The Australian Building Services Journal 2010_1

Elevating your expectations for Creative Lift Solutions for 25 years

3 National Report

4 State News

7 Leaner, greener buildings

11 Preventative Maintenance and

Modernisation of Lifts

12 Mandatory Disclosure of Commercial

Building Energy Efficiency

14 What is NABERS?

19 Regulation Update

23 Who you gonna call?

27 The Benefits of Evaporative Cooling

29 Benefits of using thermography in

building maintenance

32 Balancing and control of small

terminal units

38 Retrofitting – A Sustainable Approach

in Design

41 Measurement of Chemical Emissions from Building Products

46 Fire training solutions

49 Energy efficient, practical solutions for

every chiller application

52 Product News

AdbourneP U B L I S H I N G

DISCLAIMER Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisements appearing in The Building Services Journal comply absolutely with the Trade 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 and The Institute of Plant Engineers of Australasia 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 the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors are not necessarily those of The Institute of Plant Engineers of Australasia or the publisher.

Adbourne Publishing seeks to provide a forum for expression of ideas and opinions from companies and individuals. By presenting these articles the publisher in no way endorses any particular ideology but gives the reader the opportunity to access a variety of different views.

contents

Melbourne OfficeNeil MuirPh: (03) 9758 1433Fax: (03) 9758 1432Email: [email protected]

Adelaide OfficeRobert SpowartPh: 0488 390 039Email: [email protected]

ProductionClaire HenryTel: (03) 9758 1436Email: [email protected]

AdministrationRobyn FantinTel: (03) 9758 1431Email: [email protected]

MarketingTania LamannaTel: (03) 9500 0285Email: [email protected]

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INSTITUTE

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www.adbourne.com18/69 Acacia Road

Ferntree Gully, VIC 3156PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160

2 | Volume 1 – 2010 | The Australian Building Services Journal

Greetings to all Members and readers,

Firstly a sincere thank you to all members, for your support in my executive re election recently at the 2009 National AGM.

Amongst the troubled global issues surrounding Australia currently, the forecast for our industry within the Building Services Engineering sector has never looked so bright. Together with the housing and accommodation sectors showing signs of positive growth, the major commercial entities are continuing to provide steady future planning and construction. This is providing growth into the future for the crucial building services for which a majority of our members represent; reassuring signs for us all.

Another long term positive injection is the increase of apprentices within our industry. This valuable resource had until recently, sadly diminished over the previous 15 years. Let’s hope that this resurgence will bring with it the numbers of quality trades people that we all depend upon in supporting our businesses.

A growing number of our members including myself have been involved with market leading projects delivering Green star, ABGR (NABERS) and Energy solutions within the industry. The depth of expertise that these members possess, not only in theory but in delivery, is a very impressive; hence I encourage you all to come along to site visits and committee meetings to meet and gain exposure to our evolving industry and the services we deliver.

National Report

Feel free to contact me for an update, chat or visit our web site for the latest events as they come to hand.

www.ipea.org.au

Michael Josephs National President IPEA


State News

Victoria

Our Victorian Vice President Miron Krzywinski celebrated 50 years of work and

commitment to the air conditioning industry this year.

In honour of this achievement his current workmates at Hastie Services and ex Frigrite workmates arranged for a surprise party which was held at 500 Collins Street on Saturday 6th March. It was certainly a surprise for Miron to see so many of his friends attending. Some even came from interstate for the special occasion.

Unfortunately that Saturday was also the day of the hail storm that lashed Melbourne. Some people including myself like others did not make it or were late arriving at Miron’s function due to home damage or traffic delays caused by flooding. There was a couple flying from Adelaide but their plane was diverted to Sydney airport so unfortunately they missed the evening. However, Miron did enjoy the night that so many had put together and successfully kept it secret.

The Victorian Division congratulates Miron on his magnificent achievement.

If you are not receiving any state information communication by email please let me know and I will add your email address to the Victorian database.

Your committee would be happy to welcome you in joining the committee to help in the growth and support of our members.

It will be an exciting time for our division this year and we hope you can participate in supporting your fellow members and also prospective new members.

All industries ensure that all information is available and up to date for those interested so that the technical information the recipient may pass on is correct. IPEA assists and supports with promoting training programs and seminars that will benefit our members and readers.

Please view our web site for National IPEA information.

If you require any state information, please do not hesitate to contact me at the following email address

[email protected] or my mobile 0419 306 963.

Best regards,

Barry WildingSecretary – IPEA Victorian Division

South Australia

Greetings from IPEA SA. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas & New Year.

I know all the IPEA SA members & guests enjoyed their dolphin cruise along the beautiful Port River for our Christmas function.

Since my last report I have been actively promoting the IPEA to many of my clients & associates. I was lecturing to students at Adelaide University on water treatment recently and it was pleasing to see their interest in IPEA. I would like to see more young blood join our institute.

I, along with my wife Roz, attended several site tours before Christmas including the new Adelaide Zoo Panda Pavilion & Flinders Medical Centre. Both of these events were very well attended & again indicates the amount of interest currently occurring in our industry.

It is nice to see the return of so many cranes on our Adelaide skyline.

I would like to thank Les Gurney for his ongoing maintenance of the IPEA web site.

Work wise, Roz has been extremely busy auditing cooling towers & warm water systems to comply with the new South Australian Legionella control regulations which commenced on 1st October, 2008. I have been busy starting my own water treatment company.

Best regards,

Craig WhitePresident – IPEA SA Division

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The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 | 5



Imagine a future where lease

agreements are signed not only for

buildings and the furniture within

them, but for the fittings as well.

Next, imagine that lease agreements for carpets, blinds and light fittings are signed for

a set time period, after which time they are removed at the end of their working life to be recycled into new resources.

This future is literally on our doorstep.

A life cycle analysis is essentially an audit of the total impact of the products, materials and services we integrate into our buildings – everything from raw material extraction to manufacture, use and disposal.

While some owners and operators of buildings have been conducting life cycle or ‘cradle-to-grave’ analyses of their buildings and the products within them for some time, we are now beginning to see more emphasis placed on ‘cradle-to-cradle’ thinking, where material purchases are made based on both their first and second lives.

What’s more, we are starting to see more manufacturers participating in take-back schemes, which ensure that products don’t end up in landfill simply because a company changes its image and the old carpet clashes with the new brand.

Organisations such as InterfaceFLOR, which is recognised as the world’s most sustainable carpet tile manufacturer, has already implemented a take-back program

Leaner, greener buildingsBy ROMILLY MADEW Chief Executive, Green Building Council of Australia

The GreenHouse meeting hub2Photo: Emma Cross Gollings Photography

The GreenHouse receptionPhoto: Emma Cross Gollings Photography


< to ensure its products have a useful ‘second life’.

InterfaceFLOR’s National Manager Sustainable Solutions, Bobby Ali-Khan, argues that facilities managers have an enormous amount of power to bring about positive cultural shifts in their organisations.

“While many companies are refreshing their corporate images every few years, that doesn’t mean the materials in their corporate offices need replacing too. A seven to 10 year churn on office fitouts is the industry standard, which is simply unacceptable when you consider the average warranty on good quality fixtures and fittings is usually 15 years.”

Instead, facilities managers should write their design briefs with the mantra ‘maximise the first life’ in mind. This may mean rebranding with paint and colour, and looking at refurbishing portions of a fitout – say the fabric of the workstations, or the carpet tiles rotated and bold inserts added in the hallways, rather than the entire office being discarded.

“Imagination and ingenuity need to be applied to the design brief so that the architect or interior designer may respond with a sustainable solution,” Ali-Khan says.

“The days of moving, renovating, moving, renovating have to go,” says Blair Palese, Chief Executive Officer of climate change organisation 350.org Australia. She predicts a future where generic fitouts can be adapted to any business or working location.

“Designers need to throw away the ‘throw-away mentality’ and instead think about what can be moved from one set of premises to another. What’s more, facility managers need to take on a larger responsibility to ensure the big ideas of designers and architects can be converted into practical, resource saving realities.”

To make this happen, make-good clauses, found in most tenancy lease agreements, must be revised to ensure that fit-out materials are not thrown away needlessly as one tenant moves out and another moves in, simply because of a legal requirement to restore premises to a certain standard.

Although some organisations aren’t ready to look at the more complex environmental

issues such as embodied energy and full life cycle analyses, every company can apply the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ equation to their business decisions.

Ask yourself: How can we reduce demand for this product? How can we reuse the product? How can we recycle the product? More importantly, we need to engender a cultural shift that asks: why do we need this product in the first place?

There are simple actions that any company can apply across the breadth of its organisation. Here’s a good example. To most of us, a battery is a battery – and yet they are the most common form of hazardous waste disposed of by Australian households, with 97 per cent of those disposing of them via their usual rubbish collection. The majority of batteries contain heavy metals that leak into the ground as the battery erodes. This contributes to soil and water pollution, and endangers wildlife. Some components in batteries can be toxic to fish and make them unfit for human consumption.

At the Green Building Council of Australia’s headquarters in Sydney, aptly named the GreenHouse for its 5 Star Green Star – Office Interiors v1.1 rating, we have obtained a battery recycling box to store old batteries. Full boxes are collected by a local recycling company, which ensures that the heavy metals don’t end up in landfill. Such a simple measure - but one which makes an immediate impact, and one which can be implemented in organisations and offices across the country without costing anything extra!

So, how do you start the journey towards leaner, greener buildings?

The first step is to generate a greater understanding of our options and greater responsibility for our decision-making. Those of us who are managing our buildings should become more involved in their fit-outs.

In such an environment, we’ll see manufacturers and suppliers maintain responsibility for their products throughout their lifecycle, and purchasers make buying decisions based on what’s right not just today and tomorrow, but well into the future. n

Leaner, greener buildings (continued)

While many companies are refreshing their corporate images every few years, that doesn’t mean the materials in their corporate offices need replacing too...


Creative multi-level building

designs demand a creative

approach to moving people

throughout their space. Liftronic

Pty Limited, an Australian owned

and operated vertical transport

supplier uses its 25 years of

experience in the market to supply

a range of vertical transport

options for its clients.

Liftronic not only offers a large range of standard and customised lift and escalator

products but also provides high quality modernisation and service products.

Fine examples of Liftronic’s product range may be seen in many major shopping centres, bulky goods developments, museums, and railways stations across Australia.

These products are cost effective, technically diverse and made to withstand the rigours of public use.

Liftronic Preventative MaintenanceProperty owners and managers are aware that the quality, presentation and reliable operation of lifts and escalators in high-rise buildings have a direct impact on the overall value of their investment. They are equally mindful that the safety of their passengers requires critical attention and that it is their obligation to ensure that lifts and escalators comply with code requirements.

Liftronic’s experienced service team performs preventative maintenance at regular intervals to ensure that lifts under its maintenance program are both safe and reliable.

Preventative Maintenance and Modernisation of Lifts

Excellence in Customer service is Liftronic’s principal priority backed by high quality spare parts and industry experience. Liftronic’s service team is a sound choice for your vertical transport maintenance.

Modernisation OptionsLifts are a vital part of your building’s infrastructure. After your existing installation has reliably serviced you for many years, you may wish to modernise it to meet your changing needs and/or government regulations.

Liftronic provides you with a variety of options to upgrade your lift installation from car refurbishment to a full control system modernisation.

Your building is a valuable asset, which requires ongoing maintenance and refurbishment. Liftronic offers you cost-effective solutions to upgrade or replace your lift. Liftronic have the ability to successfully carry out major or minor upgrades and modernisations of lifts/escalators that have been installed by

Liftronic Pty Limited as well as those installed by other companies.

At Liftronic, we are always aiming to provide you with the most advanced technology available to monitor lift operations. We do this by using the latest supervisory systems to suit the lift loads and speeds that are most appropriate to your building needs, the benefits include:

Easier maintenance.•

Greater energy efficiency.•

Less wear and tear on machinery, and •

Reliable operation. •

Compliance to “new” Disability (access •to premises – Building ) standard 2010

A D V E R T O R I A L

For more information on Liftronic products and services contact the Liftronic offices on 1800 663 922

“Elevate your expectations for reliable lift service solutions”


The Federal Government has

recently enacted legislation

related to the Mandatory

Disclosure of Commercial

Energy Efficiency.

Starting in the second half of 2010, up to date energy efficiency information will need to be

disclosed to prospective buyers or tenants when office space covering 2000m2 or more is sold, leased sub leased. The scheme is part of an ambitious plan to drive more energy efficient homes and workplaces.

National Strategy on Energy EfficiencyAustralian, state and territory governments agreed to phase in the disclosure of commercial building energy efficiency through the National Strategy on Energy Efficiency announced in July 2009.

The disclosure scheme will happen in two phases

Phase one – office buildings covering 1. 2000m2 or more (BCA Class 5 Buildings)

Phase two – expanding disclosure 2. to other commercial building types, including hotels, shops, retail, schools and hospitals. (timeframe yet to be advised – potentially 2012)

The parameters for the implementation of phase one were agreed by governments in November 2009.

What difference will disclosure make?Energy efficiency disclosure creates a more informed market that rewards better performing buildings and stimulates greater investment in energy efficiency.

Disclosure will

Deliver consistent, credible, •comparative and meaningful information about building energy efficiency

Allow energy efficiency and energy •costs to be considered by prospective buyers and tenants

Provide building owners with •information on how their building rates,

Mandatory Disclosure of Commercial Building Energy Efficiency

and

Encourage more efficient buildings, •lower energy use and lower emissions

Who needs to disclose?Building owners need to meet the requirements of the scheme if they are selling or leasing office space with a net lettable area of 2,000 metres or more.

Tenants who are sub-leasing office space with a net lettable area of 2,000 m2 or more will also need to comply.

New office buildings will be exempt from the scheme until they have sufficient energy use to obtain a rating.

What will be required under the scheme?When a commercial office building with a

By IAN KNOX

NLA greater than 2000m2 or more, any or part of such a building that is greater than 2000m2 NLA, is to be sold, leased or sub leased, an appropriate energy efficiency rating and assessment report of the building must be disclosed:

In any advertisement about the sale or •lease (disclosure requirement is limited to an appropriate star rating, excluding Green Energy)

To prospective buyers and tenants •(a valid Building Energy Efficiency Certificate (BEEC) and an Energy Efficiency Assessment Report (EEAR))

To a central registry ( a valid BEEC and •EEAR)

In all cases a building energy efficiency certificate will need to be disclosed. The certificate will include three components.

A National Built Environment Raring 1. System Rating (NABERS) Energy base building rating

Tenancy lighting details2.

Energy efficiency guidance3.

If a building has inadequate metering to obtain a base building rating, a whole building rating will be required.

For buildings that have been substantially refurbished within the previous 12 months, the scheme will allow the star rating to be modeled in accordance with the NABERS Energy simulation protocol.

For sub leases, the NABERS Energy star rating will only need to be disclosed if an existing rating is available to the tenant who is sub-letting the space.

Building energy efficiency certificates (BEEC) will remain valid for 12 months

Energy efficiency assessment reports (EEAR) will be valid for 7 years

When will disclosure occur?When office space is advertised for sale or lease, a NABERS Energy Certificate must be included in the advertisement.

When prospective buyers or tenants enquire about office space, they must be provided with a valid building energy efficiency certificate as early as possible in the process, free of charge whether requested or not.

Prospective buyers or tenants will also be able to access the certificate at an online registry using a unique reference number.

Are there any penalties?Compliance and enforcement details have not been finalized as yet but provisions could include:

A maximum penalty of $100,000 for •each offence of non-disclosure

Publishing the name of the organization •who have not complied on a publicly accessible website n

Ian is Managing director of HFM Asset Management. www.hfmassets.com.au


The NABERS rating tools make it simple for building owners, managers and tenants to measure the environmental performance of buildings. NABERS translates data such as energy and water bills into an easy-to-understand star rating. The star rating lets you know whether your building is more or less efficient than equivalent buildings, and helps you to identify opportunities to save money and make your building more ‘green’.

NABERS is a national, government initiative, managed by the NSW Department of

Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) on behalf of Federal and state governments.

NABERS ratings for offices include Energy, Water, Waste and Indoor Environment, and can be used to rate the whole building, a tenancy or the base building services. NABERS also offers Energy and Water ratings for hotels, shopping centres and homes.

Why you should rate your building nowThe coming Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure (CBEED) legislation will require all office spaces over 2000m2 to be rated with NABERS before they can be sold or leased. All building owners and managers should be preparing to rate their buildings soon, to be ready for this change.

However, there are many other reasons to rate your building. NABERS is the only rating tool that provides a reliable benchmark of the actual environmental performance of a building compared to other Australian buildings. Most property owners, managers and occupants are now using NABERS as a central pillar of their sustainability agenda to understand, improve and communicate their environmental performance.

Many buildings are rated every year with NABERS, as a way of tracking and managing energy and water use, and to promote their environmental initiatives to stakeholders and the community. Office buildings using NABERS to measure their environmental performance have reported an average improvement in energy and water efficiency of approximately 15%, saving a total of 86,000 tonnes of CO2 and 300 Mega Litres of water every year.

What is NABERS?

Demonstrate your commitment to the environment

NABERS gives companies the confidence to promote their green initiatives and report building performance with reputable government certification. Many of Australia’s largest property owners utilise the simple yet effective NABERS ratings to report corporately and gain market recognition of their building’s environmental performance.

More than 600 buildings, or more than 8.6 million m² of office space, have been rated for energy efficiency using NABERS. These buildings represent around 41% of nationally available office space. Over 300 buildings have rated their water efficiency using NABERS, comprising almost 5 million m² of office space and 23% of the national market.

Property owners are now also using the Waste and Indoor Environment rating tools for offices and NABERS Energy and Water for hotels.

Use NABERS to identify cost savings

Property owners can use NABERS to inform them of the performance of buildings across a portfolio and, through targeted resource allocation, better manage their impacts on the environment.

Buildings with a 1 to 3 star rating will often have significant, cost effective opportunities for energy and water savings. NABERS can also be used to track improvements in performance over time as building management strategies are implemented and capital works carried out.

The online NABERS self-assessment enables building owners, facility managers and tenants to check performance on a regular basis or in between accredited NABERS ratings.

By LYNETTE BOuRNE, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water


Make your property more desirable

In a tight property market, NABERS can provide a means of distinguishing your building from the rest. With an accredited NABERS rating you can promote your building’s performance rating and can utilise the marketing benefits that come with the brand recognition of the NABERS. A NABERS rating above the median creates the potential for enhanced capital value and an opportunity to improve rental returns. Most Governments also require a minimum NABERS rating for any space that they occupy.

Rating an office tenancy can give you a competitive advantage by promoting your work space as a cost-effective, environmentally friendly place to work. It can also be used as a tool for promoting sustainable thinking in employees.

How to get a rating – tips for gathering dataFor a certified NABERS rating that you can report and promote, you will need to engage a NABERS Accredited Assessor. You can use the online rating calculator to estimate your own rating, on the NABERS website – www.nabers.com.au – however a self-assessed rating is an indication only and cannot be promoted.

The NABERS website provides contact details for all Accredited Assessors. The cost of a rating can vary, depending on the type of rating you are performing and the size of the property. As with any professional service, you should obtain more than one quote to ensure you receive a competitive price for your rating application.

The rating application process

Your Accredited Assessor will visit your site to collect data. They will calculate and then lodge your rating application with

DECCW. DECCW will check that the rating application complies with the NABERS Validation Protocols, before certifying the rating application and producing a rating certificate. You will receive an electronic certificate, and framed certificates can be provided on request.

Gathering data for a NABERS Energy rating

Energy use

Your Assessor will need copies of the utility bills for all sources of energy consumed, such as electricity, gas, LPG, coal, oil, etc, in the last 12 months, the latest bill to be no more than four months old.

The energy consumption data included in a rating is different for each rating type:

for tenancy rating – energy consumed •by building occupants, such as tenant’s light and equipment and tenant-controlled supplementary air conditioning, etc.

for base building rating – energy •consumed by central services, for example common area lighting, lifts, air conditioning, etc.

for whole building rating - combination •of the above.

Note that submetering is required for tenancy or base building ratings. If there is inadequate submetering, a whole building rating should be performed. If you will need to use readings from non-utility meters (meters that are not owned or managed by the utility company), NABERS requires that the meters be validated. Your Assessor can let you know the rules for non-utility meters.

Your Assessor will need the amount of electricity in kWh or gas in MJ, rather than the energy costs, so provide full copies of the bills and not just the first page. If you

are having trouble finding a continuous record of energy bills for the most recent 12 month period, it may be easier for your Assessor to contact energy utilities to verify energy supply information. To arrange this, you will need to write a letter to your energy supplier granting your Assessor permission to access this data.

Net Lettable Area (NLA)

Your Assessor will need documentation on the net lettable area (NLA) for:

tenancy rating - the tenancy space •being rated base building or whole building rating - •all the tenancies in the building.

Your evidence of the NLA may include:layout plans of the premises, or•lease documents.•

The documentation must specify that the NLA is measured based on the Property Council of Australia (PCA) publication “Method of Measurement for Lettable Area” March 1997 or the BOMA 1989 or BOMA 1985 Method of Measurement. It is important that the property area is current and valid for configuration of the premises during the rating period. If the plans are outdated or not available, you may need to have the floor plans revised or prepared by a registered surveyor before commencing the rating process. Your Assessor will visit the site to check that the information sources match the current configuration of the tenancy.

Note that NABERS for offices only rates the office spaces. Where a tenancy or building includes areas that are not actually office areas and not used exclusively by office occupants, such as a café open to the public, an Assessor may exclude that area from the rating. Your Assessor will know the rule that applies when excluding an area from the rating. >

the space was vacated and/or re-occupied. An example is the lease documents that show these dates.

Number of computers

The Assessor will need site access to count the number of computers in regular use. The computer count for a whole building rating will take in all the computers for all the office tenancies in the building, whereas a tenancy rating considers the number of computers in that tenancy only. This data is not required for base building ratings.

Hours of occupancy

For tenancy and whole building ratings the hours of occupancy equals the number of hours per week for which the premises has 20% or more of normal peak occupancy. This is determined by the Assessor who will survey your staff managers with a standard survey form. Surveyed managers should have a good idea of the arrival and leaving patterns for people in their area. You are encouraged

to prepare a list of managers’ names and contact details to facilitate the survey.

To help your Assessor understand the occupancy patterns, you are encouraged to provide floor plans showing the office layouts marked up with the various business departments or team locations if such groups have different occupancy hours.

For base building ratings, the hours of occupancy are the agreed hours per week for which services are provided by the landlord to the tenants. This may include both core hours of service, i.e. regular hours requested by the tenant and defined in leasing documentation, and after-hours air-conditioning that is requested by the tenant where records exist.

For more information about NABERS, go to www.nabers.com.au, or email [email protected]. NABERS also offers a half day introductory course, which is for anyone who wants to find out more about NABERS. n

What is NABERS?(continued)

If some areas were vacant during the rating period, you will have to provide details of vacant areas (NLA) and the exact dates that


AuST: Sealing Service Penetrations is Critical

Commercial building owners, managers and contractors who manager buildings with fire and smoke resistant structures must recognise that they play a critical part in building occupant fire safety. Essential safety measures regulations have recognised this fact by strengthening the Regulation’s over the years.

Substantial statutory penalties under most State regulations, apply to building owners and occupiers that knowingly allow any inadequately sealed services penetrations or breaches in fire and smoke resisting structures to exist. Equally severe penalties exist for simply chocking open fire and smoke resisting doors in a fire isolated stairwell or passageway. To comply with the provisions of the Regulations and AS1851-2005 - Part 17, all building service penetrations through fire and smoke resisting structures should be inspected regularly depending on the state. Where inadequately sealed services penetrations or breaches are found they must be rectified in a prescribed time frame.

In the past 12 months thousands of people had to be evacuated from buildings, one in Melbourne and two in Queensland. A large hotel, a department store and an apartment building as a result of minor fires that caused undue smoke penetration through the buildings. Although there were no major personal injuries there was however considerable disruption to businesses, loss of revenue and some minor personal injuries. In Queensland fines may well be issued to the owners of these buildings if

their mandatory inspection records of the passive fire safety installations were found not to be up to date or there are breaches of the fire and smoke compartmentation in a building.

The implications of these fires could have potentially been much worse.

NSW: Entertainment Venues

Managers of places of public entertainment should take note of the NSW legislation that has been recently amended with the inclusion of the terminology “Entertainment Venue” to replace the previous “Place of Public Entertainment” (PoPE) terminology and the related PoPE licensing system.

The intention of these amendments is to facilitate the use of live entertainment at pubs, restaurants and registered clubs around NSW by removing unnecessary regulation in particular the previous need for development consent and PoPE licensing, while at the same time retaining appropriate safeguards for public amenity and safety.

AuST: Access to Roof Mounted Air-Con units

To avoid accidents facility managers should study the specific legislative requirements for access to roof mounted air conditioning units on their buildings. Part I1.2 of the BCA requires mechanical ventilation and hot water, warm water and cooling water systems in a building other than a system only serving a single sole-occupancy unit in a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part to be maintained in accordance with AS/NZS 3666.2.

Building Services Regulation updateBy DEREK HENDRY

Section 2 of AS/NZS 3666.2 “Operation and maintenance of air-handling and water systems of buildings-microbial” requires easy and safe access for cleaning, inspection and maintenance to all plant, equipment and components of air-handling and water systems of buildings by complying with the relevant requirements of AS 1657, AS 1470, AS/NZS 1892.1 and AS/NZS 2865.

AS1657 “Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders – Design, construction and installation” has specific requirements such as the cross fall for drainage of platforms and walkways should not exceed 1 in 35 or 1.64 degrees. There are no exceptions for walkways not to be protected by guard railing other than at points of access or where there is a permanent structure not more than 100mm distance from the edge of the walkway which must give the same protection of guard railing. 600 wide expanded mesh on flat solid roofs does not comply with AS 1657. AS 1657 requires the walkway to be considered a platform owing to the fact that the walkway if level and provided the walkway/ platform is not more than 300 mm above the roof, defined on the edges, not at the edge of the roof or over a sky lite, it may not be necessary to provide guard railing provided the platform/walkway is 600 mm wide.

QLD: Evacuation Routes Free of Obstruction

Building owners and managers have to be aware of the new requirements in the recent changes to the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 (BFSR) specifically


About the Hendry Group

Derek Hendry is the Managing Director of the Hendry Group of Consulting companies, including Essential Property Services. Derek pioneered the ‘private certification’

system of building approvals in Australia, and his nationally based consultancy offices assist clients in all facets of building control and essential safety measure audits. The Hendry Group publish an e-newsletter entitled ‘essential matters’, available online at www.emau.com.au, and their new service, BCA Illustrated (at www.bcai.com.au), offers 3000 illustrations explaining and interpreting the BCA as it applies to your building.

legislating against unauthorised modification to evacuation routes, i.e. failing to maintain integrity of safe passage.

Pursuant to the new BFSR it is an offence to make unauthorised modification to evacuation routes i.e. installation of un approved mechanical ventilation systems, holding open of fire and smoke resisting doors or fail to seal holes and service penetrations in a walls of fire isolated passages or compartments.

Substantial penalties apply for non compliance and knowingly allowing deficiencies to exist. It is now mandatory for building owners/ occupiers to repair deficiencies in fire resisting construction within a specific time frame (1 month from notification).

It is an offence under BSFR to:

Install or alter a mechanical ventilation •or air conditioning system in a building in a way that, in the event of a fire, may allow air to flow onto an evacuation route of the building from another space in the building, including fire-isolated compartments.

Allow penetrations or gaps around •services penetrating a wall on the perimeter of a fire-isolated compartment or passageway to exist.

Fail to seal a hole in a wall on •the perimeter of a fire-isolated compartment or passageway.

Chock open a door on the perimeter •of a fire-isolated compartment or passageway (unless approved with fail safe/ interlocked door release devices).

These requirements are consistent with the Queensland’s Governments approach to fire safety and the modelling of aspects of the BSFR on the national fire systems maintenance benchmark (AS1851-2005). If owners and occupiers comply with their passive fire safety installation maintenance requirements these provisions will seem much simpler to manage.

AuST: Fitouts Halted

Facility managers have experienced delays on some fitout projects as a consequence of construction industry employees and subcontractors not having completed basic Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) induction training.

In most states, construction induction schemes are endorsed by each state’s workplace safety authority and workers are required to be issued with a ‘card’ as evidence of their OH&S induction training. A visit by the local WorkSafe/ Cover authority officer or a union accreditation will certainly impact on the project, if contractors have not been properly inducted.

AuST: Vacating Premises? Make Good

Upon the expiry of a tenants lease a number of facility/ property managers come to grief when the tenant vacates. Some managers have ‘make good obligations’ in the lease which serves the purpose. Other lease agreements fail miserably for all sorts of reasons. When reletting the space, the managers new tenant has regulatory show stoppers to contend with. Generally, this is because removal (demolition) of partitions and remedial fire stopping of penetrations, repositioning of exit/ emergency lights have not been performed under a building approval or have been installed incorrectly. This changes the incoming tenant’s work schedules and occupation date, as well as requiring extra funds to solve sometimes questionable ‘exiting’ building works, causing problems for all. Approvals and audits should be instigated by managers when a tenant vacates before the new tenant is forced to make claims on the building owner. n

Building Services Regulation update(continued)

If owners and occupiers comply with their passive fire safety installation maintenance requirements these provisions will seem much simpler to manage.


The massive dust clouds that hit

Sydney and Brisbane recently

(and the storms in Melbourne

and Perth), resulted in the

majority of open recirculating

cooling water systems

receiving considerable airborne

contamination. If climate

change is going to increase the

number and severity of events

such as these, PHILLIP ROSS

investigates what remedial action

should be done immediately

after such inundations and

what, if anything, can be done

beforehand.

Amidst the clamour of debate over whether global warming is man-made (anthropogenic) or

not, one fact appears to remain: more extreme weather events are occurring.

While the human debate continues to rage, the HVAC&R industry is prominently involved in preparing and repairing mechanical services from damage caused by a more natural rage: fire, floods, storms and even earthquakes, as the recent Sydney dust storms pointedly highlighted.

Over three million tonnes of topsoil was blown across the the city and, while a lot was blown out to the Tasman Sea, plenty settled on the rooftops of Sydney’s CBD and surrounding commercial properties. What damage can it do to a system, how do service companies cope and can one actively prepare for such events?

Who you gonna call?

First steps “You have to get to it before it converts and does secondary damage by releasing contaminants into the system – Legionella, mould and fungi or even long-term abrasive damage,” warns Geoff Kelly of Clean-Air Australia. Shifting the system on to recirculated air is imperative in the first instance.

Greg Downing, director of Hydrochem, agrees. “Cooling towers are an effective air scrubber and the majority of contamination that enters a cooling water system is airborne.”

In such extreme events, prevention is almost impossible, Downing says. “Installation of a basin flushing design of the cooling tower would provide the best defence [as well as] shutting down the system during the height of the storm, erecting temporary dust barriers or installing filtration media for the entering air of cooling towers.” But,

he notes, these are measures that are not feasible or practical operationally.

Haden’s service manager for Broken Hill, Matthew Mann, has had to cope with the experience on a large scale. “We have had five dust storms pass through in five weeks, so it is pointless to be proactive and give everything a once-off clean, as these storms are unpredictable. Unfortunately, we will have to deal with it as best we can and hopefully identify any problem areas and rectify prior to breakdowns occurring.”

Realistically, you can only react to an extreme weather event and instigate an action plan to check and repair. Hydrochem provides an extensive guide that stresses working closely with the water treatment service provider (see box at end of article).

Clean-Air’s Kelly goes one step further and interviews the building’s occupants as the best judges of how the internal air has been affected. “If any of them complain of dust

William St in Sydney around 9am, looking towards the city skyscape completely hidden by the dust cloud. Photo courtesy Caroline Milne.


< fallout through the ventilation then we have a serious problem,” he says.

“It means there has been a filter failure and the air conditioning would, most certainly, have blown the dust throughout the entire system. From there the ducts basically become a planter box for mould and fungi growth and the entire system must be cleaned.”

Ductclean’s Victorian branch manager, Brett Stephens, says “an air quality test is paramount, including particulate and swab testing of the HVAC system, to not only check the mechanicals but also for hygiene risk of occupants as well.”

Where to begin The Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) publish two application manuals: – DA:17 and DA:19 – which provide good starting points.

DA17 states that any cooling tower maintenance program must comply with the requirements of local or state government regulations and AS/NZS:3666.2.

While both manuals were written with Legionella in mind, the information provides a good basis from which to begin. DA:17 states that control measures should be implemented in the following hierarchy:

remove the hazard •reduce the hazard •separate the hazard from people •engineering measures •administrative measures. •

Remove, reduce, separate In the case of the Broken Hill dust storms, Mann has an extensive problem. “Standard fresh air and supply air filters have been choked with the fine dust particles, and

in some cases, the particles have passed through the filters and contaminated the whole conditioned space, not to mention leaving a residue throughout the internal ductwork and components.”

But it is much more than that, he says. “Switchboards have been contaminated and condenser coils have been affected. The true effects will not be known until we have our first hot summer days, when systems will begin shutting down due to high head pressures from the blocked condenser coils.”

The sheer amount of dust settling in Broken Hill means that no system is immune. “Evaporative coolers have been similarly affected. The dust has settled in the cooling pads, and once the cooler is turned on, a blast of dust enters the room, then as the water passes over the filter pads, the sump accumulates mud, which is then circulated back through the system.”

All state health departments provide definitive guides on Legionella control in cooling towers, which are excellent remedial starting points.

Devastation to a ducting system caused by a factory fire

“Shifting the system on to recirculated air is imperative in the first instance.”


Dust storms aside, according to Kelly it is even worse if it is fire damage. “Soot is not only lighter but is also positively charged so it gets absolutely everywhere and sticks to any surface: rough, smooth, or vertical.”

Being organic it then becomes a perfect growth medium, he says. “You have to do a complete building clean of all surfaces, including the ceilling space. However, because of its charge, if you wipe it off walls you only get one layer and remaining soot can easily be sucked back into the system via return air and recontaminate the whole building again.

“We use the new Soot Sponge and continually wipe the surface until the sponge shows clean. It also helps if you use a chemical cleaner that can negatively charge the soot and allow detergents to finish the job.”

Ductclean’s Stephens agrees fire damage is more insidious than these latest dust storms. “Usually with fire you not only need to replace the dampers but also the condensers and evaporators will have thermal damage as well. They may look all right on the outside but really should not be relied upon.”

Flood damage also presents its own unique problems for service technicians, according to Stephens. “With flooding or water damage after a fire, once flexible ducting is wet it must be replaced.”

In a residential home, if you have subfloor ducting, the slab needs to be dried after duct removal and then disinfected wherever it was wet. Stephens warns that flooding may have caused sewer backup and you cannot take the risk. “Then you need to do the same for the entire HVAC system: replacing where necessary, cleaning and sanitising.”

Flooding usually occurs during cooler weather, Kelly says, and if you don’t remove the wet insulation quickly, “the heating system may kick in and assist in the cooking! This is a total replace – the insulation will be useless.”

Electrical storms and earthquakes do not tend to cause much damage in mechanical services, according to Stephens. “Call-outs on storm and earthquake-type emergencies are usually

just electrical as mechanical equipment is quite capable of handling a good shake.”

Engineering and administrative measures Given that extreme weather events are, by their very nature, almost impossible to plan and prepare for, there are some measures that can be taken to mitigate post-event problems.

AIRAH refers to detailed information on risk assessment and risk management available from AS:4360 and HB:436. Good

admininstration is also critical for instant reference by technicians and management: refer to AS/ISO:15489 for general information on records management. The maintenance of accurate records and log books for each cooling tower installation is mandatory under the requirements of AS/ NZS:3666.2.

In Broken Hill, Mann has already begun to instigate cleaning regimes where possible. “During standard preventative maintainence visits, we have commenced cleaning coils where time permits, and if not, advising the

Cyclone Hamish off the coast of Queensland earlier this year. Photo courtesy NASA.


Less water usageStill many processes, particularly in industrial applications, use the cooling water in a so called once-through systems. Thermal polution and waste of this precious resource are not favouring the environment, hence other cooling systems should be considered. Evaporative cooling reuses over 95% of the cooling water, which is a major advantage.

Less power generation requiredStill many processes, particularly in air conditioning applications, use air cooled equipment to reject the process heat. This results in a very high electrical energy consumption and first cost. Evaporative cooling requires considerably less energy and first cost investments in the cooling process. Since we all aim to reduce the global warming effect and the exhaust of ozone depleting gasses, reducing the generation of electrical power leads to a healthier environment.

Less sound dissipationEvaporative cooling equipment as such has, compared to other cooling systems, a lower sound level. The low cooling water temperature generated by evaporative cooling allow the chillers in the process to be smaller as well, and hence generate less sound. We all experience an increase of the noise level in our daily life, hence all measures should be taken to limit the sound dissipation from cooling equipment in general, and chose that equipment that results in the lowest overall sound level.

Less occupied spaceBecause of its compactness, evaporative cooling equipment requires less footprint than any other heat rejection system. As a consequence less floor space is required. Evaporative cooling equipment can be installed inside the building, often a requirement by the architect. Evaporative cooling equipment, contrary to air cooled equipment, does not necessarily makes our living environment uglier.

use true closed loop coolingEvaporative cooling equipment with a true closed loop implies that the water cooling the closed loop is not in contact outside the evaporative cooler with other devices like for instance heat exchangers. By keeping the water which is in touch with the atmosphere within the evaporative cooler, it cannot get

contaminated by bacteria located in hidden areas in the piping or other equipment. Moreover, closed cooling systems have usually lower spray water temperatures than the cooling water in open systems. The lower the temperature, the lower the growth rate of bacteria.

use true hybrid cooling systemsHybrid cooling systems incorporate the best of two worlds: evaporative cooling in the summer, to benefit from the low water temperatures and less system energy consumption, and dry cooling in the colder season, saving water during a major part of the year. Operating these type of systems in a controlled way result in a reduced risk for bacteriological contamination.

Installing a finned coil on top of the evaporative cooling equipment is one step in that direction, however it is not walking the whole mile. True hybrid systems operate 80% of the time in dry mode, and provide all the benefits related to energy consumption and risk control.

use state-of-the-art water treatmentUnfortunately many evaporative cooling systems are not equipped with a proper water treatment package; this may lead to scaling of the heat transfer section, resulting in decreasing efficiencies, to corrosion of the equipment, which results in a much shorter equipment life, or to uncontrolled bacteriological growth, which may lead to legionnaire’s disease outbreaks. Proper water treatment is designed to take into account the material characteristics of the evaporative cooling equipment and the sometimes varrying characteristics of the make-up water. The right decision at the beginning can avoid trouble in the future.

use a single supplierA single supplier takes full responsibility on the evaporative cooling installation. If something would go wrong during operation, a situation that occurs frequently in case of different suppliers of cooling equipment, water treatment and services, he has nobody to point at. Moreover a single supplier will design and implement every equipment and service such that it focuses at maximising operational efficiency and reducing operational risk throughout the equipment life. n

Information supplied by Baltimore Aircoil (Aust) Pty Ltd. www.baltimoreaircoil.com

The Benefits of Evaporative Cooling



Being reactive to extreme weather events is difficult as clients want the restoration process to occur under standard agreements or on emergency callouts. As Mann has found in country NSW, “most clients are understanding about being proactive, but not willing.”

So, while clients may not be proactive, it may be worthwhile for the service company to be proactive and stock up on likely replacement parts and letting clients know they are prepared.

Business broker in the HVAC&R industry, and occassional writer for CCN, David Styles, agrees. “It should be part of your

business plan to work towards managing your services for the lifetime of the product,” he says.

“Most companies underestimate the value of getting a service contract for purely this reason. You can become ‘Johnny-on-the-spot’ when such a situation arises. Not only do you ensure that your installations are properly serviced, but also you get the replacement and updating work.”

Styles notes that performance-based maintenance systems and alternatives need to be negotiated on a site by site basis. n

First published in CCN - Climate Control News

Hydrochem corrective action check listIn no particular order:

work closely with your water treatment service provider •

isolate non-essential equipment, reducing heat load and lowering system exposure and cooling tower operational time. The •less air flow through the tower means less contamination

increase bleed-off, preferably from a lower point in the system •

increase visual inspections of exposed components, paying attention to the tower fill, build-up in tower basin and record •changes in fouling

increase or commence specific dispersant addition to keep particles dispersed, to enable removal through filtration or bleed-off •to reduce heat exchanger fouling

airborne contamination will increase microbiological load, introducing particles, nutrients and microorganisms. This will require •increased additions of biocides

oxidising biocides such as bromine and chlorine controlled by oxidation reduction potential will be consumed, depleting •stocks. Timer addition will require review to ensure adequate residuals are maintained

nonoxidising biocide addition may require a review, an increase in addition rate or frequency •

monitor cleanliness of cooling tower to determine if an additional manual clean is necessary. It may be possible to bring •forward a routine clean

if sludge build up is limited to the tower basin, vacuuming or syphoning may be sufficient •

heat exchanger fouling can be addressed with manual brushing of the exchanger tubes or an online alkaline dispersant clean. •The latter would assist in the removal of silt, sludge and biofilm from the pipe work. This type of clean is suitable for non-manually cleanable heat exchangers.

Please note: It is not advisable to change any water treatment regime without first contacting your water treatment service provider. If unsure of how to proceed, contact your water treatment service provider.

< clients that a coil clean is required once this weather condition passes.”

But the problem is ongoing, Mann says. “We were programmed to do regular maintenance on a building (one day) but we got the word of another storm coming (the next day) so we cancelled.

“I believe we will have an abnormally high breakdown rate this season, as pumps, motors, belts, pulleys and water headers begin to fail from the effects of the residual fine dust particles.” To add to the problem, receiving replacement parts can take weeks to get to places like Broken Hill.

Who you gonna call?(continued from page 25)


Factors affecting building energy

efficiency, moisture levels and

building quality can add up

quickly and affect energy costs

and maintenance expenses.

Using proven and established

techniques such as infrared to

inspect a building lets building

owners determine what needs to

be done to better manage their

assets to use less energy and

save money.

IR thermography is a very useful took for building managers, as some of the many applications of infrared

thermography include predicting the maintenance of electrical and mechanical systems, manufacturing process quality assurance, product research and development, non-destructive testing and building thermography.

Infrared building diagnosis is the application of infrared (IR) thermographic inspection techniques in a non-invasive manner, to monitor and diagnose building conditions. IR cameras can provide immediate documentation of as-built, pre- and post-restoration conditions, post-casualty cause and origin data, plumbing and water leakage, post-flood and fire damaged material assessment, energy use inefficiency and electrical problems.

Thermal images can access components and units not otherwise measurable, such

Benefits of using thermography in building maintenance

as ceiling runs. They can also help detect imminent failures in nearly all types of equipment, from electrical to mechanical, and from process to electronic. Thermal inspections are fast. They can cover more ground and find problems in areas that would typically be ignored.

Advantages of conducting an IR building diagnosis include:

fast, non-invasive and safe •

locate moisture sources and structural •problems quickly

identify heating and cooling losses •

reports of inspection results in •seconds.

usesBuilding owners are ever more concerned with the costs, the quality and the efficiency of their investments – with due reason. Liability is a real issue for the industry, and the costs of repairs and renovation are on the rise.

During construction, infrared thermography can be used as a building quality assurance tool because repairs can be made without delaying the building process.

Since building materials absorb, retain and radiate heat energy at different rates, building components can be checked for the quality of installation using IR. For example, cinderblock walls often have rebar and grout-filled cells as a structural component. By allowing the cinderblock wall to take in energy during the day and monitoring the heat energy dissipating at night, the infrared thermographer can use the IR image from the wall to define exactly where the grouted cells are located.

Design flaws such as moisture in roofs and walls, as well as water leaks are also a trouble spot for building managers. Poorly installed insulation and vapor barriers can lead to condensation, which could lead to rot, mould and mildew, and hence the degradation of the building itself.

Mould is a microscopic fungus known to destroy building materials and cause health problems for occupants. While infrared thermography cannot be used to detect mould, infrared thermographers can help find moisture, which implies a possible area for mould to grow.

Roof moisture detection can be conducted by either looking up at the roof, or down onto the roof. In roofs with attics, the thermographer can look for the evaporative cooling effect of water, whereas in flat or low-sloped roofs, IR thermography can >

pinpoint areas that contain moisture too. By identifying wet areas, repairs can be made to extend the roof’s life.

How it worksToday’s entry-level thermal imagers are compact and easy to use with minimal

training. For example, Fluke thermal imagers now include IR-Fusion®, a technology that fuses a visual, or visible light, image with an infrared image for better identification, analysis and image management. To capture a specific thermal image, a simple squeeze of the trigger does the trick. The thermal imager can then be connected to a computer for a close analysis and documentation of the findings.

The Fluke TiR32 Thermal Imager delivers unprecedented performance for building envelope, energy audit, weatherisation, restoration and remediation, inspection and roofing professionals. It is the first imager on the market to incorporate a powerful 320x240 sensor to provide crisp, detailed images. Using Fluke’s patented IR-Fusion® technology, users can marry high-precision thermal images with visual images in full screen, picture-in-picture or blended views for easier problem detection and analysis.

The Fluke TiR32 Thermal Imager is designed for applications including:

roofing surveys•

weatherisation and energy audits•

moisture/restoration•

mould remediation•

The capabilities of thermal imaging can enable building performance professionals to drive greater profitability by increasing accuracy, expanding problem detection, and providing more in-depth reports.

There are many kinds of thermal imagers to choose from. Thermography is fast gaining a reputation as an essential tool in building maintenance. Most entry-level imagers come with a user manual and some form of interactive training, and that’s usually all that’s needed to get started on an entry-level imager. Contractors can readily purchase thermal imagers, quickly train on the basics, and immediately start using the tool so that more buildings will become energy efficient, safer and better built. n

Benefits of using thermography in building maintenance(continued)


New buildings make up only around 2% of Australia’s building stock. While there’s

a huge push into new building sustainability, the residual building stock can be overlooked. It is estimated that emissions from buildings have increased 48% beyond 1990 levels.

This jeopardises Australia’s chance of meeting its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, and clearly we need to take a hard look at the performance of 98% of our buildings. It’s timely that the current state of the economy also fuels a desire to “renovate, not detonate”. Typical updates

to attract renters have previously included refitting the visible areas of the building – foyers, bathrooms, and public areas. But sustainability is now on renters’ agendas too, driving owners to refurbish with a view to better building performance.

Dr Nathan Groenhout is working to develop solutions to the design and logistical challenges of refurbishing existing buildings for increased building performance. He’s delivering a seminar at the Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Building Services Exhibition (ARBS 2010), which is being held in Sydney from 12-14 April 2010. In the seminar, Dr Groenhout will share insights

Retrofitting – A Sustainable Approach in Design

into how design teams can increase existing buildings’ sustainable performance.

The objectives of a green retrofit are typically fourfold. The most important two are to reduce overall energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and to reduce peak energy demand. These are followed by materials minimisation and increased occupant comfort.

Energy use and peak energy demand can be effectively addressed by the right HVAC choices, and appropriate use of tri-generation and integrated renewable energy technologies. Newer HVAC solutions such as chilled beams, low temperature VAV and swirl diffusers are all worthy of consideration, so too is traditional VAV however with better design. It’s possible to achieve good green star ratings using traditional air conditioning design – as long as it is tuned for optimum performance. During his seminar, Dr Groenhout will discuss real world examples of the choices and compromises that affect HVAC system selection during building refurbishment.

Materials minimisation approaches centre around how much of an existing building can be retained, and this often depends on the building’s initial construction. For example, to replace an air conditioning system with a better performing one might require the removal of the building’s façade, which may not have been designed for removal. Again, it’s important to evaluate

By CATHIE KENNEDY

Large Shell & Tube Dimpleflo Heat Exchangers

W ith each day bringing news of another manufacturing industry

moving off-shore it is pleasing to note that one of Australia’s leading Heat Transfer companies, Teralba Industries Pty Ltd have upgraded equipment at their Heat Exchanger Design & Manufacturing facility based in Campbelltown, South-west Sydney, to produce a significantly larger range of Dimpleflo Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers.

This includes Heat Exchangers with a shell diameter of 2 metres and length of 15 metres. The attached photograph shows a recently completed Dimpleflo Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger with 400 x 50mmØ Dimpled high efficiency 316 stainless steel heat Transfer tubes, housed in a 1,500 mmØ 304 stainless steel shell.

This expansion builds on the successful, Australian owned and made, Dimpleflo Heat Exchanger concept which has been proven in a phenomenal array of industries and applications over the past 25 years.

Teralba Industries provide full Quality Assurance, short lead-times for all Dimpleflo Heat Exchangers, where required. Materials include carbon steels, austenitic stainless steels, duplex stainless steels and titanium.

An in-house Heat Transfer design team incorporates a wealth of knowledge across a board spectrum of industries throughout Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia.

For further information, please contact Teralba Industries Pty.

15-19 Kialba Road, CAMPBELLTOWN NSW 2560

Ph: 02 4626 5000 Email: [email protected]: 02 4625 4591 Web: www.teralba.com

different options in light of the goals of the refurbishment.

Occupant comfort can be addressed hand in hand with other objectives. It is nearly all about temperature and air quality control, and these are affected by fundamentals such as building shape and position, façade and structure; and then by the right choice of systems – which in turn is affected by the availability of services and infrastructure, among other factors.

As well as his own experience, Dr Groenhout’s seminar will draw on the findings from a University of Sydney study (www.arch.usyd.edu.au/research/archdessci_advanced_rennovation_project.shtml). The study is into its fourth year, and is due for completion at the end of this year. Part of the study is the extensive modelling of a building in Brisbane. The model has been extended incrementally to simulate new technologies in isolation and in combination, in order to determine what will be most effective. Eventually, the most

effective combination of technologies will be implemented, and building performance will be benchmarked against the model.

The overall message about retrofitting buildings for sustainability and improved performance is to understand the full suite of available offerings, and model them to choose the best combination of technologies to achieve desired outcomes. No one technology is a panacea, Dr Groenhout stresses, however each should be considered in light of a particularly building’s characteristics and the desired outcomes from the retrofit. It’s critical to avoid a one-size-fits-all model he says, but beyond that nothing in his experience – or the University of Sydney study – has yet shown up as a “no go zone” in the quest for optimum performance in retrofitted buildings. n

Dr Groenhout’s seminar is being held at 2pm on Monday 12 April at ARBS. To register, visit www.arbs.com.au or call 03 8623 3014.

> Quick Facts – ARBS 2010

What: The Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Building Services Exhibition (ARBS) is the largest event of its type in the southern hemisphere, and is set to attract around 10,000 visitors from around Australia and the world. On display will be the latest innovations in building, heating, cooling, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration products and services.

When: 12-14 April, 2010

Where: Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre, Darling Harbour

Info: www.arbs.com.au or [email protected] or 03 8623 3014

The Sustainable FM ProgramBy MEG MICHELL, Director Program Management, UNE Partnerships

Sustainability is an issue of increasing and long-term importance to society. Whilst it is a growing issue

in the facilities management sector, building users generally take a very immediate view of operations, and still tend to view facilities as a cost. There are a number of resources now available to assist with managing sustainability in the FM sector, though awareness among individual practitioners is low and there is no training program to suit the operational level. With the introduction of national greenhouse reporting, an impending emissions trading system and the incoming Mandatory Disclosure requirements, sustainability in facilities management is a skill that must be embraced as core knowledge.

Guided by the FM Action Agenda #9, UNE Partnerships and the University of Sydney

paired with Brookfield, a provider of FM services, to scope, develop and deliver an innovative training program for facilities managers and facilities supervisors in sustainable facilities management.

Brookfield is passionate about sustainability and about exploring and implementing new ways in which it can grow and prosper into the future. In recognition of this and to make a contribution to the industry, environment and their business, Brookfield agreed to fund the development of a short course focused on sustainable facilities management.

The Sustainable FM program aims to develop the participant’s ability to apply process rather than product and refers to industry recognised resources for managing sustainability to ensure the desired impact at operational level. It incorporates various tools, standards and guidelines already in existence, bringing them together to raise awareness and encourage a consistent approach to managing sustainability.

The objectives are to:

introduce the concept of sustainability •and position its importance to the facilities management sectorprovide participants with the tools and •skills to identify relevant operations and facilitate their measurement

provide participants with the skills •to analyse and report on key factors affecting sustainability and identify areas for improvement with regard to the facilities under their managementencourage implementation of •sustainable measures to improve performance.

The program is designed to enable participants to operate buildings in the most sustainable way through improvements in operational performance across the key areas in which facilities managers can make a difference: energy, water, waste, indoor environment quality and procurement.

In addition to the development of skills and knowledge of participants, the training program provides the employing organisation with the capacity and ability to set performance targets and implement management strategies.

If you would like to enquire about training workshops for your staff in Sustainable FM, call Meg Michell on 1800 066 128 or visit www.unep.edu.au. n


People generally spend as much

as 90 percent of their time indoors

and therefore, the condition of

indoor air has a vital impact in

human health. Today, buildings

are designed to be airtight to

save energy, resulting in less

fresh air intake and a general

build up of pollutants in the

indoor environment. The overall

quality of indoor air is influenced

by thermal acceptability and air

contaminants.

Many researchers have investigated the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) within new

and established buildings. With established buildings the total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentrations though low are higher than found in outdoor air.

Measurement of Chemical Emissions from Building Products

However, much higher VOC concentrations can be detected in new or renovated buildings, persisting above ‘‘baseline’’ levels for several weeks. Indeed up to 96% of VOCs found in large office buildings following construction had resulted from materials used to construct and furnish the building.

The World Health Organisation defines VOCs as organic compounds with boiling points between 50°C and 260°C, excluding pesticides. The term encompasses a very large and diverse group of carbon-containing compounds. There are probably several thousand chemicals, synthetic and natural, that can be called VOCs. Of these, over 900 have been identified in indoor air. Some of the most commonly encountered ones and their sources are listed in Table 1.

Formaldehyde, another VOC, can also be found inside buildings as it can be used to manufacture building materials, fabrics, cleaning fluids and numerous other household products; e.g. composite wood (MDF, plywood) such as panelling and furniture, foam insulation, textiles and adhesives.

The health effects of exposure to VOCs including formaldehyde in the non-

industrial indoor environment range from sensory irritation at low/medium levels of exposure to toxic effects at high exposure levels. The latter may include neurotoxic, organotoxic and carcinogenic effects. In general, the responding tissues are mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and throat, skin on the face, neck and hands, and the upper and lower airways. The health, well-being and productivity of occupants can be affected by the presence of VOCs/formaldehyde in a building and lead to the issue of Building Related Illness.

In Germany and South Korea regulations exist for the acceptability of building products for indoor use. However, there are no regulations in Australia. Instead organisations formed to drive the adoption of “green building” practice; e.g. Green Building Council of Australia, have provided guidelines for the emissions of VOCs and formaldehyde from building materials. Industry Associations have followed (e.g. Carpet Institute of Australia) with the development of environmental certification schemes that include the consideration of material emission limits. Architects are now universally requiring certified sustainable products.

SuBBALAKSHMI YERRAMILLI, CETEC Pty. Ltd., [email protected]

ROBERT SCHILLER, CETEC Pty. Ltd., [email protected]

RENEé DOWNIE, CETEC Pty. Ltd., [email protected]

VYT GARNYS, CETEC Pty. Ltd., [email protected]

Table 1 Commonly Encountered VOCs and Their Sources1


The emerging trend is that building material suppliers are required to provide documentation of their product’s conformance to material emissions limits in order for the product to be used in a building.

CETEC is a consulting company which provides a broad range of scientific services2 and specializes in evaluating the chemical emissions from materials, especially building products and their impact upon the indoor environment. In the present paper we describe the methodology used to test the chemical emissions from various products used in the construction, finishing and furnishing of buildings. Generic data is presented to compare and assess against recognised compliance criteria.

MethodologyChemical emissions from building materials are collected using the technique of small scale environmental chambers for testing chemical emissions from indoor materials/products3. A

schematic diagram is shown in Figure 1. CETEC is able to test samples derived from item of the individual components used in a larger assembled item.

An electropolished stainless steel chamber is used to contain a test specimen. The product/material loading is maintained at 0.5-1.0 m2/m3. Purified air generation is circulated through the chamber (23 oC±0.5oC, 50%±5%RH) to capture the chemical emissions from the test specimen, which are then trapped onto specialised absorbent media. The chemical emissions are collected for a specified period e.g. for 1 day, 7-day, 14 days or 28 days.

VOCs and formaldehyde emissions are typically collected, but the facility is not limited to these compounds. VOCs are measured by gas chromatography mass spectrometry whereas formaldehyde can also be determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The output of the test is the determination of the material emission rate – milligrams of VOC per square metre per hour.

Analysis ResultsIn the last few years CETEC has been actively assessing a wide range of materials used in buildings. This has enabled manufacturers/suppliers to obtain emission data for their product to demonstrate compliance with relevant criteria. As that same time CETEC has established a VOC emission “fingerprint” bank of various building materials that is used in CETEC’s indoor air quality investigations.

Figure 2 shows a representation of total ion chromatogram of TVOC emissions collected from a carpet product. Those VOCs that would be expected to be released from this type of material, can be identified e.g. styrene from the backing material.

Table 2 shows some typical values for building products currently used in Australian buildings. In most cases the guideline requirement is to have less than 0.5 milligrams per square metre per hour at 24 hours or seven days depending on the product. This guideline requirement has been established through organisations such as Green Building Council of Australia via the “Green Star” building rating scheme. Such guideline requirements have evolved into defacto regulations or architectural requirements for the acceptability of a product for use in a building.

Most Australian manufactured building materials meet the acceptance criteria. Over the last few years TVOCs and formaldehyde levels have been reduced to satisfactory levels. As well the interpretation of the product “fingerprint” shows the material emissions to contain compounds at their no observed adverse effect level. There could be scope to reduce acceptance criteria for some classes of products and thereby further control the potential indoor air concentrations generated.

Building materials originating from non-Australian sources can show levels of chemical emissions above the acceptance criteria. As well there is the potential for compounds with known toxic effects to be present. Non-Australian manufacturers would appear not to be as diligent in seeking to minimise the indoor air quality impact of their product.

Feedback is provided to manufacturers/suppliers of building product about the

Figure 1 Schematic diagram of emission chamber

Figure 2 Total ion chromatogram showing TVOC emissions collected from a carpet. Note styrene is a major component. In addition, 2-ethyl- 1-hexanol and other aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons were also detected.


The data collected from testing building products has been used to conduct risk assessments of particular structures (e.g. modular buildings) in regards to indoor air quality. CETEC has provided an indication if the structure as designed will present a low risk to occupants or if material substitutions should be undertaken to reduce the occupant exposure risk.

ConclusionsA variety of building products have been tested for chemical emissions utilizing a recognised standard method. Recommended guideline limits for the emission of VOCs and Formaldehyde has been established by non-Government organisations. Most tested product had chemical emissions that satisfactory met these guideline limits. The results have

allowed end user to sell, market, and design or research ecologically sustainable building products.

Acknowledgement We acknowledge here the technical assistance provided by Zheng Fei Chen from Melbourne University to carry out emission tests at CETEC in his part time capacity.

References1. www.hc-sc.gc.ca

2. www.cetec-foray.com.au

3. ASTM D 5116: Standard guide for small-scale environmental chamber determinations of organic emissions from indoor materials/products.

Table 2 Typical chemical emission from building product/ material.

Application Material Typical Chemical Emission

mg/m2/hour

Criteria Acceptance

mg/m2/hour

Flooring

Carpet (Australian) 0.1 – 0.3 TVOC <0.5 24 hours 0.04 – 0.01 4-PC <0.05 24 hours

Carpet (non-Australian) 0.2 – 0.7 TVOC <0.5 24 hours 0.04 – 0.01 4-PC <0.05 24 hours

Vinyl (Australian) 0.05 – 0.2 <0.5 24 hours Vinyl (non-Australian) 4 <0.5 24 hours Rubber 0.5 - 2 <0.5 24 hours Cork 0.1 – 0.4 <0.5 24 hours

Fit-Out

Plasterboard <0.05 – 0.2 TVOC <0.5 7 days <0.02 Formaldehyde

Cement Sheet 0.02 – 0.1 TVOC <0.5 7 days 0.01 – 0.04 Formaldehyde

MDF 0.1 – 0.3 TVOC <0.5 7 days Plywood 0.1 – 0.3 TVOC <0.5 7 days Particleboard 0.1 – 0.3 TVOC <0.5 7 days High Pressure Laminate <0.05 TVOC <0.5 7 days

Bamboo <0.05 TVOC <0.5 7 days 0.1 Formaldehyde

Ceiling Tile 0.1 – 0.4 TVOC <0.5 7 days <0.01 – 0.05 Formaldehyde

Fibreglass Insulation 0.05 – 0.2 TVOC <0.5 24 hours <0.03 Formaldehyde

Polyester Insulation <0.05 TVOC <0.5 24 hours <0.01 Formaldehyde

Rubber Insulation 0.1 – 0.5 <0.5 24 hours

Furniture Items

Natural Wood 0.2 – 0.5 TVOC <0.5 7 days Foam 0.1 – 0.6 TVOC <0.5 7 days Steel/Aluminium <0.01 TVOC <0.5 7 days Oil-Based Glue 5 TVOC <0.5 7 days Water-Based Glue <0.05 TVOC <0.5 7 days Plastic (PP, PE, ABS, PVC) <0.05 – 0.2 TVOC <0.5 7 days Stone/Marble <0.01 TVOC <0.5 7 days Fabric 0.05 – 0.2 TVOC <0.5 7 days

< indoor health impact of their product as it relates to TVOCs, VOC species and Formaldehyde.

Measurement of Chemical Emissions from Building Products(continued)


Irresponsible behaviour, accidents

or equipment malfunction are all

potential issues that can contribute

to the fire risk within a building. The

safety of occupants is of utmost

importance and minor mishaps

can easily become serious threats

to people, property and business

reputations.

As well as a comprehensive and effective fire management system, training is also

essential for those working in large buildings to ensure staff are up to speed with evacuation procedures, the latest regulations and how to use fire protection equipment so as to expertly manage an emergency situation. Fire protection specialist Wormald offers numerous courses for businesses to help equip staff with vital know-

how and these can be tailored to suit specific requirements. Some of the courses available include:

Warden TrainingA company’s fire warden has a considerable amount of responsibility for everyone’s wellbeing in the event of a fire. A warden training course is highly beneficial for equipping wardens with the skills and knowledge to carry out their duties in an emergency situation. Courses typically

By MARK GOWANS, Managing Director, Wormald Australia

Fire training solutions

Dual Channel Temperature Data Logger

Inside & Outside Inlet & Outlet

Before & After Fridge & Freezer

T-TEC 7-3F Dual channel data logger with display that alternates between the 2 channels

10,500 logs for each sensor Range: -40 +85°C

Both curves appear on same screen Operated by the T-TEC software with features like zoom, plot and statistics

Temperature TechnologyTel: 08-8231 1266 Fax: 08-8231 1212

email: sales@ t-tec.com.auwww.t-tec.com.au

Available from refrigeration wholesalers

cover emergency procedures, site familiarisation, understanding fire protection equipment and how to use fire extinguishers. This can also be taken a level further, addressing how a warden should respond in the event of a bomb threat.

Wardens working in premises where emergency warning and communication systems are installed are also recommended to undertake training on how to use these systems so as to understand their duties and responsibilities and how to accurately keep records.

Emergency Awareness TrainingWhile not everyone within an office building has the same responsibilities as the warden and their team, all staff should have a basic understanding of how to react safely in an emergency situation. Should a fire occur, anyone could be required to help others safely out of the building. On this type of course, trainees would learn about the emergency procedures set up in their workplace, such as the structure of the Emergency Control Organisation, alarm activation in the building, responding to emergencies and the location of assembly areas.

Evacuation ExerciseAwareness of all occupants in the building is essential and understanding how to accurately evaluate this can be taught through a training session, helping teams develop a comprehensive risk assessment of the premises.

Fire Extinguisher Training Fire extinguishers are at the crux of fire safety in the workplace. A combination of theory and practical training can help to educate staff about the relevance of State fire safety regulations and develop operational techniques for using fire equipment in the workplace.

First AidFirst Aid courses cover a broad range of topics, all designed to enable participants to confidently manage emergency situations and provide first aid.

Breathing Apparatus TrainingThis type of course provides participants with the skills and knowledge to use Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) in the workplace. Typically, it would cover topics such as checking and operating breathing apparatus, and responding to incidents requiring breathing apparatus to be worn. In order to stay up-to-date with the latest equipment, staff completing this training are recommended to take a refresher course every couple of years.

Spill Response TrainingFor some companies, spill response training may be essential for staff, teaching them how to attend to hazardous liquid chemicals spills in a safe manner and utilise spill response materials. An overview about the latest legislation would be provided as well as what components make up a spill kit and spill response procedures. n


PowerPax is now the number one chiller supplier in Australia.

ALL of the chillers produced at their Melbourne manufacturing facility utilize Danfoss Turbocor ( DTC ) magnetic bearing, oil free, centrifugal compressors. Although the compressors are now imported, they were originally developed in Melbourne and PowerPax was the first chiller OEM to use them. DTC are now based in Florida, USA, but still retain an R&D presence in Australia, located at the PowerPax facility.

The close association between the two companies is long standing, and some current PowerPax employees are former DTC employees, who have come “home” to Australia. PowerPax have a sister company, Smardt Cooling, which is based in Montreal, Canada. Smardt have a similar manufacturing facility there which services the group’s 60 Hz market. It’s no coincidence that Smardt’s facility is located right next door to Danfoss Turbocor’s original factory location in Montreal. PowerPax and Smardt boast the largest and most developed range of oil free chillers in any market. Both PowerPax and Smardt have recently merged, forming

Energy efficient, practical solutions for every chiller application By JOHN WISDOM

the “Smardt Chiller Group”. Expansion is underway, including new manufacturing facilities in the USA and Europe, and PowerPax will open a new office in Singapore during the first quarter of 2010.

The benefits attracting customers to the product are the extremely high part load efficiencies, the simplicity and reliability of oil free operation, extremely low sound and vibration levels, and the safety and flexibility of inbuilt redundancy provided by multiple compressors.

PowerPax have distributors in every state and territory in Australia, as well as New Zealand and Hong Kong. The export market into Asia is developing quickly and the company now has a presence in Singapore.

PowerPax are appointing and training Service Partners in every market it is entering to ensure that there is a capable support network available wherever the chillers are sold and used.

Globally, energy has become a key issue and driver of product purchases and development. Governments and authorities are legislating and regulating at a prolific pace, presenting new challenges for HVAC and process cooling designers. In the

realm of chillers, PowerPax is meeting the challenges and helping to provide solutions. The fast paced rate of growth in PowerPax operations is testimony to this, as more and more chiller purchases are now based on energy efficiency and Return on Investment, rather than first cost.

PowerPax have won industry awards in areas where it has nominated, and featured prominently in award winning designs and projects nominated by others. All of them unique concepts with energy efficiency the cornerstone of their existence.

The unique range of PowerPax chillers has a size and capability for almost any situation:

Water Cooled chillers from 200 kWR to 2.8 MW, with between one and six compressors. This range is expanding and will increase in capacity to 4 MW during 2010/11. “Split shell” options are available on many sizes. This unique concept allows the chiller heat exchanger vessels to be split into half lengths for transportation and re-assembly in existing buildings with difficult or previously impossible access paths.



< Air cooled chillers from 200 kWR to 820 kWR. All with industry leading efficiencies and sound levels.

Evaporatively cooled packaged chillers from 200 to 930 kWR. A unique package offering a water cooled plant efficiency within a single packaged arrangement – no cooling tower or condenser water reticulation system required.

Condenserless chillers from 200 to 1200 kWR. Suitable for connection to remote condensers of various types.

On suitable applications with qualifying peripheral equipment, air cooled condensing units and compressor sets are also available.

The list of options available for every model is the longest in the industry, and PowerPax will consider any request within an engineering, regulation, and cost limitation.

In PowerPax’ relatively short history, many hotels and the like have taken on the product and enjoyed the energy saving benefits. Hotels of varying sizes are now using the chillers, some include:

Dee Why Hotel, Racecourse Hotel, Holiday Inns in five locations, Novotel Darling Harbour, Mercure Cairns and Melbourne, The Menzies, Burswood Casino, Parkwood Tavern, Crossley Hotel, Allenstown Tavern, Hilton Wintergarden, Soffitel Homebush and Brisbane, Observatory Hotel, Villa Noosa Hotel, Four Points Sheraton Sydney, Balaclava Hotel, Emerald Hotel, Australian National Hotel, Sheraton On The Park in Sydney, and the Duxton in Perth. Many are repeat purchasers, and there a few more in current production.

The PowerPax Split vessel chillers in particular are unique and have found their way into Hotel Engineer’s solutions when faced with the prospect of replacing aged chillers with difficult or near impossible access. Water Cooled chillers are typically constructed with two vessels, an evaporator or cooler, and a condenser. Even when dismantled into their smallest and lightest components, these traditional chillers can be impossible to take to existing plantrooms without major building works, and with expensive cranage and rigging costs.

PowerPax have overcome this problem with the unique “split vessel concept”. The two vessels are built in halves, effectively making them four vessels, and bolted back together in alignment in situ at the plantroom. The smaller components can typically be taken to the plantroom via goods lifts and narrow passageways, eliminating expensive cranes, and even helicopters in some cases, which would have been used otherwise.

PowerPax chillers can be safely dismantled and reassembled without risk of contamination to the refrigeration system, since there is never any oil in PowerPax chillers. Oil attracts moisture and contaminants which cause major chiller failures down the track, if not completely removed. No risk of this at all with PowerPax chillers. The Soffitel Brisbane was the first to take advantage of this concept, and dozens more successful installations have been performed since. PowerPax have energy efficient, practical solutions for every application and consideration. n


BAXX is an advanced development discovered out of investigating methods of combating germ warfare by the British Ministry of Defence who had a remit to assess

the risk of bacterial attack on the British Isles in the 60/70’s. This in turn had been initiated by observations over a hundred years prior by Louis Pasteur who had documented that the atmosphere in high altitudes and sunny days reduced the incidence of infection and effectively killed bacteria and viruses.

The answer lay in the natural occurrence of airborne Hydroxyl Clusters.

Modern technology and electronics allows the BAXX to achieve the aim of eliminating airborne pathogens by using cold plasma to strip a hydrogen atom from some of the natural water molecules (H20) contained in the air around us, leaving them as unbalanced hydroxyl clusters (-OH). These clusters seek and attach to airborne bacteria and virus cells and recover their missing hydrogen atom from the cells wall to return to a natural water molecule again (H2O).

In that instant, the bacteria/virus metabolism and cell wall is disrupted and the cell dies.

Thus nature’s way of eliminating airborne pathogens has been reproduced.

Hydroxyl clusters will also land on surfaces and kill surface contamination by the same method.

These same Hydroxyl Clusters can reduce and eliminate odours as well – particularly so on odours based on ammonia compounds or ethylene or waste decomposition.

The use of stripping away hydrogen atoms from airborne water molecules to form hydroxyl clusters is unique to the BAXX cold plasma technology which naturally kills all airborne pathogens including MRSA, C.Diff(Spore Form), Norovirus and Bacteria.

BAXX introduces several technological breakthroughs and advantages –

It doesn’t require any consumables other than electricity. No filters to •clean, no chemicals or liquids to replenish, no service required. Install it and leave it to do its work. Electrical consumption is a mere 120watts – the equivalent of two 60watt light-globes.

The case of the Baxx is in 316 stainless steel which makes it ideal for •food manufacturing plants, health care facilities, hospitals, doctors surgeries and waiting rooms, retail outlets, and any other moist environments where a germ free environment is paramount.

The only moving part is a resin-packed motor attached to a fan. These •type motors can cope with dry & dusty conditions to wet and clammy environments and so the Baxx can be employed in steamy kitchens or cold wet chillers just as easily as dry powder mixing rooms and anything in-between.

Such is the confidence in the construction and reliability of the Baxx unit that it is guaranteed for 3 years of non-stop 24/7 running.

The ceiling is the preferred mounting position for a Baxx unit – usually, but not essentially, central to the room. Brackets on the Baxx unit also facilitate wall mounting as an alternative where suitable. It’s usual to hard wire the Baxx unit to a continuous power circuit as the Baxx unit should never be

turned off. Not overnight, not for weekends, not for holidays – it’s always working for you to eliminate pathogen contamination in that room.

Each room to be covered should have its own Baxx unit(s).

A single Baxx unit is capable of covering up to a 360 cubic metre room, although if there are other fans causing opposing or cross currents in the room then two or more units may be preferable to maximise air circulation and surface coverage.

The 800-S unit is the largest unit of 1 metre long.

It also has the highest treated air output and so is ideal for production areas.

The smaller S600 unit has been recently released for quieter locations such as doctor’s surgeries, hospital wards, office buildings, schools, children’s nurseries and aged care facilities.

Booster units will shortly become available to supplement rooms with lots of existing airflow such as cool rooms. In these circumstances, a single 800-S Baxx unit can be installed to run continuously, while the booster units are positioned in front of the existing fans and wired to them so as to only be active when the fan is blowing over them. This reduces the initial purchase price of installing BAXX to large plants.

In the near future, 12 and 24volt units will become available for refrigerated trucks, coaches and similar such applications.

Applications encountered so far include –

Hospital wards – particularly to combat Norovirus.•

Retail fruit and vegetable displays – reduced banana browning by up •to 4 days by inhibiting ethylene production.

Commercial Kitchens and Cafeterias.•

Cold storage rooms.•

Pet shops and accommodations.•

Backpackers hotels to deodorise rooms.•

Gym lockers for deodorising.•

Flour mill storage rooms to eliminate flour moulds – 40% to 92% •measured reduction.

Packaging company clean rooms for food packaging materials.•

Smallgoods manufacturing.•

Yogurt cooking and rapid cooling rooms.•

Meat wholesalers.•

Chicken meat processing plants – 90% measured reduction.•

Seafood processing plants.•

Several large industry users of BAXX here and overseas have also noted a reduction in sick leave by staff working in the areas covered by the Baxx units. After all, BAXX is killing flu and cold virus just as efficiently and effectively as any other pathogen.

The BMB booster units are being introduced to the model range for mass air conditioning units and ducted systems in office buildings, shopping malls, medial facilities etc for this reason, as well as supplementing the existing models in processing areas and cool rooms as described above.

Baxx Australiawww.baxx.com.auPh: (02) 9939-4900Fx: (02) [email protected]

See ad on page 3 of this issue.


The Safety Cooling Tower

The locally designed and locally manufactured new Superchill cooling tower type MPCT (Modular pulltruded cooling tower) is the latest and safest addition to the high quality Superchill

cooling tower range, which includes the German designed Modupol range and the low noise and super low noise fibreglass forced draft towers.

The MPCT tower is a modular tower, with an extremely strong and durable pulltruded fibreglass frame. The basin and fan cowling are made in traditional high quality marine grade fibreglass. The full size removable side panels are made from preformed plastic and are designed for easy removal and handling to allow entire access for cleaning and maintenance.

The panels are very light and small enough for one person to handle without the risk of any injury.

The tower is designed to fully comply with the Australian standards and has the best and most efficient drift eliminators and air intake louvers available on the market.

The air intake lovers are double the thickness compared with most currently offered local cooling towers. This reduces light ingress into the tower basin and helps prevent algae and bacteria

growth. It also reduces water splashing outside the tower and reduces noise level.

The best fill for this tower is the high quality 2H plastics cooling tower fill called Sanipacking. (see www.sanipacking.com for more information) This fill is arguably the safest cooling tower fill available. It is made from moulded polypropylene (PP) and treated to prevent bacteria growing on it’s surface. To distinguish this high quality fill from normal fill the colour of the fill is blue. The polypropylene fill is also extremely long lasting and can withstand temperatures up to 80 degrees.

Superchill is working closely together with 2H plastics and we are the local distributor and manufacturer for the number one European fill producer GEA 2H Water Technologies (former 2H Kunststoff).

For further information please contact Superchill Australia or 2H plastics Australia

www.superchill.com or www.2h.com.au or 1300667 018 and 03 9793 6166

TA GIVES HVAC Professionals MORE SCOPE FOR KNOWLEDGE

Tour & Andersson, the leader in hydronic balancing solutions for waterborne HVAC systems will

launch TA-SCOPE at the ARBS exhibition in Sydney in April. TA-SCOPE is an instrument that has been designed to assist professionals verify, measure and maintain complex systems quickly and efficiently, lowering maintenance costs by saving time and removing the hassle from the balancing and measuring process.

The TA-SCOPE is a wireless, handheld device for the swift and accurate measurement of differential pressure, flow, temperature and power. An independent sensor communicates with the TA-SCOPE to deliver data quickly, thereby enabling contractors to balance a system, troubleshoot hydronic problems and log system performance.

With a simple user interface the TA-SCOPE is designed with the user in mind. An icon display makes navigating the tools quick and easy. Low power consumption means that one full charge of the unit provides three full days of wireless performance, eliminating the risk of downtime during a site survey or monitoring job.

Ideal for Hotel service engineers for verifying flows, checking power output from terminals you can even monitor flows, Dp’s and power over extended period of time to diagnose problems. Then graph the data on the instrument or down load to your computer.

TA Scope will be displayed at the ARBS exhibition, 12th to 14th of April 2010 in Sydney. We are on stand 210. See for yourself the benefits of this revolutionary instrument ‘ TA Scope ‘, live demonstrations, handle and operate TA Scope yourself !

For further information on the new TA-SCOPE visit www.tourandersson.com or contact:

Tour & Andersson 25/148 Chesterville RoadMOORABBIN VIC 3189Phone (03) 9553 3366

Fax (03) 9553 3733e-mail [email protected]

Documents

The Australian Building Services Journal 2010_1