Table of contents for December 2016 - January 2017 in Facility Management

The importance of software, and its supporting technologies, has become well-established in the facility management profession. Facility managers are increasingly expected to have a broad understanding of how to manage the software that is now integrating the many different areas of a building into one seamless system. With this movement, more and more software vendors are distributing solutions that are enhancing the operation of buildings, as well as the day-to-day activities of facility managers and the building’s inhabitants. In this edition of Facility Management, we feature our Annual Software Guide – a comprehensive overview of the latest software products and suppliers in Australasia’s facilities management sector. The Guide features the most relevant solutions currently in the market, which have been designed to enhance the built environment and improve work processes…

Building information modelling (BIM) is a typical example of an innovation or technology that has taken time to be accepted. Today, many distributors still wonder how they can bring value to BIM. For a comparison, go back to when the ‘green’ movement in the built environment began a few years ago. Both manufacturers and distribution also tempered acceptance of this trend with scepticism. However, sustainable products and practices are now commonly reflected in building codes and increasingly demanded to be included in facilities by owners. Arguably, BIM is the fuel behind the growth of many worldwide construction trends. Visualisation, information and collaboration bring greater clarity and efficiency to integrated project delivery (IPD), high-performance benchmarking, and lean methodology and waste reducing practices. The concept behind BIM is not new – 3D…

1Are you licensed and insured? You need to ensure that anyone undertaking roofing at your property is licensed to perform the work and has all the appropriate insurances to finish the job safely and properly. If they aren’t willing to prove they are licensed and insured, then turn them away. 2What sort of communication can you offer me? A good roofing contractor will be happy to hand over a business card or a phone number that you can call whenever you need to. Ideally, they should also supply the name and phone number of the project or company supervisor. WorkSafe, as well as neighbouring properties, must be notified of any asbestos removal of 10 square metres or more. 3Will you completely remove my old roof or just put the replacement…

For the past two decades, the property and facilities management industry has promised a consistent, fully integrated service delivery across various disciplines and geography for their clients in the private and public sector. Too frequently the industry’s clients have been excited about promises made, but underwhelmed by the services actually delivered. As a result, there has seemed to be a constant changing of the guard as contracts have been cancelled or renewed reluctantly because of inertia and the cost of change. During this period, as communication and information technologies have become more ubiquitous, service solutions have continued to evolve, and with interoperability the norm, outsourcing outcomes have been able to be different. This is probably the time to move away from integrated service delivery through a single managing contractor to…

A low-carbon trigeneration plant is now powering, heating and cooling Sydney Town Hall and neighbouring Town Hall House, where 1500 City of Sydney employees work. Trigeneration is a low-carbon form of energy production, with less than half the carbon emissions of the coal-fired plants that generate around 80 percent of Sydney’s electricity. The plant has been gradually phased in over recent months and is now fully supplying the City’s civic buildings on working weekdays from 7am to 10pm. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore says the 1400-kilowatt system is expected to cut carbon emissions by more than 40,000 tonnes over its 30-year lifetime, equivalent to 1500 small cars. “Installing trigeneration power at Town Hall is already helping us reduce our reliance on coal-generated energy hauled in from the Hunter Valley and…

Australia has experienced significant growth in the number of new commercial office buildings in our cities in recent years. As part of these developments, the latest state-of-the-art elevator systems have been installed. These systems are moving people more efficiently than ever before and providing building owners with a vastly improved environmental footprint. The elevators are also providing new buildings with a point of difference over existing buildings that haven’t yet upgraded their systems through a modernisation project. Building owners need to be aware that when retaining and attracting tenants, a modern, state-of-the-art elevator system may be a deciding factor in a leasing decision. To compete with new buildings that are entering the market, it is crucial that existing buildings keep pace with the latest vertical transportation solutions that are being…

BUILDING AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Building management systems (BMS) and Building Automation Systems (BAS) are maintenance management applications for operating building systems. BMS is a computer-based control system installed in buildings that controls and monitors the building’s mechanical and electrical equipment, such as ventilation, heating, elevators, lighting, power systems, fire systems and security systems. COMPUTERISED MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (CMMS) Used to monitor equipment performance and enhance the efficiency of maintenance operations, computerised maintenance management systems (CMMSs) typically feature preventive maintenance tools and work order tracking. DATA COLLECTION AND LIFE CYCLE PLANNING SOFTWARE Data collection and life cycle planning software encompass systems used to collect, analyse and validate data to help build comprehensive data for asset portfolios and maximise visibility and returns for building managers and owners. These include life cycle…

LET’S GET PHYSICAL While 77 percent of Australians in The Climate Institute's recent 'Climate of the Nation 2016: Australian attitudes on climate change' survey agreed that the climate is changing [http://climateinstitute.org.au/verve/_resources/COTN_2016_Final_WEB_260916.pdf], most of the physical impacts are still subtle, but will become more obvious over the next few decades. The first physical change is temperature, with averages gradually getting warmer. For buildings, this means greater thermal load, with the most significant impact expected to be longer runs of very hot days, putting increased stress on cooling and ventilation systems and encouraging greater efficiency through both active and passive design (and promoting changes in occupant expectations and behaviours). Generally milder winters, on the other hand, may reduce heating energy requirements. Sea leveect that small amounts of SLR have on storm surges…

Marcus is enjoying the seafront dinner with his wife. It is all too rare an opportunity with three boys to bring up. The summer breeze creates a perfect temperature. Their wine glasses have just been refilled; he chinks his against his wife’s. “Happy anniversary!” His wife’s eyes narrow at the mobile vibrating on the table top. The screen flashes ‘Harry’. “Go on – take it.” Marcus walks out of the restaurant. “Good evening, Harry.” He checks his watch. “You’re late. What’s up?” It hasn’t been long since they met previously; there is another month before their next meeting. “Marcus… sorry to disturb you in the evening.” “You’re OK, Harry…” There is a rustling of papers in the background. “Are you in the office still? ” Embarrassed silence. “Yeah, you know…

Marty Craggill was one of Australia’s top professional motorcyclists, winning the country’s Superbike Championship twice in a storied career, and riding in the US for a decade, before the GFC hit in 2008 and the sport took a definite body blow. “Motorcycling is a luxury, so that sort of stopped,” he recalls. “Sponsorship stopped.” He had a contract to go back, but unlike many in his position he found himself with a more enticing option. Living near Melbourne Airport, Craggill, who’s a boilermaker/ship maker by trade, wanted to keep busy in the off-season and began doing some welding for an electrician. This brought him into contact with the head of facilities, who was struggling with an unreliable maintenance company. “He was having problems getting a local guy to turn up…

Australia’s population is rapidly ageing. By 2031, there will be close to six million Australians aged 65 and over, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) projections1. The ageing population will place unprecedented demands on healthcare facilities. Disease and chronic illnesses that are more prevalent among older age groups, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, require more care and are more costly to treat. At the same time, healthcare costs are rising, while facilities struggle to serve more patients with limited resources, putting consumer satisfaction at risk. In Australia, primary healthcare, Medicare rebates and private health insurance fees have all been reviewed this year, leading to increasing cost pressures on consumers. Healthcare facilities have an opportunity to improve patient satisfaction by enabling them to stay connected to and in control…

Although asbestos is not used in building materials today, asbestos products weren’t banned in Australia until 2003. In the past, asbestos was commonly used for roofs, in particular, due to its fire resistant and durable nature. Since asbestos-reinforced roofing can last for over three decades, many buildings that were originally constructed with asbestos roofing have the same roofs today. While asbestos isn’t dangerous unless airborne, property or facility managers should never try to touch or replace asbestoscontaining products on their own. Only asbestos specialists should handle asbestoscontaining materials because they can cause major health risks if not treated properly. As your roof plays such an important sheltering role, and because it encompasses such as large area, any harmful materials released in the area will have a wide impact. If you…

We all know that tension is what causes tension headaches, hence the name; but what are the forces that cause tension in the first place? And how do we avoid that dreaded ache in our heads? Tension can build up in our bodies over time, starting with a bit of tightness in our hamstrings. Perhaps it moves up to the middle back until eventually it creeps into the neck and shoulders. Then you find yourself grinding your teeth at night and waking up with a headache in the morning. Tension comes from the Latin word tendere and has multiple meanings in different contexts: • The state of being stretched tight, the strained state of muscles causing strain and discomfort. • Mental or emotional strain; strained political or social relationships. •…

On the edge of the famous Sydney Harbour and at the heart of Barangaroo’s new commercial district, there are three high-rise office towers under construction that will become a corporate centre for the Asia-Pacific region. Developed by Lendlease and designed by internationally acclaimed architects, the three commercial towers at Barangaroo are ready to set new benchmarks for sustainable workplace design. Called International Towers Sydney, the buildings comprise an impressive 49 floors, 43 floors and 39 floors, respectively. With a 2016 completion date, there were a huge number of contractors working on them. All three mechanical contractors – Axis, Brown and Moodie and Sydmex – plus the hydraulic contractor, used Viega’s Propress technology. After another approach was initially considered, Viega’s innovative and highly efficient press-fit technology won out. “Productivity was the…