Relevance of MEP Drafting Services

Posted on: February 2, 2021, By: Bhagwati Pathak

MEP refers to the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems which lie at the core of any building. MEP Drafting Services are used to create detailed drawings of these various MEP systems. These drawings are essential for a smooth onsite construction process. The traditional method of drafting involved manual creation of 2D drawings on large sheets which are then carried out to the construction site. However, the advent of CAD has made manual drafting almost redundant. Today, MEP drafters and engineers can use CAD to bring speed, efficiency and accuracy into their projects.

What does MEP Drafting include?  

MEP Drafting is HVAC drafting, electrical CAD drafting and plumbing Drawings which includes a variety of drawings like penetration drawings, contract MEP Drawings, Fire and Sprinkler Drawings, Prefabrication MEP Drawings, As-fitted drawing etc. HVAC CAD Drafting refers to design and drafting for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning etc. Plumbing CAD Drafting includes plumbing layouts, piping layouts, drainage drawings etc. Finally, drawing electrical layouts, fixtures, wiring diagram, lighting and power drawings etc. are included under electrical drawings. It is imperative that these drawings are accurate as they are used for design progression, MEP installation, building records and maintenance.

Advantages of MEP Drafting Services:

In the age of Building Information technology, the question arises about the relevance of CAD and whether it will lose it relevance as the digital twin technology is adapted more widely. Below we state the reason why MEP drafting is surely going to remain relevant:

1. CAD is easier to learn:

MEP Drafters and Engineers are used to thinking spatially as well as they have training and background and in design. They may find it easy to operate CAD then BIM. Most CAD functions are similar to those one would find on a computer with cut, paste, copy, and delete. It also has tools for moving objects, rotating, mirroring objects etc. Similarly, since CAD has been in the market for longer than BIM a lot of engineers find it more comfortable to use. An ease of operation often leads to faster speed and less mistakes.

2. Accurate 2D Drawings:

As stated above there are variety of drawings which are used in MEP. CAD can be useful in creating those drawings. Firstly, with proper visualization and ease in operation CAD can provide speed and accuracy. CAD can also be used to set an appropriate corporate style and standards required as per the company or global codes. The set standard can then be applied throughout the project.  These drawings can be created for different stages of the building’s lifecycle from concept to contract through coordination, approval, construction and finally for facility management.

3. Cost-effective for small MEP projects:

When it comes to small MEP projects the budget is small and so are the monetary repercussions of mistakes. In these cases, CAD Services can turn out to be pretty cost effective. Firstly, more AEC professionals know CAD so there is a wider availability of labour and that too at lower costs. Secondly during the initial phase of the project to gain the scale of the building CAD can be used. It can be used to create quickly create 2D drawings which can be utilized for presentations and meetings.

4. Paper to CAD conversions:

A lot of existing buildings have paper drawings which need to be converted into CAD files for better storage and easy editing. Converting old paper drawings into CAD files ensures that they are not lost or spoilt over the period of time. Instead of drafting these drawings today it possible to scan the existing drawings and convert them into CAD compatible formats. It is also possible today to convert raster drawings into vector or CAD formats.

Conclusion:

Thus, it is true that BIM has some obvious advantages over CAD but that being said it doesn’t mean that MEP drafting services will lose their importance. It is still used by various AEC professionals for not just MEP requirements but also for architectural and structural elements.

Written By:
Bhagwati Pathak

Bhagwati Pathak is an Executive Director at Tesla Outsourcing Services. Technical Project Management, BIM, Client Management, and Leadership are her forte. With an expertise in BIM and a flair for writing, her articles provide a direction to contractors, sub-contractors, engineers, and architects in employing the right methodology for an Architectural, Structural, or MEP CAD / BIM project.