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ENGINEERING
be maintained, involving several hundred control and monitoring points. Data also needs to be tracked, backed up and stored constantly. Also, because some of these experiments may involve timeframes of years rather than months or weeks, reliability built into infrastructure such as energy systems is needed to ensure a power outage can’t undo years of patient research. “We have been working closely with Meinhardt on the energy efficiency aspects for the AIMS project. The local incoming water is very warm, too warm in summer for coral, so we are leveraging off the internal thermal chilled water system designed by Meinhardt to cool seawater for the labs,” said Ken Shular. “Right across the process systems, with operations and maintenance aspects we have aimed for efficiencies of labour and energy.” Other high efficiency techniques incorporated into the engineering of the research facility include for example the design for the piping, which ensures low pressure drops for the pumping systems, and variable speed drives for flexibility of operation. “For the entire project team, this has been a research project in itself. Other projects we work on have very defined goals and we design technical solutions. For this we have been encouraged to examine new ideas...and we have had to second guess what the research being done might be in the future, and qualify all our ideas by thinking about what can be done on a limited budget,” said Ken. One of the key milestones which the design team has achieved recently is the delivery of the 90 percent tender documentation packages for the project, for which Baulderstone were appointed by AIMS as the Managing Contractor late in 2010. “The technical challenge for us has been understanding the science that AIMS are trying to do, and how to deliver a facility that enables them to do that,” said Meinhardt’s Nick Bamber. “The design process has been undertaken in 3D using REVIT MEP, and has
been the most demanding project to date with that software. The 3D design includes fire, hydraulic, electrical and mechanical services and REVIT MEP has been extremely useful in identifying and resolving constructability issues, while allowing us to utilise resources in both our Brisbane and Melbourne offices” said Meinhardt’s Design Manager for the project, Manfred Bretterecker. “We co-ordinated with the architect, structural, civil and process engineers - all working in 3D together using a variety of software packages such as various Autodesk products. It is the most complex project we have undertaken. “There were individual technical issues, such as controlling air-conditioning to tight tolerances in the Controlled Environment Rooms, which are the key experimental spaces. The mechanical system design needs to maintain a uniform temperature without stratifying, which is unusual.” “There were twists and turns on the electrical systems too, with lighting solutions needing to simulate daylight in some areas, including the use of plasma light sources. Varying the intensity and spectrum of the light through the artificial ‘day’ is critical in terms of coral growth, so there has been an emphasis on controlling the lighting directly from the experimental controls,” explained Nick Bamber. The AIMS facility sits at the end of a single 66kV electrical supply line in a cyclone zone, with a single road access often cut by wet season flooding. Ensuring ample backup power is critical for the experiments, and energy efficiency assists this sustainability aspect. Under a separate project already in construction, Meinhardt have also designed a new site-wide chilled water system utilising off-peak power and thermal storage to assist in minimising the facility’s peak daytime electrical load. “This project has been an interesting and exciting personal journey, and will be world-standard when finished,” said Manfred.
By Megan Motto Chief Executive Officer Consult Australia
PLANNING FOR TOMORROW’S CITIES TODAY The recent release of Consult Australia’s Consult Australia’s Tomorrow’s Cities Today report and the Department of Infrastructure and Transport’s State of Australian Cities 2011 report has put the spotlight firmly back on the 18 major cities that drive our nation. Tomorrow’s Cities Today signifies a significant step forward in planning for the future of Australian cities. The report represents a move towards considering our nation as a whole, rather than on a state-by-state basis, and seeks to outline overarching goals for the country’s cities and how they will be made more productive, sustainable and liveable. It’s important to note how rapidly our nation is changing. As we grapple with the challenges of climate change, an ageing and growing population, congestion, urban sprawl and unaffordable housing, it is important we do not settle for maintaining the status-quo. With the current government focus on our cities and the challenges of a changing world, it’s timely to take stock; to consider what next steps should be taken. Priorities need to be set and a plan for action, which will realise a positive future for our cities, must take priority. Planning for the future requires us to think beyond the here and now. Cities with a current population over 100,000 are the focus of today, however cities expected to achieve such a population by 2050 need also to be addressed. This is just one recommendation made in Tomorrow’s Cities Today. Consult Australia’s recommendations are by no means exhaustive, but with their prioritisation and implementation, we believe Australian cities will be better placed to deliver the outcomes voters expect—and will increasingly demand—of their governments in the years ahead.
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