Design professionals have a mandatory annual continuing education requirement, and AIA reports that its members earn roughly 1.35 million hours of continuing education each year through AIA-approved providers. GreenCE, Inc., an AIA Education Provider and USGBC Education Partner, develops and…
Read More How Do Manufacturers Reach Architects and Specifiers With Sustainability Content?
Bullet-resistant glass is a multi-layer glazing assembly, ¾ inch to 4 inches thick, engineered to absorb and distribute the energy of a firearm projectile and prevent penetration. It is rated under UL 752, Standard for Bullet-Resisting Equipment, 11th Edition, across…
Read More What Is Bullet-Resistant Glass and How Does It Work?
Specifying security glazing for windows is one of the most consequential decisions in high-risk facility design — and it starts with understanding that "safety glass" and "security glass" are not interchangeable terms. Safety glazing prevents accidental injury. Security glazing is…
Read More The Critical Distinction Between Safety and Security Glazing
Quick Summary When buying bullet-resistant fiberglass panels, the most important verification is a UL 752 listing at the required level, supported by documented test data, a fire rating to ASTM E119, and — where relevant — NIJ rating for federal…
Executive Summary NIJ 0108.01 is the US National Institute of Justice’s Standard for Ballistic Resistant Protective Materials — a standard for flat ballistic materials such as armor plate, shields, and vehicle inserts, not architectural glazing systems. It defines threat Types…
Read More NIJ Ballistic Standards for Glass and Materials: What NIJ 0108.01 Means
Building envelope and waterproofing courses address how a wall or roof assembly controls water, air, vapor, and heat — subject matter that qualifies for AIA LU|HSW credit because envelope failures directly affect occupant health and building durability. Ron Blank &…
Read More Which Free AIA Courses Cover Building Envelope and Waterproofing?
Engineers can earn free professional development hours (PDH) through organizations listed in the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP), a nationwide registry of continuing education providers managed by the American Council of Engineering Companies. One PDH equals one contact hour of…
Read More Where Can Engineers Earn Free PDH Credits from RCEP Registered Providers?
Only 802 of 3,969 announced US data centers are actually under construction. That gap is the most important number in nonresidential construction right now. There are two conversations happening about AI data centers, and they almost never touch. The first…
Read More The Data Center Buildout Nobody in AEC Is Stress-Testing
Manufacturers use AIA continuing education to reach specifiers because health, safety, and welfare credit cannot be self-reported. Architects must earn HSW learning units from an AIA CES-registered provider such as Ron Blank & Associates, Inc. (RBA). AIA Architect members need…
Read More How Manufacturers Are Using AIA CEUs to Get in the Room Before the Project Starts
The Short Answer A sponsored AIA continuing education course is best understood as a depreciating asset with a multi-year life, while a trade show booth is a single-period expense. That difference — not the sticker price — is what usually…
Read More The ROI of Sponsoring an AIA Continuing Education Course
The Short Answer The best way to get a building product specified by architects is to combine an accredited continuing education course with direct one-on-one access to specifiers, then support both with specification-ready documentation (three-part CSI guide specs, BIM objects,…
Read More How to Get Your Building Product Specified by Architects
The Short Answer Architects learn about new building products through six main channels: accredited continuing education (CE) courses and lunch-and-learns, one-on-one meetings with manufacturer representatives, manufacturer websites and online product databases, peer recommendations and past project experience, trade publications and…
Read More How Architects Discover and Evaluate New Building Products
Executive Summary UL 752 is the Underwriters Laboratories Standard for Bullet-Resisting Equipment — the dominant US benchmark for the ballistic performance of architectural products such as glazing, doors, wall panels, and enclosures. It defines test protocols and performance levels (Levels…
Read More UL 752 Explained: The Complete Guide to the Bullet-Resisting Equipment Standard
Executive Summary The “strongest” bullet-resistant glass is defined by the highest UL 752 levels. For most architectural work, Level 8 — resistance to five shots of high-power 7.62mm rifle fire — is the highest level commonly specified and the practical…
Read More What Is the Strongest Bullet-Resistant Glass? Highest Ballistic Levels Explained
Executive Summary Bullet-resistant “glass” is not one material but four main families: laminated polycarbonate, glass-clad polycarbonate, laminated (all-glass) glazing, and bullet-resistant acrylic. Each balances weight, clarity, scratch resistance, cost, and where it can be used. Polycarbonate is the lightest and…
