This talk entitled “An Evening with the President of ASHRAE—Talk on ‘Building Services and Refrigeration Vital to Buildings in International Communities’” was presented by Mr. Richard H. Rooley, President 2003–2004, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc. (ASHRAE). The talk was held on Friday, 14 November 2003 at 5.30 p.m. at the IEM Conference Hall, Petaling Jaya.
Mr. Richard Rooley presenting his seminar at IEM.
Mr. Richard H. Rooley BA BAI FREng FICE FIMechE FCIBSE was educated at Morrison's Academy, Scotland and Trinity College, Dublin. He trained initially in civil, mechanical and manufacturing industries and then with the consulting practice Donald Smith Seymour and Rooley where he was partner from 1970–1991. As Principal of Project Management Partnership and Rooley Consultants since 1991, he has been associated with the design and supervision of a large number of major building engineering services projects. He has extensive experience in the cross discipline integration of design, construction and flexible space solutions in buildings. He was chairman of BSRIA from 1985–1987. In the Royal Academy of Engineering he was a Member of Council and Hon. Sec. for Civil Engineering from 1993–1995. He became President of ASHRAE in June 2003. Mr. Rooley spoke about the development of technology from the abacus to astronomy and algebra. Before the electronic calculator was invented, engineers used slide rules for calculations. Al-Khwarizmi and Sadequin were mathematicians. We were informed about the Process Change and Ages of Maintenance.
Process Change and Ages of Maintenance.
Mr. Rooley informed us of Building Demographics as follows:
– 4.7 million commercial buildings = 67.3 billion square feet
– 50% of buildings 1,001–5,000 sq. ft.
– 75% of buildings less than 10,000 sq. ft.
– approximately ¼ of workers are in buildings less than 10,000 sq. ft.
Importance
– Top 10 in importance
– Cannot live without air-conditioning and refrigeration
– The Great Enabler
Note: PCM Concrete Sdn. Bhd. recently changed name to Build Horse (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Mr. Rooley then provided some information on ASHRAE as follows.
– 4.7 million commercial buildings = 67.3 billion square feet
– 50% of buildings 1,001–5,000 sq. ft.
– 75% of buildings less than 10,000 sq. ft.
– approximately ¼ of workers are in buildings less than 10,000 sq. ft.
Importance
– Top 10 in importance
– Cannot live without air-conditioning and refrigeration
– The Great Enabler
Note: PCM Concrete Sdn. Bhd. recently changed name to Build Horse (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Mr. Rooley then provided some information on ASHRAE as follows.
Profile of ASHRAE.
ASHRAE Membership Profile:
85% live in North America
58% qualified to degree level
The seminar ended at 7.00 p.m.
Below are selected extracts from the handout which was given at the seminar. Most of the text from the handout has been excluded.
This Paper is based on a personal research and observations of the construction process in the United Kingdom and North America and other parts of the world. The comments in this paper are directed to the entire construction industry. The best performers in major projects have little effect on the greater majority of small projects. The owning, constructing and using buildings is constantly changing. The world of science, mathematics and engineering is also in a state of change.
In 1975 engineers were changing from slide rules to simple calculators. In the year 2000 all calculations are carried out using computers. On the assumption of increasing rate of change, the developments between 2005 and 2015 should be greater than that between slide rules and computers. This change will impact the entire construction industry. The change however from slide rule to computer around the year 2000 can be argued to be less significant than the change in 800AD when Al-Khwarizmi introduced zero to calculations.
American students who spend part of their course in Britain have problems. The American student is given an assignment and works closely with teaching staff throughout that assignment. When they visit a UK university they are usually left to their own devices to establish their methodology for the project and their own deadline. Similarly British students used to setting their own programme have difficulty in subjecting themselves to the discipline of the Americans.
The telephone, air travel, e-mail and the web have made the world smaller. Technologies, companies and people communicate across geographical, political and language barriers. As communication, including television develops, as the world's resources are used to provide a better quality of life, the users of our buildings have raised expectations. What was an acceptable condition in buildings 20 years ago is no longer accepted. These qualities are being raised worldwide. While America and Japan have been dominant with Europe becoming stronger and for a period Korea and other parts of the Pacific Group, China has now become a powerful influence. There is one manufacturer of air-conditioning equipment in Italy who encourages his principle clients to specify their exact requirements on a computer Web page. Not only does the purchaser specify in full detail, but they can purchase production time in the manufacturing facility whether in Italy or subcontracted to China. There is very little intervention by the manufacturer beyond maintenance and quality control.
In subjective discussions with firms of consultants, design contractors, architects and multi-disciplinary practices principally in America, but also in other parts of the world, it emerges that a design engineer will spend between 10 and 20% of their time on matters of strict technology as set out in the ASHRAE Handbooks, Standards and other publications. This equates to something under one day per week. The remaining four days are spent on processes of construction including negotiation and discussion with architects and other members of the design team, financial planning, special awareness, risk assessment, leadership, management and working within the team. The subjective response is also that several years are spent in learning a degree in engineering, followed by several more to achieve Charter or Professional Engineer and then continuing technical education lifelong.
The remaining four days activities are generally picked up within the office from others around. ASHRAE addresses this in courses, lectures and publications on these "soft" side of their activities.
In the USA the architect generally remains dominant in the design process. They provide leadership, they employ the consultants and sub-contractors and specify the works. The consultants are then paid by the architect out of the architect's fee. At tender stage the responsibility for the drawings which have professional engineers stamp passes to the contractor who then has the legal responsibility for performance of the completed building. In both the UK and in America there are alternatives with America moving towards partnering and in the UK projects run by the general contractor on a design and build basis. It is generally accepted that structural engineers work with great integrity. Indeed it is driven for the need for buildings never to fail. Although the same will apply to refrigeration this integrity is not a driver in air-conditioning. Most calculations are driven at the optimum performance against cost solution.
While each skill within the construction industry is very well educated, and indeed trained in that narrow field, there are great problems in communication, a fuzzy edge disease.
We continue to concentrate in university education, university courses and discussion of engineering practice on the one day per week activities. We avoid the four days per week or at best include those activities as a minor part of the curriculum. As horses were replaced by the motor car, so will our present design processes and tools be replaced, but the rate of change is much faster. Young people currently at university are being prepared for the processes of the late 20th century. Fortunately they are adaptable and may have the wisdom to adapt and lead us forward.
Selected extracts from RHR/5354
8 October 2003
85% live in North America
58% qualified to degree level
The seminar ended at 7.00 p.m.
Below are selected extracts from the handout which was given at the seminar. Most of the text from the handout has been excluded.
This Paper is based on a personal research and observations of the construction process in the United Kingdom and North America and other parts of the world. The comments in this paper are directed to the entire construction industry. The best performers in major projects have little effect on the greater majority of small projects. The owning, constructing and using buildings is constantly changing. The world of science, mathematics and engineering is also in a state of change.
In 1975 engineers were changing from slide rules to simple calculators. In the year 2000 all calculations are carried out using computers. On the assumption of increasing rate of change, the developments between 2005 and 2015 should be greater than that between slide rules and computers. This change will impact the entire construction industry. The change however from slide rule to computer around the year 2000 can be argued to be less significant than the change in 800AD when Al-Khwarizmi introduced zero to calculations.
American students who spend part of their course in Britain have problems. The American student is given an assignment and works closely with teaching staff throughout that assignment. When they visit a UK university they are usually left to their own devices to establish their methodology for the project and their own deadline. Similarly British students used to setting their own programme have difficulty in subjecting themselves to the discipline of the Americans.
The telephone, air travel, e-mail and the web have made the world smaller. Technologies, companies and people communicate across geographical, political and language barriers. As communication, including television develops, as the world's resources are used to provide a better quality of life, the users of our buildings have raised expectations. What was an acceptable condition in buildings 20 years ago is no longer accepted. These qualities are being raised worldwide. While America and Japan have been dominant with Europe becoming stronger and for a period Korea and other parts of the Pacific Group, China has now become a powerful influence. There is one manufacturer of air-conditioning equipment in Italy who encourages his principle clients to specify their exact requirements on a computer Web page. Not only does the purchaser specify in full detail, but they can purchase production time in the manufacturing facility whether in Italy or subcontracted to China. There is very little intervention by the manufacturer beyond maintenance and quality control.
In subjective discussions with firms of consultants, design contractors, architects and multi-disciplinary practices principally in America, but also in other parts of the world, it emerges that a design engineer will spend between 10 and 20% of their time on matters of strict technology as set out in the ASHRAE Handbooks, Standards and other publications. This equates to something under one day per week. The remaining four days are spent on processes of construction including negotiation and discussion with architects and other members of the design team, financial planning, special awareness, risk assessment, leadership, management and working within the team. The subjective response is also that several years are spent in learning a degree in engineering, followed by several more to achieve Charter or Professional Engineer and then continuing technical education lifelong.
The remaining four days activities are generally picked up within the office from others around. ASHRAE addresses this in courses, lectures and publications on these "soft" side of their activities.
In the USA the architect generally remains dominant in the design process. They provide leadership, they employ the consultants and sub-contractors and specify the works. The consultants are then paid by the architect out of the architect's fee. At tender stage the responsibility for the drawings which have professional engineers stamp passes to the contractor who then has the legal responsibility for performance of the completed building. In both the UK and in America there are alternatives with America moving towards partnering and in the UK projects run by the general contractor on a design and build basis. It is generally accepted that structural engineers work with great integrity. Indeed it is driven for the need for buildings never to fail. Although the same will apply to refrigeration this integrity is not a driver in air-conditioning. Most calculations are driven at the optimum performance against cost solution.
While each skill within the construction industry is very well educated, and indeed trained in that narrow field, there are great problems in communication, a fuzzy edge disease.
We continue to concentrate in university education, university courses and discussion of engineering practice on the one day per week activities. We avoid the four days per week or at best include those activities as a minor part of the curriculum. As horses were replaced by the motor car, so will our present design processes and tools be replaced, but the rate of change is much faster. Young people currently at university are being prepared for the processes of the late 20th century. Fortunately they are adaptable and may have the wisdom to adapt and lead us forward.
Selected extracts from RHR/5354
8 October 2003
