Introduction: Why MEP Drafting is Crucial
Today's modern buildings cannot be built only with the use of their exterior parts, such as roofs, walls, and floors. There are other crucial elements inside of the building which should be designed in order to make the building functional, including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems which have to operate together under one ceiling space. The coordination and design of these elements is called MEP drafting.
Without MEP drafting, no building can be constructed as it is impossible to build these systems in accordance with the requirements without special documents, such as plans, which are prepared specifically for the contractor who should install all systems during the construction.
What Is MEP in Building Systems?
MEP stands for Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing – the main systems of buildings which allow them to operate properly. These systems are the basic infrastructure of the building which helps to maintain the temperature inside of the room, distribute power throughout the building, and supply water and eliminate waste from the building. Let's have a closer look at them.
MEP Mechanical systems include the systems responsible for the air flow in the building – ventilation, air conditioning, cooling and heating systems. This element defines air quality, temperature stability, and comfort of people inside of the room. In the U.S., HVAC systems occupy around 41% of the energy consumption in commercial buildings.
MEP Electrical systems include the power distribution throughout the building and the distribution of the lighting. This system also includes data, telecom, security and fire alarm systems. MEP Plumbing systems include the systems responsible for the delivery of water and elimination of waste water and stormwater. This category also involves gas pipes and sprinklers systems.
What Is MEP Drafting?
MEP drafting means the production of the technical drawings of a building including all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. The draftsman creates plans, routings, coordination and installation documents using the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) or Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies.
The goal of MEP drafting is to transform all calculations and requirements made by the engineer in his design into the technical drawing which can be installed easily and without mistakes on the construction site. Thus, MEP drafting serves as the connecting link between the designer's idea and its realization.
Main Deliverables of MEP Drafting
There are several kinds of drawings involved in MEP drafting process:
Mechanical drawings include HVAC layout drawings including routing, placement of the equipment and access clearances. Other mechanical drawings are equipment room layouts, ventilation schedule, airflow rates, thermal insulation. Also, there are the drawings related to HVAC pipes, smoke control system, and equipment schedules for chillers, boilers, and air handling units.
Electrical drawings include the power and lighting layouts with the indication of the location of outlets, switches, and fixtures. Also, this kind of drawing implies single-line diagrams of the distribution of electrical systems. Besides, there are drawings of low-voltage systems for data, telecom, security, and fire alarms, panels schedules and loads calculations.
Plumbing drawings include the drawings of sanitary, waste and vent systems with proper slopes and cleanouts. Domestic water supply routings, gas piping and fire sprinkler layouts are included in this type of drawings.
Coordination drawings mean all drawings with all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in one place in order to find out clashes.
As-built drawings include drawings which indicate all changes in construction made on site.
MEP Drafting Process
There is a certain MEP drafting workflow that involves several important steps which assure high-quality result.
First of all, the drafters analyze the drawings provided by the architect, structural and MEP engineers.
Next, each of the disciplines produces its own drawings according to the project specification.
The next step is coordination. Drafters from all disciplines coordinate their drawings to make sure that all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems fit the available space.
The clash detection is the next step where BIM software helps drafters to detect conflicts which can appear due to the intersections of systems (such as pipe intersects the beam).
After the identification of all conflicts the drafters proceed to production of the construction ready drawings.
The last step includes updating of the drawings to indicate what was actually done during construction.
Why MEP Drafting Is Important
There are many benefits which can be obtained with the help of the MEP drafting services. MEP drafting is essential for the success of any construction project.
It reduces the amount of site conflicts between all systems and structural elements as all the conflicts were already identified during the drafting stage.
MEP drafting allows to improve coordination between all disciplines which work on the project.
Accurate installation and reduction of rework are possible because contractors receive precise drawings for installation.
It also allows to estimate materials and plan labors more accurately.
MEP drafting allows you to improve project's speed, quality and cost as pro-active coordination through MEP drafting may save 3-5% of the project's cost in avoiding rework, change orders and delay. The use of BIM and clash detection allows to save from 7 to 12% of project time.
Thus, MEP drafting makes the process of construction more predictable and less complicated.
The Differences Between MEP Drafting and MEP Engineering Services
One of the most frequent confusion points among clients in the construction industry is the difference between MEP drafting and engineering services.
MEP engineering services involve the process of development of systems. Engineers perform such tasks as the calculation of heat load, selection of the size of the equipment, system selection, code compliance and other actions that define the design intent of the system. Thus, it is the "why" and "what" of the design.
MEP drafting services mean the preparation of the technical drawings based on the design intent developed by the engineer. It means the process of preparation of dimensioned and annotated drawings which describe how and where the systems should be placed.
Both services are equally important and some firms provide both services together.
Software Used for MEP Drafting
Depending on the requirements of the project, the size of the building and the way it should be delivered, there are several tools used for MEP drafting.
The industry-standard tool is AutoCAD, which can be used for 2D drafting and detailing. There is also such application as AutoCAD MEP, which includes discipline-specific MEP drafting automation and documentation tools.
Revit can be used for BIM-based MEP modeling and coordination. It creates intelligent 3D model with parametric data. As a result, it provides MEP schedule generation, materials take-offs and energy analysis.
The tool which allows to perform clash detection and MEP model coordination is Navisworks. It allows to import models from several applications into a federated model and perform clash detection.
Depending on the size of the project and way of delivery of it, one can choose different solutions for MEP drafting.
Projects Which Require MEP Drafting
MEP drafting is required for the creation of any building which has heating, lighting, running water and ventilation systems. Such services are required for the following kinds of projects:
commercial and office buildings, which require coordinated HVAC, lighting and plumbing systems;
residential and apartment towers – in this case MEP drafting should provide utilities for hundreds of households;
hospitals and healthcare facilities, which have especially complicated MEP systems including medical gas systems, clean rooms, operating suites;
industrial plants and warehouses which require robust MEP systems;
hotels, malls, educational institutions and mixed-used buildings which require coordinated MEP systems in order to maintain comfort, efficiency and functionality of the building.
Benefits of Outsourcing MEP Drafting Services
Today outsourcing of MEP drafting services becomes more and more popular among engineering firms, contractors and consultants.
The access to specialized technical expertise which is constantly being improved as drafting firms invest a lot of money in the training on the new software. Also, they know everything about the international codes and other regulations.
Outsourcing allows to get faster results as there are specialized teams working and also round-the-clock workflows are performed depending on the time zones.
Such approach provides scalability during peak workloads as MEP design intensity occurs during several peaks – during the stages of schematic design, design development and construction documentation.
This option saves a lot of money as U.S. engineering firms can get the access to experienced MEP drafters at much lower price than domestic labor costs. Outsourcing may decrease drafting costs by 20-60% as compared to in-house personnel.
Improved quality of the drawing and formatting.
Also, there are a lot of additional benefits for contractors, consultants and design firms which can use MEP drafting services. Outsourcing gives the opportunity to concentrate on the design of the systems, load calculations, energy analysis and consultation of the clients.
Choosing the Right MEP Drafting Partner
Choosing the right MEP drafting partner is very important for the successful completion of projects. Several criteria should be considered.
Look for the experience in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drafting. This partner should have experience in the specific industry you deal with – commercial, healthcare, industrial, or residential.
Check the CAD and BIM skills of the potential MEP drafting partner. Consider his or her experience in working with such programs as AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks, and others which may be necessary for your project.
Check the capability of coordination and making revisions. Coordination capabilities are vital for preventing clashes and handling changes.
Consider communication and response times, quality control processes. The right partner should respond to your messages quickly, communicate effectively, and have high-quality control processes.
Select the team who understands the construction practicalities not only the output of drafting. The most successful drafting partners understand how to make installation of systems in real conditions and how to create drawings for contractors.
Conclusion
MEP drafting is one of the key stages of successful delivery of the building project. MEP drafting converts the engineering concepts into the detailed and coordinated drawings required by contractors to install systems correctly. Thanks to the coordination and clash detection MEP drafting helps to avoid rework, to save money, and to speed up the schedule of the project.
In the industry which becomes increasingly complex and strict in terms of time, the availability of MEP drafting services is especially important. Such services allow creating high-quality results in every type of project – from residential building to healthcare facilities or industrial complexes. Thanks to MEP drafting, you can ensure that your building is constructed not only in compliance with the plan but also works correctly in years ahead.
Do you need MEP drafting services for your next project? Our team of professional CAD drafters creates detailed, coordinated, and construction-ready drawings for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Contact us to know how we can help your project with our professional CAD Drafting Services.