Covid-19 Resilient Buildings Preventive Measures

Preventive Measures for Ensuring you have Covid-19 Resilient Buildings

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, commonly known as Corona Virus, we have been striving to keep the virus away from our system. It’s no surprise that the COVID-19 outbreak is not going to go away overnight. While the health officials are trying to develop a vaccine and contain the outbreak, there are strong evidences that controlling indoor air quality will in turn lead to protecting buildings from COVID-19.

Here are Top 4 Preventive Measures for ensuring you have COVID-19 Resilient Buildings:

Ventilation controls on normal settings

Under normal conditions, a process termed as “Smart Ventilation” is used to adjust the ventilation system for the desired IAQ results. This practice can be quite misleading considering emergency situations like COVID-19 outbreak. Most buildings use Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) strategy which automatically reduces the outdoor air intake below the normal design rates based on occupancy. However, this may result in higher concentration of virus particles due to reduced airflow.

While reducing recirculation of indoor air regardless of the occupancy in emergency situations. Airflow under normal settings help dilute and remove the virus particles from the air which reduces the risk of virus infection. DCV should be temporarily disabled and ventilation systems should to configured to normal settings for COVID-19 prevention to supply as much outdoor air as possible. This can also be done easily with a Building Automation System (BAS).

Ozone based disinfectant systems

When we hear about Ozone it generally strikes us as a good or a needful gas, the protector of earth blocking harmful radiation from space. While Ozone has it’s uses on space level, it has it’s uses on ground level too. Ozone is said to be one of the most powerful disinfectants with effectiveness of about 50 times more of that of most popular disinfectants like chlorine. Ozone is capable of destroying bacteria and viruses (including COVID-19).

There are a few things that one should be aware of when using Ozone Based Disinfectant Systems. Ozone, when directly exposed, may cause shortness of breath or lung pain to a people with a healthy respiratory system. The symptoms may be aggravated for people with conditions like asthma and bronchitis. It is highly recommended that you check if a UVGI system meets the UL 2998 Standard – Environmental Claim Validation Procedure (ECVP) for Zero Ozone Emission. Ozone disinfectants can be used in hotels, workplaces, Spa and beauty salons, etc as a preventive measure.

Use of suitable air filters

Air Filters coupled with Ventilation Systems can further increase the effectiveness of capturing the viral particles. The most efficient air filters are those which have a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 13 to 16. HEPA filters are capable of trapping even higher percentage of fine particles.

However, filters with highest rating should not be purchased without an HVAC assessment. While capturing the tiny particles, they can restrict the airflow.

As mentioned earlier, the airflow should not drop to unacceptable values if the ventilation systems don’t have enough capacity. Buildings should not have air filters that may choke the HVAC system as renewed indoor air won’t help in keeping the viruses and bacteria away.

Lastly, COVID-19 has been hindering the operation of all business sector since the beginning of the pandemic but companies have come to realize that remote collaborations has improved the efficiency in business. This has not only helped businesses to operate smoothly but also limited the spread of infections. Construction industry has slowly started adopting innovative solutions and testing new concepts and its effectiveness which in turn may help achieving a permanent benefit for the industry.

Advanced Technological Tools: Utilizing Inertial Navigation Technology for 3D Mapping, Locating & Managing Underground Pipelines

Location, location, location. That’s a primary concern for safe operation of underground infrastructure. But utilities often populate state-of-the-art Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with low accuracy XYZ data. Low quality XYZ data is often due to legacy issues or unclear specifications for new-built projects, but regardless of the cause, we must do better for safer operations. Reduct is a pioneer and world leader in the development of inertial navigation pipeline mapping systems (aka Gyro systems). Reduct’s Ductrunner mapping solutions can map pipes and ducts with a minimum Internal Diameter (ID) of 30mm/1.25”, regardless of material, or type of utility. Inertial navigation technology provides solutions on several levels. Utility owners prescribe it to obtain accurate as-built data of existing and new built infrastructure for their GIS platform. Likewise, Utility owners use it as a due diligence tool to verify as-built accuracy of infrastructure acquired from third parties or contractors. Contractors, on the other hand, can use it to reduce installation risk by verifying the shape of an existing data duct prior to pulling in a power or data cable.

Surface tracing is not required, so pipes and ducts can be mapped to any depth and may cross any terrain. Measurement accuracy is dependent on the quality of the technology, the level to which the probe is aligned inside the pipe, and the skill of the operational team. Achievable accuracies are in the order of 1/2000 in the XY (horizontal plane) and 1/4000 in Z (depth). Inertial navigation solutions are an accurate and valuable addition to the array of mapping technologies. True, they require an empty or waterlogged conduit, but within that segment they are by far the most effective technology.

Introduction to Inertial Navigation Technology

Inertial Navigation Probes typically contain a range of inertial sensors such as gyroscopes, accelerometers, and magnetometers. From sample to sample, an inertial navigation probe measures the angular rate of change of its core axis (i.e. changes in Heading (azimuth), Pitch (inclination), and Roll. Simultaneously, wheels encoders recordt the distance travelled. Together, these create a 3-dimensional profile. Gyro systems are not susceptible to electromagnetic interference and can be used in densely metalized areas and near railways and power lines. Standard Reduct system output standards are xlsx, csv, AutoCad script, kml and xml format in the desired point frequency. This means that measurement results can seamlessly be uploaded to all commonly used GIS platforms.

Reduct in Africa

Pipe and duct location issues are uniform across the globe, and Africa is no exception. Over the past three years Reduct has participated in a several African trade shows to assess the response from utility owners, regulators, and contractors. “We believe that current investment plans, developments in asset management, and regulation on the African continent offer an exciting opportunity.” says Otto Ballintijn, CEO of Reduct NV, “However, we also realize that the African continent is vast and therefore we are in search of eligible local distributors to market and support our solutions to ensure the best possible service to our clients.“