Becoming a Building Services Engineer

Building services engineers are responsible for all those items that are a necessary part of a building, other than the construction itself. These include heating and ventilation, air conditioning, electricity and supply, cables for telephones, computers, and fire alarm systems, as well as elevators and escalators.

The Job:

Building services engineers do not simply take over a shell of a building and install the services that are required. Instead, they become involved at the planning stage. Many of the supplies for which they are responsible are provided via cables and pipes, which are usually placed in the cavity between the floor of one level and the ceiling of the next.

These may also be installed and let into the wall before plastering takes place so that unsightly wires are not visible.

During the design stage, a building services engineer will consider the volume of air within a building, the normal ambient temperature, and how much energy is required to heat the building to what is expected in a normal working environment.

Some buildings now include solar heating. If so, the panels must be installed as unobtrusively as possible and calculations made of the average power they will provide.

Telecommunications is of increasing importance to businesses, and many offices now have local-area networks of computers and linked telephone systems.

When the building is being constructed and the rooms finished, building services engineers supervise the installation of the planned services. When engineers are working for building services contractors, this is done in collaboration with the main construction company. Some building contractors and consulting engineers, however, employ their own building services engineers to complete this aspect of their work. These engineers frequently advise on the installation of services into existing buildings where the original plans did not take account of the needs of modem technology.

The job may entail quite a lot of travel, visiting potential customers to explain how the services are to be provided, and visiting sites to ensure correct install and to test that the installed services are in good working order.

Some building services engineers are employed by large companies that have major manufacturing plants and numerous properties. In these organizations, building services engineers install and maintain the services, including electricity and water supply, compressed air, and all the services previously mentioned.

Training Involved:

At least 2 years' training and another 2 years in a job with some responsibility is required to qualify as a professional building services engineer. Experience in design work, negotiating contracts, and choosing the most appropriate materials and equipment are often included in the training.

Customer liaison and the installation of new systems without causing disruption to those working nearby are essential skills that have to be learned. Water and air conditioning can spread disease, so an understanding of health and safety legislation is also an important aspect of their training. As their experience increases, engineers begin to take on small projects of their own, usually seeing them through from start to finish.

After 4 years, an engineer should be capable of planning and managing a large project managing a project team, dealing with suppliers and customers, and ensuring the quality of the systems that have been installed.

Useful Qualifications to Have:

Useful subjects include: science, electronics and mathematics

Salary Expectations:

The base salary range of a Building Services Engineer ranges from $65,071 to $87,238 annually, while the median salary for most Building Services Engineers is $71,500 annually. (US Base Pay)

Future Prospects:

Building services engineers are in demand to provide services for new buildings and to introduce new or improved services to existing ones. This is now a fast-growing area of activity. Some building services engineers specialize in one particular area, such as information technology or air conditioning and refrigeration, while others offer a full range of services. The increasing use of information technology has caused a surge in demand for telephone and computer networks. The advent of cable and satellite television systems is linked in with these.

In some countries, air conditioning is more important than in others. Heating systems are required everywhere but the most economic means of heating a space varies considerably from one country to another. Food production, distribution, and retailing often require low temperatures to be maintained through the use of refrigeration units, another aspect of a building services engineer's job.

For further information, contact professional engineering institutions and trade associations representing heating, ventilation, and refrigeration contractors.