Four double deck high-speed elevators from ThyssenKrupp Elevator installed in the 492-meter-tall Shanghai World Financial Center have received the VDI 4707 energy efficiency class A rating. The certification audit carried out by TUV Rheinland. Energy generated when the cabs are braked is converted into electricity and fed back into the supply grid, the company said.
The European Parliament voted for nearly phosphorus-free washings powders and dish detergents. Beginning in June 2013 a standard dose of washing powder must not contain more than 0.5 grams of phosphorus. Dishwasher detergents will be limited to 0.3 grams by January 2017. The vote must pass through the Council before becoming EU law.
FT Pipeline Systems, a supplier of steel pipes and pipe accessories to UK construction and water industries, has achieved re-certification to all three industry standards ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 following a relocation of facilities over the past year, the company said.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients' fertilizer manufacturing plant in New Zealand has gained the ISO 14001 environmental certification from independent auditors Verification New Zealand. Ballance Agri-Nutrients said it wanted to demonstrate its green credentials to its customers – farmers who also need to pay attention to their environmental impact, writes the Southland Times.
ASTM International has proposed a new standard to evaluate building materials and assemblies for use in below-base flood elevation construction. ASTM WK35237, Practice for Determining the Flood Damage Resistance Rating of Materials and Assemblies will establish methods for determining flood damage resistance ratings of materials and assemblies in accordance with the National Flood Insurance Program's requirements for flood-damage resistance.
Basel Action Network has certified Minnesota-based asset disposition business MPC with the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Reuse & Recycling of Electronics Equipment, The company is now recognized as compliant with electronic waste management standards including proper health and safety processes, no land-filling of toxic wastes, and the protection of data-sensitive material, MPC said.
UC Irvine announces that its new Humanities Gateway building has been awarded LEED Platinum certification, the California campus' first platinum designation. The 71,300-square-foot facility features ultra-low energy use, high-efficiency elevators, waste recycling, reflective coatings on the roof, and outdoor views from 90 percent of the occupied space.
GE announced that its Becker Emergency Shutdown Valve (ESD) has received the IEC 61508 Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL 3). The valve is designed to provide functional safety to energy delivery and production equipment to pipeline operators in the oil and gas, petrochemical and other process industries. Third-party assessor Exida performed the review for the SIL 3 certification.