Across the AEC (architects, engineers, contractors) industry, effective capital planning has dramatically changed over the last ten years. The introduction of green building codes and new sustainability measures has many property owners and facility teams searching for products and systems that can meet these new requirements, while addressing future flexibility concerns. For example, with the availability of new business technologies, many facility teams are turning to raised access flooring systems to address sustainability while providing the flexibility needed by today’s technology reliant companies.
According to the Government Finance Officer Association1 (GFOA), capital planning should be used to identify the organization’s need for new items, replacement items, and future significant renovation costs. However, to fully maximize the benefits of capital planning, the products and systems selected must provide the flexibility and adaptability needed to dramatically reduce future upgrade and renovation costs. The GFOA also recommends including the following considerations to the sustainable capital planning process..
Project Management Services to provide managers and stakeholders with the necessary status and budget reports to make effective planning decisions moving forward.
Asset Inventory that lists the organization’s current assets, specialized features, and who retains control and maintenance responsibilities.
Asset ManagementSystem to track product and material inventory and usage, including upcoming maintenance needs and a complete listing of all completed repairs or changes.
Work Orders to easily schedule and manage maintenance needs and new work projects with facility teams or outside contractors.
When these factors are used to drive the project’s design process, the result is improved sustainability and lower maintenance and renovation costs for property owners and facility management teams.
Incorporating Sustainable Materials and Systems
As the AEC (Architects, Engineers, Contractors) industry continues to move from a linear to a circular economy model, sustainability becomes a key consideration for property owners and facility teams. According to the Ellen McArthur Foundation, three key principles are involved in this industry-wide transition.
- Designing out waste and pollution from the beginning of the product and materials development cycle.
- Keeping products and materials in use for extended periods, including planning for potential reuse at the end of the building’s life.
- Natural systems, such as soil, can be regenerated and become renewable resources that can be sustainably used for new construction and renovation projects.
The most common sustainable materials used across the AEC industry today are the same ones that have been in use for over 100 years.
Steel is preferred when strength and durability are essential, such as in commercial buildings and industrial facilities. Milder steel is well-suited for roofing materials, ductwork, plumbing systems, and raised-access flooring systems. Steel is infinitely recyclable, meaning it doesn’t lose strength or quality when reused or recycled.
Copper is easily repurposed for new water pipes, electrical wiring, transformers, data cables, and roofing materials. It is also essential to bronze production and is infinitely recyclable.
Glass can be repurposed or recycled and used as an additive to improve the load capacity and ductility of concrete and road pavement, used as foundation or trench backfill, and made into insulation materials.
Aluminum can be reused to manufacture siding, window mullions, fence materials, AC condensers, and other electrical components.
Gypsum is a key ingredient in the manufacture of Portland cement. It can be recycled to make new drywall or used as a soil conditioner to improve drainage and aeration for healthier crops.
Owners and facility managers should focus on infrastructure systems featuring the above mentioned materials to improve a building’s environmental sustainability and longevity. However, these products and systems must quickly adapt to future tenant design and technology changes, upgrades, and renovations to strengthen and maximize their capital planning.
How Access Flooring Improves Sustainable Capital Planning
Every business relies on data, voice, and power cables to deliver products and services to their customers. In most commercial buildings and industrial locations, these cables are hidden in cable trays above the ceiling or conduits within the slab or walls. Consequently, performing simple maintenance or a complete upgrade can require several different contractors and the dust, noise, inconvenience, and costs of traditional construction services.
Like the award-winning Gridd® Adaptive Cabling Distribution System®, access flooring systems are installed on top of the existing slab or floor to create a new space for essential cabling runs. Relocating the data, voice, and power cables to this new space makes them quickly and easily accessible to accommodate future tenant needs.
Thanks to its modular construction, the system assembles and disassembles without special fasteners or tools, making it endlessly reconfigurable and relocatable.
Unlike other systems that utilize plastic components, Gridd is made of 100% U.S. steel to provide superior strength across the building’s lifespan. Gridd provides the easy access and durability that facility teams need to accommodate unlimited changes, upgrades, or reconfigurations as the tenant needs change over time. Additionally, steel is one of the most recycled materials on the planet, which means that Gridd meets new green building codes, and can assist with meeting sustainable building criteria such as LEED scores.
In addition to handling your data cabling needs, Gridd Power® provides power management flexibility through an integrated 50-amp modular bus system designed and approved to work seamlessly with the Gridd. Currently, Gridd Power is available in three different configurations to meet a company’s budget while incorporating flexibility for future growth and expansion.
Field Wired – home run circuits must still connect to the primary or central panel with this option. However, the MX cabling is now installed within the raised flooring system, not in the walls or attic (plenum) space above the finished ceiling. (Good Flexibility)
Modular Branch Circuit – typically, the power tracks are installed at a maximum of 48’ on center and rely on the (up to) 24′ whip of the power and data enclosures to easily reach the desired service location. (Great Flexibility)
50 Amp Modular Power Distribution—This option provides 50-amp, 3-phase power connectivity throughout the area at 20-25′ intervals. Ideal for large open offices and shared and multi-use spaces, it offers the most significant design flexibility for architects, builders, and property owners.
Another option to improve capital planning is the Gridd® Mobile app. With this Augmented Reality (AR) app, facility managers, their teams, and contractors can quickly test, upgrade, isolate, or modify your cable networks to meet the ever-changing needs of property owners and tenants. The intuitive interface allows workers, contractors, designers, and engineers to quickly access all the project details using a smartphone or tablet. Gridd Mobile provides a centralized data location for all your cable and power management files.
Sustainable capital planning is essential for companies addressing future technology changes and construction costs in a competitive marketplace. While properties incorporating raised access flooring systems have a higher perceived value than those without, not all raised access flooring systems are created equal. Besides meeting stakeholders’ sustainability concerns and changing building codes today, all Gridd systems are 100% compatible with the first Gridd components introduced over twenty-five years ago. To learn more about Gridd’s positive impact on sustainable capital planning, contact a Gridd Advisor.
Resources: