< Previouswww.mepmiddleeast.com 40 MEP Middle East | May 2024 MODULAR CONSTRUCTION The International Code Council (ICC), the global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions, in partnership with the Modular Building Institute (MBI), the international non-profit trade association serving modular construction, has published a new standard for MEP elements used in off-site construction, titled ‘ICC/MBI 1210-2023, Standard for Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Systems, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation in Off-site Construction.’ The scope of the ICC/MBI Standard 1210 standard is to provide the minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, The ICC/MBI Standard 1210 is part of the 1200 series covering the entire life cycle of off-site construction projects from design and fabrication through approval and inspection NEW ICC/MBI STANDARD FOCUSES ON MEP ELEMENTS USED IN OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION safety, general welfare and address societal and industry challenges for the energy efficiency and water conservation of off- site construction projects and the planning, designing, fabricating, transporting, and assembling, of commercial and residential building MEP system elements. This includes the componentisation and modularisation of elements of MEP systems, the incorporation of MEP systems in componentised, panelised or modularised building elements, and the achievement of energy efficiency and water conservation requirements in off-site construction. Ryan Colker, vice president of innovation at the International Code Council, said: “The use of off-site construction is constantly growing and adapting, and standards like this help ensure that off-site construction can help address societal and industry challenges. As a leader in developing solutions to support advancements in safe, sustainable and affordable buildings, we are thrilled to partner with the Modular Building Institute on this project.” The American National Standard is now part of ICC/MBI’s existing series of off-site construction standards including ICC/MBI 1200-2021 and ICC/MBI 1205-2021. Standards in the 1200 series address the entire life cycle of off-site construction projects from design and fabrication through approval and inspection. www.mepmiddleeast.com 42 MEP Middle East | May 2024 TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP Eurovent defines a standardised methodology for estimating the total cost of ownership of AHUs, to enable a fair comparison of different products when making investment decisions LIFE CYCLE COSTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF AIR HANDLING UNITS Eurovent, the European industry association for indoor climate, process cooling, and cold chain technologies, has released an industry recommendation that provides a methodology to calculate life cycle energy consumption and costs of air handling units (AHUs). The document titled ‘Eurovent Recommendation 6/19: Life cycle cost calculation for AHUs’ defines a standardised methodology for calculating the energy demand and the resulting life cycle costs (LCC) of an AHU to estimate the total costs of ownership of the unit over its lifetime. The aim is to enable a reliable comparison of different products and to support an informed choice when making an investment decision, considering all costs and environmental impacts. Since the energy demand of an AHU normally has a major impact on the overalsl environmental impact, the publication can be seen as a very important step forward to ensure harmonised procedures to assess the product environmental footprint of AHUs. In addition to detailed guidelines on calculating energy consumption and costs, the recommendation provides novel methods for estimating the frequency and cost of regular maintenance and occasional repair and replacement. The calculation rules defined in Eurovent 6/19 are based on scientific basics and available standards, where available, related to the performance of components in AHUs including their characteristics in part load operation. CALCULATION OF LIFE CYCLE COSTS The approach to the LCC calculation presented in the recommendation considers of all costs related to the AHU, using data available to the manufacturer and system designer. This enables a comparison of various design options taking into account actual operating and environmental conditions. The evaluation includes: Investment cost: This refers to the purchase price of the AHU provided by the manufacturer or supplier and includes all discounts applied. Services provided by third parties at the construction stage (installation of the unit, ductwork connection, commissioning etc.) are not included in the analysis. It is assumed that these costs are very similar regardless of the product and do not influence the outcome of the LCC. The investment cost occurs only in the first year of the LLC. Running costs - energy and utilities: This covers all annual costs of energy and utility (water) consumption related to air handling, transport of air and driving components. TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP www.mepmiddleeast.com May 2024 | MEP Middle East 43 removal, etc., or replacement of entire components (coils, HRS, fans), resulting from corrosion damage. The calculation of these costs makes it possible to evaluate whether the corrosion protection measures applied to a unit are correctly matched to the corrosivity of the environment (no repairs needed over its lifetime), and if not, what additional costs will be incurred during the service life of the device. This aspect is particularly important for AHUs operating in difficult corrosivity conditions (e.g., swimming pool or industrial applications). End of life costs: This cost occurs in the last year of the LLC and is calculated as the difference between the disposal cost (including cost for disassembling at the end of life, removal, transport and recycling) and residual value of a unit (defined as a percent of the investment cost). For a life cycle period of 15 years, the residual value is equal to zero. For a considerably shorter life cycle period (e.g., in case of systems in temporary buildings), the residual value is positive and represents income. The energy calculations are based on the degree-hour approach, meaning that the calculations are carried out separately for each hour for the corresponding outdoor conditions (temperature and relative humidity) at a specific geographical location and for the extract and supply air conditions modelled according to a specific scenario. The total annual number of AHU operating hours depends on the defined operating mode schedule. It is also used for calculations in the regular maintenance and occasional repair modules. Running costs - regular maintenance: This estimates all expenses associated with the AHU maintenance activities occurring over the service lifetime. The calculation model considers both the labour and material (spare parts) costs. Furthermore, it takes into account the types of activities and related labour rates; different replacement interval for respective spare parts (having regard to the actual annual operating time and outdoor/indoor air quality); and AHU design features that facilitate maintenance activities (reducing labour time). Occasional repair and replacement costs: This covers all measures related to the renovation of the unit structure (casing surfaces/panel) including painting, rust Bring America’s trusted source of robust performance and efficiency to your next project. Demand a water heater that’s Built to be the Best®. The American Standard for Performance Learn more today. Contact us at international@bradfordwhite.com or visit bradfordwhite.com ©2024, Bradford White Corporation. All rights reserved. BWMEP0124 150-2,500 GALLONS 80 GALLONS 80 GALLONSwww.mepmiddleeast.com 44 MEP Middle East | May 2024 DESIGN-BUILD MANAGEMENT Construction Management Consultants is offering a turnkey solution to ease the management of design subconsultants By Sangeetha B, CEO and Founder, Amantra FM DESIGN-BUILD PROJECTS IN SAUDI ARABIA PRESENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPECIALISED MANAGEMENT SERVICES Large projects in Saudi Arabia involve many design consultants and subconsultants, often located across the world. As a result, there has been a rise in design-build and other early-contractor- involvement procurement strategies in an effort to fast-track construction processes to meet the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 plan. Design-build is a method of project delivery where a design-build contractor works under a single contract with the project owner to provide design and construction services. Often, the project owner first engages an architect for the concept design, and then separately engages the design-builder to complete the design and construct the project. The growing popularity and adoption of the design-build model over other project delivery methods in emerging markets such as Saudi Arabia can be attributed to the flexibility and collaboration inherent in the model. Design- build projects are 102% faster and cost less than traditional design-bid-build projects, according to the Design-Build Institute of America. There is also increased cost and schedule certainty with design-build projects. The most common setup of a design-build DESIGN-BUILD MANAGEMENT www.mepmiddleeast.com May 2024 | MEP Middle East 45 to identify onerous clauses, contradictions, duplications, and recommendations for reasonable interpretation, in addition to identification of important obligations that have been improperly allocated under various clauses. Measurement disputes: Interpretation of a contract and analysis of the rules of measurement and errors in the bill of quantities that have given rise to the dispute, and provision of an accurate estimate of the cost involved. Construction methods: Preparation of method statements for buildings and civil engineering, with narratives and drawings for activities including site mobilisation, building excavation and shoring, formwork systems, precast concrete construction, earthmoving and bridge construction. Engineering delay analysis: Forensic delay analysis to detect piece-meal approvals by the engineer and to determine whether the engineer can be held responsible for delays to the project. Specifications interpretation: Review of the specifications to ensure that they are written in the imperative mood, not the indicative or subjunctive mood, and that the project specifications are free of non-measurable standards through escape clauses. Cost to completion: Interrogation of the project’s cost estimate and establishment of the target budget, including any contingencies, to serve as a reference throughout the project, and end-of-contract forecasts, as well as reconciliation of the final income statement between the project manager and the project accountant. team is where the design-build contractor subcontracts the design services to architects, engineers and other subconsultants. The complexity in managing several teams increases exponentially on design-build projects because contractors must manage the review and completion of the design process and start construction at the same time. Such challenges have created a market need for design management services for design-build contractors. In response to this demand, Jordan-based Construction Management Associates (CMA) is offering a turnkey solution to ease the management of design subconsultants for design-build contractors in Saudi Arabia. The Design-Build Management service offered by CMA is aimed at providing support to contractors in Saudi Arabia for managing the design portion of their projects while freeing them up to focus more resources on the construction portion of their projects. Isam Saad Sahawneh, founder, president & CEO of Construction Management Associates, explains: “Managing the design process is a challenging undertaking, even for experienced contractors. They already face challenging construction schedules, and the addition of a design burden significantly increases the pressure to deliver both design and construction at a speed and quality that is satisfactory to highly ambitious owners. “We noticed a rise in design-build projects in Saudi Arabia and realised an opportunity for adding value with a new service tailored for contractors. We believe this is just the beginning of the future of contractors partnering with specialised design-build management service providers like Construction Management Associates to deliver more successful projects in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region.” Construction Management Associates is among the pioneers of construction management, design review and management for project owners in Jordan and neighboring countries. “We succeeded in creating value with design management on projects in Jordan such as the King Abdullah II House of Culture and Arts opera house designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort, and Sky Gate Tower in Lebanon,” says Isam. CRISIS MANAGEMENT Earlier this year, CMA launched Forensics, a consulting service for construction contractors, project owners and developers in Saudi Arabia to get contractual, technical and cost consulting for projects in crisis. Forensics offers six crisis consulting services to construction executive teams, project teams and legal teams: Conditions of contract analysis: Tender phase analysis of the conditions of contract www.mepmiddleeast.com 46 MEP Middle East | May 2024 HVAC SYSTEMS By Sangeetha B, CEO and Founder, Amantra FM HARNESSING IOT INNOVATION IN HVAC SYSTEMS By Kevin Laidler, Sales Director–Middle East and Africa, Armstrong Fluid Technology We live in a smart world. From our cars and security cameras to our fitness devices and even our fridges, our day-to-day lives are increasingly integrated with a technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), which is driving efficiency, reducing operational costs, and enhancing user experience. IoT is a network of devices that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies. These technologies allow devices to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the internet to optimise their operation, energy efficiency, and overall performance. IoT technology is transforming the HVAC industry, and it has an integral role to play in HVAC innovation. One of the main advantages of integrating IoT technology into an HVAC system is its capacity for performance optimisation through continuous, real-time monitoring. Performance drift is a pervasive issue in HVAC systems, which occurs when component The integration of IoT-powered predictive analytics ultimately provides a smarter, more efficient way to manage HVAC performanceHVAC SYSTEMS www.mepmiddleeast.com May 2024 | MEP Middle East 47 Kevin Laidler, Sales Director–Middle East and Africa, Armstrong Fluid Technology systems leverage advanced algorithms to optimise performance and reduce energy consumption. By analysing historical data and seasonal patterns, IoT-enabled HVAC systems can anticipate peak demand periods and proactively optimise equipment operation. This ultimately results in more energy- efficient and cost-effective systems, with no compromise on occupant comfort. Another significant advantage of integrating IoT technology into HVAC systems is its predictive maintenance capabilities. By analyzing historical performance data and employing advanced analytics, such systems can also forecast potential issues before they even occur – which can, in turn, prevent a minor issue from spiralling into a more serious system error. This means less chance of equipment failure, less system downtime, and fewer costly operational disruptions. And this, ultimately, can also help to extend the lifespan of HVAC equipment. For example, in my experience with Armstrong Fluid Technologies, the integration of IoT-powered predictive analytics ultimately provides a smarter, more efficient way to manage HVAC performance. The Pump Manager cloud-based Active Performance Management service from Armstrong Fluid Technology – proactively tracks and manages pump performance to provide early diagnostic warnings, trends and analysis along with automated reports. It leverages built-in, real-time vibration analytics to detect early changes in pump performance. It also enables remote troubleshooting and helps technicians to identify the specific device, the exact problem, and the precise location. In doing so, Pump Manager can realise up to 51% in savings through predictive maintenance. However, as with any innovation, the adoption of IoT technology in HVAC systems is not without its challenges. One of the primary obstacles is the initial cost of implementation and integration, which can be perceived to pose a higher upfront investment compared to traditional systems. But interestingly, a thorough investigation of available options reveals that the right choice of technology and mechanical design can actually reduce the upfront costs. Traditional systems, purchased as loose components and assembled on-site, come with hidden costs. Whilst individual components appear to offer savings, an entire system including costs for peripheral components, installation labour and commissioning is often more expensive. It is important to note that IoT solutions typically yield significant long-term savings through improved energy efficiency and reduced operational and maintenance costs. Therefore, the potential for long-term financial and environmental savings means that IoT solutions can be more cost-effective in the long run. Another common concern for those looking to integrate IoT technology into an HVAC system is the potential for introducing data security and privacy risks. As HVAC systems become more interconnected and data-driven, relying upon the collection and transmission of sensitive information, they become susceptible to cyber threats such as data breaches and malware attacks. However, while these risks are real, and not to be ignored given the sensitivity around data security, solutions exist to ensure the integrity of data and the protection of network resources. From data encryption to access controls, to compliance with regulatory standards, organisations can reap the benefits of IoT technology whilst keeping their data and HVAC systems safe. Another obstacle that may deter some from implementing IoT technology in their HVAC system is the complexity of integration. Whilst some older systems may require retrofitting, many modern HVAC systems have been designed with IoT compatibility in mind. With a ‘retrofit revolution’ underway in Dubai – where 30,000 buildings are set to be retrofitted by 2030 – now is the time for building owners to capitalise on the benefits of integrating IoT technology within HVAC systems. As we move towards an even smarter, more sustainable future, the transformational potential of IoT integration into HVAC systems is clear. These solutions offer unprecedented opportunities to optimise system performance, enhance energy efficiency, and ensure smooth, secure operations. While some obstacles still hinder its universal adoption, by proactively addressing these challenges building owners and organisations alike stand to benefit hugely in the long term. efficiency and system conditions ‘drift’ away from their original operative curve. This causes the performance of the system to degrade incrementally over time. However, by monitoring demand and usage patterns in real time, IoT-equipped HVAC systems can detect deviations from optimal performance levels and proactively implement corrective measures and adjustments. In addition to better system performance, IoT’s continuous monitoring capabilities also present another benefit: enhanced energy efficiency. Let’s take a hotel as an example: for any hotelier, occupant comfort is a primary concern. However, as the occupancy levels of a hotel fluctuate, so do its energy demands. Because IoT-equipped HVAC systems can adapt their operations in real-time, occupant comfort does not need to come at the expense of energy wastage. Beyond making dynamic adjustments based on environmental conditions and occupancy levels, these www.mepmiddleeast.com 48 MEP Middle East | May 2024 PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS Building information modelling (BIM) has been widely adopted in the design and engineering sectors, but its use by field teams has been limited due to its complexity and the technical knowledge required. To bridge this gap, OpenSpace has developed a version of BIM aimed at enhancing coordination between virtual design and construction (VDC) and field teams. OpenSpace BIM+ features 3D tools that simplify routine tasks and enable construction teams to manage on-site coordination issues without requiring extensive BIM expertise or reliance on a VDC manager for common questions. Key features of OpenSpace BIM+ include: On-site BIM analysis: Tools such as Saved Views, BIM Compare, BIM Element Overlay, Point Cloud Viewing, and Offline-enabled Mobile BIM Viewer enable users to navigate BIM models on construction sites and facilitate comparison with actual site conditions. OPENSPACE STREAMLINES FIELD-TO-OFFICE BIM COORDINATION Saved Views makes navigation fast and easy: A user might need to turn off layers, elements, or systems to view something specific in a model. Once such items are turned off in BIM Compare, the user can save the view to return to it later. This feature also helps the user create a saved view based on a specific location, such as ‘First floor bathroom-no ceiling’ or choose a visibility- only view that applies to any relevant location in a model, such as ‘Slabs hidden.’ BIM Element Overlay provides a quick view of BIM elements in 360° photos. The feature allows the user to select of an item, such as an HVAC grille, from the model and overlay it onto the image of an on-site condition. This overlay makes it easy to see if anything is missing or items are installed in the right place. The feature can also be used for planning and sequencing work, helping the user coordinate how different systems will be installed around each other and prevent field clashes. BIM field coordination: BIM-based Field Notes improve communication and streamline approval processes and project scheduling. A BCF Export feature facilitates information exchange with other BIM coordination tools. A BIM Compare Field Note includes the image and the model in a single view. Users can mark up, tag, and immediately share field notes with relevant team members. Anyone you add as an assignee or to the email alert list can delve into the issue and respond directly in the field note, improving the quality of your discussion and making issue resolution faster. Field Notes in OpenSpace integrate easily with BIM coordination tools. Users can access Field Notes directly from their BIM programs, including all associated data as well as 3D coordinates. Model management: Autodesk Model Import and Multiple Models management offer PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS www.mepmiddleeast.com May 2024 | MEP Middle East 49 convenient access to up-to-date models, and the ability to view only the relevant portions of the models for specific teams, such as the MEP systems. Autodesk Model Import allows the import of a model into OpenSpace directly from BIM 360 Docs and Autodesk Construction Cloud Build. Users can associate multiple models to an OpenSpace project and avoid the two- step process of federating a model and then uploading it. OPENSPACE CAPTURE: THE FOUNDATION FOR OPENSPACE BIM+ OpenSpace BIM+ is an add-on module that expands on the company’s BIM Compare feature. The additional BIM capabilities make it easier to navigate, analyse, and manage BIM models by leveraging the image and location data of the 360° reality capture software OpenSpace Capture. New features have been added to the OpenSpace Capture iOS and Android mobile apps to improve the user interface and project coordination. Mobile navigation improvements: A new bottom navigation bar enables the user to quickly jump to the most commonly used features like Field Notes and sheets, and a new slider in the captures allows you to fly through images to view that location at different points in time. Mobile push notifications: Coordination is streamlined with notifications sent and received in the OpenSpace mobile app when a new capture is available, or a Field Note is assigned. Navigation improvements help OpenSpace customers access their reality capture data faster and with fewer clicks, including: Capture paths: Users can navigate and find points of interest in a capture path using modern 3D graphics that overlay walk paths onto the 360° images. Project home screen: Users can click on a project to see active sheets, recent captures, and recent Field Notes, all in one location. Sheet improvements: Users can easily find 360° images, Field Notes, and 3D Scans at a specific location and time. Additional features have been added to help customers better organise and recall their capture data: Field Note zones: Users can define zones in their project to better organise, filter, and report on Field Notes associated within a specific area. Overhead captures: Images taken above head are identified within a capture, making it easy to view captures that are above the ceiling or at a height higher than a typical capture. Users can navigate and find points of interest in a capture path using modern 3D graphics that overlay walk paths onto the 360° imagesNext >