Category Archives: Case Study

Case Study – Data Center Indoor Contamination and Cleaning Improvement

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Case study of indoor contamination of data centre: root cause analysis and risk management

Problem –

Server elements in a newly constructed data centre have frequently failed, resulting in significant downtime that has impacted the reliability of the global data centre and increased costs.

Background –

The Data Centre is located on a reclaimed marshy area around 1.0 Km away from the seashore. Its primary objective is to support business units throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The white space, which measures over 50,000 sqft, is home to Enterprise Servers and Storage products. The data centre is designed to operate within a thermal environmental boundary of  Class A1 and the reliability level of Tiers 3 and 4. The maintenance and cleaning services for the Data Centre have been outsourced to a specialized service provider.

Root Cause Analysis –

During routine indoor air quality tests of the Data Center, it was found that the indoor environment does not meet prescribed standards and guidelines. The high Sulphur content in the air is due to natural emissions such as H2S, NH3, and SO2 resulting from the Data Center’s location in a reclaimed marshy area. This has led to non-conformities with the Indoor Environment Standard.

Solutions adopted-

A two-pronged approach was adopted to address the contamination issue.

  1. Upgrading the clean environment mechanical systems

An additional air filtration system was installed at the fresh air intake to filter out harmful gases. A pressurization system was also set up to maintain positive air pressure within the data centre, preventing any external pollutants from entering. Furthermore, a real-time indoor environment monitoring system was implemented to detect deviations from the ASHRAE-laid standard of environmental limits of Class A1 for indoor temperature, humidity, and air quality.

  1. Enhancing cleaning protocol

A cleaning protocol has been developed for the White (SERVER) and Grey (POWER & COOLING equipment) spaces inside the Data Centre to improve surface cleaning and address dust particles and chemical contamination issues. Several internationally recognized standards and guidelines, including ISO 14644 – 1 to 9, 13, and 14, were consulted to develop a robust and effective cleaning protocol.

By combining environmental upgrades with a more rigorous cleaning regime, the data centre significantly reduced contamination and minimized the risk of server failure. This case study highlights the critical role facilities service contractors play in maintaining optimal data center environments. Partnering with a qualified contractor who understands the specific needs of cleanroom environments and implements industry best practices is essential for ensuring data center uptime and preventing costly disruptions.

Case Study – Data Center Energy Performance, Obsolescence, and Dependability Assessment

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Mission-critical data centres are the backbone of businesses, and it’s imperative to regularly assess and validate their energy performance, obsolescence, and dependability of the support utilities systems and subsystems. For telecom Businesses in regions across India, a comprehensive assessment of mobile switching and data centres was undertaken.

The comprehensive study mandated included the following components:

A process flow was mapped for the comprehensive performance assessment of the Data Centre.

1. A thorough assessment of the infrastructure’s environmental, health, and safety attributes.
• A detailed risk assessment based on indoor environmental test outcomes.
• Implementing risk mitigation measures, including enhancements to the clean room ventilation and filtration systems as necessary.
• A fire and life safety assessment to identify potential high risks and impacts on individuals and property.
2. Evaluation of site-specific location sustainability and transportation factors.
• Adequate space allocation for the Data Center and utilities to meet current and future requirements.
• Reliable availability of electricity and water sources to support present and anticipated needs.
• Assessment of location sustainability considering the risks from nearby fuel stations, concert halls, political establishments, and government institutions.
• Accessibility to renewable power sources for enhanced connectivity.
• Public transportation options within a 1.0 km radius of the site.
• Accessibility to skilled manpower from local communities.
3. Full-Time Employee (FTE) detailing and competency assessment:
• FTE detailing was conducted based on critical service needs.
• Comprehensive identification of competency and training needs.
4. Compliance with local and national regulatory guidelines includes reviewing compliance gaps concerning mandatory rules and regulations and risk mitigation actions taken over the past three years.
5. Evaluation of operations and maintenance services, including energy management, HVAC systems, water management, and waste management:
• Analysis of operating procedures and practices in alignment with governing standards and sustainability principles.
• Development of maintenance manuals for the operations team.
6. Energy performance assessment of the entire building and major critical systems (HVAC, electrical, and water):
• Evaluation of energy performance based on historical energy records.
• Baselining energy consumption for systems, sub-systems and the whole building.
• Spot measurements to identify the scope for efficiency improvement.
7. Creation of a short- and long-term capital investment business case for energy efficiency improvements on behalf of the client:
• Business case development for enhancing the energy efficiency of critical systems.
• Retrofit engineering solutions designed to improve energy and performance efficiency.
8. Dependability study of critical systems focusing on electrical power, HVAC, and water management:
• Assessment of reliability, availability, and maintainability.
• Obsolescence assessment.
9. Equipment condition assessment, which includes thermal scanning, power quality analysis, vibration and noise assessments:
• Evaluation of equipment age and reliability.
10. Capacity utilisation and forecasting for effective capacity management:
• Simple regression analysis of multiple variables to forecast the data centre’s most probable demand capacity for electricity, water, and waste management.
11. Functional criticality evaluation:
• Establishment of a functional criticality assessment based on Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) tools.
12. Perform ‘Integrated System Test’ of Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Lifts, HVAC, Fire Alarm and Suppression systems, Electronic surveillance and access control systems of the building and follow ‘Failure Reporting and Corrective Analysis System’ (FRACAS) procedure.
13. Development of a business case for capital investment projects aimed at improving, upgrading, and modifying systems and sub-systems:
• Submission of a capital investment project proposal for improvements, upgrades, and modifications.

Grading Asset Condition Survey and Action Priority

Preventive and Corrective or Improvement Maintenance Priorities

Priority 1
Failure or absence of critical elements has a direct impact on health and life safety.
Priority 2
Non-compliance with mandatory local and national statutory and legal requirements is identified.
Priority 3
Failure or absence of critical systems or sub-systems affects business operations.
Priority 4
Improvements or modifications in system or sub-system assets can enhance cost efficiency, service quality, and sustainability.

Critical Asset Condition Grading

Class A
The system/sub-system is fully operational and meets all design performance specifications without any issues.
Class B
The system/sub-system is functional and adheres to design performance standards. However, there are minor signs of wear or reduced efficiency at the equipment or component level.
Class C
The system/sub-system is still operational but shows significant degradation in condition or performance efficiency, deviating from the optimal design intent in several areas at the equipment or component level.
Class D
There is a serious risk of the imminent breakdown of critical element(s) running the risk of a major system breakdown.

Case Study Customer Satisfaction Survey

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Customer Satisfaction Survey program is one of the critical responsibilities of Integrated Facilities Management service providers. The study’s results directly reflect the overall quality, acceptability, and sustainability of the business relationship with the stakeholders and end-customers. Analysing the survey results is essential for identifying gaps in expectations, resource allocation, and associated costs and taking corrective action where necessary.

A corporate office building case study has been presented for general reference purposes. The purpose of conducting an Occupants’ Satisfaction Survey in the second year of beneficial occupancy of a newly constructed corporate building is to identify areas that require intervention from property and service stakeholders based on nuanced expectations and operational needs. The study outlines the approach, objectives, and choice of survey portfolios and analytics. An analysis of the correlation index between Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and the Net Promoter Score (NPS) was conducted to identify drivers of customer satisfaction. Additionally, a reliability analysis (Cronbach’s alpha) was performed on service scoping, service quality, service cost, customer satisfaction, and customer retention responses collected over three months to establish the statistical appropriateness of the survey data.

  1. Background

A survey was conducted for a newly constructed corporate building designed to accommodate a maximum of XXX full-time employees and serve as a global Data Centre for the business unit. A significant portion of the built-up area is dedicated to amenities such as indoor swimming pools, gymnasiums, sports centres, convention centres, and other facilities. A third-party contractor specialising in integrated facilities management services was awarded a fixed-term contract at a maximum guaranteed price.

2. Objectives

The Customer Satisfaction Survey aimed to gather constructive feedback on the services provided and identify areas for improvement. It also sought insights into the team’s competency, service inter-dependability, available resources, associated costs, and quality perceptions. The results were used to enhance the quality of services and ensure that customers’ needs are being met effectively.

3. Approach to Survey

The survey exercise was designed to comprehensively evaluate the various service elements and sub-elements contributing to the occupants’ overall workplace experience. To ensure the reliability of the results, a combination of transversal and longitudinal survey methodologies was utilised. To gain deeper insights, detailed analytics were used, including reliability and correlation studies of the online and offline surveys.

4.Customer Satisfaction Survey Analytics

The present study aimed to establish a correlation between service line key performance indicators (KPIs) and net promoter scores (NPS), along with a reliability analysis of online survey responses. The primary objective of the reliability study was to assess the survey responses for quality of service, customer satisfaction, costs, and retention rates. Through the survey analysis, we intended to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that influence customer loyalty and identify areas for improvement in service delivery. The results of this study will be instrumental in enhancing the performance of IFM service lines and ensuring a more satisfying customer experience.

Snapshot of analysis

5.Drivers, Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies

This summary outlines the critical factors for a survey exercise, including the challenges identified in the service level agreement, the opportunities available to the service team, and the strategies developed for an improvement program. The program aims to achieve efficient service delivery, optimise cost, and improve client experience.

The program has assessed the subjective and nuanced feedback of occupants and stakeholders through the Customer Satisfaction Survey. The identified challenges include inadequate budgeting, poor soft skills of the delivery team, and insufficient documentation of scoping service deliverables, which have been prioritised and require immediate attention. On the other hand, opportunities for improvement have been identified, such as leveraging the IFM service team’s familiarity with building systems and sub-systems. Strategies have been developed to enhance the delivery team’s resourcefulness and justify the enhancement in the allocated budget.

6. Survey Outcome and Improvement Program

The Customer Satisfaction Survey exercise was a huge success, achieving primary outcomes that included sanitising the Service Level Agreement with detailed service deliverable inclusions and exclusions, improving the service quality index, optimising costs, enhancing the occupants’ workplace experience, and retaining business. By evaluating customer satisfaction and identifying areas that required improvement, necessary actions were taken to improve the overall experience.

Building Water Sustainability Assessment

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Every drop is conserved, a future preserved.

Interesting facts about water use in commercial sectors (buildings and industrial units).

Water efficiency is a pivotal logistics support system indicator for ensuring a sustainable business operating environment. Optimal water usage yields environmental sustainability for the infrastructure within and surrounding business premises. Responsible business administration necessitates policies and goals aligned with sustainability principles.

Background –

In this article, we will be presenting a case study of operational business units located across various states in India belonging to a single corporate entity. The Corporate Office facility in Delhi is a large commercial building. The Corporate facility and other state business units offer employees various amenities like swimming pools, sports centres, and more. Each business unit facility has landscaping, car parking, and technical space for Data Centres. Performance modelling of water-use efficiency was deemed necessary to understand operational needs better, establish performance indicators and develop roadmaps for improvement projects.

Objective –

Align water management with sustainability principles. Pre-audit the preparation of business unit facilities across India for the Sustainability Certification program.

Our approach

  1. Preliminary information was collected from the respective site.

2. The water balance framework of each facility was structured into three levels.

Sourced Water = Water used + Water discharged (wasted)

3. The water efficiency assessment for each facility was conducted based on four end-use indicators.

4. Analysing

During the survey, 90% of the buildings were found to have potential disruptive issues.

5. Water Management Key Performance Indicators

  • Water sourcing and availability
  • Water network availability
  • Water Quality
  • Water-use and re-use intensity
  • Wastewater discharge

6. Reporting

 

Case Study – Renewable and efficient heating scheme for Olympic-size Swimming Pool

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Objectives:

To provide a better swimming experience for customers, it is crucial to maintain a stable pool temperature of 26 degrees Celsius (+/- 2 degrees Celsius) all year round. In addition, at least 40% of the energy used to heat the pool water must come from renewable sources and waste heat recovery systems. A case study of a swimming pool heating system improvement project for a condominium is presented, offering a concept and project brief for retrofitting available heat sources within the building, which can be used as a general reference.
Keep in mind that the heating dynamics of the swimming pool will depend on several environmental, geographical, and construction factors, as well as usage patterns.

  • Challenges:
    A recurring issue exists with the malfunction of heat pumps and electrical heating elements installed to sustain the swimmers’ preferred comfortable temperature. As the occupancy of the residential flats within the condominium has risen, the utilisation of the swimming pools has become continuous, operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the year. During the colder months, swimmers necessitate a pleasant pool water temperature. The costs associated with repairing and replacing electric heating elements and mechanical components of the current heat pump units are considerable, in addition to the elevated energy expenses incurred.
  • Assessment of site condition:
    Swimming Pool –
    indoor Olympic-size Swimming Pool
    Indoor Air Change per Hour 6.0
    Inlet Water temperature varies from winter to summer between 100C to 200C.
    Indoor temperature at 27 +/-2 deg C
    Indoor Relative Humidity at 55 +/- 5%
    The condominium has a commercial-grade kitchen operating 24/7/365 days.
    Rooftop clear space is available for solar water heater units.
    Opportunities for decarbonisation and energy efficiency improvement:
    Retrofitting an existing commercial-grade kitchen exhaust system with a waste heat recovery system and using it to heat the pool water.
    Rooftop solar water heater
    Air to Water Heat Pump.
  • Project Conception:
    Target:
    To maintain the pool water temperature at 26°C (+/- 2°C) consistently throughout the day and night, every day of the year.
    The rate of change in pool water temperature under operational conditions is around 5 to 7 degrees Celsius in 24 hours.
    The share of renewable energy must be at least 40% of the total energy input for water heating.
    Improve Energy efficiency and reduce Carbon footprint.
    To achieve a Simple Pay-back Period of less than 3.0 Years
    Reduce operating costs.

The heat pumps have been resized and connected in a series to meet the necessary base load for heating the pool water. During periods of high demand, other sources, such as commercial kitchen heat recovery, solar water heaters, and electrical heating units, are utilised to meet the required amount.

    • Each heating source is connected to a series of thermal storage tanks designed to discharge high volumes of water at relatively low temperatures.
      Pool water temperature control:
      The Thermal storage water tanks are installed with demand-sensing hot water recirculation controls.
      Sensors, valves, and actuators are calibrated and wired to the BMS.
      The PID system is tuned to prioritise, schedule, and optimise the operation of the hot water generator network.
      Performance trending is captured and analysed to assess operational demand and respond to requirements within pre-set values.
  • Estimates and assumptions.
    • The average pool water temperature requirement increase is 5 (+/-) 2 deg C in 24 hours.
      Heating Requirement:
      The demand for heat throughout the year is constantly monitored and referenced to control heat-sourcing systems. The heat pump is specifically designed to meet the base demand load. The Rooftop Solar Heater and the Kitchen Exhaust Waste Heat Recovery system supply the remaining amount.
  • Pool Heating Equipment and system integration

Thermal Storage Tank

A thermal storage tank is designed to accommodate the heat-up demand load 24/7, 365 days a year. Its thermal storage capacity adequately accommodates a one-day storage cycle during peak demand. During off-peak hours, the hot water feed is repurposed in the facility’s service utilities. Sizing the storage tank, operating strategy, and controlling design require detailed engineering analysis of hourly and seasonal operational demands.

Inverter Heat Pump (Packaged Air to Water)
The fan and compressor run at variable speeds controlled by the temperature at the thermal water storage tank outlet.
Electrical Coil Heaters assist Heat Pumps in bridging the gap with the set temperature of pool water.
The cascaded heat pump system works with other hot water sources, such as the rooftop solar and heat recovery system for the kitchen exhaust. This heat feeds into the thermal storage tank to reduce cycling and maintain stability.

Rooftop Solar Water Heater (Low-temperature commercial application)
A flat plate collector-type solar water heater has been chosen.
Easy to install.
Less affected by environmental conditions (dust, rain, hail, etc)
Durability – estimated 15 years working life.
Efficient heat conversion
Each Flat Plate collector requires an area of approximately 2.0m2 and can heat approximately 100 L water to 60 deg C at an ambient temperature of 14 deg C.

Run Around Coil Exchanger (from Commercial Kitchen Exhaust)
The kitchen exhaust temperature is estimated to be between 100 to 200 degC.
Controlled fluid flow is improvised with the ‘Run Around Coil Exchanger’.
Seasonal net efficiency is between 45 to 50%
Heat recovery efficiency is controllable.
Eliminate possibilities of smoke and odour recirculation
Higher cost compared to Heat Wheel recovery system.

  • Performance Assessment:
    BMS-controlled operating modes yield the desired outcome.
    Temperature and flow sensors and controllers at the thermal storage tank and across Heat exchangers are calibrated and functional.
    Hourly, daily, and monthly logs are maintained for operational review.
    Prioritisation and selection of hot water sourcing meet the requirements of the day.
    Customer Survey is conducted periodically.
  • Outcome of Performance Assessment:
    Reduced energy consumption annually.
    Average renewable energy sourcing > **%.
    Carbon footprint reduced by **%
    Simple Pay-back period < *.* years.
    Improved Customer satisfaction.

Case Study: Operations resource planning and budgeting for Office Facility Management

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Overview:
Operations resource planning can be daunting for a facility manager, especially for a newly constructed corporate office facility with a footprint of over one million square feet. In this case, the Facility Manager should collaborate with the property owner, investors, end users, and other stakeholders to plan and estimate resource allocation and budgeting. The facility manager can implement sustainable solutions and ensure a comfortable work environment by carefully focusing on the business objectives, environmental boundary coordinates, and end users’ needs.

Context:
The office facility has been constructed to centralise operations across various regions at a single location, following the business’s sustainability policies and principles. Currently, the built facility operates at 70% of its designed capacity. A professional team has been awarded a service contract to manage and oversee ‘hard and soft’ services, which include cleaning, operational maintenance of amenities, event management, fleet management, landscaping, management of residential units, technological spaces, building maintenance services, ground maintenance, and environmental, health, and safety management.

Approach to Resource Planning and Budgeting in Facility Management:

We developed a facility management framework intricately designed to synchronise operational metrics with overarching business objectives. This comprehensive framework hinged on several key determinants:

1. Strategic Factors: Service needs criticality, determining systems criticality, impact of potential failures of critical systems, occupancy rates, usage patterns, resource availability, cost-effectiveness, and brand reputation are paramount considerations.
2. Resource Planning Metrics: Our methodology comprised assessments of resource specificity and availability, logistics bottlenecks, regional property benchmarks, operational metrics, and predictive analysis of space, energy, water, waste management, and staffing requirements.
3. Budget Estimation and Variance Analysis: We establish pre-start budgets as baselines, gauging variances using real-time inputs and conducting rigorous analytical reviews. We then use statistical methods to analyse the influences of independent variables, including business needs, seasonal fluctuations, building occupancy levels, and operational space, on resource demands such as person-hours, specialised skills, energy, water, waste, consumables, and equipment.
4. Data-Driven Efficiency Improvements: We leverage real-time data analysis to identify intervention opportunities to enhance energy and water efficiencies within the building infrastructure.
5. Stakeholder Engagement and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Periodic Customer Satisfaction surveys conducted after occupancy and collaborative workshops and dialogues help us set KPIs that align with our business policies and strategies.
6. Lifecycle Cost Analysis: Critical high-cost elements undergo rigorous lifecycle cost analyses, particularly in retrofit engineering interventions, digitalisation, and energy efficiency enhancement programs.
Our meticulous resource planning and budgeting approach ensures alignment with business goals while continually seeking innovative ways to optimise efficiency, sustainability, and operational effectiveness.

Resource Allocation:
Resources were categorised under three heads, Man-hours, Consumables, and Equipment, to operate and maintain the property and facility. Functional portfolios were allocated resources to support service-level requirements and end-user customer satisfaction. Detailed task analysis identified required person-hours and skill sets, in-house capabilities, and opportunities for operational efficiency improvements across portfolios. Careful consideration of implementing digitised tools into operations and maintenance services improved operations transactions and quality for clients. The target of resource optimisation was achieved by 20% compared to traditional industry practice.

Budgeting:
We used a zero-based budgeting approach for cost elements, including energy, staffing, repairs and maintenance, annual maintenance contracts, amenities services, environmental and safety audits and certifications, parking management, and property taxes. By collaborating with stakeholders and conducting workshops to deliberate on avoidable resource inputs and cross-functional service delivery models, we reduced fixed and variable occupancy costs by 10% per unit.

Business Sectors in SL Consulting

Case Study: Air-gapped network for Helpdesk and Job Order Management

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Challenge:

As construction of the Corporate Office facility transitioned to the entire operation, occupancy skyrocketed to 70%. With the Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) still in development, a surge in service requests, complaints, and inaccuracies overwhelmed manual processes. Data privacy concerns further limited third-party involvement in digitalisation efforts.

 Information and data boundaries:

  • Third-party collection of asset and employee-specific data was restricted due to privacy and security policies.

Solution:

 An air-gapped network, completely isolated from external connections, was designed to address these challenges. This ensured data security while enabling efficient service management.

 Approach to architecture framework and solutions:

  • Target data and service
    • Building asset and locational data
    • Criticality and SLA-based classification of assets and services
    • Response and resolution information
    • Key Performance Indicators
      • Job Requests per month
      • Resolved Job Requests within SLA-based timeframes
      • Deferred and unresolved/unattended job requests
      • Resources, person-hours and costs associated per job request
      • Customer Satisfaction
    • Management
      • Software selection
        • Helpdesk ticketing and workflow management
        • Asset Management
        • Mobile applications
        • Interoperability with BMS, IWMS
        • User-friendly and customisable
        • Future upgrades
        • Associated costs – day one implementation, annual support, future upgrades
      • Software application
        • Asset criticality
        • Compliance with SLA and KPI-based analytics
        • Analytics to classify and indicate the real-time status of Job request
        • Location-based service capabilities and Geographic information system
      • Communication network
        • Network selection
          • Network coverage and reliability
          • Network bandwidth and latency
          • Scalability
          • Customer Support
          • Costs associated
        • Wired and Wireless Cellular network – 5G
        • Unlimited end-user interfaces on desktop and mobile handset
      • Knowledge Management Framework
        • Historical data-based trend analysis
        • Real-time data trending
        • Real-time dynamic information management
        • Predictive analysis
        • Forecasting demand energy, footfall, service requests
      • Resources
        • On-site SERVER
        • Helpdesk Operator to provide 24/7 coverage
      • Security
        • Private Cloud – Deployment of a dedicated on-site server for employee and asset-specific information.
        • Personally Identifiable Information and building asset data encryption, identity management, and role-based access control to the network.
        • Geo-fenced, access-controlled mobile/tablet application for the Facility Operations Service team.
        • Compliance and alignment with Information Security and Management Systems (ISMS standards – ISO 27000 family of standards and guidelines).

Project Assessment:

  • Networking protocols:
    • Secure and standardised protocols minimised vulnerabilities.
  • On-site data storage:
    • The private cloud ensures complete data control and security.
  • Carrier choice:
    • Site-specific considerations like availability and latency informed carrier selection.
  • Benefits:
    • Significant improvements in service quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness were observed, along with enhanced customer satisfaction.
  • Challenges:
    • Execution complexities, Higher initial costs and ongoing management considerations exist.

Quantified Benefits:

  • 25% reduction in average service response time
  • 30% decrease in monthly service requests due to predictive maintenance
  • 15% improvement in customer satisfaction scores

Conclusion:

Despite initial challenges, this air-gapped network transformed service management within the facility. Data security was preserved while achieving significant operational efficiencies and cost savings, demonstrating the effectiveness of innovative solutions in overcoming complex problems.

Case Study: Resolving Mould Formation in a High-Rise Building

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Overview:

 

The challenge presented itself in a high-rise building encompassing both residential and multi-purpose commercial spaces. The buildings aged between 20 and 25 years were coupled with prevailing hot and humid climatic conditions in the sub-tropical zone. An average outdoor relative humidity of 59% and temperatures ranging between 34°C and 25°C year-round – mould formation and high indoor humidity were prevalent.

 

Problem Identification: The indoor environment quality was compromised, maintaining a room temperature between 21°C and 24°C. Notably, indoor humidity consistently remained between 90% and 95% for over 90 days per year, leading to frequent condensation on air inlet diffusers and mould growth on household items, furniture, and walls within the apartments. The persistent mould issue raised concerns among occupants throughout the year.

 

Root Causes: Several factors contributed to the indoor humidity, including behavioural, design, and maintenance issues. Behavioural patterns of apartment occupants, such as leaving bathroom doors open after showering, indoor clothes drying, and failure to activate inline exhaust fans, were identified as significant contributors. Furthermore, design issues resulting in negative pressure across the building allowed the outside wind to infiltrate through window seals. Additionally, inadequate maintenance practices, including poorly maintained air conditioning systems and breakdowns in the Fresh Air Handling Unit, exacerbated the problem.

  • Over-cooling lowered indoor surface temperature below the dew point temperature, usually around 150 C, Causing condensation over more than 90 days in a year.

 

Remediation and Prevention Measures: To address the multifaceted challenge, a comprehensive approach was adopted:

  1. Occupant Awareness: Circulation of informational flyers detailing necessary precautions and vigilance for occupants to maintain a conducive indoor environment.
  2. Building Structural Improvements: Identify and repair air infiltration areas to ensure a positive indoor pressure of at least 0.1 inHg. Repairs and replacements of components within FCU boxes were undertaken, alongside thorough indoor air duct cleaning.
  3. System Enhancements: Restoration of operational status to Fresh Air Fans, facilitating the influx of fresh air into the building. Application of waterproofing wall paints to interior walls and re-insulation of chilled water piping to prevent further moisture ingress.
  4. Building Integrity Assurance: Ensuring air tightness within the building to prevent external elements from compromising indoor environmental conditions.

 

Outcome: By addressing behavioural, design, and maintenance shortcomings through a combination of awareness campaigns, structural enhancements, system improvements, and building integrity assurance, the indoor environment quality significantly improved. Condensation on air inlet diffusers reduced, and the persistent mould formation issue abated, creating a healthier and more comfortable living and working environment for building occupants.

-> Case Study of Resolving Mould Formation in a High-Rise Building