So, when are we going metric?

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Author Message David Axt Posted on Friday, February 22, 2002 - 05:31 pm:    When I was in grade school in the 60's/70's we learned the metric system because, "We will all be using the Metric System by 1980." Well 1980 came and went. I have yet to do a project in metric. Didn't various branches of the federal government (GSA, NASA, NAVFAC, etc.) have mandates that all of their projects would be metric by a certain date? -David John Regener, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSI Posted on Friday, February 22, 2002 - 06:18 pm:    I've wondered about that too ... but I didn't want to get into it voluntarily. Has anyone worked out a metric conversion table to go from the Gregorian calendar to Star Dates? chewspec Posted on Friday, February 22, 2002 - 06:58 pm:    I hope metric is used after I am long gone, as I am too old to figure it out anymore. However the AIA has a document that we can use to figure most of the things out with their niffty MasterMetric publication. This document has most of the conversions that I have needed, but you still need your caculators and sometimes your math skills. The address is AIA Master Systems, Masterspec Specifications, (800) 424-5080. John Regener Posted on Saturday, February 23, 2002 - 12:23 pm:    I found this reference book on sale at the CSI website: MEASURE FOR MEASURE Richard A. Young and Thomas J. Glover SPI-02, 1999 edition, 864 pages List Price $14.95 $12.95, CSI Members $8 + shipping This book sets a new standard for accurate, user friendly conversion factor references specifically designed for engineers, scientist, teachers, construction and industry workers. http://www.csinet.org/technic/special_pubs.htm John Regener, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSI Posted on Saturday, February 23, 2002 - 12:36 pm:    I found a list of resources for metric practice on the BSD website: http://www.bsdsoftlink.com/speclink/library.htm#Metric Jo Drummond Posted on Sunday, February 24, 2002 - 07:29 pm:    I've done several metric projects for architects working for NASA, the Corps of Engineers, CalTech, et.al. Soft conversions, the kind usually used, are simple - and inaccurate. Hard conversions are difficult, and consequently, not much used. If you were a mechanic in the field, would you like a stair measurement of "7 risers at 222.74 mm"? The real problem is not in building design, it is in manufacturing the things that go into buildings. What size is a "2" by 4"? It isn't 2 by 4 and it isn't 50 x 100 mm either. The government has backed off several deadlines over the past 20 or so years, probably because of conditions like this. I recently did some work for the City of Los Angeles, which involved my becoming intimately (more than I wanted) familiar with their Division 1 documents. One of their sections, which is listed as mandatory for all projects, says that metric measurements alone shall be used. In a conference with their people, it took one sentence "You don't really want that, do you?" to eliminate the section from the documents. I don't think it's going to happen in the near future, and when it does, I think it will happen because of international compatibility needs, such that domestic manufacture is forced to change, then those of us in the archaic professions like building, will have to change too. Tracy Van Niel Posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2002 - 10:39 am:    We did an IRS building for the GSA a while back and metric measurements were required. There is a web site that will take a measurement and then convert it to just about any kind or type of measurement that you want. It's on my list of favorites ... www.convert-me.com/en/ Previously, we had someone who worked here who was originally from the Phillipines. If I needed something converted to metric, I just asked her because she was raised with that system. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 10:26 am:    To resurrect a dormant thread (rather than start a new one), does anyone know of an SI equivalent term or metric conversion for "English Perms" (for water vapor permeance, ASTM E 96)? C. R. Mudgeon Senior Member Username: c_r_mudgeon Post Number: 18 Registered: 08-2002 Posted on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 11:02 am:    And when I was in grade school, Thomas Jefferson was promoting the idea of a decimal system. In 1866, Congress approved use of the metric system, but in 1902, rejected legislation that would have required its use. Looks like we're in for a long wait... Richard Howard, AIA CSI CCS Senior Member Username: rick_howard Post Number: 18 Registered: 07-2003 Posted on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 11:03 am:    You are going to love this SI equivalent for Perms ng/Pa x s x sq. m (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 11:12 am:    Thanks. (Sorry I asked...) Joseph Berchenko (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 11:58 am:    By the way, "Perms" are a measure of vapor permeablity that in Inch-Pound is correctly described using the following units: grains/h x sq. ft. x inches Hg. To get from IP to SI equivalent, multiply IP units by 57.4525. Richard Howard is correct regarding the units used to express the SI equivalent. The Perm rating is determined at 23 deg C.