bmj1

Thanks guys. I'm going to press the MEP designer further on these points to list out exactly what functionalities we require from the BMS - to understand if this is the correct approach.

This was just an example of a previous job the MEP designer shared. He was saying there needs to be a control system for the ventilation, AC, Heating, openable windows, etc, e.g: - Interlock to prevent AC and heating operating at same time - Interlock to disable AC and ventilation when windows are open - Possibly some automatic opening of windows when Fire Alarm triggers etc Does that make sense ?

That makes sense. Any recommendations of how we can minimise Total Cost of Ownership? I'm worried about capex, as well as license fees and maintenance fees. Also, any recommendations systems ? Thank you in advance.

Hi all, Having done my own (smart) home, I typically made use of self contained systems, i.e: Lutron Ra2 Select Shelly Velux Coolmaster Heatmiser Unifi Access Wiim Rainbird When it came to automations - I ensured everything could connect to Home Assistant and built my automations that way. I'm now working on a community project - ~900m2 over 2.5 floors of shared communal space. The MEP guys are advising we need a BMS panel. I don't get it. He shared me the below as an example of the kind of thing we're talking about. Is he right ? Is this the modern way to approach things ? Please guide me ! Thank you in advance !

Ugh, I've seen this before, disgusting practice. I can recommend you someone who specialises in construction dispute resolution, he's very good (used him myself and had a final settlement with the builder signed inside 2 weeks). Drop me a PM if interested.

Do you have any retention still held back ? Whereabouts in the country are you based ?

Of the three: Pebble grey. P.s. nice bricks

We used Philips master value throughout. Warm white.

Been there - had a plumber cut off all the wiring labels and run almost every zone wrong... It's all fixable, fortunately.. just time consuming

We found massive variation in price when ordering our flat roof velux roof lights a few years ago. Best prices came from online suppliers. You need to call to get a quote when making a bulk order.

Sorry - I'm not intending to trickle feed - I think I've just posted a bit early in the process. The building itself is roughly 900m2 over 2.5 floors, it's shaped broadly in a cube. Agree that fabric needs to be spot on. The only draft detail I have right now is 250mm PIR in the roof. The rest will get fleshed out over the coming weeks. Mechanical ventilation is planned: a big unit from Systemair. I haven't yet seen details on how air tightness will be achieved, but I have discussed with the team making use of Aeroseal. I think it probably makes sense to post back in a few weeks with a bit more info and some drawings.

It's a steel deck with concrete poured in - I think ! "A steel deck with a poured concrete floor, known as a composite floor system, uses corrugated steel sheets as permanent formwork and reinforcement, creating a strong, cost-effective, and fast-to-install structural slab by combining the concrete's compressive strength with the steel's tensile strength. The deck acts as a working platform and holds wet concrete, while shear connectors (like headed studs) bond it to the steel frame, forming a single, load-bearing unit after curing, common in commercial and multi-story buildings."

So the knotty areas so far have been: a) Ventilation requirements: some serious kit and duct sizes involved b) Fire Strategy: means of escape/staircases c) Structural design: achieving a very large column-free main prayer space, without a crazy steel bill I was referring to the professional team (architect, SE, MEP, PM, Interior Designer). Despite having a full professional team engaged, I certainly plan to keep asking questions here, and keep sharing any findings.

Interesting... so if using electricity - then might as well go for electric UFH - interesting and will put it to the team

I'm particularly surprised by your suggestion for "screed electric heater wires" - my understanding was that wet pipes are much more cost effective to run.

Hi Nick, Comments as follows: I expect the space to be used frequently throughout the week, including a daytime nursery on premises So we'll likely want to keep it at temperature from say 6am to 11pm Does this change anything ? We're building it for ourselves, so we do care that it is cost effective to operate (subject to the capital investment required, but essentially we have an owner mindset on this one)

- composite concrete - it's a community building/place or worship - heated by UFH, I imagine using electricity (not gas) - floor covering likely natural stone tiles Any other questions?

I'm working on a community project. Today with the design team we discussed making use of a 150mm composite deck which sits between the steels, and then making use of dry screed (cement) boards on top for ufh pipes to sit in. The reason for suggesting screed board was to minimise build-up. Also important is ensuring no noise transfer between floors (hence 150mm deck). I can't help but think that there must be an approach here where the composite deck could be used as the screed ? Or alternatively we do a 100mm composite deck with 50mm cemfloor/liquid screed on top... Any thoughts on this ? I figure there must be some buildhub wisdom on this...

The fact that the whole floor feels cold suggests to me that you UFH itself isn't working as expected (I'm not worried about the gaps or hole right now - these issues feel secondary to me - let's get the floor heating up first). I've spent a bunch of time working on my UFH to get all 3 floors behaving correctly... A few questions for more context: (1) Flow temp of UFH What is the flow temperature of your UFH ? (2) What temperature is the floor itself reading ? Measure it in a few places You might want to use a thermostatic gun (https://www.amazon.co.uk/ABOHU-Thermometer-Temperature-Non-Contact-Measuring/dp/B0FGDBH472) - be sure to set the EMS (emissivity) to 0.92 to get an accurate reading (3) Has the UFH been commissioned correctly? I.e. actuators adjusted for flow rates and balanced Further context on your sub-floor build up (4) Insulation How much insulation is underneath the floor ? What material and how deep ? (e.g. PIR at 200mm) (5) Screed What screed did you use and how thick is it ? (e.g. sand/cement at 80mm)

Harsh even if true. I wish so many of the builders and trades people I have worked with had the humility to ask questions... That said, this clearly should have been designed by the professional team so asking the architect/se what their plan is here would be a sensible starting point..

Our mist coat was sprayed - no brainer

Hire in some dehumidifers for a few days and keep the windows and doors shut while they are running. Not a big expense in the scheme of things.

While we're on the topic, we ordered some bespoke internal doors. We had ~10 iterations of the drawings. On the 9th drawing, all looked good, apart from a minor issue on one of the doors. We requested this was amended and a 10th drawing was issued. On the 10th drawing, our designer reviewed the change and signed off the drawing set. However, inexplicably, the handle positions on another set of doors changed between the 9th and 10th drawing. And suddenly, instead of the handles being positioned for a double pocket door, they were positioned for a regular double door set (so both in the wrong place). Unfortunately, this all becomes rather shaky territory. A compromise is likely in order..

I fired two main contractors and ultimately took it over. It's not that big a deal. Check in with BC to see where they are at and what stage they next want to inspect.

I've also taking to doing most the plumbing myself. Managed to learn (with youtube) how to drain, flush and repressurise the UFH manifold. None of it is rocket science.