Mechanical Electrical Plumbing Research Articles

Analisis dan Upaya Preventif Risiko Tingkat Kebisingan Pekerjaan MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) Konstruksi Rumah Susun di Ibu Kota Negara

Construction work is one of the jobs that has various high risks for workers and people who are around it. These risks come from various sources, one of which is noise from various equipment and ongoing activities. One of the jobs that cause high noise in construction work is MEP (Mechanical Electrical Plumbing) work. Based on Permenaker Number 13 Year 2011, the Threshold Value (NAB) for noise that can be accepted by workers is 85 dBA for 8 hours a day. Based on the measurement of the construction of the flats, the MEP work in the form of Beam Separator Elevator Installation, Pipe Fabrication, Electrical Wiring Lighting Installation, as well as Welding and Grinding of Iron Pipe causes noise above the NAB. The highest noise comes from pipe fabrication in the form of iron pipe cutting activities using large grinding tools and bevel machines that produce noise of 107 dBA. From the Daily Noise Dose (DND) calculation, the noise generated from MEP work has a dangerous risk level for workers' hearing. Risk control efforts that can be done are preventive actions based on the K3 hierarchy in the form of administrative controls such as changing working hours or shifts and conducting safety talks before work is carried out. In addition, another preventive measure is the use of PPE such as ear plugs. Based on the calculation of the noise reduction level, the use of ear plugs has not reduced the noise level to reach the NAB, so it is recommended that workers in pipe fabrication work use ear muffs to reduce noise exposure.

Implementation of BIM Virtual Models in Industry for the Graphical Coordination of Engineering and Architecture Projects

Building information modeling (BIM) has traditionally been considered as a tool for the graphical representation of architectural and engineering projects. This technology has become a key instrument for the development of virtual models that simulate the constructive process and facilitate the analysis of the designed solutions to detect incidents linked to traditional bi-dimensional projects. This article focuses on the use of this technology to optimize the design of MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) facilities and architecture by developing virtual BIM models. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to analyze two experiences of complex buildings that have developed a BIM Execution Plan to improve the coordination of all disciplines involved, in order to explore how these real experiences can contribute to the implementation of the use of this technology in the construction industry. The results of the research are divided into two aspects: on the one hand, the improvements that BIM brings to the coordination and optimization of MEP facilities, linked to the typification of design incidents detected to anticipate conflicts between disciplines, facilitate collaborative design between different agents, keep graphic documentation updated and avoid execution problems and additional costs; and on the other hand, the keys to facilitating the extension of the use of this technology in the industry. Therefore, the conclusions of the research point out to the need for improvement in the automation of incident detection and the reduction in design process deadlines, as well as the need to simplify the virtual modeling process to bring it closer to unqualified personnel involved in the workflow and facilitate the implementation of this technology in the construction industry.

Obstacles Preventing the Off-Site Prefabrication of Timber and MEP Services: Qualitative Analyses from Builders and Suppliers in Australia

Limited empirical and qualitative studies focus on the detailed processes and obstacles for coordinating off-site prefabrication between builders and suppliers. This research aims to identify and address the obstacles that currently prevent the further expansion of off-site prefabrication, with a research scope on timber and mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) services in construction projects. The focal point of this research is to highlight their obstacles. A total of forty interviews were conducted and analyzed from four builders’ organizations and four suppliers’ organizations to ascertain their obstacles in coordinating the practice of off-site prefabrication. The results found the builder’s obstacles were sustainability, quality assurance (QA), mass production, CAD/BIM, technological support, commercial arrangements, system building, buffering in supply, schedule monitoring, productivity, flexibility, engagement, risks, and multiple supply arrangements. The supplier’s obstacles were design, financing and subcontracting, coordination, recognized practices, risks, multiple supply arrangements, and constraints. Moreover, the builders and suppliers had identified some ways to harmonize off-site prefabrication of timber. Some examples of timber prefabrication technology include joinery, doors and/or windows, structural floor/wall/roof frames, partitions, trusses, stairs, balustrades, and others. MEP services with in situ construction comprise the use of power sources and working coordination. The most important outcome of this investigation is that these obstacles can be addressed through collaboration and coordination. This is because there is a traditionally a lack of collaboration amongst builders and their suppliers. Furthermore, there is a lack of coordination between them in general. The research contributes to the improved timber and MEP services collaboration and coordination in off-site prefabrication, which can be referred to by other approaches of modular construction.

RISK ASSESSMENT IN 13-STORY BUILDING PROJECTS WITH THE FAILURE MODE AND EFFECT ANALYSIS (FMEA) METHOD AND THE DOMINO EFFECT

The building construction project is one of the activities that can pose a safety risk. Work safety risk assessment can be done using the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) method and looking at the Risk Priority Number (RPN) value. The purpose of this research is to take a case study of the building Office in determining the highest RPN and provide recommendations on its management. This project consists of 13 earthworks, passenger hoist, tower crane, scaffolding jobs, ironworks, formwork work, foundry work, mechanical, electrical plumbing (MEP) work, welding work, and floor wall doing works, and ceramic installation work. The highest RPN from the observations occurred in Iron Fabrication which can cause fingers hit by a bar cutter and bender. In this case, personal protective equipment (PPE) is significant in preventing these impacts from occurring in the project work area.

Multidisciplinary design optimization for sustainable design using building information modeling

This paper illustrates the application of computational design using Rhinoceros software and Grasshopper plugin to investigate a real accommodation with respect to the solar radiation reduction. The paper also introduces the basic concepts of Building Information Modelling (BIM) utilization in construction. The multidisciplinary BIM model show that the Computable BIM Model can be used for Architecture, Structure, Mechanical - Electrical -Plumbing (MEP) to help architects, designers do sustainable design such as acoustic comfort, lighting design on effective cost manner with many rapid design options from the conceptual design phase, to facilitate wind load simulation, predict structural behaviour under fierce conditions, to estimate heat load, HVAC systems performance for energy saving and sustainable design.

Using the Last Planner System to tackle the social aspects of BIM-enabled MEP coordination

The aim of this research was to expand the current understanding of social aspects related to the successful adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) to support mechanical–electrical–plumbing (MEP) coordination and identify contributions of the Last Planner System (LPS) to tackle these aspects. The paper presents an action-research project carried out by a mechanical contractor. This study revealed that successful BIM-enabled MEP coordination depends not only on efforts to coordinate the model itself, but also on how effectively it is used during the installation phase. Social elements that influenced the effectiveness of BIM-enabled MEP coordination were classified in three categories: clarity of roles and responsibilities, individual vs. collective project leadership, and the existence of agreed-upon processes to follow. In such context, the LPS contributed to strengthening teamwork, providing a structure for increased communication and accountability, and helping the project team to focus on problem-solving. Consequently, the model was used more effectively, reducing rework and improving field productivity.

Planning Of Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Analysis

Increasing population and household growth cause the need for housing to shift to urban areas and develop into multi-story housing such as condominiums, apartments and so on as a result of urbanization. Pasir Putih View Condominium Hotel - Situbondo (Condotel) is one of the real indicators of the economic, social and cultural progress of the people in a region. The construction of the Condominium Hotel (Condotel) project requires careful planning in terms of structure, architecture, and also mechanical electrical plumbing.
 Building planning, especially on mechanical electrical plumbing (MEP) must be adjusted to the number of guests or people who are in the condotel area. One of them is planning the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) which will be recycled and used for one of the condotel requirements. This WWTP plan starts with determining the total clean water requirements and the total flushing needs needed. The method of data analysis is done by calculating the total water discharge planning needed and the results from the dimensions of the WWTP space needed.
 The results obtained are in the form of the calculated discharge volume and WWTP space data which is accompanied by shop drawing images in which a comparison of the old design with the new WWTP design. The discharge volume of the total clean water requirement obtained from the calculation is 179.04 m3. The calculation for the dimensions of the WWTP space needed is 13.5mx5mx4m. From the type of WWTP, the time to treat wastewater into environmentally-friendly (non-consumption) water can be 50% faster. WWTP type planning is done to produce more efficient planning of the WWTP that had been planned by the previous consultant while not ignoring security factors

DATA AND PROCESS MODEL FOR ADVANCED INTEGRATION OF MEP INTO BIM PROJECTS

The coordination of mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) and architecture is a most important task in BIM projects. Open data exchange based on BIM formats such as the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) is an important basis for advanced collaboration in complex project environments. It facilitates performance-based design concepts as multidisciplinary teams can more easily combine task-specific design and simulation tools. An analysis of the IFC4 standard pointed out, that MEP components are not sufficiently specified yet in order to provide such functionality. Moreover, MEP specific guidelines and process models describing the various interactions between architectural and MEP design in a BIM project are still lacking. This paper thus presents a comprehensive MEP data model that complements the current state of IFC. In addition, an associated BIM process model using Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) that outlines the application of the data model in different design stages of a project is introduced. For this purpose, we take an air-handling unit as example and apply the developed model to an air-handling unit of a campus building at Graz University of Technology. The presented results support architects, MEP engineers, and BIM managers in the project-specific implementation of air-handling unit models and the set-up of a suitable process for the integration into the project.

CHALLENGES AND RISKS RELATING TO MEP ENGINEERING IN LARGE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) systems are integral parts of modern buildings. Adequate conception, design, and installation of MEP systems are an essential prerequisite for a successful project. Experience has shown that the practical implementation of this aspect is often a challenge for the involved project stakeholders due to the increasing complexity of MEP systems. This raises the question of whether the field of MEP engineering is particularly sensitive to potential conflicts and disruptions in complex construction projects compared to other trades. In order to investigate these questions, a survey based on a standardized questionnaire was carried out among Austrian experts with experience in large building construction projects. Overall, 515 experts participated in this survey, with 365 completely answering the questionnaire. The results show that the participants consider proper project integration of MEP engineering as a critical success factor in complex construction projects. They also show that inadequate consideration of this aspect poses a substantial risk for project disruptions.

The Construction of BIM Application Value System for Residential Buildings’ Design Stage in China Based on Traditional DBB Mode

Through statistical data issued by Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China, in 2015, China's real estate companies completed construction area of 7,356,930,000 square meters, of which the residential construction area occupied 69.53%. In China, building information modeling (BIM) technology has developed gradually these years. Despite the successful applications of BIM in commercial buildings, tourism buildings, culture and educational buildings and other public buildings, the application of BIM for residential buildings has not gained wide acceptance, which was only limited to residential buildings’ underground garages. This project aims to cover this gap by studying the application of BIM on residential buildings’ design stage under the commonly used DBB (Design-Bid-Build) mode. Through the investigation and participation of several projects, this paper constructs BIM application value system including specific implementing scheme and delivery forms based on the DBB mode. The system covers the phases of scheme design, preliminary design, construction drawing design and detailed design and involves the professional fields from general layout, municipal facility, landscape, architecture, structure, MEP(Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing) and refined decoration.

THE APPLICATION OF MEP SYSTEMS INSTALLATION FOR INTERFACE INTEGRATION IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

The mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) systems employed in architectural engineering are complex and diverse. Improper integration at the equipment/pipeline interface results in interference and inappropriate sequence of jobs during installation can negatively influence the entire project. This study proposes useful guidelines and processes to avoid making mistakes in the integration of the interface, which would necessitate redoing work, increase costs, and delay completion. Eight criteria and three-level integration sequencing logic were adopted as the foundation for guidelines in the integration process. An eight-story laboratory with a total floor area of 20,000 m^2 was selected to verify the proposed guidelines and processes. The practicality of this system was verified through the elimination of fifteen major conflicts of equipment/pipeline arrangement following the application of these guidelines.

Building information modeling for sustainable design and LEED ® rating analysis

Today, there is a high level of demand for sustainable buildings. The most important decisions regarding a building's sustainable features are made during the design and preconstruction stages. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED ®) is the most widely adopted sustainable building rating system in the United States. For projects pursuing LEED ® certification, designers have to conduct in-depth sustainability analyses based on a building's form, materials, context, and mechanical–electrical–plumbing (MEP) systems. Since Building Information Modeling (BIM) allows for multi-disciplinary information to be superimposed within one model, it creates an opportunity to conduct these analyses accurately and efficiently as compared to the traditional methods. In this exploratory research, a case study was conducted on Salisbury University's Perdue School of Business building to demonstrate the use of BIM for sustainable design and the LEED ® certification process. First, a conceptual framework was developed to establish the relationship between BIM-based sustainability analyses and the LEED ® certification process. Next, the framework was validated via this case study. The results of this study indicate that documentation supporting LEED ® credits may be directly or indirectly prepared using the results of BIM-based sustainability analyses software. This process could streamline the LEED ® certification process and save substantial time and resources which would otherwise be required using traditional methods.

ANALISIS REWORK PADA PROYEK KONSTRUKSI GEDUNG DI KABUPATEN BADUNG

Rework is unavoidable from the world of construction, Rework can be a devastating effect on the performance and productivity of both the consultant and the contractor. This study aims to determine the main factors causing rework, efforts to reduce rework. The analysis used the analysis Multivariant factor analysis with the help of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for Windows version 17.0. From the results obtained by factor analysis the main factors causing the occurrence of rework are: aspects of the owner (poor communication, poor coordination, poor information flow), aspects of planning consultants (lack of information in the field, lack of communication, the situation in the picture on the ground is not suitable). aspects of construction management consultants (lack of information in the field, lack of communication, lack of control), aspects of mechanical electrical plumbing contractors (Materials misdirected, MEP staff inexperience, lack of knowledge about the character of the material, the amount of overtime), aspects of the contractor (lack of competence foreman, foreman lack of experience, lack of experience, the quality of labor is bad, the error in interpreting the specification), aspects of operator (poor flow of information, lack of communication, lack of coordination, lack of operator experience). Efforts to systematically reduce rework most effective according to the respondent's answer is: Systematic planning, detailing and describing the project at every stage of the steps to be taken to achieve quality objectives, set standards of communication, coordination and construction project sinkronasi work with all parties involved in the implementation of the project, Constructing specification limits and criteria and quality standards to be used in engineering design, procurement and construction materials.