Manufacturers should take a longer-term view of the life cycle of construction components, said Sandy MacKay, director of Building Performance Group, in a speech at the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology (CWCT) conference.
“If manufacturers leased rather than sold their cladding materials, then reclaimed, re-used or recycled them when there was a need for a change, it would completely alter the way the construction industry operates. It would also engender a much greater understanding of the behavior of components throughout their service life,” he said.
He added that the industry is able to produce better built, easily maintained and more affordable properties, through knowing the performance of supplied components throughout a buildings life.
Sandy also emphasized the importance of assisting purchasers and the use of whole life cost data to ensure measured, best value: “In todays PFI and PPP climate that kind of responsible and sustainable method of construction should soon become a reality.”
The Building Performance Groups new publication, The Building Services Component Life Manual, provides likely performance data on 400 major services components to enable advisors to predict whole life costs.
BPG believes cost control has traditionally focused on a projects construction with little or no consideration of maintenance and operation costs. In the new manual, it therefore includes summaries of typical inspection and maintenance requirements.
“This publication is set to address the current lack of robust durability data in the mechanical and electrical sector. The demand for this data has been fuelled by PFI and Prime Contracting initiatives in the public sector and by calls for wider take up of whole life costing in both the public and private sectors,” said BPG.
The Group spent two years on research, bringing together building service specialists and other experts in the mechanical and electrical sector who contributed their expertise.
Chris Watson, managing director of BPG, commented: “An increasing number of people are questioning the cost of owning a building over its whole life and for them to make an informed judgement requires an understanding of how and when a component is likely to fail under a range of conditions. This new manual follows the publication of the HAPM Component Life Manual, developed for the social housing sector, and the Building Fabric Component Life Manual which covers components used in commercial and industrial buildings, It will extend the scope of whole life durability data into the field of building services.”
—Jessica Jarlvi
Reprinted with permission; copyright 2001 i-FM
