Engineering Services Planning Limited

Integrated M&E building services planning presentations

Planning support for the construction industry in order to:

Provide an insight into M&E building services planning

Assist in the development of M&E overview programmes

To integrate these with construction programmes

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Presentation Number 01
Identification and Coordination of M&E Building Services
Part 1 - Introduction to the M&E Services
Part 2 - Coordinated Services
GHG

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Part 1 - Introduction to the M&E Services

What are the Key Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) building services?

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Key Mechanical Services

Heating - Low temperature hot water (LTHW) supplied by boilers and pumps via pipe
work systems - feeding radiators, heaters, air conditioning systems (HVAC) and fan
coil units (FCUs)

Cooling - Chilled water (CHW) supplied by chillers and pumps via pipe work systems
- feeding air conditioning systems (HVAC) and fan coil units (FCUs) and cooling units
for electrical switch rooms

Gas Generally used to supply the boilers and fit out kitchens

Drainage - Soil & vent and rainwater draining into sumps and sewers controlled by
pumps via pipe work systems

Water services - Water supplies for domestic use and plant services stored in
tanks & supplied by pumps via pipe work systems

Fire Protection - Sprinklers and wet/dry risers stored in tanks & supplied by
pumps via pipe work systems (wet risers have pumps, dry risers do not have pumps
for fire service use)

Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) - Supply & extract air supplied
& extracted by air handling units (AHUs) & fans via ductwork systems

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Key Electrical Services

High Voltage cables (HV) - Incoming supplies from electrical utility companies

High Voltage cables (HV) - Supplies from electrical HV switch rooms to electrical LV
switch rooms

Low Voltage cables (LV) - Supplies from electrical LV switch rooms to main mechanical
plant and main mechanical plant control panels

Low Voltage cables (LV) - Supplies from electrical LV switch rooms to electrical
distribution boards, equipment and control panels

Electrical Containment - Ladder rack, cable tray/basket, trunking and conduit for
installation of electrical services

Busbars Utilised to feed heavy duty plant items and multiple electrical supplies such
as electrical risers

Lighting & Small Power - Outgoing electrical circuits from distribution boards and
control panels

GHG

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Overview of a typical HV cable installation

GHG

Overview of a typical LV cable installation

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Special Systems
In addition to mechanical and electrical there are other services banded together under
the title of Special Systems.

Fire & Voice Alarm (FA/VA) Fire Detection & Alarm

Security - Building access control and CCTV

Building Management System (BMS) - Building mechanical systems control and

monitoring

GHG

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Electrical Containment
Electrical Containment Installed by the Electrical Contractor

HV ladder rack
LV ladder rack/cable tray
Trunking & conduit
FA/VA primary cable tray/basket
BMS primary trunking/cable tray
Security primary trunking

Electrical Containment and wiring Installed by other M&E Contractors

FA/VA secondary cable tray/basket/conduit & wiring

Installed by the FA/VA
contractor
BMS secondary trunking/cable tray/conduit & wiring
Installed by the BMS
contractor
Security secondary trunking/conduit & wiring
Installed by the security
contractor
Mechanical plant containment & wiring
Installed by the mechanical contractor
HVAC plant containment & wiring
Installed by the ductwork contractor
Fire protection plant containment & wiring
Installed by the fire protection
contractor
hgh

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Part 2 Coordinated Services
When planning the coordinated installation of M&E building services the
important factors to consider are:

1. Start on Site and Area Availability

2. Primary M&E Services Routes
3. Primary M&E Services Coordination

M&E Services Risers Topic of a further presentation

M&E Plant and Switch Rooms Topic of a further presentation
hgh

Engineering Services Planning Limited

1.

Start on Site and Area Availability

Questions:
2. What would constitute a meaningful commencement for the M&E services?
3. What would constitute a plant or switch room release (Room Ready) for the M&E
services?

Answers:
4. Meaningful Commencement
.

The predetermined start on site date for M&E building services does not want to be over
ambitious.

The project build sequence and logistical plan will need careful consideration to
realistically identify what the site conditions are going to be at that future point in time.

It may be worthwhile deferring the M&E services commencement date and reducing the
overall duration in order to provide better access, more work faces and less concurrent
working with construction trades.

Starting piecemeal works in ad hoc areas will create confusion as to the meaningful
commencement date.

If there is only one notice to proceed the M&E contractors overall contract duration
commences from that date.

Typically the M&E services would follow the completed block work in agreed areas, with
builders work holes formed and plinths constructed (if required at that point)

hgh

Engineering Services Planning Limited

2. Room Ready
Room ready dates can be subjective regarding their suitability of handover for M&E
contractors
commencement. A room ready list should include:
.

Walls, floor slabs and soffit construction complete including the builders work holes

Area clean and debris free

Walls, floor slabs and soffit dry and watertight

Plant plinths and bund walls complete

Floors sealed and walls mist coated

Safety aspects such as edge protection and barriers addressed

hgh

Engineering Services Planning Limited

2.

Primary M&E Services Routes

Questions:
1. What is a primary M&E services route?
2. Where are the primary M&E services routes?
3. What are the key M&E plant and switch rooms and where are they located?
4. GHG

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Answers:
1.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

A primary M&E services route is a group of M&E systems forming:

A link between mechanical plant rooms in basement areas
A link between electrical switch rooms in basement areas
A link from mechanical plant rooms in basement areas to mechanical riser locations
A link from electrical switch rooms in basement areas to electrical riser locations
Mechanical riser installations
Electrical riser installations
A link from mechanical risers to mechanical plant rooms on upper floor levels
A link from electrical risers to electrical switch rooms on upper floor levels

2.
.
.
.
.
.
.

The primary M&E services routes are located in:

Corridors adjacent to plant/switch rooms
Arterial corridors around and through central core areas
Specific mezzanine floor levels
Plant and switch rooms
Vertical risers
ghg

Typical basement mechanical plant and electrical switch rooms layout plus the
locations of vertical risers

gfgfbvbv

HGHhgh

HV Switch
Room

Mechanical
Risers

Mechanical Plant
Room

kfkf

Fire Protection Plant

Room

Ventilation Plant
Room

Water Services Plant

Room

Ventilati
on Risers

LV Switch
Room

Electric
al Riser

Ventilati
on Riser

Corridor

Corridor

Mechanical pipe
work

Electric
al Riser

Ventilation Plant
Room

Mechanical Plant
Room

Fire protection
pipe work
Water services
pipe work
Electrical
containment

Corridor

Ventilatio
n Riser

Ventilation duct
work

Ventilati
on Riser

LV Switch
Room

Mechanic
al Riser

Corridor

Engineering Services Planning Limited

3. Some of the plant and switch rooms indicated in the table below would be
repeated on other floor levels.
Title

Location

Chiller Plant Room (Mechanical)

Basement otherwise roof level

Boiler Room (Mechanical)

Basement otherwise roof level

Fire Protection Plant Rooms (Mechanical)

Basement

Domestic Water Plant Rooms (Mechanical)

Basement and Roof Levels

Generator Plant Rooms (Electrical)

Basement otherwise roof level

Utility Incoming Substations (Electrical)

Basement

Landlord HV Switch Rooms (Electrical)

Basement

Landlord LV Switch Rooms (Electrical)

Basement and Roof Levels

Supply Air Plant Rooms (Mechanical)

Basement and Roof Levels

Stair/Lift Pressurisation Plant Rooms

(Mechanical)

Basement and Roof Levels

Cooling Towers (Mechanical)

Roof Level

Car Park Supply & Extract Plant Rooms

(Mechanical)

Basement

Plant Rooms Supply & Extract (Mechanical)

Basement and Roof Levels

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Examples of primary M&E services routes:

A pipe work link between a chiller located in the basement and its cooling tower located
on the roof

A pipe work installation from a boiler room or a chilled water plant room feeding
numerous items that require heating & cooling properties

Ventilation duct work from a plant room connected to other duct work in a vertical riser

Ventilation duct work from a plant room supplying and extracting air to other plant rooms

Containment and cables installed between electrical switch rooms located in the
basement and upper floor levels

Containment and cables installed from electrical switch rooms to mechanical plant rooms
located in the basement and upper floor levels

hgh

Engineering Services Planning Limited

3. Primary M&E Services Coordination
Questions:
1. What is the definition of coordination in this context?
2. What would be a typical M&E services coordinated sequence?
Answers:
3. The term coordination refers to:.

The impact of M&E services installations on each other (who goes first what goes
where - and how)

The methods adopted to install them (trade contractor programme coordination

meetings 3D modelling)

The impact of the M&E services on the construction programme (key dates - site
logistical plan & access)

The methods adopted to integrate them (integrated programme development and

progress monitoring)

Implementing the above will achieve an accurate target programme and subsequent 4D
model.
2. The sequence in which the M&E services need to be installed will generally be from
the highest to the lowest (soffit downwards). This is likely to differ along the primary
routes due to:.

The locations of plant and switch rooms

The locations of vertical risers

The locations of incoming utility services

Engineering Services Planning Limited

The sketch below provides a sectional example of primary M&E services located in a corridor,
indicating how they could be installed from the soffit down.
Typically in a corridor M&E trades each install
their own supports from the soffit as the first
programme item.
Followed by water mains, drainage and fire
protection pipe work. Generally M&E services
that would not require any further access once
they had been installed, tested and insulated.
Followed by the ductwork and its branches to
adjacent rooms, which would require testing
and insulation.
Then the chilled water pipework, which also
branches off to adjacent rooms and needs to
be accessible.
Electrical containment is always the lowest
and final service to be installed.
Its
completion and subsequent cable installation
will be dependent on the mechanical services
completion.
The coordinated installation sequence needs
to prioritise the earliest release for HV & LV
cable installations.
hgh

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Summary details:

Identify the key M&E services

Identify the primary M&E services routes

Identify the key programme dates and interfaces

Interface the project logistical plan and access requirements

Determine the programme structure to accommodate the above items

Divide the programme into coordinated areas to enable performance

monitoring

Establish a sequence of coordinated activities for the primary M&E service

routes

Achieve the shortest period of time to install the high level mechanical
services prior to release for electrical services containment
commencement. Typically this will be +/- 8 weeks.

ghg

Engineering Services Planning Limited

Where can you find further information:
The Engineering Services Planning website provides:

M&E services template programmes for mechanical plant and electrical

switch rooms
Examples of progress monitoring schedules
A Guide to M&E Building Services Planning Manual
Our Collaborative Planning Paper
hhghgh