The Challenges of Coordinating Risers

For modern buildings, risers carry the very life blood of a comfortable space. Much like an arterial system, different kinds of risers perform various necessary functions for the health of a building. They are conduits or carriers of fluids, fuel or air. Coordinating risers is critically important within the workflow of MEP coordination and clash detection, and this can be challenging at times. Challenges generally occur with hydraulic services design during renovation of older buildings. Let’s look at how that may happen.

Well, first off, what is a riser?

Also known as a vertical riser, a riser is a void that contains a duct, pipe or conduit or a combination of all services that rises through a building to carry or transport gases, fluids or electrical signals in the form of piping. In general, a dry riser is an empty, or dry, pipe used to carry water for firefighting systems, and a riser cable can deliver electricity or communications between several floors. Looking at risers in more detail, they can be:

1. Vertical Riser Ducts
As mechanical pipes and electric cables are aesthetically unappealing, typically they are hidden away in vertical riser ducts. These ducts must be strategically placed to minimise pipe lengths and cable runs, thus cutting costs. Pipes must run unhindered vertically in ducts, especially sanitary waste pipes, so that this waste water need not navigate bends in pipes. Since vertical risers cut through floors and can be vulnerable for the spread of fire, they must adhere to strict guidelines.

2. Vertical Riser Cables and Pipes
Sometimes, it is practical to have risers exposed. Servicing becomes easier. Cables connect to sockets and light fittings to riser conduits mounted on walls and columns. Cables and pipes that travel through floors are covered with fire-protected collars, to prevent the spread of fire through them. Increasingly, services pipes are becoming part of the décor.

3. Wet and Dry Risers
Vertical pipes, that are both wet and dry risers, run the full height of a building and are built near stairs to provide a direct water feed to each floor in case of fire. Dry risers have ground coupling pipes outside the building that can be connected to an external water source in case of emergency. Wet risers are connected to the building’s water supply.

4. Dry Risers in Fire Fighting
A dry riser usually includes the following:
Inlet Box

1. Made of galvanised sheet steel, for recessed mounting, with architrave
2. Has a hinged, lockable door with a panel glazed with wired glass, so that the lock can be opened after breaking the glass. 
3. Hoses can be connected to inlets without opening the door.
4. Large enough to access for maintenance and operate the drain valve

Inlet Breeching

1. A two-inlet breeching, with instantaneous male coupling, back pressure valve, blank cap and chain
2. Has a gunmetal gate valve for drain purposes, with plug and chain

Landing Valves

1. Straight or oblique gunmetal gate pattern valves, with flanged inlet, instantaneous female outlet with blank cap and chain, fixed with a leather strap and padlock
2. Lined and coated with woven synthetic fibre hose and diffuser branch pipe nozzle
3. Valve, hose and nozzle in a box, on purpose-made hangers

Air Release Valves

1. Brass automatic air release valve, with a rubber ball inside

For a tall building with the same floor layouts (e.g. apartments), the riser equipment/elements will change size as they move down or up the building. As such, a section of each riser will show slightly different sizes, especially for ductwork, which is why a drawing is created for every floor, even when the rest of the floor is the same.

With a variety of risers to deal with in the MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) sector, it is crucial that the MEP systems coordination workflow, especially with regard to hydraulic design of liquid or water piping systems, is efficient. Technological advances and the innovations they enable have been a prime factor in fuelling this efficiency. In the construction industry, BIM (Building Information Modelling) has been driving immense change in the MEP coordination process and the delivery of MEP coordination drawings.

The use of BIM technology has made equipment tracking and task monitoring easier. Covering almost every aspect of a construction project, the BIM process involves project managers, subcontractors, designers, architects and other construction professionals participating in controlling individual processes and project phases, with a smooth exchange of information during the larger MEP coordination process.

Increasingly, the trend in the AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) sector is to design 3D models for 2D construction documentation and 3D trade coordination. Generally, the trade design or MEP design follows the architectural design stage. Trade professionals, such as HVAC mechanical engineering consultants and others, collaborate with architects to design mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire prevention and fire protection services. A consultant or MEP contractor ensures that the MEP design is efficient, clash-free and installation-ready. At this point, fabricators who create ductwork or pipework components, electrical ladders or module sprinklers share their input. Thus, a fully coordinated 3D model is developed that can be used for clash detection.

Subcontractors (for the different trades) can virtually place systems as shown on detailed design drawings with individual elements, which include risers, offsets, hangers, conduits with required radius bends and cable trays. Other elements to consider include data communication lines, fire protection system controls and process piping.

At this point, challenges may arise, especially during the renovation of an existing structure. Some of the circumstances that may contribute to challenges in installation of risers include:

• Riser replacement in an existing building – opening up walls creates a mess, dust and debris throughout the premises and destroys expensive decorative finishes that were lovingly installed. In older buildings, asbestos can be destroyed, as well as lead-based paint that has peeled off.
• Existing plumbing risers may be difficult to handle after years of corrosion, because rust makes steel pipes brittle.
• As hot and cold risers behind kitchens and bathrooms are replaced, tiles, cabinets and walls must be removed.
• Risers must be replaced entirely or not at all, since new risers attached to old risers can break.
• Accessing risers takes time and money.

Signs that risers need replacement are hard to miss. Upper floors will experience low water pressure. Debris will appear in the water – bits of corroded pipe in sinks, showers and bathtubs. Time is an indicator. Galvanised steel pipes last for about 50 years, accumulating scale and rust inside, while brass lasts for nearly 70 years. Copper pipes last even longer. Coloured water is a definite indication of rust and scale accumulation. Also, excessively hot showers are a result of clogged plumbing risers that reduce the flow. The need to replace existing risers during renovation introduces different kinds of challenges for coordination.

- For example, during the renovation of an existing building, one of the chase walls was opened, and a large conduit was installed inside a duct chase against an exhaust duct riser, causing a clash in the planned duct connection. A coordinated model showed ductwork and risers in the limited space and how their placement could be manoeuvred to avoid the clash, guiding the fitting of components to meet the design requirements.

- In another building, the floor-to-floor height was 20 feet, generally enough for ductwork and piping from air handlers to central core chases. In this case, a chilled water piping that was routed only 10 feet above the floor and close to the AHUs (air handling units) and supply and return ducts, next to the shafts, made for difficult coordination. Ductwork from 2 AHUs had to pass above the chilled water piping and between hanger rods. Coordinated design drawings showed a more efficient duct placement.

- Yet another example involved duct and pipe routing between an existing main electrical room and adjacent AHUs. The electrical room had floor-mounted AHUs right outside, and the adjacent AHUs had disconnect switches and variable frequency drives (VFDs). Coordinated MEP drawings and 3D modelling showed that the chilled water piping to the electrical room AHUs had to be moved, as did the larger AHUs and VFDs, allowing the ductwork and piping to be placed with the correct amount of clearance.

Easing MEP Coordination
Forming a key part in setting up and laying out design, MEP coordination is a key means to connect building elements and make the structure functional. Earlier during MEP coordination, drawings were overlaid and compared and spatial and functionals interferences, or clashes, were dealt with by multi-trade professionals. This method needed countless revisions before the finalisation of the coordinated drawings, but BIM processes changed all that. The BIM workflow involves a 3D approach and data-based reasoning to help MEP contractors plan, design and install equipment, including risers, efficiently.

Using BIM technology, a once-prolonged and tedious process fraught with delays, insufficient data and miscommunication, is now smooth and efficient. A building’s MEP systems are seamlessly integrated and coordinated with architectural and structural systems, creating clash-free models.

The placement of elements of MEP design, such as risers, can be intelligently designed and laid out. Tools, such as Navisworks, enable clash-free designs, with multi-disciplinary integration in one work environment. Flawless MEP coordination drawings are produced.

The Revit Solution
Creating a 3D model with Revit software enables easy coordination during design, and clash detection can be performed with Navisworks. So, early on in the design process, the model can be coordinated with architectural design and MEP design that includes risers. The models of new buildings and those of existing buildings will have differing degrees of efficiency, since existing buildings contain unknown elements, spaces and conditions which may not be represented in models.

The good news is that with BIM-enabled MEP coordination, most of the challenges concerning the design, layout and clashes of risers in MEP systems is eliminated and smooth coordination results. Those firms that find it difficult to provide hydraulics and plumbing design services and MEP coordination services may consider online collaboration and outsourcing, which is efficient, accurate and cost-effective, for the delivery of precise MEP coordinated drawings as part of the hydraulics and plumbing design services and MEP coordination services. Managers can retain full control of the project, resulting in faster delivery.

Advantages of MEP Consultants from India

Having a single source for MEP (M&E) design and coordination – that mainly sums up the main advantage of MEP consultants from India for Western construction. MEP design and MEP coordination effectively being delivered in the shortest time is best served by a single source. Finding that single source will either be with the designer, who also executes coordination, or with a contractor, who also executes design. A single source, therefore, must have additional skills to perform both functions and thus complete the workflow in its entirety. MEP consultants in India can help in this regard by providing the complete design and contracting service required, such as MEP design engineering, BIM modelling, 3D BIM coordination and MEP shop drawing services, for example.

MEP Design

MEP design outputs generally include providing mechanical, electrical, public health and fire protection building services design information (also known as building engineering and architectural engineering) by building services designers and consultants. This design data and information is provided in a comprehensive manner for all design stages, from concept design, design development, tender and construction. The design is typically delivered in BIM format and include spatially coordinated models that contractor and installation teams can install from or use to progress their detailed design and coordination.

MEP Coordination

The above individual designs are incorporated and spatially organised to be install ready in the process known as MEP coordination. Once an intelligent model is sent to the MEP engineers, they can begin working, using the building envelope, rooms and volumes as reference points. With Revit MEP, MEP engineers can determine spaces and zones and can use intelligent data which provides greater detail. The parametric tools will update automatically, and calculations can be more quickly and easily analysed when building designs change. The results are reported and shared across the entire project team. MEP engineers can calculate sizing and pressure loss. Simulation and visualisation tools can predict system behaviour, appearance and connectivity.

MEP coordination thus includes providing spatially coordinated building services drawings for construction and engineering projects, which can be utilised by MEP building services contractors. All building services (HVAC, pipework, public health and electrical systems) are also coordinated with other disciplines contributing to the building fabric and structure (steel, concrete, false ceilings, etc.). This multiservice coordination work is created in a 3D environment for all the disciplines, resulting in several benefits, namely:

• No clashes (validated using clash-detection software tools)
• Models are generated, through BIM modelling, with precise representations of all mechanical components/kits
• Prevention of site-based delays and disputes, as all services have been proven to work
• Ease of communication, since the 3D model can be viewed and enables easy walk-throughs for demos, reviews or value engineering
• Faster approval/sign-off (3D BIM modelling allows clients to view detailed areas in 3D).

Verification of 3D MEP coordinated drawings is possible with the help of the latest MEP modelling software Revit MEP, and clash detection in Navisworks has been found to be effective for 3D building services coordination. 

Benefits of Single Source for MEP Design and Coordination

When MEP design and MEP collaboration were provided by different sources, several challenges ensued. The adoption of a specific workflow – one where MEP design and MEP coordination are delivered by one designer or one contractor – solved virtually all of these issues, combining design and coordination, aiding installation, commission and fabrication. The end products include models and drawings which are coordinated and ready to install. 

Particular advantages with this workflow process are:

• The BIM model is started and finished by the same team or firm, saving time and minimising confusion.
• The layout strategy (plant and main distribution) is usually adopted first, keeping changes to a minimum.
• The designer can consider procurement information, incorporating this data early in the design stage.  
• The designer/contractor can then issue a coordinated model.

Additional support for design and coordination is a constant requirement for both designers and contractors. Essentially, India is a vast source of technically qualified MEP professionals, and growing collaboration online with overseas customers over the past decades has groomed a generation of well-qualified, well-experienced, low-cost MEP design human resources now capable of seamless MEP coordination too. The major advantages India’s MEP outsourcing services provide are as follows:

• Thorough understanding of process and requirements
• Indian MEP professionals are well versed in delivering designs according to international building and construction standards, global best practices and quality control systems.
• Expertise in MEP
• India produces high quantities of technically qualified engineers and designers.
• Most MEP consultancy firms in India house technical personnel of different disciplines under one roof. 
• Technical personnel work with the latest CAD technology for drawings and calculations and use BIM 360 Team with Collaboration for Revit (C4R) to create coordinated BIM models.
• Experience in MEP 
• MEP design and coordination professionals have spent several years learning MEP technologies and systems, and they have spent even longer moulding custom-designed MEP solutions, specifically for each client.

• Track records for successful solutions and projects by a particular MEP consulting expert can be viewed online.
• These firms have a history of delivering 3D BIM and 2D CAD solutions to general contractors, design build contractors, real estate developers, architecture and engineering (AEC) firms with high quality, on time and cost-effectively.
• Indian MEP consultancy firms conduct peer reviews, have a customised quality checklist or have automated software-based model checking.
• Infrastructure
• Overseas MEP consultancy firms house relevant hardware, software, printers, plotters, etc., thus saving this expenditure for Western firms.

The benefits for outsourcing 3D MEP coordinated drawings ultimately result in saving time and cost for Western construction firms. Skilled external partners, especially MEP consultants from India, as a single source can efficiently deliver MEP design and MEP coordination drawings, additional design, BIM activities and responsibilities, including MEP shop drawing services.

Key Points of MEP Systems & Coordination for Sports Entertainment Venue

As long ago as 776 BC, the Greeks are believed to have participated in the first Olympics to honour Zeus in Olympia, a sanctuary site for Greek deities. The stadium of ancient days has progressed in leaps and bounds and the deities have changed, but the passions incited and contained in sporting stadia still remain. Stadia design today takes far more into consideration than contestants’ comfort and the impact of raucous spectators. Sports venues today strive to integrate sustainability, perfect lighting, ventilation and plumbing in their design. It is the coordination of MEP (M&E) systems and other disciplines that ultimately ensures a stable and comfortable sporting venue for the great celebration of sport and spectator facilities and hospitality arrangements, as well as a myriad additional uses for the venues, such as concerts and conferences. MEP coordination is critical for the success of sporting venues on various levels, and the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology has been crucial for its success.

Sports venues play a special role in enhancing life as we know it. Therefore, MEP engineering designs for sporting venues must be developed and executed in a significantly different manner from other structures. We look at the key points of MEP systems and MEP coordination where these differences matter most. Lighting that is reliable, purposeful and aesthetically comfortable is a major consideration. Since sporting venues must cater to varied occupancy, open areas (including spaces with retractable roofs) and unusually shaped spaces (circular, oval, etc.), these venues experience near-constant fluctuation of temperature and illumination. Air flow must be adjusted to maintain varying temperature, and thermostats, light switches, etc. must not clash with wall coverings or the aesthetic theme. Once these individual concerns are addressed, challenges may lie in the precise coordination of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems with architectural and structural constraints.

So, what is MEP coordination?

Essentially, MEP coordination is the clash-free integration of all building services within the context of architectural and structural disciplines of a building (steel, concrete, etc.). For sports venues, the MEP challenges are different than for other buildings.

MEP Challenges for Sports Entertainment Venues

• Facility layout with structural and architectural designs, spectator seats, requirements of playing turfs, etc. need to be perfected by industry professionals.
• HVAC equipment must be accommodated in general spaces and the power supply must be uninterrupted for multiple lighting systems across the venue.
• Effective plumbing design is essential for a sports venue where large numbers of spectators can be expected to use rest rooms at the same time. In fact, there is every likelihood that 50 percent of the occupants of a sports entertainment venue use the facilities within the same 30 minutes. Water supply and drainage must operate seamlessly.
• A venue’s geography is another consideration. A French, Spanish, Italian, Russian or English football stadium may vary in architecture and differences due to climate, traditions and national design features. Consequently, the MEP layout will also vary.
• Grandstands, VIP boxes and infield areas present unique fire safety challenges.

Some of the specific design challenges that must be considered during MEP coordination are found below.

Emergency power supply is of utmost importance at a sporting venue. Electrical components and switchgear equipment must be designed without a single faulty point and should handle varying electrical power demands. This could be an oil-powered generator, the grid supply or UPS power with batteries. Large venues would ideally benefit from a diesel generator to run emergency and standby loads. These options need to be integrated with both the other services of MEP and with the other disciplines of the structure.

• Large lobbies in sporting venues sometimes have wide curtain walls, which enable natural light variations. Light photocells can be used to measure ambient light and save energy. Sensors that detect occupancy levels can shut off unnecessary lights and save energy.
• Photovoltaic systems can be used for renewable energy systems and must be factored in to MEP coordination.
• Sports venues have started receiving requests for electric car charging stations. This demand is set to increase, and MEP engineers must consider how these stations work with the rest of the MEP design and the building’s structural and architectural elements.
• Cable trays are a preferred primary pathway due to accessibility and ease of maintenance, but access to cable trays can be tricky because of coordination with ductwork, piping, light fixtures, conduits, etc. 

One of the most vital issues in sporting venues is the size and placement of HVAC units. Extensive ductwork is required to supply and return air, depending on the placement of the units. Typical considerations consist of dehumidification and high latent loads. Vast and varied use of the premises may lead to air distribution challenges. Irregular swings in outside air need to be controlled. 

• Open areas can use passive shading methods and thermal energy storage (TES), so that during times of low demand, cooling can be generated.
• Areas with large occupancy numbers generate corresponding amounts of carbon dioxide. These areas can use carbon dioxide sensors, energy recovery systems and enthalpy economisers.
• Variable air volume (VAV) systems or single-zone VAV can be used in non-bowl systems.
• Large sports venues can integrate variable refrigerant flow (VRF) technology to provide effective condensing units and thereby reduce consumption.
• Smoke venting in stadia with closed roofs need roofs which can open when required. Smoke management can complicate HVAC design, as possible fire sizes must be considered along with whether the smoke should be directed above head height for evacuation safety.
• Due to large occupancy numbers, sports venues require well-ventilated spaces which also consider significant latent loads from all occupants. Humidification and dehumidification features are necessary for air handling systems, and energy can be saved through air side heat recovery. Typically, this is from exhaust air streams through run-around coils, air heat exchangers and heat pipes.
• Venues for hockey games require air to be maintained with low humidity. This may involve sub-cooling air to less than 50 F, eliminating moisture and ensuring comfort.
• In recent times, security is another factor to consider in HVAC design for sports venues. Exterior air intake locations must be secure from chemical threats.
• Rainwater reclamation systems can be used for irrigation and toilet flushing, integrating them with the structural and architectural features.
• Low-flow fixtures can reduce water usage and must be included in MEP design according to the nature of the structure.
• Excessive ceiling heights (anything more than 75 ft) in sporting venues makes automatic sprinkler protection insufficient. Venues have started to integrate deluge-type suppression systems.

The above MEP design requirements must be thoroughly considered and integrated in the process of MEP coordination, a prospect that requires detailed planning and the right tools. One such tool is Building Information Modelling (BIM).

The Role of BIM

Building Information Modelling (BIM) uses tools such as Revit to collaborate and coordinate MEP design on an integrated platform. As these projects are typically carried out by large muti-disciplinary teams, professionals can consult, edit and modify in a shared environment with an organised workflow. Contractors can use 3D BIM coordination software, such as Revit and Navisworks, to identify and prevent potential clashes in MEP design and then use tools, such as Autodesk BIM 360 or Collaboration for Revit (C4R), to work on and share models on the cloud.

Changes in MEP components and layouts may require changes in ductwork designs, fabrication and the process of laying out the systems. It is necessary to fully comprehend the design of each discipline. Hence, MEP components must be set according to the venue’s operations, and MEP engineers use BIM technology effectively to develop a fully coordinated system.

Employing MEP BIM coordination helps create accurate and precise MEP coordination drawings and final construction sets of drawings with vast volumes of data. 

BIM solutions can also help save energy consumption. For example, a sports venue in Germany used 380,000 LEDs for its circular façade using BIM technology, achieving 60 percent more efficiency than conventional lighting. 

Stadia require a flawless collaborative MEP design with the architectural and structural disciplines. BIM technology facilitates this collaborative approach, making it possible to develop impressive sports venues that are fully coordinated, keeping within budget and providing high levels of comfort and safety to all occupants. Tools used in BIM technology can check for clashes and energy consumption to help the building stay cost-effective and energy-efficient, contributing to overall sustainability.

So, what does the finished product achieve with its BIM-assisted MEP coordination? Sporting venues become all that they are meant to be, namely spaces that:

Host World-class Events

Providing spectators and players special experiences depends on interesting, comfortable and reliable structures. This can involve special lighting or retractable roofs that work seamlessly.

Showcase Innovation

Sporting venues cater to a range of different events, from world-class events to concerts to comedians or other events. Multi-use arenas must negotiate site constraints flawlessly, integrating function with aesthetics with effective coordination of MEP systems and architectural and structural features.

Are Cost-efficient and Sustainable

Construction challenges cannot delay opening matches. Imposing structures must be constructed on schedule and function cost-effectively and with efficiency in energy consumption. MEP BIM coordination enables timely and reliable construction.

So, even though effective MEP coordination for new or renovated sports venues may be challenging for MEP engineers and architects, meticulous collaboration, creativity and hard work can help coordinate large-scale building services with high-priced real estate and architectural elements for a comfortable, reliable and aesthetically attractive sports entertainment venue.