Building services engineering (BSE), service engineering or facilities and services planning engineering is a
professional engineering
Regulation and licensure in engineering is established by various jurisdictions of the world to encourage life, public welfare, safety, well-being, then environment and other interests of the general public and to define the licensure process thr ...
discipline that strives to achieve a safe and comfortable
indoor environment
Building science is the science and technology-driven collection of knowledge to provide better indoor environmental quality (IEQ), energy-efficient built environments, and occupant comfort and satisfaction. ''Building physics, architectural sc ...
while minimizing the
environmental impact
Environmental issues are disruptions in the usual function of ecosystems. Further, these issues can be caused by humans ( human impact on the environment) or they can be natural. These issues are considered serious when the ecosystem cannot reco ...
of a
building
A building or edifice is an enclosed Structure#Load-bearing, structure with a roof, walls and window, windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, a ...
.
Building services engineering can be considered a subdiscipline of ''utility engineering'', ''supply engineering'' and ''
architectural engineering
Architectural engineering or architecture engineering, also known as building engineering, is a discipline that deals with the engineering and construction of buildings, such as environmental, structural, mechanical, electrical, computational, e ...
(building engineering)'', which are all subsets of ''
civil engineering
Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...
''.
Building services engineering encompasses the professional disciplines ''
mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP)'' and ''technical building services'', specifically the fields of
*
HVAC
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC ) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. ...
and building related
sanitary engineering
Sanitary engineering or sanitation engineering, also known as public health engineering or wastewater engineering, is the application of engineering methods to improve sanitation of human communities, primarily by providing the removal and disp ...
*
electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
including
building automation
Building automation (BAS), also known as building management system (BMS) or building energy management system (BEMS), is the automatic centralized control of a building's HVAC, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), electrical, light ...
and building related
telecommunications engineering
Telecommunications engineering is a subfield of electronics engineering which seeks to design and devise systems of communication at a distance. The work ranges from basic circuit design to strategic mass developments. A telecommunication eng ...
*
mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...
insofar it is building related, e.g. in the construction of
elevator
An elevator (American English) or lift (Commonwealth English) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive traction cables and counterweight systems suc ...
s
Building services engineering is related to ''
facilities engineering'' which focusses on the technical facilities of commercial and industrial buildings.
Professional bodies
The two most notable professional bodies are:
* The
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) was founded in 1894.
* The British
Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE; pronounced 'sib-see') is an international professional engineering association based in London, England that represents building services engineers. It is a full member of the C ...
(CIBSE) was founded in 1976 and received a Royal Charter in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, formally recognising building services engineering as a profession.
Education
Building services engineers typically possess an academic degree in
civil engineering
Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...
,
architectural engineering
Architectural engineering or architecture engineering, also known as building engineering, is a discipline that deals with the engineering and construction of buildings, such as environmental, structural, mechanical, electrical, computational, e ...
, building services engineering,
mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...
or
electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
. The length of study for such a degree is usually 3–4 years for a
Bachelor of Engineering
A Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a college graduate majoring in an engineering discipline at a higher education institution.
In the United Kingdom, a Ba ...
(BEng) or
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
(BSc) and 4–5 years for a
Master of Engineering
A Master of Engineering (abbreviated MEng, ME, M.E. or M.Eng.) is a Professional degree, professional master's degree in the field of engineering.
International variations
Australia
In Australia, the Master of Engineering degree is a research ...
(MEng).
In the United Kingdom, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (
CIBSE) accredits university degrees in Building Services Engineering. In the United States,
ABET
ABET (pronounced A-bet), formerly known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., is a non-governmental accreditation organization for post-secondary programs in engineering, engineering technology, computing, and applied ...
accredits degrees.
Building services engineering software
Many tasks in building services engineering involve the use of engineering software, for example to design/model or draw solutions. The most common types of tool are whole building energy simulation
[K. Mahmud, U. Amin, M.J. Hossain, J. Ravishankar, "Computational tools for design, analysis, and management of residential energy systems", Applied Energy, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.03.111] and
CAD (traditionally 2D) or the increasingly popular
Building Information Modeling
Building information modeling (BIM) is an approach involving the generation and management of digital representations of the physical and functional characteristics of buildings or other physical assets and facilities. BIM is supported by vario ...
(BIM) which is 3D. 3D BIM software can have integrated tools for Building Services calculations such sizing ventilation ducts or estimating noise levels. Another use of 3D/4D BIM is that empowers more informed decision making and better coordination between different disciplines, such as
'collision testing'.
See also
*
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
*
Architectural engineering
Architectural engineering or architecture engineering, also known as building engineering, is a discipline that deals with the engineering and construction of buildings, such as environmental, structural, mechanical, electrical, computational, e ...
*
Building engineer
*
Building Engineering Services Association
References
External links
ASHRAEAmerican Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
BESABuilding Engineering Services Association
BSRIAThe Building Services Research and Information Association
CIBSEChartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
ECAECA - Excellence in Electrotechnical and Engineering Services
Modern Building Services journalOnline Building Services Engineering Lecture NotesIndiaSchool of Planning and Architecture, JNA & FAU, Hyderabad, India
{{Authority control
Building engineering
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning