“There has been little change in client behaviour since Grenfell – everything is still driven by lowest cost,” he added. “We need to impose more prescriptive regulations, at least until we sort ourselves out. That is why I would favour a ban on combustible cladding, for example, because the current system of regulation is fundamentally flawed and very hard for building control to sign off.” He also called for the industry to
make better use of digital technologies that could provide remote visual inspection of installations, verify competence of the work and create a digital record.
Complex
The current delivery process is too complex, according to Will Pitt of NG Bailey, who is chair of the BESA Technical Committee. “Competence is the single biggest issue to emerge from the aftermath of Grenfell, but the whole project process has become so complex that building control officers are signing off things they can’t possibly understand,” he said. “It is unreasonable to expect the MEP contractor to take responsibility for all of this and solve all the technical problems – other specialists need to step up.” The panel agreed that the current privatised model for building control was flawed as it did not incentivise inspectors to take tough action against developers. Poor quality specification is also a major problem, according to Roperhurst managing director Bob Lane. “They are often cut and paste exercises carried out by the most junior member of the project team – yet the success of the whole design depends on them,” he explained.
Future leaders
The BESA Future Leaders group also set a series of ambitious aims and
objectives for the coming year during a special session during the National Conference.
As well as encouraging more young engineers from BESA member companies to get involved with the group, it said its main aim was to reduce the skills gap by encouraging young STEM Ambassadors to work with BESA members to set up engineering workshops. It is also collaborating with Primary Engineers – an initiative to enthuse school children about science, technology and engineering.
Mental health is also a key focus for
the Future Leaders, who have created a series of ‘tool box’ talks that will soon be available for download from the BESA website. Member companies will be invited to use these to help their staff deal with this increasingly worrying feature of life in construction-related fields. The wider uptake of new
technologies is another task for the group and Future Leaders chair Reanna Evans (pic 5) used QR codes as an example. These can be used to capture project and operational information in an easy to use and very low cost format. “This links to the ‘Golden Thread’ of building operational information identified by Dame Judith Hackitt in her post-Grenfell review,” said Reanna. “The codes can be placed on every building engineering component so useful data can be accessed by anyone throughout its operating life.” She also called on more BESA member companies to offer work placements to young people so that they can get a feel for the industry. “It is really important that this happens before they opt for an apprenticeship so they can decide at an early stage whether this is the right career for them. If, instead, they start an apprenticeship and then drop out – somebody else has missed out on that opportunity,” Reanna explained. www/
thebesa.com/future-leaders
ViewPoint W
Flexibility is key
ith mixed-use buildings popping up on high streets and across town centres, they’re becoming a popular solution
for the combining of complementary sectors such as hospitality and entertainment. Determining the type of boilers to be used within such a building and how to maintain those boilers while being mindful of long but variable opening hours and a seven day a week opening schedule requires engineers to find the best solution possible with the minimal of disruption to trade. Andy Forrest, national sales manager at Ideal Commercial Boilers talks
through why modulating boilers are the first choice for engineers when specifying a compact boiler design for mixed-use buildings. Assessing the heating requirements of any commercial development firstly
requires a comprehensive survey of the makeup of the building. This helps to determine the differing heating and hot water requirements across various levels of a mixed-use building, from shops and restaurants through to offices and apartments. Undertaking a survey will not only determine the type of boiler to be installed but more importantly, the condition of the system parts. When reviewing the heating requirements of a mixed-use commercial development for instance, it is vital that the boilers specified will be able to deliver the heating and hot water flexibility required. In addition, the boilers must be able to offer maximum efficiency, meet all of the latest emission standards, allow for easy installation and be simple to operate and maintain. The key to providing flexibility from commercial boilers is their ability to modulate. Most commercial boilers will modulate at a ratio of around 5:1, which in itself is OK. A multiple boiler set up, either a cascade installation or a modular boiler, raises this flexibility substantially. A four-boiler cascade or four module boiler increases 5:1 to 20:1, allowing the installation to run far more efficiently in situations where demand could vary widely. While installing the best boilers for the building is one step on the road to
success, another key step is controls. For example, creating heating zones within different parts of a building with settings which reflect their use will save energy, and therefore money. Shops will need heating during opening hours and very little hot water generally, while a gym will need flexibility on its hot water demand when open whilst keeping a constant temperature. Vitally important here is that controls are used to reflect when the units are in use and don’t keep them hot when they are closed. Sounds like an impossible task? The Ideal Commercial Boilers Condensing
range includes wall hung and floor standing boilers that can be installed in a cascade set up and Evomod, a modular boiler featuring 250kW modules. All come with a broad range of control features and sequencer options plus the ability to interact with 3rd party BMS systems via 0-10V, OpenTherm or optional BUS connections. For more information about Ideal Commercial Boilers please visit
www.idealcommercialboilers.com/
www.heatingandventilating.net
December 2018 13
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