More than any other building service design, the true testament of good mechanical engineering design is that users don’t even notice it exists. But despite its perceived simplicity, there are a range of challenges that clients face when undertaking the design of their mechanical services. These can include:

• Minimising the extent of lost floor space to house their mechanical services.
• Having flexibility in what is documented vs what is built.
• Managing the vagaries/differences of the different buildings services.
• Managing approvals from supply authorities/local governments, including:
  1. long approval times and poor visibility/communication throughout the process.
  2. flexibility of what gets approved.

• Poor consultancy advice that has big implications during construction – such as under sized plant and equipment rooms/enclosures.
• Difficulty in sourcing funding/capital for projects to proceed.
• Balance between capital and operation costs (life cycle cost balance).
• Minimising energy usage costs for electricity and gas.

At DMA Engineers, we deliver a range of mechanical design services for new buildings and refurbishment projects in Queensland and throughout Australia. The ultimate goal of what we do is to enhance user comfort, maximise occupant satisfaction and provide process systems outcomes.

Complex projects, including the management of large stakeholder groups, are our speciality but our experience encompasses all project sizes, from commercial office fit outs to hospital redevelopments.

The range of mechanical design services we deliver includes:

• Comfort air conditioning and environmental control systems.
• Process cooling, dehumidification, and heating systems such as those found in food production facilities & pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.
• Centralised chilled water cooling and hot water heating systems.
• General ventilation and commercial kitchen ventilation systems.
• Industrial ventilation such as:
  • Fume extraction systems serving processes such as welding and spray painting.
  • Dust extractions systems for woodworking activities commonly found in secondary schools and TAFEs.
• Smoke hazard management systems.
• Air-cooled and water-cooled chilled water cooling systems.
• Medical gases including nitrous oxide, oxygen, medical breathing air & medical suction services.
• Pneumatic tube transportation systems.
• Steam services for humidification, heating or sterilisation.
• Evaporative cooling.
• Building Information Modelling (BIM).

As part of our delivery of these services we also undertake the following services for our clients:

• Energy modelling.
• Feasibility studies.
• NCC Section J building efficiency modelling, assessment and certification.
• Whole of life analysis.
• Witness testing for commissioning works.