Engineering Buildings Summer 2018

Buildings

VOLUME 1 / ISSUE 4

ENG

ineering

The official journal supplement for CIBSE Australia and New Zealand region

Bringing Buildings to Life

Toxic Leadership at Work

Grenfell Tower Disaster

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Contents 5

ANZ

Committee

7

Editorial

8

News

Splash

People 10 CIBSE Membership Profile: Nick Thow

Technical

12

12 Antarctica – The Greatest Fringe Development 27

The challenge of natural ventilation in urban areas

37 Feeling Sleepy? This may be why 39 Bringing Buildings to Life 52 What can we learn from the Grenfell Tower disaster?

Innovation 18 A Groundbreaking and Adaptive University 45

BIM in a Smart Building

48 Anatomy of a Smart Building 56

Can CFD Replace the Plumbing Code?

Opinion 22 Toxic Leadership at Work

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32 Around the Bend

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Supporters & partners

EDITORIAL Editor & ANZ Chair: Paul Angus Tel: 0488 210 447 Email: pangus@cibse.org.au Business Development Manager: Sharon Pestonji Tel: 0435 979 400 Email: spestonji@cibse.org.au CIBSE ANZ ONLINE Website: www.cibse.org.au https://twitter.com/cibseanz https://www.facebook.com/CIBSEANZ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cibse-anz https://www.instagram.com/cibse_anz

CIBSE ANZ Committee

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers Australia and New Zealand Region Tusculum PO Box 671, Gladesville, NSW 2111, Australia Engineering Buildings is the official magazine for the CIBSE ANZ region for engineers, written by engineers.

ADBOURNE PUBLISHING 18/69 Acacia Road Ferntree Gully, VIC 3156 PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160 www.adbourne.com

Mathew Klintfält

Lindy Stephens

Paul Angus

Honorary Treasurer mklintfält@cibse.org.au

Honorary Secretary lstephens@cibse.org.au

CIBSE ANZ Chair pangus@cibse.org.au

Stephen Hennessy Membership shennessy@cibse.org.au

Sharon Pestonji BDM spestonji@cibse.org.au

Phil Senn NSW Chair psenn@cibse.org.au

ADVERTISING Melbourne: Neil Muir T: (03) 9758 1433 F: (03) 9758 1432 E: neil@adbourne.com Adelaide: Robert Spowart T: 0488 390 039 E: robert@adbourne.com PRODUCTION Emily Wallis T: (03) 9758 1436 E: production@adbourne.com

Keith Merry

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WA Chair acrabtree@cibse.org.au

ADMINISTRATION Tarnia Hiosan T: (03) 9758 1436 E: admin@adbourne.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Enquiries: (03) 9758 1436 Fax: (03) 9758 1432 Email: admin@adbourne.com Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisers appearing in Engineering Builders comply absolutely with the Trades Practices Act and other consumer legislation. The responsibility is therefore on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement(s) for publication. Adbourne Publishing reserves the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication. All original material produced in this magazine remains the property of CIBSE and cannot be reproduced without authority.. The views of the contributors and all submitted editorial are the author’s views and are not necessarily those of the publisher.

The opinions expressed in editorial material do not necessarily represent the views of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE). Unless specifically stated, goods or services mentioned in editorial or advertisements are not formally endorsed by CIBSE, which does not guarantee or endorse or accept any liability for any goods and/or services featured in this publication.

Lindy Stephens

Sian Willmott

VIC Chair lstephens@cibse.org.au

YEN Chair swillmott@cibse.org.au

Stefano Ciciani CHCH Chair sciciani@cibse.org.au

Colin Wyatt Wellington Chair cwyatt@cibse.org.au

David Robinson SA Chair drobinson@cibse.org.au

Mark Crawford Auckland Chair mcrawford@cibse.org.au

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Editorial W

ow! The last 12 months has been a whirlwind.

Astonishing to think 2018 is nearly over.

To end the year we have another bumper packed publication that will have you screaming for more.

In stark contrast to the recent heatwave affecting significant areas of Australia, Robert Keesen takes us on an innovation journey from Sydney to Antarctica, providing some valuable insights in terms of servicing urban cities.

As usual, Giles Keay never lets us down with another fantastic piece accompanied by some wonderful and powerful images. He is discussing the very serious issue of toxic leadership.

Liam Brady from NDY tackles Carbon Dioxide and the effects on your everyday work life, which will certainly be an eye opener and might shed some light on why you’re feeling so tired at work?

Off the back of the recent and highly successful ‘The Anatomy of the Smart Building’ Seminar Series, Brett Naylor from Beca explores how Building Information Modelling is changing the way the design and construction industry is delivering projects, and asset and operational information. Similarly, Paul Dearlove, who also presented at the Seminar Series, discusses how an integrated platform is a crucial component for a smart building looking to deploy the latest technologies.

We’re extremely fortunate that Hywel Davies, CIBSE Technical Director (another of the presenters at the Seminar Series), presented to South Australia and our Queensland Chapters on the lessons learnt from the Grenfell Tower disaster and need to change and strengthen building regulations – check out his informative article.

But it is not all news and articles…

It is with great pride that I once again acknowledge the fantastic efforts, enthusiasm and dedication our voluntary network has delivered over the last year. On behalf of CIBSE, thank you to each and every one of the many committee members, along with the Young Engineer members within each Chapter who work effortlessly to enable you to continue your professional learning – In the last 12 months YEN and the ANZ region Chapters provided nearly 60 seminars, which is a phenomenal success.

The recent Seminar Series, ‘The Anatomy of the Smart Building’ toured four major cities in both Australia and New Zealand with an array of fantastic technical and highly knowledgeable speakers.

But we didn’t stop there. We focussed on the young engineers of the future and are proud to announce we have established YEN Chapters in Auckland and Western Australia, in addition to the growing YEN network already established in Melbourne, Sydney and Wellington, all under the fantastic leadership of Sian Willmott.

Sticking with the Young Engineers, the CIBSE YEN Awards held in June was a phenomenal success with a record breaking number of entrants in all three categories.

We should not forget those who have helped make the region so strong over the last 31 years. In May it was fantastic to celebrate an unsung hero, Steve Gilchrist (who was instrumental in establishing CIBSE in our Region) when he was inducted into the ARBS Hall of fame. Other long-term star performers recognised this year include Peter Kinsella, who was presented with the CIBSE Silver Medal, Manus Freeman who was presented with the Bronze Medal in October and Peter Whalley, who was awarded the Bronze Medal in December.

Our monthly enews, podcasts and this quarterly publication have also been going from strength to strength, bringing CIBSE direct to you, and I am sure we’ll grow further in 2019. Indeed, with your support we are on track to deliver some exciting initiatives early in the new year – watch this space Finally, on behalf of the entire CIBSE ANZ volunteer network, we wish you all a wonderful Christmas and the very best for 2019 - many thanks for your dedication and support.

PAUL ANGUS, EDITOR & CIBSE ANZ CHAIR pangus@cibse.org.au

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NEWS SPLASH

Huge 800MW wind farm set for construction, with approval for solar and battery

A Queensland wind energy project that promises to be one of the biggest in the country – and the biggest in that state, at least for a time – is one step closer to being built with construction due to begin in 2019, after clearing its final planning hurdle.

The $1 billion wind project, which will be delivered by Goldwind Australia, will be located around half way between Rockhampton and Mackay, in the Isaac regional council, adjacent to major transmission lines.

Read More >

Learn More>

2019 NCC Seminars

The 2019 National Construction Code (NCC) Seminars will be presented by the Australian Building Codes Board and Standards Australia in February and March 2019. Want to find out dates and how to register?

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Rises in cost escalation forecast for Australian construction markets

According to the Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) 4th Quarter 2018 International Report, rises in escalation are forecast for key Australian construction markets on the back of strong activity in the region.

Read More >

View Draft Publication >

Your industry needs to hear your voice

The public comment process provides an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the public to make valuable contributions to Standards Australia. It’s imperative that we, as an industry regularly review and implement to future changes that need you to review and comment to provide the industry with a better future outcome for years to come. There are too many to mention and capture all the relevant building services related standards, so encourage you all to bookmark and regular visit the Public Commenting standards whilst in draft format.

Combustible cladding assessments for building industry professionals and fire engineers: golden goose or road to ruin?

On 1 October 2018, changes to the Building Regulation 2006 (Regulation) commenced, affecting privately-owned class 2 to 9 buildings of type A or type B construction, (for example mainly, but not exclusively, commercial buildings over three storey’s ) for which a building development approval was given after 1 January 1994, but before 1 October 2018 for building work to build the building or to alter the cladding on the building.

Read More >

‘Subtle and Bold’: A Tribute to Jørn Utzon at 100

Never one to imitate or repeat himself, Utzon’s designs are all rooted in the traditions of the places he worked. He drew inspiration from everything he saw and experienced, from the Mayan pyramids in Mexico to the design of a tea house in Japan.

Read More >

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CIBSE Membership Profile

Nick Thow

I’m a Technical Manager for Lendlease in Brisbane, Queensland and have been working in the Australian building services industry for over 12 years.

I’ve enjoyed designing Electrical Services across a wide range of projects and in particular have been extensively involved in Defence and Commercial projects.

I became a Member of CIBSE in 2014 and recently attained chartered status.

1. What inspired you to become a building services engineer and what path did you take to achieve this?

After completing my degree, I didn’t know a lot about building services, however I was interested in science and electrical engineering and decided to give it a try. I was fortunate that building services happened to be a profession I enjoy working in. I arrived in Australia in 2006 and since then the population of the country has grown by up to 20% and has seen some significant investments in buildings. This massive growth has helped me to work on some fantastic projects around the country which I’m very grateful for.

Also, I was drawn by the range of travel opportunities that are available as a building services engineer. In addition, the type and scale of projects looked exciting to be involved in and gave a variety of career paths to choose from.

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CIBSE IS THERE TO ENCOURAGE AND WANTS YOU TO SUCCEED.

"

Interacting daily with a range of different professionals who are passionate, smart and forward thinking.

Architects, Acoustic Engineers, Fire Engineering Certifiers, ESD consultants, Mechanical and Hydraulic Designers, Clients, Builders and many other roles all bring their own ideas and new exciting aspects to the design.

3. What is your greatest professional accomplishment to date?

Trying and (occasionally) succeeding to convince all the above that electrical services are of paramount importance on a project.

In regards to projects, I was part of the largest national Defence Job since World War 2 which involved designing and building over 65 buildings in a very short period. It was great to see our efforts rewarded by winning the Australian Construction Achievement Award.

"

I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ANYONE CONSIDERING THE PROCESS SPEAKS TO THE MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT AND GETS INVOLVED WITH THEIR REGION.

"

4. What one piece of advice would you give to someone thinking about becoming a building services engineer?

This is a profession with a great variety of roles and responsibilities which can appear rather daunting when beginning your career. I’d recommend having an open, hardworking and enthusiastic mindset and immerse yourself in the projects and delve into the detail. For example, engage in discussions and always ask why, read relevant articles in your spare time and attend seminars and lunch time presentations. You’ll be amazed what you’ll have learnt and how quickly it happened. This will continue for the rest of your career which is the beauty of it.

5. Why did you become MCIBSE CEng? There are several reasons I became MCIBSE CEng accredited. The main reason was I believe the process allows you to formally demonstrate commitment and passion to strive to become the best engineer you can be. Also, Engineers occupy positions of great responsibility and perform a critical role for many public and government sectors and having this accreditation recognises that you work to a high standard of practice.

In addition, there are many extremely talented engineers in my company who are members and their enthusiasm for CIBSE influenced me.

Furthermore, I recently moved interstate to Queensland and chartership will help me to become a Registered Professional of Engineers in Queensland which is mandatory for a person who undertakes building services design.

PEOPLE

2. What is the most enjoyable aspect of your job?

6. How did you find the application process to become MCIBSE and what advice would you give to others considering this grade?

At the start of the application process it can appear challenging to recall all the examples you have been involved in to meet the criteria. I would jot down notes of items as I remembered and from there it’s much easier to expand on later.

Secondly, I’d recommend joining your local CIBSE region as you can get good advice and help from the other CIBSE members who are very encouraging. It’s also helpful to get a sponsor who has been through the process and they can help guide your application process.

7. What do you consider to be the benefits of CIBSE membership? And why?

There have been many benefits for me since joining CIBSE. It provides the opportunity to rub shoulders with other like-minded colleagues in the industry. This, in turn, expands my personal network, builds my technical knowledge and develops my career.

Also, the membership grants me access to a large library of building services engineering knowledge which allows me to stay in touch with the latest technology trends and industry news. If you put in the effort you’ll reap the rewards.

8. Building services is great because….?

Everyday you learn something new and you get the pleasure of seeing your efforts come to fruition. It is an industry where you can help shape the future.

Are you interested in featuring in our membership profile?

Then contact Paul Angus e: pangus@cibse.org.au We'd love to hear from you and share your route on your journey with building services engineering.

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Antarctica –

The Greatest Fringe Development Lessons in smart water cycle management Robert Keessen I Project Manager – Civil & Water Engineering

Innovation often comes from places you might least expect. My background is in urban water management, but I was recently involved in a project for the Antarctica that taught me a lot about the potential future of servicing our urban cities.

Y

ou might think that the parallels between the Antarctica and our urban cities is a bit farfetched. But curiously, I found the challenges to be remarkably similar. This unique project could perhaps give us insight into the future of water management in our cities.

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cycle management from the ground up by understanding the fundamental challenges.

The Antarctica is very remote, very cold, and a very dry place. It is home to about 2 million penguins who love it there, but it is an inhospitable place for humans.

Water supply is a challenge as there is no free-surface fresh water available. At the base, the snow nearby is dirty, largely from the operation of the base and its vehicles. It is costly and energy intensive to melt snow and it is impractical to collect snow in the winter months and therefore desalination of sea water is the most reliable and cost-efficient option

The initial brief was to weigh up the cost of refurbishment vs renewal, but it became reasonably clear that after over 30 years, water infrastructure on the base would need to be replaced. So the time was right to design the water

The challenges for wastewater are that no waste is to be left on the continent, so all biosolids need to be collected and shipped back to the home country. The Antarctica treaty says that surplus wastewater must not impact on

Sustainable Water availability Desalination of sea water is energy intensive and expensive to produce.

Fragile local environment No waste to be left on the continent No impact from wastewater discharges on the local environment Economic / productive Running costs

TECHNICAL

Fresh water is not readily available.

Extremely high energy costs Extremely high transport costs Limited availability of maintenance and operational staff Social / Liveable Temperature Extreme cold creates a challenging operating environment Wellbeing Water sustains life, and there are no real alternatives if the system fails.

Scale A small community of 100, mostly scientists and some operational staff

third pipe system for recycling, treated water is not reused, and discharged to sea.

the environment, but is very unclear about the standards which should apply, citing ‘maceration’ as the minimum level of treatment. It seems that this aspect of the base is left up to the environmental conscience of the country operating it.

There are quite a few bases in the Antarctica, and they are run by a surprising variety of countries. Each base has a different way of responding to the challenge of managing the water cycle.

Princess Elisabeth, a Belgian inland station, has highly advanced wastewater systems with 60% of water re-used for showers, toilets, and washing machines, and surplus water disposed of to a crevasse. It is also touted as having “zero emissions”.

Scientific studies of the marine environment at Davis, an Australian shore-based station, showed evidence that the sewage effluent was having an impact. The secondary level treatment plant was upgraded with advanced treatment to remove residual chemicals and included 7 levels of disinfection. As the site is not plumbed with a

The British Halley VI station is located on a permanent Ice sheet and is fully relocatable using hydraulic jacks and skis. There is no readily available source of fresh water, and surplus water can only be discharged to the ice. Water conservation and recycling with the use of a vacuum sewerage system to get total water demand down to 25 litres / person / day.

Italy and France run Concordia which is one of the most remote stations in the Antarctica. The water treatment system there is led by the European space agency and consists of a completely closed system. 100% of the water there is re-used. The water cycle is managed using: • Vacuum drainage system to collect grey water, black water and organic waste,

• Grey water from the laundry and shower receiving 4 levels of treatment (Ultra Filtration, Nano Filtration, and two stages of Reverse Osmosis),

• Sludge from the grey water system being treated by the black water system,

• Water from the black water treatment being re-retreated through the grey water system.

As these examples illustrate, the water cycle can be managed in many different ways. Given the very high cost of energy and hence producing desalinated water, we

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focussed on water conservation to reduce demand, and the opportunities to recycle water.

A range of recycling options are possible from the relatively simple to more complex systems. The range considered for base were: • Recycle treated wastewater, to: • •

WC’s

WC’s and Laundry

• Recycle treated wastewater to WC’s and recycle treated grey water, to •

•

Laundry

Laundry and shower

Scarce Water Increasing water scarcity; • Water from low cost sources such as dams is running out, • Desalination is being used to supplement supplies, at high cost and energy.

Local environment Beneficial use of biosolids important, Wastewater discharge standards are becoming increasingly stringent.

Economic / productive Running costs Energy costs rising,

Vacuum wastewater collection systems were also considered to further reduce water demands.

Large water and wastewater networks are overloaded and costly to maintain.

The more recycling done the lower the lifecycle cost because it reduced the amount of desalinated water that needed to be produced. Desalination takes a lot of energy, and the lower energy needs for recycled water treatment makes a significant operational cost saving.

Social / Liveable

The insight from the Scott Base work was that recycled water makes economic sense when water is scarce, and energy is expensive.

However, the more sophisticated systems need the expertise and ‘parts’ available on site to keep the system operational. This is not necessarily be an easy thing to do in the Antarctica, and hence it would be a risk that needs to be managed.

A choice would need to be made on the level of sophistication of the recycled water system. The tradeoff between cost and operational risk management is demonstrated in the ‘heat map’ of the options below.

There is no clear standout option. Looking back at the examples of other bases in the Antarctica, it is understandable why such a wide range of options has been chosen by the different countries. It is a somewhat subjective choice between cost savings achieved through technology, and the ability to maintain and operate it at a remote location.

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Sustainability

Temperature Rising temperatures due to urbanisation and global warming.

Life sustaining Service continuity is critical in urbanised area.

Scale Cities are looking to become more oriented around local communities.

Designing something in the challenging conditions of the Antarctica mean we looked at a wide range of options.

It is useful to take this thinking, and consider what this might mean for future servicing strategies for our cities.

We can start by comparing the key drivers for water cycle management in our cities.

It strikes me that these drivers are not markedly different to the drivers outlined for Antarctica: not as extreme perhaps, but essentially similar.

The emphasis for water cycle management in cities around the world is now turning to resource conservation, both water and biosolids.

Water use varies from city to city. In Sydney the gross per capita use hovers around 300 litres / person / day, which includes industrial, commercial and outdoor use as well as system losses of around 10%. Individual residential households tend to use less than 200 litres / person / day.

Some cities are aiming to achieve a residential household use of 150 litres / person / day. This would appear to be quite achievable, given that demand on the base is 130 litres / person / day,. Other bases with higher levels of recycling reduce their demand for drinking water to below 100 litres / person / day. Halley VI base produces only 25 litres / person / day, and our estimates for the base show that this level of drinking water demand would be possible there as well. What this says is that recycled water

However, the economics of water cycle management in the city are not markedly different to what we saw in Antarctica as desalination plants have been commissioned to supply new water to our growing cities.

The cost of producing water by desalination is almost an order of magnitude higher than water supplied form rainfall dependant reservoirs. This changes everything.

So why don’t we see more recycled water systems in our urban cities. In Sydney, water is imported from supply catchments outside the city, used once and disposed of to the ocean and the Hawkesbury Nepean River. This system isn’t sustainable, as: • Wastewater discharges to the Hawkesbury Nepean is putting the river under stress

• The trunk sewerage networks are aging and becoming increasingly expensive to maintain.

• The trunk sewerage networks are overloaded, and its prohibitively expensive to augment their capacity.

If we take the experience from Antarctica, you would think that recycled water could be part of the solution to our water cycle management challenges. However what works at a base in Antarctica with 100 people is not as easy in the city. A ‘third pipe’ trunk recycled water network from a centralised treatment plant back to houses and apartments is too costly and impractical to install.

Recycled water systems are cost-effective when they can be centred around a precinct or community of around 500 to 2000 people with a small package treatment plant and local reticulation system only.

Recycled water is viable however if it done as a series of community scale systems embedded within our regional water networks. And this is where the challenge lies.

Incumbent Water Utilities have traditionally delivered services using large centralised systems, and providing services at a community level is not something they are used to doing. It takes a different mindset, a different set of skills, and perhaps a different business model.

Our town planners are moving towards creating cities which are collections of smaller communities, tied together by local ‘places’, transport options and infrastructure. Perhaps recycled water services will become one of those services provided within these structured communities.

We can see the beginning of a trend emerging in water.

New ‘start-up’ private utility companies have installed recycled water into high rise buildings, such as the one in the Central Park development on Broadway in Sydney.

Here a company supplies recycled water for a range of uses including watering the extensive outdoor green wall.

The technology used to recycle water at a community scale has been around for some time now. Changes to the market structure, regulation and pricing will come about over time that will allow smart systems to develop into a mainstream industry. More work needs to be done to account for the avoided costs of recycled water and to factor this into pricing. But it is possible to see now that it’s only a matter of time before recycled water will become part of the design of our communities and buildings.

TECHNICAL

becomes an increasingly attractive option as drinking water becomes increasingly scarce and costly to produce.

That means managing the water cycle in our cities is no longer the remit of the utility service provider. It will mean buildings and communities will be increasingly called on to make more use of water in smart systems that use water more than once. Grey water treatment is now developed to the level where it can be used to treat laundry water at a household scale. Blackwater treatment plants are viable if used in communities of more than 500 people. The technology exists now. It is now just a matter of raising awareness, having the right incentives, and the products and services available to make this easy to adopt.

I would expect that over the coming years, as our cities grow and put increased pressure on our rainfall dependant water supply resources and wastewater network capacities, the pressure will increase for communities to obtain water locally through recycled water.

The way our cities manage water is on the cusp of a significant change, and the change will flow through to those who design buildings and communities, and those who anticipate this change will be best placed to reap the rewards.

About the Author

Robert Keessen Robert is a highly experienced master-planner in urban water utilities with extensive experience as a consultant, and in senior positions in Sydney Water. He is a leader in integrated water cycle management, characterised by a strategic and collaborative approach underpinned by a deep knowledge of economic drivers in the water industry.

He currently heads up the Water Smart Solutions practice in the Water and Civil group in Warren Smith and Partners.

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A Groundbreaking and Adaptive

University Kotaro Isozaki I Senior Associate Jerrin Pius I Mechanical Engineer Building Services I BECA

How often do you hear about a beer brewery site being transformed into a high-tech university facility? Well that is what the team at Beca undertook on the building services design for The University of Auckland in New Zealand.

T

he university purchased a beer brewery site from Lion and envisioned to turn it into a research facility. Now known as The Newmarket Campus, it won the 2016 Arthur Mead Merit Award for Environment and Sustainable design presented

by Engineering New Zealand (ENZ). The building services were designed by Beca and built by Hawkins Construction and Scarbro Construction.

ventilation systems as much as possible in the Newmarket Campus. The Newmarket Campus is designed to be a high-quality research facility of the faculty of engineering.

One of these being Building 906, a purpose-built structure testing laboratory with one of the largest seismic testing capability in Australasia. The building includes laboratory support spaces and office accommodation for staff and students.

The project applied two key technologies that contributed to sustainability and improvement of the environment; predictive and adaptive natural ventilation systems and bore water systems.

The client requested for a natural ventilation system that provides comfort to occupants during winter and summer months. The project design team applied adaptive thermal comfort standard for design criteria in natural vented areas. The ASHRAE Standard 55 – Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy clarified an adaptive comfort standard to achieve occupants’

The University of Auckland aimed to reduce their campus wide energy usage and requested to utilise natural

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Computational 3D thermal modelling was used in the design stage to assess the natural ventilation systems in building 906. This model set out various requirement for the building envelope for architects and control strategies for services engineers to achieve acceptable occupants’ comfort level.

PMV sensors are installed to control the window actuators, motorised louvres on solar chimneys, internal louvres and ceiling fans. The control strategies were developed based on the outcomes from the computational 3D thermal modelling, integrated into campus wide BMS system. The control strategies were reviewed and fine-tuned in June 2015 prior to midwinter testing.

After completion of the project in February 2015, room temperature and PMV in the naturally vented area have been logged by BMS to evaluate occupants’ comfort. The

building achieved a 25% reduction in energy use intensity compared to similar buildings of the university that have larger air conditioning areas.

Must-haves for an adaptive natural ventilation strategy to be effective:

1. The building must have effective exterior solar shading, which practically eliminates direct solar heat gain inside the space.

2. Windows must have user-friendly controls which provide an effective open area for ventilation equivalent to 5% to 7.5% of the floor area served.

3. Effective cross ventilation and control of air movement.

INNOVATION

comfort in naturally ventilation spaces. A predictive and adaptive natural ventilation systems consisting of building management system (BMS) controlled windows, solar chimneys, ceiling fans, weather stations and predicted mean vote (PMV) sensors are applied in post graduate spaces in building 906.

4. Low level of internal gains from occupants and equipment.

5. Night ventilation strategy.

6. Exposed thermal mass.

7. Level of user expectation and intervention.

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To control the quality of the water being reinjected, a comprehensive monitoring system was developed in the construction stage. Water temperature sensors and water level sensors were installed in the bores in accordance with groundwater management plan. Beca was engaged to conduct measurement of baseline data to reassess interim trigger levels of the bore water level.

When an alert level is triggered, the consent holder will check the abstraction and reinjection rates and levels in adjacent bores to determine if there is the potential for better water level management. When an action level is reached, reinjection will cease, and reinjection water will be discharged via an overflow tank to storm-water drain.

The project went about not relying on potable mains water supply for non-potable purposes such as process cooling water systems, cooling tower makeup and irrigation supply. Bore water was an original renewable natural resource in the Newmarket site. The groundwater has been abstracted from the site by Lion Nathan Limited since 1992. The process is sustainable since some of the water is injected back into the aquifer. However, the effects of re-injecting bore water into the aquifer were not known at the initial design stage. The new bore system was designed to pump up to 500 cubic metres per day of groundwater from an existing water supply well used by Lion Nathan Limited.

The Groundwater Management Plan (GMP) developed

by Beca to satisfy Resource Consenting requirements outlined the procedures for collecting and reporting shallow groundwater levels at the Newmarket site. This was primarily to monitor the effects of reinjection to groundwater mounding and temperature change.

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Numerical groundwater modelling, complemented by one year of baseline monitoring, was used to develop an automated re-injection control system to optimise reinjection rates, while minimising deleterious effects.

The system was fully commissioned with re-injection commencing in February 2016. The baseline data measurement logged by the BMS in February 2016 shows 6,634 m3 were abstracted and 5,420 m3 were reinjected.

Key conclusions from the 3D thermal model: 1. Glazing U-value of 1.7W/m2.K

2. The chimney was slightly more effective when the external louvres are open continuously as opposed to being controlled by wind direction.

3. During periods of high temperature and humidity, the inclusion of ceiling fans improved thermal comfort.

About the Authors

Bore water was identified as an existing renewable natural resource in the Newmarket site. Utilising this natural resource, a new bore water system was designed to abstract up to 500 m3/day from an existing water supply well on the former Lion Breweries site in Newmarket. The groundwater is used in a heat exchange for process cooling systems, as make-up water for cooling towers and for irrigation. Used water from the heat exchangers is re-injected into the same shallow aquifer via two new re-injection wells, to enhance the sustainable use of the natural resource.

Kotaro Isozaki Isozaki has over 3 decades of Mechanical engineering design experience from a range of education, laboratories, industrial, healthcare, cleanrooms, infrastructure and F&B throughout Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, China, UAE, India and New Zealand. He is a dynamic team leader and mentor, able to build team cohesion and inspire individuals to strive toward to a higher level of achievement.

Approximately 1,214m3 of water was used for cooling tower make-up water and irrigation, while 38.5MW of heat was rejected from the process cooling systems. This has been estimated to provide an annual water cost saving of approximately $NZ 50,000 to $NZ 75,000 and conserve the city’s water supply by 10,000 to 15,000 m3 annually.

The combination of adaptive natural ventilation system and a smart renewable non-potable water system emanates sustainability.

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Toxic Leadership at Work How to notice it and more importantly how to deal with it‌ Giles Keay I Managing Director and Founder of Constructive

Any of you who have read any of my previous articles in the last couple of years will know about my passion for well being and happiness in the workplace and the dramatic impact it can have on both business and individuals.

I

t will come as no surprise to anyone that happiness at work is impacted substantially on how you see your boss! Employees who think of their supervisors as partners report significantly higher levels of happiness than those who think of their managers as bosses, according to a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. For middleaged workers, the happiness boost is equivalent to the increased satisfaction that comes from more than doubling your household income.

In complete contrast the number of toxic leaders is on the rise, driven by competition, innovation and the use of social media to promote themselves‌ the percentage of psychopaths in the world is estimated at 1% of the population compared to 4% in organisations

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and incredibly the percentage increases to 20% when looking at the percentage of senior leaders. (Applebaum & Stevens 2015) Ask your yourself the question whether you have ever experienced a toxic manager or colleague in the work place?

Most of you if honest will answer yes for sure and think about how that affected you at the time.

The range of types of leaders in a business can vary substantially from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly; with good being inspiring, collaborative and nurturing through to the Ugly being narcissistic and psychopathic! Quite literally‌..

• Closely monitor their work

• Always promote transparency and clear communication

The impact that a toxic leader and in fact any toxic individual can have on a team, office or business can be detrimental in terms of absenteeism, staff retention and productivity and profitability. However, the impact on individuals can be even more damaging leading to unhappiness, mental health issues and sadly even suicide. The most recent reports from the ABS have stated that over 3000 Australians die from suicide each year and 20% of those are related to work and work environments.

Clearly this is an issue for all businesses to ensure that they are dealing with issues in the workplace and toxicity should be at the top of the list. Those individuals responsible could be your managers, peers and even subordinates and as such it is something that cannot be avoided or ignored.

So how can you manage or deal with this problem affecting companies across the country. There are some great strategies to reduce and stop the impact that these individuals can have, often by removing their ability to impact you.

Dealing with a Manager

• Extend your Network ensuring more people know the value of the work that you do

Businesses that don’t deal with these issues at all or do it slowly, will find themselves in a difficult situation where it will be viewed that toxic behaviour is allowed or ignored, leading to further widespread issues. You can be sure that good staff will leave the business leaving only those toxic individuals and their followers. A business acting clearly and quickly can show great strength and a fantastic commitment to ensuring a high functioning environment. It can often take great backbone to remove a high performing but toxic individual from a business but one that can deliver great results.

If you want to avoid this breeding of toxicity in a business, then the first place to start is in the hiring process. If your recruitment strategies are based on your culture, then you should hire the best people into the business who will be positive and add value. The next step is rewarding, developing and promoting those positive individuals to demonstrate the attributes that will succeed in the organisation.

OPINION

In all cases once you have informed relevant parties internally in the business it is essential that those involved are dealt with swiftly and professionally. In all cases it is essential that the correct HR processes are undertaken, and, in this respect, we would always advise speaking with an expert in the legal and HR area, if you do not have internal resources then you should utilise those of a consultant.

It is an issue that many of us have faced or will face in the future and one that should be tackled head on if it is to be removed from todays workplace… and it is up to all of us to make that happen no matter what our role the business. By calling it out or supporting a colleague you can make a huge difference to someone’s happiness.

• Involve HR early so that the situation is on the radar

• Document everything in case you need to use it to defend yourself against them in the future • Try to create physical and emotional distance by moving in the office or environment and detaching yourself from everything except essential communication • Ensure you always remain professional

Dealing with a Peer

• Never try to compete with them, it will fuel them to do more • Set clear boundaries to protect yourself

• If it continues, bring a manager and/or HR into the picture and communicate consistently Dealing with a Subordinate

About the Author

Giles Keay Giles Keay is Managing Director and Founder of Constructive (www.constructive.net.au) a specialist recruitment consultancy servicing the Built Environment, Infrastructure and Resources sectors.

His career spans both industry and recruitment for over 25 years in the UK and Australia, and his passion is leading highly productive teams with an emphasis on positivity and happiness in the workplace.

• Set expectations with them clearly, and document

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in urban areas Alex Campbell, Technical Director, Acoustics team, SLR Consulting

TECHNICAL

The challenge of natural ventilation

More often than not, noise can be a determining factor in whether or not sites are suitable for natural ventilation in urban areas. Let’s look at what can be done about that.

T

he Building Code of Australia (BCA) contains the very sensible requirement to provide a certain amount of air for occupants to breathe in habitable spaces. Australian Standard AS 2107:2016 “Acoustics - Recommended design sound levels and reverberation times for building interiors” (AS 2107) provides recommended1 internal ambient noise levels in a range of spaces, including residential dwellings.

Due to the increasing densification of our urban areas, more and more planning authorities are requiring compliance with specific internal noise levels (nearly always based on AS 2107) as part of approving residential developments. As a result, whilst AS 2107 noise levels are not mandatory through the BCA or other legal mechanisms, they are becoming enforced through development approval requirements.

1. The Challenge

The most sustainable way to provide fresh air to occupants is by way of natural ventilation. AS 2107 requires the building to be in its “normal operational state” while noise levels are achieved. This means that if a building is naturally ventilated, the internal noise levels recommended in AS 2107 should be achieved with ventilation openings open.

The standard recommends internal noise levels in bedrooms in urban areas of no more than 40 dBA Leq,T. Allowing 10 dBA as a typical outdoor-to-indoor loss for an open window, this equates to an external noise level of 50 dBA Leq,9hr at night. And there’s the problem. A lot of urban environments (especially in city centres or near major infrastructure) exceeds this external noise level.

For example, analysis of a road traffic city noise map of Victoria2 has shown that within the local government area of Greater Geelong, over one third of people have an external noise level above 50 dBA Leq,9hr at night from road traffic noise alone. This percentage climbs when the impact of rail, aircraft, ports and industry is considered.

So, what do we do?

2. Relaxing criteria?

Of course, this conflict isn’t new and has been realised by a number of regulatory bodies. For example, the City of Sydney Development Control Plan (CoS DCP) allows a slight relaxation in the internal noise targets where spaces are naturally ventilated as opposed to mechanically3: The repeatable maximum LAeq (1 hour) for residential buildings and serviced apartments must not exceed the following levels: (a) for closed windows and doors: (i) 35dB for bedrooms (10pm-7am); and (ii) 45dB for main living areas (24 hours). (b) for open windows and doors: (i) 45dB for bedrooms (10pm-7am); and (ii) 55dB for main living areas (24 hours).

The approach above allows for a slight relaxation in the internal noise levels given in AS 2107, allowing the occupant the choice between fresh air and low noise.

An internal target of 45 dBA Leq,9hr at night equates to an external level of 55 dBA Leq,9hr for an open window. Whilst this helps, it certainly isn’t a “silver bullet” to solve the problem and relaxing criteria doesn’t necessarily achieve an ideal level of noise amenity for the future residents

3. Where to from here?

Well, so far we’ve established that a lot of inner city urban sites are not suitable for natural ventilation through simple openable windows. But don’t give up. As an industry I believe we should be encouraging natural ventilation as much as we can on the ground of sustainability and reducing energy consumption. But also, we need to make sure the future occupants are comfortable and are not kept up all night from excessive noise.

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3.1 Masterplanning and site layout This is the big one, getting in early in the masterplanning process can greatly increase the ability of the site to achieve natural ventilation. We have been involved at the very early massing stages of a number of key precincts, influencing layout of the precinct as well as the orientation and massing design of towers. The ability to influence tower shape and “shield” the residential areas from the primary noise source (such as major roads or railway) can have a significant impact on the ability to naturally ventilate a development. The approach is broadly to: • Minimise the area of the façade exposed to the major noise source. This may include advice on the overall shape of residential towers, forming shapes which minimise the area of facade facing a major noise source.

Figure 1 - 3D acoustic modelling can help shape the form of residential towers to minimise noise impacts

the project is a residential tower in the middle of a CBD with noise all around, there will be limited improvements (up to 5dBA) that could be made from changing the massing of a site and building.

3.2 Localised Screening Once we’ve minimised the amount of habitable spaces exposed to high noise levels, the next step is to configure the building to provide as much noise screening as possible, so that the noise levels incident on the openings are lower than the noise levels on the façade line. There are a number of ways of doing this, the most common being the use of wintergardens – however these need to be carefully designed in order to achieve significant improvements Figure 3 (right) - Use of wintergardens to reduce noise as shown in Victoria’s Better Apartment Design Standards

Another approach is to use the balcony balustrade as a screen and provide low level openings shielded from the noise.

Figure 4 (right) - Options for using semi-enclosed spaces to reduce noise ingress as shown in NSW Development Near Rail Corridors and Busy Roads – Interim Guideline Figure 5 (below) - Concept sketch showing balconies reducing noise levels at ventilation openings

• Provide non-residential or non-habitable areas facing major noise sources (for example, creating circulation or non-habitable spaces within residences Figure 2 - Use of site layout to minimise noise impacts to residential (base image taken from NSW Apartment Design Guideline)

This will have the ability of decreasing noise levels incident on dwellings by up to 15 dBA (but perhaps more commonly up to 10 dBA). The approach works best when the noise incident on a building is from one primary noise source (like a nearby major road or railway). However, if

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A paper authored by the Queensland University of Technology showed that at certain positions at residential windows in appropriately designed balconies, noise

3.3 Attenuated openings Finally, there’s always the ability to bring air in to a space through an opening that’s not a simple window.

In the past, this has included attenuated air paths that can be built in to the building (such as over cupboards / joinery, benches or within the ceiling cavity of spaces).

A combination of the approaches outlined (along with others) may be used – and the earlier this is tested in the design process the better. A successful outcome relies on the acoustic engineer having meaningful input to the shape and footprint of a residential tower, as well as the internal layout within that footprint.

2. Data analysed and provided by Ben Hinze of Ambient Maps Pty Ltd 3. City of Sydney Development Control Plan 2012, Section 4.2.3.11 “Acoustic Privacy” 4. Investigations on road noise level spatial variability within a specially designed acoustic balcony” (Daniel A. NAISH, Andy C. C. TAN, F. Nur DEMIRBILEK, Inter.Noise 2014)

References

TECHNICAL

can be up to 12 dBA lower than at the facade of the building without a balcony. The performance of such balconies can vary greatly, and specialist advice and modelling is recommended,

1. It is not a mandatory standard, and the BCA does not require compliance with any particular internal noise level at the time of writing.

About the Author

Alex Campbell Alex Campbell is a Technical Director in the Acoustics team at SLR Consulting (www.slrconsulting.com), and is the SLR Infrastructure Sector Leader for Asia-Pacific. He has previously led the Asia-Pacific Acoustics team at WSP and before that worked in WSP and Buro Happold in the UK.

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Figure 6 - Concept sketch showing attenuated natural ventilation openings that can be integrated in to the design of apartments

Whilst this has the ability to provide performance benefits of up to 20-25 dBA, it requires specialist design and close collaboration between the acoustic and mechanical engineers in order to meet both the noise and airflow requirements. The attenuated opening needs to be designed to have a low static pressure drop to permit natural ventilation.

Summary

So, in closing, whilst it certainly is a challenge to naturally ventilate in urban environments and achieve suitable internal noise levels, it’s not something that should be discarded without appropriate investigation.

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Around the bend Paul Angus I Associate Director

Hydraulic Services and Education Sector Lead, (NSW & ACT) at AECOM

W

here technology is concerned, the simplest ideas are often the best. When that Eureka moment arrives….it can often happen when you least expect it, or does the actual location have anything to do with it? Whilst buildings are becoming significantly smarter, the design of the reliable bath, basin, shower and WC (albeit far more water efficient), have effectively remained timeless for a significant period. When we consider technology within plumbing, are we overlooking the key ingredients that could improve and maintain our health and well-being? So what exactly is in the pipeline.

Flash in the pan

Some of the best thoughts occur in the bathroom.

Whether it’s whilst you’re singing in the shower, relaxing in the bath or sitting on the loo, we’ve all experienced that moment where a flash of inspiration strikes like lightning.

History suggests this is no new phenomena; Archimedes

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is famed for terming the phrase Eureka whilst sitting in the bath! Does this sound like you, if you are a bathroom thinker, (not a stinker), what exactly are you doing when you have your best ideas?

Studies suggest that 40% of people come up with their best thoughts whilst spending time in the bathroom. It’s not surprising really, as the average person spends just over 20 minutes in the bathroom each day, or to put this in context that’s 450 days across the average lifetime. Whilst you’re reading this, (quite possibly whilst on the toilet with your smart phone), consider that only 12% taking part in the study do their best thinking at work. So there you have it, the key to increasing work based performance is all down to how awesome your toilets are!

The Internet of Technology Toilets

Buildings are becoming smarter, interconnecting with our smart phone apps. For example, allowing hotel guests to remotely communicate with their room heating or

FM Managers rely on the internet to communicate with the buildings services plant to monitor performance and efficiency (through the building management system, BMS). This allows comparison data to highlight any issues, identify when plant may not be operating, even allow proactive replacement of plant.

Japan is at the heart of endless technological possibilities, especially when it comes to innovation in the bathroom.

It’s not just another trip to the loo, when you consider highly sophisticated toilets can provide users the luxury of a vast variety of functions, including heated seats, warm water jets, and flushing at the touch of a button, or in some cases, with a simple wave of the hand from the throne.

Is luxury in the bathroom really cutting edge technology though? The bathroom of the future might also decide the age-old question of how much time teenagers spend in front of the mirror, and with the use of smart sensors could even assist men with what spending five more minutes in the toilet actually means.

Aiming higher, (rather) than the toilet seat

So where is innovation and advancement in toilet technology leading? Our interest and fascination with science fiction often become reality. NASA harnesses the ability of the humble toilet to monitor astronauts, by sampling waste,health and well-being. Although this sounds a bit gross, how beneficial could this be in the toilets back here on earth? Sensors are everywhere these days, and part of our daily lives, but what if we take it one giant leap for mankind that bit further by embedding various sensors into the toilet to measure your vital signs and health and well-being parameters?

Visualise your toilet, equipped with various sensors and microprocessors, logging urine information – and notifying you or your doctor if something going down the drain is different than the usual. You would not need to provide urine samples at the hospital or doctor; your smart toilet would take care of that. The future of the humble WC is starting to become far more appealing, don’t you think?

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OPINION

cooling, lighting and opening and closing blinds, even room security can occur via cloud based technology.

This undoubtedly assists in sustainable energy usage e.g. sensor following movement patterns to control lighting.

What if we use the same technology to control water usage? This could assist in heating only the necessary amount of water required or to operate the shower before even leaving the hotel bed, (to reach the desired temperature, notification on their mobile phone when the shower has reached their preferred temperature and even to set a time limit on the showering period to save water).

The possibilities are endless.

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The smart toilet of the future won’t be a stand-alone device, but part of an integrated network of information about you and billions of other people, in a system, of devices, servers, institutions and individuals that actively prioritises diagnosis, communication and prevention.

Instead of flushing millions of terabytes, potentially gigabytes of useful data into the sewers each day, we’ll extract the essential information to provide a far healthier future.

Just think how remarkable your WC could be saving lives, through the ability to notify their users when measurements aren’t quite right. The possibilities are endless, as the WC will also be able to send data to your smart phone, converting data that can provide suggestions on how to change lifestyle routines. Taking it further, the technology will be able to alert medical professionals in case of emergency or to notify doctors if the patients do not get better even though they are adhering to the prescribed treatments. The everyday toilet could perhaps be propelled in becoming the perfect mechanism for monitoring and performing early diagnostics.

One, poo, pee!

Sound far-fetched? All the essential tools and technologies already exist today. Embedded sensors located within the WC can easily be connected to the buildings Wi-Fi network to transmit results to your tablet, smart phone or a health and fitness app, which could also relay certain data direct to your local doctor. How essential could this technology be? Let’s dive in.

Just think how effective advancements in technology can monitor and highlight key indicators on your health and well-being. The toilet of the future will monitor your blood sugars and cholesterol helping you to manage your health, how your body is reacting and when to take action. What if you are suffering from a bacterial Infection?

Most of us don’t recognise when our body is telling us that there is an issue. Are you spending more time on the toilet than usual? What if you had instant access to the most up to date software that analyses your stool faeces and instantly reports to you via an app, that you have a bacterial infection or even a virus? The app can advise the appropriate treatment or if you should contact your doctor to seek further assistance…but hang on, being an app, it already has the ability to alert your doctor, in fact it has already notified your doctor, checked your calendar against the doctors and booked an appointment for you.

If your toilet could do all that for you without you changing a single way you currently conduct yourself in your daily routine, it would be great, right?

How many pregnancies go undetected? What if the humble toilet could detect any hormone changes very early and advise you if you’re pregnant. No more messing

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around taking aim or playing the waiting game. Your app on your phone could even alert you and your partner.

Perhaps after a heavy night partying, you’ve woken to find yourself hugging the ever reliable porcelain throne?

Of course, it must have been something you ate, right?

Thankfully, the sensors embedded within your toilet have already detected the alcohol level in your system. The app on your phone has sent you a hangover cure recipe complete with a selection of fluids to restore your body to the state it requires. You cunningly already set up the app, so your doctor or employer isn’t notified of these events… of course!

A flush for life

There are manual methods and self-diagnostic kits that can perform all of the above, but if we’re honest they can often be messy, inconvenient and perhaps slightly nonhygienic. The everyday toilet in certain circumstances can monitor urine, picking up those key indicators of early diabetes or infection. It might also pick up blood in your stool, a potential sign of colon cancer, just as quickly as you can flush the evidence away without realising, the results being sent to your mobile phone and recommending the appropriate course of action.

So why are toilets not already offering this service?

Cost plays a big part, however misconceptions of selfdiagnosing where something is not right with us, can be a potential mind field. Are you lusting for a new toilet, or is the lack of data-share options of the bog standard toilet holding you back? What if the simplest solution to all our future was actually your humble WC, holding the key to your overall health and well-being.

So, the next time you’re experiencing that Eureka moment whilst spending some time in the bathroom, spare a thought for your toilet…..you never know, it very well could save your life in the future.

About the Author

Paul Angus Paul Angus is an Associate Director – Hydraulic Services and Education Sector Lead (NSW & ACT) at AECOM, based in Sydney.

Paul has strong commercial and technical capability in developing and delivering hydraulic design strategies and solutions. He specialises in providing a sustainable approach to system design, including water conservation, recycling and generating innovative engineering solutions.

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This may be why

Liam Brady I Project Engineer, Norman, Disney & Young

T

he effects of Carbon Dioxide are not commonly known throughout the industry despite the fact that we contribute much effort to maintaining low levels of this greenhouse gas. But how much does this small molecule affect your everyday work?

The State of Play

The impact of outdoor air in engineering design is a common narrative we engineers encounter and contend with most days. Generally speaking, higher quantities result in healthier occupants but consequently leads to higher energy usage and larger systems. Naturally, we try to reduce the available amount as much as legislation and building targets allow. Legislation for providing outdoor air has been slowly moving towards a goal of what appears to be activity driven, whatever that may be. But how much can we reduce the outside air supply before we see an impact on cognitive function of people in these spaces?

Legislators and peak body organisations have aimed to improve occupant health by providing credits for improved energy efficiency, environmental performance, and occupant wellbeing. For example, a calculation within ASHRAE 62.1 determines the expected CO2,eq concentration that should be maintained to satisfy the substantial majority (about 80%) of occupied spaces with respect to building ventilation. Approximately, an outside air flow rate of 10L/s per person results in a concentration of around 520ppm above the ambient for sedentary working. For reference, atmospheric levels of CO2,eq are around 350ppm, although this may be higher if one is standing next to a cow paddock.

One part in a million

The Green Building Council of Australia awards buildings that can ensure indoor CO2,eq levels are maintained at acceptable levels, 1 point for maintaining occupied spaces below 800ppm, and 2 points for below 700ppm.

TECHNICAL

Feeling Sleepy?

Sydney University standards require occupied spaces to be kept below 800ppm and the new WELL standard requires control to 800ppm for occupant densities over 25 people per 93m² (1,000ft²). Compare these benchmarks to a standard office, which will typically sit between 800 – 1200ppm, though it could reach up to 2000ppm in a tightly packed meeting room. In education buildings including primary schools, classrooms can exceed 2700ppm when unconditioned1. Research has shown that at higher exposure to CO2 people undergo significant reductions in decision making performance and concentration2, as well as health symptoms in younger occupants such as headaches or common colds3.

Finding the middle ground

An experiment published in Environmental Health Perspectives4 illuminated a link between CO2,eq concentrations and decreased cognitive functioning.

A total of 24 participants spent 6 full working days in environmentally controlled spaces performing boring monotonous cognitive tasks whilst recording the scores while altering the local CO2,eq levels per day. There were 3 categories of days where the CO2,eq concentrations were varied to ‘Conventional’ (950ppm), ‘Green’ (750ppm), and ‘Green+’ (500ppm). Interestingly, this experiment aligns very closely to the targets being set by peak body organisations such as WELL and Greenstar.

A persons basic activity level, described as the overall ability to make decisions at all times, will increase by approximately 50% when subject to CO2 levels lower than 750ppm according to this study. The ability to plan, stay prepared, and strategise under emergency conditions, otherwise called Crisis Response, saw a 100% increase in ability with CO2 levels kept at 750ppm when compared to Conventional levels whereas maintaining a CO2 level at 500ppm showed a 235% increase in responsiveness.

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By far the most increased task-based ability was synonymous with most office jobs; Information Usage. This was described as the capacity to use both provided information and information that has been gathered towards attaining overall goals.

Participants showed an increase in scores by 170% on 750ppm days and a whopping 300% increase in ability for CO2 levels at 500ppm.

There is always a juggle between succinct design and providing high quality work environments for

occupants. Considering we spend around 90% of our time indoors it is our imperative as designers to help optimise our designs for both occupants and building owners.

Decreasing the available outside air will decrease duct sizes, equipment costs, and operating costs however it can be seen that providing additional outside air can significantly impact the cognitive abilities of the occupants. Benchmarks set by peak body organisations of maintaining 800ppm or below demonstrates alignment with research to improve

occupant’s wellbeing. If CO2 concentrations can be maintained to these levels, employees and employers may see impressive benefits.

1. D.Clements-Croome, M.Eftekhari, R. Greene, and G.Georgiou. 2012.

Measurements of CO2 Levels in a Classroom and its Effect on the Performance of the Students”. CIBSE ASHRAE Technical Symposium, Imperial College, London UK. 2. William J. Fisk, Toshifumi Hotchi, Mark J. Mendell, Usha Satish, Krishnamurthy Shekhar, Siegfried Streufert, and Douglas Sullivan. 2012. “Is CO2 an Indoor Pollutant?

Direct Effects of Low-to-Moderate CO¬2 Concentrations on Human Decision-Making Performance”. Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol 120, December 2012: 1671–1677.

3. Nkwocha E.E., Egejury R.O. “Effects of industrial air pollution on the respiratory health of children”. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. Vol 5, September 2008: 509–516.

4. Joseph G. Allen, Piers MacNaughton, Suresh Santanam, Usha Satish, John D. Spengler, and Jose Vallarino. 2016.

“Associations of Cognitive Function Scores with Carbon Dioxide, Ventilation, and Volatile Organic Compound Exposures in Office Workers: A Controlled Exposure Study of Green and Conventional Office Environments”. Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol 124, June 2016: 805–812.

About the Author

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Liam Brady Liam Brady is a Project Engineer at Norman Disney and Young within the Mechanical Team.

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He has worked on numerous projects across various sectors in both the Perth and Sydney offices.

OPINION

Bringing Buildings to Life

Peter Skeen I Principal Electrical Engineer, AECOM

The outcome of a buildings control, connectivity, amenity and safety will largely be dependent upon the quality of the Electrical services design of your building. When it comes to designing modern buildings, Electrical and Information & Communications Technology (ICT) engineers must be at the forefront of technological advances. The lighting design plays a vital role in creating ambiance within the space, communications systems are now connected 24/7 and adopting a digital infrastructure approach with a greater emphasis on collaboration between users and building technology.

S

uccessful building developments operate seamlessly and the electrical services system enables the connection between building user and the space. Lighting, access control, communications, audio visual and entertainment systems are all parts of the electrical / ICT services design that requires careful co-ordination with building users and other disciplines to achieve a user friendly technology enabled environment.

This article will explore the significance of Electrical Building Services design and how it can make or break a quality building.

Key Elements Lighting Design

One of the most critical elements of building services design is lighting design and is an essential part of creating an environment that can have a profound and direct link to human experience, mood, health and sense of well-being. Lighting designers are required to take

into account the functionality of the space, the desired perception of the environment, safety aspects and the biological effects the lighting will have on the occupants.

This level of detail is often not at the forefront of the client’s priorities as they are focused on functional floor plans and operational decisions.

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Another important element to consider is the effect the lighting system will have on the productivity of staff. A lighting design utilising quality products and designed well will enhance performance in the workplace and assist in preventing fatigue. Lighting designers should advocate for a collaborative approach with all disciplines and client stakeholders to ensure the desired outcome is realised.

Based on the concept that lighting has a dramatic effect on building amenity, there are certain techniques that can dramatically enhance the overall appeal of the lighting design and therefore the space.

Firstly, selecting good quality LED lighting is essential as lumen depreciation and colour consistency can become a major issue if poor quality fittings are selected. The following example of criteria should be considered to ensure the lighting selections will perform over time.

• The luminaires should first and foremost comply with Australia standards, - AS/NZS 60598.1, Luminaires General Part 1: General requirements and tests.

- AS/NZS CISPR 15, Limits and methods of measurement of radio disturbance characteristics of electrical lighting.

- AS/NZS 61347.1, Control gear.

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• All luminaires selected should have photometric testing data available from a certified testing laboratory.

• The colour temperature of the fittings should greater than Ra80.

• McAdams step ellipse tolerance ideally of 2 or lower.

• The luminaire lumen depreciation should be nominated at 50,000hrs as a minimum.

Providing illuminance on the ceiling and walls in addition to the floor adds significantly to the amenity of the space. Bright surfaces on the ceilings and walls creates a pleasant and simulating environment. Another important point to consider is the colour rendering index of the fittings. Colour rendering is the ability of the light source to reproduce true colours, and luminaires with a high colour rendering index will ensure the space portrays colour and textures that appears vibrant and stands out.

In principle, the lighting should integrate with the fittings and fixture theme of the buildings architectural character, and electrical / lighting engineers are encouraged to collaborate and integrate the lighting options early in the design stage to establish the desired lighting strategy.

Selecting a user friendly intelligent lighting control system to complement the lighting design will ensure maximum flexibility to control, dim, automate and

TECHNICAL interface to other systems. By adopting the above principles the lighting design will make an inviting space that will attract people to the building and ensure they will have a more pleasant experience.

Information & Communications Technology (ICT) Another key element that plays an important role in the operation of the building is the ICT system. The data and communications infrastructure act like veins within the structure literally bringing the buildings systems to life. Providing a building that incorporates centralised networked systems enables facility managers to review the health of the building services from a central location across the network. Some examples of electrical and communications systems that have the ability to be connected to a local building network include: • Centralised emergency lighting monitored system

• Security and CCTV

• Audio Visual and Public address • Digital signage

• Lighting control Wireless sensors are becoming a valuable asset to monitor temperature, lighting, noise and occupancy.

Data is transferred to the central control system and

analysed to optimise the building systems to suit present needs. An example with electrical and communications equipment is switchboard busbars and communications racks. Wireless sensors can monitor switchboard busbar temperature and communications rack headloads to provide an alarm should these exceed safe limits.

Switchgear has also adopted wireless switches as an option with remote control of circuit breakers now possible with these devices.

New Technologies Digital Infrastructure

The advancement within the digital infrastructure space within Building Electrical & ICT services engineering is changing at a rapid pace. Electrical & ICT engineers should look to adopt systems that can enhance the user experience within the building and investigate options to provide a connected and convenient environment to work and socialise. Some examples of modern digital infrastructure are outlined as follows: Technology Enabled Buildings A large proportion of spaces within new buildings are adopting a technology enabled approach. One example of this is achieved by including audio visual inputs at user workstations or desks with content able to be

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streamed to the broader team or class, e.g. lecture room.

Having the ability to locally connect and share data easily has revolutionised the classroom and workspace.

Digital AV and communications design becomes more complicated with these types of spaces as connectivity for much greater quantity of devices is required than ever before.

Internet of Things (IoT) Electrical & ICT engineers will more frequently require to incorporate designs utilising the Internet of Things.

Smart buildings are an example of the IoT where the smart infrastructure within the building has the ability to analyse the environment to make real time adjustments to lighting, temperature, access control and energy consumption.

As building services engineers, we need to ensure each design discipline comes together and has a unified approach to ensure each sub-system has connectivity to a common building network platform.

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An open architecture system is important as our customers require full flexibility into the future when maintaining these systems. If this type of system is not adopted, compatibility issues can arise between different equipment vendors.

Digital Application Software Digital apps have become a powerful tool for smart buildings and precincts to relay important information to occupants. Some examples of the information that can be broadcasted to individual smart phones via a personalised application include safety messages, location maps, meeting room availability times and sales information.

This is another example of how the electrical and ICT system can bring the building to life making it more convenient and efficient for occupants and also maintenance staff.

The communications systems described above can be overwhelming for clients due to the complexity of technology options, constraints and technical standards.

Electrical & ICT engineers must engage with the

Looking Ahead

Electrical and ICT Building Services Engineering is constantly changing, with new technology making our workplaces, businesses, public buildings and places appealing, connected and convenient environments.

As we move forward more devices will inevitably be connected via the internet of things (IoT) making our lives even easier (by having more data available) and through technology that adapts to the occupants of the building.

Summary

To enable a dynamic, collaborative and inviting environment the electrical and ICT services design will have a dramatic effect on the usability and appearance of today’s buildings. As Electrical and ICT engineers embrace and adopt a fresh approach by utilising energy efficient products, the latest digital technology and integrated systems, this will ensure the feedback from building users is a positive one!

This article touches on a small sample only of some key elements and new technologies when designing Electrical and ICT systems within buildings, and represents a small fraction of the overall considerations when designing a full working system. Other considerations not covered typically include dry fire detection, lightning protection, security/CCTV, Television distribution, power distribution and many more.

About the Author

TECHNICAL

technical stakeholders of the business to ensure the technology will be fit for purpose now and into the future to meet the data and technology goals of the business.

Peter Skeen Peter Skeen is a Principal Electrical Engineer in the Buildings & Places team at AECOM Australia.

He has over 12 years’ experience as a design engineer, multi-discipline design manger and project manager.

Working on a broad range of large scale infrastructure projects, Peter adopts a collective, regular and clear communication approach to deliver successful project outcomes.

Peter is passionate about innovative electrical and ICT technology that improves the health, amenity and efficiencies within todays modern Buildings.

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INNOVATION

BIM in a Smart Building

BIM (Building Information Modelling) is changing the way the design and construction industry is delivering projects and ultimately asset and operational information. With buildings and their associated systems becoming more complex, we have to look at how we manage our building stock better.

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ntil the Smart Buildings of the future become fully autonomous and are able to self-optimise and diagnose, they will require even greater management to maintain the intended design requirements and perform optimally over their life span.

Leveraging digital information, created through the design and construction stages, into operations, offers the opportunity to help with this challenge. Realtime, up to date information from multiple sources will need to be readily available to make fast, informed decisions, taking away the ‘best guess’ scenario and time-consuming, manual information gathering process.

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Across the globe, governments have started mandating the use of BIM on centrally procured projects to help improve the efficiency of capital delivery and asset management throughout their lifecycle. Some are also driving varying stages and levels of delivery as a way to raise industry standards. Private enterprises are also taking notice of the benefits and are now just as responsible as government organisations for driving change.

Underpinning the change in delivery is digital technology.

The key to successfully improve delivery, is to centralise and collect data as a project develops, so everyone can access the same information. Digitising all information improves the access, analysis and usability of this information exponentially. Specific information can be easily searched and data trends discovered far more easily, aiding efficient business and operational forecasting and decision making.

Data specifications such as Construction Operations Building information exchange (COBie) have been devised by the US Army Corps of Engineers; which was developed specifically to supply the critical information needed to manage their assets.

In the US, COBie deliverables are required only at the handover stage of a project. In the UK however, if you’re working on centrally procured government projects, then COBie forms part of your ongoing project deliverable. COBie data drops (as they are known) are required not only for handover information, but to assist with procurement through the different design and construction stages.

The New Zealand Residential Housing and Light Commercial Buildings Asset Metadata Standards, defines the country’s potential requirements for both National and Local Government Authorities. This standard details the data needed for both capital and operations environments.

Likewise, an example in Australia are the NATSPEC BIM Standards, helping industry to define what might be needed and providing a suggested delivery method.

There are also different classification standards such as Uniclass 2015, Omniclass, Uniformat, Uniformat 2 and CBI; all of them designed to assist in the organisation of a range of content for database environments, from design to asset management.

No matter which data specification and classification standard is chosen, it should not be taken for granted that any one is the right solution for every asset owner and operator. When engaging project teams to deliver assets, it is simply not enough for an end client, for example, to specify COBie, without truly understanding what will be delivered, or indeed how they will be using the information. It has been common for private enterprise to specify one of these data delivery specifications/ standards without having taken the time to really specify

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what is essential for their operations. There is no value in requesting everything if only half the information being delivered is going to be used and updated as part of ongoing asset management.

3D models now being created during the design and construction stages are rich with information, but generally only part of the information is useful at the handover stage. As any project progresses, layers of information are created at the different stages and it’s transparency on progress that helps create a thorough handover. Working in a digital environment means we have the ability to visualise and track progress far easier than we have ever been able to do.

A variety of information created during construction is required for asset management and operations. But the creators of this information all have their own methods and it is usually kept within their own disparate corporate environments, until the time comes to hand it over. Some of the required information would come from 3D models, while other data would be created outside of this environment.

Technology is driving massive changes in the way we deliver projects. Mobile technology that enables project teams to bring documentation and models to the construction site, is also allowing data, vital to the handover process, to be captured. It is removing the need for double-handling and processing of information off-site, meaning data can be captured there and then in the field. The accessibility of the cloud, combined with mobile technology are liberating activities in the asset management and operations environment. Instant access to data can be achieved, helping operational teams optimise existing inefficient processes, saving time and allowing higher value add activities to be performed instead.

Striking the right balance of delivery is important as this can be heavily influenced by the supply chain’s capability to perform in this new way. Understanding how the information will be delivered is also key and a vital part of the project set up, to enable the right information to be captured in the most efficient way.

INNOVATION Options of mobile and web-based technology allow greater flexibility and access into the project environment, enabling all levels of technology users to contribute to the project. Setting up a project Common Data Environment (CDE) to enable this is a key component. A portal for all project information and for project members to create and collaborate in a structured way will improve the efficiencies of information handover at the end of the project. If the CDE is well configured for project delivery, with the end requirements in mind, this could form the hand over environment.

With the convergence of BIM and the desire to drive far greater efficiencies in asset management and operations, there stands a fantastic opportunity to define essential information requirements from the outset of a project.

However, understanding the current and future business needs of an organisation is a critical part that feeds into understanding the levels of information management required. Defining a digital asset strategy is essential to underpin and unlock the full potential of investment in an assets life cycle and defines the link between human, information and technology to raise business performance.

No one size. We need to understand the differing technologies being implemented and how these are integrated, to form the smart infrastructure of our buildings of the future. We also need to understand any legacy enterprise systems in place and how these are being used. Reviewing if these existing solutions meet the organisational needs is again important. Often there are multiple technologies being used to perform specific functions. However, these are often used in isolation of each other, yet heavily rely on interdependent data to perform the specific activities efficiently. Huge efficiencies

can be gained in developing an interconnected ecosystem where data is shared. Understanding the purpose of these functions, the data needed and the interdependencies will be the start of unlocking operational efficiencies and potential value. We want to extract information from the pools of data available. The information will provide the insights that organisations need and in turn provide value from a digital operational environment.

If we are to maintain the level of service and realise the promise of Smart Buildings, it is vitally important to consider how we will manage, maintain, and operate them. We have to put the data at the centre of both project delivery and operations for this to be achieved.

All while keeping an outward look as to how they may be connected to smart infrastructure, aiming to fulfil the potential of these smart cities we all hear so much about.

About the Author

Brett Naylor Brett has 20 years of experience working within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry across Aviation, Rail, Commercial, Health, Education and Industrial sectors. Brett previously worked in the UK for a BIM Consultancy helping consultants and contractors transition to meet the Level 2 UK government BIM Mandate. He now leads the implementation of BIM across Beca and also works with clients defining asset information requirements and digital delivery methods.

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Anatomy of a Smart Building Paul Dearlove I Frederic Liberty, IBMS

Modern high-rise buildings would not exist in their current form without advances in technology. The discovery and harnessing of electricity led onwards to the development of efficient electric lighting, elevators and air-conditioning – all of which are necessary in a modern building.

T

he invention of microprocessors in the 1960s led to the development of a wide range of control and monitoring systems for buildings in the 80s.

Systems such as DDC for air-conditioning, electronic access control, microprocessor control of elevators were introduced that greatly improved the operational efficiency of the building. A typical modern building can include anywhere between 20-80 different control systems.

We have advanced to a point where the dominant technologies we hear about today include smart mobile devices, the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing and Big Data.

How will these technologies impact the next generation of buildings?

Before we can look at the anatomy of a smart building, it is important to agree on a definition of what is a smart building: • Some define it by connectivity – how many sensors and controllers does a building contain.

• Some base it on efficiency – how well does the building perform in terms of resource consumption or environmental benchmarks

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• Some base it on automation – how many processes in the building are automated to make it easier to run.

From this author’s perspective, a smart building is one that can add any technology, IoT device or software solution from any vendor at any time. These systems would all interoperate using a common collection of data.

Traditional Approach

The microprocessor systems that were developed in the 80’s were designed to a complete standalone solution with hardware, network cabling and software from the one vendor. There was minimal interconnection between these early systems and each was left to run independently. This led to isolated silos of control forcing operators to have to deal with duplicated infrastructure and needing multiple platforms to run the building. Furthermore, data generated from these systems is segmented, hidden or stored in proprietary formats, making it difficult and expensive to integrate and support An overview of this traditional architecture shows the vertically arranged silos that prevent the building operating efficiently.

Figure 1 (below) - Traditional "Siloed" Architecture

Despite the rapid advances in technology mentioned earlier, the great majority of control systems still being supplied today are based on this architecture and designs from the 80’s. Without an Integrated Platform,

Modern Design

INNOVATION

An Integration Platform is a crucial component for a smart building to allow the latest technologies of today and tomorrow to be deployed. It provides the key to accessing, collecting and consolidating data from any building system so it can be made available for any current or future enterprise application to use. These applications provide each building stakeholder with the visibility and the connected experience they require.

A standard and proven approach to achieve these design requirements is using a Layered design. The following diagram shows a high-level view of each layer.

The purpose of this design is to govern the flow of data from each building system (in the Process Layer) to the applications that will use and display the data (Application and Presentation Layers).

Figure 2 – Integration Platform – Layered Architecture

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layer systems.

Communications

Open protocols, web services and application programming interfaces used to exchange data to/from every connected system.

Deploying an Integrated Converged Network throughout the building enables physical connectivity of all base building network equipment (switches, servers, UPSs, Network firewalls, etc.), controllers, sub controllers and cloud services. This layer also governs Using a layered approach enables the Integrated Platform all network addressing, VLANs and security. to expand at every level. It also makes it easier to define

Process Systems Any building control system to the network. the performance requirements to ensure theconnected design and implementation is done correctly. The purpose of this Table 1 - Integration Layers approach is to allow data from a single source of truth to be used for multiple purposes and provides protection to the slower, more volatile systems in the Process layer.

Benefits of an Integrated Design

Benefits of an Integrated Design

properly designed Integration provides the A properlyA designed Integration PlatformPlatform provides the foundation of a modern smart building with the following foundation of a modern smart building with the following capabilities:

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capabilities:

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entralised, C consistent data from lifecycleconsolidated, cost reductions in accessing the data. Eliminates proprietary data sources all connected systems produces lifecycle cost that require costly, complex high-level interfaces. reductions in accessing the data and eliminates proprietary data sources that require costly,owners are not locked in to a single supplier.

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Consolidates multiple alarms a single console improving response times andall An environment that natively supports dashboards, web pagesdecision and mobile devices • andon favourably asset infrom theinto future Repository for allvalue data every system to drive timely making for • Repository for all data from every system to drive timely decision making for all removing the need toData learn multiple systems will deliver that makes operators and tenants more response efficient stakeholders.

This becomes asingle valuable owned building asset thattimes will impact Consolidates multiple alarms into console and Repository for allfunctionality data from every system drive An environment natively supports dashboards, web pages andthat mobile stakeholders.

Thisthat Data becomes aatovaluable owned improving building asset will devices impact favourably on asset value in the future timely decision making for all stakeholders.

This CIBSE - Anatomy of a Smart Building - Paul Dearlove [A].docx © 2018 IBMS Pty Ltd removing the need to learn multiple systems will deliver functionality that makes operators and tenants more efficient Gain efficiencies by sharing data with other business areas / departments favourably on asset value inbuilding the future environment that natively supports dashboards, web pages and mobile devices DataAn becomes a valuable owned building asset that Consolidates multiple alarms into aCIBSE single console improving response times applying and technology “Trusted advisors to Pty improve - Anatomy of a Smart Building - Paul Dearlove [A].docx © 2018 IBMS Ltd the built env Consolidates multiple alarms into aoperators single console improving response times and will deliver functionality that makes and tenants more efficient will impact favourably on sharing asset value in the future Gain efficiencies by building data with other business areas / departments removing the need to learn multiple systems Creates an environment that can continuously expand and capture big “Trusted data over advisors applying technology to improve the built env removing the need that to learn multiple systems An thus environment natively supports dashboards, web pages and mobile devices CIBSE -- Anatomy of Building Paul [A].docx © CIBSEin Anatomy of a a Smart Smart Building -- and Paul Dearlove Dearlove [A].docx © 2018 2018 IBMS IBMS Pty Pty Ltd Ltd time, positioning for future advances Machine Learning Automated An environment that natively supports dashboards, web and mobile devices Gain efficiencies by sharing building data with other business areas / departments Creates an environment that can continuously expand and pages capture big data over will deliver functionality that makes operators and tenants more efficient “Trusted advisors advisors applying applying technology technology to to improve improve the the built built env env Intelligence.

“Trusted will deliver functionality makes operators and tenants moreand efficient time, thus positioning forthat future advances in Machine Learning Automated About theareas Author Creates an environment that can continuously and capture big/ data over Gain efficiencies by sharing building data withexpand other business departments Intelligence.

GainLayers efficiencies by sharing building data with otherPaul business areas departments Dearlove time, thus positioning for future advances in Machine Learning and /Automated Table 1 - Integration Paul is the of the Intelligence.

Creates an environment that can continuously expand andDirector capture big data over Creates an environment that can continuously expand andRegion capture data over Western and big a founding time, thus positioning for future advances in Machine Learning and Automated Layer Description Director of IBMS. He has time, thus positioning for future advances in Machine Learning and Automated Intelligence. extensive experience in design, PresentationIntelligence.

Any application that requires data exchanges

Futureproof the buildingand towith add technologies canon-pre use a apabilities: an Integrated Design technology client demands Allows foras data exchange cloud based evolve. or Benefits A properly of designed Integration Platform provides the foundation of a modernInitiatives smart building with the following the need to reengineer and be able to cost effect

between one or more connected systems.

Web and mobile based applications used to deliver value to each stakeholder group. The presentation of the client’s key objectives.

communications, control systems and the Integration of Extra Low Voltage Systems (IELVS).

IBSE - Anatomy Application of a Smart Building - PaulThe Dearlove [A].docx business layer

2018 IBMS Pty Ltd Page 3 used to govern© all decisions Paul has been heavily involved via workflows, calculations, consolidations, “Trusted advisors applying technology to improve the built in environment” cutting edge technology normalisations, analytics IBSE - Anatomy of a Smart Building - Paulconversions, Dearlove [A].docx © 2018and IBMSdata Pty Ltd Page 3 in the Building/IT industry sharing. Key logic is used to determine the “Trusted advisors applying technology to improve the built environment” for over 36 years. He has a on2018 theIBMS inputs IBSE - Anatomy of a Smart Building - Paulrequired Dearlovecourse [A].docxof actions based © Pty Ltd Page 3 sound understanding of project management issues including from each connected system.

“Trusted advisors applying technology to improve the built environment” commercial and financial aspects, contract law and managing Data Management of all real-time and historical CIBSE - Anatomy of a Smart Building - Paul Dearlove [A].docx © 2018 data.

IBMS Pty Ltd Page 3 multiple deadlines.

IBSE - Anatomy of a Smart Building - PaulData Dearlove [A].docxtransformation and © 2018 IBMS Pty Ltd Page 3 extraction, loading

Communications

Network

Process Systems

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advisorsLong applying to improve the built environment” into data “Trusted warehousing. termtechnology and life data “Trusted advisors applying technology to improve the built environment” Paul leads the IBMS team in the development of the technical storage using a data warehouse environment. strategic direction for leading assets, including conceptual Load balancing occurs in this layer to protect the approaches, detailed design specifications and implementation process layer systems. strategies.

Open protocols, web services and application programming interfaces used to exchange data A leader in his field, Paul is often called upon to provide to/from every connected system. independent peer reviews of technical submissions and

Deploying an Integrated Converged Network throughout the building enables physical connectivity of all base building network equipment (switches, servers, UPSs, firewalls, etc.), controllers, sub controllers and cloud services. This layer also governs all network addressing, VLANs and security.

Any building control system connected to the network.

contractor works.

Paul has a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours from UWA and is a Green Star Accredited Professional and a NABERS Accreditor Assessor. He is a member of Engineers Australia, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Directors and an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.

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EDUCATION

What can we learn from

the Grenfell Tower disaster?

Hywel Davies I Technical Director of CIBSE

On the evening of 14th June 2017 a catastrophic fire started in a flat in Grenfell Tower. It quickly spread to the external façade and spread over much of the building. It killed 72 people, changed many more lives forever and shocked the world. The police and public inquiries are ongoing. The fire led to an Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety in England, led by Dame Judith Hackitt, a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

H

er review, and the associated activity around building regulations in England, is the most significant review in over a generation, since the 1984 Building Act, and is widely recognised as being a once in two generations opportunity to reform building regulations in England. It will also have implications in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which are watching closely. As in Australia, Building Regulations are handled separately in each of the four home nations under the devolved arrangements.

And the impact of the review will also extend beyond building regulations, which only apply up until a building is complete and handed over, into the operation of buildings and subsequent maintenance and minor works.

And it is being watched closely outside the UK, too, with at least three States in the Australian Commonwealth introducing legislation related to cladding on tall buildings in October 2018.

This action in Australia builds not only on the findings emerging since the Grenfell Tower fire, but also the work of the Victorian Cladding Taskforce and the investigation

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into the Lacrosse Fire in 2014. Whilst the UK has identified some 450 buildings which have aluminium composite panel cladding, it seems that Australia may have even more buildings clad in this material.

This paper summarises the activity over the past 15 months associated with the review, and considers where we can expect to see changes in practice as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire. Many have said that the industry must change in order that we reduce, as far as is humanly possible, the prospect of any such fire occurring again. The real challenge is to deliver, embed and maintain that change.

Dame Judith was asked to focus on “High Rise Residential Buildings” – “HRRB”s, with a twofold purpose: • to make recommendations that will ensure we have a sufficiently robust regulatory system for the future and;

• to provide further assurance to residents that the complete system is working to ensure the buildings they live in are safe and remain so.

• map the current regulatory system (i.e. the regulations, guidance and processes) as it applies to new and existing buildings through planning, design, construction, maintenance, refurbishment and change management; • consider the competencies, duties and balance of responsibilities of key individuals within the system in ensuring that fire safety standards are adhered to; • assess the theoretical coherence of the current regulatory system and how it operates in practice;

• compare this with other international regulatory systems for buildings and regulatory systems in other sectors with similar safety risks; • make recommendations that ensure the regulatory system is fit for purpose with a particular focus on multioccupancy high-rise residential buildings.

The review process started with a call for evidence from interested parties. As well as contributing to responses by the UK’s Construction Industry Council, the umbrella body for the many professional bodies in the property and built environment, and the Royal Academy of Engineering, CIBSE responded with a detailed contribution on façade engineering aspects of the review developed by a working group of the Society of Façade Engineers (SFE). The Society of Façade Engineers is the specialist division of CIBSE which brings together architects, façade engineers, building services and structural engineers to advance knowledge and promote good practice in facade engineering.

An interim report was published on 18th December 2017, which concluded that the current system of regulation of HRRBs is not fit for purpose. Commenting on her interim report, Dame Judith said “I have been shocked by some of the practices I have heard about and I am convinced of the need for a new intelligent system of regulation and enforcement for high-rise and complex buildings which will encourage everyone to do the right thing and will hold to account those who try to cut corners.

“Changes to the regulatory regime will help, but on their own will not be sufficient unless we can change the culture away from one of doing the minimum required for compliance, to one of taking ownership and responsibility for delivering a safe system throughout the life cycle of a building.” Her emphasis on culture change very much underlined her approach throughout the review.

She gave extended evidence on her interim findings to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee of parliament. This underlined her concerns and set out a number of reasons for them:

Current regulations and guidance are too complex and unclear. This can lead to confusion and misinterpretation in their application to high-rise and complex buildings; Clarity of roles and responsibilities is poor. Even where there are requirements for key activities to take place across design, construction and maintenance, it is not always clear who has responsibility for making it happen; Despite many who demonstrate good practice, the means of assessing and ensuring the competency of key people throughout the system is inadequate. There is often no differentiation in competency requirements for those working on high-rise and complex buildings;

TECHNICAL

In undertaking her review, Dame Judith was asked to:

Compliance, enforcement and sanctions processes are too weak. What is being designed is not what is being built and there is a lack of robust change control. The lack of meaningful sanctions does not drive the right behaviours; The route for residents to escalate concerns is unclear and inadequate; The system of product testing, marketing and quality assurance is not clear.

It is worth comparing Dame Judith’s conclusions with the headline findings of the Victorian Cladding Taskforce in its interim report, which said that the problem of widespread non-compliant cladding can be attributed to three factors: the supply and marketing of inappropriate building materials, a poor culture of compliance in the industry, and the failure of the regulatory system to deal with these issues.

In both Australia and the UK there is an underlying cultural problem facing the construction sector.

In late January 2018 there was an industry summit, which was followed by a statement reinforcing the interim findings and setting out the next steps for the review: The current system for fire safety in high-rise and complex buildings is not fit for purpose; A culture change is required, with industry taking greater responsibility for what is built – this change needs to start now; This applies throughout the building life cycle, both during construction and occupation; A clear, quick and effective route for residents to raise concerns and be heard must be created.

The interim Report set out six broad areas for change: • Ensuring that regulation and guidance is risk-based, proportionate and unambiguous.

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• Clarifying roles and responsibilities for ensuring that buildings are safe.

• Improving levels of competence within the industry.

• Improving the process, compliance and enforcement of regulations.

• Creating a clear, quick and effective route for residents’ voices to be heard and listened to.

• Improving testing, marketing and quality assurance of products used in construction.

The second and final phase of the Review set out to develop practical solutions to deliver these areas of change and support the direction of travel set out in the Interim Report. Nothing short of a major overhaul of the whole system was envisaged, and Dame Judith undertook to work with all those who shared her ambition and drive to create a new and robust regulatory framework and system that supports this. Across all sectors of the industry she called for radical thinking about the immediate actions that could be taken to lead to sustainable change.

Industry leaders at the summit committed to work to create a new system that will work effectively and coherently, with working groups formed to develop innovative solutions in the following key areas: • Design, construction and refurbishment - establishing what industry and regulators need to do to fully embed building safety during the design and construction phase.

• Occupation and maintenance - identifying what building owners, landlords and regulators need to do differently to ensure that building safety is prioritised when a building is occupied and throughout its life cycle.

• Products - determining how the product testing and marketing regime can be improved.

• Competency - establishing how competency requirements for key individuals involved in building and managing complex and high-risk buildings should change.

• Residents’ voice - determining the best way for residents to be given a clear, quick and effective statutory route for raising concerns on fire safety.

• Regulation and guidance - resolving whether central Government ownership of technical guidance is the most appropriate model for complex and high-risk buildings.

An expert group was also formed by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to inform the government response to the recommendation to consider how the suite of Approved Documents could be structured and ordered to provide a more streamlined, holistic view, while keeping the right level of relevant technical detail. The author of this paper chaired this

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working group, and its recommendations were submitted in March to Dame Judith and accepted in full in her final report. In response to Grenfell MHCLG also established a very comprehensive web based compendium of Grenfell related information.

The final report was published on 18th May 2018. In response to the remit to “make recommendations that ensure the regulatory system is fit for purpose with a particular focus on multi-occupancy high-rise residential buildings”, it focuses on “higher risk residential buildings” defined as residential buildings over 10 storeys. However, Dame Judith notes that many of her recommendations should extend to multi-occupancy buildings. This has prompted considerable debate, and current thinking within the Construction Industry Council is that her recommendations should apply to all multiple occupancy residential buildings, regardless of height.

The report envisages a new regulatory system, bringing the Fire Service, Health and Safety Executive and Building Control services together in a “Joint Competent Authority” (JCA), which is proposed to oversee both construction and operation of higher risk buildings, and to take responsibility for the enforcement of the Building Regulations and other relevant legislation relating to HRRBs. (See Chapter 1).

It calls for a series of Gateways for new HRRBs and major projects on existing HRRBs, which would entail significant scrutiny and sign off by the JCA. It also envisages a role for the JCA in overseeing a safety case system for existing HRRBs through the whole operating life of the building. (See Chapters 2 & 3).

The report calls for radical change in the current Building Regulations and associated guidance (Chapter 6), and for provision of full digital models for all new higher risk buildings, and for them to be maintained through the life of the building (Chapter 8).

However, it is Chapter 5 that sets out the potentially most far reaching recommendations for CIBSE, for its members and indeed for all professionals in the sector, relating to competence. Recommendation 5.2 of the Review calls for the professions to come together to provide a new and more robust and effective system for recognising and maintaining competence. The terms used in the Report could not set a clearer challenge to the built environment professions, and merits reading in full.

Dame Judith, a past President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, was clear that Professional Bodies in the built environment and property and fire safety sectors must find a way to work together She calls on government to supervise the process and, if we cannot deliver, to step in. The message is really clear, and the response was almost immediate, with a working group.

Whilst a full response remains to emerge, Government has already consulted on:

• A clear model of risk ownership, with clear responsibilities for the client, designer, contractor and owner to demonstrate the delivery and maintenance of safe buildings. The project team will be held to account by the new JCA. This new body will have powers during both construction and operation of a building, and for existing buildings.

• restricting the use of ‘desktop studies’ as a means of assessing the fire performance of external cladding in lieu of actual fire tests, seeking views on whether desktop studies should be used and whether they are appropriate for construction products, wall systems, or for any other purpose.

• A set of rigorous and demanding dutyholder roles and responsibilities to ensure a stronger focus on safety during a building’s design, construction and refurbishment; these roles will be broadly aligned with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. Penalties for those “who chose to game the system and place residents at risk”, as Dame Judith describes them, will also be more serious.

• Moving towards a system where ownership of technical guidance rests with the industry, with oversight by government. A clearer package of regulations and “truly outcomes based” guidance which will be simpler to navigate whilst reflecting the level of complexity of building work. It acknowledges that “prescriptive regulation and guidance are not helpful in designing and building complex buildings, especially in an environment where building technology and practices continue to evolve, and will prevent those undertaking the work from taking responsibility for their actions”.

• A more effective product testing regime with clearer labelling and traceability because “the current process for testing and ‘certifying’ products for use in construction is disjointed, confusing, unhelpful, and lacks any sort of transparency”. Poor procurement practices to be tackled to ensure high-safety, lowrisk options are prioritised and full life cycle cost is considered when a building is procured.

• A digital record from initial design intent through to construction, including any changes that occur during occupation, is also called for, effectively producing a model similar to one created under BIM Level 2. This digital model will create “a golden thread of information” about each HRRB which is handed over to the owner.

The information can then be used to demonstrate to the regulator the safety of the building throughout its life cycle.

• Clearer rights for residents are also proposed, as well as responsibilities where resident activity can create risks that may affect others.

Much of the report is eminently sensible, saying many things that have needed saying for some time, It reveals striking similarities between the state of the industry in the UK and in Australia. Although it is not stated explicitly, there is an underlying criticism of the design and build model which is prevalent in both the UK and Australia.

• clarifications to Approved Document B (Fire) and on banning the use of combustible cladding materials on high rise buildings. Legislation on this point is thought to be imminent at the time of writing. A full technical review of Part B of the Regulations, and of the Guidance, is also very likely.

TECHNICAL

Other key recommendations that will have direct impact on building services engineers include:

The full Government response has been promised in the “late autumn” and so may have emerged by the time readers receive this paper. It will be covered on the CIBSE website and in the Journal.

Conclusion

Grenfell was an awful event that devastated many lives.

There does appear to be a resolve to change the way that we build and manage high rise residential buildings in the UK, but we are now getting to the challenge of starting to deliver change, and not talking about it. In the meantime, it is clear that the problems we have in England are not unique, and those elsewhere are also taking a close look at the way they regulate their buildings in the light of their own experience and also that at Grenfell.

About the Author

Dr Hywel Davies Dr Hywel Davies is Technical Director of CIBSE, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. He leads the technical and policy development work of the Institution, including CIBSE guidance on building services engineering and building performance within the wider built environment.

He is involved in various aspects of policy and legislation, including the Building Regulations and other construction related Regulations, Directives, Codes and Standards. He is a member of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC), which advises government on building regulations.

He is closely involved in the CIBSE team working on the practical delivery of Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools and guidance for the mechanical and electrical sector, and is one of the UK representatives, through BSI, in the work on European and International standards for BIM and digitalisation.

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CAN CFD REPLACE the PLUMBING CODE? Ken Sutherland, CPEng MIEAust RPEQ Ret. Chief Engineer Roof Gutter Design Pty Ltd

The Plumbing Code in relation to roof gutters and downpipes is quite limited. For instance the flow is limited to 16L/s, and box gutters are required to be rectangular without bends. Modern buildings can sometimes benefit by exceeding these limitations.

So, is there another way?

C

an a CFD simulation produce results that are comparable to the Code? Let’s find out.

So, what is CFD?

CFD stands for Computational Fluid Dynamics. It is a way of generating a computer simulation of fluid flow in real time.

It consists of analysing all forces on individual particles (called the mesh) in the fluid. The forces can consist of gravity, viscosity, friction, surface tension, shear forces, and density.

The resultant force on each particle is distributed to surrounding particles, and so on. The equations must also satisfy the conservation of mass, momentum and energy.

From this, velocity, movement, and the direction of each particle is calculated.

The flow can hit stationary or moving objects, and the viscosity can also be dynamically changed.

The flow profile, velocity, and pressure can be shown for anywhere in the fluid, and all in pretty colours.

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How long has this been going on?

The concept of CFD started back in the thirties, but remained a largely mathematical and theoretical exercise until a means of solving the hugely complicated partial differential equations became possible.

The mathematicians came up with shortcuts and new methods to solve the equations, and the Engineers came up with computers to speed up the process.

But it is still a hugely time consuming process. It is not unusual for a calculation to take days.

Uses of CFD

• Movie makers use it for showing tsunamis hitting New York, and creatures turning into liquid, and visa versa.

• Engineers use it for everything else.

Analysing the results

The figure from the simulation is very pretty, but not very good at measuring any meaningful depths. So let’s take a closer look at the mesh.

CFD mesh simulation

So what now?

Apart from getting a warm inner glow knowing that CFD can produce the same results as the code, (or visa versa), what can we learn from all this?

Pros:-

The important things to note are:1. The deepest flow is at the upstream end, because the water surface must always fall in the direction of the flow.

2. The flow over the brink is 0.7 x critical depth. This is a hydraulic principle of a free outfall from an open channel.

3. The downpipe does not flow full. The flow is restricted by the entry throat diameter.

What are the code results?

The simulation is based on 11 L/s, with a 300mm wide box gutter (BG), and no slope.

From the Plumbing Code AS/NZS 3500.3, Fig I1 gives the gutter depth for no slope as 170, and with 1:200 slope, depth = 145 mm.

From fig I3, for a downpipe (DP) dia of 125mm, flow = 11 L/s rainwater head (RWH) details are :• depth of water = 112

• Total depth of RWH = 187,

• and length of RWH, at BG depth of 145 (1:200) = 173 From Fig I6 :• Critical depth "Loc" = 52 mm

• 0.7 x critical depth = 37

Plotting the results on the mesh

• Any fluid can be used, from honey, to beer, to gases. Plus interfaces between two different fluids, ie water and air.

• The underlying maths and computer code is continually being refined, enabling more accurate and faster calculations.

• Computing power can be increased by adding more computers to work on the same problem.

• A great way to visualise a design that is highly unusual, or way outside the limits of the Code.

INNOVATION

• CFD is a very powerful tool for solving all things associated with flowing fluids.

Cons:-

• There can still be areas where the results may vary slightly from experimental results, especially when it comes to wind tunnel tests; but not necessarily in areas likely to affect the design.

• To make CFD viable for designing a roof gutter, computers need to become a lot faster. Tying up computing resources for 2 days may not be practical. The advent of Quantum computers may solve this.

• Commercial software is expensive.

• Huge learning curve.

• Difficult to use without a knowledge of fluid dynamics, physics, CAD, and even computing.

The bottom line

The Plumbing Code was based on experimentation, so this gives us a way to calibrate our CFD mathematical model, at least in the area covered by the Code.

After that, the possibilities are endless.

About the Author Ken Sutherland

Ken Sutherland has over 30 years experience as a Hydraulic Engineer/ Consultant.

Mesh Side View

The background grid is 100mm spacing, so you can visually check the dimensions.

The total gutter depth, and rainwater head dimensions are also plotted to the code sizes.

As you can see, there is remarkable agreement with the Plumbing Code.

He admits to having spent too much time analysing the Plumbing Code, associated formulas, and computer programming.

He now offers the benefit of this research and some of the resultant design programs, for free on the internet, for the benefit of the Construction industry, Architects, Engineers, Hydraulic consultants, students, and every other man and his dog. www.roof-gutter-design.com.au

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Contact us Address: Tusculum, 3 Manning Street, Potts Point NSW 2011 Email: info@cibse.org.au Website: www.cibse.org.au

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