Stormwater Drainage Systems
Facts that every building designer, owner, and contractor should know Introduction Why should we talk about stormwater drainage? Well, in short, water is heavy. A building’s stormwater drainage system must be designed to drain all rainwater from a building’s roof … Read more
How to Choose the Best HVAC Office Design
For too many years our AEC industry has relied on past experience to continue to design and install systems for offices that are grossly less efficient than current HVAC systems that are available at similar or less of the cost. … Read more
Fire Ratings: Do You Need One?
Introduction This blog will attempt to answer the age-old question “Does this electrical room need to be fire rated?”. Well, we are here to clear the air with an emphatic….maybe. Electrical rooms in and of themselves do not require fire ratings because they are labeled … Read more
Demystifying LEED Certification: A Guide for MEP Engineers
How Sustainable Design Principles Shape Energy-Efficient, High-Performance Buildings Introduction What is LEED certification and why do we as engineers pursue it? As seen in Figure 1, LEED-certified buildings are constructed to be energy efficient, sustainable designs with lower operating costs … Read more
Let’s Talk About BIM Baby
Introduction We all know or have heard of the fancy work that BIM (or Building Information Modeling) can produce, but what is it really? Essentially, it is the power of information and the database behind the model/drawings of buildings. When … Read more
What is a Voltage Drop?
Introduction What is a voltage drop and how does it play a crucial role in the electrical design process of a building? Throughout this blog, we will provide answers to these questions and discuss why it is important for engineers … Read more
The Value of Air Economizers
Air economizers are required by the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), yet their impact and value are somewhat abstract at first thought. How much energy and money do they actually save? Do economizers operate enough during the year to be … Read more
Multi-Family HVAC Systems Comparison
Packages (PTACs & VTACs) or Split Direct Expansion (DX) Air Conditioning System with Electric Heat: Each residential unit will be served by individual air conditioning unit with electric heating coil. In the case of using split systems, fan coil units … Read more
Plumbing Site Surveys
Capturing the Hidden Details for Clearer Design Plans Documenting the existing plumbing systems on a site visit can be challenging because much of the systems will not be readily visible. However, the more information that is well documented on plan … Read more
