Building Services Design Management

Building services refers to the equipment and systems that contribute to controlling the internal environment to make it safe and comfortable to occupy. They also support the requirements of processes and business functions within buildings, for example manufacturing and assembly operations, medical procedures, warehousing and storage of materials, chemical processing, housing livestock, plant cultivation, etc. 

For both people and processes the ability of the building services engineering systems to continually perform properly, reliably, effectively and efficiently is of vital importance to the operational requirements of a building. Typically the building services installation is worth 30-60% of the total value of a contract, however existing publications on design management bundles building services engineering up with other disciplines and does not recognise its unique features and idiosyncrasies.

Preface x

About the Author xiii

Introduction 1

Evolvement of building services engineering 2

Range of building services engineering systems in a building 3

Unique features of building services 4

Professionalisation of building services engineers 6

Part One The operating context 9

1 The operating environment 11

1.1 Organisational arrangement 13

Ownership arrangement 13

Scope of services 14

Integration with other entities 15

Types of projects by building sector 15

Geographical operating span 16

1.2 The internal environment 16

Human capital 17

Structural capital 19

Relationship capital 21

Summary 22

2 The external environment 23

2.1 Competitor analysis 24

2.2 PESTLE analysis 25

Political drivers 25

Economic drivers 26

Social drivers 26

Technical drivers 27

Legal drivers 28

Environmental drivers 29

Summary 30

3 Engaging building services engineers 31

3.1 Types of commissions 32

Design commissions 32

Survey commissions 33

Advisory commissions 34

Witnessing commissions 36

Construction administration 36

3.2 Contracts 36

Allocation of design responsibility 37

Provision of third party information 38

Warranties 39

Bonds 40

Insurances 40

Partnering 41

3.3 Fees 41

3.4 Getting work 43

Responding to enquiries 44

Summary 45

4 Stakeholder interfaces 46

4.1 The client team 48

4.2 Enforcing authorities 50

Building control 50

Local planning departments 51

Non-departmental public bodies 52

4.3 The design team 52

Architects 52

Engineers 55

Quantity surveyors 56

Specialists 57

4.4 The construction team 60

Main contractors 60

Subcontractors 61

Suppliers 61

4.5 Utility service providers 61

4.6 Non-contractual interfaces 63

Summary 65

Reference 65

5 Professional ethics 66

Summary 68

Part Two Technical issues associated with building services design 69

6 Design criteria 71

6.1 External design criteria 72

Meteorological design criteria 75

Microclimates 81

Pollution and contaminants 83

6.2 Interior design criteria 88

Thermal comfort 90

Visual conditions 95

Acoustic conditions 100

Electromagnetic and electrostatic environment 101

Life safety criteria 101

Vertical transportation 102

Specialist services 103

Connectivity 103

Controlled outdoor environment 103

6.3 Voluntary codes and practices 105

Incentive schemes 106

Eco-labelling 106

Summary 107

Reference 107

7 System descriptions 108

7.1 Public utility services connections 110

Electricity 111

Gas 112

Water 112

Information and broadcast communications 113

7.2 Ventilation 114

7.3 Heating 118

7.4 Cooling 120

7.5 Air-conditioning 121

7.6 Water systems 123

Hot and cold domestic water services 123

Irrigation systems 126

Fire water systems 126

Wastewater removal systems 127

7.7 Gas systems 129

7.8 Electrical distribution 130

Source of supply 130

Transmission system 130

Earthing and bonding system 133

Electrical supplies for mechanical, public health and other equipment 134

7.9 Artificial lighting 134

External lighting 136

7.10 Controls 136

7.11 Lightning protection system 138

7.12 Fire detection and alarm system 139

7.13 Smoke and fire control systems 140

7.14 Security systems 143

Security lighting 143

Access control system 143

Closed circuit television 144

Alarms 144

Patrol stations 145

7.15 Structured wiring system 145

7.16 Broadcast communications technology systems 146

7.17 Mobile telephony systems 146

7.18 Audio, visual, audiovisual and information systems 147

7.19 Facilities for the disabled 149

7.20 Vertical transportation 150

Summary 150

8 Off-site manufacturing 151

Summary 152

Part Three The design management process 153

9 Design execution 155

9.1 Project stages 157

Preparation 157

Design 158

Pre-construction 168

Construction stage 171

Handover and close-out 180

In use 181

9.2 Design management issues 184

Design responsibility matrix 184

Hierarchy of legislation and standards 185

Stakeholder analysis 185

Site visits 186

Health and safety responsibilities 187

Life cycle considerations 188

Managing ff&e requirements 190

Areas of potential overlapping responsibilities 190

Use of software 196

Summary 196

10 Risk management 198

Risk identification 199

Risk evaluation and quantification 201

Risk sharing, managing and monitoring 201

Summary 202

References 202

11 Information management 203

Project related information 204

Reference information 204

Knowledge management 204

Summary 206

12 Value management 207

Summary 210

13 Planning management 211

Summary 214

Reference 214

14 Commercial management 215

Procuremant routes 215

Cost management 216

Bills of quantities 218

Contract variations, claims and disputes 219

Summary 219

15 Quality management 220

Summary 221

16 Performance management 222

Issues with performance measurement systems 224

Summary 225

Part Four Special buildings 227

17 Special buildings 229

17.1 Commercial kitchens 229

17.2 Hospitals and healthcare facilities 234

17.3 Data centres 241

17.4 Shopping centres 244

17.5 Sports facilities 245

17.6 Hotels 246

17.7 Educational buildings 248

Index 251

Jackie Portman is a Senior Building Services (MEP) Design Manager with over 25 years' experience in consultancy, contracting and project management in the UK and overseas.
She has led the design management process in a range of projects in terms of complexity, size and uses: university complexes (libraries, archive buildings, state-of-the-art education and research facilities), healthcare projects (wards, laboratories, clinical areas), single and mixed-use commercial office complexes, residential developments and schools. Her particular areas of expertise are in consultant selection and appointments, managing the design and pre-construction activities, ensuring that commissioning management procedures are put in place, and closing out and handing over successful projects. The author is also experienced with instigating post-occupancy studies to understand how the building services engineering designs worked for the building occupants, operations and maintenance staff.