BE Magazine - Volume 5, Issue 1 - (Page 17) BUILDING M/E Engineering phased in Bentley Mechanical during design to model the atrium and associated systems. The team imported these models directly into CFD modeling software for analysis of airflow, smoke density, and temperature during a simulated atrium fire. “The Bentley product and BIM philosophy saved countless hours and greatly improved our documents,” said Douglas Rose, project engineer at M/E Engineering. “The ability there is a smoke purge. During design, the shape and allowable space available changed drastically many times. Each change required a redesign and concept change to make the systems work in conjunction. Green goals M/E Engineering handled the building systems design on the Goergen Hall project. The design team comprised several dozen people from seven different organizations. The firm used MicroStation to model spaces and mechanical systems, and used 3D PDF features to create design files. These files were shared with other design team members and contractors to coordinate and produce shop drawings. v 3D models provided accurate coordination of mechanical systems and structure and also supported the creation of a large number of sections M/E Engineering incorporated building information modeling (BIM) technology into its work processes to create construction documents. Because of the learning curve and increased level of detail, BIM initially increased design time, but reduced time spent in the field during construction by up to 50 percent in some cases. Using 3D models enabled M/E Engineering to efficiently redesign the systems as needed and make quick design decisions to keep the project on schedule. These 3D models provided accurate coordination of mechanical systems and structure, and also supported the creation of a large number of sections and isometrics to show contractors how to install the systems. In fact, the mechanical contractor hung the 3D isometrics in the work area as the main source of reference. The design team was also able to render spaces during design to get a better feel for use of space and to make access and service clearance to equipment much more apparent. to import Excel files and print PDF files directly are incredible resources.” The firm also received positive feedback from clients regarding drawing quality and a fewer number of bid proposals due to the higher level of detail. These results convinced M/E Engineering to expand its adoption of BIM technology by adding TriForma to its production workflow. “These BIM solutions allowed us to create models in a fraction of the time, greatly cutting design time,” said Rose. “The packages are very intuitive and allow us to create elements in seconds rather than minutes. At the end of the day, we are able to do more engineering and less drawing.” M/E Engineering is not focused so much on using BIM to save money, but on freeing up time to improve the design or develop a higher level of detail. Additional time spent on the engineering can increase system operating efficiencies and decrease project construction costs. In many cases, the quality of drawings M/E Engineering can produce sets it apart from its competition. Using BIM also opens up opportunities with new clients. “It’s not so much a matter of how much we have saved, but how we have found a way to allow our company to position itself for long-term growth and prosperity,” concluded Rose. Volume 5, Issue 1 | BE MAGAZINE 17
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