Project Coordination Blueprint How engaging your MEP engineering consultant early in the design process

saves you time and money

Building project success: what does it mean for you?

Building project success can be defined in many ways. Your goal might be innovation- executing a building that functions unlike any that has come before it. It could be sustainability- exceeding ever-stricter environmental codes to slash energy consumption while maintaining indoor air comfort. Or it might simply be to meet demand in a community that has up until this point lacked a certain class of building- be it a commercial outlet, affordable housing, or recreational facility. No matter the bigger aspirations you have for your project, a few measures of success apply in all cases: within-budget, on-schedule, and code compliant. To achieve these, effective coordination with your MEP consultant in the early project stages is indispensable. Unfortunately, it is a strategy that building owners too often overlook. This brief guide provides an overview of all that can go wrong when coordination with your MEP consultant is mismanaged, and how doing it right can reduce your project cost, eliminate costly change orders, and solve inefficiencies in the design process.

Case Study

A building owner is caught off guard by late-stage re-design, change orders, and a $200k power line extension charge

A building owner recently embarked on a 3-story, 30,000 square foot mixed-used facility in Los Angeles, CA. Towards the end of a two-year Entitlement phase, an architect drew up the initial site and floor plan. The architect was under pressure to turn out a quick design to meet the owner’s schedule demands, before passing it on to the structural engineer. By the time the MEP consultant was contracted for the project, the design of the architectural and structural system was already finalized.

When the MEP team evaluated the design and submitted the power requirement to the utility company, the latter informed them that they could not provide the necessary power due to high demand in the area. This meant the project owner had to apply for a line extension at a cost of $200,000. Further, the MEP team discovered that there were utility easements on the property, and not enough room had been allotted for a mounted transformer. Thus, the building footprint had to be reduced and space had to be allocated for the transformer, which meant an architectural and structural redesign was in order.

The project got delayed two months for redesign, and the building owner was on the hook for unanticipated payments to the utility company, the structural engineer, and the architect. There were also equipment and material specifications that needed to be modified, so change orders had to be placed to suppliers, thus delaying construction.

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Avoiding pitfalls means strategic MEP collaboration at each step of the design process

In the case of the L.A. building owner, if the MEP engineer had been involved sooner in the design process, a creative and cost-saving plan to address these issues could have been formulated during Entitlement. Headaches would have been avoided, and valuable dollars saved. Buildings work like ecosystems. When they are operational the various mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and aesthetic components don’t work one at a time and one after the other; rather, they work together and all at once. The same concept should be applied to the project formation and design phases. When an architect lays out their concept for the building, they often do so without deep knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing realities of the real-world facility. Or how the systems must function to support the owner’s needs. Space is often allotted for critical components- say, the electrical room, elevator shaft, or plumbing networks- based on broad assumptions rather than concrete calculations. The philosophy is that down the line the MEP engineer will review the plan and propose the necessary amendments. But oftentimes the facility equipment will be the driving force for the building’s design, meaning this must be addressed as early as possible in the design process, not as an afterthought. For this reason, MEP consultants should be engaged as early as the Entitlement phase to reap the greatest benefits, and never later than the Schematic Design phase if project owners want to avoid trouble.

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Oftentimes the facility equipment is the driving force for a building’s design

Multi-year time-frame

• Building owner pursues land evaluation, purchase, and approval

• Attorney researches legal status of the property (trust, escrows, etc.)

• Architect creates a preliminary layout and building positioning

• Civil engineer surveys pipelines, gas lines, and other site features

• Authority of Jurisdiction dictates zoning laws for building types, building height limits, setbacks, and occupancy limits

When the MEP consultant is involved in the Entitlement phase, they can determine accurate size requirements for a host of building components before the architect incorporates them into the initial building studies. Because they are sized right the first time, the likelihood of extensive design modifications down the line is significantly reduced. It also allows for optimal coordination and problem solving between the relevant local government bodies and utilities, who may have conflicting requests and requirements that will ultimately impact the final design

Entitlement Phase

MEP expertise enables the success of your project, while engaging too late can put it in peril

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Detailing

Schematic Design (SD)

• Comprehensive CAD/Revit drawings of sections, floor plans, and elevations

• Complete project outline with overview of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installations

Inception

Design Phase

The MEP consultant should be involved no later than the SD phase. Effective coordination at this stage between the architect, civil engineer, and MEP will result in solid building design with accurate sizing of eventual building components and systems. Determination of specifications and coordination with equipment suppliers will be key.

Design Development (DD)

• Construction material determination

• Building regulatory compliance verified

• Landscape, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and architectural components detailed

When the MEP consultant is first involved in the DD phase, there is a high likelihood that the architectural design will require modification and a subsequent revision of the structural systems to ensure compliance. At this point, tardy coordination with local utilities (power in particular) and equipment suppliers could result in further delays.

Construction Document (CD)

• Blueprints to guide building construction are finalized

• Structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems finalized

• Material quality and quantity specified

If the project owner waits until the final design phase to involve the MEP consultant, costly headaches are sure to ensue. The architect’s design will likely require resizing of various components, and subsequent revision by the structural engineer, a process that will take months. Equipment suppliers are likely to request change orders because the initial orders did not include appropriate specifications.

Blueprints

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Codes to Consider

While not every mechanical, electrical, and plumbing element can be sized and specified to exactness during the early design phases, numerous details can and should be. Early consultation with the MEP engineer can determine equipment dimensions to a high enough degree that redesign and change orders can be avoided.

Mechanical

Elevator machine room | In California, buildings must have a separate room for the elevator machine and power supply. Because many states allow these to be installed within the shaft itself, sometimes architects overlook the requirement. If the initial designs do not contain the elevator machine room they must be redesigned to be code compliant. If a machine room is inserted into the design at a later stage it may have to be placed several tens of feet away from the elevator because there is no available space nearby the shaft. In some cases, the elevator supplier requires the room to be within a shorter distance, meaning yet another redesign. There’s also the added cost and size of conductor wire from the machine room to the elevator if it is located far away. An MEP consultant is well-versed in this code and other requirements like it, ensuring code complying design requirements are implemented at the get-go.

HVAC space requirements | When fan-coil HVAC devices are installed in living units, a drop ceiling with specified spacing is required. This means the building designs must take into account the drop ceiling space that correlates to the size of the fan-coil device, which is designed based on the ventilation requirements of the space. Every design is different; one fan-coil device may require 11 inches of ceiling drop, while another requires 22 inches. The MEP consultant can make the calculation early-on based on the mechanical codes governing ventilation in the jurisdiction as well as the manufacturer availability of the equipment on the market, and ensure the architect creates enough ceiling drop space for the mechanical unit.

Fire-rated assemblies and HVAC system components | Within a building, there are several classifications of wall, ceiling, floor, and window assemblies, each with an assigned fire rating. These assemblies can be vertical or horizontal, interior or exterior. Properly detailing the penetration of these assemblies, whether it be a membrane or through penetrations, must be coordinated with all members of the design team. Failure to recognize these elements and their significance can place the occupants and structure in jeopardy in the event of a fire. The ventilation systems, ductwork, and dampers must be properly designed to meet very stringent building, mechanical fire code, and listing requirements. The design team must understand that penetrating these rated assemblies with raceways, ducts, or piping that do not serve the assembly is strictly forbidden.

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Electrical

Electrical room sizing | In the early design phases, the architect apportions space for an electrical room based on their experience with prior buildings. Typically, the sizing is an estimate, but since each building is unique electrical requirements and sizing should always be customized. In some cases the electrical room is allotted more space than necessary, meaning the building is not configured for optimal use and space savings. Otherwise, they are undersized and the final design requires expansion, necessitating a redesign. MEP consultants follow governing electrical codes to gauge the electrical requirements for your project and size the room accordingly. With these initial calculations, it is possible to determine the size of the gears, how electrical wiring is routed in, and where entrance and exit doors should be located.

Stand-by and emergency power rooms | Unless the architect complies with horizontal exiting requirements, most buildings that are four stories or above require a standby power system to be code compliant. Similarly, they must provide an on-site emergency generator. These require an electrical room separate from the normal power feeding the building, as dictated by NEC 700 (emergency) and NEC 701 (stand-by). While it may seem evident that this is taken into account in the earliest design phases, it is frequently overlooked.

Plumbing

Storm drain design | While the civil engineer and architect design the gutters and storm drain of the building, the MEP engineer is responsible for the piping to carry the water to the sewer system. Many times the LID plan by the civil engineer is drafted based on rough GPM calculations. Further roadblocks arise when the LID plan arrives to the MEP engineer too late in the design process. Functional drainage systems often require additional devices and equipment, such as a sump pump, which if not provided to the plumbing engineer early on cannot be sized correctly. Besides the extra space needed for the pump, there are electrical implications as well. If these aren’t realized until late in the process, it means a redesign of something initially assumed as ancillary to the “big stuff”.

Fire-rated assemblies and piping | The plumbing design must consider the rules and regulations regarding the fire ratings of the walls, including whether pipes can be routed vertically or horizontally, and best practices for firestopping sealants. Regulations that affect piping vary depending on building type. An MEP consultant will understand the nuances of rated assemblies, and how to design piping networks accordingly.

Small details early-on... Big savings down-the-line.

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Coordination between key players is key

When it comes to project design there are hundreds, if not thousands of variables that must be considered including the time required to deliver a design, design fees, cost to construct, and time to construct. All must be weighed by the owner and design team before real design work may begin. If each member of the design team works in isolation or does little to involve other team members, the product and the quality of the design is harmed. This can create delays, cost overruns, change orders, arguments, ill feelings, and compliance issues with government requirements that can cost the project owner valuable time and money. Effective coordination between the MEP firm, the architect, structural engineer, civil engineer, and the owner will result in a quality project that can be built at a reasonable cost and with minimal issues during construction.

Local power, gas, and water utilities require detailed documentation and advanced notice to equip a new property for service. The time lag between when you submit your documentation and when the utility has set up a connection typically exceeds one year and can take up to two. The power company is usually the utility with the most requests for information, as well as the longest time lag. They need to be informed of HVAC and lighting demand, and whether existing utility power capacity near the property is sufficient, or if a new line extension is needed. Any cost the power utility invests in equipping your property for the new building is passed on to the project owner. Because these costs can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, having advanced notice of these costs allows for tailoring the building layout. When the causes for the cost increases are known well in advance, design modifications and value engineering can be used to reduce costs.

Without clear communication between a project team and local planning, health, and environmental authorities, issues such as aesthetics, noise, special permits, and code compliance create last-minute delays and cost run-ups. Involving the local jurisdictions early in the project can have substantial benefits as they often can identify unseen pitfalls early. For example, standby systems may require coordination and approval from multiple jurisdictions and various offices within them. Another case is in mixed-use facilities, where in addition to living quarters there are shops and restaurants at street level. Kitchen elements such as oven hoods and grease interceptors are governed by strict local and state codes. If not sized appropriately in the beginning, there will be space issues down the line. These codes also govern things such as noise contamination, which can impact the acceptable location for noise generating mechanical elements such as a generator.

Design Team

Local Utilities

Local Government Departments

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Benefits: adding it all up

Our MEP engineering consulting team has been involved in countless building projects, from commercial to residential to industrial. We have joined the project team at each of the critical design phases- from Entitlement to SD, and down to CD. We have learned one thing: the sooner the better. We composed this guide based on our experience in the field, and want building owners to be aware of what happens when you engage your MEP too late, and the benefits of starting as early as Entitlement. By our analysis, the benefits of engaging at Entitlement can be summarized as follows:

√Save 1 – 6 months in unnecessary rounds of re-design

√Greatly reduce if not eliminate change orders related to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing equipment

√Trim total project cost by up to 30%

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About 120 Degreez Engineering

120 Degreez Engineering is a full service MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) firm based in California. Our project portfolio includes commercial, industrial, and residential properties. We are committed to smart deliverables that add value to your building and make it function better. To learn more about how we can help your project succeed, and what consultation we can offer at each step of the design process, visit www.120degreez.com or call +1 310 364 5228.