Bs2assignment 150628160250-lva1-app6892

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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND
DESIGN
BACHELOR IN QUANTITY SURVEYING (HONOURS)
Building Services II (QSB 2714)
Location : Summit USJ
Name Student ID
Lee Kim Thiam 0314050
Liew Yong Sheng 0318270
Wong Geng Sen
Muhammad Hasif bin Alias 0318954
Lee Pui Sun 0313365
Muhammad Haziq bin Hj Abd Zariful 0314131
Table of Content
Content Page

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Acknowledgment 3
Abstract 4
1.0 Introduction 5
2.0 Part 1 (Purpose of the building as case study)
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3.0 Part 2 (Existing types of system)
3.1 Mechanical and Air-conditioning System
3.2 Electrical Supply System
3.3 Fire Protection System
3.4 Vertical Transportation System
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12
17
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4.0 Part 3 (Problems and Recommendations)
36
44
5.0 Conclusion 52
6.0 References 53
Acknowledgment

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We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has helped and
guided us in the completion of this assignment. First and foremost, we would like to
thank our lecturer, Dr. Kam Kenn Jhun, who has encouraged and guided us while
doing the assignment, especially in the preparation of our case study report.
Furthermore, we would like to show our appreciation to Ms Sarryan from the
divisional office for providing the approval letter for our site visit.
Lastly, thanks to the group mates Cecilia Tie, Vivian Tan, Stephanie Yeoh,
Cassandra Wong, Haziq and Lau Sii who compiled the parts and also contributed
suggestions for the assignment. We also need to thank our leader, Cecilia for having
the initiative and worked hard to gain approval for site visit and also her
encouragement in order to ensure that our progress works are on track.

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Abstract
Building services play a vital role in the function of the building. The function of the
building services affects how the building functions, the comfort of occupants and
also the safety of occupants. This report basically contains the case study of building
services in First Subang Mall, which includes the different type of systems used in
the building and the purpose of the building. From the case study, the types of
system used are identified, the problems in the existing building is analyzed, and
suitable recommendation are given to further improve the building services of the
building are given based on Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 (UBBL). The report
covers the topic of building services such as fire protection system, mechanical and
air conditioning system, vertical transportation system and electrical supply system in
the First Subang Mall.

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1.0 Introduction
Our group members who are Cecilia Tie, Lau Sii, Vivian Tan, Stephanie Yeoh,
Cassandra Wong and Haziq had chosen First Subang Mall as our case study. We
are requested to observe and comment on the building services systems in this
building. First Subang Mall consists two office towers, five floors of parking and three
retail floors. We visited three retail floors which include the supermarket, bank,
restaurants, and KTV rooms only, because we were unable to access the office
towers without any permission.
2.0 Part 1 (Purpose of the Building as Case Study)
The purpose of choosing First Subang Mall as our case study is because our
applications for site visit had been rejected by several shopping malls which are
Giant Hypermarket USJ, AEON Big Subang Jaya, Giant Kelana Jaya Mall, and
Paradigm Mall. In addition, we had chosen this building as a case study is because
First Subang Mall is under renovation now and it is convenient for us to observe the
building services systems in this building.
Besides that, the existing types of system that can be found in this building are
mechanical and air conditioning system, electrical supply system, fire protection
system, and vertical transportation system. These systems are all included in our
case study.
Figure 1: First Subang Mall

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3.0 Part 2 (Existing Types of System)
3.1 Mechanical and Air-conditioning System
Ventilation is the process whereby air in an enclosed space is replaced with new
fresh air. Extraction and supply of air can be through mechanical or natural
ventilation. The purpose of ventilation is to control temperature, moisture, air
circulation and maintain the freshness of air. In Malaysia, where the climate is hot,
ventilation is important to keep the building and its occupants cool. In this section, the
mechanical ventilation, which is ventilation by use of fan or air-con system, of the
First Subang Mall will be analyzed.
 Ducting System
In the ground floor area, an exposed ceiling is used and thus the ducting was
exposed. The presence of ducting shows that the building uses centralized system
and that chilled air is transferred to various parts of the building from the AHU room
through ducting. The ducting system consists of duct components, diffusers, return
air grilles and fire dampers.
The ducting in the First Subang Mall is insulated to reduce heat loss and reduce
installation cost. It can be seen that the ducting was designed to have an equal
velocity through the ducts as volume of air is diffused out with equal volume.
Figure 2: Ducting system in the building.

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 Extraction Ventilation
Through observing the ducting works in the First Subang Mall, we also found that the
building uses extraction ventilation system, a system where the ductwork is equipped
with extraction grilles strategically located in marginal locations, where the extracted
air is then removed from the building through extract fan. It functions to reduce odors
& smoke in the room.
 Centralized System Components
 Cooling Tower
For centralized system air conditioning, there is a cooling tower, which is used to
rapidly cool the water used for the cooling coil by rejecting the heat from the chilled
water taken from the rooms.
Figure 3 & 4 & 5: Extraction
ventilation system in the building.
Figure 6: Details of
cooling tower.

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 AHU Room
The Air Handling Unit (AHU) Room is a plant room where it is used to condition and
circulate the air. Air Handling Units connect to the ductwork that distributes the
conditioned air throughout the areas of the building & the warmed air is returned to
the AHU room to be cooled after going through the cooling coil & filter. The chilled
water from the cooling coil taken from the cooling tower is supplied and returned in
grey pipes as shown in Figure 6.
 Diffusers
Other components of the centralized system can also be seen throughout the
building, such as the supply air diffuser and the return air diffuser. The supply diffuser
is used to discharge chilled air from the AHU room through ducting while the return
air diffuser is used to return the warm air back to the AHU room to be chilled and
supplied again. There are many types of supply & return diffusers used in the
building, which will be stated thenceforth.
(A) Supply Diffuser
As stated therein, Supply Diffusers are used to discharge air to rooms, where
different types are used according to the area, space or the ceiling of the room in
order to sufficiently diffuse air by discharging it in different directions or speed. There
are many types of diffusers that are used in First Subang.
One of which is the cone diffuser, which can be seen next to the parallel escalator
area, where the ceiling is voided in order for the escalator to be placed. The cone
diffuser, which can be raised or lowered, is used to cool the space of the escalators
for the user’s comfort.
Figure 7

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For the suspended ceiling, the 4-way diffuser seen in Figure 8 & 9 is typically used in
various parts of the building such as the lower ground floor. This type of diffuser is
typically used in many buildings as it discharges chilled air in 4 directions, hence
spreading the air around the space efficiently.
Another type of diffuser used for suspended ceiling is the linear diffuser. This diffuser
is used for open plan rooms, in this case, found on the ceiling of the elevator lobby
area, to avoid interference of the ceiling pattern. Its direction of air discharge can be
changed to suit the room conditions.
Figure 8: Cone diffusers
in the building.
Figure 10Figure 9
Figure 11: Linear diffuser

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For the exposed ceiling, there are two types of supply diffusers, one of which is seen
to be straight from the ducting and another type is the multi-direction diffuser as seen
in Figure 11. The design of the ducting, which reduces the size of the ducting, allows
the same volume of air to be discharged at every opening.
(B) Return Diffusers
The return diffusers on the other hand, have two types depending on the ceiling. The
suspended ceiling uses the typical return diffuser grill as seen in Figure 12.
Figure 12
Figure 13: Return diffuser is attached to the ceiling.

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For exposed ceilings, the return diffusers are seen to be a side-wall inlet type, which
is used when there is no false ceiling such as the case here.
It can be seen on both suspended and exposed ceilings that the return diffusers are
placed high from the ground. This is because warm air rises when it diffuses and
hence it is ideal for return diffusers to be placed in high places. This is however a
different case when it comes to cooler climate areas, where return diffusers are
placed on lower ground for cool air to be heated.
Figure 15: Source from http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/zones-
air-distribution-equipment
Figure 14: Side-wall inlet type return diffuser is attached to the wall.

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3.2 Electrical Supply System
Tenaga Nasional Berhad is the largest electric utility company in Malaysia. It serves
over 8.4 million customers throughout Peninsular Malaysia and also the eastern state
of Sabah through Sabah Electricity Sdn. Bhd. TNB’s core activities are in the
generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.
 Distribution Panels
Two distribution panels are found by us. One of the distribution panels is mounted on
the wall at the ground floor of the building and another is located at the basement
parking. Distribution panel is a panel distributes power to the consuming loads. The
Figure 17: Distribution panel is
mounted on the wall inside the
building.
Figure 18: Distribution panel is mounted
on the wall at the basement.
Figure 16: Wall that is painted with “TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD”.

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distribution panels are enclosed and are sheet steel fabricated. The function of
distribution panel is as an assembly of switches and circuit protection devices that
serve final distribution point.
A distribution panel consists of circuit breakers and busbars. Circuit breakers’
functions are almost same as fuses. Circuit breakers are able to protect for high
current incomes and feeders power supply. It must remain closed connection when
short-circuits happen. The purpose is to let the downstream circuit breaker cut off the
faults (Lemau 2011). Moreover, switchboards also contain a set of busbars which is
used to transmit high electrical current in a distribution panel. Busbars connect to
switchgear to clear faults and de-energize equipment (Andrea nd).
 Fault Indicator type EASI-R
A fault indicator type EASI-R is placed on the external wall of the First Subang Mall.
Fault indicator is a device which can point out the passageway of fault current. The
Figure 19: Details of distribution panel.
Figure 20: Fault indicator type EASI-R mounted on the wall.

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feature of the EASI is the indication of an earth-fault by one LED indicator and one
flag indicator.
If the fault indicator is properly applied, it can reduce operating costs and reduce
service interruptions by identifying the section of cable that has failed (Cooper Power
System nd). In open ring systems, the damaged line section can be disconnected
from the network, as soon as a fault is found. The rest of the network can be
powered up when the technical team repairs the damaged cable (Elektro-Mechanik
GmbH nd).
 Cable Troll 2310 Indicators
Cable Troll 2310 indicators are placed on the external wall of the building. Cable troll
indicators are devices for detection of earth faults on multi-core and single core cable
terminations. The unit uses Nor Troll type current sensor (CT). The Cable Troll
indicators are fault current indicators for the underground medium voltage distribution
network (6-36kV). They are installed in Ring Main Units in distribution substations
(Nor Troll nd).
Figure 21: Cable Troll 2310 indicators are mounted on the wall.

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 Electrical Conduit Tee
Conduit can protect the cable physical damage and heat. Conduit tee fitting also
provides continuous support. PVC electrical conduit is rigid and lightweight. It is also
durable and readily cut. PVC electrical conduit is less cost than its metallic
counterparts (Elliott Electric Supply nd).
 Main Switchboard Room
Main switchboards are in the main switchboard room. Main switchboard is an
assembly of switches and circuit protection devices from which power is distributed.
It is considered low voltage as the current has been stepped down to 415V. It can
transmit electricity from one source to another.
 Transformers Room
Figure 22: Electrical conduit tee
with wires.
Figure 23: A “DANGER” sign board is placed on the door of main switchboard room.

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Transformer room is where the step-down transformers are placed. A transformer is
a machine used to step down high voltage current from 11kV to low voltage 415V.
The 415V current will then be transferred to the main switchboard for distribution. A
“DANGER” sign board is placed on the door of the door.
 Meter Room
The electricity meter room is a room that consists of many electricity meters.
Electricity meter is a device that measures the amount of electric energy consumed
by the First Subang Mall. Normally, electric meter is typically calibrated in billing units
which is the kilowatt hour (kWh).
Figure 24: A “DANGER” sign board is placed on the door of transformers room.
Figure 25: A “DANGER” sign board is placed on the door of electricity meter room.

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Fire protection is the measures taken to prevent fire from becoming destructive,
reduced the impact of uncontrolled fire and saves life and property. There are 3
factors in order to start a fire, which includes the oxygen, fuel and heat. If any of the
elements absent, fire cannot be start up. Fire protection methods are subdivided into
two, which includes the active fire protection method and passive fire protection
method.
3.3.1 Active Fire Protection Method
Active fire protection methods require mechanical, electric or electronic activation. It
is the manual or automatic fire protection systems such as fire alarms, detectors,
(heat and smoke) wet and dry risers, hose reels and carbon dioxide fixed installation.
 Fire Extinguisher
Fire extinguishers are intended to extinguish small scale of fire to prevent the
escalation of fire into full-scale fire before the fire department arrives (Natural Fire
Protection Association 2012). Fire extinguishers are placed in a prominent location
that can be easily spotted, near room exits, corridors, stairway and landings. Also, it
should be placed within recessed closets to prevent obstruction and not more than
20 m from a potential fire hazard.
The fire extinguisher in the First Subang Mall is placed inside a room to prevent any
unwanted barrier if in the case of the occurrence of fire. The fire extinguishers in the
First Subang Mall are mostly blue for the tank, which means they contained dry
powder. They are aimed to put out fire, which are caused by the solids for example:
woods, paper and cloth, flammable liquids, gases and electrical equipment (Wormald
2015).

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Figure 26 shows that the fire extinguishers used in the First Subang Mall are of blue
band.
 Wet Riser
Wet riser is constantly filled with water. The water supply shall be capable of
maintaining a running pressure of 410 kPa at the highest landing valve and given a
flow rate of 2.3litre/second. Wet riser is used in the First Subang Mall because the
height of the building is more than 30.5m but less than 70.5m (MDKL1986).
Figure 27 shows the wet riser room in the building and also the fire extinguisher is
placed inside the room.

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Figure 28 shows the sprinkler piping.
Figure 29 shows a hose reel which is located inside the wet riser room in the mall.
 Sprinkler System
The sprinkler system is to detect, control, and extinguish a fire and also to warn the
occupants of the occurrence of fire. It is an automatic fire suppression system, which
uses a range of designed pipework fixed inside the building and water as the fire-
fighting agent. The water is not contained inside the pipe (VFP Fire System 2015).

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The sprinkler system consists of the fire pumps, water storage tanks, control valve
set, sprinkle heads, flow switches, pipework and valves. Since the building of First
Subang Mall exceeds 45m high, there will be few sprinkle system to fulfill the UBBL
228 (part 8) (MDKL 1986).
Figure 30 shows the sprinkle head in the mall for fire protection.
The sprinkle head consist of a plug held in place by a glass bulb filled with a glycerin-
based liquid that expands, it will become fatigue when expose to temperature of 57-
105 Celsius (Northeast Document Conservation Centre nd). The liquid is designed to
expand and break the tube at a certain temperature. The plug is forced out by the
pressurized water behind it and deflected away by a beveled edge and the water
sprays over the deflector plate in an even pattern. Water will then continue to flow
until the main valve is switched off.
Figure 31 shows the ducting of pipe of the flow of water to the sprinkler system in
case of fire.

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Figure 32 shows the ducting and sprinkler head in the basement car park of First
Subang Mall.
 Fire Alarm System
The fire alarm system is designed to provide warning of the outbreak of fire. The fire
alarm panel is designed to monitor each circuit, zone or point of any condition display
the status of that condition and to operate any required output (Firewize nd).
Figure 33 shows the fire control panel that indicates the area and zones in case of
occurrence of fire.

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 Fire Man Switch
The fireman switch is designed to turn off the neon lighting or other hazardous
electrical equipment in case of fire (ABB 2012). This is to prevent the equipment from
being overheated and in turn causes explosion. In the First Subang Mall, there are a
lot of fire switches, which are fixed onto the wall and painted red and hence they are
easily spotted.
Figure 34 shows the fireman switch, which are placed on the wall of mall.
 Manual Call Point
The manual call point is the device that enables personnel to raise an alarm
manually once verification of fire is confirmed by breaking the glass or pushing the
button (Crouse- Hinds nd). The manual call point should be installed at a height of
1.2m above floor as able for access and able to be noticed in case of fire. It should
be placed on exit routes, entry of floor landings of staircases and at all exits of open
air. It also should be spaced so that it can be found within a distance of 30m.
Figure 35 shows that the manual call point is placed at a distance of approximately
1.2 m above floor level and is placed near the emergency exit of the mall.

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Figure 36 shows that the manual call point is connected to the alarm bell.
Figure 37 shows the fire alarm bell.
Smoke detector is also placed inside the mall so that if smoke is detected and
obstructed the light passing through, it will trigger the fire alarm bell to give signal for
the occupants to escape.

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Figure 38 shows the smoke detector that activates the fire alarm system in case of
fire.
Apart from them, to further providing emergency signal to the occupants especially
for deaf occupants, an alarm, which gives out light, is placed in the building to fulfill
the needs of UBBL 241(part 8) (MDKL 1986).
Figure 39 shows the signal indicator in case of fire.
 External Fire Hydrant
External fire hydrant consists of a system of pipework connected directly to the water
supply mains to provide water to each and every hydrant outlet and intended for the
fireman to fight fire. The external fire hydrant should be place not less than 2m from
the face of the building (Bhavan 1991). The fire hydrant used in the First Subang Mall
is the 2 ways fire hydrant. The location of the fire hydrant is also easily noticeable
and also fulfilled the law needed by the UBBL.

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Figure 40 shows the external fire hydrant, which are placed less than 6m from the
mall.
3.3.2 Passive Fire Protection Method
Passive method is an integral component of the structural fire protection and fire
safety in a building. It attempts to slow the spread of fire through the use of fire
resistant wall, floors and doors. It also protects the important structure such as load
bearing columns and beams from collapsing pre maturely during fire (Fire Safe
Europe 2011).
 Fire Escape Route
Fire escape is a type of emergency exit that are usually mounted to the outside of a
building or occasionally inside but separate from the main areas of the building.
Since it is recommended that the distance to the escape route should be as short as
possible, there are many emergency escape routes in First Subang Mall. They also
provide the correct fire escape route plan for the occupants of the building in case of
occurrence of fire.

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Figure 41 shows the fire escape plan suggested to the occupants if fire occurs.
Also, from the fire escape door, most of them linked to outside of the First Subang
Mall.
Figure 42 shows the fire escape staircase that links to the outside of the mall.
The fire escape staircase of the First Subang Mall is considered ideal and fulfilled the
needs of the UBBL 168 part 8 because the treads of the staircase are more than
255mm and the riser is less than 180mm. The numbers of risers per flights at the
escape staircase only contain at most 12 risers. There are also no winders in the
escape staircase of the mall (MDKL 1986).

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Figure 43 shows the characteristics of the fire escape staircase of the building.
 Fireman Lift
Fireman’s lifts should be provided to enable firemen to reach any floor that may be
on fire in the building without having to traverse more than two floors. The car of a lift
should have a minimum internal dimension of 1.1m, a net internal floor area of not
less than 1.35m2
and rated load of not less than 680kg (Building Authority Hong Kong
2004).
Figure 44 shows the fireman lift in the building.
 Compartmentation
The building is sub-divided into compartment but using fire resistant wall and floor
called compartment walls or compartment floors. They should have insulation of not
less than 15 minutes. The door also uses the automatic door closers which is the
hydraulic spring operated lever (MDKL 1986). In the First Subang Mall, they are
some fire resistant door that linked allows the occupants to move just behind the
door during occurrence of fire.

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Figure 45 shows the fire resistance door of the building.
Besides that, in case of fire, the roller shutter will be moved down by separating the
building into few parts to slow down the spread of fire.
Figure 46 shows the roller shutter is able to slow down the fire spread in the building.

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Vertical transportation plays an important role in a building. It is to provide an
accessible path, leading from one level to another.
First Subang Mall consists of two office towers atop three floors of local retail stores
and eateries. We chose to do just only the three floors of the retail stores because
the mall was under renovation and it was hard for us to get approval to survey the
whole building. The mall consists of lifts and escalators. Throughout the three floors,
there were 18 lifts and 5 escalators.
3.4.1 Lifts
Elevators are the mainstay when it comes to transporting people between floors in
high rise buildings. It moves vertically in the lift shafts by using counter weights or
traction cables. It is powered by electric motors. It uses cables to lift the car and the
movement is depending on the electrical power. The major components of an electric
lift are, machine room, hoist way and pit, lift car and landing.
The lift can support up to 1000kg which is 15 people can go in at one time. It is also
complete with lamp and a ventilation fan which keep the lift in a bright condition and
in good ventilation. In case of emergency, the lift is provided with an emergency
Figure 47 & 48

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button which can be used to communicate with people outside the lift if there is a cut
in power supply.
The UBBL requirements:
 Under UBBL 1984 Section 123-128, lifts:
124- For all non-residential buildings exceeding 4 stories above or below the
main access level at least once lift shall be provided
 Under UBBL 1984 Section 152-155, Ventilation to lift shafts:
152(1) - Every opening in a lift shafts or lift entrance shall open into a
protected lobby unless other suitable means of protection to the opening to
the satisfaction of the local authority is provided. These requirements shall
not apply to open type industrial and other special buildings as may be
approved by the D.G.F.S
 External Lift Components
First Subang Mall consists of 18 lifts and 3 fire-fighter lift. It is an electrical lift. It uses
cable to lift the car and movement is depending on the electrical power. It consists of
six cars for one floor, opposite one another. There are in total 3 fire-fighter lift
throughout the three floors. Lift number 6 and number 8 transports people from the
lower ground floor, ground floor, and first floor to level six of the building to level
Figure 49 & 50

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sixteen. While for lift number 7, it serves only for the parking, from B1 to P1-P5. The
fire-fighter lift serves at all floor.
A. Display Indicator
The lift consists of display indicator located on top of the lift to indicate which floor the
lift is serving. The main purpose of the display indicator is to indicate whether the lift
is coming up or down to a certain floor. It is placed at a position where it is visible
from any angles within the lift lobby. According to UBBL, “lift coming’ indicators
should be provided at each landing.
Figure 51, 52, 53 & 54
Figure 55: Display Indicator

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B. Call Buttons
Call buttons are used to request for a lift and each floor that requires a lift must have
its individual call button. Once requested, the button must be light up to indicate that
the request has been received and the elevator is on its way to the passenger.
 Internal Lift Components
A. Floor Selection Buttons and Emergency Call Buttons
The floor selection buttons allow the user to select which floor they want to stop at
and once selected, the lift will ascend or descend to the respective floor. The
emergency button is located above the number 5 and below the open and close
button.
Figure 56: Call Buttons
Figure 57: Floor Selection Buttons

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B. Ventilation in Lift
According to the MS1525, the car shall be provided with adequate forced ventilation
during the periods such lift is available for use. It can be seen here that the fans are
hidden by the perforated openings that allow ventilation within the lift car.
C. Elevator Railings
Railings are required in a lift so that the disabled are able to hold onto the lift.
According to UBBL, handrails must be fixed not less than 840mm or more than
900mm from finished floor level, extended in the case of ram or stairway by 300.
It must also be fixed securely with its end turned away or turned downwards for
not less than 100mm.
Figure 58: Ventilation in Lift
Figure 59: Elevator Railings

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3.4.2 Escalators
An escalator is conveyor designed to transport people quickly and efficiently between
floors of a building. It requires no waiting time and the escalator is reversible to suit
the main flow of traffic during peak times. There is only one type of escalator in First
Subang Mall and that is a two way traffic parallel to each other.
A. Arrangement of Escalators
This arrangement of escalator is used mainly in major department stores, public
buildings and public transport buildings where transportation time between several
levels should be kept to a minimum.
Figure 60: Two way traffic escalator
Figure 61 & 62: Cross Section of two way traffic

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B. Components of an Escalator
The main components of the escalator are:
1. Electric shaft
2. Drive
3. Main shaft
4. Handrail drive
5. Balustrade
6. Main truss
7. Steps
8. Step chain
9. Handrail compensation
10. Chain tensioning device
11. Comb plates
12. Handrail return
Figure 63 & 64: Main Components of an Escalator

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4.0 Part 3 (Problems and Recommendations)
4.1.1 Problems of Fire Protection System
(A) Fire Extinguisher
(B) Damaged Door of Fire Service Room
Figure 65:
The fire extinguishers were not located at the
visible location. During this site visit we also
found that the fire extinguisher is not stored in
fire service room. Besides that, First Subang
Mall does not provided adequate number of fire
extinguisher.
Figure 66:
We can only find one fire extinguisher at
Loudspeaker Karaoke, which is located at the
third floor of the shopping mall.
Figure 67:
The door of the fire service room was
not in a good condition. The door cannot
be closed properly.

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(C) Obstruction to the Fire Service Installation
(D) Fire Resistance Door is not under Good Condition
Figure 69:
During this site visit, we found that the
flammable materials such as cardboard, boxes
and bottles are blocking the surrounding of the
fire services installation. The fire service
installation in First Subang Mall is not ready for
use in case of emergency.
Figure 70:
The door knob of fire resistance door is
damaged and missing.
Figure 68:
The surrounding of the fire service installation
such as hose reels and wet riser was not clear
and free of obstruction.

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(E) Inadequate coverage of sprinkler heads
(F) The fire escape door is locked.
Figure 71:
The fire escape door is not free from
obstruction. The Fire Safety Technical Guide
stated that all fire escape doors must be
working properly and to be free from
obstruction.
Figure 72:
Some of the sprinkler heads in the First
Subang Mall is not installed throughout the
entire area under protection.
Figure 73 & 74:
Based on the fire safety technical guide, the fire escape door should not be
fitted with lock, latch or bolt fastenings.

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4.1.2 Compare and Contrast about the Recommendation and Solution of
Fire Protection System:
Obstruction to the use of hose reel Hose reel free from obstruction
Obstruction to the use of wet riser Wet riser free from obstruction/ Wet riser
should place in the protective boxes

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Obstruction to the use of fire escape door Fire escape door free from obstruction
Inadequate coverage of the sprinkler heads Sprinkler heads clear of obstruction

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The fire escape door is locked Emergency door furniture
(1) Green Box (Emergency door
release)
Electromagnetic Door Locks are provided
where internal or final exit doors requiring the
use of a security proximity card, code or by
operating a release button
(2) Thumb Turns
Fitted to internal or final exit doors and
provides escape in one direction at all times
without the need for a key

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(3) Push Bars
'Push Bar' furniture is provided at doors
where large numbers of persons may be
pushed (crushed) against the door.

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4.1.3 Recommendation Regarding on the Problems:
Based on this site visit, we would like to recommend the management of First
Subang Mall to provide more fire extinguishers at proper location. It is because
portable fire extinguishers are essential equipment that must be installed in every
building for safety purposes. During this site visit, we found that First Subang Mall
placed most of the fire extinguishers in the fire service room. For this aspect, we
highly recommend First Subang Mall shall install the fire extinguisher in the location
where would not be obstructed or obscured from view. According to UBBL 1984, the
fire extinguisher must be provided at the noticeable location where it is easily spotted
and not more than 20m from a potential hazard. As an example, the fire extinguisher
in First Subang Mall should be located near the fire escape door, stairways and
escape route.
On the other hand, the emergency door furniture should be provided on the fire
escape door in the First Subang Mall. Emergency door furniture is provided on
certain doors to allow occupants to pass through the door in an emergency without
the need to use a key. We would recommend First Subang Mall to provide Green
Box (Emergency Door Release), thumb turns and push bars at every fire escape
door. It is because the fire escape door should only be fitted with simple fastenings
that can be readily operated from the side approached by people making an escape.
During the site visit, we found that there is not adequate coverage of sprinkler head
in the First Subang Mall. We would like to suggest all sprinkler heads should be
evenly installed throughout the entire area under protection. According to
international standard, for decoration works involving the removal or addition of
partitioning walls, adequate coverage of sprinkler heads must be maintained and
checked by a Registered Fire Service Installation Contractor.

44
4.2.1 Problems of Vertical Transportation System
 Escalators
Figure 75:
There was no deflector brush at the side of the
escalators. The deflector brush or skirt brush is
made of stiff bristles that run up the sides of the
escalator just above the step level. It is designed
to deflect objects like garments, shoes and other
things away from the gap between the steps and
the side wall. They also work as an indicator to
tell passengers that they are close to the step's
edge.
Figure 76:
One of the travellator was not working. It was the only
one to get from the ground floor to the lower ground
floor. We had to walk down the sloping travellator
because it was the only option we had to get down to
the parking lot. It would be hard for old people or people
with disabilities to go down to the parking lot. The
facility management should have fixed it because it was
not functioning since 2 weeks ago when we first went
there for our first visit.
Figure 77:
There was a sign board blocking the way of
people coming up or going down the escalators.
It should be put far away from the escalators or
put at the side where it doesn’t block the way of
people walking.

45
 Elevator
Figure 79:
There was air coming out from the top of the
elevator but it was not enough. The air
coming out was not cold, it was rather warm
which makes everyone in the whole lift
suffocating.
Figure 80:
There was no sensor at the side of door. It
closes when we were about to go in which
makes it very dangerous.
Figure 78:
CCTV was not installed inside the elevator. It is
very dangerous for young ladies to be inside the
elevator with unknown people, especially at
night. There should be at least one CCTV for
every elevator at First Subang.

46
4.2.2 Recommendations for Escalators
 Installation of Deflector Brushes
 Deflector brush functions to deflect objects such as clothing and shoes away from
the gap between the steps and the balustrade skirt of the escalator, preventing
the occurrence of side-step entrapment of limbs or clothing in the gap.
Figure 81: Deflector brushes along sideways of escalator for safety purpose –
Retrieved from http://avibo.blogspot.com/2010/06/what-is-purpose-of-
brushes-at-side-of.html
 Infrared Motion Sensor
 This system enables the escalator to slow down and eventually stop when
nobody is using it. Once a passenger is detected by the sensor within a
certain distance range on the landing platforms, the infrared beam will be
interrupted and the escalator will gradually accelerate to its full speed in just a
few seconds.
 Automatic Stop Standby
The speed of escalator during standby stage is 0m/min. Passengers might
face difficulty in determining whether the escalator is functioning due to the
stationary steps during standby.

47
 Automatic Low-Speed Standby
Escalator operates at low-speed even when it is in the standby stage.
However, the passengers can see that the steps are moving in and less
possible to get on the wrong end of the escalator.
Figure 82: Infrared motion sensor system used in escalators – Retrieved from
http://www.hk-phy.org/energy/commercial/auto_phy03_e.html
 Unobstructed Walkway for Movement
 The object obstructing the movement of people travelling on the escalator
should be removed or placed elsewhere.
4.2.3 Compare & Contrast (Escalator)
Current System Recommendation
No deflector brush along the sides of the
steps on escalator
Installation of deflector brush along the
sides of steps on escalator
Malfunction - Sudden halt during the
operation of the escalator
Installation of the infrared motion system
Signboard as an obstruction between the
escalators
Remove the signboard or any other
obstacles
Figure 83: Escalator walkway clear from
obstruction – Retrieved from
http://blog.ocad.ca/wordpress/gdes1b26-
fw2009-04/2010/02/project-1-going-up-an-
escalator-in-the-path-during-the-morning-
rush-hour/

48
4.2.4 Recommendation of the Best Suited System
It is recommended for First Subang to install the infrared motion sensor system on
the escalators of the current system. The infrared motion sensor functions when a
passenger is detected within a certain range of distance, allowing the escalator to
start operating from its standby state. When no passenger is detected after a short
period of time, the escalator would then stop operating and stay in standby state.
Deflector brush should be installed for safety purpose as well by acting as an
indicator tool to alert the passengers that they are close to the edge of the steps on
the escalator. The walkway of the escalators should be free from obstruction.
4.2.5 Recommendations for Lifts
 Installation of An Intercom & CCTVSystem
 An intercom system allows trapped passengers to communicate directly with
the management office for further assistance.
 A Closed-circuit Television System (CCTV) and an emergency alarm can be
installed to improve the safety of passengers. Movement of passengers can
be closely monitored and actions can be taken immediately when emergency
happens.
Figure 85
Figure 84: Elevator Intercom System –
Retrieved from
http://www.directindustry.com/prod/hongkon
g-koon-technology-ltd/product-61146-
597462.html

49
Figure 87: Installation of CCTV camera in lift with wireless video transmission system
– Retrieved from http://cctvdvrsystem.co.uk/how-install-cctv-cameras-elevator/
 Installation of Door Safety Edge
 Sensitive door edges will allow the door lift to automatically re-open when a
passenger is detected or struck by the closing door.
Figure 86: CCTV camera and
wireless video transmitter
Figure 88: Plan View

50
 Regular Inspection and Maintenance
 Inspection and maintenance shall be conducted regularly on the ventilation
system of lift shaft to provide adequate ventilation and fresh air to the
passengers in the lift car.
UBBL
According to Malaysia Uniform Building By-Laws 1984, Clause 124 which states:
A lift shall be provided for non-residential building which exceeds 4 storeys above or
below main entrance.
 Necessary in building less than 4 storeys if access for senior or disabled is
enforced
 Minimum walking distance to lift shall not exceed 45m.
 Lift should be positioned in the central area of the building to minimize horizontal
travel distance.
The other important UBBL clause is Clause 153, which states that a smoke detector
to be provided at the elevator’s lobby. Besides, elevator lobby should be broad
enough to provide traffic access in two directions.
Figure 89: Front view

51
4.2.6 Compare & Contrast (Lift)
Current System Recommendation
No CCTV inside the lift car
Installation of CCTV system with
intercom inside the lift car
Door does not re-open automatically
when somebody is struck by the
closing door
Installation of door safety edge
system
Inadequate ventilation inside lift car
causing human discomfort
Regular inspection and maintenance
on the ventilation system of the lift
shaft and car
4.2.7 Recommendation of the Best Suited System
It is recommended to First Subang to improve the safety of the people by the
installation of closed-circuit television system (CCTV) and also intercom system into
the lifts of the building. This alternative allows the management office staff to monitor
the movement of people into and out of the lifts. If any suspicious person is detected
or any emergency occurs inside the lifts, the management office could take speedy
action to ensure the safety of the public. Intercom systems allow direct
communication between the passengers inside lift and the management office for
any assistance.
Besides, a door safety edge system can also be applied as the lift door in First
Subang does not automatically re-open when somebody is struck by the door. A door
safety edge system can help to overcome this issue to prevent any injury to the
passengers. Regular inspection and maintenance should also be conducted on the
ventilation system of the lifts to ensure adequate ventilation.

52
5.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, all buildings must rely on building services systems to create and
maintain safe, healthy and comfortable living and working environments. Building
Services are a necessity today for personal comfort and safety, medical healthy,
water and electrical supply, building fire protection and workplace productivity.
Based on the site visit, we found that the First Subang Mall’s building services does
not meet the requirements. Many of the building services are damaged and not under
maintenances. For examples, most of the fire protection system in the First Subang
Mall does not meet the UBBL and Fire Safety Standard. In order to solve these
problems, the management of the First Subang Mall must have well planning and
improve the fire protection service in the building. It was because public safety is a
core value and cannot be compromised.
Not only that, we also found that most of the escalator and lift in the First Subang
Mall are poorly maintained and some of them are not functioning. So after this site
visit, we hope the management of the First Subang Mall will take responsibility to
improve and maintenance the building service in the buildings to protect their
customer and workers and comfort the environment.
Lastly, we understand that virtually every facet of modern life depends in one way or
another on building services. We also learn the services that are commonly provided
in the buildings, such as fire protection system, vertical transportation, mechanical
air-conditioning system and electricity supply. This assignment also improves our
communication and collaboration skills. We learn how to communication well among
the team members to have a structured group works.

53
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