Provides reference information on mechanical building services to clients and professionals

BSRIA, a consultancy, test, instruments and research organisation, which provides services for construction, building services and facilities management, has announced the publication of Illustrated Guide to Mechanical Building Services (BG 31/2012). The new publication is an update to its earlier guide, AG 15/2002, and has been available for purchase since April 23, the announcement added. As with the previous edition, it provides basic reference information on mechanical building services systems for clients and professionals in the construction industry, and covers areas of HVAC and controls, BSRIA claimed.

According to BSRIA, information in the following areas has been added in the new edition:

• Pumps
• Pressurisation
• Low-carbon heat sources
• MVHR systems
• Commissioning, handover and project evaluation

The publisher lists the following highlights and benefits of the new guide:

• For construction clients, the guide provides a simple insight into the main system options discussed during the briefing process.
• It can also help clients to identify and raise technical questions which they feel are relevant to their organisation’s specific needs.
• For construction professionals, the guide provides a quick reference to building services systems and can assist their working knowledge of the subject.
• For those new to the industry and non-experts, it provides a valuable introduction to the basics of building services systems.
• To ensure the guide is simple and quick to use, a brief overview of each system is provided, followed by a list of key points.
• Photographs and drawings are used to help explain the appearance and operation of each system.
• The book is priced at £50 to non-members and £25 to BSRIA members.
• It can be purchased alone or with BSRIA’s other illustrated guides and is also available as a licenced version in Microsoft Word format.

Disclaimer: The design team’s role includes assessing and recommending appropriate design solutions for a given project. The guide, therefore, does not aim to provide a route for system selection other than to point out typical applications for many of the systems covered.

A new edition of a companion guide, Illustrated Guide to Electrical Building Services, is due to be published later this year, which will provide the latest information on electrical systems, including power supply and distribution, fire detection and alarm systems, security systems, lighting systems, uninterruptible power supplies and structured cabling, BSRIA revealed.