Window cleaning at the world's tallest building

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — As the world's tallest and arguably most impressive building, the Burj Khalifa has some unique requirements regarding cleaning and maintenance, notably to the windows that make the structure glisten to the Gods, according to the Gulf News.

To date, the 23,000 glass panels that make up the Burj Khalifa's exterior have only been cleaned by rope access, but 18 building maintenance units (BMUs) with specified cleaning ranges have been installed that allow workers easy maneuverability to clean the building's exterior, the story stated.

According to the story, under normal weather conditions, with all 18 BMUs in operation and 36 men manning the machines, the entire facade of the Burj Khalifa will take approximately two to three months to clean.

Theo van der Linde, operations manager at Cox Gomyl, manufacturer of the Burj Khalifa's BMUs, said: "The cleaning cycle is influenced by weather conditions; if we have a dust storm the windows will need to be cleaned more often; if we have a lot of rain the cleaning will be much faster. The normal cleaning cycle is four cycles per annum, always starting from the top going down to prevent dirty water from falling on clean windows. Also, during the summer, the windows become very hot so once water is applied to the glass it evaporates immediately. The cleaning cycle should follow the shaded area of the building. The BMUs, which took almost a year to install, had to be designed to operate in extreme conditions. Factors that had to be taken into account were wind speeds, movement of the building and extremely tight tolerances. The cleaning cycle also had to be taken into account given the size of the building."

According to the article, Megarme, a rope cleaning specialist contractor, is currently trying to secure the facade cleaning and maintenance contract at the 160-story Burj Khalifa.

All cleaning and maintenance workers are fully trained to meet Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) requirements and are then assessed, registered to an appropriate skill level and qualification and required to refresh their training at least once every three years, the story noted.

Because of the extreme threat from the sun, the work is planned around the positioning of the sun by using the natural shade of surrounding buildings, the story added.

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The USGBC approves 11 new online LEED preparation courses

TAMPA, FL — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently approved 11 new online Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exam preparation courses offered by RedVector Inc., according to a press release.

The new interactive offerings add 34 course hours to RedVector's industry-leading 95 USGBC-approved course hours, the release stated.

The new courses are ideal for LEED and Green Associate (LEED-GA) exam preparation, and for fulfilling the Continuing Maintenance (CM) requirement that will go into effect in mid-2010 for all LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED-AP) and Green Associates, the release noted.

Ryan Sparks, vice president of content for RedVector, said: "When RedVector joined the USGBC in January of 2009, we pledged to support the organization's initiatives and their goal to drive green market transformation through quality education. Since then, we've had the honor of becoming a USGBC-registered provider and have introduced industry-leading green online education exclusives in conjunction with the University of Tennessee's College of Architecture and Design."

Some of the newly approved courses include "Green Building: Commercial High-performance Guidelines," "Solar Electric Generation: Technologies," and "Biofilters: A Natural Approach to Storm Water Pollutant Removal," the release added.

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Oregon Contractor on trial over asbestos-related charges

SWEET HOME, OR — The owner of Western States Land Reliance Trust will see his asbestos case continue into 2010 after a judge decided to reconvene the hearings January 11, 2010, according to Business & Finance News.

Dan Desler and his company have been charged with crimes related to asbestos air pollution that resulted in fines of $192,343 by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the story stated.

According to the story, Desler was arrested in April on multiple felony air pollution charges stemming from his alleged mishandling of asbestos-related material.

Desler, who faces seven counts of first-degree air pollution, must also answer to three counts of second-degree air pollution, supplying false information and reckless endangerment, the story noted.

Desler, who claims innocence, was performing work on a site, but stopped work in 2007 after the 153-acre property was found to contain asbestos, the story added.

According to the article, Desler immediately stopped work once the asbestos was discovered, but left 4 million pounds of asbestos-tainted debris, which was later cleaned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at an approximate cost of $1.1 million, uncovered on the site.

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Washington Transit Authority set to spend $7.5 million cleaning transit stations

WASHINGTON — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority plans to spend $7.5 million to clean roughly half its stations between January 2010 and June 2011, according to the Washington Business Journal.

Most of the deep cleaning will be performed at night after services are suspended; it will take 20-90 days to completely clean each station, the story stated.

According to the story, the 42-station project will be divided into two stages, with the first round of cleaning slated to occur from January to June 2010.

Paul Gillum, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's director of plant maintenance, said: "Because of the work involved, all station cleaning activities occur in the middle of the night when the system closes and this allows us to conduct a full press on that station. Our dedicated employees take tremendous pride in restoring our train stations to like-new conditions and the work involved is meticulous because of what needs to be done."

The plans include pressure washing and painting ceilings and walls, refinishing station platforms and performing various other cleaning and maintenance tasks, the story noted.

Since the implementation of a station enhancement program in April 1991, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has deep cleaned each of its stations every four years, the story added.

To view the complete list of stations to be cleaned, click here.

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Court in Pnnsylvania says no to protecting janitors' jobs

PITTSBURGH — In a 6-1 decision written by Justice Jane Cutler Greenspan, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a Pittsburgh ordinance designed to protect janitors from losing their jobs in downtown office buildings violates Home Rule law, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Since the Pittsburgh City Council enacted an ordinace in 2004, building owners of facilities with more than 100,000 square feet of floor space, if switching security, janitorial, maintenance, stationary engineering or window washing contractors, must have the new firm hire the old firm's workers.

According to the story, if there are too many workers, some can be let go in order of seniority or fired for just cause; otherwise, they can't be fired or laid off for 180 days.

Several building managers challenged the law in the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court and the Commonwealth Court, claiming that it violated their right to contract, the story stated.

Although Pennsylvania state law prohibits municipalities from placing requirements on businesses, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to review the case, the story noted.

Justice Jane Cutler Greenspan said: "By requiring employers to retain certain employees for approximately half a year, the ordinance exemplifies the very essence of the invasive regulations that Home Rule is designed to prevent and, indeed, strictly prohibits."

With the passing of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decission, janitors working in downtown Pittsburgh office buildings have few protections from losing their jobs if service providers are changed, the story added.

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Hamilton College receives LEED certification at the Gold level

CLINTON, NY — Hamilton College was recently awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the Gold level for its renovation of the 40-year-old Kirner-Johnson building, according to the Oneida Daily Dispatch.

It is Hamilton College's policy to build all new structures to LEED standards, regardless of whether or not the college decides to seek actual certification, a timely and costly process, the story stated.

Hamilton College has purchased renewable energy certificates for this coming fiscal year that include 100 percent renewable energy to be used in the Kirner-Johnson building, the story noted.

According to the story, by purchasing "green" power, Hamilton College is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Partnership.

Economics Professor Paul Hagstrom said: "As the users of Kirner-Johnson, we appreciate that, along with the function and aesthetics of the space, the college was dedicated to incorporating sustainable design."

Thanks to environmentally preferable upgrades, the Kirner-Johnson building will operate with a 25-28 percent reduction in energy usage, the story added.

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The EPA fines the University of Florida $175,000

GAINESVILLE, FL — The University of Florida has agreed to pay a $175,000 fine to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for alleged environmental violations that include illegally disposing of hundreds of gallons of a toxic chemical on campus for nearly two decades, according to the Gainesville Sun.

Tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, which the University of Florida has ceased using, is a solvent used to clean lawn mowers and weed eaters, the story stated.

According to the story, although concentrations of the chemical 25 times above the level allowed by the EPA were found in the surrounding soil and groundwater, EPA officials say the level of contamination is low and the risk of human exposure is minimal.

During an unannounced EPA inspection in March 2008, inspectors found that University of Florida employees were spraying lawn equipment with a degreasing agent that was allowed to dry and then washed off with a hose, releasing some potentially harmful contaminants into the local environment, the story noted.

Bill Properzio, director of the University of Florida's Environmental Health and Safety Department, said: "I guess the assumption had been made that if you followed the manufacturer's instructions, you were OK."

According to the article, the University of Florida used between 275 and 412.5 gallons of the chemical over an 18-year period dating back to 1990.

Since the inspection, the University of Florida has spent roughly $67,000 determining the level of contamination, and once testing is complete and a cleanup plan is in place, the university will be required to pay for its implementation, the story added.

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