Higher prices for ductwork may be inevitable — waste is not!
The rising price of steel makes waste an even greater evil than ever — Malcolm Moss.
Malcolm Moss argues that in the face of rising steel costs the right specification for ductwork is even more essential to reduce waste. Every two years ADCAS (Association of Ductwork Contractors & Allied Services) elects a new president. If nothing else this represents a biennial opportunity to assess the fortunes of the UK ductwork industry and to read the runes that point to its likely future. As the first ADCAS president from the ranks of manufacturers of ductwork components and accessories, my point of view may be slightly different to that of my predecessors. However, I think we would speak with a single voice about one problem that looms large over the near future of the industry. I mentioned ‘fortunes’, earlier and fortunes are precisely what steel suppliers are now demanding. Increases as high as £160 per tonne are being quoted on a take-it-or-leave-it, basis and we are told that there are more in the pipeline. Sources in the steel industry reveal that the mechanism driving up prices appears to be different to that which caused similar problems three to four years ago. Steel prices soared then because of demand from the Far East and from China in particular. Now China and India have reduced exports of steel and Russian prices are too high — so lack of competition means that there is no balancing force on current market prices. Fluctuations in exchange rates further exacerbate the situation, with Sterling weakening against the Euro being particularly harmful to prices. Whatever the cause, manufacturers of rectangular and spiral ductwork and components cannot absorb increased costs of this magnitude. It is likely that ductwork systems will cost substantially more.
Greater evil The rising price of steel makes waste an even greater evil than ever, and ADCAS is doing its best to minimise waste. As with so many problems, the best place to tackle waste is at the design stage. Incorrectly sizing circular ductwork costs the UK building-services industry millions of pounds a year, and ADCAS has renewed its industry-wide initiative to highlight this issue. Our members have expressed mounting concern over the return to use of sizes such as 224 and 280 mm, which were declared non-standard back in 2001. The old 180 and 224 mm sizes are also still being requested for dust- and fume-removal systems. All these sizes, along with 600 mm ducts, were supposed to be phased out as the result of an ADCAS campaign supported by all the other leading industry bodies — including BSRIA, CIBSE, HVCA and HEVAC. Even with the publication of BS/EN 1506:2007, but the problem continues. And it is a major problem, because ductwork impacts on so many aspects of the system. Cutting the number of standard duct sizes will reduce the number of ancillary components — from volume-control and fire dampers to VAV boxes and attenuators. Reducing the range of ductwork and components as required by the new BS/EN makes it possible for manufacturers to offer a good selection of standard products at competitive prices.
Campaign Our campaign is being organised by Philip Johnson, who chairs the ADCAS/HEVAC working group on spiral-duct standardisation. He is targeting everyone in the procurement chain — asking designers not to specify, manufacturers not to make and contractors not to install. We will also carry the campaign to makers of air-terminal devices — asking them not to provide grilles and diffusers to match non-standard sizes. But our hearts-and-minds approach must focus principally on the designer, for this is where the problem starts. ADCAS is talking to designers and consultants to highlight the issues. We will also be speaking to the software houses that provide design programs for building services. If they can build in simple alerts to flag up the use of non-standard sizing, the problem could be stopped before it even starts. Waste can also arise from over-specification. An example is the zinc coating of ductwork. All ductwork and components made in the UK must have a 275 g/m2 combined internal and external average coating of zinc over the steel. Other European producers can supply ducts with a thinner coating, giving them a distinct commercial advantage. We are wasting precious natural resources by insisting on relatively high levels of zinc coating when there is no need. The required level of protection is too high for ducts that will spend their life safely concealed in a ceiling void and too low for externally located ducts on a building near the sea. I believe that HVCA Specification DW144 should be amended to permit selection of zinc coating to match the actual risk of corrosion. Rationalising the amount of zinc required could offset increases in the price of steel by as much as 5%. ADCAS is also looking at the possibility of sponsoring a study into on-site productivity in our sector. More efficient installation of ductwork might not only further reduce steel waste but also lead to overall savings in time and materials. ADCAS does not operate in a vacuum. Its membership of FETA gives access to those who influence our industry through regulation and legislation. In particular we work closely with HVCA, and the relationship between the two associations is probably stronger than it has been for many years. We have many issues in common, as our recent meeting in Bradford underlined. This annual meeting between senior officials from ADCAS and the ductwork group of HVCA has become a recognised forum for key issues affecting the ductwork sector. Members of HVCA’s ductwork group naturally share our concerns about steel prices and many of the other problems facing the industry. Other items on the agenda included TM3 and the pressure-testing requirements introduced in Part L. Perhaps in time we can also persuade them to have a rethink about zinc! Finally, both associations continue the struggle against retentions. Ductwork contractors are particularly vulnerable to a system in which 2.5% or more of the payment due is with-held for a year or more. ADCAS has supported every move from within the industry to convince ministers that retention clauses should be outlawed. Malcolm Moss is president of the Association of Ductwork Contractors & Allied Services.
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