"central controls building management systems"

Design consultants AECOM delivered efficient hot water distribution using 800m of RAYCHEM HWAT-M self-regulating cables, to provide a single-pipe system throughout the building. Its compact design, eliminated the need for recirculation pipes, thus enabling the system to be installed in restricted spaces. Pipe freeze protection was achieved using 300m of RAYCHEM WinterGard self-regulating cables. Snow and ice prevention on the car park access ramp was provided by 1200 metres of RAYCHEM EM2-XR selfregulating cable controlled by a VIA-DU-20 multi-sensor control unit.

Taking 10 years to build, and costing £23 million, Cambridge Central Mosque is the first purpose-built mosque in the city, being described as ‘the greenest mosque in Europe’. To reduce the noise impact for both local residents and worshippers, our Jakoustic® Reflective acoustic fencing was installed, resulting in a safe, secure, anti-climb perimeter with an aesthetically pleasing noise barrier that blends in with the surrounding area. This is achieved using a flat timber profile along with interlocking ‘V’ boards which reduces the rate at which sound waves can pass through the barrier.

The £45 million world-class School of Management is the flagship building of the University of Bath. The seven-storey building brings together the entire school under one roof and is a place to inspire new levels of collaboration and showcase the excellent learning, research, and industry partnerships available.The three principles of the design are flexibility, transparency, and collaboration. At the centre of the building is an impressive atrium with a feature steel staircase.   Within the atrium is the pavilion, a double height space flooded with natural light has been designed as a hub of activity where great minds meet. The buildings two arms emerge from a central node, each wing housing an array of academic and research space. The design brief called for openness and transparency which was achieved by the use of Lusso glazed partitioning throughout. The Lusso 25 glazed system and Silenzio doors were used to enhance and divide up space which at the same time allows natural light to filter through the building and encourage connectivity. Where the design required glass partitions in excess of 3.5 metres height the Lusso 105 glazed system was selected to meet the structural requirement which has created a visually impactful atrium.

The two access control systems from SIEGENIA for house and apartment entrance doors leave no desires unfulfilled: the keypad and the fingerprint scanner combine elegant design with maximum ease of use and efficient access management for the building. They are therefore an ideal solution for the increasing demand for smart home applications in private housing construction. The two systems are equipped with a comprehensive access log, simple, clear user administration as well as a rechargeable battery-buffered timer. The emphasis is on ease of use – e.g. with a simple touch of the finger on the fingerprint scanner or the standardised equipment with integrated WIFI and Bluetooth technology. This enables both the use of the smartphone as remote control as well as convenient control and administration with the aid of the SIEGENIA Comfort app. 

A new prestige office development in Sandton, Johannesburg is using a combined smoke and natural ventilation system, involving automatic window vents in the building’s elliptical glazed central tower, which is actuated and controlled by an integrated solution from SE Controls Africa.

he NHS Trust commissioned Breath Energy to review its estate, recommend and manage a programme of works to significantly reduce energy costs and CO2 emissions.Central to the works was the external upgrade of the main Epsom Hospital premises, the Wells Building, to improve thermal performance and address failings in the building fabric. The existing roof areas had failed and were allowing water ingress, potentially not only damaging the building fabric and energy efficiency but essential hospital equipment.Langley’s project team had to devise solutions that enabled the whole building exterior- facades and roofs – to be upgraded while the seven-storey hospital remained operational. Added to the complexity, the project began while Covid-19 restrictions were in force.Our solution: Detailed roof surveys prior to work commencing enabled us to identify potential problems and advise on effective solutions in advance.We recommended full strip-up of the roofs, as the existing had perished beyond economical repair. We advised new construction with TA-25 W Flat Roofing System on the main roof, stairwell roof and plant room areas. The TA-25 system is independently certified by the BBA (British Board of Agreement) confirming Broof (t4) classification. It also has LABC assured accreditation to provide support with regard to building control. The inclusion of insulation meant the new roof achieved the current requirement of 0.18W/m2K.While a full strip-up of the two terraces and balcony would also have been the preferred solution, the depth of work would have been impractical as the hospital’s operating theatres were below, and in use. Our solution was to remove the existing top layer and replace with PC-20W Liquid Roofing System and install breather vents to address moisture within.

The new energy efficient Agrivaal building in Pretoria’s Tshwane Central Business District is using advanced natural ventilation and smoke control solutions from SE Controls Africa to maintain a comfortable indoor environment while improving safety by ensuring escape routes are smoke free in the event of a fire.

American software giant Adobe has opted for C-TEC’s innovative SigTEL disabled refuge system at its impressive UK Headquarters in Maidenhead, Surrey.With its powerful controllers and extensive arrangement of fire telephone and disabled refuge outstations, the system is central to protecting the state-of-the-art UK offices of one of the world’s most successful software and technology-based companies. However, according to David King, Installation Manager at Niscayah Group, the company that completed the project at Market House, the installation was far from straightforward as the building already had a SigTEL disabled refuge system installed on one floor which needed to be connected to new equipment so to create one large system for the entire four-storey building.Said David: “The challenge was to interface an additional Master Controller and various outstations to the equipment already in operation. To achieve this we temporarily suspended the system and used C-TEC’s new EVC423 software to completely reprogram it once the new Controller and outstations had been installed.”Although specifically designed for the programming of larger SigTEL systems, C-TEC’s new EVC423 is also excellent for programming smaller disabled refuge/emergency voice evacuation systems.Said David: “The software proved to be a lifesaver on this particular project as it enabled us to program the entire system from scratch very quickly reducing system downtime. The fact that you can edit outstation/extension names using a PC makes programming so much quicker and easier”As a result, Market House now has a fully operational disabled refuge/emergency voice evacuation system. In an emergency situation, the system will enable clear two-way communication between building management and people located in the refuge areas to, firstly, assist rescue teams in finding people and, secondly, to let stranded people know that help is on the way.Based in London, Niscayah Group is a subsidiary of Swedish-headquartered Niscayah AB (formerly known as Securitas Systems AB). Specialising as an integrator, the company offers complete fire and security solutions for customers with high demands for security and efficient solutions.

Berkeley Homes’ flagship Woodberry Park apartment development in North London is using an advanced smoke and natural ventilation system from SE Controls to not only provide protection for residents in the event of a fire, but to also create a better environment by actively managing any excessive heat build up in corridors.

nVent was brought in to employ a variety of heating solutions at the London Rolex Building. Rolex was looking to convert its heating to a simpler, lower cost single pipe system requiring less maintenance. nVent provided hot water services using the RAYCHEM HWAT single pipe hot water temperature maintenance system. More than 400 meters of cable were installed to provide hot water all the way to the point of use, 600 metres of pipe freezeprotection to safeguard the chilled water supply lines from freezing. In addition, the entrance foyer welcomes visitors with the warmth of RAYCHEM QuickNet floor heating systems.

Gunnebo has delivered its new infection control and occupancy management systems to Samsung offices across the Nordics, as demand grows for safe working conditions when employees return to work after the Covid pandemic.

Iconic Manchester Central Convention Complex is an exhibition and conference centre which has undergone a £30m renovation with a seating capacity of 9,500. As a leading venue, sustainability is at the heart of everything Manchester Central do.The centre attracts 500,000 visitors annually, so the senior management team had a desire to engage visitors better and transform the user experience. By switching to 50 SAVORTEX adDryers, the following benefits were delivered. 88% energy saving per dry vs previous dryerOperational savings from smart washroom cleaning alerts and analytics dashboard0% service disruption from remote product health alertsEstimated ROI: 7 months & CSR reportingAdvertising revenue-share

Beneath the streets of Central London lies a network of Grade 2 Listed underground vaults. As Newton Specialist Contractors, Stonehouse were called in to waterproof four of these impressive structures and turn them into a completely dry commercial space. The four vaults were situated just North of the River Thames in Central London, a short walk from such famous landmarks as Smithfield Market and St Paul's Cathedral.The Grade II Listed structures are each over 4 metres in height, and form part of an impressive below-ground infrastructure network. Newton Specialist Contractor Stonehouse were asked to waterproof four of these impressive vaults for the multinational service provider KPMG, in order to turn them into useful commercial spaces.When waterproofing historic vaults such as these, the Newton CDM System provides the ideal solution as it is maintainable, requires minimal fixings and therefore avoids damaging the structure, and crucially is deemed as reversible should the structure need to be returned to its original condition in future.As an experienced contractor, Stonehouse proceeded with an expert installation of a full CDM System to the tricky vaults, including:508 Mesh membrane to the walls, for a direct plaster finish508 membrane and Fibran XPS 500-C insulation boards to the floor.Basedrain channels to direct any captured water towards two Titan-Pro sump chambers, each containing two NP400 pumps.Victron Inverter and a NorthStar battery for reliable backup power.Stonehouse completed an extremely complex and detailed cavity drain installation with precision, resulting in an exceptionally neat waterproofing system, and proving the benefits of using a specialist waterproofing contractor.

SE Controls' brief was to supply, install and project manage a full turnkey solution to meet the fire safety and smoke ventilation needs in three of the new buildings at the Nottingham Chettles Yard student housing development.

The Building Centre, London’s premier architecture and construction gallery, invited Q-railing to re-design its central staircase. It supplied a staircase balustrade with LED lit handrails and a frameless glass balustrade for the void. John Bonning, the Building Centre’s commercial director said: “We applied glass risers to each solid oak tread, which safely created the same floating stair effect as the original but made the stair compliant with modern building regulations. The materials reflected the quality of the Building Centre, whilst drawing natural light into the lower gallery.”

An iconic and popular residential development in the West Midlands, The Landmark at Brierley Hill, is using smoke control systems from SE Controls to ensure escape routes are kept free of smoke in the event of a fire, allowing residents to exit the building safely.

The demand for an energy-efficient hot water distribution system was met by a single-pipe system with 850m of RAYCHEM HWAT-R self-regulating heating cables, managed by nine RAYCHEM HWAT-ECO smart controllers that interface seamlessly with the BMS. Eliminating the need for the secondary pipework of a conventional recirculation system saved space and achieved cost savings of between five and ten percent in material and installation time. Pipe freeze protection was also provided by RAYCHEM WinterGard self-regulating cables, supported by an AT-TS-13 surface-sensing electronic thermostat.

Central Scotland Police have selected DVS automatic flushvalves and wave on sensors for their new hand rinse system which have been in place since the early seventies.Due to the nature of the cells a lot of water was being wasted with each flush and hand wash. Choosing DVS flushvalves and wave on sensors for the hand rinse basins will significantly reduce their water usage. DVS flush valves and sensors have various functionalities for high security environments, including ligature resistant designs along with lock out functions to prevent any mis-use. This also prevents the system from being flooded, also minimising any potential water wastage.

RSP Consulting Engineers designed 1.8km of RAYCHEM HWAT-R self-regulating heating cable in a single-pipe hot water system throughout this new hospital. Capable of maintaining water temperatures at a standard 55°C, the system also provides the capability to boost temperatures to 65°C periodically during legionella prevention cycles. The system is controlled via 19 RAYCHEM HWAT-ECO controllers which communicate seamlessly with the central BMS. As the system uses half the pipework of a conventional re-circulation system the installation time was cut dramatically and much needed space savings were made in walls and ceiling voids.

dormakaba was awarded the contract to provide an integrated IT solution for the first college that was built on the new Heslington East site- Goodricke College, named after the British astronomer John Goodricke, offering accommodation and other facilities for students. dormakaba installed a fully integrated solution at the college, comprising dormakaba Exos system, CardLink standalone components, C-Levers and pExtra high securitymechanical cylinders. Geoff Brown, Security Manager at University of York commented: “dormakaba's Exos system is the software that allows us to centrally manage the system. The University of York has 9 colleges and in each college we have residential students. Residential students have a dormakaba card that allows them access to the main building and also we allow access to communal areas, including the cycle shed.” Installing fully integrated system enabled the university to have a cost effective and flexible access control on any door, barrier, lift or access point coupled with a reliable and accurate time recording solution for staff, students and contractors. Mark Barber added: “One of the big plus points of it, is that we are able to feed Exos on a nightly basis with records from our people data base which contains all our current staff and students- so we always have up-to-date list of university members in the Exos data base. One of the by-products of that, is that we can also feed through into Exos expiry dates of when staff or students are about to leave so without any other interventions, by setting certain parameter within the interface, people’s access right can be revoke automatically and universally in the dormakaba system”. Further developments under one unified dormakaba Exos system, included control of doors at the Physics and Electronics building that has been added onto the existing campus. A further online Exos doors, C- Levers and pExtra cylinders were installed at various new department buildings throughout Heslington East, including Theatre, Film and TV (TFTV), Law and Management (L&M), Computer Science Building (CSB) and the Communal Area(HUB). The University of York bears testament to the success of a complete dormakaba solution. dormakaba technology has ensured all online and stand alone systems can be integrated which not only provides diversity in levels of security but also future proofs the University of York’s investment. “We needed to find a security solution that is flexible and capable of providing a variety of options, dormakaba met those needs and provided a good customer service and I believe they can offer further solutions. dormakaba have provided the University of York with the exceptionally good solution and I’m certainly happy to recommend dormakaba to any other universities.” Geoff Brown Security Manager University of York

The Cambridge Central Mosque is an extraordinary building that fuses traditional architecture with modern. The thought behind it was to create a British mosque for the 21st century, and the architects found inspiration in both Islamic and English religious architectural traditions. Marks Barfield Architects won the competition to design the building in 2009, and their concept was to create a calm oasis with a lot of green areas.

Harbour Central is one of the most recent developments in Canary Wharf, one of London’s two financial centres. There will be 5 residential buildings and a leisure complex. The main building of the development will be the Maine Tower with 42 floors. The upper floors are quite promising, as they will comprise breath-taking panoramic views of London. The Effisus Breather breathable membrane was the chosen solution for this project, in order to ensure the watertightness of the façade, and, at the same time, to allow ventilation of the façades components.

The development district now known as London Docklands is an area alongside the River Thames to the East and South East of London. The Harbour Central project involves the construction of a large single storey reinforced concrete basement, high-rise reinforced concrete cores and frames varying in height from 24 to 41 storeys, plus two low-rise reinforced concrete cores and frames.The product used to prevent punching failure throughout the Harbour Central development is the Schöck Bole® reinforcement system. This widely used and trusted Schöck Bole® solution consists of double-headed studs and anchors, with spacing bars, which enable installation after the bottom reinforcement and before the top layer. The two-spacer rods, which are welded to the vertical studs, ensure the correct distance between uprights and the size of the stud heads guarantee a perfect finishing bond with the concrete. As result, when compared with a typical stirrup reinforcement system, an increased shear force resistance of around 70% is achieved. It is cost-effective and timesaving solution and as the Modebest Senior Engineer on site, Sean Togher commented: “The Schöck Bole® product was easy to understand from a reference point of view and we found it really straightforward to install”.

Heavy rainfall on the Orkney Islands meant that the basement room of Kirkwall Air Traffic Control Tower suffered from frequent flooding, with water levels reaching 1.2m at their highest point. Newton Waterproofing and Specialist Contractor Wise Basement Systems were called in to remove the existing water and then waterproof the structure to protect it from future flooding, all in just one week.Kirkwall airport is located on the main island of the Orkneys, 10-miles off the North coast of Scotland. Presented with a logistically challenging location and a tight project timescale of just 1 week, Newton had no hesitation in recommending the expertise of Wise Basement Systems as the specialist contractor to Building Surveyor Pick Everard.Getting involved at the very start of the project, Wise were immediately able to design, advise on and install a system to remedy the 2 inches of water in the existing basement of the Air Traffic Control tower.Cavity Drain Waterproofing, or ‘Type C’ waterproofing as it is defined by BS 8102:2009 is often the most effective means of achieving a completely dry ‘Grade 3’ environment in an existing structure below ground. It was therefore no surprise that Wise Basement Systems designed a Newton CDM System for this existing basement area.To begin, Wise installed 120m2 of Newton 508 on the walls and 80m2 of the recycled Newton 520 eco to the floor, above the closed-cell Fibran XPS 500-C insulation. The drainage membranes were supplemented with a perimeter channel of Newton Basedrain, directed to a Titan-Pro sump chamber containing two NP400 Pumps to remove the water.Finally, to ensure that the system will continue to work in all eventualities, even in a complete power outage, Wise installed a backup system with dual Northstar batteries and a Victron Power Inverter.Even with a project located 10 miles from the mainland, and 1 week to waterproof a basement with only a 600mm wide access hatch, Wise Basement Systems delivered a completely dry space for the client that was also compliant with BS 8102:2009 and backed by their guarantee.

Nakheel Mall, Dubai’s 435,000 sq.metre retail and lifestyle centre located in the unique Palm Jumeirah development, is using control solutions and 192 actuators from SE Controls as part of the fire safety and smoke control system at the new complex.

An integrated smoke control and environmental ventilation solution from SE Controls is helping keep residents safe and comfortable at a prestigious 11-storey residential development in Manchester, which also incorporates the company’s intelligent temperature monitoring and control system, SE Evello.

The £38 million conversion of the former Terry’s chocolate factory in York into ‘The Residence’, a development of 173 luxury apartments, is using a SHEVTEC smoke control system from SE Controls, to help keep residents safe in the event of a fire.

One of Manchester’s latest high rise residential developments, Cambridge Street, is using smoke control systems from SE Controls to provide a safe environment for residents, by ensuring escape routes are kept clear of smoke in the event of a fire.

With an enviable location on the South Bank of the River Thames, Park Plaza London Riverbank is ideal travellers from near and far to central London. Those travelling for leisure return again and again thanks to the prime central location, heated indoor swimming pool, enticing dining options and elegantly spacious rooms.Licata Building Systems was involved with the development of this project, providing several Licata systems, such as waterproofing and flooring systems. Licata waterproofing systems were used throughout the modern bathrooms and swimming pool facility. Licata resin flooring created a sleek and modern finish throughout public area of the hotel.

As a specialist in the automation of access control, Automatic Systems is well aware of the issues faced, especially in the light of recent events, and can offer tailored solutions that not only meet student and staff security needs but also the health and wellbeing of all.

The smoke ventilation system at Matlosana Mall, shopping and entertainment centre in Kerksdorp, South Africa is using SE Controls’ window automation and control panel solutions to ensure it operates perfectly in the event of a fire, allowing smoke-free escape routes to be maintained for shoppers and staff.

St James Quarter is an impressive new galleria retail shopping centre and residential development that rejuvenates a large area of the New Town in Edinburgh city centre. The site was formerly occupied by a dated 1960s era shopping precinct, and with the exception of the John Lewis store, all of these old buildings have now been demolished to make way for the new development. The £1 bn project creates 850,000 sq. feet of new retail space, with a capacity for 80 units focussed on high-end retail alongside the Bonnie & Wild’s Scottish Marketplace and Food Hall.Such a large city centre development is subject to strict planning conditions for the management of surface water. The Water Environment Regulations3 (CAR regulations, Scotland) require all surface water from new developments to be attenuated and treated by a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) before it is discharged into the water network. The aim of SuDS is to mimic natural drainage, encourage infiltration and attenuate hydraulic impacts to minimise downstream flood risk. Excavating underground storm water storage tanks to control surface water run-off was not possible since three levels of basement parking are incorporated beneath the retail centre. Even where possible, basement tanks are comparatively expensive compared to roof level attenuation systems, with high spoil disposal costs, increased safety risks arising from the excavation activities and a large carbon footprint incurred as a result of the number of additional site vehicle movements.The proposals for drainage and SuDS at the St James Quarter development were mainly focussed on the large 15,000m2 catchment area on roof level 5, with 4,734m2 of 80mm deep attenuation void capacity installed by ABG’s installation division ABG Installs. The blueroof system treats and restricts storm water that deluges onto the roof before it is gradually released over a number of hours via outlet control and filtration chambers to the underground drainage system.The attenuation and restrictor chambers on level 5 (east and west of the soon to open central circular W hotel building) and onto balcony areas 1 and 2 at the front and back of the upper apartment buildings, are supplemented with an additional of 2,280m2 of ABG Roofdrain geocomposite, installed at the base of rooftop planters to provide a connected drainage and irrigation / reservoir layer as part of the landscaping design.ABG calculated and designed the required attenuation capacity, including a new diffuser chamber solution to control water outflow at downpipes.

A new distribution centre at Littlebrook Business Park features market leading Gatic CastSlot Littlebrook (Orbital 47) is home to several industrial companies which rely on the near constant movement of goods.“Our work involved the installation of Gatic Slotdrain in a distribution centre at Littlebrook,” said Zach Graham, Alumasc Area Sales Manager for London and the South East. “The distribution centre is in an ideal location due to the surrounding environment with easy access to the M25. Further to this, as the loading area was fairly small, it is put under a lot of pressure every day, with constantly turning vehicles. This meant that any surface water management product installed had to be guaranteed to withstand extremely heavy and frequent loads.”In an area where unremitting, slow turning traffic is a major consideration, Gatic CastSlot, from the Gatic Slotdrain range, was an obvious choice in providing a reliable water management system for this project. Gatic specialises in integrated, high capacity surface water management and Engineered Access Covers, its surface water drainage systems have been used to capture, control and return run-off into the natural water cycle, even in high pressure situations.Gatic Slotdrain’s reputation as a front runner for surface drainage systems in infrastructure hubs such as ports, airports and industrial units, made it first choice for this project, and ideal overall for sites such as Littlebrook.

The Arena Central projects comprises of two blocks housing 324 apartments, part of a £40 million build-to-rent scheme. Location: BirminghamContractor: Galliford TryClient: Dandara LivingAspex supplied: Novista Riser Steel Doors 

Austin Smith-Lord’s 50 million–pound Liverpool Central Library project opened in May 2013 after a three–year complete overhaul. The scheme, in a World Heritage Site, involved the restoration of grade I listed elements as well as the insertion of a new building behind a historic facade. It was funded by PFI. The six-storey new building is arranged around a full-height atrium crowned with a glazed dome and roof terrace.

Architects Morgan Sindall was charged with creating a state-of-the art, energy efficient building including the hot water distribution system. A specific requirement was for the system to be able to raise temperatures monthly, for the prevention of legionella. A single-pipe solution was designed, using 1.8km of nVent RAYCHEM HWAT-R self-regulating cables to maintain 60°C. Supported by 15 nVent RAYCHEM HWAT-ECO smart controllers, the necessary legionella prevention cycles could be met, pipe temperatures could be varied (to provide setback temperature savings) and thermal boosts to 65°C implemented during times of non-occupancy.