Profits on construction projects these days are not easy to obtain due to the increased number of plumbing & HVAC subcontractors bidding on these projects. A mechanical, electrical and plumbing - MEP coordinated shop drawings firm, can help HVAC/ MEP consultants, contractors, fabricators, and manufacturers, to not only bid profitably but also deliver quality service to architects, contractors, and the inhabitants. MEP/HVAC solutions by experts help engineers to effectively manage the design, and execute the manufacturing process - efficiently.
What are MEP drawings?
For the construction industry; it is a field of engineering with a sole focus on building safe, working and energy efficient structure for humans. The Mechanical part of the MEP discipline is about HVAC systems (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning), and the Electrical part refers to the power supply and Plumbing addresses water supply and drainage of wastewater. To prepare these drawings Revit MEP, AutoCAD, CADDUCT, CADPIPE, and Autodesk Inventor are used.
Why are MEP drawings important to the construction industry?
Construction MEP drawings help to visually communicate how MEP components should be constructed and how will they function. They are widely used to convey ideas across the construction industry. To make Coordination Drawings understandable, expert CAD drawing and drafting companies use familiar symbols, units of measurement, and notation systems. Preparation of these drawings according to industry standards like ASHRAE, SMACNA, NFPA and IEEE, and in appropriate formats & layouts as per client and construction requirements is also necessary.
How are MEP drawings prepared?
Detailed MEP shop drawings help subcontractors to install the ductwork, piping, plumbing, electrical conduits & fire protection piping, such that the elevations and routing of each system do not interfere with each other. Additionally, each trade is coordinated with the building structure and architecture, such that there are no conflicts between ceiling and structural members.
Upon establishing the routing and elevations for the HVAC a composite coordinated shop drawing that overlays or incorporates all the services on a single and main MEP coordinated shop drawing is created. Then MEP coordinated shop drawings are signed off by all those involved in the construction project; allowing each the subcontractor to create detailed duct shop drawings, plumbing shop drawings, fire protection shop drawings, etc. Only an expert and experienced professional CAD service provider can save several man-hours of labor in the field for an installing contractor, hence maximizing profits on a particular project.
Let’s check out different types of MEP drawings:
- Penetration Drawings
Penetration drawings are prepared for mechanical, electrical and plumbing items that pass through an opening in a wall or floor. It includes items like pipes, electrical conduits, electrical cables, and ducts. Piercing these items carefully into the wall or floors is necessary, as they create a space between the surroundings and penetrant. These drawings help contractors with necessary views with appropriate clearance.
- MEP Shop Drawing Detailing
It is done for dimensions, elevations, and annotations. No fabricator can imagine workshop fabrication or onsite installation without shop drawings. These types of MEP drawings are made with help of standard codes applicable to the project.
- Block-out and Sleeve Drawings
Block-out drawings are useful for cement and steel contractors. Knowhow about where to leave space on floor and ceiling cutouts for various MEP systems is a challenge that is addressed using these drawings. Sleeve drawings as a subset of these drawings are used to ensure that the holes left between the walls and floor are placed properly for piping and ductwork.
- Pipe Spool Drawings
The spool is known to be the assembly of components which are prepared in a workshop and then shipped to the installation site. Pipe spool drawings are used to gather information required by fabrication workshops to accurately assemble the spool.
- Coordination Drawings
Construction projects with intense mechanical, electrical and plumbing requirements face the risk of interference. Lots dollars, time and efforts go in vain because of unaccounted clashes and collisions that go unidentified during the design phase, only to get detected when the project goes on-site. Detection of hard and soft clashes within MEP systems, 3D clash detection reports with detailed mapping of every part of the current structure to resolve clashes, and clash-free and streamlined installation of MEP systems; is one of the most important tasks these days. Coordination drawings are required to initiate the construction project and are used to avoid physical conflicts in the layout of different types of equipment like ductwork and piping. BIM for contractors helps them with clash detection, reduced risk of human errors and number of change orders.
- As-Built Drawings
In any building project, it is very common to have on-site changes. As-built drawings are used to assess what has been actually built. More than often, contractors mark up the changes which are made on-site.
Quality of MEP Coordination drawings
It tends to vary significantly, as is purely dependent on the ability of the coordination or the engineering service provider firm. In order to save time and money, contractors and construction firms at times hire fly-by-night drafters for whom preparing MEP Coordination drawings is “on the side” while doing a full-time job. It is obvious to receive less than spectacular results, leading to more challenges as the coordination process unfolds. This ends up in spending more time and dollars towards the efforts required for coordinating over-and-over again, hence, delaying the project schedule, and angering the Owner, General Contractor, A/E firm, and subcontractors.
Best MEP Design & Drafting Services
TrueCADD is one of the leading MEP Design & Drafting service providers. We deliver drafting and modeling solutions for utility systems and building services such as HVAC, lighting, fire protection, steam, and plumbing. Our CAD experts assist EPC firms, contractors, engineers, consultants and HVAC contractors to efficiently plan and design electrical, plumbing, and electromechanical systems across industrial, residential, hospital, educational and commercial building facilities.
