2006 April

An important step forward in reducing carbon emissions from new and existing buildings has been taken with the launch of a register for professionals trained and able to comply with the new Part L of the Building Regulations. It is run by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers and supported by the Carbon Trust.

Two-thirds of construction managers are in favour of developing nuclear energy, according to an online poll by the Chartered Institute of Building. Over 400 construction managers were polled.

Building models that incorporate design data and online collaborative management are just two ways of enabling professionals in the construction industry to work more closely together, as PETE BAXTER explains.

Addressing the issue of growing carbon-dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere is a key driver in the future design of buildings, and was a principal focus at last month’s CIBSE conference ‘Engineering the future’.*

Contractor SES has been received the Investors in People award for the seventh year running. The award recognises organisations that have improved their business and realised goals through the management and development of their people.

Advanced Ergonomic Technologies reports a 50% increase in sales for its Flexible Space Concept over the last 12 months. It comprises Hiross Flexible Space underfloor air conditioning, Nesite raised floor and Movinord full demountable partitioning.

Arsenal Football Club has appointed Hoare Lea Consulting Engineers to provide mechanical, electrical and specialist building-services design advice for the conversion of the art deco Highbury Stadium to a major mixed-use residential development.

H&V07, the national event for the H&V industry that takes place every other year, will be fully supported by three leading trade associations. FETA (Federation of Environmental Trade Associations), HVCA (Heating & Ventilating Contractors’ Association) and ICOM Energy Association (Industrial & Commercial Energy Association) have all declared their support.

Consultants White Young Green increased its order book by 27% to a record £280 million in the six months to 31 December 2005. The corresponding period for the previous year was £220 million.

Speaker after speaker at last month’s CIBSE National Conference [March 2006] stressed that global warming is a reality, illustrated by detailed figures on the relentless build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, glaciers receding, polar ice caps melting and sea levels rising. If we have been complacent hitherto, it would be even more dangerous to become bored at being constantly reminded of the threats to mankind.

Construction orders in the 12 months to January 2006 rose by 8% compared with 2004, according to figures from the Department of Trade & Industry. There was a 16% rise in orders for the three months to January compared to the same period a year earlier. Orders in the three months to January 2006 rose by 6% compared to the previous three months.

Specialist contractor Thermal Transfer has completed a £1.85 million turnkey project at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. The company’s Swindon office had total responsibility for the design, build and validation of the pharmaceutical production site (PPS) in the new £52 million pharmacy and pathology building constructed by Laing O’Rourke.

Briggs & Forrester has won a gold award in the RoSPA occupational health and safety awards for the fourth consecutive year.

The Government is to strengthen the Code for Sustainable Homes to address climate change. The announcement coincided with the approval of the new Building Regulations by ministers last month before it was laid before Parliament to come into effect on 6 April.

In its sixth season of supporting the Hawk Kawasaki Superbike team, Andrews Sykes will supporting the team throughout the British Superbike series. For the first time, the team will be running separate liveries for each bike. One will sport the Sykes Pumps logo, while the other will run under Andrews Air Conditioning colours.

Gemma Martland, a mechanical apprentice with SES, completes some final inspection checks before the installation of modular pipework systems at Bridgewater Place in central Leeds. Time savings of around 50% are being attributed to the extensive use of offsite prefabrication systems for this £11.6 million project. Modules are delivered at weekends due to the restricted access and tight storage conditions at this city-centre development.

Denco’s new headquarters and air-conditioning factory has been opened by TV personality and engineering enthusiast Johnny Ball. He is an ambassador for the Campaign to Promote Engineering and told guests that the new complex on the outskirts of Hereford gave a very positive signal about the healthy state of the air-conditioning industry.

Following its acquisition of Microflex, Watts Industries now offers the Microflex range of thermally insulated pipes.

ROBERT HUGHES explains why prefabrication is the way forward for building services and how the management of such projects is developing.

Glow-worm’s Flexicom high-efficiency condensing boilers are said to be the only condensing boilers on the market with a direct rear flue option. Combined with their compactness, this feature enables them to be installed in a kitchen cupboard.

Ideal Boilers has added two new models to its heat-only Icos HE range of high-efficiency boilers.

Heating and hot water for the club house at Romiley Golf Club near Stockport are provided by three Ferroli Tempra system boilers, installed to replace life-expired large floor-standing boilers.

The potential for boiler inspections to identify inefficient systems and reduce emissions is limited by practical constraints, as ALAN SILVESTER explained to a recent conference.

MARTIN PREESE discusses the benefits of using groundwater to heat and cool buildings to deliver sustainable advantages that will reduce carbon emissions and stave off spiralling energy costs.

The rapid installation of pipes on site without welding has a long history — which is just as valid today. DAVID SNODGRASS tells the story.

Energy metering should be more than simply complying with the latest Building Regulations. MIKE CAHILL explains its importance as part of a strategy for automatic monitoring and targeting that can help reduce energy consumption.

Clients and politicians are stepping up the pressure on the industry to improve the lifecycle running costs of buildings. MALCOLM LINSLEY argues that professional collaboration is the best approach.

Most modern building management systems (BMSs) have provision for remote access. This opens up the possibility of remote diagnostics which, as STEVE LOUGHNEY of Siemens Business Technologies explains, offer facilities managers big benefits.

MHS Boilers has simplified the design of its Hydra packages for generating domestic hot water. They are based on stainless-steel plate heat exchangers and available with single- or twin-head primary pumps. These units have an anti-legionella function and built-in volt-free alarm contacts.

Yorkshire Fittings offers push-fit and press-fit jointing systems for a variety of pipe materials in wide range of sizes. The company also offers a range of commercial valves, Proflow.

Honeywell’s Smart-T thermo-electric valve actuators are designed for small linear valves such as those used on fan-coil units, induction units, small re-heaters and re-coolers using hot/cold water as the controlled medium in an electronic temperature-control system. Movement is produced by expansion and contraction of a wax element heated by electrical resistance.

The Grundfos Hydro Multi range of packaged booster sets for clean-water applications maintain a constant pressure by continuously adjusting pump speed and switching pumps on and off as required. The pumps operate in parallel and are automatically changed over on the first-in/first-out principle.

Among a wide range of Oventrop valves installed in heating and cooling systems in the new Withington Community Hospital in south Manchester are Cocon 4 multi-functional control valves for fan-coil units.

With efficiency of gas-fired water heaters approaching 100%, PAUL MARSDEN discusses how considering the total system can further enhance efficiency.

Clarity, an accredited data collector for the half-hourly electricity market, has introduced a metering service for the non-half-hourly electricity market and for all gas and water supplies.

JOHN COOPER explains the advantages of using an automatic approach to HVAC balancing.

PETER MARSH highlights research that emphasise the technical and commercial benefits of copper for pipework systems.

Despite the huge installation-time savings possible with plastic pipe, MARTYN ROWLANDS is concerned that these benefits might be squandered by poor installation practice.

Climate Pipework Systems is distributor for Roth products in the UK. Systems offered include Alu-Lasertec for hot/cold/potable water and connecting to radiators. Heating requirements are met by the Roth X-PRT S5+.

Carolyn House in Croydon has become one of the first UK projects to be air conditioned using Daikin’s water-cooled VRF system.

Apollo Fire Detectors has extended its AlarmSense range of conventional fire detectors and alarm products with a new sounder base, updated relay module and a sounder beacon base. These new products increase the scope of AlarmSense for houses of multiple occupation

ACO Building Drainage has introduced a range of systems to protect vulnerable properties from flooding caused by storm surges in the main sewerage system.

Drive parameters from ABB motor drives can be copied and set in just a couple of seconds using the new FlashDrop technology — without even powering up the drive.

Toshiba’s Mini-SMMS VRF air-conditioning system operates from a single-phase power supply and bridges the gap between Multi-Split systems and large-scale VRF.

York’s Tempo range of energy-efficient air-cooled scroll chillers is now on the Carbon Trust’s Energy Technology List.

Broag’s Rem commercial gas-fired storage water heaters are described as highly resistant to corrosion, benefiting from safe light-up operation and anti-legionella.

A handy buyers’ guide that includes essential details of its most popular lighting and fire products is available from Cooper Lighting & Security.

ABB’s comprehensive 40-page catalogue of drives and motors covers low-voltage AC drives from 180 W up to 2800 kW and motors from 60 W to 710 kW. It also presents ABB’s range of DC and medium-voltage AC drivers.

Two titles from HVCA Publications have become essential technical literature for installers and maintenance contractors after being selected to form a vital component of the new Part L of the Building Regulations.

Adaptaflex’s latest price list for cable-management solutions features comprehensive ranges of non-metallic and metallic flexible conduit systems. It also covers Elkay terminal blocks, connectors, DIN-rail terminals, cable glands, lighting timers, sensors and heating controls.

Hager’s new Klik catalogue covers both conventional and digital lighting installations and also offers an installation guide.