Integrated systems in a fragmented world.

The installation of such systems is planned at the design stage of the building. The installation contractor is provided with drawings and specifications (all this is called “construction and technical documentation”), which present the entire technology of construction work. Below is a brief overview of the necessary documentation, as well as an explanation of why these documents are critically important for manufacturers, contractors and designers of integrated building systems.

Brief overview

The construction documentation for integrated building systems is prepared by the designer and used to coordinate the work of other construction professionals whose job it is to install these systems. This documentation is then archived and transferred to the storage of the property owner or his representative. The construction documentation describes the details of the implementation of the building systems and the requirements for their installation. By law, the contractor must install the systems according to this documentation, namely according to the plans and specifications.

Construction documentation is, in fact, a legal obligation.
It defines the contractor's responsibilities, his relationships with other parties, including the designer. It also defines the contractor's rights. In some cases (as in the case of a fire safety system), a government permit for the installation of certain systems is issued on the basis of construction technical documentation.

It is important to note that a construction specification is different from a manufacturer’s specification for industrial equipment. A manufacturer’s specification for a CCTV system is not the same as a construction specification for the installation of that system. A construction specification will describe the work to be done and the desired outcome, such as the quality of the work, installation methods, materials, coordination of work, reporting documentation, etc. When preparing such a specification, the responsibility for clarity, feasibility and technical literacy lies solely with the designer. If the specification uses terms such as “any” or “all”, or if the designer limits himself to the term “appropriate”, this does not provide any specific information to the contractor and is devoid of any meaning.

“It doesn’t matter what it looks like or what you think about it. The important thing is that it works. That's the essence of a designer's job.»
Steve Jobs, 2003

Specification

In order to reduce errors and simplify the coordination process, construction and technical documentation is strictly standardized. For each aspect of construction (housing, mechanical, electrical, etc.) the specification has its own section. This is somewhat reminiscent of the Dew decimal classification system, which is used, for example, in the Library of Congress. Only in construction, the specification has a standard heading, a master list with a list of components, and standard pages of a uniform format.
The specification also has other smaller subdivisions — sections.

One of the most popular construction specification formats is created by MasterFormat. It is created by the Construction Specifications Institute and is used primarily in North America. In Europe and Asia, construction technologies are based on largely similar construction specification formats.

The MasterFormat standard is revised and supplemented every seven years to reflect new trends in building design and requirements for construction projects. For example, the previous version of MasterFormat had as many as 16 subsections, but very little was said about construction technology itself. This prompted the developers to introduce “section 17” to cover everything that did not fit into other sections of the specification. It was precisely the issues of construction technology that became the subject of the most recent version of the MasterFormat standard in 2004.

The MasterFormat specification includes sections such as: “Procurement and Contracting Requirements” and “Specifications”.

The specification section includes the following subgroups:
• General requirements
• Organization of construction work
• Integration of building systems
• Infrastructure of the building
• Necessary equipment

The “Integration of building systems” group presents a set of systems for servicing the building.
This subgroup contains seven sub-items, three of which are related to the construction technology itself:
• 21 – Fire protection system
• 22 – Water supply system
• 23 – Heating, ventilation and air conditioning system
• 25 – Integrated automation
• 26 – Power supply
• 27 – Telecommunications
• 28 – Electronic security system

• Division 25 –
Integrated automation

This section covers building automation systems, including building equipment, elevators, fire-fighting water supply, ventilation and air conditioning, and electrical supply. All hardware and terminals of these systems are presented here, as well as network equipment such as network devices, network hubs, monitoring and control equipment, local control modules, and related software. In addition, this section includes issues of system operation, their technical support, as well as operational sequences, maintenance schedules, cable connection diagrams — in a word, what connects this section of the specification with others, such as “Telecommunications and Electronic Security System”.

• Division 27 —
Telecommunications

This section of the specification deals mainly with IT (cable connections, voice and data exchange systems), as well as audio and video systems and specialized communication systems. Internal and external cable wiring, telecommunication services are considered here. Currently, such components as a printer, antivirus software, and a backup system stand apart in the information system of a house. This section covers a wide range of special-purpose systems, such as: nurse call for hospital buildings, sound masking, radio tag for locating (RFID), intercom, warning and paging system, digital demonstration panels, clocks, cash registers, etc.

• Section 28 —
Electronic Security System

This is essentially the security section. It covers access control systems, video surveillance, intrusion detection, ionizing radiation detection, fuel, refrigerant or natural gas leak detection, and fire alarms.
Each of these sections is divided into three parts:
• GENERAL – This section includes the contractor’s administrative and procedural requirements for performing the work.
• MATERIAL – This section includes a list of the equipment, materials, and products required for installation and maintenance of the system.
• IMPLEMENTATION – This section includes the installation, connection, and subsequent operations within the installation of the systems, as well as the installation documentation.
A full description of the CSI MasterFormat 2004 (Commercial Systems Integration) specification can be found on the CSI MasterFormat 2004 website.

Drawings

In addition to descriptions, another important part of construction and technical documentation are drawings and schematic diagrams that convey the idea of ​​the implementation of systems. Drawings indicate the location, relationship, dimensions, detailing and much more.
The design of drawings is also standardized.
Drawings are labeled by “discipline” (housing, structural, electrical, telecommunications) and then by type (plan, elevation, section). Note that drawings may also be prepared by the contractor during construction. These are called working drawings and are used to show how to install or install equipment.
Manufacturers of integrated building automation systems must understand how to specify their equipment so that it can be used.
In addition, they must provide information in MasterFormat, which is different from traditional documentation. All this will demonstrate that the manufacturer understands the integration process and is committed to making it easier for the designer to describe their products.
Contractors, especially those who engage in high-volume IT procurement, must understand the contractual nature of the construction process and how their products will be identified, specified, and installed.
The importance of a correct understanding of construction documentation and the role of developers and contractors is especially increasing if integrated building automation systems are implemented at several sites at once.

About the author

For more than 25 years, Jim Sinopoli has been intensively developing projects for the optimization of construction technologies and the configuration of telecommunication networks. He has spoken at conferences and seminars on high technologies on numerous occasions. He was awarded the international “Harry J. Pfister” award by the BICSI association.

(BICSI – Building Industry Consulting Service International).
Sinopoli has experience in healthcare, education, manufacturing, finance, construction, and government industrial management. His clients include Fortune 100 corporations, the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Air Force, major K-12 school districts, state university systems, airports and ports, the IRS, major private and public hospitals, technology companies, and nationwide construction equipment manufacturers. His projects have included Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa.

Sinopoli holds a bachelor's degree from Purdue University and a master's degree in applied science and management from the University of Illinois. He is a licensed professional engineer and a registered telecommunications designer.