NEWSLETTER

About Your SpecLink & PerSpective Updates

SpecLink+ Statistics:

• 612 sections total, 242 updated or new (40%)
• 3 new non-proprietary sections
• 518 non-proprietary sections, 228 updated or new (44%)
• 94 proprietary sections, 14 updated (15%)
• 35 sections with built-in checklists
• 100,091 paragraphs
• 109,655 internal links (targets and consequences)
• 23,651 notes to specifier
• 10,062 notes with live hyperlinks to Internet web pages
• 2,121 external documents referenced, 19% verified, with live hyperlinks to order information
• 950 ASTMs referenced, 31% revised
• 1,171 other documents referenced, 99% verified last quarter
• 184 standards organizations referenced
• 2,318 manufacturer listings, with live hyperlinks to their web sites.
• 924 unique manufacturers listed in 360 non-proprietary sections

PerSpective Short Form Statistics:

• 16 sections corresponding to MasterFormat 1995 divisions
• 8 sections updated (50%)
• 8,301 paragraphs
• 8,862 internal links (targets and consequences)
• 819 notes to specifier
• 362 external documents referenced, 38% verified
• 225 ASTMs referenced
• 43 standards organizations referenced

PerSpective Performance Statistics:

• 161 sections, 23 updated (14%)
• 17,375 paragraphs
• 21,795 internal links (targets and consequences)
• 3,877 notes to specifier, 602 with live hyperlinks
• 186 external documents referenced, 74% verified, with live hyperlinks to order information
• 49 ASTMs referenced
• 39 standards organizations referenced

New SpecLink Sections

08 4243 (08343) - ICU/CCU Entrances:

Sliding/swinging doors, for visual observation and noise sound reduction, but swinging clear for moving beds and equipment. Sliding ICU/CCU doors are typically manually operated versions of sliding automatic doors

These doors are typically specified for hospitals and other medical facilities where emergency egress is needed. This section covers full breakaway, partial breakaway, and bifolding doors. Major factors include how much of a clear opening is needed and whether floor tracks will be permitted or not. Floor tracks are a big issue with these doors for two reasons: 1) cleanliness in the hospital, and 2) bumping patients over the track when moving in and out. It is simply not possible to have a full breakaway sliding door without a floor track.

Both full and partial breakaway doors are pretty standardized among the manufactures. However, there are only five known manufacturers of these products in the U.S., who could change their product offering without notice, so it is imperative to verify all required characteristics with one or more of them prior to specifying.

09 3033 (09380) - Cut Stone Tile:

This section specifies stone tile for floors, walls, counters, showers, and stairs. Not to be confused with ceramic tile, cut stone tile includes marble, granite, limestone, slate, travertine, and tumbled natural stone tile for floors, walls, counters, and stair treads. Additionally this section covers setting materials, accessories, and stone sealers and polishes.

This is a proprietary section that is based on the products of the following manufacturers: Dal-Tile Corporation, Laticrete International, Inc., Schluter Systems, and StoneTech Professional, Inc. Additional manufacturers can be added to this section by editing.

Commonly used setting methods and tile types are included in this section; other setting methods and tile types can easily be edited into this text. Setting methods are referenced to Tile Council of North America (TCA) Handbook for Ceramic Tile Installation method numbers; different methods may be specified for different locations and substrates. Cleavage membrane, if used, is included in this section or specified in another section. Floor waterproofing membrane may be specified in this section or in another section. Wall dampproofing membrane is specified in this section.

Refer to the TCA Handbook for assistance in selecting adhesives, mortar beds, grouts, and installation details. A sample schedule at the end of this section will assist in preparing a schedule of materials and installation methods.

09 6223 (09644) - Bamboo Flooring:

This section is a non-proprietary specification for bamboo plank flooring made in China and its accessories.

Bamboo flooring is comprised of many small strips of bamboo glued together under high pressure to form thin veneer layers. "Engineered" bamboo flooring, which consists of a single veneer layer laminated to plywood or other backing, is not included in this section. Bamboo plank flooring is made of several layers laminated together like plywood to form boards. The boards have tongue-and-groove edges and ends just like solid hardwood plank flooring. Bamboo plank flooring is installed the same way hardwood plank flooring is -- either blind nailed or with adhesive.

All bamboo plank flooring is imported. U.S. contacts for the manufacturers are importers. Quality varies widely. No manufacturers or importers are listed in this section. For best results, use a product aimed at the commercial rather than the residential market.

This section includes an optional checklist for easy specification configuring. It also includes basic LEED information since bamboo is a rapidly renewable product.

09 6229 (09629) - Cork Flooring:

This section specifies cork tiles, including field-applied finish and optional resilient wall base.

Cork tiles are formed from composition cork -- cork granules bonded into sheets. This product may be manufactured in the U.S. but the cork is grown in Europe and North Africa.

There is currently no U.S. voluntary standard for cork floor tiles. The characteristics offered in this section are a combination of material properties published by cork tile manufacturers and performance properties that would reasonably be expected of cork tile. However, since the manufacturers have not been accustomed to addressing performance properties, they may not be willing or able to provide this detailed information about their products. Any feedback about manufacturers would be appreciated.

This section also includes a checklist and basic LEED information. Natural cork comes from the bark of cork trees, harvested approximately every nine years from carefully managed forests, enabling the cork oak tree to never be cut down. The cork granules are actually post-industrial recycled, left over from bottle stopper manufacture. Because cork tiles in most cases are not manufactured in the U.S., it may not qualify for LEED credits for regional materials.

Detailed installation instructions are also included. When installing flooring on concrete slabs, particularly slabs on grade, following the manufacturers' guidelines for moisture content of the concrete is very important. In some cases, the manufacturers simply recommend not installing their products over concrete.