Experts in a diverse range of skills in fire safety are becoming the Fire Aware Educators to help guide those in the supply chain trying to find their way around the wave of legislation and compliance currently being introduced. Key changes under the Building Safety Act involve data collection for
International real estate advisor Savills has announced the appointment of William Davies as Co-Head of PBSA Valuations, based at the firm’s Margaret Street headquarters. He will focus on student accommodation valuations within Savills Operational Capital Markets (OCM) division. Davies joins Savills from Allsop LLP, where he spent over 15 years
Like most products sold on the market, motor oils have their own standardization systems. These can be either global or national. SAE: the basic global viscosity standard Global standards are primarily SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) — the main classification of motor oils that regulates oil viscosity. The main standard
Experts in a diverse range of skills in fire safety are becoming the Fire Aware Educators to help guide those in the supply chain trying to find their way around the wave of legislation and compliance currently being introduced. Key changes under the Building Safety Act involve data collection for all information at key stages of construction, while there have been amendments to Approved Document B and new regulations for Residential Evacuation Plans which come into effect in 2026. The growing fire safety industry body Fire Aware has a number of specialist members who also act as technical guidance experts for members who need help around the new challenges of legislation. Gavin Skelly, Fire Aware CEO, said members specifically provide training courses relating to fire safety and management relevant for designers, main contractors, domestic trades, material suppliers, building management, hotel and leisure, commercial and private landlords and local authorities. He said: “At a time of increasing concern for the safety of the public who use our buildings and spaces, the fire safety industry is under increasing scrutiny and those with a duty of care should understand this is more than a job, it is a vocation. “We believe there is enough legislation to ensure safety if they are understood and followed. We have specialists who can help guide anyone in the supply chain around some of this new legislation because it can be challenging given its complexity and scale.” The expanding industry body is leading the way by focusing on the moral responsibility of all those working in the fire safety supply chain including designers, developers, asset owners, managers and other stakeholders. It aims to change the culture of the built environment sector by introducing a moral code of conduct via a series of charters designed to influence how member companies behave in upholding their duty of care. Fire Aware is a recognised membership body serving the built environment and related sectors with a common aim to work and trade responsibly to all best practice standards in the interests of the safety of the general public. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
International real estate advisor Savills has announced the appointment of William Davies as Co-Head of PBSA Valuations, based at the firm’s Margaret Street headquarters. He will focus on student accommodation valuations within Savills Operational Capital Markets (OCM) division. Davies joins Savills from Allsop LLP, where he spent over 15 years specialising in valuations across the residential and student housing sectors. He brings extensive experience in valuing Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) and Student HMO Portfolios across the UK with a particular focus on Greater London and the South of England, covering both development and operational assets. His client base has included banks, debt funds, bridge lenders, developers, operators and property companies. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Surveyor at Cluttons LLP. In his new role, Davies will co-lead the PBSA Valuation team, building on the strong foundations established by Rachel Coates, the existing Co-Head of the team. He will also work closely with Savills market leading PBSA Capital Markets team, led by Lizzie Beagley, to further strengthen the firm’s position in the sector. Tim Stoyle, Head of Operational Real Estate Valuations at Savills, says, “According to our latest OpRE Investor Survey, PBSA has overtaken multifamily housing as the top investment priority in the Living sectors across the UK and Europe. 62% of our respondents indicated they are actively seeking to deploy capital into the sector. William’s expertise will be instrumental as we continue to deliver best-in-class advice and support to our clients in this space.” William Davies, Co-Head of PBSA Valuations, comments, “Joining Savills at an exciting time for the PBSA sector is a fantastic opportunity. With significant demand for insightful and strategic valuation advice, I’m looking forward to contributing to the team’s continued success and delivering outstanding support to our clients across both development and operational assets.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Like most products sold on the market, motor oils have their own standardization systems. These can be either global or national. SAE: the basic global viscosity standard Global standards are primarily SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) — the main classification of motor oils that regulates oil viscosity. The main standard here is SAE J300-201501 (a table with data on this standard can be easily found on the Internet), the latest edition of which on the official SAE website is dated September 5, 2024. It describes the properties of viscosity and fluidity, namely the ability of oil to flow and, at the same time, “stick” to the surface of the engine. Viscosity is the main property of oil—if oil loses its viscosity, it will not be able to provide lubricating properties, no matter what magical components it consists of. Like water. This standard also regulates the low-temperature properties of oils—the ability to start the engine with a starter when the oil has frozen in the cold (turnability) and the speed at which frozen oil enters the engine (pumpability). This standard also regulates the main indicator that determines fuel efficiency and simulates the behavior of oil in the engine piston ring area – HTHS (High Temperature High Shear) – this is an indicator of the high-temperature viscosity of motor oil at high shear rates, which is measured at 150°C and at this highest shear rate. Here, the word “shear” refers to the movement of oil layers relative to each other. Viscosity and HTHS control at SCT Chemicals FZE SCT Chemicals FZE, founded by Juri Sudheimer in February 2022, pays special attention to these indicators – viscosity, low-temperature pumpability and HTHS. At a fully automated plant in Dubai with 101 tanks and a total capacity of 22,000 tons, these parameters are monitored at every stage of production. A team of 188 specialists performs multi-stage testing, starting with the analysis of the base oil batch and ending with the final inspection of the finished product. This approach ensures that SCT Chemicals oils not only meet the international SAE J300 standard, but also the company’s internal quality criteria, which often exceed global standards. According to Juri Sudheimer, it is the stability of the oils’ characteristics at the extremely high temperatures and loads of the Persian Gulf region that is the basis for their durability. Erik Sudheimer, Development Director at SCT Chemicals FZE, emphasizes the importance of strict laboratory viscosity control and testing in real UAE climatic conditions, which allows the company’s products to consistently meet the most demanding OEM specifications. The plant’s four ISO certifications confirm its compliance with all international quality and environmental safety standards. API: oil classification by release date The next standard is the API standard, which is a classification of motor oils developed by the American Petroleum Institute (API) to indicate the type of engine and the level of performance of the lubricant. The designation consists of two letters: the first determines the engine type (“S” – “Service” – gasoline, ‘C’ – “Commercial” – diesel), and the second indicates the level of oil requirements. The further the second letter is in the alphabet, the higher the performance and the newer the standard (for example, API SP is newer and more technologically advanced than SN). In fact, this is a classification of motor oils by release date. Each subsequent category replaces the previous one (with the exception of FA-4 – the letter F now corresponds to energy-saving oils for diesel engines). ACEA: requirements of European car manufacturers The European ACEA (Association des Constructeurs Européens d’Automobiles) standard is a classification of motor oils established by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. The standard divides oils into categories by engine type (A – gasoline, B – light diesel, E – heavy-duty diesel) and by their performance properties, indicated by numbers (e.g., A3/B4, C3, E4/E7), and also takes into account the requirements for oil compatibility with modern exhaust gas neutralization systems and filters. For passenger car oils, oils compatible with these systems are designated with the letter C. ILSAC and JASO: additional international standards ILSAC (International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee) is an international committee that sets standards for motor oils used in gasoline engines of passenger cars. Created by the American (AAMA) and Japanese (JAMA) automobile manufacturers’ associations, it supplements API standards by introducing more stringent requirements, such as fuel economy, reduced volatility and phosphorus content, and improved engine protection against wear and deposits. ILSAC standards are a subclass of API standards, but with stricter criteria for oils. JASO (Japanese Automotive Standards Organization) is a Japanese automotive standards organization that sets standards for automotive motor oils used with higher requirements than the ACEA standard. Its most well-known standards are JASO DH-1 and DH-2 for diesel engines and DL-1 for passenger cars. SCT Chemicals FZE’s approach: versatility of formulations SCT Chemicals FZE develops motor oil formulations to meet several international classifications at once — API, ACEA, ILSAC, and JASO. This approach allows the company to offer products that are particularly in demand in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) and are also successfully exported to Asia and other international markets. According to Juri Sudheimer, it is precisely this versatility and ability to adapt to different climatic conditions and regional characteristics that are the key to the company’s sustainable development. An important part of SCT Chemicals FZE’s strategy is cooperation with leading car manufacturers. The oils undergo OEM testing both on factory test benches and in real-world conditions in the hot climate of the UAE. This ensures that each product line meets the strict requirements of premium brands such as Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and General Motors, taking into account the specifics of operation in high temperatures and dusty conditions. In addition, SCT Chemicals FZE engineers conduct their own research in the field of additives and base oils adapted to the climatic characteristics of the region. Full automation of the production process has enabled the introduction of advanced technologies, including the use of Group