OSHA’s Use of Drones for Building Inspections Raises Concerns March 03, 2019 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has authorized its inspectors to use camera-equipped unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) to collect evidence during inspections—with the consent of the employer. OSHA guidance states that inspectors must “obtain express consent from the employer” before operating a drone for inspection purposes over a workplace. OSHA says that […] Read More
Wind Uplift Pressures on Low-Slope Roofs, Fourth Edition (2018) January 01, 2019 The fourth (2018) edition of this monograph, authored by Stephen Patterson, RRC, PE, of Roof Technical Services, Inc. and Madan Mehta, PE, PhD of the University of Texas at Arlington, is a publication of the RCI Foundation and is now for sale at RCI’s online storefront at https://tinyurl.com/ybbuzko9. The price is only $45 for members […] Read More
RCI Supports ASTM E06/D08 Joint Symposium August 23, 2018 RCI is a sponsor of the ASTM E06/D08 Joint Symposium on Building Science and the Physics of Building Enclosure Performance. This is a two-part event that will take place in October and December of 2018 in Washington, D.C. Part one, E06 Performance of Buildings, will occur on October 21 and 22, 2018, at the Washington […] Read More
OSHA Fines Roofing Company for Hyperthermia Death August 01, 2018 The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Middleburg, Florida-based Southeastern Subcontractors Inc. for failing to protect employees from the dangerous hazards of working outdoors in extreme heat. OSHA investigated the roofing company after an employee died from hyperthermia while working at a residential site in Jacksonville. Hyperthermia occurs when […] Read More
ASTM Issues Standard Guide for the Development of a Waste Management Plan for Construction, Deconstruction, or Demolition Projects March 14, 2018 By Director of Technical Services Walt Rossiter ASTM International Technical Committee E60 on Sustainability held its fall meeting this past October. Among its accomplishments was the completion of a new standard, E3073, titled “Guide for Development of a Waste Management Plan for Construction, Deconstruction, or Demolition Projects.” This standard was developed under the jurisdiction of […] Read More
RCI’s Code Expert Named to NIBS Coordinating Council and IBC-S Committee February 27, 2018 Wanda Edwards, RCI’s Senior Director of Technical Services, has been appointed to an international building committee and a national building coordinating council that will give RCI a vital voice at the table concerning building envelope issues. Edwards is now a member of the International Code Council’s Structural Code Development Committee (IBC-S). The Structural Committee is […] Read More
American Wood Council Notes NDS Changes to Nail Withdrawal Testing January 30, 2018 The National Design Specification for Wood Construction (NDS®), published by the American Wood Council, has made changes with respect to the withdrawal (pullout) values of nails in wood and wood products. The International Staple, Nail, and Tool Association (ISANTA) has published an advisory on the changes. In the 2018 edition, there were five areas of […] Read More
AIA Releases Updated Facility Support Standard December 28, 2017 The American Institute of Architects (AIA) released an updated version of its AIA Documents B210 for architectural services such as commissioning services, building certification assistance, facility management, and maintenance management services. AIA Document B210-2017, Standard Form of Architect’s Services: Facility Report replaces the earlier B210-2007. “An owner can use B210 to hire an architect to […] Read More
