Blog

In case you missed it, the Green Valley Bible Camp Golf Tournament was held this last weekend at the Creeks Golf Course in Cave Springs, AR.  Forward Engineers was proud to be a repeat sponsor this year and to support the good work that GVBC does in our community.  The tournament is on track to raise more than $5,000 dollars this year for scholarships that allow campers to attend that wouldn’t otherwise be able to.

We were excited this year to support a four man team from the Flagstone Church of Christ Youth Group to play on our behalf.  We didn’t win, but I know they had fun!  Congratulations to Jordan Manchester, Tim Acord, Mike Saegert and Hunter Buwick on winning the tournament (again) this year.  Here’s a shot of our team:

Thank you to GVBC for allowing us to be a part of this year’s tournament.  See more photos and learn more about the event at the GVBC Tournament Facebook page.

I have written before on how construction documents are drawn using computer software, but I haven’t written much about how an engineer knows how big of an air conditioner to install in a building.  Using historical weather data and the building characteristics, the engineer simulates the building operating throughout the year to find the peak or max load and sizes the equipment based on that moment in (simulated) time.

Trane Trace 700, EnergyGauge, EnergyPro and EnergyPlus are all software packages that can simulate a building and estimate loads as well as energy usage.  Of course, the quality of the information coming out of the software relies heavily on the quality of the information going into the software.  The engineer must accurately input all the exterior walls and the roof by telling the program the size, the direction it is facing and the conductivity (how well heat passes through it) of each surface.  Lights, which give off heat, must be included in each space.  Any ventilation and exhaust airflow are also factored into the model.

The trickiest piece of the puzzle, however, are usually the people inside the building.  Since people give off quite a bit of heat this can be a significant part of the HVAC design.  A building may have a maximum occupancy, but it’s rarely completely full so the engineer uses a schedule to modify the number of people in a space to better estimate the actual load.  Careful consideration must be given here, because building uses and schedules can sometimes change much faster and easier than HVAC equipment.

Once the model is complete, a year long simulation identifies the hottest and coldest times of the year and tells the engineer what size of unit is required to cool and heat the building under those circumstances.  The engineer can then work with HVAC equipment suppliers to find a unit that fits the buildings needs.  Since the building will rarely encounter the peak loads, variable speed equipment has been designed which can effectively reduce the capacity of a unit so that it is “right-sized” more often then once or twice a year.  Once the unit is selected, design can continue with the layout of ductwork and selection of diffusers.  There are a many more considerations such as sound level for the remaining steps but that is a post for another day.

Forward Engineers routinely uses building modeling software in our designs and for our energy consulting services.  If you are seeking to work with an engineering firm that is client-centered and strives to provide services that are on time, on budget and exceed expectations, please contact us. We would love to work with you on your next project!

Forward Engineers is proud to announce that we have moved.  Our new location is in historic Downtown Rogers at the Vinson Building (1st and Elm).  We are coordinating with the Chamber of Commerce to host a ribbon cutting so stay tuned for details on when that will be.

Our contact information, including our mailing address will stay the same so no changes are needed if you send us anything.  I’m sure it will take us a few weeks to settle in, but please feel free to stop by and we’ll give you a tour.

Forward Engineers is a commercial building mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) design firm.  We have over 30 years of combined experience designing retail, office, restaurant, multi-family, industrial, religious and institutional buildings.  We also provide energy efficiency consulting including energy audits for any budget, utility rebate applications, certification for the 179d tax deduction and more. If you are seeking to work with an engineering firm that is client-centered and strives to provide services that are on time, on budget and exceed expectations, please contact us. We would love to work with you on your next project!