Background: Video-based training has been widely adopted by private organizations and public authorities to educate occupants on various types of building emergencies. However, the effectiveness of video-based training for preparing occupants for building emergencies has not been rigorously studied nor has the impact of emergency type been…

Applying computing technology during problem solving and the reflection of the appropriateness of this application are crucial skills for modern life. This is especially true while working on interdisciplinary STEM problems. However, up to now, few ready-to-use materials are available to foster such competencies. This paper starts bridging this…

The project "3D and 4D Simulations for Landscape Reconstruction and Damage Scenarios: GIS Pilot Applications" has been devised with the intention to deal with the demand for research, innovation and applicative methodology on the part of the international programme, requiring concrete results to increase the capacity to know, anticipate…

Discusses safety aspects of the new chemistry building being built at the University of Akron. (SL)

This report contains four papers written during an investigation of methods for evaluating the safety of existing school buildings under Research Applied to National Needs (RANN) grants. In "Evaluation of Earthquake Safety of Existing Buildings," by B. Bresler, preliminary ideas on the evaluation of the earthquake safety of existing…

More than 20,000 construction inspectors are employed throughout the nation to enforce governmental building codes. (Editor)

Described is an investigation conducted by municipal inspection and code enforcement personnel following an episode of carbon monoxide poisoning among elementary school children in a small eastern Pennsylvania community in 1975. The need for a reevaluation of existing building code standards is emphasized. (BT)

Developed as part of a larger project to integrate youth with disabilities into regular recreational and leisure activities, this survey was developed for use in the assessment of public accommodations according to the minimum standards set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The instrument utilizes a yes/no response format, with a…

An important part of ventilating for safety consists of providing the necessary exhaust systems to remove building contaminants safely. Further, the effluent must be cleaned within practical limits by means of filters, collectors, and scrubbers. Where recirculation is not safe or feasible, the effluent must be discharged to the outside in a manner…

Given the high population and development density in Hong Kong, building failures can result in catastrophic consequences. It is thus worthwhile identifying those dilapidated buildings, and this explains why the Hong Kong government has considered launching a mandatory building inspection scheme in the city. Apart from the measurement of building…

This competency-based module uses the Ocean County (New Jersey) Vocational-Technical Schools curriculum-infused model for infusing basic skills instruction into vocational education. The model demonstrates the relationship of vocational skills to communication, mathematics, and science. The document begins with a philosophy statement; a preface; a…

A two-day conference on Emergency Evacuation of People with Physical Disabilities from Buildings, sponsored by the Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR), Interagency Subcommittee on Technology (IST), was held on October 13-14, 2004, in Rockville, Maryland. This document is meant to summarize the conference's presentations and…

This course manual details the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code of New York State and how it affects child care services, particularly day care centers. The sections of the manual, each detailing a part of the code, are: (1) Introduction, Scope, Registration, and Definitions and Facilities Regulated by the New York Department of Social…

The Center for Building Technology (CBT) provides the technical and scientific bases for criteria and standards that improve the usefulness, safety, and economy of buildings while conserving building materials and energy. CBT's activities support the building technology program of the federal, state, and local government; assist design…

The Center for Building Technology (CBT) provides the technical and scientific bases for criteria and standards that improve the usefulness, safety, and economy of buildings. CBT research also aims at conserving building materials and energy. Individual projects may emphasize one or more of the center's typical activities in providing improved…