The Building Services Journal 2010_3

3 National Reports

4 State News

5 Opening the green door to high

performance public buildings

11 Regulation Update

15 Optimum chiller design for low lift

conditions

19 Trigeneration

23 How safe is your building?

27 Reduce direct costs and save money

33 Science Confirmed at the University of Queensland (UQ) With 80%

Energy Reductions

39 Mitigating disaster with accurate data

41 Who to Choose to Look After Your Lifts, Escalators & Moving Walks

43 Building Management & Control Systems - Optimisation from the inside out

47 Hydrostatic Testing Of Stainless Steels – Guidelines To Ensure Long Service Life

49 More-accessible buildings from 2011

51 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.

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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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5

INSTITUTE

ENGINEERS

PLANT

of

AUSTRALASIA

www.adbourne.com18/69 Acacia Road

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

www.ipea.org.au

2 | Volume 3 – 2010 | The Australian Building Services Journal

IPEA Office Bearers

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE C/- PO Box 81 Dry Creek SA 5094

TITLE NAME PHONE MOBILE

President Ian Patterson (08) 8422 4301 0457 528 383 [email protected]

Vice President Lynn Callcott (08) 9214 3500 0409 335 408 [email protected]

Secretary Barry Wilding (03) 9553 1011 0419 306 963 [email protected]

Treasurer Roz White (08) 8376 7336 0428 830 436 [email protected]

MELBOURNE EXECUTIVE PO Box 4182 Knox City Centre VIC 3152TITLE NAME PHONE FAX

President Position vacant

Vice President Miron Krzywinski 0407 558 499 (03) 9751 4100

Secretary Barry Wilding (03) 9553 1011 (03) 9553 1387 [email protected]

Treasurer Jeff Fraser (03) 9837 5774

ADELAIDE EXECUTIVE PO BOX 8053, Station Arcade SA 5000President Craig White 0422 150 090 (08) 8376 7336 [email protected]

Secretary Les Gurney 0413 151 763 (08) 8360 5253 [email protected]

Treasurer Roz White 0428 830 436 (08) 8376 7336 [email protected]

Membership Ian Patterson Officer [email protected]

Meetings Peter Otten 0413 027 675 Coordinator [email protected]

PERTH EXECUTIVE C/O 113 Mickleham Rd Morley WA 6062President Lynn Callcott 0409 335 408 (08) 9213 3501 [email protected]

SYDNEY EXECUTIVE PO Box A 720 Sydney South NSW 2000Treasurer Cliff Harper (02) 9931 9959 (02) 9931 9995

Journal Editor for IPEA IncBarry Wilding – [email protected]

Web MasterLes Gurney – [email protected]

Contact Ph: 0413 151 763 Fax: (08) 8360 5253

Application for MembershipYou are cordially invited to become a member of the Institute by completing the details below.

This form will be passed to the respective division and following acceptance the Secretary will contact you. Current Membership fee is $75 and includes certificate, and 4 copies of the Institute Journal. I agree to abide by the current rules of the Institute.

Please provide the following contact information:

First Name .............................................................................................................................................

Last Name .............................................................................................................................................

Title ........................................................................................................................................................................

Occupation ..........................................................................................................................................

Street Address .............................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................................................................

City .........................................................................................................................................................................

State ...................................................................................................................................................................

Postcode ...................................................................................................................................................

Country .........................................................................................................................................................

Work Phone ...................................................................................................................................

Home Phone ...................................................................................................................................

Fax ......................................................................................................................................................................

E-mail ................................................................................................................................................................

Forward form to:

The National Secretary IPEA C/- PO Box 81 Dry Creek SA 5094

Greetings to all Members and readers,

Thanks to Les Gurney (web master) for organising the venue and catering for the National AGM.

It was really good to catch up with the Victorian and Western Australian representatives.

Congratulations to the new committee and thank you to the outgoing group. Photos of the new committee can be viewed on the website.

There was a fantastic amount of input from all and the coming year looks very promising. A committee is only as good as its members and their input.

Dinner that evening seemed to end too

National Reportssoon, we were sorry to see each state had to return home, but until next time, cheers!

Ian Paterson National President IPEA

The year of 2010-2011 presents itself full of

promise and anticipation.2010-2011 invoices have been raised as confirmation of 2010-2011 membership pricing structure has been approved and gratified by the National Executive. They will then be sent out over the next few days.

A Membership Update Form will be sent with invoices every second year. This year’s invoices also have another change in format

to include the National Treasurers contact details. This should make any queries of membership a much smoother process.

A full breakdown of State Membership will be forwarded onto the state representative to facilitate them in approaching the applicable companies and or individuals regarding membership prospects and payment of outstanding membership fees. Once we have a response, the National Database will be updated. This will be done at the time of the National quarterly phone hook-up. >


State NewsVictoria

We have had a good response to enquiries regarding new member applications which

is a good sign.

The committee has also been looking at a number of submissions to attend site visitations and also some technical presentations. Hopefully we will be in a position to advise the schedule soon.

The committee is happy to welcome members who would like to consider sitting on the state committee to help in the growth of IPEA.

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 www.ipea.org.au for IPEA national and state information.

If you require any state information, please do not hesitate to contact me on my mobile 0419 306 963.

Best regards,

Barry Wilding Secretary – IPEA Victorian Division

South Australia

Congratulations and welcome to Butterfield Services (Shawn Butterfield) on their corporate

membership.

Congratulations to the new SA committee and thank you to the out going committee.

We are gearing up for our committee meeting at Chateau Patto, these meetings

are very productive so looking forward to the ideas which surface early in the committee year.

I would like to start profiling the SA committee so to get the ball rolling may I introduce:

Craig White

Joined IPEA in 1987• Numerous IPEA positions over the years •but most recently SA president before being elected Membership Officer for SA

Water treatment Specialist for over 30 •years

AIRAH Accredited• Trained in the USA & Canada• Lives in Novar Gardens, with wife Roz •and 3 children

Worked for most of the major national & •international water treatment companies in Australia before forming own water treatment company, water Management Australia Pty Ltd which specialises in cooling tower water treatment, Legionnaires Disease Control, bacteria monitoring & chemical cleaning

Also a member of FMA & enjoy attending •functions held by the joint engineering associations & institutes.

Ian Paterson

Currently State President SA and •National President IPEA

Held several positions within IPEA State •and National level

Facility Manager United Group Service •managing the Westpac contract SA/NT

Qualified Electrician before entering the •Facility Management field 15 years ago.

Owner of Chateau Patto with my wife •Larissa, this will be our place to retire.

3 children, 4 grand children, don’t think •the son will ever leave home.

Enjoys a nice single malt and a good red •with pleasant company

Fee Structure:

Full Individual: $75.00 •Full Corporate: $300.00 •Retired Members: $37.50 •Apprentice or Student: First year free•- Second thru to completion of apprenticeship or course $37.50

- Once graduated apprenticeship or study – Full price subscription of the day at this point $75.00

- If apprenticeship dropped or Studies Cease then membership will revert to full membership in the next financial year or be suspended.

We have managed to keep our membership fees at a very reasonable rate of $75.00 per year.

Your individual membership entitles you to the following:

Four publications of the Australian •Building Services per year

The right to nominate for the •committee both at a local and or national level

The right to vote on individual issues. •One membership entitles you to one vote.

Thru the joint committees group •- discounted or free admission to organized site visits or presentations.

If you would like, you could enrol your company for Corporate Membership as an alternative option.

This year the I.P.E.A. National Executive Committee have made a firm commitment to build memberships of this group. Membership drive events have in the past proven to be of a high success rate of which we hope to emulate once again and transform interest shown into full financial memberships both on an individual level and a corporate level. With IPEA fees being held at very reasonable rates in comparison with other like associations we believe our position of growth to be strong for 2010-2011 year and beyond.

Roz White IPEA National Treasurer

National Reports(continued)

The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2010 | 5


For some time now, Australia’s property and construction industry has had a suite of

Green Star rating tools to assess the sustainability of offices, schools, hospitals, shopping centres and industrial sheds.

While more than 280 projects around Australia have achieved Green Star ratings, until now public buildings such as law courts, libraries, museums and places of worship fell outside the scope of Green Star.

This has recently changed, with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) recently releasing the Green Star – Public Building PILOT rating tool.

Green Star is Australia’s only national, holistic and voluntary environmental rating tool for buildings. Green Star evaluates the green attributes of building projects in nine categories, including energy and water efficiency, indoor environment quality and materials selection.

This new Green Star tool assesses the environmental attributes of new and refurbished public buildings, including their fitouts. Buildings are eligible for Green Star – Public Building PILOT assessment provided that they meet a

500 Collins St

number of eligibility criteria, which can be downloaded from the GBCA’s website: www.gbca.org.au.

Stadia, aquatic centres, prisons and buildings eligible for ratings under other Green Star tools are not eligible for the Green Star – Public Building PILOT. Eligibility of buildings with swimming pools will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The Green Star – Public Building PILOT is based on the existing Green Star tools, with some customisation and new content, including a revised water calculator that quantifies the water use for toilets, urinals, taps, showers, cooling towers and landscape irrigation. The reductions in potable water demand due to water reuse are also estimated. Points are awarded for percentage reductions in annual demand for potable water, as compared to a standard practice benchmark.

Other features of the tool include a revised materials calculator, which assesses the environmental impact of the furniture, assemblies and flooring in the building, as well as an improved management category, with extended requirements for building commissioning and tuning, and refined requirements for building metering.

We are confident that this new Green Star rating tool will provide industry with access to best practice benchmarks for public buildings, as well as a system of independently-verified certification which clearly demonstrates the sustainability credentials of leading public buildings around Australia.

Green pays dividendsThe evidence for green building business case certainly continues to stack up.

Green buildings are built for both energy and water efficiency, so they are cheaper to operate – routinely consuming around a quarter less energy than the average building and generating around a third less greenhouse gas emissions

Green buildings consistently outperform non-green buildings in terms of comfort and productivity too. Natural light, fresh air and access to views of the outdoors, as well as control over individual workspace temperature and lighting, can directly affect productivity. Staff costs are by far the greatest business expense in most businesses and only an incremental increase in productivity will pay for the small premium on a green space – whether that’s an office, library or law court.

Opening the green door to high performance public buildingsROMILLY MADEW | Chief Executive, Green Building Council of Australia


The City of Melbourne’s CH2, which achieved Australia’s first 6 Star Green Star – Office Design rating, has demonstrated that productivity of office building occupants can potentially be enhanced through good, green building design and a high quality, healthy, comfortable and functional interior environment. A post-occupancy survey of the building has found that productivity has risen by an impressive 10.9 per cent since staff moved into their green office, with estimated annual cost savings of $2 million.

Increasingly, people around the world perceive green buildings as the modern, ethical and proactive choice – and companies, councils, governments and community organisations associated with green buildings benefit from these perceptions through community pride, satisfaction and well-being.

The world’s greenest convention centreThe new Green Star - Public Building rating tool had its genesis in 2005 when Major Projects Victoria committed $50,000 to a pilot system to specifically rate the design and construction of the emerging Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC).

The successful pilot was further developed by the Green Building Council of Australia and launched as a new benchmark in environmentally sustainable design and development of public buildings.

In 2008 the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre was awarded the first and only 6 Star Green Star rating under this tool for its innovative environmental design, setting a new global standard for buildings of its kind.

in the two years since the MCEC reached practical completion, the owner, Plenary Group, has captured new markets, and future-proofed its assets against changes in government regulation, market expectations and climate change. What’s more, the MCEC’s 6 Star Green Star rating, combined with its excellent design features, have helped to secure Melbourne’s reputation as a true global player within the international events arena.

According to the MCEC’s Chief Executive, Leigh Harry, “the venue has exceeded everyone’s expectations, setting a

new world standard with its innovative environmental design features and raising the benchmark to new heights in innovation, technology, imaginative catering and service options. It’s humbling to have the feedback we’ve received to date.”

Sustainability spectacularIt’s easy to understand why the feedback has been so positive. The MCEC boasts a huge array of world-leading sustainability initiatives which still remain one-of-a-kind today.

These include the eye-catching façade, which towers 18 metres high and is constructed of spectrally-selective glass to reduce heat gain. This is complemented by the architecturally-inspired shading device, which protects the façade from the harsh summer sun but allows for passive solar heating during the winter months, delivering sound levels of thermal comfort and reducing the building’s energy use, as well as enhancing the overall image of the building.

Other impressive sustainability initiatives include the extensive solar hot water system which generates around 35 per cent of the facility’s general hot water requirements, plus the innovative displacement ventilation system, which operates in conjunction with slab heating and cooling in the plenary hall and foyer to provide excellent air quality to building users.

Green makes greenA growing demand for sustainable meetings, conferences and exhibitions is being driven by companies who recognise that green is good for their brands. According to an October 2009 survey by Meetings and Conventions magazine, 56 per cent of conference organisers surveyed enquire about green initiatives when selecting a meeting venue, while another 15 per cent plan to start doing so. Moreover, 51 per cent of respondents said that they had recently increased their focus on green meetings.

At the MCEC, the sustainability features have delivered a marketing dividend, enabling the centre to directly cater to the increasingly important green agendas of event organisers.

According to Professor Robert Lamb, Director of the Australian Synchrotron, his team was able to secure its bid to hold the 10th International Conference on Synchrotron and Instrumentation because of “Melbourne’s acknowledged worldwide reputation as a centre for scientific excellence; having one of the world’s latest third generation synchrotrons; and the newly developed state-of-the-art 6 Star Green Star rated Melbourne Convention Centre.”

A range of international reports have found that green buildings are also more likely to attract grants, awards, subsidies and other incentives that demonstrate environmental


CORPORATE MEMBERS of IPEA

Chillmech Services Pty Ltd

Factory 50, Industrial Park Drive, Lilydale VIC 3140

HydroChem Pty Ltd

27 Viking Court, Cheltenham VIC 3192

CB Richard Ellis (W) Pty Ltd

Level 2/216 St Georges Tce, Perth WA 6000

TAC Pacific

36 Hasler Road, Osborne Park WA 6017

Dalkia (Trane)

75 Howe Street, Osborne Park WA 6017

Contract Technical Services

Unit 4/611 Hay Street, Jolimont WA 6014

DCE Vokes Pty Ltd

PO Box 325, Kingsgrove NSW 2208

Butterfields Services (SA) Pty Ltd

44-48 Sherriff Street, Underdale SA 5032

JMG Air Conditioning

Unit 54, 159 Arthur Street, Homebush West, NSW 2140

AIMSa To promote the science and practice of building services

engineering in all their branches and the usefulness and efficiency of persons engaged in therein.

b To raise the character and status and advance the interests of plant and building services engineers and to recognise the competency of those engaged therein.

c To encourage unified organisation on local, divisional and national basis by establishing a certain point of reference for its members.

d To preserve and maintain the integrity of members by imposing strict rules of conduct as a condition of membership and by other means of promoting just and honorable practice in such industries.

e To foster the development of this specific branch of engineering in Australasia.

f To cooperate throughout the world with compatible organisations having similar objectives.

g To represent plant and building services engineers upon engineering and administration matters which concern them with relation to discussions and negotiations with property owners, management, statuary authorities, professional consultants, manufacturers, contractors and others.

h To encourage the study of plant and building services engineering and to improve and elevate the general and technical knowledge of persons engaged in or intending to engage in the industry.

i To advise members on various aspects of engineering maintenance services and machinery insurance contracts and their importance.

j To keep members aware of current items of development and interest and concern by arranging and holding lectures, exhibitions, public meetings, classes and conferences calculated to advance the cause of education in industry.

k To initiate research and publish reports into areas of mutual interest, such as:

i Engineering and equipment standards. ii Standardisation of operational reporting. iii Standardisation of maintenance contracts. iv Promotion of planned maintenance programs. v Maintenance service rates and costs of various

services, vi and any other matters.

l To communicate to members information on all matters effecting the plant and engineering industries and to print, publish, issue and circulate such periodicals, books, leaflets and any other literary undertakings as may seem to be conductive to any other objects of the Institute.

m To admit and recognise as members of the Institute of such persons as shall conform to its rules and regulations which amongst other things shall provide that to entitle a person to membership he/she shall possess the qualifications in the Rules.

n To assist members in the pursuit of their profession and all factors related thereto.

stewardship, increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The MCEC’s innovation and ingenuity has been rewarded with dozens of awards, including the 2010 Victorian Architecture Medal, the prestigious Banksia Foundation Built Environment Award 2009, the 2010 Australian Construction Achievement Award, as well as recognition by the Design Institute of Australia for its contribution to Victoria’s next generation of public amenity.

Green teamTo deliver consistent environmental performance from the building, the MCEC has created the ‘M-Green Team’. This dedicated team is responsible for implementing new strategies to benchmark and progress MCEC’s environmental performance. The team also raises awareness among clients and meeting planners about running sustainable events by providing a whole host of green information and a green event checklist to help conference organisers incorporate green solutions into their MCEC-based events.

Owen Probert from the Banksia Environmental Foundation says the MCEC team went out of its way to make the Banksia Awards in 2010 an environmental success. “The MCEC was extremely helpful in the sustainable planning of the Awards. Its willingness to measure the waste arising from the night was particularly impressive, as was the option of purchasing 100 per cent green energy for the entire building for the event.”

The M-Green Team Chair, David Howie says that “the 6 Star Green Star rating raises community interest and leads to people actively requesting details of the green architectural features.”

The MCEC’s facility mangers are also pleased with their building. The MCEC’s clever green technology allows it to adapt easily with demand, while the building users’ guide, developed to Green Star standards, has ensured that all team members have an informed and consistent approach towards building usage.

To maintain optimum performance and deliver the best environmental outcomes, the facility management team regularly tweaks the building’s central plant and building systems. In order to understand the impact of these changes, Plenary Group collects data on the MCEC’s operations to establish a baseline from which it can drive improvements. Plenary Group expects to have enough data by 2011 to produce a reliable baseline which will help to deliver optimal operational performance across the centre’s entire events calendar.

At present, the biggest sustainability issue facing the team has been the centre’s overwhelming popularity. With the schedule booked solid for the next five years, the team has rarely had the chance to utilise the set-back conditions which reduce energy consumption when the building is not in use.

However, you won’t hear the team at the MCEC complaining, as this is the sort of problem desired by every major conference and events centre around the world. n


Aust: Buildings Ready for Climate Change?Building owners, facility managers and users are coming under increasing pressure to prepare their buildings for climate change. What are the legal obligations? Are there any regulatory constraints? What practical options are available to combat climate change?

Maddocks (Lawyers) in collaboration with HASSELL, has prepared a discussion paper on the impact of climate change on buildings. The paper provides a framework to assist building owners, operators and users in understanding the regulatory mechanisms that exist to address the challenges presented by climate change. In addition, the paper features real life case studies prepared by HASSELL, illustrating the practical options that are available for buildings to combat climate change. To view the paper, go to the Maddocks website Reading Room and scroll down the list.

Aust: National Construction CodeThe National Plumbing Regulator Forum and the Australian Building Codes Board are working together to deliver consolidated building and plumbing codes in 2011. The National Construction Code Series will eventually include all on-site construction regulation (building, plumbing, electrical and telecommunications).

Building and plumbing are currently regulated through separate legislative and administrative arrangements by State and Territory Governments. Building

is regulated using the Building Code of Australia (BCA) which is adopted by all States and Territories. Some Sate and Territory governments regulate plumbing through the Plumbing Code of Australia but not all, and many with significant variations. Unlike building regulation, plumbing does not have a formal agreement such as an Intergovernmental Agreement) for national adoption. While regulated separately, the BCA and plumbing regulation are inherently linked, with both setting standards of practice for on-site construction of buildings.

Aust: Out of Sight, Out of MindCommercial building owners and facility managers looking at alterations or extensions to their buildings will need to bear in mind that main sewerage pipes are usually placed in a drainage and sewerage easement, which is identified on the title to your land. Sewerage authorities, however, have the authority to place a pipe across a property, and it may not necessarily occur within an easement.

When planning to undertake building work, care must be exercised to ensure the building and footings are not placed over the sewerage pipe. Obtaining a property sewerage plan and locating main pipeline infrastructure will be an important first step.

Similar precautions apply in country areas where septic systems are prevalent. These installations usually come under the control of the council’s health surveyor who requires the septic tank and effluent lines to be located away from buildings in an absorption area sized to suit the building.

Building Services Regulation UpdateDEREK HENDRY | Hendry Group

Aust: BCA 2011 Draft Amendments While commercial building managers and facility managers might be getting used to BCA 2010, adopted on 1 May 2010, the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) is already advising of important BCA 2011 amendments that might impact on their buildings. The BCA is amended on an annual cycle, and the ABCB has recently invited public comment on their draft of BCA 2011.

Major amendments proposed for 1 May 2011 include:

• Changestothefirehazardpropertyprovisions;

• Slip,tripandfallprovisions;

• Newprivatebushfireshelterprovisions.

For further information, go to the ABCB website homepage.

NSW: Construction Certificates - What to KnowCommercial building owners and facility managers wishing to undertake alterations or extensions to their buildings need to know how to apply for and obtain a construction certificate before considering the appointment of consultants and contractors to perform services on their behalf. The following article will clarify the process.

Construction Certificates

Part 4A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EPAA) sets out the criteria for the application to and issuing of a construction certificate


by an accredited certifier. The EPAA also describes the authorities having jurisdiction for assessment of a construction certificate and the right of the applicant to appeal to the Land and Environment Court upon failure or refusal to issue a construction certificate.

Application

Part 8 Division 2 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 (EPAR) sets out the procedures and relevant information required to be submitted for the assessment of the construction certificate by reference to Part 3 of Schedule 1. It is important to check with the relevant Accredited Certifier (AC) on how many copies of the required documentation will be required to be submitted. The relevant AC also has the power to require additional information to be submitted and is required to ensure that any necessary levies have been paid.

NSW Fire Brigade

Clause 144 of the EPAR sets out the criteria by which an application must be referred to the NSW Fire Brigades and the prescribed parameters by which the NSW Fire Brigades must reply back to the certifying authority.

Alternative Solutions

Alternative Solution reports must have been submitted to and accepted by the Certifying Authority prior to issue of the Construction Certificate. Where the Alternative Solution involves fire safety matters, the requirements of Clause 144A for peer review and issue of a Compliance Certificate by a third party fire engineer, or a written report by the designing fire engineer, must have been satisfied.

Development Consent and Building Code of Australia (BCA)

Part 8 Division 2 of the EPAR does not permit the issuing of the construction certificate unless the Certifying Authority is satisfied that the application in compliance with development consent and the BCA.

Construction Certificate Issuing

The construction certificate must contain the following information when being issued:

1. Identity of the accredited certifier issuing the certificate.

2. The accreditation number of the accredited certifier must be shown on the certificate.

3. The registered number and date of the development consent.

4. Whether the application has been determined by approval or refusal.

5. The date of the certificate.

6. A statement verifying that work completed in accordance with the documentation accompanying the application for the certificate will comply with the requirements of the EPAR.

7. The BCA classification of the building or structure.

8. The construction certificate must be accompanied with a fire safety schedule for the building.

Notice to Consent Authority

Within 2 days after the issue or refusal of the construction certificate the certifying authority must forward copies of the determination along with plans, application, specifications, fire safety schedule, or any other applicable documents to the relevant local council.

Aust: Disability Access (DDA) – Premises Standards webcast The proposed amendment to align the BCA with the “Disability Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards (the Premises Standards), will no doubt have a profound impact on public and commercial buildings.

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), in partnership with the Australian

Human Rights Commission (AHRC), is presenting a webcast on Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards. For more information go to the ABCB website.

VIC: Fire Door Maintenance A number of building owners and facility managers are incurring fines from municipal councils for not maintaining new fire doors in accordance with AS 1851 – 2005 Section 17 Passive Fire and Smoke Containment Systems. Some of these fire doors can never be maintained in accordance with the maintenance standard.

The doors have not been installed in accordance with AS/ NZS 1905.1 (Installation Standard), in the first place. It’s essential for facility or property managers, in protecting the building owners’ interests, to demand a copy of the fire door certificate that has been issued. These are mandatory certificates required to be issued under the Installation Standard by the installer of the fire doors, to the owner or owner’s agent (usually the builder). This will enable the builder and contractor to be held accountable in the event of non-compliance. Reliance on an effective maintenance regime will reduce the owners’ protection if the fire door was originally installed contrary to the Installation Standard.

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.

Building Services Regulation Update(continued)


Designers familiar with AHRI’s

standards for comfort cooling

may not understand the

thermodynamics of lift and

how it affects chiller selection

and performance for process

cooling applications, JOHNSON

CONTROLS explains.

For comfort cooling applications, water-cooled centrifugal chillers generally are designed for a

set of standard conditions specified by the US Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). Typically, these include a leaving chilled water temperature (LWT) of 6°C and an entering condenser water temperature (EWT) of 29°C.

But in a process cooling application, AHRI standard conditions usually do not apply. While the condenser water EWT may remain at 29°C, the chilled water LWT may be 18°C or higher.

For a centrifugal chiller to operate efficiently with higher chilled water LWT, certain features are required that may not be standard on many chillers unless specified. To understand the importance of these features, it is necessary to understand the thermodynamics of ‘lift’ and its relationship to chiller performance. This knowledge will facilitate proper chiller selection for process cooling applications with low-lift conditions.

Understanding liftLift (or head pressure) is the difference between condenser refrigerant pressure and evaporator refrigerant pressure. Using defined pressure/temperature relationships, lift can also be measured with the leaving chilled water temperature and the leaving

condenser water temperature. Further, when the chilled water LWT and condenser water flow are constant, the condenser entering water temperature can be used as a metric for lift. Because most condenser water systems are designed for constant flow, the condenser EWT is the most common metric for lift.

In comfort cooling applications, lower condenser EWT indicates lower lift, which lowers the compressor work (figure 1).

In comfort cooling applications, ambient weather conditions often allow facility owners to take advantage of condenser EWTs as low as 10°C, at AHRI conditions.

The ability to use lower condenser EWTs significantly improves chiller efficiency. In fact, greater chiller efficiency can be achieved by lowering lift than by lowering load. The efficiency improvements due to lower lift can be realised in both single-chiller and multiple-chiller installations.

Optimum chiller design for low lift conditions

Located outside the refrigerant circuit, an open-drive motor does not depend on refrigerant flow for cooling; therefore, it is not affected by

changes in refrigerant flow during low lift conditions.


In process cooling applications, chilled water LWT is the metric associated with lift: higher chilled water LWT means lower lift. So for process cooling applications with low lift conditions, the formula changes slightly, as shown in figure 2.

However, the chiller must be designed to take advantage of the higher chilled water LWT to see an effective reduction of compressor work. If it is, then process facilities also will see significant energy savings because efficiency is mostly impacted by lift and only slightly impacted by load. These efficiency improvements will be seen in both single-chiller and multiple-chiller installations.

Chiller designed for low liftNot every chiller is designed to take advantage of conditions when high chilled water LWT is specified. In fact, four design variables affect a centrifugal chiller’s ability to handle low-lift conditions encountered in process-cooling applications:

•drivedesign•orificedesign•oilmanagementsystem•compressoraerodynamics.

It is not immediately obvious that the design of the electric motor drive should have anything to do with a chiller’s ability to handle low-lift conditions, but it does. There are two basic motor choices for centrifugal chillers: refrigerant cooled (hermetic-drive) or air cooled (open-drive).

A hermetic-drive motor is located inside a refrigerant-filled motor cavity. Unfortunately, this is a bad place to be under low lift conditions. At all conditions, head pressure on a hermetic-drive motor must be high

enough to ensure that refrigerant flows adequately through the motor cavity. Without sufficient flow, current draw can overheat the motor windings and the chiller will shut down due to high motor temperature.

For that reason, chillers with a hermetic-drive motor must maintain a greater pressure differential between the evaporator and the condenser to ensure adequate motor cooling.

A common method for ensuring sufficient pressure differential for hermetic-drive chillers is to artificially limit the lift reduction. Limiting lift reduction will increase the compressor’s energy consumption.

By contrast, an open-drive motor is located outside the refrigerant circuit. Therefore, it can be air cooled or, optionally, water cooled. It does not depend on refrigerant flow for cooling and is, therefore, unaffected by changes in refrigerant flow during low lift conditions.

The orifice is the chiller component that creates a refrigerant pressure drop between the condenser and the evaporator. There are two orifice design options: fixed or variable.

With a fixed orifice, it is difficult for a chiller to perform efficiently under low lift conditions at full loads. That is because fixed orifices are sized for the high head pressure that exists at design-lift conditions. As a result, fixed orifices simply are not large enough to allow the required refrigerant flow at low-pressure conditions.

The variable orifice design, however, is more accommodating. A variable orifice valve automatically modulates to maintain proper

refrigerant flow, taking into account the head pressure across the valve. At design lift conditions, the variable orifice is partially closed and, at low lift conditions, it opens to allow the proper refrigerant flow. This feature is especially important for multiple chiller plants where additional chillers and associated auxiliaries (pumps, towers) have to operate to meet process/facility demand.

Without a variable orifice, the operator may resort to running more chillers and more associated auxiliaries than needed because the chillers are unable to load up. This is an extremely inefficient way to operate a chiller plant. To avoid the full-load problem of fixed orifice chillers under low lift conditions, some chiller manufacturers maintain a high minimum ECWT, up to 24°C.

But the strategy to increase lift (head pressure) to maintain chiller stability sacrifices chiller efficiency in situations where low lift conditions would be available to slash operating costs.

In terms of chiller design, the only way to achieve both full-load cooling capacity under low lift conditions and off-design energy performance is to use a variable orifice as a refrigerant metering device.

Oil management systemLow-lift conditions also impact a chiller’s oil management system. Hermetic drive chillers rely on oil seals to separate the oil circuit from the refrigerant circuit. These seals are not 100 per cent effective, and some quantity of oil is always escaping into the refrigerant.

These seals are even less efficient at lower differential pressures (low-lift conditions), which allows oil to escape at a faster rate.

Figure 1. Lower condenser entering water temperature indicates lower lift in comfort cooling applications, which lowers the compressor work. The relationship can be summarised by the equation shown.

Figure 2. In process cooling applications, chilled water leaving water temperature (LWT) is the metric associated with lift: higher chilled water LWT means lower lift. The relationship can be summarised by the equation shown.

< When this happens, large amounts of oil will enter the refrigerant circuit and migrate to the evaporator. Normally, excess oil should reside in the oil sump of the compressor. But if oil is in the evaporator instead, the chiller may shut down on a low oil pressure safety.

In addition, the excess oil in a flooded evaporator migrates to the top layer of tubes. But this is where the best heat transfer (refrigerant boiling) occurs. Therefore, when refrigerant in this area is displaced by oil, heat transfer and chiller efficiency suffer significantly.

Open drive centrifugal chillers are able to use an oil management system that can make oil loss a relatively minor issue at low lift conditions.

For example, an oil eduction system can be employed to separate oil from the refrigerant in the evaporator and return it to the oil sump. With this type of system, more oil stays in the sump, permitting the chiller to operate effectively at low-lift conditions.

Compressor aerodynamicsThe design of a centrifugal chiller’s compressor is also critical to low lift performance. That’s because a centrifugal compressor operates most efficiently when the tip speed of its impeller is optimised for the application.

In a direct-drive compressor, where the impeller is directly connected to the motor, the only way to adjust tip speed is by changing the size of the impeller. Because there are relatively few impeller sizes to choose from, compressor tuning is limited and performance suffers accordingly.

On the other hand, in a gear-drive compressor, tip speed is a combined function of impeller size and gear ratio. With multiple impeller sizes per compressor size, and multiple gear combinations per impeller size, it is easier to select a gear-drive compressor that will match the low-lift application’s requirements most efficiently.

SummaryCentrifugal chillers that can adapt to low-lift conditions, where head pressure is reduced because of high LCHWT, are able to save energy in many process cooling applications.

To take advantage of low-lift conditions, the chiller should incorporate an open-drive design to ensure proper motor cooling, a variable orifice to ensure proper refrigerant flow, an oil eduction system to maintain oil in the sump, and a gear-drive compressor to optimise impeller tip speed.

In terms of chiller design, the only way to achieve both full-load cooling capacity under low-lift conditions and off-design energy performance is to use a variable orifice as a refrigerant metering device.

A chiller equipped with these design features can deliver good performance in low-lift conditions and provide energy savings in a range of process cooling applications. n

This article was first published in CCN, Climate Control News.

Optimum chiller design for low lift conditions (cont’d)


New regulations have recently been placed on high rise office facilities and residential buildings to encourage increased energy efficiencies. In order to achieve higher Green Star or Nabers ratings, building owners need to implement changes to plant and equipment. Through the installation of a Trigeneration system, a building’s energy costs and carbon footprint can be greatly reduced.

What is Trigeneration?As the name implies, Trigeneration refers to the production of three functions – Electricity, Heat and Chilled water.

In a commercial office building scenario, a cogeneration system incorporates a natural gas fired engine connected to a generator to provide electricity to the building. The waste heat from the engine and exhaust gases are captured and used to supply process heat requirements such as heating and potable water. The cost associated with providing heat from traditional sources is therefore removed, as the process heat now provided from the cogeneration system is free, being sourced only from the waste heat of the Generator.

Trigeneration takes Cogeneration one step further through the use of an Absorption Chiller.

The chiller is supplied with waste heat from the Generator to provide chilled water for Air Conditioning.

As heating & air conditioning make up a large part of a building’s utility costs, huge savings can be made through the installation of a Trigeneration system. The building also has the ability to produce its own electricity. Cogeneration has been hailed the “hat-trick of the energy industry” with system efficiencies approaching and exceeding 90%. Absorption chillers can convert otherwise waste heat to chilled water with COP’s of up to 1.2.

Absorption chillers use only environmentally friendly refrigerants, with no ozone layer depleting chemicals. Changing from a traditional electric chiller to an absorption non-electric chiller can make a huge difference to facility greenhouse emissions.

How it worksConventional thermoelectric stations convert only about 1/3 of the fuel energy into electricity. The rest is lost in the form of heat. The adverse effect to the environment

from this waste suggests a need to increase the efficiency of electricity production.

Trigeneration plants are very energy efficient, conserve natural resources and reduce fuel consumption as the systems operate at such high efficiencies.

Energy SourcesAbsorption Chillers can be supplied with heat from various sources including:

Cogeneration engines•Direct firing•Hot water•Steam•Flue gas•Any other waste heat source. •

Benefits Cost Savings – by now using waste •energy to provide heating and or cooling, this allows for significant savings to electricity costs

TrigenerationA D V E R T O R I A L

Increased building Green •Star and NABERS ratings through increased energy efficiencies. Cogeneration system efficiencies are in the range of 90%

Security of supply - •Independence from power companies costs and potential power outages

Backup emergency power •generation capability

Reduces a building’s •carbon footprint

ApplicationsThe ideal locations for Trigeneration systems are facilities with both high electrical loads and high thermal/cooling loads.

Examples are:

Data Centres•Hospitals•Aquatic Centres•Shopping centres•Food processing plants•Clubs•Commercial office buildings•Hotels•

Simons Green Energy are one of the only companies in Australia capable of supplying a complete Trigeneration solution. We handle the SEVA cogeneration systems from Germany and the Shuangliang Absorption Chiller sets from China, to complete the Trigeneration system.

Cogeneration systems range in sizes from 5kWe to 3,000kWe, while the Absorption Chillers range in sizes from 1000kWr to 6,980kWr.

Our services include sizing, supply, installation, service & maintenance of Trigeneration systems.

For more information or in your next project please call Henryk Sliwa on 1300 21 41 15 or 0403 720 105 or email [email protected] n

Trigeneration (cont’d)

Simons Green Energy 1300 21 41 15

Head Office - 755 Botany Road Rosebery NSW 2018 | P. 02 8338 8660 | F. 02 8338 8661

Melbourne - 34 Strong Avenue Thomastown VIC 3074 | P. 03 9462 6700 | F. 03 9462 6711

www.simonsgreenenergy.com.au | [email protected]


The following four elements are involved in the development of indoor air quality problems:

• Sources: there is a source of contamination or discomfort indoors, outdoors, or within the mechanical systems of the building,

• HVAC: the HVAC system is not able to control existing air contaminants and ensure thermal comfort (temperature and humidity conditions that are comfortable for most occupants),

• Pathways: one or more pollutant pathways connect the pollutant source to the occupants and a driving force exists to move pollutants along the pathway(s),

• Occupants: building occupants are present.

It is important to understand the role that each of these factors may play in order to prevent, investigate, and resolve indoor air quality problems.

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)The term sick building syndrome (SBS) is sometimes used to describe cases in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that are apparently linked to the time that they spend in the building, but in which no specific illness or cause can be identified. The complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone or may be widespread throughout the building. Many different symptoms have been associated with SBS, including respiratory complaints, irritation, and fatigue. Analysis of air samples often fail to detect high concentrations of specific

How safe is your building?

contaminants. The problem may be caused by:

The combined effects of multiple •pollutants at low concentrations (e.g. VOCs, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde)

Other environmental stressors (e.g., •overheating, poor lighting, noise)

Ergonomic stressors•

Job-related psychosocial stressors •(e.g., overcrowding, labour management problems)

Unknown factors•

Building Related Illness (BRI) Building-related symptoms are common and are generally nonspecific discomfort problems affecting the eyes, nose and throat. There are no definitive clinical tests available to establish the diagnosis of sick building syndrome rather, building associated symptoms are recognized by identification of indoor air quality (IAQ) environmental problems or higher combined symptom rates among a group of building occupants.

In contrast, building-related illnesses are uncommon and by definition, are more serious in prognosis than mere discomfort. Physician diagnosis by clinical investigation of symptoms is the usual means of recognizing building-related illnesses. Building-related illnesses can have a long latent (or asymptomatic) period after exposure begins before symptoms are experienced, such as occurs with lung cancer after indoor radon exposure. Other categories of

HAYSAM EL HASSAM | Environmental Scientist, Independent Monitoring Consultants

The importance of a safe

indoor environment is crucial

to the health of staff, guests,

contractors and the general

public. In many instances, the

quality of the air is overlooked for

more visible problems such as

broken windows, slip hazards,

overhangs etc. In actual fact,

the air quality is the single most

significant aspect of an indoor

environment. The World Health

Organisation (WHO) estimates

that more than 30 percent of

all commercial buildings have

significant Indoor Air Quality

problems, a figure that most

people are oblivious to.

The indoor environment in any building is a result of interaction between the site,

climate, building system, (original design and later modification in the structure, and mechanical systems), construction techniques, contaminant sources (building materials and furnishings, moisture, processes, and activities within the building, and outdoor sources), and building occupants. Indoor air should be without harmful atmospheric pollutants such as gases, fumes, dust or vapours.


building-related illnesses, however, are associated with an immediate appearance of symptoms after exposure.

Recognizing Building-Related Illnesses

Toxic illness; for example: carbon •monoxide poisoning

Infectious disease; for example: •Legionnaires’ disease

Allergic disease; for example: •asthma, hayfever, or hypersensitivity pneumonitis

Building-related illnesses generally require a prolonged recovery time or may become a chronic problem for the patient, even after removal or remediation of the building exposure that caused the illness in the beginning.

Assessment ObjectiveThe objective of an IAQ assessment and monitoring is to evaluate and assess the condition of indoor air quality of a building/office premises in compliance with acceptable limits.

Independent Monitoring Consultants typical Indoor Air Quality Assessment objective is to perform an analysis of the Indoor Air

Quality as it is at the time of the assessment and identify any areas where concentration of levels is high and may cause concern to the occupants.

Measurement of thermal comfort, •which incorporates air temperature and relative humidity within the occupied areas. These are compared with established acceptable levels.

Carbon dioxide levels within the •working environment which would give an indication as to whether the fresh air rate supplied is in sufficient quantity to remove unpleasant odours and other internally generated pollutants.

Noxious gases such as carbon •monoxide, carbon dioxide and formaldehyde and (where required) ozone.

Measurement of airborne particulate •levels within the workplace. Comparison with acceptable levels and between various locations within the same building.

Airborne bacteria and fungal •contamination levels within the office areas. These are compared to various guidelines or best knowledge of our microbiologists. The data also helps to locate the source of the problem.

Independent Monitoring Consultants ’spot check’ assessment, longer term or indoor air quality monitoring programmes can be used to confirm that the ventilation plant is being maintained at an acceptable hygienic and mechanical standard as well as ensuring that the building complies with current acceptable limits.

What Causes Indoor Air Problems?Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality problems. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the building. High temperature and humidity levels can also increase concentrations of some pollutants.

Pollutant SourcesThere are many sources of indoor air pollution. These include combustion sources such as oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, and tobacco products; building materials and furnishings as diverse as deteriorated, asbestos-containing insulation, wet or damp carpet, and cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products; products for cleaning and maintenance, or personal care, central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices; and outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution.

The relative importance of any single source depends on how much of a given pollutant it emits and how hazardous those emissions are. In some cases, factors such as how old the source is and whether it is properly maintained are significant.

Some sources, such as building materials, furnishings, and cleaning products like air fresheners, release pollutants more or less continuously. Other sources, related to activities carried out in a building, release pollutants intermittently. These include smoking, the use of solvents in cleaning, the use of paint strippers in redecorating activities, and the use of cleaning products and pesticides in house-keeping. High pollutant concentrations can remain in the air for long periods after some of these activities.


Amount of VentilationIf too little outdoor air enters a building, pollutants can accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. Unless they are built with special mechanical means of ventilation, buildings that are designed and constructed to minimize the amount of outdoor air that can “leak” into and out of the building may have higher pollutant levels than other buildings.

Indoor Air Pollution and HealthHealth effects from indoor air pollutants may be experienced soon after exposure or, possibly, years later.

Immediate effectsImmediate effects may show up after a single exposure or repeated exposures. These include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Such immediate effects are usually short-term and treatable. Sometimes the treatment is simply eliminating the person’s exposure to the source of the pollution, if it can be identified. Symptoms of some diseases, including asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and humidifier fever, may also show up soon after exposure to some indoor air pollutants.

The likelihood of immediate reactions to indoor air pollutants depends on several factors. Age and pre-existing medical conditions are two important influences. In other cases, whether a person reacts to a pollutant depends on individual sensitivity, which varies tremendously from person to person. Some people can become sensitized to biological pollutants after repeated exposures, and it appears that some people can become sensitized to chemical pollutants as well.

Certain immediate effects are similar to those from colds or other viral diseases, so it is often difficult to determine if the symptoms are a result of exposure to indoor air pollution. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to the time and place symptoms occur. If the symptoms fade or go away when a person is away from work, for example, an effort should be made to identify indoor air sources that may be possible causes. Some effects may be made worse by an inadequate supply of outdoor air or from the heating, cooling, or humidity conditions prevalent in the building.

Long-term effectsOther health effects may show up either years after exposure has occurred or only after long or repeated periods of exposure. These effects, which include some respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer, can be severely debilitating or fatal. It is prudent to try to improve the indoor air quality in a building even if symptoms are not noticeable.

While pollutants commonly found in indoor air are responsible for many harmful effects, there is considerable uncertainty about what concentrations or periods of exposure are necessary to produce specific health problems. People also react very differently to exposure to indoor air pollutants. Further research is needed to better understand which health effects occur after exposure to the average pollutant concentrations found in buildings and which occurs from the higher concentrations that occur for short periods of time.

Documentation of all complaints concerning the quality perceived or other of the Indoor Air Quality inside your building or property should be well documented and recorded including situations where the system has faulted or some known occurrence has impacted on the quality of the air.

Improving Indoor Air QualityThere are three basic strategies to improve indoor air quality:

Source Control

Usually the most effective way to improve indoor air quality is to eliminate individual sources of pollution or to reduce their emissions. Some sources, like those that contain asbestos, can be sealed or enclosed; others, like gas stoves, can be adjusted to decrease the amount of emissions. In many cases, source control is also a more cost-efficient approach to protecting indoor air quality than increasing ventilation because increasing ventilation can increase energy costs.

For most indoor air quality problems in a building, source control is the most effective solution.

Ventilation Improvements

Another approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants

in a building is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors. Most building heating and cooling systems mechanically bring fresh air into the building at a controlled rate depending on the percentage and exchange rate of air can dramatically affect the pollutant levels. The minimum recommended fresh air rate is 10 Litres per second (L/s) per person or 10 L/s per 10 m2 for mechanical ventilation systems with optimum air movement of 0.1-0.5 m/s (naturally ventilated), 0.1-0.2 m/s (air-conditioned).

Air Cleaners

There are many types and sizes of air cleaners on the market some air cleaners are highly effective at particle removal, while others are much less so. Air cleaners are generally not designed to remove gaseous pollutants.

The effectiveness of an air cleaner depends on how well it collects pollutants from indoor air (expressed as a percentage efficiency rate) and how much air it draws through the cleaning or filtering element (expressed in cubic feet per minute). A very efficient collector with a low air-circulation rate will not be effective, nor will a cleaner with a high air-circulation rate but with a less efficient collector. The long-term performance of any air cleaner depends on maintaining it according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Another important factor in determining the effectiveness of an air cleaner is the strength of the pollutant source. People with sensitivity to particular sources may find that air cleaners are helpful only in conjunction with concerted efforts to remove the source.

Over the past few years, there has been some publicity around indoor houseplants and these should not be over-watered because overly damp soil may promote the growth of microorganisms which can affect allergic individuals and in the case of

How safe is your

building? (cont’d)

some plants spores can be collected and distributed through the air system to contribute significant allergy and contamination problems.

Consultants in indoor air quality would state, “Dilution is the solution to indoor air pollution!” Today although we focus on controlling the source of contaminant, dilution makes a terrific second line of defence and can reduce or eliminate many IAQ concerns in commercial buildings. n

For almost twenty years, Independent Monitoring Consultants (IMC) has serviced the hospitality, healthcare and commercial industries for water systems, corrosion monitoring and indoor air quality (IAQ) both nationally and internationally. Our clients include airports, hotels, resorts, hospitals, shopping centres, office buildings, theme parks and a variety of businesses in manufacturing, production and general services. With over 100 years of combined experience amongst our personnel and our NATA accredited laboratory, it is no wonder that IMC is Australia’s largest independent sampling, consulting and testing service for water systems for the abovementioned industries. Our vision has been “to be recognized as one of the world’s best testing, consulting and training services in the fields of water, indoor air quality and food”. To ensure that IMC remains an industry leader, IMC has recently established a new and exciting division within the company. IMC Environs was created to meet the continued demands of our clients, to not only improve the working conditions when non conformances exist but also to recommend systems/areas of continual improvement, thus ensuring a safe working environment for all parties involved.

IMC Environs is a new and innovative service offered by Independent Monitoring Consultants (IMC). IMC Environs was established to address the concerns that employers, employees and the general public have with regards to air quality, noise and compliance issues.

Typical services include but are not limited to:

Indoor Air Quality Assessments •

Indoor Mould and Bacteria Assessments•

General Air Quality Monitoring•

Occupational Hygiene Assessments (including dust, chemicals, fumes etc)•

Occupational Noise Assessments (including exposure criteria, relevant standards •and regulations)

Occupational Noise Insurance Claims•

Noise Contour Mapping•

Lighting Assessments•

Occupational and Environmental Regulatory Audits•

How safe is your building? (cont’d)


Australian Business expenditure

on electricity amounted to

$13 billion during 2008-09.

New analysis released by the

Australian Bureau of Statistics

reveals that only 5% of all

businesses conducted an

energy usage audit, and only 4%

of businesses had established

energy usage performance

targets or indicators. Large

businesses were most likely to

undertake these two activities

with 47% and 29%, respectively.

(Source ABS, Catalogue 4660.0 released 30/07/2010).

Over 40% of Australian businesses reported they had experienced at least

one barrier to reducing energy consumption and/or improving energy efficiency. The largest barrier to improving energy efficiency practices was the cost involved or the length of the payback time. A lack of time or staff resources was the next most commonly cited major barrier.

These results are of no surprise to energy auditing professionals. It has always made sound financial sense to conduct an analysis of energy expenditure, but oddly it has been treated as a very poor second

Dr DAVIDE ROSS | Director, Pangolin Associates

cousin when faced against other operational priorities.

Complacency is very easy when prices are low and especially if someone else is going to pay for it. It certainly hasn’t translated to necessarily meaningful actions unless we’re faced with hitting a speed hump or two, like past oil price shocks, current electricity price hikes or future government pricing of carbon pollution.

For existing buildings, conducting a detailed energy audit, whether a level 1, 2 or 3 (as defined under AS 3598:2000), will help identify the sources of energy for a site, the amount of energy supplied, and what the energy is used for. It also identifies areas where savings may be made, recommends measures to be taken, and provides a statement of costs and potential savings.

When conducting energy audits, Pangolin Associates have sought to use the following novel techniques and solutions to identify and target problem areas to save our clients money and improve building efficiency.

ThermographyThermography in Australia has been mainly used as a maintenance tool to check electrical switchboards. A professional electrical survey can be invaluable in identifying risks, assets to be repaired and assisting in insurance renewal, particularly in the hotel and entertainment industry.

Thermographic images can point out insulation issues, thermal bridging, blocked pipes, moisture leaks or temperature differential in walls and windows. While it seems that it is a simple process and

Reduce direct costs and save money


cheaper cameras make it appear that way, it is a sophisticated service, and there are sophisticated guidelines that should be used.

The above image shows a section of an office after a new fit out, it identifies thermal bridging from glue, missing insulation issues with joins and a cold window. This type of survey requires an understanding of field of view, reflectivity and emissivity of building materials, and how temperature, wind direction and humidity may impact the outcome.

The example shown highlights issues that can be easily addressed and can save many hours in trying to overcome a “ its cold in here” cry from the tenant. Was it an unspecified short cut that the contractor glued to the wall rather than use framework and inserting insulation?

Voltage OptimisationApproximately 90% of buildings in Australia receive excess voltage, causing machinery to run inefficiently and energy to be

wasted. An innovative high performance voltage optimisation device - called ‘The Ark’, has successfully been introduced to the Australian market.

This technology refines and optimises the quality of raw power supplied by the network authority - tailoring usage on a site-specific basis by optimising the voltage to a level that is suitable for each individual business premise, enabling electrical equipment to run more efficiently and creating significant electricity and carbon emission savings. The unit is effective at saving energy across nearly all types of electricity uses, including lighting, air-conditioning, refrigeration, computers and general plant and machinery.

It is connected in series to all or part of the electrical load at its source (i.e. your switch room or distribution board), usually between the main switch and the three-phase bus bar system. No other connections are necessary. It can typically deliver a return on investment of between 2 to 3 years. Savings achieved on electricity costs are up to 20% depending on site conditions and the types of loads connected.

The Ark has successfully received funding under the AusIndustry ‘Green Building Fund’ program for installation in commercial buildings, as well as NSW DECCW funding for installations in Leagues Clubs.

Air ConditioningAir-conditioning systems are a major contributor to a building’s electricity consumption. With the explosive growth in air-conditioner numbers over the last decade, the demands on the Australian national electrical grid are all to evident when exposed to recent enduring heat waves. Furthermore, conventional vapour compression electric air-conditioning systems operate at even lower efficiencies when ambient air temperatures are at the highest, and this increases the peak demand on the grid even further.

A new evaporative cooling technology- The Coolerado M50, can now deliver cooler supply air temperatures than either direct or indirect evaporative cooling systems, without increasing humidity as no water is added to the primary supply airstream. The effectiveness of the evaporative cooling process is demonstrated in that the unit can cool below the wet-bulb temperature.

The technology evaporates water in a secondary (or working) airstream, which is discharged in multiple stages using a patented Heat and Mass Exchanger™ (HMX) to maximise the effectiveness of both direct and indirect stages of its cooling process.

As a consequence, the technology uses as little as 10% of the energy that a conventional vapour compression air-conditioning system (the maximum draw of the M50 is about 0.5kW)would to provide comfort cooling. The photo shows two Coolerado M50s installed at Sumudra Resort.

This technology can also be used to pre-cool primary air into existing HVAC systems, taking the sting out of extreme heat events. In fact it works in complete opposite to a vapour compression system, the higher the temperature the more efficient the operation. Its modular design means it can be carried through existing doorways, and connected in series to deliver required cooling loads. Because water isn’t added to the air stream like direct evaporative systems, a modified unit can be used in high humidity locations coupled with vapour compression air conditioners.

Window filmsThere are common misconceptions about today’s window films that they are nothing more than simple sticky plastic associated with a dark or mirrored tint on vehicles and buildings. The technology behind window films has come along way with the industry now producing high speciality, high performance and cost-effective solutions for all year-round energy savings.

Research by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in the UK shows that on average, 40% of the load placed on air conditioning in offices comes from direct

(Image courtesy of Thermoview)

(Image courtesy of Energywise)

(Image courtesy of Clear Solar)

solar gain through windows. Reducing solar energy transmitted by glazing before it enters the building (solar reflection) by installing speciality window films is often a very good solution when retrofitting commercial buildings. Window tinting will tackle the loss and gain of energy through windows, and is best thought of as ‘insulation for your glass’.

When talking about thermal improvements of windows, people often first think of double or triple glazing. In fact, window tinting can give you results which are almost as good (and in some ways even better) as double glazing, but without the huge cost and the building works to replace your windows. In most cases tinting the windows in your building can be completed in a matter of hours or days.

So what are the typical performances of solar control window films in rejecting solar radiation and reducing energy costs? Total solar energy rejection in the order of 50 to 80% is easily obtainable and it is possible

to save big dollars in energy costs with payback times of less than 3 years being achievable.

Understandably, the actual results depend not only upon the film selected but also upon the glazing specification and the building construction. To accurately estimate savings, you need a specialist that can call upon sophisticated computer software to model your building and provide proper cost/benefit and payback analysis to work out the optimal solution.

The internationally recognised U.S. Department of Energy’s sophisticated DOE-2 whole-building energy analysis software calculates energy use and operating cost for each hour of the year. It has been successfully used to justify energy savings and payback claims for low emissivity window films.

A great benefit with a detailed analysis is that one can tune windows to different orientations to independently control flow of light and flow of heat to end up with a

Reduce direct costs

and save money

(continued)

building with different window film controls for each façade. Other complimentary gains with the right film combination can include reduced glare, UV filtering to protect causes of fading and thermal damage and enhanced security protection from vandalism and graffiti.

Training and GrantsPart of tackling energy efficiency improvements is to engage, educate and

Pangolin Associates helps your business reduce its climate change impact through tailored and integrated sustainability services.

We focus on cost savings and efficiencies. We conduct energy audits, greenhouse gas (GHG) assessments, as well as workplace educa�on and training. Our sustainability consultants tailor advice for your business and deliver an easy to read report.

Our support does not end there. As the carbon economy increasingly becomes a challenge for businesses, we’re in it for the long haul. We work with you ongoing to meet key sustainability measures and repor�ng requirements:

* Sustainability planning * Ongoing carbon measure and reduc�on strategies * Risk management * Carbon credit advice

Put simply, we provide the tools to operate and prosper in a changing carbon economy.

Sustainability, energy& carbon management

pangolinassociates.com

SYDNEYSuite 212 377 Kent Street Sydney NSW 2000

t: 02 8005 6300 m: 0439 801 700Iain Smale

ADELAIDE Unit 2 92-94 Unley Road Unley, SA 5061

t: 08 7200 1030 m: 0439 801 427Ma�hew Curnow

PERTHUnit 28, Level 322 Railway RoadSubiaco WA 6008

t: 08 9380 4088m: 0401 918 100Sco� McIntosh

CANBERRAUnit 48 103 Tennant Street Fyshwick ACT 2609

t: 02 6239 1683m: 0416 150 672Ilea Buffier

[email protected]

inexpensive. Government funding that is designed to promote efficiency and up-skill the workforce across multiple disciplines is available right now.

For those who are not sure where to start, there are options to enable a free assessment of your companies funding potential. Any full time employee is eligible for funding if they meet all the following criteria; Australian resident, must not be currently doing an apprenticeship and must not have applied for the same type of funding within the last seven years.

If you would like any further information on the above services and products, please contact Pangolin Associates. n

Davide Ross is a chemical engineer by profession with more the 15 years experience in the area of energy efficiency and greenhouse gas audit services. Davide is a director of Pangolin Associates and can be contacted at [email protected]

empower your staff to move forward. To engage in developing your people to deliver process and energy efficiency savings is easy, and with Government assistance –


de-coupling, however, is achieved through the utilization of direct expansion or chilled water air conditioning.

Dr. Shaw’s 1998 paper received that year’s AIRAH W.H. AHERN Award.

Embodied within his 2001 paper, Dr. Shaw calculated that a conventional design for a Brisbane part load condition required 4.91 times the energy to achieve the same temperature and humidity conditions than his new design. (A reprint of table 1 from that paper is included as an appendix).

As calculated by Dr. Shaw, his new method reduces air conditioning energy consumption by 80% from that of a conventional system.

This paper outlines the operational and energy outcomes of the Shaw Method of Air Conditioning (SMAC) installation at the University of Queensland (UQ) Duhig Library Building located at the St Lucia Campus in Brisbane.

DESCRIPTION OF DUHIG LIBRARYDuhig Library comprises 4 identical air conditioned floors. The air conditioning consists of two constant volume air handling units, each serving 2 floors, hence the cooling and heating loads on these units is nominally identical. Air conditioning operates continuously to maintain 23ºC and 55% RH at all times. A fixed minimum outdoor air of the same quantity (nominally 20%) is introduced to each air handling unit.

The existing control strategy for humidity control is to drive open the associated air

Science Confirmed at the University of Queensland (UQ) With 80% Energy Reductions

handling unit’s chilled water valve whenever the space humidity exceeds set point and then switch on electric reheats as required to counteract the resulting over cooling and restore zone temperature to set point. Chilled water is provided to the building from one of the University’s district cooling systems and is maintained at nominally 6ºC at all times. Duhig has comprehensive electrical metering measuring both light and power and the HVAC system.

RETROFITA DOAS, entirely configured as SMAC was installed by Johnson Controls to both air handling units and it was commissioned in September 2009. The electrical energy consumption during October 2009 was compared to October 2008 identifying a preliminary reduction of approximately 50% of the total buildings energy consumption. The only works performed during this time was the installation of SMAC.

Johnson Controls and the Properties and Facilities Division staff at UQ considered that additional metering was required in order to determine the full accuracy of energy reductions attributable to SMAC.

WAYNE RYAN | Director, Smactec Pty Ltd [email protected]

This paper details the energy

outcome of an Australian

developed air conditioning

technology retrofitted to a

University of Queensland

building and it is not the intent

of the author to discuss or detail

the sciences incorporated in the

technology. The author would

be pleased however to send

data to interested readers. The

engineering, design, installation

and maintenance has proven to

be as simple as current practice.

INTRODUCTIONOver recent years ASHRAE have been promoting Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS), which claim to reduce conventional air conditioning energy by 15 to 30% and potentially become the future system of choice.(1) AIRAH published an ASHRAE article in its Equilibrium Journal, June 2009.(2)

The ASHRAE DOAS involves dehumidifying introduced outdoor air through a desiccant process, enabling the de-coupling of humidity and temperature control.

This concept of de-coupling temperature and humidity control was also promoted and presented by the late Dr. Allan Shaw in AIRAH Journal papers September 1998(3) and August 2001(4). Dr. Shaw’s


MEASUREMENTDuring November 2009, separate meters were installed to measure the energy consumption of the electrical heaters for each air handling unit. In addition, separate chilled water flow and differential temperature sensors were installed to each air handling unit’s chilled water circuit such that the chilled water energy consumption of each air handling unit could be calculated. Furthermore, the SMAC system on the air handling unit serving the lower 2 floors was disabled and the controls reinstated to their original strategies. All electrical and chilled water sensors were connected into the Building Automation System (BAS).

Under this revised configuration, one air handling unit can operate utilising SMAC strategies and the other using the original, conventional strategies. Consequently, a comprehensive comparative energy analysis can be achieved.

The temperature and humidity set points on both units are identical.

An algorithm within the BAS was programmed to convert cooling kilowatts to an equivalent electrical KW based upon a chiller Coefficient of Performance (COP) at a supply chilled water temperature of 6ºC. This was the basis measurement for the conventional unit. For the SMAC unit serving the upper 2 floors, the supply chilled water temperature demanded by SMAC control strategies were logged.

The upper floors are considered to have a higher sensible cooling load due to roof heat gains, however no corrections for this were taken into consideration.

VERIFICATIONThe Appendix demonstrates that Dr. Shaw calculated a conventional design consumes 4.91 times the energy required than SMAC, at a Brisbane part load outdoor air condition of 27.0ºC dbt /23.0ºC wbt.

Figure 1 is a BAS read out from the 1st March 2009, when the ambient conditions at the time were 26.7ºC/24.0ºC wbt and hence similar to the Appendix (27ºC/23ºC).

The instantaneous energy consumption shown in the BAS read out comparing the two air handling units shows the

conventional unit (AHU-1 Standard) is consuming 190 KW of electrical energy and the SMAC unit (AHU-2 SMAC) consuming 30.9 KW of electrical energy. This equates to the conventional unit’s having 6.15 times the consumption of the SMAC unit and an 84% efficiency improvement.

The actual efficiency improvement measured at Duhig Library is consistent with Dr. Shaw’s calculations (80%) based upon psychometric analysis and further validates his scientific claims.

An additional column in the BAS print out shows the accumulated KW hours consumed since November 2009. The conventional unit’s total is 233,521 KWh, whereas the SMAC unit is 43,073 KWh for the same 3 month’s of operation. In this time, the conventional system has consumed 5.4 times that of the SMAC representing an 82% energy and greenhouse gas reduction improvement.

Extrapolating this data for a full year and with a conversion of AHU-1 to SMAC provides a nominal 1 million KWhrs reduction or equivalent to 1,000 tonnes of CO2-e. This outcome on a comparatively small building clearly supports the findings of McKinsey and Co., in their report “An Australian Cost Curve”(5)., and in which they claim that energy efficiency gains to commercial air conditioning has the potential to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25 million tonnes annually by 2020.

25 million tonnes represents almost 5% of Australia’s total.

COMMENTARYSMAC is the ultimate DOAS and has successfully been applied to hospitals, art galleries, industrial facilities, office buildings and a library in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin, Singapore and Thailand. Whilst this paper discusses the outcome at a close controlled temperature and humidity installation, readers should not consider it only applicable to those applications. In Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide office building installations, it has also been bundled with Induction Variable Air Volume (IVAV) systems. The Adelaide project has been granted a 5 star NABERS office commitment agreement.

Readers are referred to an EcoLibrium article December, 2009(7) by P.C.Thomas and G.S.Rao of Team Catalyst and in which they detail that 66 Waterloo Road, Macquarie Park, N.S.W. achieved 5 stars NABERS office and included Induction Variable Air Volume (IVAV) as one of the technology solutions. Furthermore, in their paper and under their conclusion, they pointed out that further energy reductions could be achieved through the application of a DOAS.

Experience with IVAV and as proven in an actual comparative evaluation project in Adelaide, demonstrates both IVAV and SHAW provide similar reductions, however in complimentary applications the two technologies provide greater savings than the sum of both.

With these combined technologies, air conditioning energy reductions of over 50% on retrofits is being achieved. Based upon energy simulation by a prominent consulting engineer, SMAC consumes 50% less cooling and heating energy than chilled beams, and when coupled with IVAV, results in comparable fan energy savings to passive technologies.

Additional benefits arising from SMAC include:

the highest quality of air conditioning•

a more even spread of temperature•

reduced peak electrical demand•

reductions in cooling tower water and •chemical consumption

With reference to an EcoLibrium paper “ High Tech Sustainability at Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation Queensland University of Technology”(7) the author claims a 25% reduction in annual operating costs, whereas SMAC has reduced Duhig Library’s total energy by 50% whilst maintaining the highest quality of air conditioning.

ECONOMIES – COSTING AND MARKET CONSIDERATIONBased upon energy savings alone, the pay-back at UQ is 2 years. This installation is a retrofit. For new projects, additional costs are minimal as they can be offset against reduced chiller sizing and reductions in electrical services.

A comparison has been conducted in Adelaide which concluded for a new building the combination of SMAC with induction variable air volume (IVAV) is 33% lower cost than installing a passive chilled beam technology and 40% lower cost for a retrofit.

SHAW plus IVAV is less expensive to install and maintain, uses less water, reduces peak electrical demand and is more efficient than passive chilled beam technology.

The installation of SHAW does not require any special training to contractors and hence does not incur any additional contingency costs that may be applied by contractors in applying a new technology.

CONCLUSIONASHRAE states that DOAS which provide 15 to 30% energy reduction may become the future system of choice. SMAC is proving to achieve 30 to 80% savings and takes this to the next level.

The 84% energy reduction achieved at Duhig Library is attributable to a single technology. It can, however, be configured to compliment other air conditioning energy efficiency technologies such as energy recovery, variable air volume (induction or conventional), active chilled beams, co-generation or tri-generation and high efficiency chillers.

Furthermore, the DOAS installed at Duhig is applicable to air conditioning applications in most climatic conditions and is truly a universal solution to the profligate wastage of prime energy in air conditioning and can rightly claim to be the Ultimate DOAS.

Dr. A. Shaw’s paper 2001 also discussed a similar comparative analysis for Adelaide and this has also been previously validated with the installation at the Art Gallery of S.A. (AGSA) and in which energy savings of 60% were achieved. The AGSA project has since been awarded 3 NATIONAL AWARDS of excellence from NECA, AIRAH and FMA.

Broad acceptance of SMAC is fundamentally with design engineers and through this paper and those papers referenced, we trust will come to understand that SMAC is a simple, inexpensive and effective methodology than can be widely implemented to significantly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

SMAC is of world importance to reduce excess use of energy and Australians should be proud that it was invented in Australia.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI thank the Facility Management staff of The University of Queensland for their acceptance and permission to install DOAS to their Duhig Library Building. Innovation to proceed with any new air conditioning technology requires the participation of a well informed and competent client.


I would also like to thank the staff of energy efficiency service provider Johnson Controls Aust. (JCA) who recognized the energy saving potential of the SMAC and who recommended and carried out the installation, monitoring and reporting. Without their willingness, competence and support the world class and important works of the late Dr. Allan Shaw would remain a curiosity. n

REFERENCES1. ASHRAE May 2008 DOAS and Humidity Control Michael & Larranaga, Ph.D., P.E.

A COMMON OCCURRING OPERATING CONDITION WHERE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE OA IS ABOVE THE ROOM MOISTURE CONTENT – DESCRIPTION OF CONDITION STUDIES

OA-27°c dbt/23.0wbt; OA 300lps (20% of Supply Air)Room Condition 24°Cdbt; Supply Air to Room 1500lpsRoom Sensible Heat Load 9.0kW Rm Sens Ht Ratio 0.70

Appendix 1: Brisbane Part Load condition Comparative StudyNew Design (SMAC) versus a Conventional DesignExtract from AIRAH Journal August 2001

DUHIG LIBRARY

Table 1: Data extracted from BMS - March 1 2010

Mario G. Berovides, Ph.D., P.E. H.W. Holder Member ASHRAE Enusha Karunasena, Ph.D David C. Straus, Ph.D

2. ECOLIBRIUM June 2009 Reprint ASHRAE May 2008

3. AIRAH JOURNAL September, 1998 Control of simultaneous heat and mass transfer in the reduction of Global Warming Dr.A. Shaw Ph.D., Life Member ASHRAE, F.I.E. Aust Member ASME.

4. AIRAH JOURNAL August 2001 A quantitative evaluation of a new method of air conditioning. Dr.A. Shaw Ph.D., Life Member ASHRAE, F.I.E. Aust., Hon. Member AIRAH

5. McKINSEY & CO. February 2008 An Australian Cost Curve for Reducing Australia’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

6. ECOLIBRIUM December 2009 Surpassing Expectations. An integrated approach to design, delivery, commissioning and POST Occupancy evaluation.

P.C. Thomas and G.S. Rao, Team Catalyst.

7. ECOLIBRIUM June, 2009 High tech sustainability at Institute of Health at Biomedical Innovation Queensland University of Technology. Brian Schmidt B.E. (Mechanical – University of Queensland)

| App

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Facility Management without data is like taking a trip on the Titanic in 1912 - full of risk

without an adequate understanding of what that risk might be or the consequences that may occur. An error prone management approach (through lack of accurate data) leads to poor decision making, which in turn inevitably results in disaster. Think back to the events on the Western Front in France during World War 1, where arrogant management and poor decision making went hand in hand to deliver disastrous consequences for most involved in the events of that time.

In both these situations the forces of change outside the knowledge base of the managing participants produced results that were not thought possible before the events occurred. The unfolding circumstances changed the operational situation beyond the control of the managers in both cases and meant the management team was beyond its capability and left with little chance to change the eventual outcome. In some ways, particularly with the Generals in the field in France, they didn’t have the data, or the understanding that they were lacking the data, to make smart decisions. As in the words of Donald Rumsfeld in 2002:

“There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know.

There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we now know we don’t know.

But there are also unknown unknowns. These are things we do not know we don’t know”.

Mitigating disaster with accurate data

These leaders thought they knew all the things they needed to know, but did not acknowledge that there are unknowns that need to be prepared for and managed. With a little risk assessment and control they could have been prepared for the unknowns and at the very least, lessened the extent of the disaster.

A 21st century Facility Manager has few excuses he can justifiably use in a disaster that may embroil his facility portfolio - unlike the captain of the Titanic and the generals in the war. They at least could argue that; had they had the right data at the time they would have made better decisions. This may in fact not be true but the fact is communications were primitive and less reliable than today, and their access to relevant and important data about their situation was not immediately available. This is not the case for the Facility Manager today. In almost every situation they have access to a vast amount of data but probably lack:

the time to properly review it•

the knowledge to correctly •interpret it

the context to understand it•

the resources to address it•

the skills to manage it.•

They may indeed have some of the above, but rarely all of them at the right time. Data and its timely availability has the power to change these situations immediately and irrevocably. Its accuracy and precision is an absolute necessity in today’s world of litigation, terrorism, climate change, new technology and the many and varied social impacts our building infrastructure has on the people and their lives.

In order to make sense of this data, systems and protocols are used to ensure that it can be presented in the format that meets the decision makers need. Facility Managers need to have the right information in order to the make the right decision at the right time.

The right time, what is the right time? For a Facility Manager it is often before an adverse event occurs, or after an event in order to make remedial repairs and actions. The right time will depend on the event, the resources available, and the criticality of the impact. So in fact, the right time is each minute of the day. Thus high availability of data at all times is critical for effective and better decision making.

The right decision, what is the right decision? This always is impacted and driven by what information the Facility Manager has available to them in order to address the issue or task. Poor or inaccurate data will probably affect the decision quality (and correctness) but the lack of data due to a lack of process to collect it, amounts to negligence. A decision in this instance may not be made because the event is not foreseen until it is too late.

The right information, what is the right information? In the case of the Facility manager the right information is that which will help him make the decisions at the time he needs to assess it. This means that the data collected needs to be presented to the decision maker in the form they need it. The prevailing contextual data and constraints are needed to paint an accurate information source upon which precise decisions can be made. In this case even if all the data wasn’t always available in a timely fashion, if enough supporting data from other >

By KRIS GREENWOOD


Vertical transport is often

referred to as the “heart” of your

building. This metaphor is often

met with raised eyebrows and

a smirk, but it’s not a far stretch

when you consider what your lift

does. Just as your heart pumps

blood through your veins your lift

pumps people throughout your

building, when it stops so does

the access to your building.

Just like your heart requires a healthy eating plan and exercise to keep it working properly,

your lift requires proper maintenance to keep pulsing people though your building.

This being said, many Building Managers are given the often difficult task of choosing a lift maintenance provider (Heart Specialist) with potentially limited knowledge to assist with decision making.

Should price be the only factor? Would you choose your Heart Specialist based on the cheapest price?

Lifts are not all created equal: Vertical Transport continues to see increasing technological advances, software and programming. Does the company you have asked to tender have trained technicians in the software make and model of your lift equipment?

Each make and model of Lift, Escalator and Moving Walk have spare parts that are specific. Does the company you have asked to tender have a stock of spare parts readily available, which are suitable for the lift / escalator installed at your premises?

Who to Choose to Look After Your Lifts, Escalators & Moving Walks

Apples for Apples or Will You get a Lemon? Service Agreements can be complicated documents to comprehend. You should ensure that you are comparing like for like terms and conditions.

Among the many things to consider are: Guaranteed numbers of service visits, Are after hours calls included? Are all replacement parts included? Look closely at the exclusion clauses, having “access” to a service doesn’t necessarily mean it’s free of charge.

Ask for Assistance: If you are unsure of anything in relation to offers provided, seek clarification from tendering companies, ask questions, do your research.

Independent Advice: If you are still not sure, you may like to seek some independent expert advice so, use the services of a Lift Consultant.

True Value for Money: Don’t just look at the dollar figure on the offer. Remember that lifts and escalators are an expensive and technologically advanced item of plant, to ensure that your lifts/escalators safely reach their full life expectancy they need to be service correctly by trained and qualified technicians.

Needless to say that lifts and escalators move precious cargo, mums, dads, children, you and me, and need to be serviced correctly for SAFETY. n

Joanne Fell

SERVICE CONTRACTS MANAGER

LIFTRONIC PTY LIMITED

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”


Dramatic change is on the horizon with the potential to revolutionise the way buildings

are delivered.

Roderic Bunn, Principal Consultant with the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA), from the UK, and a recognised world authority in the field of delivering better buildings, is touring Australia and New Zealand throughout November to explain a new approach to the construction process that he believes will help deliver this change.

The seminar series has been organised by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

The new approach is known as Soft Landings, which is intended to be embedded in the entire building procurement process from initial briefing to well beyond completion, resulting in better refurbished and new buildings that perform as intended.

“At present, designers and builders fundamentally believe that operational outcomes are almost wholly the function of technical inputs and everything that follows will be fine,” Mr Bunn explains, adding “No matter what technology is available, typically renewable and low energy, there is still this a huge gap between design intent and reality and we must change the construction

process to have any chance of having truly sustainable buildings.”

Bunn, when he was editor of the prestigious Building Services Journal in the UK in the late 1990s, gained Government funding to develop a research team to study the energy performance of a range of blue chip and environmental award-winning buildings.

Known as PROBE, the landmark study lifted the lid on the disconnection between design intent and performance.

“In the 18 buildings we studied over five years, we found that energy consumption was three to five times in excess of what was assumed.”

Bunn’s interest in post occupancy evaluation, intensified by this research, led to the launch of Soft Landings, which has been developed in conjunction with Dr Bill Bordass, a forensic building services consultant with the Usable Buildings Trust.

“Construction at present is seen as a linear process but in fact it is circular and this underlines the Soft Landings methodology, which closes the loop between design, construction, operation and feedback, and then into design again. It’s about ploughing back the lessons from one completed project to the next,” says Mr Bunn.

Roderic Bunn and Bill Bordass have developed a detailed manual, called the

Soft Landings Framework, complete with generic work sheets that can be tailored to a specific project.

The tool emphasizes awareness of performance in use in the early stages of briefing, helps to set realistic targets and assigns responsibilities. It then assists the management of expectations through design, construction and commissioning and into initial operation with particular attention to detail in the weeks immediately before and after handover.

“For this process to work, we need to engender a new culture of a championing client, thoughtful architect, a committed contractor and a fearless consulting engineer, willing to accept that things done in the past may not have worked.”

Mr Bunn believes that the construction industry must emulate the aircraft construction industry, in which it would be unthinkable that a corporation like Boeing would walk away from a project once it built a new type of plane.

“In the likely zero carbon world of the future, no building construction project team will be able to simply leave after handover because proof will be demanded that buildings meet their design intentions and I do not know how this can be done without a methodology like Soft Landings.” n

< sources were accumulated then the likelihood of better perception and asking the right questions would be much higher. The end result will be better decision making.

The effects of data and its use could be seen in action when the Australian General Monash brought to bear all the data he had on the enemy. This insight enabled him to understand the battlefield and the weather

conditions, and allowed him to make meticulous battle plans in order to win. In every case he won decisive victories where for many years others had failed to make any significant advance. If the captain of the Titanic had had radar or modern satellite data the accident may never had occurred, the assumption being though that he (or his crew) would have used and acted upon this data in a timely fashion.

Those who do not learn the lessons of the past are destined to repeat the failures in the future. So we at FMI advocate the effective use of data to provide effective information to the decision makers at all

levels from the facility management team and beyond. As well as the use of data as decision making information, it also has to be maintained to be valuable and credible, so the FM processes must also interact with the data in such away as to add value to the operational information. The facility management system that is employed must allow simple FM process integration and external system integration in order to deliver its main function - that of providing an effective business management tool to deliver information in the right way, at the right time, to the right people. n

Mitigating disaster with accurate data (cont’d)

Soft landings in a zero carbon future


Building Management & Control SystemsOptimisation from the inside out

IntroductionThe most important asset for any commercial building is the occupants. A key asset for the occupants is the working environment. Case studies have proven that a poor working environment creates poor productivity. It is therefore not surprising that, historically, the environmental conditions have often taken priority over energy efficiency in regards to the control of the building services. It has only been in the last ten years that green initiatives have required building designers to consider the environmental impact, across every process of construction, from building materials to operational sustainability. A large percentage of excessive energy usage can be attributed to existing assets which should feature high on any corporate agenda for potential carbon reduction. How and what to optimise are the fundamental questions.

Each building is unique, to some degree, with variations in infrastructure from the façade to the mechanical services, all of which should complement each other. The building will only perform to the potential of the weakest component. One component which presents a high degree of contention is the Building Management and Control System (BMCS).

JON CLARKE M. AIRAH OMIEAust

A Building Management and Control System (BMCS), is the core element of a building, and the optimisation of its performance, requires a holistic approach with an in-depth understanding of the building envelope and the building services, including the mechanical and electrical systems.

The balancing of systems to work in harmony with one another whilst using minimal energy, requires an intelligent reaction from the control system in response to demands, and does not necessarily require expensive replacement of control equipment.

With the ongoing drive to maximise buildings; operational efficiencies, and encourage sustainability in design, the performance of these systems is the key to raising the bar in energy efficient buildings.

Unfortunately there are many building management systems operating with inappropriate control logic and using a fraction of their capability. With state of the art digital controls now standard in most buildings, why is it that a large proportion of “intelligent buildings” suffer from excessive energy use and in some cases poor environmental conditions?


BackgroundOver the last 25 years, the BMCS industry has evolved at a rapid pace to keep up with the latest trends in digital technology. Prior to the digital revolution, pneumatic or electronic controls were used. These older style systems offered limited functionality and intelligence, and have since become obsolete. In the case of many buildings they have been replaced with direct digital controls (DDC).

Systems with DDC controllers are software driven with intelligent communications. They claim to have the capability of achieving optimum environmental conditions, and provide detailed analysis of the buildings performance with fancy looking animated multicolour graphics. The perception of these systems from facilities managers and building operators tells a different story - they are regarded as “black box” technology, misunderstood and often blamed as attributing to the root-cause of their buildings operational problems. In many cases, it is indeed evident that the BMCS is contributing to inefficient building performance, and in some cases, poor environmental conditions.

Clever stuffIntelligent control systems are no different to any other computerised system. They process information and provide an output based upon pre-determined routines, (control sequences). As with other computerised systems, incorrect information or routines will provide an incorrect result. A typo buried deep within the software code has the potential to cause significant problems.

Each manufacturer of BMCS has its own interpretation of plant control and use standard application libraries of control logic. Building designers also have their own interpretation of how systems should be controlled and it is not often that the two completely align. Therefore, there are usually some modifications required, which creates bespoke control logic for each building. In the IT world, software is rigorously beta tested off site for bugs and to provide improvements. In the BMCS world, software is often tested and commissioned on site, in limited timeframes and unfavourable conditions. Control sequences not only require appropriate testing for errors, but also need tuning for accurate response to changes in demands and conditions. Control sequences with PID control loops1, require tuning which can take a significant amount of time to achieve optimum performance. A typical BMCS can consist of hundreds of control points, all of which must be configured, tested, and calibrated for accuracy. A typical high rise building could have in excess of 300 controllers on the network.

With rapid design and construction programmes dictating compressed commissioning periods, it is not surprising that many of these complex systems fall short of being fully tested. This is detrimental to the intelligence of the buildings design, performance, and the end user!

Re-commission or ReplacementRe-commissioning returns a system to its original design. Optimisation seeks to improve the original design, overcoming problems that may have been encountered during the construction phase. This process is also known as retro-commissioning, which has been highly publicised in the USA, with case studies claiming significant results of energy reduction in existing buildings.

What to optimise, and how to optimise, is a subject that is constantly under debate. As technology changes, thought processes are provoked to seek the ultimate balance of comfort and energy. It is interesting that, even though technology has improved dramatically over the last decade, the incumbent control algorithms within digital control systems are relatively unchanged. Were these systems way ahead of their time, or have they not caught up with changing trends? If a control system is replaced, and the performance rating of the building is increased, it is not evident whether it is the new system, or the re-commissioning process that has made the difference.

Life CycleThe life expectancy of anything digital can be relatively short. This is not due to component failure, but the software technology it operates on. The majority of BMCS systems use the Microsoft Windows® platform for the workstation. As operating systems are revised and upgraded, the BMCS manufacturers follow suit. In parallel with this, the computer hardware manufacturers are pushing the boundaries for speed of processing. There comes a time when older operating systems are not supported or compatible with new hardware. This not only affects the workstation, but also the laptop computer used by the maintenance engineer. The functionality of a system directly relates to how efficient a building performs, not the speed of the hardware. The replacement of a control system should always include analysis and improvement of the functionality.

It’s all in the BalanceTo create a balance, a control system must be in control, and that means having complete authority. For instance, the hierarchy of a system must allow for each level of control to operate to its limits before the next step in a sequence is initiated. This may seem perfectly logical but, there are many cases of systems fighting each other. An example of this is base building air conditioning systems being influenced by supplementary systems installed by tenants. The interaction of field equipment also plays a vital role in maintaining stability. For instance, correctly sized control valves2.

What to optimise, and how to optimise, is a subject that is constantly under debate. As technology changes, thought processes are provoked to seek the ultimate balance of comfort and energy.


To realise the maximum efficiency potential of an air conditioning system, a holistic and dynamic balance between air handling, cooling and heating systems must be achieved. This not only requires a sound foundation within the BMCS hardware and software, but also requires some learning from the building behaviour. Sequencing of equipment in response to changes in demands, must consider the combined Coefficient of Performance (COP) of any associated equipment and not just the item of plant in isolation3.

An Intelligent ResponseA control system is reliant upon feedback in order to calculate the action to maintain a required setpoint. This feedback can be derived from field sensors, or internal calculations from the various zones throughout the building. Optimising a control system to achieve a comfortable environment, using minimum energy, not only requires the functionality to be appropriate, but also the control setpoints. But what is an appropriate setpoint?

A typical building may have 1000 occupants; each with subjective opinions of what is hot or cold. It is therefore almost impossible to create the perfect environment for everyone at the same time. This problem also applies to air conditioning systems supplying multiple zones across multiple floors, all of which are requesting slightly different demands. Generally systems are engineered to use an average or maximum demand (hi select) calculation to determine setpoints, in combination with a PID control loop. This method can be influenced by rogue zones, which are not reflecting a true representation of conditions, and PID control loops typically have one speed of response4. One approach which can overcome both of these issues is a principle called “trim and respond”, which can be applied to most BMCS systems.

The principle of “trim and respond” uses zone demands to flag votes, dependent upon the conditions. Single votes can be ignored, which eradicates rogue zones. Critical zones, however, can be given multiple votes, giving them a priority. These votes will influence how the system

responds. For example, votes for cooling could trigger the system to reduce supply air temperature by preset increments over a time period. This increment is increased to a maximum level as more votes become active. Alternatively, if there are not any votes, or as votes reduce, the system trims the supply air by increasing the temperature at a less aggressive increment. In general, this principle of control is easier to tune than traditional control loops, and can be applied to many applications where multiple zones are supplied from a common source for instance, static pressure control. This principle has been widely used in the USA with very effective results. ASHRAE published an article in 2007, (Increasing VAV System Static Pressure Reset), detailing the benefits of “trim and respond” logic.

Consider the SourceA chain reaction, triggered from changes in demand levels, will ripple through the building from the local terminal units to the air handling units, chillers and boilers, consequently serving them as the source. It is therefore imperative to allow plant to operate only if really necessary. Having too many optimisation routines can cause just as much instability in air conditioning systems as not having any at all. A system too sensitive to changes in demands can

lead to plant operating inadvertently. Time schedules should dictate if there is enough time left in the occupancy period for plant to be effective, if enabled. Simple, logical, sequencing will provide results; complex strategies have a tendency to trip them selves up under certain conditions. This is where a well structured BMCS can really make the difference to how a building performs.

Dashboard ControlLarge BMCS systems will generate a plethora of information that is necessary for the operation of the building. How this information is presented to the building operator is sometimes daunting and not particularly user friendly. This can lead to misinterpretation, resulting in incorrect adjustments of setpoints or control parameters. An intuitive building performance dashboard indicating a global overview such as ambient conditions, average space conditions, and setpoints, can assist an operator to make an educated assessment of the building performance. One of the most common complaints from building operators is, not having global commands; making set point changes both laborious and time consuming.

Optimisation may provide a building with substantial energy savings, but like any

•Cool•Demand

•Respond•Reset

•Chillers•Pumps

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performance enhanced system, it requires ongoing tuning and adjustment to sustain the performance. A BMCS can provide the ability to achieve this, but ultimately, will only do as it has been instructed. n

NotesAt the heart of every control sequence 1. is a Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) control loop. Although a complex algorithm, its function is to balance an input or (process variable) e.g. a temperature sensor, with a required value (setpoint) by calculating an output based upon the PID settings. The response of mechanical plant in reaction to a control output varies in both speed and effect it has on the process variable. For this reason each PID control loop requires individual tuning to achieve stability in both plant and conditions. Incorrect PID settings can cause a system to hunt if setpoints are exceeded by the outputs reacting too aggressively.

Valves with inadequate authority can 2. cause a system to undulate effecting the operation of all associated plant. For example, as chilled water valves open,

pump speeds are increased which in turn effects the operation of the Chillers. This chain reaction and the subsequent reverse domino effect can be quite substantial in regards to energy waste.

Chillers can not operate in isolation; they 3. require pumps and cooling towers which all will contribute to energy consumption. The COP of a chiller does not take into account this ancillary equipment.

Control loops typically react with the same 4. proportion and speed to an increase or reduction in demand. If set too slow, the demands may not be satisfied in an acceptable time frame, set too fast, overshoot can occur.

This article was originally published in the March 2010 issue of Ecolibrium, published by AIRAH. It is reprinted with permission.

Go to www.airah.org.au

About the authorJon Clarke is an associate with Norman Disney & Young in Sydney, with over 25 years experience in the controls industry.

Building Management & Control SystemsOptimisation from the inside out


Hydrostatic Testing Of Stainless SteelsGuidelines To Ensure Long Service LifeJON CLARKE M. AIRAH OMIEAust

MIC occurring in stainless steel. Anaerobic sulphate-reducing bacteria pose a greater risk of instigating or accelerating corrosion often under a layer of aerobic slime or microbial deposits. However others, such as manganese utilising bacteria (generally from underground waters), have also been discovered.

MIC is extremely aggressive and difficult to eliminate once established, so it is surprising and disappointing that there is limited knowledge of MIC within the engineering community. Fortunately, MIC is easily avoided by using good practices during the initial hydrostatic testing. Education and promotion of proven hydrostatic testing practices which prevent MIC are vital to

Design engineers frequently

specify stainless steel in industrial

piping systems and tanks for its

excellent corrosion resistance.

While stainless steelís unique

characteristics make it a standout

leader in the durability stakes

of alloys, it is not completely

immune to corrosion.

Premature failures of the stainless steel can occur due to Microbiologically

Influenced Corrosion (MIC). This corrosion phenomenon usually occurs when raw water used for hydrostatic pressure tests is not fully removed from the pipework and there is an extended period before commissioning of the equipment. The result is localised pitting corrosion attack from microbacterial deposits that, in severe cases, can cause failure within a few weeks. MIC is easily prevented using proper hydrostatic testing techniques.

MICMIC failures occur by pitting corrosion, often at welds, where colonies of bacteria may form. A number of different bacterial species are known to cause the problem, but the detailed mechanism is not known.

Iron utilising bacteria appear to be the dominating microbial species involved with

minimising its potential impact on the stainless steel industry.

Hydrostatic testing practices to eliminate MICIn order to eliminate MIC, it is recommended that the following practices are used.

1. Fabrication practices

Crevices should be eliminated or at least minimised during the fabrication process, as they are the preferred sites for attachment and growth of microbial colonies. They also provide traps for chemicals which could concentrate and cause pits.

The likelihood of MIC will also be reduced by:


using full penetration welds; and•

purge welding to prevent the formation •of heat tint; or

removing heat tint by grinding or •pickling.

Arc strikes and weld splatter should also be ground off and pickled.

2. Use clean water

The cleanest water available should be used in a hydrostatic test, such as demineralised, steam condensate or treated potable water. Untreated or raw water from dams or bores should be avoided when conducting a hydrostatic test but, where this is not possible, the water should be sterilised (eg by chlorination) before use. If sterilisation is not practical, the requirements for short residence time and subsequent drying of the system are extremely important. The cleaner the water, the less ëfoodí there is for MIC bacteria to live off and multiply.

It is important to ensure that there is no trace of sediment in the stainless steel system during testing to avoid silting, as the water is normally not circulated during a hydrostatic test. This may require the test water to be filtered to ensure it is free of all undissolved solids. Sediments can provide the conditions for crevice attack.

3. Draining and drying

Thoroughly draining and drying the stainless steel system immediately following a hydrostatic test (preferably within 24 hours, certainly within 5 days) will almost certainly prevent the occurrence of MIC.

Horizontal pipelines should be installed in a sloping direction to make them self-draining.

Drying can be achieved by pigging (cleaning with foam or rubber scrapers), followed by blowing dry air through the system. Beware of blowing higher temperature moist air through cold pipework unless the air is dried before being introduced to the system. If warm air is used, it should not be from a gas burner as condensation may occur.

Draining and drying of systems following a hydrostatic test should only be disregarded when the system is placed into service immediately following the test. Partial draining is potentially very serious as subsequent slow evaporation of even clean residual water can produce very concentrated and aggressive solutions.

4. Chloride content and temperature

During hydrostatic testing of stainless steel equipment, the chloride content of the test water must be within the range to which the stainless steel grade is resistant. Figure 1 shows the maximum temperatures and chloride contents to which stainless steels are resistant in water with residual chlorine of about 1 ppm.

The limits shown in Figure 1 may be exceeded provided the contact time of the water is brief, ie 24-48 hours.

If the chloride content of the test water is uncertain, the water should be analysed.

5. Standards

NACE and API standards for a number of products and installations provide guidelines for hydrostatic testing, including limits for water quality and contact times. These standards should be consulted for specific details for the fabrication in hand.

ConclusionThe benefits of stainless steel’s corrosion resistance are well proven in many industrial applications involving piping systems, but failures can occur during hydrostatic testing if care is not taken. Attention to a few simple details will prevent surprises a few months down the track, allowing the long service life available from stainless steel to be fully realised. n

Corrosion pits

Corrosion under deposit

MIC deposits on surface

Hydrostatic Testing Of Stainless SteelsGuidelines To Ensure Long Service Life

Australian Stainless Steel Development Associationwww.assda.asn.au


At the start of May next year, the Building Code of Australia (BCA) will incorporate the provisions of the new Disability Standards on Access to

Premises - Buildings (DSAPB) that will be simultaneously brought into effect. The new provisions are intended to enhance amenity and safety for building users with disabilities but the beneficiaries will be potentially all building users regardless of ability.

The new provisions will apply to buildings and parts of them for which an application for a building permit is made. This includes:

new buildings;•

new parts of existing buildings (additions and alterations);•

the whole of existing buildings if proposed new parts of •them are substantial;

in some circumstances for new parts of buildings, parts •outside the scope of works such as accessways and sanitary accommodation (denoted as ‘affected parts’); and

changes of building use under State or Territory building •Acts which require a building permit, even if no additions or modifications are proposed.

The BCA already has requirements for accessibility for people with disabilities, but the revised BCA will go further. However, what is special about next year is that for the first time, compliance with the BCA will, because of the DSAPB, formally constitute compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). Presently, it is possible for a building to be compliant will the BCA but for formal action to be taken under the DDA that imposes additional or the modification of building features.

Next year’s event is part of a process attributable to the civil and disability rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s and brought into focus by the International Year of the Disabled in 1981. A major milestone was the publication of the DDA in 1992 and, in 2000, the opportunity for formulating standards under it (different to the standards of Standards Australia). Other milestones have been the publication of Regulation Document RD97/01 in 1997, an early venture in harmonising the BCA with the DDA, and the initial draft in 2004 of the DSAPB.

The standards of Standards Australia have been a vital part of the regulatory changes, with publication in 1997 of AS1428--1977: ‘Code of practice for design for access for the disabled’

More-accessible buildings from 2011ROD HUNTER

Figure 1From next year, this doorway will not comply because the warning marking on the glass does not extend for the full width of the glass (it also does not comply with current requirements because there is negligible luminance contrast with the background).

Figure 2From next year, long passages wil need to have passing or turning spaces for wheelchair users; doorway recesses such as these can be used for this purpose.


Rod Hunter is an experienced architect, ACAA accredited access consultant, and a pedestrian access and safety researcher based in Melbourne.

more space in lifts and unisex •(wheelchair accessible) toilets, provision for passing and turning spaces for wheelchairs in long or terminated corridors, and increased doorway widths; and more space for “accessible” car parking spaces

a greater proportion of entrances to be •wheelchair accessible;

sanitary facilities, including a proportion •of non-wheelchair-accessible toilet compartments to be suitable for use by ambulant people with a disability, and more-distributed unisex toilets;

in theatre and auditoria and the like, •greater provision for wheelchair spaces and more extensive provision of hearing augmentation facilities;

for vertical access, provision of •luminance contrasting strips at nosings of steps in fire escape stairways, a greater range of options for handrail ends at stairs and ramps, and changes to the allowable designs for ramps, and allowance of a greater range of lift types;

additional requirements for signs;•

greater provision for access to •swimming pools;

more conspicuous marking of glass in •doorways and the like.

Concessions apply for small buildings, mezzanines, lifts, existing sanitary facilities, and multi-tenanted buildings.

Importantly, it is not just building designers, certifiers, developers, builders and owners who have obligations under the new provisions; it will also be managers and operators of buildings who will be required under the new provisions for the continued useability of accessways, sanitary facilities and other features required by the new provisions.

More information can be obtained from the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Australian Building Codes Board and the Australian Government Attorney General’s Department (www.ag.gov.au/premisesstandards) n

and a major review of it, commencing in 1981 under the auspices of the precursor to the current Australian Building Codes Board. Since then, the standard has been slightly but importantly renamed, augmented by additional parts, and several times revised.

Six statutory and regulatory entities underlie next year’s changes: the building Acts of the States and Territories; the BCA that is authorised and relied-upon by them; the DDA; the DSAPB under it; the Access Code for Buildings (ACB) that will be incorporated in the DSAPB and duplicated in the BCA; and standards of Standards Australia (SA) upon which the ACB and the BCA rely for technical detail. The relevant SA standards are AS 1428 Part 1 (the principal “accessibility” standard); AS 1428 Part 2 (the supplementary accessibility standard used with Part 1 for public transport

buildings under the BCA); AS/NZS 1428 Part 4 (for tactile ground surface indicators- ‘TGSls’); AS1735 (for lifts) and AS/NZS 2890 (for car parking).

The changes for next year are numerous, although not as much and nor as adequate, as argued by proponents, as they should have been. On the other hand, proponents of more affordable building argued that the provisions, though laudable, have gone too far. It was to balance these competing views that extensive industry and community consultation occurred and for which a Regulatory Impact Assessment was prepared. Whether too for or not for enough will be reconsidered in approximately four years’ time for the five-yearly review of the DSAPB.

The provisions next year will include requirements for:

More-accessible buildings from 2011 (continued)


Facilities Management Training ProgramMaintain and improve building operations

Organisations, regardless of industry sector, appreciate the rising costs of occupying

buildings and providing support services to maintain and improve the business operations. Facility Managers/Supervisors, Work and Asset Managers are all key contributors in the improvement of quality, reduction of risks, and overall profitability of an organisation.

This program provides an opportunity for those already involved in a facilities

management role to gain formal recognition and practical expertise. Learn while on the job and begin immediately to apply your skills to meet organisational demands. There are no academic prerequisites and you are able to enrol at any time.

UNE Partnerships offers two competency based courses that take you through the Facilities Management Unit (FMU) Management Cycle, developing and enhancing skills, knowledge and attitudes in the FMU -- leading to effective and efficient operation of built assets and the organisational activities that function within them.

Facilities Management Certificate for •SupervisorsFacilities Management Diploma for •Managers

The Facilities Management training program is designed to assist participants to improve their skills in:

managing people•maintenance of corporate assets•minimising risk exposure in the workplace.•

Skills OutcomePlan operations of work areas within a •facilityManage the operations of the facility under •your responsibilityContribute to the risk management process •within your FMUBe able to procure good & services•Assist in the administration & finalisation of •contractsMaintain sections of a facility under your •responsibility according to operational requirementsContribute to budget•Monitor & maintain costs and records•Contribute to the selection, training, •supervision & motivation of staff

For more information please visit www.unep.edu.au or call 1800 818 458

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 technological breakthroughs and advantages such as–

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 health care facilities, hospitals and any other moist environments where a germ free environment is paramount.

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


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

Fast, Hygienic and Saves You Money... It’s a Hand Dryer

The Ultra High Speed Hand Dryer, JET DRYER is now available in Australia.

Currently sold all over Korea, UK, France, Vietnam, Russia and Israel, the JET DRYER is the

latest hand dryer to upgrade to in your bathroom.

“Paper towels have become an expensive and environmentally unfriendly option for drying hands,” said Jeremy Kronk, Managing Director of JET DRYER. “Alternatively the older hand dryers are noisy and unhygienic i.e. they don’t filter the air they blow onto your hands, basically adding bacteria back onto your hands during the drying process”.

“There’s no better time for businesses to consider these issues and find a better solution, like JET DRYER.”

The JET DRYER dries the hands fast, hygienically and saves money and the environment.

Fast – Because it dries your hands in less than 10 Seconds

Hygienic – The Jet Dryer uses antibacterial filters to clean the air for a healthier drying experience, plus the surfaces of the units are specially coated to eliminate bacteria build up.

Savings – Both the environment and costs savings of up to 90% compared to Paper Towels, or lower power usage than most of all the other hand dryers…

For the price of 1 paper towel, the JET DRYER can dry 10 pairs of hands.

Added Bonus Features – Noise Absorption Module keeps noise down to 65dba considerably less than other hand dryers, plus the unit can have an aromatic fragrance added to enhance the whole experience.

Call 1 300 071 041 or visit www.jetdryer.com.au or email: [email protected]

Documents

The Building Services Journal 2010_3