2019 February

The Smoke Control Association (SCA) continues its campaign to raise industry standards and improve awareness amongst building owners.

A number of reports show mixed performance for the construction industry over the past few months, with some sectors faring better than others.

Alan Jamieson of Peldon Rose discusses the changes and trends of building services within offices and the focus of wellbeing. 

Steve Richmond addresses some misconceptions surrounding district heating pipes in the UK, and explains some of the key design principles for a scheme which is built to last.

Steven Booth suggests that specifiers, building and facilities managers take a fresh look at carbon steel for pipework and its potential benefits.

The crucial role of specification writing has been so severely downgraded that it is undermining building designs, according to David Fitzpatrick*.

Newcastle University’s multi-award winning Urban Sciences Building (USB) is testament to a combination of advanced engineering, innovative design and energy efficient construction, which are being used for the benefit of the building’s occupants, as much as they are for the environment.

Jon Belfield, President of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA), reflects on some of the key developments from 2018 and discusses the importance of good specification to ensure long term performance of a BEMS.

Nick Sacke describes the benefits of smart buildings – and the barriers we face in achieving more connected buildings.

Renu Chopra reports on trends in smart building technology and considers the gap between vision and reality.

Alpesh Trivedi believes the HVAC sector is on the cusp of an enormous technological revolution, driven by digitisation. He explains how it will impact on building services.

Karen Fletcher looks at the future of BACnet in the fast-moving world of the internet. Can this familiar protocol keep pace in the new world of smart buildings?

Nick Mellor explains how the humble lift is getting smarter and why this matters to building owners and users.

Iain Gordon explains why, even though proprietary equipment control systems may seem an easy choice for specifiers, taking the open approach is more effective and efficient in the long-run.

Construction SME firms in Northern Ireland’s have praised the project bank account (PBA) initiative which has been driven by Construction and Procurement Delivery (CPD), the procurement authority in Northern Ireland.

The EURIS Taskforce, a body of trade organisations representing UK manufacturing worth £148 billion in turnover, has written to the Prime Minister for the second time to reinforce that no-deal should not be an option in the Brexit debate.  

Building on the success of the last year’s impressive event, the 2019 CSA Awards Dinner will be held at the Guoman Tower Hotel, next to St Katherine Docks and Tower Bridge in London on 27th June.

The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has appointed Terry Sharp as its new Vice-President.

MBS has worked with valve specialist Hattersley to produce an introductory guide to pressure independent control valves (PICVs). This joint publication has been delivered with the February 2019 issue of the magazine.

Construction intelligence specialist Glenigan has forecast a market contraction of -2% in 2019, followed by a lift of 3% in 2020. However, its report also highlights a number of markets where growth is expected.

In response to the recent announcement that the Government plans to introduce a tougher regulatory system for building safety, the Smoke Control Association (SCA) has voiced its full support for the proposed programme of reform.

Dunham-Bush has supplied Leopard fan coil units and BM fan convectors to the new V&A Dundee, an £80m international centre of design, which presents the brilliance of Scottish creativity alongside some of the best design from around the world.

An innovative package is enabling architects, designers and specifiers to reach new heights in commercial interior design, whilst ensuring the space below is a comfortable working environment.

Maintaining the correct pH balance at their lumpfish hatchery is very important to Dorset Cleanerfish. This specialist company nurtures these fish through their developmental stages, until they can be shipped to fish farms in Scotland to perform their real role of getting rid of the lice from salmon.

Flexi Support Systems supported Genting Resorts World’s Sky Bar project in Birmingham. This is the first Genting leisure destination outside Europe. Genting UK owns and operates the centre and is part of the global business, Genting Group, head quartered in Malaysia.

Pride Park, home to 30,000 Derby County football fans, provides a warm and comfortable environment for spectators, particularly on match days, thanks to an installation of Reznor’s Nor-Ray-Vac heating system

SES Engineering Services (SES), has been appointed to support the delivery of Viridor’s landmark £252m Avonmouth Resource Recovery Centre, Bristol.

Specialist contractor Briggs & Forrester Special Projects has worked with contractors Blenheim House Construction on a new hotel project in the London’s Covent Garden.

The recruitment of young people is helping to build the future of a well-known brand in the HVAC sector. Flamco Group has been operating its own apprenticeship scheme since 2009 and offers roles in engineering, production, warehousing and customer service.

Pumps are big energy consumers that currently account for 10% of global electricity and unfortunately, many are needlessly inefficient. Today, by focusing on changing to high-efficiency pumps that incorporate advanced motor technology, an average pump’s energy consumption can be reduced by up to 60%.

Pump specialist Grundfos is proud of its reputation for helping to reduce the impact that pumps are having on the environment, through the creation of energy efficient solutions. To underpin this, in 2008 the company set itself some tough targets, one of which was to reduce its total water usage at all of its plants by 50% by 2025.

Low surface temperature (LST) radiators are increasingly being specified for buildings used by vulnerable people. They offer an important and safe form of heat that is popular in both domestic and commercial use.

Following the announcement of Toshiba Air Conditioning’s switching to the R32 refrigerant system last year, the company has introduced a new training programme for installers. Toshiba changed to the R32 for use in split and multi-split air conditioning systems due to the phase-down of R410A, which has a higher Global Warming Potential (GWP) under the F-Gas Regulations.

The Nanolink equipment tracking system is now available in the UK. Already popular in Denmark and Scandinavia, the system consists of small chips or tags attached to equipment which can then be tracked via a smartphone app (iOS and Android) or a desktop computer.

Ideal Commercial Boilers has extended its free commissioning offer until 31st December 2019. The offer is available on all Evomax, EVO S, Imax Xtra, Imax Xtra EL and Evomod condensing boiler ranges.

Clarkson Controls has developed a range of room controllers which sense temperature and CO2 levels while providing local visual and audible warnings of high CO2 levels, together with timed user overrides.

Mitsubishi Electric has unveiled a new line of R32 products designed to meet the need for cost effective air conditioning using low GWP refrigerant.  The new R32 M Series MSZ-HR Wall Mounted System blends energy efficiency with a compact and stylish design, with the entry-level offering to the M Series product range being ideal for applications requiring a small scale, highly efficient air conditioning system. 

Rinnai’s multipoint continuous flow ErP A-rated gas fired 11i water heater units are the perfect antidote to more traditional storage systems. Proven to deliver high volumes of hot water at any time of the day, the high performance 11i ensures user comfort and safety with 100% accurate water temperature control.

Rehau is set to release five new videos demonstrating the various benefits provided by its District Heating division.

Domus Ventilation, part of the Polypipe group, has launched an in-depth Specification Guide, covering its full range of award winning, energy efficient ventilation products for the domestic and light commercial markets, plus Best Practice Guides drawing on the company’s extensive knowledge in the ventilation sector.

Ideal Commercial Boilers are pleased to announce the introduction of a 5 year Heat Exchanger Warranty across its Imax Xtra, Imax Xtra EL and Evomod ranges of floor standing condensing commercial boilers.

Paul Reeve of the ECA explains the latest update to the WEEE Regulations, and why the industry needs to embrace a circular approach to the construction economy.

Siemens Building Technologies offers a selection of internally and externally threaded ball valves from 15mm to 50mm. Siemens offers a complete range of ball valves, suitable for applications in cold- and hot-water systems. As with the rest of the Acvatix range, the products have been designed for robust performance and easy installation. The variety of ball valves available in this range makes for easy selection and application. The valves can be combined with the range of Siemens OpenAir damper actuators using mounting kits.

Warm air heaters are subject to Lot 21 of the directive and radiant heaters Lot 20. Minimum efficiencies for warm air is now 72% and radiant heaters is now 74%. Crucially, these minimum criteria are applicable for both new installations and when replacing existing products. Our ErP compliant range includes the PREEVA EC (heating and ventilation unit).

The Extreme hot water loading cylinder from Mikrofill Systems delivers hot water at 6 bar. The WRAS-approved stainless steel loading cylinders are available in 200, 300 and 500 litre models and all accommodate 120kW of primary input at 80°C. The result is an instantaneous secondary performance in excess of 2000 l/hr at 60°C on all models with the 500 litre model producing 2570 l/hr.

BSRIA has launched a new publication: Building Services Analytics - BG 75/2018. It was written by BSRIA member and energy consultant Mitch Layng. The publication offers guidance to building owners, FMs and designers on how the correct capture and analysis of data can be used to drive improvement in building performance.

Improving the performance of hydronic balancing valves requires accurate commissioning, says Paul Wightman.

Carrier’s high efficiency chiller, AquaForce Vision 30KAV, has been chosen to provide high quality air conditioning for the new International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales).

“In this issue we look to the future of buildings, while assessing where we really are. While it’s fun to consider where technology such as the Internet of Things might take us down the line, it is important to bear in mind the realities of applying technology to real buildings.

One year on from Carillion’s collapse, business owners are telling Government that not enough has been done to ensure a similar insolvency crisis does not happen again.

Keith Barker of the Commissioning Specialists Association introduces a series of articles that examine the what, why, when and who of commissioning. This month, we take a look at what the process is – and why it’s so important.