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Mechanical & Electrical Services
Published in Jonathan Ingram, Understanding BIM, 2020
The challenge in Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) services engineering is to create ideal environments for the users of buildings and for processes carried out in buildings. It differs from the static structure in that the services carry the lifeblood of the building, and each is often associated with major ongoing energy and running costs. These “living” systems need to be efficient, sustainable and safe, particularly in the case of specialist environments for healthcare, electronics manufacturing, and sensitive storage.
BIM experience in infrastructural large projects: Doha Metro—Al Jadeda Station al Matar B case study
Published in Gianluca Dell’Acqua, Fred Wegman, Transport Infrastructure and Systems, 2017
A. Ingletti, M. Scala, L. Chiacchiari
The architectural design is not the only technical sector which has been developed by means of BIM applications. MEP systems in fact, have been designed in BIM: ducts for HVAC systems, piping runs for water and gas supply and disposal; routing trays and control boxes for electrical and communication systems and all the related activities have been carry out by BIM technology.
Interdisciplinary design collaboration for energy-efficient buildings
Published in Paul Tymkow, Savvas Tassou, Maria Kolokotroni, Hussam Jouhara, Building Services Design for Energy-Efficient Buildings, 2020
Paul Tymkow, Savvas Tassou, Maria Kolokotroni, Hussam Jouhara
Building services engineers are involved in building physics and influencing the design of the passive features of the building that help to create building performance without the use of active engineering systems and energy. They therefore have a crucial involvement at an early stage to contribute to and influence the development of those aspects of the architecture and structural engineering that are integral to building performance, such as facades and the building envelope more generally and thermal mass. Beyond this, the design role largely relates to the mechanical, electrical and public health (MEP) systems that create the required internal environment, or climate, to satisfy comfort criteria (thermal, visual and aural) and indoor air quality; provide electrical services for power-consuming equipment, as well as water and sanitary services; and provide life-safety facilities to protect life in an emergency. This is shown in a simple diagrammatic form in Figure 2.3 as the traditional part of the spectrum of building services engineering. In addition, there has always been a need to provide facilities for the processes undertaken in the spaces (although the process equipment itself does not normally form part of the fixed building services). More recently, there has been a growth in the spectrum of systems, with a particular focus on the quality and continuity of power supplies and a range of security and communications systems to realise the concept of an intelligent and responsive building. This often arises from a need to support modern, and often complex, business processes alongside maintaining a suitable internal environment. The imperative to achieve sustainability requires an involvement to consciously design proposals to address energy efficiency, carbon mitigation, energy security and adaptation, as outlined in Chapter 1, and wider aspects of sustainability, such as those relating to water and waste. Sustainability is therefore an overarching consideration across the whole spectrum.
Augmented Reality to overcome Visual Management implementation barriers in construction: a MEP case study
Published in Construction Management and Economics, 2023
Patrick Dallasega, Felix Schulze, Andrea Revolti
Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems are an essential part of building services. Typical activities of MEP include the installation of subsystems such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC), electrical power and lighting systems, firefighting, and fire protection systems, as well as water supply and drainage systems. A high degree of interdisciplinary coordination among various skilled workers is required to manage the complex and time-consuming nature of MEP installations (Chen et al. 2012), which commonly accounts for 40–60% of the total cost of construction projects (Khanzode 2010). Compared to the manufacturing industry, the construction industry is characterised by a relatively lower productivity (Aslam et al. 2020). According to Lean Institute (Construction Industry Institute 2005), Aziz and Hafez (2013), value-adding activities in construction amount for only 10%, while in manufacturing they account for 62% of all activities. MEP work makes up a considerable part of construction in terms of the cost, function, and value increases, therefore playing an important role in project performance (Bandara et al. 2018). Furthermore, on-site construction and assembly are characterised by budget and time constraints, as well as the complexity of managing multiple simultaneous processes and actors (Braglia et al. 2020).
A BIM-based approach to automate the design and coordination process of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems
Published in HKIE Transactions, 2018
Design coordination of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems (MEP) is an integral part of setting up and laying out the designs across the construction project. It serves as the key process in connecting various building elements and making the facility functional and operational. Many industry practitioners regarded MEP coordination as one of the most challenging tasks in the construction project delivery. There is plenty of room for continuous improvement in the existing MEP coordination between various parties including designers, main contractor and trade-specific sub-contractors. In addition, the coordination process involves locating equipment and routing connecting elements of all building systems in compliance with architectural and structural design, construction and operations criteria [1].