fire screen

engineering

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use in fireplace

  • wood-burning fireplace
    In fireplace

    The fire screen was developed early in the 19th century to prevent sparks from flying into the room, and it also has been ornamented and shaped to serve decorative as well as functional purposes.

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mechanical system, Any building service using machines. They include plumbing, elevators, escalators, and heating and air-conditioning systems. The introduction of mechanization in buildings in the early 20th century brought about major adjustments; the new equipment demanded floor space, and the design team began to include electrical and HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning) engineers. Heating and cooling changed dramatically. Modern buildings, with their large heat gains, turned central heating into little more than a supplement. Heat removal is a much more serious burden, especially in warm weather. The roofs of high-rises are occupied by cooling towers and mechanical penthouses; entire floors are often dedicated to the containment of blowers, compressors, water chillers, boilers, pumps, and generators.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.