What are the different types of MEP Drawings?

What are the different types of MEP Drawings?
Share the knowledge

In the construction industry, MEP stands for Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing. MEP systems of the building play a very critical role in ensuring a successful building planning and performance. In order to do that, high quality and accurate MEP Drawings are of prime importance. MEP drawings help communicate information regarding construction, installation, and function of MEP components by utilizing familiar symbols, units of measurement, and notation systems.

 

MEP drawings include all the details regarding HVAC systems, wiring, and piping required to construct a commercial or residential structure. They are necessary for component vendors, equipment manufacturers, and suppliers to understanding the mechanical intricacies of a building under construction. They also help define the standards on which the subcontractors can build and the measuring tool by which the government issues construction permits.

 

There are five types of MEP drawings that are important for the seamless functioning of the building. Below we talk about them in brief:

 

1. Penetration Drawings:

An MEP system is bound to penetrate the various wall and floor spaces throughout the building. Penetration drawings ensure that these openings are accurately located and that they have the proper dimension required for the component to get clearance. They are also crucial to maintain the structural integrity of the product so that the cuts made in the design will not create problems in the future.

 

2. Detailed Shop Drawings:

A lot of these MEP components require pre-fabrication like ductwork, air-handling units, custom piping connections, etc. It is here that MEP Shop Drawing Services are utilized. MEP shop drawings provide details for the fabrication and installation of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. These drawings ensure that any component manufactured in an off-site location can be installed on-site without any clashes. MEP shop drawings are made with standard codes applicable to the project.

 

3. Pipe Spool Drawings:

A pipe spool refers to a prefabricated component of a piping system. It is made up of pipes, flanges and fittings. Pipe spool drawings show a single spool and provides all the information that would be required by the fabrication shop to manufacture or assemble it. It contains three things: the length that the pipe must be cut in, the number, type, and location of each weld and a part list which shows all the fittings.

 

4. Coordination Drawings:

When in a given project there are many mechanical, electrical, and plumbing requirements there is always a risk of interference. Coordination drawings are intended to keep MEP systems from colliding during the construction or installation process. These drawings help detect obstructions that are caused due to interacting MEP systems for instance coordination drawings can detect a hard clash between a duct and a wastewater pipe, before either of them are installed and in turn save time, resources and labor. MEP coordinated drawings thus allow the systems contractor to get a clear plan of action.

 

5. As-Built Drawings:

As-Built drawings are made for documentation and facility management once the building is constructed. They can be extremely useful for renovation or fit-out works. These drawings take into account the changes that have been made during the construction process and provide information about the exact location of MEP components.

 

MEP Drawings are thus extremely important and inaccurate MEP Drawings lead to mistakes, wasted time and loss of money. This is perhaps why a lot of construction companies are choosing to utilize CAD Services or Building Information Modelling Services to extract precise and accurate MEP Drawings.

  • Divya Dave

    Divya Dave is a Senior Manager with Tesla Outsourcing Services. An engineer and management graduate, she has been working with the outsourcing industry now for more than a decade. With a passion for writing, she writes on topics that provide an insight into CAD, BIM, and 3D Visualization services for the Architectural, Structural, and MEP disciplines. Her focus is to enable architects and engineering professionals in the AEC industry to adopt the right technology so as to increase their efficiency and profitability.


Share the knowledge
What are the different types of MEP Drawings?
Written By:
Divya Dave
Divya Dave is a Senior Manager with Tesla Outsourcing Services. An engineer and management graduate, she has been working with the outsourcing industry now for more than a decade. With a passion for writing, she writes on topics that provide an insight into CAD, BIM, and 3D Visualization services for the Architectural, Structural, and MEP disciplines. Her focus is to enable architects and engineering professionals in the AEC industry to adopt the right technology so as to increase their efficiency and profitability.