the original Roosevelt Building, complete with its ornamental terra cotta facade.  To accomplish this, the demolition contractor would be required to salvage all the terra cotta that could be removed undamaged, with synthetic molds and plaster casts made of all terra cotta and other building shapes that could not be removed undamaged.  The shapes, plaster casts and molds were to be warehoused until the new building was constructed.  The first building items were stored in what was known locally as the Seven Gables, a supposedly haunted, vacant residence hall at Central State Hospital, Indiana's former insane asylum.  After a time, however, Seven Gables was sold to developers, and the stored items were transferred to a warehouse and the owner thought there were gifts.  So he started to sell them.  The Landmarks of Indiana personnel were horrified to hear about the sales and demanded that all the remaining stored items be returned immediately.  This was done without argument, and the items were delivered to an Indianapolis Parks Department warehouse.  However...and a critical "however," it turned out to be...for some unfathomable reason, these irreplaceable items were stored, not safely in a locked warehouse, but stacked outside in the parking lot, available to all passersby.  So the inevitable happened.  Little by little they disappeared.  The more attractive shapes first, but eventually most of them were gone, leaving a few, mostly flats.  So when the Conrad Hotel was proposed to be erected on the site of the former Roosevelt Building, the means to match the Roosevelt's looks, so carefully specified in the demolition specification, were no longer available!  

Our city also has certain other hidden treasures to appreciate.  One is in the Blue-Cross/Blue-Shield Building - a little "shack" on top.  Designed in 1972, the Blue Cross management wanted a secluded place for their board meetings, and, on top of the building, unseen from all angles below, is a small corporate tree-house.  Inside is a meeting room with views where officers and board members could escape the hustle & bustle of the health insurance business below.  What a great party place, too!

Another, particularly for a people that obviously loves basketball floors, is the largest maple floor in the world, inside Building 1000 of the former Naval Avionics Center, now Raytheon, at 21st Street and Arlington Avenue.  This extraordinary Michigan maple, tongue-in-groove, polished hardwood floor was constructed to limit the vibration in manufacturing thousands of delicate Nordan Bombsites during World War II, a technology considered so important to the war effort that air force bomber crews swore their lives to prevent this secret falling into enemy hands.

 I found that clients may be generally conservative, but not always "square."  The Greyhound Terminal Building on Illinois Street was built without one right angle.  The building would have been nondescript and rectangular but the realtor who assembled the property managed to acquire all except the lot at the corner, whose owner realizing the opportunity demanded $4 million for his lot.  Greyhound decided that it could live with less than perfect structural lines in the new facility and therefore is a "notch" where the building lacks the corner which required that lot.

Once in a while, Chicken Little is right about something falling.  The first IBM 360 mainframe computer in-service in the City was actually its second such computer.  Indianapolis Power & Light was the leading local customer that IBM provided it legendary product in order to begin automating customer bulling.  when the computer shipment arrived in 1966, the size of a large refrigerator, it needed to be lifted by crane up to an upper floor of its Monument Circle headquarters.  While the crane was attempting to place from the alleyway next door, a cinch slipped and the whole $3 million package of artificial intelligence fell and smashed to smithereens on the alley brick pavement.

Another impressive flying object came from a garage behind the Blue-Cross Blue Shield Building a few years after its construction in 1970.  The garage was constructed with concrete wall panels that I specified to fasten with 12 anchors, however the contractor saved expense by using only 4 per panel and one night tons of concrete panels fell to the street, most fortunately without injury to anyone.

The biggest fall I ever saw was when almost all the glass blew off the Pyramids in College Park.  There was a design flaw in the glass curtain wall, which the glass installation firm questioned and refused to guarantee.  But architect Kevin Roche's ego would not brook dissent, and the glass was installed over this objection.  When it fell during one windy day, right before College Life was planning to move into their new offices, the whole parking lot below was covered with the biggest pile of broken glass probably ever seen.

The quality of our buildings has hugely improved over the years, and one of the biggest reasons, but largely unnoticed by the public, is due to architects simply sharing more freely our knowledge of techniques and materials.  In 1958, all buildings were constructed from only about 180 types of construction materials.  Nowadays there are over 1/4 million categories and so many new and better materials that, of course, is impossible for any one person to know everything and thus by sharing our experiences about which materials worked well in particular circumstances - and which didn't - has become essential for designing and building the best and safest buildings.  For example, our Indianapolis chapter of the national Construction Specifications Institute was the leader in introducing standardized testing of concrete, foundational material in many ways.

Which reminds me, that the City-County Building has another unusual peculiarity at a place farthest from its foundation - an unusual two-floor elevator.  This one is between the 26th and the 28th floor and was only added after the building visitors complained about climbing stairs to the observation deck.  It is still a great view of the city there, and at my age, I can go along with the design change to add this elevator.
Building envelop - or building enclosure?
Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CSC
 
In October, I published "Tegularity," a discussion of the proper term for acoustic ceiling panels. (The title came from the name for a specific type of panel edge.) Shortly thereafter, in December 2016, I received a question from Anthony Capkun, editor for Electrical Business Magazine and former editor for the Construction Specifier. He asked, "What is the correct term these days: a) Building Envelope or b) Building Enclosure?"

I responded that I had always used building envelope, and that that is the term I hear most often. But, having learned a long time ago that always hearing a term used in a particular manner does not mean that that is the correct term, I decided to investigate further.

One of the first places I go for this type of question is Google's Ngram Viewer. This is a handy search tool that charts frequency of appearance of words or terms, based on sources printed between 1500 and 2008. Although it has its problems, it's a convenient way to get a feel for the relative uses of similar terms. In this case, the results suggest that my experience is probably common, with building envelope being used far more frequently than building enclosure.

However, in our line of work, we don't rely on popularity contests, so I turned to the experts - published standards and leaders in the subject.

I started with the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), self-proclaimed "Authoritative Source of Innovative Solutions for the Built Environment." NIBS has several committees, one of which is the Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC). In 2004, BETEC and AIA established the Building Enclosure Council - National (BEC-N), which now has 26 chapters (BECs) in various states. BETEC has other committees, some of which use building enclosure in their titles; none use building envelope.

Next on my list was recognized guru Joe Lstiburek, PhD, PE, ASHRAE Fellow, principal at Building Science Corporation. Joe is blunt about his view. In BSI-024: Vocabulary, he said "They are building enclosures-they are not building envelopes. You put letters in an envelope not people." The same document defines only building enclosure. It has been reported that he also said, "Envelopes are for FedEx. Enclosures are for engineers." It's interesting to note that he wasn't always this certain; in 1999 he wrote a paper titled "Air Pressure and Building Envelopes."
A search of the Whole Building Design Guide shows some documents that use building envelope, while others use building enclosure. ASTM and ASHRAE use both terms, and Wiki defines building envelope only, yet has a discussion of building enclosure commissioning.

Our friends to the north have the National Building Envelope Council of Canada. As you might expect, building envelope is widely used in Canada, but building enclosure also appears. Because they've been more concerned about weather barriers than the US has, for a longer time, my initial inclination was to follow their lead. Unfortunately, Joe Lstiburek and his buddies muddied the water, deciding that building enclosure was better than building envelope.

I was not surprised to find that I was not the first to try to find the better of the two terms. In October 2012, Allison Bailes III, PhD, owner of energy vanguard, posted "Building Envelope or Building Enclosure Which Is the Better Term?" in the energy vanguard blog.After discussing the debate and stating a preference for building envelope, he ends by saying, "Both are perfectly adequate, but the existence of two terms for the same thing will create unnecessary confusion. Such is life." About a month later, he posted a follow-up titled "'Building Enclosure,' Not 'Building Envelope.'" In this piece, he discusses additional information and states, "Precision of language matters. The building enclosure is one of the most fundamental concepts in building science, and it does make sense to use a single term to describe it. I'm now a convert to 'building enclosure' and will use it exclusively."

I sent inquiries to a few of the standards organizations, asking if there will be an attempt to agree on a single term. Even if they do, it will take at least a couple of years to change their standards, as they would undoubtedly wait until the standards were due for updates.

As for me, I'm going to follow the lead of NIBS and Lstiburek, and use building enclosure. 

� 2016, Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CSC

Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments at
http://swspecificthoughts.blogspot.com/
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Board of Directors' Minutes

Online Archive 

 

Minutes of the Indianapolis Chapter CSI Board of Directors can be read here.  Please contact the president with any comments or questions.
Vent
 
An editorial section for members to "let it out" about the Construction Industry, the Chapter, CSI National, etc. Members can email the Co-Editors anonymously with comments for publish by clicking on the image to the right.




 





Quiz Answers:

1. - a (PDPG 11.3.20.1)
2. - a (PDPG Fig 11.13)
3. - b (11.3.7.3)
4. - c (11.3.4.3)
5. - d (PDPG 11.3.5)
In This Issue
 
January 19, 2017

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