Category: Ideation

A game-changer in the wireless communications industry, 5G represents the fifth generation of cellular connectivity and a significant leap forward in performance compared to 4G and LTE. However, in order to plan for its impact in industries such as healthcare, smart cities and commercial buildings, we have to understand its opportunities, limitations and design challenges.

 What is 5G?

First, it’s important to differentiate 5G from other wireless communication protocols such as Wi-Fi.

5G (along with previous standards like 3G, 4G and LTE) is a standard for wireless cellular communications, and uses licensed frequency bands which must be purchased by the carrier. Wi-Fi, on the other hand, refers to technologies commonly used for wireless local area networking – connecting users to a building or residential network which is often owned and operated by the building owner. Wi-Fi uses unlicensed frequency bands which are available for anyone to use, and which can result in an increased risk of signal interference. The new 5G standard augments existing Wi-Fi and LTE standards rather than replacing them – in fact, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is set to also dramatically change the performance of Wi-Fi communications.

With that in mind, let’s look at how 5G differs from previous generations of cellular technology:

  • Latency, or the amount of time it takes for information to travel from the sender to the receiver is reduced to a theoretical <1 millisecond end-to-end, which is on par with many wired networks. As a comparison, typical home Wi-Fi latency is 2-5 milliseconds, and cable/DSL connections can have latency up to 100 milliseconds. Reduced latency increases the responsiveness for applications like self-driving cars, and can help data speeds appear higher to the end user.
  • 5G supports a higher density of users (up to 1 million per square kilometre or 100 times the density of previous generations). This is a limitation of many existing networks and key to supporting the expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the myriad connected devices carried by people all over the world.
  • Transmission speed, or the amount of data that can be sent in a given period of time, is increased from a maximum of 1Gbps with LTE to a theoretical limit of 10-100Gpbs with 5G. It is anticipated that actual speeds will be an estimated 200Mbps-1Gbps in the field, which is still significantly higher than what most users experience with LTE.
  • Ultra-high reliability of 99.999%, which translates into downtime of less than 5 minutes and 15 seconds per year, and meets the typical standard for mission-critical data centres and networks.
  • Reduced power consumption, which is key for extending the life of battery-powered field devices and IoT.

Although most users won’t notice the difference, 5G also uses different radio frequencies from past standards. Current cellular protocols typically operate on radio frequencies between 1900MHz and 2700MHz; however, 5G uses two distinctly different frequency bands: below 6GHz, which supports standard cellular connectivity (600-700MHz and 3.5GHz in Canada), and above 6GHz, which is focused on point-to-point data transfer (millimetre wave or 28-35GHz) and can only be used for line-of-sight applications. This change has implications for existing infrastructure, as radio frequency communications are highly dependent on the hardware that supports them.

When is it coming?

Frequency auctions are already happening across North America and Europe. Canadian 600MHz frequencies were auctioned off in early 2019, and higher frequencies, including 3.5GHz, are expected to be auctioned in late 2020 and early 2021. Bell Media and Rogers Communications are expected to be the major players at the 3.5GHz auction in Canada, while Ericsson, Qualcomm and other major US cellular carriers indicate that they are ready with 5G infrastructure and can deploy as soon as they own the rights to the frequencies. Some carriers in the US have already launched 5G networks on the 3.5GHz frequency band, and some frequency bands above 6GHz have been auctioned off as well, with more to come later in 2021.

What is the potential impact of 5G on the design, construction and real estate industries?

5G has the potential to support radical advances in technology, and is anticipated to become the new standard for wireless mobile connectivity. However, it doesn’t replace wired networks which still set the standard on data transfer and latency, or Wi-Fi, which uses unlicensed frequency bands to distribute wireless connectivity throughout a building, often at a significantly lower cost per gigabyte.

So where is 5G anticipated to have the greatest impact?

While typical cellular users will experience enhanced performance, better connectivity and higher data speeds, the impact of 5G will mostly be experienced by devices rather than people. Devices such as self-driving cars and robotics which must be able to analyze and react quickly to situations will benefit from the low latency of new technology, and high-bandwidth mobile applications such as virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR) will make use of the increased data transmission speeds. 5G also has the capability to connect to a greater number of devices and use less power than previous generations, opening up a wealth of opportunity in the effortless deployment of battery-powered, highly mobile and flexible networks of 5G sensors and devices without the need for additional wiring.

Healthcare: the reliability of 5G connections is well suited to supporting critical healthcare applications, such as continuous monitoring. Higher data transmission speeds will be instrumental in facilitating high-mobility communications for telemedicine, data collection, predictive analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence. The ultra-low latency wireless connections will also support applications like mobile robotic surgery and virtual reality.

Commercial and Smart Buildings: the explosion of connected devices within buildings will rely heavily on the increased density of connections available under the new 5G standard. Buildings are becoming more connected, IoT devices and sensors are becoming more ubiquitous, and occupants have higher expectations around connectivity and performance. The lower power requirements of 5G also makes it easier and more cost-effective to deploy highly mobile, battery-powered devices throughout the building without significant infrastructure costs. This, along with enhanced reliability, will also support mission-critical applications such as monitoring of building systems.

Smart Cities: navigation systems and self-driving cars will benefit significantly, as will increased density of sensors and users – particularly in areas like stadiums and transit terminals. However, higher frequencies necessitate high density of end-points compared to previous generations, which could have aesthetic implications as antennas move from towers to street level.

In all of these examples, properly designed distributed antenna systems (DAS) will become increasingly critical in the extension of 5G coverage throughout buildings and other areas with limited signal coverage; however, the building itself can have a significant impact on the operation of these systems and must be carefully considered in the early stages of design.

How  do we design differently for future technologies like 5G?

When technologies change every five to ten years but buildings can last anywhere from 30 to 50 years (or even more), designing infrastructure to adapt to evolving requirements is critical to ensuring the building will be able to meet the needs of its occupants both today and for decades to come. One of the key changes with the evolution to 5G is that the new standards rely heavily on optical fiber infrastructure to achieve the required data transmission speeds, rather than traditional copper infrastructure. This means that legacy buildings may need to replace their existing infrastructure in order to deploy 5G throughout their building, and new construction should not only plan for the latest fiber infrastructure, but also install spare capacity to accommodate future generations of technology. It also means that 5G networks are not able to take advantage of Power over Ethernet (PoE) which supplies both data and power over a single cable, since PoE requires copper cable in order to deliver the power component. That being said, there are significant opportunities for PoE and other types of low-voltage distribution to work in conjunction with 5G by powering end-use devices and sensors.

From a building perspective, DAS that supports 5G requires a different topology from previous generations (known as a centralized radio access network or C-RAN topology), which may require changes to pathways and spaces compared to traditional DAS infrastructure. When designing 5G systems, it is also important to consider that higher frequencies do not penetrate buildings or obstructions as well as lower frequencies due to the inherent nature of the electromagnetic signal. Past generations such as 3G, 4G and LTE have used frequencies in the range of 1.9 to 2.6GHZ which had reasonable penetration, but the proposed 5G bands in Canada are significantly higher at 3.5GHz. While 3.5GHz provides better bandwidth and data transmission speeds than lower frequencies, it will also experience higher signal degradation and will require a higher density of antennas. This, along with the requirement for the latest fibre optic infrastructure, can create some unique challenges when performing upgrades in existing buildings which weren’t originally designed to accommodate 5G infrastructure. There are a number of solutions on the market to help ease the transition – and, in some cases, it is worth evaluating whether there are other technologies which could serve the same purpose with a lower capital investment.

Finally, the move towards more energy-efficient buildings can have a significant impact on deployment of wireless technologies of all types, and must be addressed early on in the design of the system. Many modern building materials have a negative effect on wireless signal penetration, meaning that a higher density of antennas is required to provide sufficient coverage. Additional testing may also be required after installation to optimize the system for the unique building environment.

Leveraging 5G in a Data-Connected World

5G has the potential to radically change our experience of connectivity and how we design the built environment. From smart cities to virtual reality, the world is becoming more connected every day – and technologies like 5G are playing a key part in the evolution of our environment. Designing buildings and systems to support these changing technologies in the decades to come will be critical as users increasingly expect a seamless integrated experience, no matter where they are.

Author:

Kim Osborne Rodriguez,P.Eng., RCDD

kim.osbornerodriguez@hhangus.com

Enhancing the BIM process with 3D image capture

Prior to the digital age, engineers conveyed their work and collaborated through hand-drawn designs. Building inspections and site investigations were conducted using a tape measure, a pencil and graph paper. At that time, drawing by hand was the only way to accurately capture existing information and to develop new designs.

Mechanical room flat plan drawing

Advances in technology have since changed the way that engineers capture and convey information. Digital cameras replaced hand drawn sketches during site investigations, and computer-aided design programs, such as Sketch-up and Revit, replaced the practice of drawing by hand. These new tools lead to increased accuracy, efficiency during site investigations and design, and the ability to digitally store and reuse information.

As technology continues to develop, so too do the methods for which buildings are designed and their data is captured, stored and used. Revit has become the industry standard for accurately modeling new buildings and their systems in 3D – more commonly included as part of Building Information Modelling (BIM). Even with BIM tools, designers and engineers are confronted with days of laborious and time consuming BIM modeling due to hand-drawn measurements, notes and 2D photographs from the site which add to the length of the project schedule and budget. New technologies are emerging, including lasers and infrared beam scanners, which allow for data-rich information of existing spaces to be rapidly captured, stored and digitally explored.

HH Angus uses a Matterport 3D Scanner to capture existing spaces which is then converted into 3D models for our clients. We have used these models in a variety of situations and continue to push what can be accomplished by having an accurate, to-scale 3D model of existing buildings and their systems as well as the value it can help us deliver to our clients.

The value of 3D image capture and modeling for existing buildings projects:

1. Capture site information faster and accurately

An accurate 3D model of existing conditions (typically within a centimetre of hand measurements) through image scanning the space. This process can usually be done up to 60% faster than traditional hand measurements. Because the image scanning captures information in a point cloud, this information can be automatically imported into Revit, eliminating the need for manually entering hand measurements and reducing the time of creating the Revit model by nearly half. The BIM model can be provided to consultants, potential bidders and contractors allowing them 24/7 access. When the site information is available in a digital and 3D photorealistic format, the result is fewer questions during RFP periods and fewer site visits are required.

2. Capture spaces during construction

The ability to use image scanning to capture site information and create a 3D model at any time during construction can be very useful in a variety of situations. For example,  recording a snapshot of progress for contractor payment draws or to provide enhanced construction documentation to project stakeholders. Capturing the space when services are installed but before walls and ceiling are in place can be a great reference for reference for future maintenance and renovations.

3. Digital representation of spaces and assets

 While many newer buildings may have accurate construction data stored in a BIM model which is helpful for future renovations, expansions or retrofits, many older buildings were built before CAD and BIM was common. 3D image scanning can quickly create digital models of these existing buildings by vastly streamlining the time-consuming process of collecting building details by hand measurements and then subsequent manual entry to create a BIM model.

Interior rendering of a mechanical room

Information can also be associated to a building space or asset within a 3D model such as a piece of mechanical equipment or electrical panel. Information that can be mapped to an asset can include the O&M manual, last service date, information from a building condition assessment, and other types of information. This can be done for an existing facility without requiring a complete BIM model.

4. Remote access for facility managers

A 3D model can allow facility managers to ”walk” through building areas and read equipment information from a nameplate remotely with only an internet connection required. It could also be done from a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. The ability to access this level of detail remotely can be extremely useful for troubleshooting and for organizations that have multiple sites spread out geographically. 

5. Future Developments in 3D Image Scanning 

Currently, point cloud data generated in 3D image scanning still needs to be converted into useable data to create a BIM model. This is typically an additional and fairly manual process. With advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence, research is underway where algorithms can be used to automatically identify structural elements and interior furnishings, elimintating the need for a person to manually identify these items in the process of converting a point cloud file to a BIM model. This could even further streamline the process allowing engineers and designers to focus on value-added tasks rather than losing time on determining the status of the existing building condition.

3D Model in Action

HH Angus has captured and converted over 165 of our clients’ spaces to 3D models. We were engaged by St. Joseph’s Healthcare Centre to redesign and renovate the Nuclear Medicine and MRI areas of their Digital Imaging Suite. During the first site visit, HHA scanned the area using the Matterport Scanner to create a 3D model of the space. This model has since been used throughout the design and tender process of the project, and will continue to be used in the construction phase.

Authors:

Akira Jones

BIM Lead

akira.jones@hhangus.com

Melissa Parry

BIM Specialist

melissa.parry@hhangus.com

Toronto-based HH Angus and Associates is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019, and at the end of May the company announced that Paul Keenan, formerly director of its health division has been named president.

Keenan replaces Harry Angus, the third generation of the Angus family to lead the privately owned firm. Angus remains on as CEO and Chair of the Board.

A Queen’s University grad, Keenan has been with the firm for 25 years and served as director for the past decade. Also, within the past year, HH Angus was selected among Canada’s Best Managed Companies for 2019, an achievement received in its first year applying to the Deloitte program. And last fall the firm captured the Schreyer Award at the 2018 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards for its work on the CHUM hospital in Montreal.

We spoke with Keenan to discuss HH Angus and where it goes from here.

You’re the firm’s first president not named Angus. What does that mean for the company?
I think it in part means we’re maturing. The firm has grown to over 250 people, and I think that as a bigger company you need inputs from different areas. The family legacy is important and it continues—Megan Angus, Harry’s daughter, is one of the senior leaders in the organization—and although I’m not part of the family. I’ve grown up in the HH Angus way, so we’re maintaining some of that family connection and we’re enhancing it as we go forward.

Describe the HH Angus culture?
We try to maintain the family feel of the business, and with that comes a responsibility to the staff and a social responsibility to the community. Our turnover has been historically very low—we have 40 or 50 employees with over 25 years service—and that longevity and feeling part of a group is
important for us.

What is your leadership style?
My experience here has always felt like a series of careers within one career. I started on small projects, gaining skills and transitioning naturally from project to project with larger challenges and increasing levels of responsibility.

I want to create those opportunities for our people. We’ve got to give them the opportunity to succeed or fail and go from there. At some point we all make decisions, and we need to believe in our decision making process based on the experiences we’ve had. Trust yourself, trust your team, make your decision and then move forward.

It’s important not to get stuck; we need to keep our momentum going.

How does a consulting firm foster creativity & innovation among its employees?
I think that’s a challenge for the entire industry, and we need to move more quickly now, to get from ideas to execution. One of the things we’ve done this year is create an Innovation Hub, which is a forum and a place to gather a range of ideas and have our people practice making presentations and share ideas, and then flesh them out, incubate them and then execute.

How has the firm changed over the years?
Traditionally, mechanical/electrical consulting engineering-led projects had been half of our business, and then the world changed. We did a lot of healthcare-related work in the ’90s and have become recognized as healthcare experts. As that market has matured we’ve responded and entered different areas, for example transit, data centres, and more commercial work. Our energy group, that traditionally has done a lot of industrial work, is focused on more low-carbon, sustainable energy projects.

We also have some sub-specialities, such as vertical transportation, lighting design, and our ICAT group that does communications and consulting around smart buildings. You need to be diversified enough to respond to what the market is telling you.

How will you measure your success?
One of our primary objectives is to continue to be an independent firm. That comes with its challenges, but it also comes with its rewards.

We’ve been on a steady trajectory of growth and fundamentally we need to continue to grow; growth is important to create opportunities for our employees and for the underlying strength of our business. We need to be strong enough to resist whatever economic forces come along; we need to grow geographically; and we need to grow our share of the market and do the kind of interesting work that motivates our people.

Which HH Angus project has impressed you the most?
There are many projects in the history of the firm that are impressive and set us on the path of wanting to continue doing projects that are special and iconic. Personally, the Sick Kids research tower, a 750,000 sq. ft. research building, is iconic in the City of Toronto and more fundamentally is a place where important things happen for the future of this community and this country. 

Canadian Consulting Engineer
June/July 2019 

See Digital Edition Here

Whether planning a small departmental renovation, major redevelopment or infrastructure renewal, there are a number of important questions to ask at the outset. Having clear answers will have a positive impact on the project outcome.

In particular, project phasing can be greatly informed by asking the right questions about existing and required mechanical, electrical and plumbing services in order to arrive at a successful design solution that supports the project objectives, continued operation of the healthcare facility and safety of its patients.

So, what makes a renovation project a success?

Some key markers are meeting the schedule, staying on budget, minimally disrupting operations and having no safety issues.

Since each facility and project is unique, however, there may be additional, more specific considerations that arise.

Scoping it out COPING IT OUT

One of the most important questions is, What is the project scope? At a higher level, What problem/need will the project solve? 

It may be an identified need for redevelopment of a particular area or a key piece of equipment has been failing regularly and funding is now available to address it.

Be aware that the scope may grow beyond the initial assessment based on the requirements of current codes and standards, and existing equipment capacities, among other factors. It is essential to fully understand these impacts and determine how to deal with them.

Conditions specific to the site may dictate changes to the planned scope. For example, there may be a need to run new services into the renovation area from a distribution shaft; replace existing services and equipment to accommodate a renovation, unless alternative approaches are feasible (such as rearranging or reworking equipment to facilitate the increase in load); or phase renovations in critical areas, such as the emergency department, so they can remain operational.

Realize, too, the quality of project work is constrained by three factors: budget, deadlines and scope. A trade-off between constraints is possible but changes in one will usually mean adjustments in the other two to compensate, otherwise the quality of work will suffer.

FACING THE UNKNOWN

It’s imperative to identify and mitigate risks in advance as much as possible. A good question to ask is whether there are plans and budgets for the unexpected, such as discovering ‘serviceable’ equipment is actually on its last legs or the capacity of a generator won’t permit additional load. 

One form of technology that can help mitigate the risk of the unknown is 3-D scanning of systems infrastructure, which can greatly improve the reliability of ‘as-built’ information. Scanning is performed within a space to collect ‘as-built’ data and the resulting point cloud is reconstructed into a 3-D model. The model can accurately capture the scanned space and size of services and objects within. This approach works particularly well for plant spaces where services are exposed.

Another way to mitigate unknown risk is by pre-demolition of a space prior to finalizing the design. After demolition of walls and ceilings, the design team can physically view existing services, identify conditions that may not be observable prior to demolition and update documents accordingly. When this is possible, the schedule cost of approximately three to four weeks is often well worth it to alleviate the impact of the unexpected. Other ways to confirm the current condition and capacity of services include review of maintenance records, pipe thickness tests, drain scoping, air and water audits, and metering existing services. Unknowns are always a risk to the budget, schedule and project scope. No matter how diligent the preparations, carrying an allowance as part of the project budget is recommended.

ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE

Questions around schedule are also critical: How quickly does the project need to be designed, constructed and in operation? Is there a fixed deadline (for example, driven by financing mechanisms such as the Health  Infrastructure Renewal Fund (HIRF) or Hospital Energy Efficiency Program (HEEP))? How has the schedule been developed? Have representatives been engaged from across the
hospital team? What about the design team? And, depending on how the project is being delivered, is construction team input required?

In building the schedule, it’s important to allow time for considerations such as long delivery equipment items, after-hours work, proper infection prevention and control, and construction phasing. If phasing includes multiple phased occupancies of various areas, time should also be allotted for testing, adjusting, balancing and approvals from authorities having jurisdiction at the conclusion of each stage.

Other scheduling-related questions include: Are plans in place to meet required  procurement timelines and processes? Are requests for qualifications and/or proposals or tenders being released through a procurement department? Is the facility posting for  competitive bids? If so, does the schedule  account for the required bidder response times?

Engaging a design team experienced in healthcare renovation will greatly assist in arriving at reasonable and reliable answers to these questions. The team will also need to understand future plans for the facility. For example, if replacing boilers and the five to 10-year plan includes building an addition,  consider whether reasonable allowances can be made in the boiler project to facilitate future expansion. Sometimes spending a few extra dollars now can save on future capital and operating costs.

A MATTER OF PRINCIPLES

Answers to the preceding questions will inform the establishment of the project’s key principles; in other words, the most important factors driving the project. When faced with a difficult decision during the project, these principles will serve as a guide for making decisions. The principles may be driven by budget, schedule, patient experience or a combination of these, plus other factors. Whatever is identified as key principles, share them with the team to assist in setting  expectations and defining the scope.

When key principles are established, the sum of the parts may not lead to the outcome originally envisioned. For example, getting things done quickly does not always lend itself to the lowest cost; off-hours/overtime work may be required to meet a compressed schedule. A well-worn axiom sums up this challenge: All successful projects require sufficient time, money and quality. If one is missing, there better be lots of the other two.

PHASING IMPACT

Construction phasing — the general sequence in which the renovation work needs to be  performed in order to meet project requirements — is a culmination of addressing all the foregoing issues. Phasing is developed by considering factors such as schedule,  departmental operations, hospital operations, infection prevention and control, and budget.

The earlier construction phasing is established, the better. For a departmental renovation, for example, the ideal situation is to shut down the entire area; however, this is often not possible due to operational constraints, so phasing becomes critical.

When establishing phasing, consider how different phases will affect existing mechanical, electrical, plumbing and information technology services. These services often do not respect a renovation project’s physical boundaries. For instance, ductwork supplying one area may continue through to a completely unrelated area but the renovation may impact both. If the team includes multiple design disciplines and professionals, encourage the architect to engage the engineers early and often in the phasing planning to help mitigate some of these risks.

In the early stages of multi-phase projects, execute enabling works for later phases. For example, leave valved/capped connections for extension of medical gases; rough-in junction boxes/empty conduit; allow for proper raceways; and consider placement of any new equipment to permit easy access to expand in a future phase. These simple steps can help ease some of the challenges of building a project over multiple phases.

Minimizing disruption to operations is typically one of the most important factors in a healthcare renovation project. Some schedule-friendly approaches include seasonal replacement of infrastructure (for chiller replacement, schedule construction in non-cooling months; conversely, schedule boiler replacement in summer) and the use of pre-fabricated equipment to assist with overall schedule and phasing/turnover.

FUTURE OUTLOOK

If the initial project scope doesn’t include infrastructure upgrades, it’s important to assess the equipment serving the renovation area and clearly understand its life expectancy and operating costs. While the budget may not allow for it, investigate if spending a little more now (from the capital budget) can reduce future operating costs.

And while looking into the future and thinking about operating dollars, consider the facility’s master plan.

Can this current renovation reasonably accommodate parts of future planned renovations?

Those accommodations could include purchasing additional capacity for particular equipment, leaving space for future equipment in a location conducive to expansion or choosing modular equipment that can be readily expanded.

CODES OF PRACTICE

It’s essential to understand the impact of current codes and standards on the project. The design team can help sort through which activities and replacements should be undertaken versus those that must be done. Understanding how codes and standards relate to the project is critical as they can potentially have a major impact on the project scope and, accordingly, the budget and schedule as well. 

GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESS

For the best chances of delivering a successful project, it is important to ask the right questions. In particular, clarity around the project’s scope and problems it addresses is vital. Determine phasing and related impacts early. As much as possible, identify and mitigate risks in advance. Finally, engaging a design team with verified healthcare renovation experience is a valuable asset in achieving these goals. 

Published in the Canadian Healthcare Facilities
Summer 2018

Kim Spencer, P.Eng.
kim.spencer@hhangus.com

Jeff Vernon, P.Eng.
jeff.vernon@hhangus.com

“Twenty metres below Eglinton Ave., dozens of workers wielding huge machines are building what looks like an underground cathedral. In fact, it’s the future site of Laird Station, one of 25 planned stops on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.” (Toronto Star, April 30, 2018)

The unique mining excavation approach to building the ECLRT’s Laird Station was featured in yesterday’s Toronto Star.  HH Angus is designing and engineering the mechanical and electrical systems for three of the ECLRT’s underground stations – Laird, Mt. Pleasant and Leaside (Bayview).

The Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit project is the largest transit expansion in Toronto’s history and one of the largest P3 projects in North America.

*For the Toronto Star video report and article, click here.