One of the largest inner-city residential developments in Australia has benefited from the installation of new intercom systems, lift controllers and associated equipment from Dahua Technology. Located in the heart of Melbourne, the client’s facilities are made up of four high-rise towers comprising of 2,207 apartments, and an interconnecting retail precinct housing 34 units.
Challenges
The existing intercom system for the apartments was becoming outdated and apart from being audio only, presented a number of privacy and security issues. The development’s management also required a system that could enable video entry, be centrally managed, as well as provide a robust level of security and privacy for residents.
The solution needed to meet stringent quality requirements, while also being accessible, modern and professional looking to match the overall aesthetic of the building. The end user also needed a robust solution that would be vandal proof and could withstand frequent and heavy use.
Solution
In this project, Dahua demonstrated its upgrading capabilities in all dimensions. For the intercom system upgrade, Dahua provided direct on-site technical support, integrating video into the customer’s audio-only intercom system through customized VTH and VTO firmware.
To upgrade the whole complex, the entrance doors to the apartment blocks were fitted with stainless steel IP apartment door stations, featuring a 2MP CMOS camera and 4.3-inch LCD display with easy-to-press metal buttons. Each of the 2,207 apartments were also fitted with an IP indoor monitor with a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen and embedded 8GB SD card, providing crystal-clear audio and video images of callers.
In addition, the eco-compatibility feature of this solution enables successful integration of video intercom with the client's existing access control system.
Also installed were 48 Dahua lift controllers, which integrate with a third-party access control system to prevent unauthorized access to private floors. Each lift controller is able to connect to a Wiegand reader or two RS485 readers and supports up to 128 floors with permission control.
All the components of the intercom and lift control system are controlled centrally on a single server, which features Dahua’s DSS Pro security management platform, providing an efficient, centralized means of control and system diagnosis while saving labor costs on maintenance.
The Dahua equipment was supplied by GSA Systems, which selected the Dahua products for their reliability and efficiency of scale for such a large project. “There was a large amount of pre-planning done in-house to make sure the project ran smoothly on-site,” said Glenn Opray, a director at GSA Systems. “Our team of technical staff pre-programmed and then hand-labelled each of the 2,000 plus units with their corresponding switch ports, to ensure the equipment could be rapidly deployed on-site when the time came.”
Results
The project is believed to be the largest Dahua intercom installation in the southern hemisphere. The finished system – which includes central management from a single server – ensures all intercoms and lift controllers can be managed seamlessly from a central location, enhancing and streamlining operations for the whole complex. The new system also features robust cybersecurity measures, which improve security and privacy for users.
With the complete system now functional, feedback from the building’s residents has been exceedingly positive.
“I love the new system, it looks really professional, it’s easy to use and it gives me peace of mind knowing my family and I are living in a secure building,” says Cherry, a resident of the building.
“There was minimal disruption on site when the changeover happened and it’s been a really easy transition for us,” she concluded.
