Building Services

CIVE 3218(5)
CIVE 2242D
Department of
Civil Engineering

Naresh Sewdin

Aug 2013
PROFILE
• Profession: Building Services Engineer

• Post: Director of Prodesign Engineering Consultants Ltd

• Experience: More than 9 years in building services sector

• Academic
 BEng (Hons) Mechatronics (University of Mauritius)
 MSc Building Services Engineering (Brunel University)
 Master of Business Administration (University of Surrey)
• Professional
 Registered Professional Engineer (Mauritius)
 Member of Engineering Council (UK)
 Member of Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (UK)
 Member of Institution of Engineering and Technology (UK)
INTRODUCTION – agenda

• Agenda for the building services module:

Week Lecture Title

1 Introduction to building services
2 Drainage system, sewage treatment and refuse
disposal
3 Cold water and supply systems
4 Ventilation systems
5 Electrical supply and installations
6 Fire prevention and control strategies
7 TEST 1
8 Accommodation for building services in building
structure
INTRODUCTION – agenda

• Agenda for the building services module:

Week Lecture Title

9 Sustainable development
10 Value engineering for building services
11 Procurement, planning and management of building
services
12 Maintenance of building services
13 TEST 2
14 Revisions
15 Revisions
INTRODUCTION – building services

• What are building services?

 Imagine yourself in the most fabulous building in the world.
Now take away the lighting, heating and ventilation, the lifts
and escalators, acoustics, plumbing, power supply and energy
management systems, the security and safety systems and you
are left with a cold, dark, uninhabitable shell.

 Everything inside a building which makes it safe and

comfortable to be in comes under the title of 'Building services'.
A building must do what it was designed to do - not just provide
shelter but also be an environment where people can live, work
and achieve.

 Building services are what makes a building come to life.

INTRODUCTION – building services

• Building services engineering

 Building services engineering is an interdisciplinary
profession. It involves the specification, design, installation
and management of all the engineering services associated
with the built environment.

 With the growing complexity of engineering services in

modern buildings and the significance of energy conservation
and emissions control, the role of the building services
engineer is becoming increasingly important.

 The need to provide an internal environment that balances

the comfort needs of the occupants with the functional
requirements of the building calls for engineers with a wide
range of knowledge and skills.
INTRODUCTION – relevance & importance

• Why are building services important?

 The capital costs of building services in modern buildings can
take up to 30% of the total construction budget. Building
services can account up to 50% of the operating costs. Also
services can also take up to 15% of a building’s volume.
Therefore building services cannot be ignored.

 If the services are not considered until a later stage, problems

which could have been overcome by simple measures may
require a more complex technical solution. A well-designed
building may cost a little more initially, but the overall cost of
ownership should be reduced. Whole-life costs of building
services systems should be considered as the cost-in-use
element which can form a large proportion of the total cost,
outweighing the initial capital cost.
INTRODUCTION – relevance & importance

• Why are building services important?

 Building services are the dynamics in a static structure,
providing movement, communications, facilities and comfort. As
they are unavoidable, it is imperative that architects, builders,
structural engineers and all those concerned with the
construction of buildings have a knowledge and appreciation of
the subject.
INTRODUCTION – relevance & importance

• Why are building services relevant to civil/structural

engineers?
 Some building services are routed normally surface mounted
fixed to concrete surfaces. Nevertheless, there are many
instances where those building services cross building elements
(e.g. walls, floors, ceilings, etc) which affect the design of the
building structure.

 Building services are also routed buried in ground or run

concealed in floors or ceilings. Reservations in floor slabs in the
form of riser voids for building services also affect the design of
the building structure.
 Civil works – Details of trenches and builders works need
to be amended accordingly due to building services.
 Structural works – Details of all openings in slabs, RC
walls and block walls need to be assessed based on building
services layout.
INTRODUCTION – categories

• Categories of building services (Engineering)

 Based on Barbour Index list of sections relevant to building
services, there are 138 services which are directly linked to
building services. They can be grouped under the following
main headings.

Code Section title

P Building fabrics sundries
R Disposal systems
S Piped supply systems
T Mechanical heating/ cooling/ refrigeration systems
U Ventilation/ air conditioning systems
V Electrical supply/ power /lighting systems
W Communications/ security/ control systems
X Transport systems
INTRODUCTION – sample building model

• Architectural model of a theatre project

INTRODUCTION – services in buildings

• Building services in a basement car park

INTRODUCTION – services reservations

• Reservations for building services in buildings

INTRODUCTION – the industry

• Building services industry

 The building services industry is based on engineering
principles that are applied to the construction of buildings and
the built environment. In many aspects, building services are
responsible for the artificial environment in which we live and
work.

 Its origins as a science and technology are well documented. It

has evolved in response to the demands of population growth
and expectation of comfortable shelter, convenience and a
healthy workplace environment.

 Availability of fossil fuels became readily and abundantly

available during the mid of latter part of 20th century and
building design responded to mechanical and electrical systems
that in many instances consumed the fuel excessively.
INTRODUCTION – the industry

• Building services industry

 Due to depletion of fossil fuels and emission of greenhouse
gases causing drastic climate change effects, the industry is
responding to have buildings now designed to be sustainable,
energy conscious and environmentally friendly. The onus for
environmental issues, fuel conservation and energy
performance now lie within the hands of the building services
engineer.

 The industry is generally divided between design and

installation. Design is undertaken by specialist consultants and
installation undertaken by specialist contractors. Especially in
Mauritius, consultants undertake site supervision of works
carried out by the contractors until handing over phase to the
client.
INTRODUCTION – hierarchy
• Stakeholders in the construction industry

Solicitor Finance Estate agent

Client
Structural engineer

Nominated sub- Bldg services engineer

contractors/ Architect
suppliers Quantity surveyor

Land surveyor

Health & Public utilities:

Safety Officer Main contractor CWA, CEB, MT, WMA

Specialist sub- Direct sub-contractors/

contractors suppliers
INTRODUCTION – profile of consultant

• Profile of a building services engineer

 Designer and engineer (Design and drawings)
 Quantity surveyor (BOQ, specifications and conditions of
contract)
 Contract manager (Tender document and conditions of contract)
 Procurement, project management and supervision (Project
management on site and undertake site supervision of building
services)
 Testing and commissioning specialist (Prior handing over of
site, building services engineer witness tests undertaken by the
specialist sub-contractors)
 Possess continual learning capabilities to develop innovative,
energy efficient and sustainable engineering design to building
services.
INTRODUCTION – riba work stages

• The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Plan of Work

Stages
 The RIBA outline plan of work organises the process of
managing, and designing building projects and administering
building contracts into a number of key work stages. The
sequence or content of work stages may vary or they may
overlap to suit the procurement method.

 The RIBA plan of work also describes the activities from

appraising the client’s requirements through to post
construction. The stages are also used in the appointment of
architects and help to identify consultant services and indicate
the resource and fee total by work stage.
INTRODUCTION – riba work stages
INTRODUCTION – riba work stages
INTRODUCTION – legislative documents

• Legislative and support documents

 Statute (Primary legislation) – an Act of parliament that
establishes a standard of law.

 Statutory instrument (Secondary legislation) – a regulation

made under a statute to provide guidance that satisfies a
particular standard of law.

 The number of statutes and associated secondary legislation

that influence the building services industry is extensive. Some
of the most significant include:
 The Health and Safety at work Act
 The Electricity Act
 The Environment Act
 The Consumer Protection Act
INTRODUCTION – legislative documents

• Legislative and support documents

 There is also a category of legislation known as byelaws. These
are authorised by a state charter that allows a municipal or
corporate administration to effect a standard of law through its
own regulation (e.g. Building Permit Application Guidelines).

 Practice guidance documents are often quoted in support of

legislation. These are extensive, some of which include:
 British Standards (BS)
 European Standards (BS EN)
 CIBSE Guides
 Building regulations
 The Institute of Electrical Engineer’s Regulations (BS 7671)
INTRODUCTION – health and safety act

• Health and Safety Act

 This statute is fundamental in application to all persons
engaged in the workplace and to any others that could be
affected by the work activity.

 Administration is through Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

from national, regional and locally based offices. The HSE
inspectorate is empowered by law to access building sites and
other workplaces to review procedures and safety records.

 The Health and Safety Act incorporates numerous

supplementary statutory instruments. Some of the more
relevant in the building services sector and in the construction
industry as a whole include:
INTRODUCTION – health and safety act

• Health and Safety Act

 Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
 Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations
 Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations
 Manual Handing Operations Regulations
 Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations
 Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH)
 Electricity at Work Regulations
 Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
(COSHH)
INTRODUCTION – building act

• The Building Act

 The Building Act of 1984 (UK) consolidates previous byelaws
and enables the Secretary of State to make regulations for the
design and construction of buildings. This includes the
provision of building services facilities and equipment.

 For Mauritius, the Building Control Bill and Energy Efficiency

Building Regulation have not yet been enforced by the Ministry
of Energy and Public Utilities. However, final drafts developed
by UNDP have already been prepared.

 Building Regulations – Statutory instruments made under the

Building Act to include approval of building inspectors and
inspection fees. The main aspect of Building Regulations is
establishment of minimum performance standards applicable to
the construction and environmental performance of buildings.
INTRODUCTION – building regulations

• Building Regulations
Code Approved Document Title
A Structure
B Fire safety
C Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and
moisture
D Toxic substances
E Resistance to passage of sound
F Ventilation
G Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency
H Drainage and waste disposal
L Conservation of fuel and power
M Access to and use of buildings
P Electrical safety
INTRODUCTION – standards

• British, European and International Standards

 The British Standards Institution was established in 1901 as
an independent and impartial body to provide quality standard
for products and practices. In building services, the range of
BS’s is extensive, affecting materials, components, design and
installation procedures. BS are deemed to satisfy provisions in
the Building Regulations and other Statutory Instruments.
Reference documents are prefixed by BS followed by allocated
number, e.g. BS 1566-1: Copper indirect cylinders for domestic
purposes.

 European Standards are gradually replacing standards to one

country as products become harmonised across the European
Community. The standards are administered by the Comité
Européen de Normalisation (CEN) which incorporates the BSI.
Compliant BS’s are prefixed BS EN, e.g. BS EN 274-1: Waste
fittings for sanitary appliances.
INTRODUCTION – standards

• British, European and International Standards

 The International Organisation for Standardisation (known as
ISO) is a worldwide federation incorporating about 100 national
standards bodies to promote international exchange of goods
and services by establishing a uniformly acceptable quality
standard. ISO documents are compatible with BS’s whey they
are prefixed BS ISO or BS EN ISO, e.g. BS EN ISO 8434-1:
Metallic tube connections for fluid power and general use.