The AB(E)Cs Of Site Visits

The site visit was organised for Dennis Flower, editor of H&V News as he was keen to see a BMS System being installed. The building envelope of Aldgate Tower has been completed, so the site is a shell of what it will become. The internal site is still in its early stages, but the ABEC systems are underway. The BREEAM Excellent rating building will be home to a massive 317,000sqft 16-floor office.

As my first site visit, I didn’t know what to expect. With only a couple of the floors fully completed, the ABEC BMS system is visible throughout the site. After writing about the system for months before the visit, seeing it installed and almost ready for use made everything I had learnt fall into place.

Having never stepped foot into a building site before, I was overwhelmed by the scale of the large high-rise building. The large system operates throughout the building, and the scale of it was clear when we took a make shift lift up to the 17th floor roof where one of the systems is being developed in its full glory. The BMS occupies most of the floor.

What was interesting to learn was how the system works behind the scenes. Web-based monitoring is used to look after the controls, and through a system that requires an Internet connection. All occupants of the building can access the system through the portal with a code, where they can alter the temperature in each room to suit their needs.

A crucial part of the system is how it was fitted together, using off-site manufacturing to save on time, money and resources. The site visit taught me a lot of valuable information that I wouldn’t have learnt from talking over the phone. It opened my eyes to what a site is really like, and I am looking forward to organising my next site visit.