Facilities managers in today’s modern construction environment are facing many new challenges as they maintain the operational efficiency of their buildings and also ensure compliance with a growing list of regulations. Managing a wide variety of systems, from electrical distribution and data cabling to more advanced services like renewable energy integration and EV charging infrastructure is increasing – and so is the need to find reliable partners, writes Phil Wiltshire, Contracts Manager of Pensdown.

Jenka Kaslik, Chief Technical Officer at GB NRG, discusses the benefits that installing a commercial rooftop solar PV system can bring to sport and leisure facilities.

Hard facilities management organisations have many moving parts to balance, which require regular communication structures and a unified vision. For EMCOR UK’s Matt Kent, engineering is the golden thread that should run through the industry, to ensure its successful future during a period of recruitment struggles.

Remi Smith, Associate Director at Avison Young UK, discusses the power and potential of industrial space in fuelling life sciences sector growth.

In today’s digital world, cybersecurity is often the focus when considering protecting a business’s most important assets. However, physical security shouldn’t be forgotten as Gary Moffatt, Managing Director at Chubb Fire and Security, explains.

Gavin Harris, HVAC Product Manager – North at Kingspan Technical Insulation, and TIPCHECK Expert Level 1, explains how TIPCHECK – an energy assessment process for industrial projects – helps to pinpoint the improvements to building services insulation and provide the most significant energy and cost savings.

Managing a working building is a complex task, with many pieces of a disparate jigsaw puzzle having to fit together to ensure compliance, safety, usability and sustainability. The conflicting interests of building users, owners and maintainers – from on-site engineers to service partners and overarching facilities management providers – pose various challenges. Steve McGregor, Group Managing Director for DMA, highlights some of the latest digital solutions that can manage these challenges.

Martin Huber, co-Founder and CEO of Amrax, looks to the increasing role of AI's predictive analytics in helping to improve long-term building health and performance.

Jason Bennett, national Business Development Manager for service partners at Zehnder Group UK explains why effective building installation is critical for ensuring occupants’ wellbeing.

As the world moves closer to global net zero targets, is retrofitting historical buildings the answer to achieving this?

With the ban on T8/T5 imminent, LED Tubes look like a quick win for refurbishment projects. Graeme Shaw, Technical Director at Zumtobel Group UK & Ireland, discusses the in-depth considerations that need to be taken into account before pressing the order button.

Adam Taylor, CEO at ARM Environments, explores the two main reasons why HVAC systems cost more than necessary when it comes to energy use and planned maintenance.

The demarcation of responsibility for repairs and maintenance in commercial buildings is something of a grey area, particularly where there are multiple business tenants. Steven Booth, Managing Director at Guardian Water Treatment, discusses what the law tells us about who is responsible and explains how Facilities Managers can tie up the loose ends and improve accountability. 

Tom Harmsworth, UK Managing Director of WeMaintain, discusses the role of office buildings now they are under the microscope more than ever and property managers face a multitude of challenges. 

Paul Allen, head of power distribution at CMD Ltd, discusses the need for flexibility in the specification of power distribution systems for office buildings as the commercial property sector continues to adjust to new working cultures and practices.

 Eur Ing Dave Cooper, CEO of LECS (UK),  an independent engineering consultancy for lifts and escalators, looks at one key aspect of lift safety - using a release key.

Simon Plummer, Divisional Manager for Axials at Nuaire, says ongoing maintenance is key for working buildings to remain safe and compliant when it comes to smoke management and fire safety.

Stuart Smith, Group Sales Director and indoor air quality specialist at ventilation manufacturer  Nuaire, discusses the modern-day concerns on indoor air quality and overheating.

Martyn Ives, Distribution Sales & Technical Services Director at Fujitsu General Air Conditioning UK, highlights the importance of unlocking the full potential of HVAC systems.

Decarbonising current building stock has become a key concern in order to successfully fall in line with net zero targets in future. Moreover, continuing to create buildings that are ‘healthy by design’ is critical to successfully catering to the wellbeing of their occupants. Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical at REHAU Building Solutions, discusses how architects and contractors can successfully balance these dual concerns.

With occupancy levels at their highest than at any other point during the pandemic, now is the time to make sure building systems can start working at full capacity again. Brian Beetson of Mitsubishi Electric looks at how. 

Knauf UK & Ireland has launched its Planner Suite specification tool platform enabling customers to find, import and specify Knauf products and systems quickly and easily.

In response to increasing demand for anti-vibration solutions for mechanical installations, Walraven has recently expanded its portfolio of vibration supports under the brand name Walraven VibraTek®.

Raajan Bains, Technical Support Adviser at Walraven, gives an insight into the basics of vibration control in building services.

Neil Brown, offering manager at MK Electric, looks at what can electrical contractors and project managers can do to help streamline installations to help save costs and increase productivity on site.

Many anticipated that, by autumn 2021, a semblance of ‘normality’ would have returned to UK workplaces, and we would be putting this pandemic behind us, but sadly this is still not the case. As COVID-19 cases continue to grow steadily in the UK and return-to-work directives remain confusing at best, many firms are, quite rightly, only willing to allow their teams to fully go back to the workplace if they can guarantee their safety and wellbeing in the face of this ongoing pandemic.

Evaporative cooling systems and their water treatment strategies help optimize building performance and contribute to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and other sustainability programs. 

David Rhodes of Albion Valves explains why specifiers should ask more of their valve manufacturers when it comes to today’s construction projects.

The five-year collaboration between NHS UK Property Services and GEZE UK is believed to be one of the largest contracts of its kind. Providing a service to more than 1,000 sites and 5,000 assets.   

Britain’s first ever polyphase SMETS2 smart meter was installed on the 4th of August at a property in Gloucestershire.

Britain’s first ever polyphase SMETS2 smart meter was installed on the 4th of August at a property in Gloucestershire.

The long-awaited BB101 2018 was released on 24th August 2018 and it is the largest change in ventilation design regulation and guidance since 2006.

Facilities management professionals must develop their leadership skills and take greater responsibility for what goes on in buildings following the Grenfell fire tragedy, according to CIBSE FM Group chair Geoff Prudence.

The UK building sector and heating in particular has been identified as having the greatest potential for significantly reducing emissions to meet the nation’s stringent reduction target by 2050. And with a staggering 80% of the total lifetime costs of a commercial building spent on its operation and maintenance there are added economic incentives for improving building efficiency.

People offer countless excuses for failing to maintain HVAC plant – ‘It’s too expensive… too disruptive… too timeconsuming… too difficult… too much effort’, the justifications go on. The arguments in favour of maintenance are, however, powerful and the cost is absurdly low when compared with the cost of dealing with a catastrophic equipment failure.

Building design influences human behaviour. But business and working trends also have an impact on the requirements for buildings, and the office is no exception. MBS reports.

In uncertain economic times, refurbishment and retrofit offer excellent solutions for building owners and the construction industry. Les Littlewood highlights some cost-effective approaches.

With new Ecodesign requirements under ErP coming into force this September, specifiers are under pressure to ensure that heating system upgrades are compliant. Dan Martindale argues that replacing existing atmospheric water heaters with new ultralow NOx models may be the easiest and most cost-effective way of meeting the new regulations.

In buildings with a high and constant demand for heat and power, CHP offers a long-term solution to significant financial savings and low carbon heat. But to optimise the benefits, planned maintenance is key, as Mike Hefford explains.

Chris Caton shows that with careful planning, a replacement install can ensure longevity and reliability in heating and hot water systems that have reached the end of their life.

With MEES, ErP, EPC, Lot21 and F-Gas now a stark reality for building operators, 2018 may be the best time to look at upgrading your old chiller system. Jason Tinsley explains more.

Flue and chimney systems need inspecting and cleaning at regular intervals. John Hamnett looks at some of the key issues around maintenance programmes.

Stephen Hart explains that while small flow paths in two port control valves can be unavoidable, the risks can be mitigated by smart system design and product selection.

The pivotal role of the built environment in achieving global climate change goals was highlighted again at the recent COP27 gathering in Egypt, but David Frise, Group Chief Executive Officer at Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) points out that to reduce carbon emissions, you must first find where they are coming from.