Single Source for MEP Design & MEP Coordination
Actress Lily Tomlin once famously said,Guest Posting ‘The road to success is always under construction.’ Well, in construction, the road to MEP (M&E) design and MEP coordination effectively being delivered in the shortest time leads to a single source. Finding that single source will either be with the designer, who also executes coordination, or with a contractor, who also executes design. A single source, therefore, must have additional skills to perform both functions and thus complete the workflow in its entirety. MEP consultants in India can help in this regard by providing the complete design and contracting service required, such as MEP design engineering, BIM modelling, 3D BIM coordination and MEP shop drawing services, for example, but before considering the advantages of this kind of workflow, MEP design and MEP coordination outputs should be understood.
MEP Design
MEP design outputs generally include providing mechanical, electrical, public health and fire protection building services design information (also known as building engineering and architectural engineering) by building services designers and consultants. This design data and information is provided in a comprehensive manner for all design stages, from concept design, design development, tender and construction. The design is typically delivered in BIM format and include spatially coordinated models that contractor and installation teams can install from or use to progress their detailed design and coordination.
Specifically for MEP design, the following design details can be provided for mechanical, electrical, public health or plumbing and fire protection:
Mechanical Design:
– Heating, ventilation and air conditioning design (HVAC) for environmental control
– Water supply/return distribution design
– Energy-related design – including gas, oil, renewable and solar design systems
– Air conditioning load analysis
Electrical Design:
– High and low voltage electrical power distribution system, including essential/emergency power (generator & UPS) systems
– Lighting (including artificial and emergency lighting) and lighting controls
– IT, telecom, security and lightning protection
– Fire detection and activation alarm system
– Riser and panel schedule
– Lux level calculation and lighting
Public Health Design:
– Domestic water supply (both normal and hot water systems)
– Sanitation and waste water
– Storm water drainage and rainwater harvesting
Fire Protection Design:
– Sprinkler protection
– Water and mist system
– Dry riser and wet riser
MEP Coordination
The above individual designs are incorporated and spatially organised to be install ready in the process known as MEP coordination. Once an intelligent model is sent to the MEP engineers, they can begin working, using the building envelope, rooms and volumes as reference points. With Revit MEP, MEP engineers can determine spaces and zones and solving the right problem can use intelligent data which provides greater detail. The parametric tools will update automatically, and calculations can be more quickly and easily analysed when building designs change. The results are reported and shared across the entire project team. MEP engineers can calculate sizing and pressure loss. Simulation and visualisation tools can predict system behaviour, appearance and connectivity.
MEP coordination thus includes providing spatially coordinated building services drawings for construction and engineering projects, which can be utilised by MEP building services contractors. All building services (HVAC, pipework, public health and electrical systems) are also coordinated with other disciplines contributing to the building fabric and structure (steel, concrete, false ceilings, etc.). Plant rooms, building risers, prefabricated corridor and ceiling modules for healthcare, education, entertainment, commercial and mixed-use projects are included in MEP coordination drawings. This multiservice coordination work is created in a 3D environment for all the disciplines, resulting in several benefits, namely:
– MEP coordination ensures that there are no clashes (validated using clash-detection software tools).
