DB Schenker, the international logistics giant, has set benchmarks with its new headquarters in Essen. On 30,000 m2 of floor space, the new building offers not only ideal working conditions, but it also features an impressive holistic building, safety and security technology concept from Siemens. All disciplines – room automation, access control, fire and intrusion detection, and video surveillance – are integrated in one central building management platform.
An integrated solution for all disciplines
For its new corporate headquarters, DB Schenker wanted building technology from a single source. The building owners chose the Desigo building automation system from Siemens, a seamlessly integrated solution covering the entire range of building automation – from the field level to room automation to the management level.
All the systems and devices are now interconnected via the Desigo CC building management platform, with all disciplines being centrally controlled, monitored and optimised from two operator screens.
Advanced visualization of all building automation components
Desigo CC offers advanced visualization of the integrated building disciplines. With just a glance at the screen, operators can check the status of all the systems, devices and alarm management components – in each of the 431 rooms.
The setpoints for valve position, room temperature or lighting can be individually adjusted for every single device and room, while on-screen graphics are used to control the various disciplines. Moreover, for maintenance, all the fire detectors in an area can be switched off from the control center, eliminating the need to send technicians to each location.
Intelligent building automation receives LEED Silver certification
Every one of the 431 rooms at DB Schenker headquarters is equipped with integrated room automation controllers, allowing heating, cooling, lighting and shading to be adjusted for maximum energy efficiency.
Open KNX communication standards make the room operator units freely programmable, allowing operators to simultaneously dim the lights, close the blinds and lower the projector, for example. The DALI lighting controller uses the KNX standard as well, making the digital lighting systems efficient and easy to operate.
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning use approximately 900 data points whose signals converge in seven plant rooms. Siemens supplied and installed the field devices for heating, cooling and ventilation and set up the control cabinets.
The measures taken to increase the energy efficiency of the building earned DB Schenker a LEED Silver certification, demonstrating that the logistics provider takes its sustainability strategy seriously.
Security at all levels
The Siport system controls access to The Grid, having 40 readers and 200 door locks with electric rotary knobs (offline cylinders) installed. At DB Schenker’s request, the access system forwards timestamps to a separate system. The electric locking system secures nearly 300 doors.
The fire protection system combines an EN 54-compliant FC2080 fire control panel with 1,500 fire detectors, 900 sounders and 40 loops. DB Schenker uses multi-protocol detectors that can be tailored to individual room parameters. If the room usage changes, the fire detection system can be adjusted without having to replace the sensors.
Siemens also installed a CIC 2000 intrusion detection system according to VdS standards. A SINVR video surveillance system with the SiteIQ Analytics video management system rounds out the solution with 30 interconnected cameras. Any violation of the defined security distance triggers automatic recording. Because the building borders on public streets, the video system uses partial pixelation.
