How Important is Software in MEP Design?

Summary:
Examining the relevance of MEP software used in the US, UK and Australia for building
construction, with a brief list of features that HVAC, fire, electricity and plumbing software
services entail.

Article Body:
MEP design is one of the unsung heroes in the construction world. Much like set design for
theatre, MEP design is crafted behind the scenes and its crew remains primarily invisible to
the majority of people it benefits, but its effects are widely experienced, especially when
things go wrong. MEP design is an umbrella term for the design of mechanical, electrical,
plumbing & fire systems in a building, or MEP building systems, and it is vitally important
for design decision-making, accurate documentation, seamless performance and cost-
estimation, planning and operations. Effective MEP design requires effective software and
qualified design engineering professionals to utilise their experience and specialist software
for optimum results. Increasingly, these professionals are found as MEP consultants in India.
To better understand the importance of software in MEP design, we take a look at available
MEP design services and suitable software options for those services.
Design services in construction, especially MEP engineering design, must take into account
client needs, sustainability needs, architectural design and structural factors, as well as
commercial aspects. This is no different for MEP design. MEP design services involve
offering a choice of solutions within a specific deadline to building design professionals.
They include electrical design, electrical drawings, HVAC system, duct and distribution
design, mechanical pipe design for low temperature and high temperature water design,
plumbing design and fire system. These services can be created for concept, schematic,
design development, tender and construction stages. For lighting design, and particularly for
lux level calculations, DIALux is a popular tool, while trends indicate Camel software is
preferred for calculating air conditioning loads.
AutoCAD, Revit, SolidWorks, Inventor and 3D Max are software options that support MEP
design. Others include country-specific and services-specific software tools. The more
popular choices in the UK, US and Australia include the following:
In the UK, Hevacomp, FHC and Amtech (with DIALux) are preferred for HVAC, fire and
electrical design, respectively.
In the US, TRACE, Hydracalc and ETAP (with DIALux) are preferred for HVAC, fire and
electrical design, respectively.
In Australia, Camel, Hyena and PowerCad (with DIALux) are preferred for HVAC, fire and
electrical design, respectively.
Taking a look at some of these tools and their features in detail offers more insight into their
uses and benefits:

HVAC:
Hevacomp
Specifically created to meet UK standards, Hevacomp mechanical designer software allows
design and also analysis of mechanical systems.
Features
▪ Accurate analysis of building load and energy calculations
▪ Extensive database
▪ Comprehensive tools and reports
▪ Calculates heat loss, radiator sizing, heat gains, shadow analysis, heating and air
conditioning energy and summer overheating.
▪ Integrates with Hevacomp Dynamic Simulator for entire building analysis

TRACE
TRACE 700 helps compare energy and economic impact of HVAC systems, HVAC equipment.
 Features
▪ Extensive modelling functionality - over 50 airside systems, air and waterside
economisers, advanced chiller plant configurations, water-source and central and
distributed ground-source systems, VRF and UFAD systems, dedicated outdoor-air
systems and optimized control strategies.
▪ Integration - ASHRAE Standard 90.1 equipment and envelope libraries, gbXML
(green build XML) imports, weather files, templates, BIM

Camel
Calculates the design heating and cooling loads and associated psychrometrics for air
conditioning plants.

Features
▪ Calculations are based on the AIRAH/IHRACE Application Manual DA9 "Air
Conditioning Systems, Load Estimation & Psychrometrics", which incorporates
cooling load estimation techniques and data
▪ Models a range of system types, including CV Heating and Cooling, CV Face and
Bypass VAV with and without reheat, RC Heat Pumps and Evaporative Coolers
▪ Plant fresh air quantities can be calculated in accordance with AS1668
▪ Comprehensive range and data checking, with comprehensive consistency check
▪ Results for cooling, heating and reheat loads, air quantities, VAV turn-down ratios,
check figures, selectively or collectively viewed.
▪ Loads, air quantities, etc, psychrometric chart plots, dynamic graphical display of
shadows on walls and windows from overhangs

Mechanical Design Software (Fire):

FHC
FHC is an easy-to-use hydraulic calculation and analysis package, specifically designed for
the fire protection industry.
Features
▪ Intuitive interface to build complex hydraulic models, with thousands of pipes
▪ High speed calculation engines
▪ Can be used to hydraulically model any type of water-based fire protection system from
fire sprinkler systems, water mist, fire hydrants, water monitors, etc.

Hydracalc
Hydracalc (hydraulic calculation) software from Hydratec is fully compatible with NFPA 2007
printout requirements.
Features
▪ Library of pump and backflow device curves
▪ Backflow loss read automatically off curves based on flow required
▪ Designate flow schematic reference points or automatically generated
▪ Automatic remote head location and auto-peaking of a calculation
▪ Automatic error checking
▪ Calculates using velocity pressure or total pressure
▪ Displays and instantly updates calculated flow, pressure and velocity
▪ Flow schematics for data checking
▪ Unlimited pipe types and fittings tables
▪ Integrates with HydraCAD™

Hyena
Hyena can be used to analyse automatic fire sprinkler systems, fire hydrant and hose reel
installations or combined sprinkler, hydrant and/or hose reel systems or any other systems
where the discharges can be represented by a k factor and minimum flow.
Features
▪ Modelling of piping systems as fixed-pressure, town mains water supply or pump
▪ Input points are automatically assigned as reference nodes to save input
▪ Selection of piping materials, such as light medium and heavy steel, cast ductile iron
and copper piping
▪ Pipes or nodes can be identified and pipe diameters or lengths can be changed
▪ Wide range of fittings are provided and can be modified
▪ Booster pumps and back flow preventers can be included.
▪ Can determine design point (required flow and head at the input point) given the k
factor and minimum discharge of each sprinkler head or hose reel
▪ Provision is made for gridded layouts to be entered easily with pipe numbers, node
numbers, pipe diameters or lengths.
▪ Sprinkler elevations and row elevation are automatically duplicated in the grid
▪ Range checks, cross checks and other checks are carried out on all input items

Electrical Design Software:

DIALux
DIALux helps design, calculate and visualise light in single rooms, whole floors, buildings and
outdoor scenes, using electronic luminaire catalogues.
Features
▪ Light scenes - adjust lighting design for different scenarios
▪ 3D luminaire models -
▪ Value graphs
▪ DWG Import/Export
▪ Raytracer
 ▪ Outputs
▪ Emergency lighting
▪ Sports facilities

Amtech
Amtech Office is an electrical software tool with six essential programmes facilitating
electrical design, test and inspection, coordination and quick single cable calculations.
Features
▪ ProDesign 4 - electrical design and calculation
▪ Protect LV - protection coordination
▪ FastTest - inspection and testing certificates
▪ SingleCable - quick single cable calculations to BS 7671

ETAP
ETAP specialises in analysis, simulation, monitoring, control, optimisation and automation of
electrical power systems. ETAP software enables modelling and operations.
Features
▪ User-defined Dynamic Models - UDM
▪ UDM libraries
▪ Wind turbine generator
▪ Datablock
▪ Cable capacity sizing - IEC 60092
▪ System elements
▪ Short circuit
▪ Transient stability
▪ Expanded engineering libraries
▪ Enhanced modules

PowerCad
PowerCad enables the modelling of complex L.V. distribution networks quickly and
accurately.
Features
▪ Cable voltage drop calculations
▪ Time/current coordination curves
▪ Selectivity/cascading
▪ Cable thermal stress, cable sizing and conduit sizing
▪ Fault-loop impedance
▪ Fault level calculations, arc fault calculations
▪ Circuit breaker selection
 ▪ Harmonic mitigation and analysis
▪ Power factor correction
▪ Network resonance
▪ Substation, standby generator sizing
▪ Active & passive harmonic filter sizing
▪ Automatic mains and submains cable selection
▪ Display load starting current profile
▪ Light fitting and motor libraries

In general, MEP systems are well known for technical complexities, and so, it is important
that engineers are fully involved in the process of MEP design and associated modelling and
drafting outputs, i.e. developing mechanical, electrical and plumbing models, as part of the
design process. Detailed layouts are developed for MEP components. The drafting process
involves creating these detailed layouts for HVAC systems, wiring systems or power
distribution systems, fire alarm systems and piping systems. The information created by
technicians is used by engineers for creating detailed MEP models, generally from CAD
drawings with accurate mechanical, electrical and plumbing information. Revit MEP by
Autodesk is a popular choice for modellers, technicians and engineers to execute MEP
modelling. In Revit, engineers from one service can coordinate with engineers from other
disciplines, resulting in further clarity on design. This kind of clarity ultimately benefits
performance, adherence to deadlines and costing.
The allure of AutoCAD and Revit for MEP design involves tools that provide feasible and
economically viable designs. These tools develop designs that are customised and within
budget. Also, the application of BIM (building information modelling) allows engineers to
save project costs overall, speed up the design process and improve the final quality
standards of the structure by effecting a reduction in mistakes. AutoCAD and Revit
platforms are BIM-compatible, with heating and piping, ventilation, electrical and sprinkler
design calculations being completed automatically in sizing, balancing and flow rate. Some
of the other features are automatic collision detection, automatic generation of bills of
quantity, and easy coordination and cross-referencing. The large product library within BIM
software packages means less time and money is spent on drafting and modelling new
components for the design process.
Some of the advantages of using BIM in MEP include:
▪ Manual recalibration not required, as all relevant data is available in the model, and
as a result, time, energy and cost savings ensue.
▪ Reduced risk of iterative errors
▪ Coordination issues with vendors taken care of in project phase, not on site
▪ Smooth process results in less time for completion
▪ Detailed design stage
▪ Overall structural and architectural design coordination
▪ Clash detection
▪ Sizing and specification of chillers, AHUs, ducting and associated piping systems
▪ Specification for safety and control system
 ▪ Coordination with the vendors and client to finalise the equipment and system
▪ 3D modelling of the entire HVAC system
▪ Technical support for commissioning and performance testing

Studies in America have shown that complications arising from faulty and ineffective
exchange of information between building design software systems have caused up to
several billion dollars’ worth of avoidable expense. In light of this, the role of relevant,
accurate software used for MEP design and calculations by skilled designers becomes
critical. The expertise and experience of qualified yet affordable MEP services from overseas
countries, such as MEP consultants in India who are well versed in MEP software, can be
successfully tapped to increase profits and ensure prompt and precise delivery of building
projects. The importance of software and the right partner in MEP, thus, is of paramount
value.