MEP design firms across the AEC industry consistently experiment with different technology tools to meet their goals of remaining cost-effective while meeting project deadlines. Rigorous researches and experimenting with new approaches and methods are constant ongoing processes for them. But they often neglect the important element, lying right around the corner - MEP design services firms.

MEP design firms have the competency to variety of work and client base, and advantage of latest technology within reach. They add the value in validating the building construction designs, during the construction and maintenance for the design firms. While MEP plays a vital role in any building design, it becomes important to provide sufficiently sustainable design so that the repercussions are not as heavy.

MEP Design services deliver

MEP design services firms have a constant assistance at each and every stage, right from the conceptual designing to construction commencement to meet the time bound results with cost effective solutions.

Assistance in Design and Modeling

The development of conceptual sketches into 3D models of mechanical, electrical and plumbing networks across the buildings in lines with international quality standards is delivered by these design services firms. Since MEP designs have a significant impact on energy consumption, factors like location, surroundings and orientation of buildings are studied before finalizing the designs.

Also, the planning of layout of various electrical and mechanical components across the building has to comply with the architectural design, so as to maintain the aesthetics of the building. Once the conceptual sketches are done, using Revit MEP or AutoCAD MEP, the design service provider aids the firm in generating 3D models as well as 3D renderings for better visualization and explaining the design intent to stakeholders. This is, however, just the beginning. Next phase is verifying the layouts design for clashes.

Assistance in Clash detection & clash resolution

Clashes in the designed layout can be detected and their effect can be mitigated by resolving them with alternate feasible designs. The individual models are imported in a common data environment like NAVISWORKS, which provides the user to easily detect the clashes in any of the designed 3D BIM-ready models. The critical clashes can be exactly pinpointed and resolved, instead of pointing out random clashes. This will allow the construction phase to be carried out efficiently, as the changes are made prior to the start of construction activity, which will minimize the rework.

Assistance in Sustainable design planning

Since there has been a great emphasis by buildings governing bodies and authorities for Green Buildings or Zero Net Energy Buildings, design firms have an important factor of reduction in energy consumption of the facility. In addition to aesthetics and engineering principles, designers also have to pay a significant importance on planning the optimum energy conservation and reduce it to a minimal level through BIM MEP design layout.

When looking for BIM MEP design firms, look for the ones that have the capability to deliver designs according to an internationally accepted standard, say ASHRAE, to maintain the standards throughout. Since, maintaining the standards and following the Green Building guidelines essentially benefits in getting tax exemption, it has a cumulative effect on cost reduction.

In addition to this, planning a sustainable design also includes calculating and studying the performance effect of HVAC and other electrical components, water supply layout creation, pressure loss of fluid, velocity etc. through the pumps across the building facility.

Assistance in Construction planning through documentation

Through the 3D MEP BIM-ready models, the information pertaining to Bill of Material - BOM, order quantity, and other Request for Information - RFIs necessary to coordinate with other disciplines can be generated to carry out an organized streamlined construction activities. This aims at causing minimum waste of material and cost, least man-material movement and keeping a track of construction activities as per the schedule to meet final deadlines.

Furthermore, drawings related to shop floor details, technical details, schematic drawings, penetration drawings and other scaled drawings are generated from the BIM-ready models for MEP layout for installation purposes. Ease in installation and maintenance can be availed through such documented information.

Conclusion

With clash-free designing and sustainable design of MEP layout, and generating 3D BIM-ready models for the same can lead to organized construction works, minimum waste of resources which ultimately increases the productivity. Due to such advance planning, meeting the deadlines is not out of scope and reducing costs is much obvious with the elimination of rework and minimal wastage of resources.