{"id":956,"date":"2020-06-03T01:15:31","date_gmt":"2020-06-02T19:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.axiumglobal.com\/dev\/?post_type=articles&p=956"},"modified":"2024-09-02T15:30:49","modified_gmt":"2024-09-02T10:00:49","slug":"3-ways-to-avoid-mep-bim-design-coordination-scope-overlaps","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/axiumglobal.com\/test\/dev\/articles\/3-ways-to-avoid-mep-bim-design-coordination-scope-overlaps","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways to Avoid MEP BIM Design & Coordination Scope Overlaps"},"content":{"rendered":"

Construction and the MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) industry, also known as the M&E industry, owes a debt to the technological advance we know as Building Information Modelling (BIM). The BIM methodology has introduced several benefits to the design and build process in terms of streamlining workflow, collaboration, cutting costs and completing projects on time. Eminently useful, MEP coordination facilitated by BIM, or BIM coordination, is an integral part of pre-construction planning, which helps maintain a building\u2019s life cycle. However, it is imperative that BIM coordination is handled by experienced professionals with sound technical knowledge of engineering design services.<\/p>\n

The successful adoption of BIM practices depends largely on the level of interaction between the MEP (M&E) design consultant and the contractor. Prior to the era of BIM, responsibilities, such as conceptual design, detailed 3<\/span>D modelling, and 3<\/span>D building services coordination, were handled by separate parties. Adopting BIM practices can lead to a serious scope overlap between design consultants and contractors, particularly if the BIM workflows are not clarified during the planning phase.<\/p>\n

Tasks, including creating MEP BIM models<\/a>, carrying out 3<\/span>D M&E (MEP) BIM coordination and extracting M&E (MEP) coordinated drawings from 3<\/span>D models, can be injected into the scope of multiple parties: MEP design consultants<\/a>, contractors and other trade-specific subcontractors. For instance, though carrying out 3<\/span>D BIM coordination<\/a> is a part of the contractor\u2019s role, the design consultant may also spend some of his time and effort making the model clash-free with respect to the architectural and structural models. Similarly, the MEP contracting team will have to change the BIM model provided by the design consultant if it does not meet the contractor\u2019s requirements with regards to procurement changes, lagging allowances and installation efficiency.<\/p>\n

Taken together, such issues in M&E design services pose serious challenges for BIM projects. The fact that the contractor has to repeat the BIM modelling task (in addition to extracting the MEP coordinated drawings) and that the design consultant has to carry out services coordination (which is actually the contractor\u2019s task) are some key areas of scope overlap. This leads to effort duplication and additional cost that finally affects project schedules. The whole point in employing MEP (M&E) BIM methodologies is to reduce duplication, increase efficiency and improve interdisciplinary coordination. Such overlaps in responsibilities defeat the very goal of using BIM practices.<\/p>\n

To avoid such MEP design and coordination overlaps, there are three possible routes that can be taken:<\/p>\n

1.<\/span> Both MEP design consultant and MEP coordination team strictly focus on their core responsibilities<\/p>\n

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