By samsontam@me.com Asset Enhancement • Real Estate 0 Comments

Another “Wake Up Call” for Building Maintenance

The maintenance issue is always a big topic for discussion all over the world. Although many engineers and specialists have given their point of view to show the importance of building maintenance, people always neglect the inspection report and not taking it seriously. Here is another “Wake Up Call” for us with the accident in Florida condo Collapse.

According to command7, it states that why a lot of facility managers react to problems as opposed to being proactive. It’s not hard to see why—with all of the pressure that there is to save money wherever possible, maintenance can often take a back seat to more immediate concerns. The problem is that waiting until something is broken to fix it is possibly cheaper in the short term, but can lead to an expensive surprise later on. Source: https://command7.com/importance-building-repair-maintenance-services/

Also from Ivor H. Seeley in his book” Building Maintenance” states that the building maintenance issue is being neglected.

“Major Structural Damage” in Champlain Towers

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/25/miami-condo-collapse-what-happened-latest

According to The Washington Post, an engineer warned in October 2018 that he had discovered “major structural damage” to a concrete slab below the pool deck in the section of the Champlain Towers South condominium building that collapsed Thursday, killing at least four and leaving scores trapped, according to records released by local authorities late Friday.

 

Source: Structural Field Survey Report – https://www.townofsurfsidefl.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/town-clerk-documents/champlain-towers-south-public-records/8777-collins-ave—structural-field-survey-report.pdf?sfvrsn=882a1194_2

Source: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article252421658.html

Kit Miyamoto, a veteran Los Angeles-based structural engineer who specializes in structural resilience, said that a pillar or column supporting the building appeared to have failed. Corrosion by the salty air or a “differential settlement,” meaning differences between how sides of the building were sitting on the land, could have caused a pillar to collapse, he said.

“This is truly a classic failure of a column,” said Miyamoto, chief executive of Miyamoto International, a global earthquake and structural engineering firm. “It was supporting many stories and that’s why it happened very suddenly.”

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/champlain-towers-south-surfside/2021/06/26/a509519a-d5de-11eb-a53a-3b5450fdca7a_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F34057fa%2F60d74d179d2fda8060e92572%2F596bd281ae7e8a44e7de95cc%2F11%2F72%2F60d74d179d2fda8060e92572

A ” Better Way” to understand the building condition

In GBE, we use the new technology to show our findings during the inspection in order to make our clients understand more about their unit or property condition. After the inspection, it always needs to act fast for repairing and maintenance for keeping the property in a good condition. Here are some examples of how GBE perform our findings in our inspection through Matterport.

By samsontam@me.com Building Technology 0 Comments

Visual Information Technology in Surveying and Engineering Industries – Part 1

Visual information is always the most direct way for human beings to understand and explore the world. In the past, human beings used drawings for recording history and details. All this visual information can help people nowadays to understand the information and imagine the visual world.

Image is one of the most important records in both surveying and engineering which used for monitoring the progress and review the findings throughout site inspection. More photo records which will help to indicate more details refer to the drawings. Therefore, a good practice of site inspection; photos taking is always a key factor which may affect the progress and follow up actions for all projects.

Importance of Visual Information

According to “YourStory”, humans are wired to respond to visuals more than just text. As visual content is easier to consume and digest.

  • Around 50-80 percent of the human brain is dedicated to visual processing such as vision, visual memory, colours, shapes, movement, patterns, spatial awareness, and image recollection. (Reports The Wiley Network)
  • Visuals with colour increase people’s willingness to read a piece of content by 80 percent. (Reports – Saurage Research)
  • If you hear a piece of information, you might remember only 10 percent of it. Adding a picture to that results in a rise of recall up to 65 percent. (Source – Brainrules.net)
  • Posts inclusive of images produce 650 percent higher engagement than text-only posts. (Source – Pinterest)
  • It takes only 150 milliseconds for us to a process and image, and then another 100 milliseconds for us to attach any meaning to it. (Reports – Canva)
  • People following directions with text and illustrations do 323 percent better than people following directions without illustrations. (Source – Pinterest)

Credit: https://yourstory.com/2018/04/scientific-reasons-visual-marketing?utm_pageloadtype=scroll

Credit: http://www.iscribblers.com/infographics/5-scientific-reasons-people-are-wired-to-respond-to-visual-marketing/

From Drawings to Photography

As visual information is so important for humans in learning process. Our ancient used drawings to record the history since stone age which helps us to understand the past.

Credit: https://vestnikkavkaza.net/upload2/2017-01-13/180b9ee15b8c4384cd6b36e2cd51c377.jpg

Panoramic drawings become more popular which gave people a great impression for easier understand the information that painter want to deliver. Famous panoramic drawings can be found worldwide, such as “Along The River During the Qingming Festival” (China), Barker’s London panorama of 1792, from the top of the Albion Mills (UK).

Credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Panorama_of_London_Barker.jpg

Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwMwDYEfMy0&feature=youtu.be

Drawing is a good source of visual information that can record the moment and reflect the details; however, drawings completion may lead a long time to complete and all details are from painters’ memory only.

Photo is another good source for recording and faster in the workflow. Photography technology and also computer software have been developed into a next-generation which help all stakeholders to study and learn deeply with site situation. Location, time, measurement information are also be able to capture by today’s technology.

In the past, film cameras are used for photo taking which will be limited due to cost and photography skills by the site staff. Most photos taking will be either whole shot and defects, not enough details can be shown in those photos.  Since photography technology has been improved a lot, the digital camera has taken the industry practice to the next generation. In the same situation with drawings, people always want to take more details in one shot in order to show more information and surrounding.

A panoramic view of the construction of the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre.

Credit: Architekten Bernhardt + Partner (www.bp-da.de)

With the aid of technology, split-screen panoramic photo comparison enables remote stakeholders to check and communicate with each other remotely in the same platform. Such technology can resolve conflicts and misunderstandings during the construction process. Those photo records can also be stored for facilities management to use for repair and maintenance purposes.

In the next chapter, we will go through more new technologies to show how the new cameras can help in site inspection and measurement.

 

 

By samsontam@me.com Asset Enhancement 0 Comments

Condensation Issue in Building – Part 1

Unwanted condensation can cause the building damage and also affect human health. In Hong Kong, condensation is a common problem which almost every single owner has to deal with. Temperature difference and high humidity are the main causes lead to condensation occurs.

Condensation is created when warm moist air begins to cool down and the moisture is released. This moisture then settles on cold surfaces making them damp. This can happen quickly when warm moisture in the air connects with cold air or surfaces, such as having a shower and the steam from the shower hits the cold window or mirror making it wet to touch, this is condensation.

Source: https://www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/homes-property/council-housing/repairs-maintenance/docs/condensation/Condensation%20in%20your%20home.pdf?v=201910291603#:~:text=Condensation%20is%20created%20when%20warm,and%20the%20moisture%20is%20released.&text=This%20can%20happen%20quickly%20when,to%20touch%2C%20this%20is%20condensation.

Information from Hong Kong Observatory

March and April are milder although there are occasional spells of high humidity. Fog and drizzle can be particularly troublesome on high ground which is exposed to the southeast, and air traffic and ferry services are occasionally disrupted because of reduced visibility. May to August are hot and humid with occasional showers and thunderstorms, particularly during the mornings. Afternoon temperatures often exceed 31 Degree C whereas at night, temperatures generally remain around 26 Degree C with high humidity. There is usually a fine dry spell in July which may possibly last for one to two weeks, or for even longer in some years.

Source: https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/cis/climahk.htm

 

On average, May is the most humid.

On average, December is the least humid month.

The average annual percentage of humidity is: 77.0%

Source: https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Humidity-perc,Hong-Kong,Hong-Kong

Due to such high temperature and high humidity environment in Hong Kong, condensation will be easily occurs if lack of consideration in daily operation and usage of room. GBE has deal with many condensation cases caused by lack of communication in design stage and also in wrong material selection. With an detailed study and planning before design stage which can help in material selection and insulation. Also, the heat source from outside the unit or building will be needed to consider through out the design process.

Negative pressure in building which may cause a big effect of condensation as the hot air from outside collide with the cold air within the building. Many people deal with condensation problem with balancing the temperature and humidity difference between indoor air with outdoor air by ventilation. However, such measure is not practical when outside air is in high humidity which the ventilation system is not sufficient for get away the moisture within the area as the high humidity air will get through the window to indoor by negative pressure.

Source: https://basc.pnnl.gov/sites/default/files/images/HVAC515_whlbldgvent4_DS_1-10-13.jpg

The above image show that the exhaust-only ventilation only system may cause negative pressure which can easily made the outdoor air to the building or unit. In below example, a cold storage with 24 hours A/C control store room which was found with condensation problem with hot air getting through from outdoor air by negative pressure. The owner has installed a few dehumidifiers which were not sufficient to get rid of the moisture as the hot air from outdoor is non-stoppable. In such case, the high cost in electricity usage and also high maintenance cost may affect the owner in daily operation. GBE has studied and apply the insulation to stop the hot air to get in from the electrical cable duct and also can save the cost for running the dehumidifiers and prevent the rusting effect at the electrical cable duct. 

By samsontam@me.com Building Technology 0 Comments

WFH – Network Router Selection For Your Home

WFH is an acronym for “work from home” which describes work being done remotely, instead of at an office. The acronym “WFH” is used as a nickname for the concept. Many organizations transitioned their employees from the office to WFH during the Coronavirus global pandemic.

Source: https://www.walkme.com/glossary/wfh/#:~:text=WFH%20is%20an%20acronym%20for,during%20the%20Coronavirus%20global%20pandemic.

Online meeting tools become the most important tool for connectivity with colleagues, clients, and bosses for updating the work status, progress, and so on. However, a smooth video conference and clear images and presentation may involve a lot of data during the meeting. Network connectivity becomes a key issue that may need to consider in order to provide a suitable and efficient environment for WFH activities.   Most of the homes in Hong Kong nowadays use wireless networks for their network connection. Therefore, the WiFi router has played a key role in the wireless network connection between all mobile devices, computers, and also many electrical appliances with home automation control functions.

Undoubtedly the wifi data is profoundly important to all mankind worldwide. Whilst every effort is spent to develop the mobile connectivity, few have been concerned with the indoor wifi connection, particularly in reinforced concrete partitioned apartments like Hong Kong where the wifi is hard to cover the entire apartment due to the building material in Hong Kong are mainly concrete and brick wall.

Source: https://eyenetworks.no/en/wifi-signal-loss-by-material/

According to eyenetworks.no, Concrete, with and without metal reinforcement, is one of the worst building materials for wireless signals to pass through, but masonry blocks and bricks can also be serious barriers for Wi-Fi. Plywood and drywall come close to zero signal loss in tests.

Source: https://support.batrium.com/article/94-wifi-troubleshooting

The selection of the router system becomes a critical issue for most of the home users which may need to plan it carefully and understand the home condition in order to choose the best wireless network solution.

 

The above example shows what WiFi signal strength would look like with and without building walls. The red colors represent a signal strength too low for good WiFi connectivity. To achieve a good connection, WiFi has to overcome barriers and obstacles – some of which can’t be eliminated by simply purchasing a new wireless router.

Source: https://www.metageek.com/training/resources/dead-spots-slow-zones.html

Nowadays, many router manufacturer has develop their own mesh system and app for easy setup and config in order to meet the specific usage of users. Like Asus from above diagram which shows the new Ai Mesh system which can be used widely in their new router system which may able to set up easily in one entire SSID for login and config.

“AiMesh is an innovative feature that connects multiple compatible ASUS routers to create a whole-home WiFi network. It’s a flexible and scalable solution that enables you to mix different ASUS router models, so when it’s time to upgrade your network, there’s no need to get rid of your existing hardware. Whenever you need more coverage or want new functionality, just add another compatible router to your AiMesh network at any time.” -https://www.asus.com/Microsite/AiMesh/en/

Other manufacturers like Tp-link which has still developed the HomePlug system which can transfer up to 1300Mps. Homeplug network system is a good network system especially in the situation of the thick walls which may not easy to let the WiFi signal pass through. However, the HomePlug network system mainly relies on the strength of your electrical cabling system which the performance can be impacted by home power usage.

Some organizations like airports or shopping malls, they install the “AP” access point for widening the coverage but the wifi speed is doubtful and diminishing. GBE sees these issues and enhances our tenancy experience by enriching the wifi coverage INSIDE the apartment with the latest technology like mesh WiFi system and HomePlug network system which sounds common but tricky to utilize. This does demand some local and in-field commissioning and testing for gearing toward most satisfaction coverage to each corner like bathroom, walk-in closet, powder room, and the most important is to cover the maid room too.

By samsontam@me.com Asset Enhancement 0 Comments

Electrical Riser Replacement for Chiller System – Commercial Building

Electrical riser replacement is one of the critical repairing items for buildings. Lack of planning and design may lead to serious issues such as power supply failure, equipment failure, and so on.  The Chiller system is one of the important facilities which can affect the owners and tenants during the summer period especially the summer temperature become higher and higher compare to ten years before.  The maintenance schedule may also be affected due to such weather change and shorten the period of time for repairing and maintenance. Therefore, the replacement and repairing works can only be scheduled during December to March. Planning for temporary electricity supply is one of the most critical issues which will affect tenant and daily operation. Weekend and night time will be the best options for such replacement in order to minimize the affection to tenants and owners.  Phase by phase schedule has to be well planned for continuous air conditioning supply is also important to prevent sudden power or equipment failure. Preserve enough time for a test run is also important for preventing any kind of accident in the daytime. Planning and design carefully is always the most important part of project management.

 

 

By samsontam@me.com Building Technology • • 0 Comments

Regular Drainage Piping Inspection for Building

 

Regular pipe inspection is one of the important preventive maintenance for all buildings. During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), all residential buildings may experience high usage of water as most of the people have to stay at home for work and daily life. The drainage pipe system may easily get blocked and the aging problem during this period, CCTV inspection can help to monitor the condition of piping system which can find out the potential problems.

The inner coating of the epoxy drainage pipes has been designed to withstand most chemical stress and resist abrasion. Made of an epoxy-resin regularly assessed, this coating benefits from continuous improvement to meet wastewater drainage increasing constraints. Its smooth surface enhances flow capacity and prevents incrustations and deposits. However, the workmanship may affect the piping durability and also create the risk of clogging. Therefore, close monitoring for replacement workmanship is also an important issue to prevent risk.

 

By samsontam@me.com Market Insight • • • • 0 Comments

Larry Fink Sees More Remote Work Hampering Commercial Real Estate

GBE <> Remote Working space
It becomes very obvious the future office works will be displaced by the home-office , block-chain, cloud storage and app, 5G connectivity. The commercial floor space needs to evolve into the screen-based environment to pull the workforce back together.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-23/fink-sees-more-remote-work-hampering-commercial-real-estate?fbclid=IwAR03m8WCLnAFfbxpGFCWHFQaiyap0lqOeHMz8MXxilyGdUQBod1PyhFvxgY

Thank to Bloomberg.com

By samsontam@me.com Market Insight 0 Comments

Market Insight from Mckinsey

GBE <> #Mckinsey . GBE loves reading . The articles presented by Mckinsey. Coincidently, our allied #selfstorage partner , #coliving operators, #chainstored corporation all may find interesting. GBE webs the economic factors to technical upside of asset

https://www.mckinsey.com/…/commercial-real-estate-must-do-m…

Commercial real estate must do more than merely adapt to coronavirus
April 2020 | Article
By Vaibhav Gujral, Robert Palter, Aditya Sanghvi, and Brian Vickery