Importance of MEP Drawings

Real estate is often viewed as a preferred mode of investment. It is rightly so, as property rates usually appreciate with time. To buy a plot of land and build a home is a tedious task that requires meticulous planning. It all starts with hiring an architect. The architect analyses the plot area and provides an initial drawing. Once the drawing is approved, the process of constructing a building takes off.However, before the building process begins, along with the home layout plans, there is a key set of drawings that plot owners need to pay careful attention to. This important set of drawings are MEP drawings. The acronym MEP stands for mechanical, electrical and plumbing, also known as services. Services play a crucial role during the construction phase. It is recommended that homeowners have a set of MEP drawings. All MEP systems are installed during the building process. If these systems are not taken care of during the early stages of construction, houses may have leaking pipes and air conditioners and heating systems could be installed in inappropriate locations. Sewage water may accumulate in unwanted areas of the home, causing unhygienic living conditions. So, what constitutes an MEP drawing?An MEP drawing will provide a complete blueprint of the following:- Electrical systems will be displayed in a chart, providing a complete list of circuits with the elements connected to each circuit. The connectivity of lights, sockets, water heaters, air conditioners, fans, etc. to every circuit and the load it will incur is specified in these drawings.- Once the placement of each circuit is finalised, the wiring is the next step. The electrical drawing will indicate the wiring system of each socket for pumps, fans, air conditioners, etc.- With the wiring in place, the next aspect is the lighting. The electrical drawing will depict placement holders for lights, switches and wiring. The lighting for external facilities, such as swimming pools, garden areas, etc., will have separate drawings.- Next, the drawings for plumbing will indicate clean water, both hot and cold supply systems, black water systems (sewerage), grey water systems (washing water), the design of the septic tank (if required) and one for any soak pit(s).There are minimum of 6 drawings for any MEP system. Homeowners are advised to understand these drawings by consulting an MEP engineer before starting the construction process.Specialised software is utilised to create MEP drawings. One such software is Revit MEP. Civil and mechanical engineers typically apply for MEP jobs in Mumbai after becoming proficient in Revit MEP. The software enables them to:- Create zones and spaces in order to determine the heating and cooling load requirements- Work with HVAC systems and create a detailed model with ducts and mechanical pipe connections- Create a model for MEP fabrication with tools that automate the fabrication model layout and prepare a model for the detailed coordination of fabrication and installation- Work with plumbing services and create a detailed model with drainage and domestic water supply- Create and represent the electrical services of a building in digital format- Position electrical equipment, lighting fixtures, lighting devices and their connections, creating wire diagrams and panel schedules- Create power trays with service specifications- Develop detailed documentation using dimensions, detailed tagging, legends and bill of quantities.Civil and MEP engineers enrol with CAD/BIM centres in Mumbai to learn Revit MEP. Some centres offer internship programs in Revit MEP that help apply for MEP jobs in Mumbai. Such internship programs provide an opportunity to work on industry-based projects that in turn enable employers to save additional training costs.

Prabhat Singh heads Grey Edge, a leading Autodesk Revit MEP Training Centre in Mumbai. Prabhat has been instrumental in designing many types of curriculum related to domains, such as architecture, interior design and web designing and development.