Page 20 - Climate Control News March 2020
P. 20

Building Automation
Modular construction has replaced chalk and paper.
BIM an essential tool for fabrication
MECHANICAL AND HVAC contractors are sophisticated users of Building Information Modelling (BIM) software but they cannot fully leverage the value of the technology because of training and manpower issues.
It is also a struggle to get other project stake- holders equally engaged in BIM, according to a BIM study released by Dodge Data & Analytics in partnership with the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) and Pinnacle Infotech, and with the support of Autodesk.
Pinnacle Infotech vice president, Scott Pitt- man, said virtual construction has come a long
way in a very short time. “The days of the chalk line and paper documents are decreasing and we are seeing more laser scanners and layout tools to help with modular construction and preman- ufactured assemblies,” he said.
One of the biggest benefits reported by con- tractors is the ability of BIM to improve the fabri- cation process. Many mechanical contractors are frequent users of offsite fabrication for their systems, and the study shows that nearly half use BIM on 50% or more of the assemblies they prefabricate, demonstrating that BIM is an es- sential tool for this process. Benefits from using
BIM to aid prefabrication are widely reported, with over 80% of mechanical contractors who use it to prefabricate reporting that they see im- provements in the material waste generated, la- bour costs, quality of installed work, avoiding the purchase of extra pipes and fittings and schedule performance.
Other top benefits reported by contractors us- ing BIM in general are increased labour produc- tivity, increased profitability, better utilization of resources and improved cost performance.
The report is available for free download at: www.construction.com/toolkit/reports.
HVAC Centre wins international award
THE HVAC CENTRE of Excellence at Holmes- glen’s Chadstone campus in Melbourne has been awarded the CIBSE Building Performance Awards 2020 for Learning and Development.
The Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) presented the Award at a gala dinner attended by 700 guests at Grosvenor House in London this week.
HVAC Centre of Excellence is a joint initiative between the Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association (AMCA) and Holmes- glen TAFE.
The Awards, open to any organisation interna- tionally, recognise the people, products and pro-
jects that demonstrate engineering excellence in the built environment. The Award was presented at a gala dinner attended by 700 guests at Gros- venor House, London on 11 February 2020.
The HVAC Centre of Excellence was devel- oped to support specialist training in HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning).
A truly collaborative initiative, it was created through a partnership between Holmesglen and peak industry body AMCA, with input and support from HVAC businesses and the Victo- rian Government. The brand-new, purpose-fit Centre is a unique and important training facil- ity through its simulation and replication of en-
tire systems found in to- day’s buildings.
AMCA executive direc- tor, Sumit Oberoi, said that through exposure to a sim- ulated ‘live’ system, the Centre builds students’ skills quickly in what would take years in the workplace.
ABOVE: AMCA executive director, Sumit Oberoi.
LEFT: CIBSE presented the award at a gala dinner at Grosvenor House, London.
“Integrating the latest technologies such as en- ergy efficiency systems and BIM software, the Centre is a site that is de- signed and built by indus- try and is reflective of contemporary industry practices,” he said.
“The Centre is the only applied balancing and commissioning learning centre in the world to our knowledge and will make an im- portant contribution to our industry. Balanc- ing and commissioning is critical to the perfor- mance, energy efficiency and safety of buildings.”
Holmesglen’s Dean of Building, Construction and Engineering, Ross Digby, said the Centre will drive innovation.
“A roundtable committee with representatives from key stakeholder groups was established to determine industry training needs, skills short- ages, forecast demand planning and appropriate pedagogy,” he said.
“This has ensured that the curriculum is cur- rent and meets workforce requirements today and into the future. The Centre will provide lead- ership across the vocational education and training sector and drive mechanical services training in Victoria.”
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