Water Demand Calculator outperforms traditional plumbing codes for energy, carbon, and water savings

Using IAPMO’s Water Demand Calculator tool can result in energy, carbon, and water savings as compared to using traditional plumbing specification methods in plumbing codes, according to a study by Arup.

Arup compared the Water Demand Calculator with the Hunter’s Curve method that has been a long-time standard in both the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and the International Plumbing Code (IPC) for sizing domestic hot water systems. The study examined four residential-use cases, including a single-family home, and six-unit, 45-unit, and high-rise multifamily residences.

Water savings ranged from 450 gallons to 71,000 gallons annually depending on the building size. High-rise residential buildings were found to have operational carbon savings between 73% and 84% for booster pumps and embodied carbon savings ranging from 20% to 41%.

IAPMO’s Water Demand Calculator predicts peak water demand for single-family and multifamily dwellings, removing the need for assigning fixture units to plumbing fixtures. Instead, the IAPMO tool calculates peak demand using algorithms based on building size.

Building Design+Construction's monthly Market Intelligence Report offers a snapshot of the health of the U.S. building construction industry, including the commercial, multifamily, institutional, and industrial building sectors. This report tracks the latest metrics related to construction spending, demand for design services, contractor backlogs, and material price trends.

K-12 Schools | May 15, 2024

A new Alabama high school supports hands-on, collaborative, and diverse learning

In Gulf Shores, a city on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, a new $137 million high school broke ground in late April and is expected to open in the fall of 2026. Designed by DLR Group and Goodwyn Mills Cawood, the 287,000-sf Gulf Shores High School will offer cutting-edge facilities and hands-on learning opportunities.

Contractors | May 15, 2024

The average U.S. contractor has 8.4 months worth of construction work in the pipeline, as of April 2024

Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 8.4 months in April, according to an ABC member survey conducted April 22 to May 6. The reading is down 0.5 months from April 2023, but expanded 0.2 months from the prior month.

Brooklyn's colorful Van Sinderen Plaza affordable housing project includes retail, public spaces. Photo courtesy GLUCK+

Affordable Housing | May 14, 2024

Brooklyn's colorful new affordable housing project includes retail, public spaces

A new affordable housing development located in the fastest growing section of Brooklyn, N.Y., where over half the population lives below the poverty line, transformed a long vacant lot into a community asset. The Van Sinderen Plaza project consists of a newly constructed pair of seven-story buildings totaling 193,665 sf, including 130 affordable units.

University Buildings | May 10, 2024

UNC Chapel Hill’s new medical education building offers seminar rooms and midsize classrooms—and notably, no lecture halls

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has unveiled a new medical education building, Roper Hall. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM) and Flad Architects, the UNC School of Medicine’s new building intends to train new generations of physicians through dynamic and active modes of learning.

MFPRO+ News | May 10, 2024

HUD strengthens flood protection rules for new and rebuilt residential buildings

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued more stringent flood protection requirements for new and rebuilt homes that are developed with, or financed with, federal funds. The rule strengthens standards by increasing elevations and flood-proofing requirements of new properties in areas at risk of flooding.

Government Buildings | May 10, 2024

New federal buildings must be all-electric by 2030

A new Biden Administration rule bans the use of fossil fuels in new federal buildings beginning in 2030. The announcement came despite longstanding opposition to the rule by the natural gas industry.

Mass Timber | May 8, 2024

Portland's Timberview VIII mass timber multifamily development will offer more than 100 affordable units

An eight-story, 72,000-sf mass timber apartment building in Portland, Ore., topped out this winter and will soon offer over 100 affordable units. The structure is the tallest affordable housing mass timber building and the first Type IV-C affordable housing building in the city.

K-12 Schools | May 7, 2024

World's first K-12 school to achieve both LEED for Schools Platinum and WELL Platinum

A new K-12 school in Washington, D.C., is the first school in the world to achieve both LEED for Schools Platinum and WELL Platinum, according to its architect, Perkins Eastman. The John Lewis Elementary School is also the first school in the District of Columbia designed to achieve net-zero energy (NZE).