2005 May

KATHRYN BOURKE and MIKE CLIFT discuss whole-life costing against the background of pressure from the Government for public-sector procurement to be based on this philosphy.

Multi service chilled beams can accelerate installation times, save energy and reduce maintenance, thereby dramatically cutting the whole life cost of an air conditioning system. GUY HUTCHINS explains.

Following a 43% reduction in energy used by fans in air-handling systems in Tesco stores in the south of England, the retrofitting of inverter drives in over 350 larger stores is nearing completion.

Strict planning constraints imposed by Westminster City Council for the InterContinental Hotel at Hyde Park Corner in London led to the installation of three large Daikin air-cooled chillers as part of a major services and upgrade programme. Supplied by Space Airconditioning, each EUWA 200MZ chiller has a cooling capacity of 575 kW. Their screw compressors will require overhauling only after about 4 1/2 years’ operation.

A networked smoke-ventilation system for the tallest residential building in the north-west of England has been designed and installed by SE Controls. Beetham Tower on Liverpool’s changing waterfront is a 29-storey building. It includes a 133-apartment block, a 4/5-star Radisson SAS hotel and a new office block.

The 40 000th person to be issued with an Engineering Services SKILLcard is a service and maintenance engineer with Johnson Controls at South Queensferry in Scotland. George Bridges was presented with his card by Mike Taylor, president of the Heating & Ventilating Contractors’ Association.

OCS Technical has acquired Building Environmental Services (BES) in a deal that will strengthen and consolidate OCS Technical’s share of the market in mechanical and electrical engineering. The expertise of OCS Technical includes maintenance, design and installation.

Airedale International has been acquired by Modine Manufacturing of the United Stares for around $38 million in cash. The purchase price is described by Modine as a ‘highly competitive 6.5 times Airedale’s 2004 normalised EBITDA’ [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation]. Airedale’s financial position is described as ‘debt-free with strong balance sheet’.

Following a 10-week trial at Preston Crown Court, the jury failed to reach a verdict on seven charges of manslaughter against Gillian Beckingham caused by the outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in July and August 2002.

In our personal life, rather than our working life, few people buy anything on the basis of lowest price. CIBSE’s new president Donald Leeper neatly encapsulates the issue in his presidential address when he asserts that few of us use lowest price to decide which garage will service our car, let alone which surgeon will operate on our children.

Finding and recruiting the right staff is a problem in any industry — and one that particularly besets the building-services industry with its skills shortages and skills gaps. Ultimately, of course, the long-term solution is to attract more people into the industry and to develop training programmes that are in keeping with the needs of both employers and their staff.

MIKE DUGGAN explains why guidance is needed on the Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment Directive and where you can find it.

As the power of computing equipment grows, so too does its power density. The consequence is that the capabilities of computer-room air conditioning are reaching their limits.

Three new Armstrong end-suction fire pumps have received LPCB/BRE approval. All have been specifically designed to comply with the LPC Technical Bulletin for ESFR installations.

A multi-stage water-booster pump unit supplied by KSB to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, provides domestic hot water to showers in the sports pavilion at the college.

One of the key products in the newly defined range of pumps from Armstrong Holden Brooke Pullen is the Series 4300 vertical inline pump, fitted with suction guide and Flo-Trex valve. Key features are described as better life-cycle value, faster installation and easier maintenance. Flow rates are in excess of 630 l/s. Traditional base-mounted end-suction pumps are said to require up to three times more floor space than the Series 4300 equivalent, with extra time and cost incurred to create the inertia base.

Hamworthy Heating has launched a range of Biral pumps using permanent magnets. The P range of pumps is said to achieve energy savings of 30% at full load and up to 60% at part load. This feature makes them particularly for boilers and systems that modulate, have weather compensation, or condensing boilers.

AquaTech has launched the first generation of its 2020plus micro-processor for controlling variable-speed pumps. The software is sufficiently adaptive to be used with stand-alone inverter drives, panel-mounted drives and the latest motor units with integral inverters. Users thus have complete flexibility and preference for choosing drive and pump manufacturers.

With widespread reduction in mains water pressure, the demand for pressure boosting is increasing. PETER REYNOLDS explores the issues involved.

Sophisticated lighting technology for multi-service chilled beams installed throughout BT’s new Internet Protocol Management Centre building at Adastral Park, Martlesham, was designed and made by Cooper Lighting & Security. This is believed to be the first time that such sophisticated lighting technology has been built into chilled beams.

The economic and effective operation of showers can be achieved using an automatic flow limiter from Arrow Valves. These devices are designed to be fitted to a standard shower hose or head to save water and energy.

A new guide to ‘Achieving whole life value in infrastructure and buildings’ could play a key role in helping the construction industry answer the challenge laid down in the National Audit Office’s report on ‘Improving public services through better construction’, published in March.

Baxi Group has outlined its commitment to launching a product based on micro CHP (combined heat and power) within the next three years.

Air conditioning to provide both heating and cooling for the new premises of the Weather Shop In Eastbourne is being provided with 30% lower power consumption than traditional system using heat-pump systems with inverter drives. They also use use the ozone-friendly refrigerant R410A.

Energy savings of more than £3000 a year are being achieved following the replacement of five shell-and-tube calorifiers at Stafford General Hospital with Spirax EasiHeat engineered systems. The work has improved the supply of hot water to the main kitchen, and further savings are expected as more calorifiers are replaced in the future.

Good energy-management practice not only reduces energy spend but also delivers buildings that are more productive to work in. IAN BUDD explains.

JOHN LANGMAID puts the concept of whole-life costing into context against other evaluation processes that need to be undertaken during the design phase of a project.

Mark Ford of Capital Air has won LG’s Love Golf tournament. He beat competitors from over 40 major air-conditioning installers in the finals in the Quinta de Lago resort in Portugal. Runner-up in a sudden-death play-off was Paul Vasconcelous of Advance Air, who edged Mike McCole of Kool-It Services into third place.

Pre-tax profits for the Grundfos Group grew by 14% in 2004 compared with the year before. Turnover exceeded £1 billion. The growth is attributed to increased sales, improved efficiencies and continuing growth in established markets such as the UK and new markets around the world.

Mace is continuing its association with the CityPoint building in London with a construction-management contract for the offices of Macquarie Bank. Mace managed the fit out of law firm Simmons & Simmons in 2000.