Fighting City Hall for Flexible Exhaust System Design—Balancing
Best Practices with Code Compliance.
David W. Frenze, PE, Earl Walls
Associates
This presentation will be a brief, yet comprehensive overview of
the typical HVAC design constraints related to Fume Hood Exhaust,
OHSA, UMC, UBC, CDC/NIH and NFPA compliance. A matrix will be reviewed
with the audience that distills compliance and best practice design
requirements by section/code & guideline reference and best
practice design objectives. This tool will become a review list
for future design reviews.
There will be a section on the unique challenges and arguments
with respect to flammability and explosive exhaust effluent classifications.
The emphasis will be on data gathering NFPA classifications, MSDS
evaluation, calculation and risk assessment routines. The presentation
will answer the question: Do we design for "upset" or
"normal" operations?
There are unique challenges and arguments with respect to toxic,
biologic and radioactive exhaust effluent classifications. The emphasis
will be on data gathering, OSHA 1910, CDC/NIH and specific calculation
and risk assessment routines.
The presentation will cover case histories (3) of how UMC 510 defining
"hazardous exhaust" was challenged and circumvented during
early design phases without adding liability and risk to the design
team's disposition.
Discussions will emphasize impact on building and fire code compliance
when encountering potentially "hazardous exhaust". Discussions
will emphasize the significance of fire dampers, fire zone boundaries,
fire separation wall and partitions and various shaft configurations
that should be anticipated and how they impact area requirements.
This section is supported by graphic building section diagrams to
promote for efficient learning.
Findings:
The high value and efficiency that results from conferencing with
EHS/Safety, Facility and local Code Officials is remarkable given
the added stability gained in the early stages of design.
This presentation will:
- Highlight the importance of maintaining a robust and flexible
design platform in the wake of often misapplied code challenges.
- Demonstrate and normalize the relatively easy task of formally
challenging the "letter and verse" of the UBC 510 and
specific sections of NFPA 45 and 90A.
- Provide the audience with real case examples and the tools to
challenge on their own.
Quantifying the scale of chemical operations is the key to success.
Educational benefits that are borne from modeling actual spills
in terms of areas, evaporation rates and dilution rates earn the
"student" the right to argue rationally, realistically
and successfully to circumvent misapplications of the associated
code and guideline requirements. Weighing the relative hardship
of modeling and demonstrating a benign exhaust effluent with respect
to tox-hazards as compared to flammable hazards is a real eye opener.
Short listing the key challenge agents/materials to use with hazmat
modeling can really speed up your analysis. Recognizing that major
publications and societies (HPAC, AIHA, etc.) are all on board with
respect to limiting misapplications of the UMC 510 definitions of
"hazardous exhaust in particular.
Labs21 Connection:
Maintaining flexible exhaust system design with respect to dilution
capabilities, indoor air quality, limiting re-entrainment, right
sizing initial equipment sets, minimizing future renovation impact,
reducing energy use (figures shown in case example for reduction
in energy use as compared to non-manifolded systems) and maintaining
the ability to diversify system distribution match well to preserving
the manifolded exhaust system concept.
In short the longer term flexibility of the exhaust system design
will in part preserve the ability to use the same building infrastructure
for an extended period of time without major renovations (waste).
Further benefits include superior dispersion of contaminants, greatly
increased heat recovery potential and personnel safety.
Biography:
David W. Frenze, PE, is the Director of Engineering at Earl
Walls Associates. With over 20 years of experience in the building
design business as a professional, Mr. Frenze looks forward to each
opportunity to provide leadership, project management and senior
design skills. Mr. Frenze believes that delivering value in design
and construction requires client focus, best-in-class technical
support and project management, pragmatism and speed. Guiding principles
include communication, accountability, project pre-planning, defined
outcomes and genuine teamwork.
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