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A programme of maintenance and energy efficiency practice at the University of Sussex in Brighton has involved the installation of Crittall steel windows throughout the Falmer campus. As part of an energy drive to save both costs and the effect upon the environment, the Crittall W20 profiles are being installed in four buildings across the site, replacing the existing windows which were the originals from when the university was first created in the early 1960s.

The University of Sussex was amongst the first wave of similar educational establishments to be founded at the time and it was awarded the Royal Charter in 1961. Since then, it has grown to be classed amongst the top 150 universities in the world as confirmed by the 2008 Times Higher Education University World Ranking.

The decision to replace the single glazed windows with contemporary, modern and high performance double glazed weatherstripped units was made by the Estates and Facilities Management Division in conjunction with surveyors, BLB Surveyors and management contractors, Sussex Building Co. The work involved a like for like replacement following recommendations from the local planning authority, initially for four buildings two of which are Grade 2* listed.

According to Neil Troak, Head of Maintenance at the University, the replacement has not only aesthetically made a big difference, but it announces the university’s dedication to energy efficiency. “As the original windows were supplied by Crittall the new windows were a perfect match,” he comments. “However, the thermal performance and environmental credentials of the new W20 profiles means that in terms of energy efficiency, they meet our strict environmental criteria. Also, out of all the work being done on the campus to improve the external fabric of the buildings, the window replacement scheme went smoothly and completely to plan thanks to the expertise of the Crittall team and the contractors. The result is exactly what we wanted and we are in the process of planning for more of the buildings on the campus to have their windows replaced.”

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A newly installed Daikin air cooled scroll chiller, which adds to the 1800kW of cooling previously provided by 5 existing Daikin screw chillers at the ‘state of the art’ Northampton factory of Uniq plc subsidiary, Uniq Prepared Foods, supplies top up cooling for a new food production area.

Uniq plc has a turnover of around £750 million and manufactures a wide range of well known chilled and frozen food products, which it supplies to retail and food service customers throughout the UK and continental Europe.

Uniq Prepared Foods is an award winning supplier of high quality sandwiches, wraps and deli products, principally for a major high street retailer and several airlines. An enviable combination of cutting edge automated technology and a highly skilled workforce enables the company to match quality to quantity to ensure that its products are produced to the same exacting standards.

Late last year, a new chiller was required to provide additional cooling for the conversion of some main bulk storage areas into a new sandwich production facility. Specialist contractor, ITEC Industrial Services Ltd, Halesowen, West Midlands, was engaged to engineer and install the new chiller plant – a 260kW EWAQ260 R-410A air cooled unit — supplied by Daikin Airconditioning UK Ltd.

The new Daikin chiller provides chilled glycol at 00C to the cooling coils of a specially designed McQuay air handling unit, which supplies the production area with precisely controlled tempered fresh air.

ITEC managing director, Bob Garner, comments: “It is vital that air conditioning systems for this type of application prevent the ingress of micro organisms and retard or prevent their growth. Also, they must not be the primary cause of contamination and must prevent cross contamination and air turbulence. This can only be achieved by high levels of filtration, draught free air distribution, careful room pressurisation and the provision of cool air temperatures between 10 and 120C.”

“ITEC has considerable experience of supplying chilled water systems for food engineering and other process cooling applications and the good part load efficiency, precise water temperature control, advanced technology and reliability inherent in the Daikin EWAQ range represented an ideal solution to the requirements of this particular application.”

The EWAQ260 is top capacity model of this recently introduced range of Daikin air cooled chillers, has an EER of 2.70 at full load and excellent part load efficiencies. Designed for the supply of chilled water at temperatures down to -100C, it is fitted with micro processor control and a new Daikin ‘Pcaso’ controller with user friendly and powerful LCD interface.

The McQuay air handling unit delivers high levels of air filtration up to H11 standard and incorporates ‘free cooling’ motorised modulating dampers to enable fresh air to be used for cooling during low ambient conditions. At Uniq Prepared Foods, the conditioned air is delivered via ceiling mounted textile ‘socks’, which run the length of the production area and gently distribute it evenly and without turbulence and draughts.

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Tyco Electronics has extended its popular Dorman Smith Modis 25/32 modular distribution system with a Form 4 Type 6 MCCB Panel Board. This compact, flexible solution can be utilised either as an integral part of a Modis switchboard system or used as a floor-standing self-contained unit.

Available in 8 or 10 ways with front or rear access, the MCCB Panel Board also has the ability to be stacked, increasing its range of options to 8, 10, 16, 18 and 20 ways. With a busbar rating of 1000A and a withstand rating of 50kA 1sec., the Form 4 Type 6 MCCB Panel Board accommodates the YA3 range of SP and TP MCCBs (20-250A).

Providing an economic power distribution solution, the unit is designed to take into account the L2 building regulation requirements for energy metering. In recognition of these requirements the doors have knock outs for fitting the Crompton Instruments Integra 1630 digital metering system and an optional extra kit for mounting the range of Crompton Instruments current transformers is also available.

Tyco Electronics device, Tyco Electronics, Dorman Smith and Crompton Instruments are trademarks. Crompton is a trademark of Crompton Parkinson Ltd., and used by Tyco Electronics under licence. Other trademarks are property of respective owners.

About Tyco Electronics

Tyco Electronics Ltd. is a leading global provider of engineered electronic components, network solutions, wireless systems and undersea telecommunication systems, with fiscal 2007 sales of US$13.5 billion to customers in more than 150 countries. We design, manufacture and market products for customers in industries from automotive, appliance and aerospace and defense to telecommunications, computers and consumer electronics. With approximately 8,000 engineers and worldwide manufacturing, sales and customer service capabilities, Tyco Electronics’ commitment is our customers’ advantage.

About Tyco Electronics – Energy Division

The Energy Division of Tyco Electronics is a global manufacturer of products and systems for the electrical power industry. Its products are extensively employed by power utilities and equipment manufacturers, in rail transport systems and in industry around the world.
The Energy Division of Tyco Electronics offers a wide product range from brands such as AMP, Axicom, Dulmison, Raychem, SIMEL, Bowthorpe EMP, Crompton Instruments, Dorman Smith, including cable accessories, connectors and fittings, switching and power management devices, lighting protectors, surge arresters and insulators.

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Manufacturer of high quality resin surfacing systems, Addagrip, has introduced a series of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminars designed for Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Contractors, Housebuilders and Building Services Engineers.

The presentations offer guidance on surfacing options and encompass information on both the resin bonded and resin bound porous systems. The presentation is conducted by experienced technical engineer, Tim Hopkins from Addagrip, giving attendants the opportunity to gain bespoke project advice through a question and answer session included in the presentation.

The seminar also includes information on important changes in the rules and regulations that cover the general principles behind surface water drainage and the use of resin bound surfacing in sustainable urban drainage systems. As Addagrip is a company that recognises the importance of environmental impact of its operations, the CPD presentation also includes guidance on environmental issues, the use of recycled products and land restoration.

Commenting on the CPD presentations, Roger Critchley, Managing Director of Addagrip said, “Relationships with our customers, specifiers, agents and suppliers are of great importance to us. The CPD seminars not only aid our endeavours to be approachable, supportive and helpful, but also give us the opportunity to listen and develop further understanding of our customers needs.” Addagrip manufactures a range of exterior surfacing products including Addastone, Addaset and Addagrip Eco Pave, which use a range of sustainable and recycled aggregates to provide a low maintenance and hard wearing surface with the appearance of natural stone. Addagrip’s high quality exterior resin surfacing systems can be used for a range of applications from domestic drives and paths to parks, monuments and heritage sites.

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Ability Projects Ltd has secured the order for almost 600 Matrix EC fan coil units for the initial phase of the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi. The 2 pipe cooling only units, which are for installation in laboratories and accommodation blocks, have capacities uo to 7kW. The institute is part of Masdar City, a prestigious six square kilometre development designed by Foster and Partners, which seeks to use 100% renewable energy, generate zero waste and be carbon neutral.

The unique feature of a Matrix EC fan coil unit is its capability to independently adjust the air volume delivered by each duct on the same unit. This gave Masdar designers the option of using a single unit to condition two spaces, where in the past two units might have been required. This feature, combined with the energy savings afforded by EC motors, made Matrix the natural choice for such an energy conscious project.

Matrix units at Masdar employ both demand and occupancy dependent fan speed control — developments first marketed by Ability in 2005. Demand dependant fan speed allows the fan speed and therefore the air volume, to vary commensurate with thermal demand. The upper limit is what would (in the past) have been the design fan speed and the lower limit is a percentage reduction determined by the designer.

Occupancy dependent control is a feature whereby the fan coil set points are allowed to move apart and adopt a holding strategy while the space remains unoccupied. With both features operating in tandem, the fan coil is activated only when personnel enter the room, at which point the fan speed imperceptibly modulates to deal with the current cooling load and no more. On the Masdar project specifically, many units will also receive control signals from window switches, enthalpy sensors, time clocks and key cards.

Peter Lowther, managing director of Ability Projects states, ”I am absolutely delighted that all the hard work we have put into advancing EC fan coil technology has been recognised as worthy for use on such an internationally ground breaking project. Our products have been used on many Breeam Excellent projects in the UK but this project takes both Ability and Matrix onto the worldwide stage.”

Whist Masdar City exploits the best of modern technologies, surpassing all the highest standards currently demanded by internationally recognised organisations, its design also incorporates many traditional design techniques to help reduce energy consumption still further. Shaded walkways and narrow streets reduce glare and solar gain while the diagonal orientation of the urban layout makes the best use of cooling night breezes and lessens the effects of hot daytime winds. Other traditional features such as wind towers and solar shades help further improve comfort levels.

The Masdar Institute will soon offer Master’s and Doctoral level degree programs focusing on the science and engineering of advanced energy and sustainable technologies. It has set its sights on being the centre of high calibre renewable energy and sustainability research, capable of attracting researchers and scientists from around the world.

Peter Lowther concludes – “the fact that Matrix will help condition the space in which some of the world’s greatest thinkers will assemble to research energy security, sustainability and climate change, underlines its unique operational flexibility and remarkable energy conservation characteristics. This project opens up an exciting opportunity for the advanced technological concepts inherent in Matrix and already widely recognised among leading UK building services designers, to be illuminated under an even brighter international spotlight.”

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Vent-Axia, leaders in air management technology, has published its new handy-sized product selector and price guide to provide essential technical information on the company’s extensive product range.

An invaluable, simple to use source of information for wholesaler and contractor, the comprehensive, new A5 guide features product and pricing information on the company’s high quality residential and commercial product range. It covers toilet, bathroom, kitchen and utility room fans, unitary heat recovery units, commercial fans, the cooling range, heating products, whole-house systems, controllers, sensors and accessories and the company’s Roof Units product range. These product groupings are categorised by colour-coded sections in the guide to help navigation and speed up selection, estimation and specification.

Vent-Axia is the UK’s leading provider of air management technology, with over 70 years experience supplying industrial, commercial and domestic ventilation and is the company behind the innovative Lo-Carbon™ collection of energy saving ventilation solutions. Committed to protecting health at home, at work and at leisure, protecting property from the damaging effects of condensation, removing stale air, creating thermal comfort and protecting the environment, Vent-Axia delivers on all fronts.

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VMZINC® is expecting a record entry for its fourth bi-annual competition for the ARCHIZINC TROPHY. The awards showcase projects from all over the world and acknowledge the aesthetics of design, the relationship between buildings and their environment and the way in which zinc is used in an innovative and original way.

The Archizinc Trophy demonstrates VMZINC®‘s commitment to promoting zinc in architecture and illustrates the depth of design diversity that architects have created as use of VMZINC systems as key construction materials grows throughout the world.

Projects fall into four categories: Private Housing, Collective (Public Sector) Housing, Municipal Buildings and Commercial Buildings. There is also a Special Jury’s award, an Environment award, an Innovation award and the Tradition award.

Entry forms can be downloaded from www.vmzinc.com. A hard copy has also been sent to 70,000 registered architects throughout the world with FOCUS ON ZINC n° 11, distributed recently. VMZINC® publishes this magazine in French, English, German and Spanish and distributes it in over thirty countries.

The deadline for entries is 31st December 2009.

The jury is made up of 13 international architects who will meet to decide the winners in March 2010, with Award winners being presented with their ARCHIZINC Trophy at a grand ceremony in June. Projects will feature in a special issue of FOCUS ON ZINC, to be published in October 2010, providing a unique opportunity for publicity throughout the world.

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The London Development Agency (LDA) in conjunction with The Building Centre Trust has selected Vent-Axia’s Air Minder heat recovery unit for No.1 Lower Carbon Drive, a two-bedroom life-size eco-house recently built in Trafalgar Square to showcase energy saving devices. An initiative from the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone’s Climate Change Action Plan, the building is constructed in the shape of a quaint, pre-war two-storey house, and made national headlines at the start of December when it was erected right next to Nelson’s Column.

Filled with fun and interactive exhibits that illustrate what Londoners can do in their home to tackle climate change, No. 1 Lower Carbon Drive, is divided into six zones, covering energy, ventilation, appliances, water, recycling and insulation. Within the ventilation zone Vent-Axia’s low carbon Air Minder has been selected as the product of choice to demonstrate the benefits of Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (MVHR) in the modern home. The house was constructed by Hub Design through project manager Max Turner in conjunction with Andrew Scoons of the Building Centre Trust.

“At Vent-Axia we are committed to producing energy saving technology which reduces electrical consumption and, ultimately, our carbon footprint. Using proven heat recovery technology, our Air Minder system can reduce the heating system requirement in a property to save upwards of 500kg of carbon per annum,” explains Kevin Sargeant, Managing Director of Vent-Axia, leaders in air management technology.

The Air Minder combines continuous ventilation with the most advanced heat recovery system available. Sized correctly it will gently ventilate a property at a rate of about half an air change per hour, removing moist air and unpleasant smells from the kitchen, bathrooms and toilets and extracting it to the outside. Heat is extracted from this air by the unit and used to warm fresh filtered air which is drawn into living spaces such as bedrooms and living rooms, providing continuous ventilation even when the house is sealed up for the day.

No. 1 Lower Carbon Drive was opened by the Mayor to launch London Green Homes service, part of the Mayor’s Climate Change Action Plan – a comprehensive programme of initiatives to reduce carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2025. The flagship London Green Homes service is unique to the capital and will offer a free comprehensive telephone advice service, a free website and a paid-for green ‘concierge’ service to provide a hassle-free tailor-made package of carbon saving lifestyle improvements.

No 1 Lower Carbon Drive was on show in Trafalgar Square until 16 December. It is scheduled to move to several locations across London before remaining at the Building Centre in Store Street, London as a permanent display.

Vent-Axia’s Air Minder is part of Vent-Axia Lo-Carbon™ collection of energy saving ventilation solutions. The aim of the Lo-Carbon initiative is to offer the latest low carbon ventilation technology in order to reduce building energy consumption and so carbon emissions. Vent-Axia Lo-Carbon™ will be showcasing its collection of energy saving ventilation solutions on Stand E356 at Ecobuild 2007, 26-28 February, where the company will also allow visitors access to its comprehensive information resource the VA Knowledge Bank.

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Leading plant hire company L. Lynch Plant Hire has marked its switch to new generation dual pin capture quick hitches by calling on other construction industry personnel to help improve site and equipment safety – and prevent serious injuries and fatalities.

Lynch, with headquarters based in Stanmore, Middlesex, is holding a series of Quick Hitch Safety Road Shows to highlight the benefits of its new hitches and to address safe on-site working practices – particularly when using different types of quick couplers – with all appropriate staff including both equipment users and non-operator personnel.

The company is currently investing around £1.4m in replacing the fully automatic hitches on its entire 500-strong excavator fleet with industry-leading Auto-Loc 3 dual pin capture quick hitches manufactured by Ireland-based Hill Engineering, through Hill’s ‘new for old’ exchange scheme, and will complete the upgrade by February 2010.

Hill is also supporting Lynch in the road shows to explain how the advanced technology in its fully automatic Auto-Loc 3 model works, by not only doing away with the need to manually insert a locking pin, as with semi-automatic hitches, but also providing fully independent locking.

This means that if the operator fails to connect the attachment properly with the back pin, the front pin will remain securely locked in place, ensuring that the attachment does not accidentally become detached.

Lynch Plant Hire director Rob Lynch has already hosted around a dozen road shows on sites operated by major contractors such as Skanska, Bam Nuttall and Balfour Beatty.

He said that not only was there interest in how the automatic dual pin capture hitches work, but participants were also extremely keen to find out how they can help to reduce site and equipment accidents.

He said: “Automatic dual pin capture hitches are the single-most important progression in quick hitch safety because they ensure that both pins are totally secure, which all but eliminates the chance of unintentional bucket or attachment separation.

“However, they are not an absolute solution because, as always, there still remains the potential for human error, either from the machine operators themselves or somebody outside the cab getting too close to working equipment.

“Safety on site is everyone’s responsibility, so it was clear to us that while Lynch can certainly play its part by continually upgrading our equipment and operator training to the very highest possible industry standard, we should work closely with contractors and on-site personnel to help establish correct and safe operating practices.”

The Lynch Quick Hitch Safety Road Show takes a three-pronged approach, by outlining the correct procedures for safe hitch usage, establishing the need for proper and responsible hitch maintenance and determining the correct management and performance of people in and round the excavator.

The issue of quick hitch safety still remains high on the industry agenda following a spate of injuries and deaths over the last few years due to buckets becoming accidentally detached and striking workers – a problem generally attributed to incorrect operator use.

In a bid to improve site safety, a number of major contractors, such as Skanska, have already banned all non dual pin capture hitches. This exceeds the agreement between the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and the main European quick hitch manufacturers, which means that new semi-automatic hitches will no longer be supplied to the UK market.

Lynch operates an excavator fleet comprising of one-tonne to 45-tonne machines from Volvo and Komatsu and has an unblemished safety record stretching back 30 years. It provides its operators with extra quick hitch training, even beyond that already undertaken as a matter of course by Hill, as well as carrying out special training for outside contractors using its machines.

All qualified Lynch operators are issued with a Lynch Quick Hitch Competence card, which they carry alongside their Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) card for inspection on site.

L. Lynch Plant Hire was established in 1980 and has since grown to become one of the leading names in the UK plant hire industry. With three main depots across the UK, its machines are currently in use on major highways, rail and utility projects.

Rob Lynch said: “The events held so far have been extremely successful in spreading the site safety message, as well as helping us to further evolve our quick hitch operating and safety procedures using the feedback we continue to receive.

“We are extremely proud of our excellent safety record, which is a legacy of always insisting on proper in-depth training, together with a continuing investment in any measures that will help prevent accidents and save lives.

“This is why we have chosen to replace all our existing hitches with Hill’s dual pin capture automatic models. Not only are they fully tried and tested products, but Hill has provided us with a first-class service – nothing has been too much trouble for them.”

Not only does the Hill Auto-Loc 3 automatic hitch ensure that there is no need for an operator to leave the cab to change attachments, it also allows them to visually confirm from within the cab that the bucket or other attachment is securely locked in position.

It complies with all existing UK and international safety standards and legislation by ensuring attachments can only be released when the boom is in a safe working position and it is also universal, allowing the fitting of a mixed range of attachments such as hammers and rippers.

Ian Hill, Managing Director of Hill Engineering, said: “As a leading quick hitch, bucket and excavator attachment manufacturer, we share Lynch Plant Hire’s dedication to improving safety on the UK’s construction sites and so had no hesitation in participating in the road shows to ensure the proper use and maintenance of our hitches.

“A strong commitment to improve quick hitch safety has developed within the industry, particularly after a number of high profile incidents over the past few years in which failure to properly use traditional models has, in some cases, resulted in serious injuries and fatalities.

“At Hill Engineering safety has always been an overriding priority, which is why we developed the Auto-Loc range of quick couplers incorporating dual pin capture technology back in 2005. With the proven track record of safety and reliability, we believe the Auto-Loc range to be the safest and best-engineered quick hitch on the market today.

“We very much welcome an initiative such as the Lynch Quick Hitch Road Show, which sends out the message that by using the best and most up–to-date equipment technology, combined with comprehensive training and the implementation of correct on-site safety procedures, there is no longer any need for lives to be put at risk.”

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