August 2001 Web News

Aug. 1, 2001
Aug. 31, 2001 ASA Offers Free Online Risk Management Resource For subcontractors wanting to avoid some of the riskiest insurance policies and contract clauses in the market today, the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), Alexandria, Va., is offering a new online resource tool. Available on ASA’s Web site, www.asaonline.com, the Subcontractor’s Transfer of Risk Action Plan (STRAP) is part of

Aug. 31, 2001

ASA Offers Free Online Risk Management Resource

For subcontractors wanting to avoid some of the riskiest insurance policies and contract clauses in the market today, the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), Alexandria, Va., is offering a new online resource tool. Available on ASA’s Web site, www.asaonline.com, the Subcontractor’s Transfer of Risk Action Plan (STRAP) is part of ASA’s nationwide campaign to educate subcontractors about risk transfer and how it affects their businesses.

“With the cost of some types of insurance skyrocketing, subcontractors have never needed resources for good risk management like they do today,” says 2000-2001 ASA President Richard Kohls, vice president of finance for the Fenton Rigging Co. in Cincinnati. “ASA’s action plan gives subcontractors practical information they can use to survive the hardening insurance market.”

STRAP, which incorporates the four items below, helps subcontractors identify and challenge policies and contract terms and conditions that would inappropriately transfer risks to their companies.

  • Risk Transfer: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). This sheet provides answers about how inappropriate risk transfer works and how to avoid it.

  • Risk Transfer: A Glossary. ASA’s glossary explains commonly used, but often confusing insurance and risk management terms.

  • Checklist on Owner-Controlled and Contractor-Controlled Insurance Programs. Many subcontractors are asked to participate in wrap-ups. This checklist gives subcontractors criteria to consider in making this business decision.

  • Indemnity Clauses in the 50 States Chart. A subcontract may or may not contain an indemnity clause, but the laws differ by state as to what kind of indemnity clauses are permitted. Subcontractors can use this chart to see what the contractual indemnity laws are in their states.

Aug. 31, 2001

NECA Takes Division 16 Effort to the Internet

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), Bethesda, Md., recently launched www.IBS-16.org, a new Web site dedicated exclusively to the organization’s Integrated Building Systems (IBS-16) proposal for updating Construction Specification Institute’s (CSI) MasterFormat specification system. NECA is proposing to consolidate all of the electrical power, communications, and control systems (currently scattered throughout various parts of MasterFormat) into an expanded update of Division 16.

This site outlines NECA's position on the Division 16-17 debate and enables visitors to view the IBS-16 proposal in its entirety. There’s also a link to the IBS-16 Library, a compilation of educational materials and resources from the technical and building industry press. Here, you can learn about the evolution of the IBS-16 initiative and why NECA finds it so important. You can also voice your opinion via the "Express Yourself" feature, which enables you to send an e-mail directly to representatives at CSI.



Aug. 29, 2001

Department of Energy Selects Teams for Integrated Power Development

At a cost of $18.5 million, the Department of Energy (DOE) has contracted seven industry teams to research and develop the first generation of integrated power, heating, and cooling systems. The contract is the next step in the DOE’s effort to make packaged heating and cooling the preferred system for on-site air conditioning in industrial and commercial facilities by 2020.

Buildings: Cooling, Heating, and Power (BCHP) systems could reduce energy consumption by 30% and CO2 emissions by 45%, according to the BCHP Consortium, the group that is lobbying for research into the development of the technology. BCHP systems generate energy on-site from natural gas and use the thermal energy created by the process for heating and cooling, thereby reducing a building’s demand for energy from the grid.

“Today, approximately 2/3 of the fuel energy used to generate electricity in the U.S. is wasted in the form of lost heat,” says Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham. “By productively using waste heat to provide cooling, heating and humidity control in commercial and institutional buildings, distributed energy resource systems can improve overall resource efficiency levels to 70% or greater."

The industry teams selected for developing packaged/modular Cooling Heating and Power Systems for Buildings (BCHP) are:

  • Burns and McDonnell, Kansas City, Mo., partnered with Solar Turbines Inc. and Broad USA. Awarded approximately $3,000,000 to design and construct a BCHP system that provides electricity from a Taurus 5,200 kW turbine generator, as much as 3,000 refrigeration tons (RT) of free waste heat-driven absorption cooling, and as much as to 17,000 RT of additional gas-fired cooling.

  • Capstone Turbine Corporation, Woodland Hills, Calif. Awarded approximately $3,000,000 to design and test packaged BCHP Systems based on using waste heat from Capstone's 60 kW microturbines coupled with absorption chillers for air-conditioning and a desiccant for humidity control.

  • Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, Ill., partnered with Waukesha and Trane. Awarded $2,464,202 to combine Waukesha engine generators with Trane absorption chillers.

  • Honeywell Laboratories, Minneapolis. Awarded $4,259,202 to develop and field test a large (2 MW to 5 MW) BCHP packaged system at Fort Bragg, N.C.

  • Ingersoll Rand, Portsmouth, N.H. Awarded $2,305,469 to combine a new 70 kW microturbine with an ammonia-water absorption refrigeration system.

  • NiSource Energy Technologies, Merrillville, Ind. Awarded $800,000 to work with a Hilton Hotel developer to demonstrate a modular packaged BCHP system.

  • United Technologies Research Center (UTRC), East Hartford, Conn. Awarded $2,841,193 to design an accelerated BCHP system based on off-the-shelf components.

Aug. 29, 2001

Universal Lighting Offers Energy Savings Calculator Online

Responding to the increased impetus on energy efficiency, Universal Lighting Technologies, Nashville, Tenn., has made its Energy Savings Calculator available on its Web site at www.universaballast.com.

By inputting current system configurations, including the fixture type, ballast system, number of fixtures, watts, and local electricity costs, visitors to the site can use the calculator to compute savings for fluorescent and high intensity discharge (HID) lighting systems. The calculator determines an appropriate lighting system configuration and explains energy savings.

The Energy Savings Calculator is also available on CD-ROM.



Aug. 27, 2001

NECA Submits Proposal to Expand Division 16 in CSI’s MasterFormat

Amid much debate and discussion, the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), Bethesda, Md., recently submitted its official proposal to add a new Integrated Building Systems division to the MasterFormat system published by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), Alexandria, Va. What is MasterFormat? Updated every seven years, this paper- and software-based system is a master list of numbers and titles that consulting engineers use to organize information about construction requirements, products, and activities into a standard sequence. Developed by a committee headed by Thomas E. Glavinich, D.E., P.E., chair of the architectural engineering department at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan., NECA’s proposal hopes to accomplish three things:

  • Update the current contents of Division 16 (power, communications, and control) to reflect current technology, equipment, and systems.

  • Expand Division 16 by adding electrical/electronic systems that presently are located elsewhere in other MasterFormat divisions.

  • Change the name of Division 16 to Integrated Building Systems to reflect its expanded content and purpose.

"Our proposal to CSI addresses advances in technology and their impact on modern buildings," says Glavinich. "No other division has experienced more change since the last MasterFormat revision in 1995 than Division 16. Power, communications, and control systems form the central nervous system of modern commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities. And these interrelated systems are increasingly interdependent and inseparable."

According to Dr. Glavinich, expanding Division 16 will enable MasterFormat to reflect today's technology and industry trends, promote a "systems approach" to design and construction, improve the consistency of construction contract documents, provide better coordination of power quality and grounding issues, and give building owners an opportunity to have single-point responsibility for installing and operating related building systems.

Meanwhile, the National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA) submitted a rival proposal that recommends splitting off telecommunications, local area networks (LANs), sound-video, and other types of low-voltage wiring into a new, separate Division 17 to keep pace with today’s demanding technology requirements. According to NECA's Brooke Stauffer, that's the wrong way to go.

"It's unfortunate that some interests are approaching the revision of MasterFormat in terms of turf issues. CSI's spec system isn't the place to be fighting out business or competitive issues that should be settled in the marketplace,” says Stauffer. “MasterFormat is, or should be, nothing but an impartial, technical tool that building professionals use to help them do the best possible job for their clients—the people who own and occupy buildings.”

The Integrated Building Systems division NECA is proposing represents a major improvement that will help update the MasterFormat system and keep it current with the most recent advances in building technology, says Stauffer.

"Twenty years ago, it might have made sense to give different kinds of electrical and communications wiring their own, smaller, spec divisions,” he says. “The technologies were fairly distinct, each type of system had its own dedicated control box, Ma Bell had a monopoly on doing phone work, and so on."

But today, he notes, these different power, communications, and control technologies are morphing together. Increasingly they're being put in by the same installers, there are lots of operational connections between them, and there are big issues like power quality and grounding that cut across all these technologies that should be approached in a common way, maintains Stauffer. NECA believes splitting apart the specs for designing and installing different electrical, communications, and control systems makes no sense in the year 2001.

"Integrate—don't separate. That's the message we're trying to get across to CSI," says Stauffer. "And that's how we've designed our revision proposal for the MasterFormat specification system. The Integrated Building Systems division is a forward-looking approach that reflects the way buildings are designed and constructed now and in the future."

For more information on NECA Codes and Standards, visit www.NECA-NEIS.org.



Aug. 27, 2001

TIA Signs Agreement With OAS Telecom Agency

After signing an agreement last week, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), an Arlington, Va.-based trade association serving the communications and information technology industry, and the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), an agency of the Organization of American States (OAS), announced they will cooperate on a range of joint projects, including publications, seminars, meetings, and training.

TIA and CITEL also plan to join forces on a conference to include participation by the International Telecommunication Union, among other regional telecommunications organizations, as well as the private sector. The goal of the conference is to enhance regional and regulatory initiatives to stimulate commercial and business relationships in telecommunications that will lead to network modernization and infrastructure deployment.

The main areas of cooperation include activities involving CITEL's Permanent Consultative Committee I, on Public Telecommunications Services, as well as Permanent Consultative Committee III, on Radiocommunications.

TIA standardization activities include mobile and fixed communications for land-based and satellite systems, user premises telephone equipment and requirements, fiber optic systems and equipment, and voice and data transmission equipment, interfaces, and systems.



Aug. 27, 2001

ASA Kit Helps Subcontractors Fight Rising Insurance Costs

Have your company’s insurance premiums gone up even though your losses don’t justify it? There can be many reasons for such increases, but according to the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), Alexandria, Va., one major reason for spiraling insurance costs is often overlooked: risk transfer.

When specialty contractors sign construction subcontracts and insurance policies without knowing how to negotiate a balanced allocation of risk, the financial consequences can be enormous. Realizing this is a problem for subcontractors, ASA developed the Risk Transfer Management Kit: A Guide for Dealing with Insurance and the Risk Allocation Dilemma. The kit includes a 50-minute video on "Contractual Risk Transfer: Beyond the Basics for Subcontractors," presented by Richard Usher, CEO and managing member of Hill & Usher Insurance & Surety, Phoenix, Ariz., and a 70-page manual, which explains the "ins-and-outs" of complex insurance and contract issues.

The manual and video outline the three main ways project-related risks are inappropriately transferred to subcontractors: contractual indemnity, "additional insured" insurance clauses, and waivers of subrogation. Taken together, these three risk transfer devices account for billions of dollars of claims against subcontractors’ insurers annually. According to ASA, subcontractors end up bearing the costs through higher insurance premiums, deductibles, and sometimes inability to obtain coverage.

For additional resources on risk transfer, visit www.asaonline.com. To order the kit, call Specialty Contractor Press at (800) 221-0415 or visit www.contractorpress.com.



Aug. 27, 2001

Sure Power Partners With Trane

A provider of reliable, onsite electricity generation systems, Sure Power Corp., Danbury, Conn., recently entered into a strategic alliance with Trane, the nation's largest provider of applied commercial and industrial air conditioning systems, equipment, controls, service, and parts.

As a result of this partnership, Trane will provide HVAC systems for Sure Power's patent-pending systems. Together, the companies will enable energy-dependent businesses (including data centers, high-tech manufacturers, and utilities) to install independent, high-reliability, primary-power sources.

According to Sure Power, the power used by equipment in high-tech facilities creates as much as 100W of by-product energy per square-foot. Since this excess heat cannot escape the box, an appropriate cooling system is required to prevent temperatures from reaching heights that can destroy high-tech components and force systems to shut down. By combining the Sure Power and Trane systems, businesses can provide a constant supply of uninterruptible, computer-grade, onsite power with built-in cooling.



Aug. 27, 2001

Hubbell Lighting Expands Web Site

Hubbell Lighting, Christiansburg, Va., recently launched a newly expanded website at www.hubbell-ltg.com. The site now makes it easy to locate product information and important specification data on both lighting and other platform brands, including Devine Lighting, Sterner, Security Lighting, Sportsliter Solutions, and Hubbell Entertainment, Inc.

New site features include: product spotlight section (outlining applications and specifications, literature, certification, and FAQs); technical documentation, including instruction sheets, application and troubleshooting guides, and product certifications; distributor and representative locations; Online Help Desk for customer and technical service, software, and training; industry links; a redesigned Literature Request Form; and the ability to view the company’s promotional merchandise catalog.



Aug. 24, 2001

MagneTek Lighting Products Becomes Universal Lighting Technologies

After being acquired by Littlejohn & Co., LLC, a private investment organization, MagneTek Lighting Products has changed its name to Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc. Under the new arrangement, Universal Lighting Technologies is better positioned to provide its high-quality comprehensive line of ballasts for specification and lighting design applications.

For more information, visit www.universalballast.com.



Aug. 24, 2001

Siemens First to Operate HTS Motor in Europe

Siemens recently became the first manufacturer in Europe to start up a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) motor at its Research Center in Erlangen, Germany. Sponsored by the Federal German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), this project involves testing high-temperature superconduction technology with a trial motor. The rotor (with superconducting coils) is mounted in a motor housing with an air-gap stator winding. Then, it is cooled in a closed circuit system. During experimental operation in motor and generator modes, the trial motor reached a continuous power output of 400kW, which is equivalent to about 550 hp.

Why commercialize this technology? According to American Superconductor, Westborough, Mass., high-temperature superconductors can carry high-density current with virtually no loss. Power output is more than double that of conventional motors of similar size with copper windings, while losses are halved. Suitable applications for the compact, superconductor motor include those calling for space- and energy-saving machines, such as ships or oil platforms. The technology is also suitable for gas turbines, making it possible to build extremely high-speed generators, which can be coupled directly to a turbine without the need for a gear box. Below the transition temperature, the electrical resistance of superconducting materials disappears. Until now, it has been necessary to reduce temperatures to –273°C, just above absolute zero, to obtain the superconducting effect. This required the use of liquid helium, which is very time-consuming and costly.

With high-temperature superconductors, electrical resistance disappears at around –190°C. This enables virtually loss-free current conduction with a considerably lower line diameter, greater efficiency, and higher magnetic field strength.

According to American Superconductor, Siemens’ progress on HTS motors is good news for the industry. Along with the 1,600 hp HTS motor demonstrated by Rockwell and American Superconductor last year, and the 5,000 hp HTS motor demonstrated by AMSC in July, it points to the momentum developing in the creation of a market for HTS motors and generators and HTS wire sales.



Aug. 24, 2001

Load Logic Unveils Energy-Reducing Motor Control

Michigan-based Load Logic, Inc. recently developed a microprocessor-based energy control unit that reduces the voltage and current profile in many 3-phase motors to a minimum. Based on NASA technology, this product is especially effective on motors that run continuously and have intermittent loads, including air conditioning systems, injection molding equipment, stamping or punch presses, escalators, air compressors, and refrigeration systems.

How does it work? By sensing when a motors is not operating at full load, the unit automatically reduces the energy to the specific amount required by the motor at that time. When the load increases, the voltage is instantly increased to adjust to the motor’s energy requirement.

“This is a truly unique technology that we believe has unlimited potential. We’ve measured kilowatt-hour savings that range from 5% to more than 10%,” says Tom Anton, president of Load Logic. “This could mean significant’ savings in energy costs over time with the product literally paying for itself in a very short period of time.”



Aug. 24, 2001

Alpha Wire Web Site Speeds Online Ordering

Alpha Wire Co., a leading provider of wire, cable, and tubing solutions for advanced electronic applications, recently updated its Web site, www.alphawire.com, focusing on quick access to the company’s online Master Catalog. By eliminating repetitive clicking, the revamped site is cleaner, faster, and easier to use.

With Alpha’s Stock Check feature, visitors can search the inventory of participating distributors for a specific Alpha product—online in real time. After entering a part number, customers can quickly find all participating Alpha Wire distributors who have that part in stock as well as how many units are available. Then, they can select a distributor and link directly to the site for ordering.



Aug. 24, 2001

Del City Launches New Web Site

At Del City’s new Web site, www.delcity.net, you can purchase more than 2500 products securely online. New features of the site include: a new search feature, monthly discount promotions, and product information (including PDFs of new product flyers). You can also track your order using invoice number, request a free catalog, subscribe to future e-mail offers, submit your specifications for a free estimate on custom products, view all recent press releases, track your order using invoice number, and apply for credit.



Aug. 22, 2001

Copper Development Association Supports NEMA Motor Program

The Copper Development Association (CDA) recently announced its support of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association NEMA Premium Efficient Motor Program, a set of national electric motor efficiency standards projected to save more than 5800GWh of electricity and prevent the release of almost 80 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere over the next 10 years. The standards are generally 1% to 2% stronger than minimum federal standards set by the Energy Policy Act of 1992.

According to David Brender, CDA National Program Manager, electric motor-driven systems consume more than 60% of all industrial electricity generated in the United States each year. “With so much at stake, this program not only brings this urgent message to the industrial community, but offers real solutions at a time when electricity consumption and generation are critical issues impacting production and profitability,” he says.

Brender also points outs that the average electric motor can cost up to 25 times its purchase price in operating costs over just one year. “With electric rates rising across the country, and peak prices several times the average, the benefits of higher efficiency motors have never been clearer,” he says. “These motors incorporate a complement of premium materials that enable them to run cooler, last longer, and perform more efficiently.”

Products equipped with motors that meet or exceed the new specifications can bear the NEMA Premium label. For more information on the Copper Development Association and the role of copper in electric motors, visit www.copper.org.



Aug. 22, 2001

IEC 2001 Expo to Focus on “Building the Team”

Independent electrical contractors and industry professionals from across the country are expected to turn out in record numbers for the IEC’s 44th Annual National Convention & Exposition to be held Oct. 1-4 in Las Vegas at the Rio All-Suites Casino.

“We are looking forward to the largest gathering of merit shop contractors in IEC’s history,” says Jim Thurman, IEC’s national president. “I hope all IEC members will look on attending this meeting as an important investment in both their business and personal lives.”

According to Thurman, this year’s convention, which centers around the theme “Building the Team,” promises something for everyone. Attendees can learn the latest from the VDV market, get fresh ideas on how to improve their bottom line, meet top electrical and communications contractors, and learn how the association is changing to meet members’ needs.

A few of the educational seminars featured at the convention include: "How to Attract and Keep the Workers and Managers You Need," "People Skills to Increase Workforce Productivity," "Increase Profitability - Marketing for Today's Electrical Contractor," "Managing Your Cash Flow for Improved Profitability," and "Keys to Successful Project Management."

The IEC Expo 2001 will be held in conjunction with IEC Convention at the Rio Pavilion at the Rio Suite Hotel & Casino on Oct. 2. More than 2,000 attendees are expected to visit the exposition that will feature more than 100 exhibitors.

For more information, contact Larry Mullins at (703) 549-7351 or visit www.ieci.org.



Aug. 22, 2001

NEMA Promotes Energy Efficient Products

Citing a recent study in the trade journal Energy User News, National Electrical Manufacturers (NEMA) President Malcolm O’Hagan recently told the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources energy efficient products and systems could reduce energy costs by 40% and save businesses $28 billion per year. Industry experts estimate that the energy needed to run buildings in the United States costs about $70 billion a year.

“A comprehensive electrical energy policy should rely on affordable, proven technology to address energy supply and demand,” O’Hagan told the committee. “It is critical to understand that energy efficiency and conservation do not mean sacrifice and reduced access, but rather doing more with existing capacity by achieving reduction in energy usage through the use of more efficient products and systems."

O’Hagan was in Washington, D.C., encouraging the committee to promote facility upgrades to systems like lighting, HVAC, and building automation that could, according to the study, save businesses between $1.00 and $1.50 per sq ft of floor space. O’Hagan said businesses who employ these systems could see a return on investment immediately and energy savings lasting the life of the products, usually 10 yr to 20 yr.



Aug. 22, 2001

Free Online Job Listings for Fiber Optic Industry

The Fiber Optic Association (FOA), a Boston-based society for professionals working in the fiber optic industry, recently unveiled a free job listing service. Companies recruiting for positions can post jobs on the FOA website at www.TheFOA.org.

Available to the public (not just FOA members), the listings include hundreds of jobs in R&D, manufacturing, installation, sales, and marketing. Founded in 1995 as a non-profit organization, FOA has more than 7,000 members, of which more than 5,000 have completed requirements for the CFOT (Certified Fiber Optic Technician) certification and advanced certifications.



Aug. 20, 2001

Subcontractors Win Right to Sue for Delay Damages

Nearly three months after filing a “friends of the court” brief with the Appellate Division of the state of New York, the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) won its appeal of the state’s decision to deny subcontractors the right to sue for delay damages. The decision of the appeals court makes it more likely that subcontractors will be fairly compensated for owner-caused delays on a project.

The ASA was appealing the earlier trial court’s decision to deny general and subcontractors the ability to change “no damage for delay” clauses without owner approval. After that decision, subcontractors had no recourse for recouping profits lost as a result of delays caused by the owner. The appellate court reversed the decision and ruled that the general contract language, which required owner "approval of the Subcontractor and the form of the Subcontract," only gave the owner the right to pre-approve subcontractors, and not to pre-approve particular terms of any and all agreements between the general contractor and a subcontractor, such as "no damage for delay" terms or liquidating agreements.



Aug. 20, 2001

EPA to Employ Renewable Energy for Research Facilities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is putting its own energy use under the microscope, announcing Friday that it will power three of its research facilities in Cincinnati with 100% renewable energy sources. The EPA will receive 15,560,000 kWh of power annually over the next three years from Community Energy, Inc., a renewable energy marketing company. Community Energy will be supplying New Wind Power to the EPA from Exelon Power Team, Mill Run, Pa. The agency will also be receiving landfill gas energy from ComEd, a northern Illinois subsidiary of Community Energy.

"The Bush Administration has asked the government to be the first to conserve energy," says EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. "These purchases represent a creative and innovative approach to help solve our nation's energy crisis, while achieving tremendous environmental benefits and charting the way for the emerging green power market."

With the move to wind and biomass energy, the EPA claims it will be able to reduce its annual carbon dioxide emissions by 16,000 tons, nitrous oxide emissions by 112,000 lbs, and sulfur dioxide emissions by 246,000 lbs. The contract in Cincinnati is only the first step, however. The agency plans to receive 9% of electricity from green sources for facilities located in Richmond, Calif., Golden, Colo., Chelmsford, Mass., Manchester, Wash., and Cincinnati, Ohio by 2002.



Aug. 20, 2001

Konnext Connects with Sauro

Connector and cabling manufacturer Konnext, Inc., Hudson, Mass., recently partnered with Largo, Fla.-based Sauro USA, a manufacturer of European-style terminal blocks for discrete wire-to-board interconnection. Under this arrangement, Konnext will provide technical support, sales, and marketing for Sauro products.

Konnext manufactures micro-miniature ESD shunting connectors, power shunting barrier blocks, cables and cabling, printed circuit board based interfaces and interface modules and accessories, terminal blocks, and standard and custom connectors. Sauro offers fixed and pluggable rising cage clamp blocks in 2.54mm (0.100 in.) to 10.16mm (0.400 in.) spacings that provide wire termination for dry circuit to 32A 750VAC power circuits.

The partnership allows Konnext, Inc. to provide another high-end interconnection technology to solve its customers many interconnection challenges.



Aug. 20, 2001

TIA Announces New Optical Cable Standard

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), Arlington, Va., has published a new standard, FOTP -171, "Attenuation by Substitution Measurement for Short-Length Multimode Graded-Index and Single Mode Optical Fiber Cable Assemblies," TIA/EIA-455-171A.

The document upgrades and revises TIA/EIA-455-171. FOTP-171 describes procedures for measuring the attenuation by substitution of short length multimode graded index and single-mode optical fiber cable assemblies. These tests are primarily used for multimode cables of 100 m or less in length and for single-mode cables of any length. The document focuses on connector loss; fiber loss usually represents only a small portion of the total loss. The FOTP contains twelve methods for testing connectorized cable assemblies.

TIA/EIA-455-171A was created by TIA FO-6.3 Subcommittee on Fiber Optic Interconnecting Devices. To obtain copies of the document, contact Global Engineering Documents at (800) 854-7179 or visit http://global.ihs.com.



Aug. 20, 2001

Reliabilityweb.com’s Top 50 Maintenance Web Sites Now on CD-ROM

A free industrial review Web site for the plant reliability industry, Reliabilityweb.com, Fort Myers, Fla., recently unveiled its “Top 50 Reliability and Maintenance Web Sites” on interactive CD-ROM. Featuring sites from the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom, the CD-ROM offers a guided and narrated tour of the best features of each Web site through the use of hyperlinks that work with an Internet browser while you’re online.

"We wanted a way to acknowledge web sites that teach without asking for anything in return," says Terrence O'Hanlon, the executive producer of the program. "The Internet is being used more frequently for research, and these sites are all performing a valuable service."

The CD-ROM is available for $49 and offers a 30-day total satisfaction guarantee. For more information or to order, call (941) 985-0317, fax (941) 985-0318, or visit www.reliabilityweb.com.

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