MEP Coordination: An Overview

Here’s a quick guide to MEP coordination that’ll help you understand what it is, why it’s so important, and how to coordinate effectively as an MEP Engineer. MEP stands for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing and refers to all the components involved in the building of any structure—from new homes to office buildings to large shopping malls. In order to be functional, these components must be coordinated together perfectly; otherwise, there will be clashes and other major problems that can result in costly delays on the project.

What is MEP Coordination

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing. These are three different design disciplines that all need to be coordinated before construction begins on any new building or structure. Typically, MEP is coordinated by MEP consultants who have experience with each of these areas and can make sure there aren’t any major issues between them. They also assist in coordinating things such as architectural and structural elements, lightning protection systems and so forth. On some projects architects take on some coordination responsibilities since they are already be familiar with how each area works and what elements need to be worked out before beginning construction. Otherwise, someone needs to coordinate these elements beforehand; otherwise, you could end up wasting money or starting over due to miscommunication. The early coordination phase ensures there won’t be many (if any) problems later on down the road when constructing a building or infrastructure projects.

Stage 1

This stage requires coordination between architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers, electrical contractors and subcontractors (i.e., HVAC and plumbing). The goal of Stage 1 is to develop a detailed understanding of each discipline of your project. As such, it should provide solutions to anticipated problems before they arise during Design or Construction Stages. The activities are as follows (1) determining future use of building space; (2) categorizing activities according to their impact on MEP services; and (3) scheduling for sufficient time for commissioning.  Activities in Stage 1 will enable informed decisions that serve all users of a facility, which increases functionality and occupant satisfaction with better communication among team members. With proper planning at Stage 1, you’ll save money by avoiding costly change orders that can increase final construction costs significantly.

Typically an MEP engineer is responsible for carrying out these tasks in conjunction with other professionals who may have responsibilities involving other phases of design or construction activity.

Stage 2

In this stage we create an accurate and detailed 3D model of the MEP services of a building, we must first gather the necessary information from the consultant’s drawings, which will be used to create said 3D model using BIM (Building Information Modelling). In turn, once we have gathered all of the necessary information from the consultant’s drawings, we can use this to generate BIM model and drawings detailing individual MEP services so that they can be reviewed by an engineer before going out to tender. Once the MEP services have been reviewed and approved, it can then be further coordinated with any other external parties involved in such as: architecture or structural engineers. Finally, once it has passed these stages it is ready for tendering purposes as specified within Stage 1. We want to finalise our coordination at an early stage because depending on how many service providers are involved in coordinating a project will depend on how long it takes us prepare everything ready for procurement process.

Stage 3

At this stage we run clash detection process. The MEP clash detection and resolution process can be tricky, It’s common to have several MEP elements of varying types close together when you are producing MEP design. How do you manage these services so that they work well together and don’t clash? It turns out, there are some great tools available for designers working with 3D models. main one is Naviswork clash detection, it identifies clashes among systems. There are several benefits to using such software; chief among them is its capacity to reduce errors by forcing us to look at things more carefully before moving forward. Another benefit of using clash-detection software, however, is its capacity to improve our workflow itself.

Stage 4

Once all the models are clash detected and clashes are resolved. Coordinated drawings can be produces. MEP Coordination drawings play an important role as they document the plan to ensure that space or materials will satisfy design requirements and no clashes are present.

MEP Coordination drawings should not be confused with working drawings. Both types of drawings serve different purposes and are produced at different times during a project’s life cycle. MEP coordination drawings will typically outline how all mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) systems will interface with other elements of a design such as structural, architectural and fire protection systems.

Conclusion

If you’re just starting out in MEP coordination, it can be hard to know where to begin. The process of coordinating is complex and can involve several different parties. You need to be aware of these steps and stay updated on them if you want your project to be successful. This guide is designed for MEP coordinators new or experienced who want an easy reference on their desk. We hope that through it, you will have a better understanding of what an MEP coordinator does, how they work with others on site and off site, as well as get a sense of how long everything takes from start to finish when working with MEP engineers.

Bim Outsourcing, as one of the leading BIM coordination service providers offer a range of different services from BIM modelling to installation coordination as well as fire protection services. This ensures that our clients can concentrate on their core competencies while still getting a quality service.