Implementation of “Intelligent Building” class solutions during reconstruction of buildings and structures.
Today, when large cities in Russia are experiencing an upswing in construction production, the condition of a significant number of buildings and structures in operation determines the objective need for reconstruction of engineering systems, technological cycles, structural and other components of construction projects.
Reconstruction itself can pursue various goals — from restoring the bearing capacity of the main structures of an emergency building and «cosmetic» repair of facades to a complete change in the profile of operation of a construction project with a corresponding restructuring of engineering equipment schemes and technological cycles.
Many components of the term «reconstruction» itself acquire a qualitatively new meaning in the context of the reorientation of modern construction production to promising areas of scientific and technological progress, which involve the design and construction of buildings and structures that meet current requirements for safety, reliability, resource conservation, ecology, ergonomics and comfort of human life and habitation.
This process determines the need for the design and operation of a wide range of original engineering and information technology systems for construction projects aimed at solving problems within the framework of the listed areas.
We are talking about the creation of so-called functional systems for managing buildings and structures (A.A. Volkov), the theoretical basis of which is the theory of functional systems (P.K. Anokhin) and construction systems engineering (A.A. Gusakov).
For the practical implementation of building management systems (from English Building Management Systems – BMS) in operated facilities in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the most acceptable, and in many cases the only possible, stage is precisely the reconstruction stage.
This is obvious, since the production of the main construction and installation works can be planned in two directions: the actual work on the reconstruction of the facility and the work on the implementation of elements of new systems in the facility.
At the same time, the engineer and persons competent to make such decisions have to answer many questions, the main one of which can be formulated as follows: “What specific set of organizational, technological and technical solutions of the class of a modern “intelligent building” is acceptable for a specific reconstructed facility from technical, technological, economic, organizational, environmental, regulatory and other points of view?”
In order to answer this question, the researcher must have at his disposal adequate models of the corresponding theoretical foundations, the results of the analysis and algorithms for assessing individual organizational, technological and technical solutions, adapted methods for organizing the reconstruction of operated facilities with the introduction of modern building management systems.
In general, new solutions of the “intelligent building” class, the use of which is possible to varying degrees at the stage of reconstruction of buildings and structures, can be classified into one or several of the following main categories (according to A.A. Volkov): automation of systems and processes, security, information and communications, optimization of resource use, functional/technical compliance and flexibility, ecology, ergonomics and comfort.
The advantages of using such technical and technological solutions in the management of engineering equipment and other systems, objects and processes in newly erected modern buildings and structures are beyond doubt. The degree of implementation and practical use of such solutions is determined, as a rule, only by the class of the object (and, accordingly, its positioning on the real estate market) and, ultimately, by real financing.
The situation is somewhat different with reconstructed objects.
Without fundamentally diminishing the advantages of using such solutions, in this case the designer has to take into account many limiting factors that distinguish the reconstruction process from the construction of new objects.
However, the analysis shows that the picture of the assessment of the feasibility of implementing certain solutions, with the exception of the indicated restrictions, does not change fundamentally: the decision is made based on the class of the object, the most realistic prospects for its operation and the selected financing scheme for a specific project.
The main principles of organizational and technological design of reconstruction remain the following (according to V.A. Bolshakov):
– maximum combination of construction and installation works with production processes of the reconstructed enterprise (operated facility);
– ensuring the reconstruction of facilities with minimal interruption in operation;
– ensuring the possibility of performing construction and installation works using modern industrial (automated and mechanized) methods.
The analysis of the possibility and expediency of using specific organizational, technological and technical solutions as part of building management system elements planned for practical implementation during reconstruction is proposed to be carried out based on the assessment of the following groups of factors (A.A. Volkov, M.V. Kopytin): organizational, technological, economic and others.
The first group of factors reflects the objective possibility of implementing the selected solutions from the point of view of organizing construction production during reconstruction of buildings and structures. One of the main factors in this case is the assessment of the timing of work.
The second group of factors is associated with the analysis of the capabilities of the technologies used, i.e. to what extent the selected solutions can be implemented at a given facility in principle, as well as what costs (material, time, etc.) this may be associated with.
Economic factors determine the objective limitations within which the assessment of organizational and technological factors may change.
Other factors include factors not included in the first three groups, for example: subjective preferences of decision makers; architectural plan limitations; environmental aspects; compliance with the current regulatory framework, etc.