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How To Prioritize Building Automation During Construction

10 January 2023 by Brianna Cole

A building automation system can provide improvements in security, efficiency, and convenience. If you want to get the most out of every dollar you'll spend on building control automation, you should plan the construction process around it. Here are five ways to ensure you'll properly prioritize automation during construction.

Identify Goals

Building automation construction shouldn't happen just for the sake of doing it. The best way to maximize the value of each system is to prioritize which ones will help your organization the most. Some companies may need greater efficiency, and they might prioritize the automation of lighting and HVAC systems. Other organizations may need to prioritize access control, and they might focus on cameras, fire suppression systems, and card access. Another business might focus on moving people quickly, and that company would prioritize the performance of the building's elevators and escalators.

Spot Design Flaws Early

Ideally, you want to identify any potential design or infrastructure flaws while you're still in the planning phase. For example, a building automation installation should place servers and control rooms in central locations. This will limit cabling costs. Also, you can avoid potential vulnerabilities in the system by planning the building's infrastructure around the automation setup. You don't want access panels in spots where unauthorized people could reach them, for example.

Establish the Project's Scope

Your planning documents should state how extensive the scope of the project will be. Contractors should be thinking about elevator shafts, for example, if the project scope is going to include efficiently moving people around a tall structure. The scope of the project will determine both hardware and software requirements. Planning for scope will help you with choosing components and budgeting.

Maintenance

People will have to maintain all of these automated systems. Good building automation construction should incorporate maintenance needs. Your plans should include maintenance panels, corridors, and shafts. Every system should be in a secure location, and the administrators should be able to grant access to maintenance personnel on an as-needed basis.

Likewise, systems should sit in locations that promote maintainability whenever possible. Study how a technician will have to reach into each system. This can inform the design process, and you can then make the setup more maintainable in the plans.

Scalability

As the demands of the building grow, the automation system should be able to scale. For example, a building might start at a relatively low tenancy level. The level of automation, though, needs to scale to the building's expected needs at peak utilization.

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