Secure integration

By: María Cecilia Hernández

In the imposing Trump Ocean Club residential complex, located in Punta Pacifica, Panama, an ambitious proposal for electronic security, automation and access control is currently being implemented, a Colombian firm is responsible for the project.

The application, which contains Honeywell brand equipment, runs in a 293-meter-high tower where 68 floors were built, a total built area of 252 thousand square meters between apartments and a hotel. This has become the third tallest skyscraper in the Central American country and belongs to the Trump Organization, of businessman Donald J. Trump. The real estate proposal is the first investment project made by the company in Central America with a cost of 300 million dollars.

For the implementation of this new security system, the integrating firm EBC International LTD was contracted from Colombia. One of its representatives, Gustavo Muñoz, explains what the required and installed technology consists of: "The project includes an automation and control team, whose integrating system is based on the architecture of the EBI (Enterprise Building Integrator) software", with which it seeks to connect isolated and heterogeneous systems within a space or between several places so that they meet the same objective and enable their operation as a single system.

Many functions, one system
According to the expert, this project includes subsystems and functions capable of, among other things, detecting fires and smoke through a fire detection and alarm equipment, the XLS3000. It also contains a fire and evaluation phone technology with more than 1,300 photoelectric smoke detectors.

"It includes controllers from Honeywell's Star II line and a large number of field peripherals such as proximity readers, door opening and motion detectors, windlasses and vehicle barriers," says the expert, who also adds that in the development an HDVM fully digital video network integrated into the EBI software was incorporated. "with an Ethernet network architecture, cameras and IP domes from the Equip line. The video servers and network were sized under a standard TCP/IP network."

This project had the installation of 556 IP cameras, of which 51 are MOBILE TYPE IP dome. A lighting control system and supervision of basic services with programmable logic controllers was integrated, this means that the development is able to control more than 400 lighting circuits supervising, monitoring and controlling about 200 digital and analog signals.

Likewise, Muñoz indicates that this is "a HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) control and integration system that works through a modbus network and has programmable logic controllers. The facility has a York air equipment fully integrated by our platform. It also has a monitoring and integration system for equipment such as Ups, plants, substation through protocols such as LonWorks and BACnet, the latter is a North American protocol for the automation of homes and control networks. The system is fully integrated into a server, and all controllers are connected via the Ethernet network which is dedicated exclusively to the operation of this integration."

Gustavo Muñoz warns that this integration will manage to maintain the maximum security of the Panamanian complex, and also has invaluable advantages that make it meet all the expectations of both contractors and end users and are in accordance with the objectives that any integration of security systems must have. These include reducing the number of platforms needed to meet business objectives, providing the information system with the flexibility to adapt to change, and ensuring that the platform is fully capable of evolving at a reasonable cost.

"The goal is to have a Building Automation Solutions (BAS) or a Building Management Systems (BMS) with all the required equipment, and this is included the management of energy and its pricing. There was really no brand that could offer it in this way, all together," says Muñoz, adding that it is about "integrating a totally innovative system that manages the control, management and pricing of energy. The BAS is able to give each inhabitant of the building the rate that will be charged for energy consumption and as an additional value can manage the improvements and energy efficiencies of the property, "he says.

Flexible technology
The representative explains that "one of the main benefits of this design is that the system has standard integration languages in the market, that is, there are no point-to-point integrations, which become a subsequent problem for the user due to their tendency to grow physically as long as the system and its modules grow. In this way the development of the project is cleaner and more efficient. The end user has a platform that allows monitoring by profiles or roles in the organization. For example, the area of security, maintenance, energy management, and whatever needs to be managed; each of them can have a client station or a Web-type station that can be easily managed."

This technology was chosen by the installation firm for its experience in projects of this size, "it was also consistent with the technical specifications and the integrated energy module was a relevant factor. Likewise, there was no hesitation for a second in the extensive experience and in the quality of the company's professionals. Proof of this is that, even being only in the construction stage, the client is satisfied with the quality of the execution, "says Gustavo Muñoz.

A necessary project
This type of integrative processes with a view to the protection and security of a space are not new in the Central American country, because as in the rest of the countries of the world, insecurity is an issue that, although it is not alarming, is to be careful and take preventive measures. As published by the newspaper El Siglo in early July 2010, Panama's police statistics indicate that the homicide rate during this year revealed an increase of 5.3% in the first half of the year, in contrast to the same period in 2009, mainly affecting the cities of Panama, Colón and San Miguelito.

The integrators maintained that the issues concerning the logistical management of the project were quite effective, because as they indicate, "Panama, compared to Colombia, is more agile in imports, which was very useful since all the equipment was consolidated in Miami. However, as this type of development is little known in the country, it was necessary to import skilled labor from Colombia. In that sense, there were some complications with the management of work permits."

To match the requested requirement, the design and implementation process had to go through several stages that guaranteed compliance with the requirements and excellence in the result.

"We started with detailed engineering, in this phase all the designers of the project are involved and this is where all possible errors and their solutions have to be covered. Once the designs are crossed, the construction of the systems and their integrations are simultaneously growing in the project thanks to the standardization of the protocols, in this case and as we mentioned before we work with Modbus and BACnet. A final stage should be the execution of proofs of concept and the elaboration of delivery protocols. According to the PMI (Project Management Institute) and ISO900 methodology, this should ensure that in the end the quality of the implementation and the project in general is successful, "concludes Muñoz.

BOX
Integrating firm: EBC International LTD
Manufacturers involved: Honeywell
Contacts: Gustavo Muñoz and Oscar Silva
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Company covered with the installation: Trump Ocean Club
Year of installation: 2010