Heat transfer coefficient. A measure of the heat transmissivity of a particular insulation medium or combination of media. More specifically, the heat that is lost (or gained) through a unit area of the insulation medium per degree of temperature differen...

U-shaped fluorescent lamps with leg spacings of three or six inches to permit two or three lamps per 2" x 2" fixture. The characteristics of these lamps (lumen output, efficiency and CRI) are in general the same as the characteristics of their four rapid-...

A 3/4-inch videotape format for recording and playing back video information....

See Uniform Building Code. ...

See Underfloor Air Distribution...

See Ultra-Low Particulate Air Filter. ...

An air filter medium used in cleanroom applications to filter out particles as small as 0.125 micron at 99.9995 percent efficiency. See also HEPA Filter....

A water purification process in which water flows tangentially across a semipermeable membrane having a highly asymmetric pore structure. The membrane is tight enough to filter contaminants and macromolecules while allowing water to pass through....

Electronic motion sensing devices that are either wall- or post-mounted on the exterior of the building and around maximum-containment areas within the building. Unauthorized motion will initiate an alarm signal at the facility's guard station that indica...

Sensors that use sound triggers to turn on the lights when someone walks into the room. See also Occupancy Sensors. ...

A biopsy procedure that uses an ultrasound imaging device to find an abnormal area of tissue and guide its removal for examination under a microscope. ...

Photochemical oxidation. A water purification process using extremely short wavelength light that can kill microorganisms (disinfection) or cleave organic molecules (photo oxidation), rendering them polarized or ionized and, therefore, more easily filtere...

Radiation from the sun that can be useful or potentially harmful. UV rays from one part of the spectrum (UV-A) enhance plant life and are useful in some medical and dental procedures; UV rays from other parts of the spectrum (UV-B) can cause skin cancer o...

An enclosure for vertical electrical and utility drops from a ceiling to benchtops in labs. Umbilicals are removable shrouds, usually thin rectangular metal casings, used to dress up the vertical utility and electrical distribution links....

A technology that uses the underfloor plenum below a raised floor system to deliver space conditioning....

Floor ducts that are structurally part of the building and are used to separate and distribute wire and cabling to individual workstations throughout a floor area. See also Cellular Raceway and Metal Raceway....

A non-profit organization maintained in the interest of insurance companies to determine the fire resistance of various materials....

An animal with split hooves (rather than a single hoof)....

The model code of building and construction standards published by the International Conference of Building Officials. The UBC is generally adopted and enforced by municipalities in states west of the Mississippi....

A set of regulations for the use of solar energy in plumbing and mechanical systems in the United States. Covers definitions, materials, and methods of construction, piping, joints and connections, collectors, storage tanks, and insulation requirements. ...

An electrical power system for a building or an area within a building in which incoming AC power is converted to DC power, stored in batteries and then converted back to AC electrical power to supply building equipment. In the event of an external power ...

A small, self-contained air conditioner that has a reversing valve to change the direction of flow of the refrigerant and thereby heat or cool recirculated air....

An earth station that transmits a signal to a communications satellite....

See Uninterrupted Power Supply...

A crystallizable enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide, is present in the alkaline fermentation of urine, and is produced by many bacteria and found in various seeds....

An acronym derived from "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism," it constitutes a larger "umbrella act" by Congress to implement a wide range of federal mandates in response to the Se...

An amount used in estimating indirect-cost reimbursements of university facilities. It is determined not only by the amount a university spends in non-federal funds to build a new facility, but also by the cost of sustaining existing buildings. The curren...

Used with the phrase "plug and play." The facility design that allows the end user to reconfigure their own workspace. Reconfigurable layouts incorporate modules, open/closed offices, movable walls, re-locatable floor diffusers and task lights, and pop-up...

The people who occupy a building. At the earliest stages of planning a project, make sure who they are and what they want. There is nothing as unsettling and costly as getting new basic data from a previously unknown source during the advance stages of de...

A corridor used for utilities distribution and materials handling to labs and personnel circulation....

The ratio of net square feet to gross square feet of a facility (expressed as a percentage) is a measure of space utilization efficiency. In office buildings, the utilization efficiency is about 75 percent. In research and development facilities the ratio...