Plumbing: Acceptable Changes for clash free MEP Coordination

As mentioned in the HVAC section, the Designers effort needs to be respected here before going for any modifications.

Drainage

Nothing much can be done here as this is the most critical service as far as MEP Co-ordination is concerned. But if the area is too conjusted and if you are looking for a lineancy in drainage line routing, then the following are optional:

A. Lowering

The whole line from the starting point of any floor (eg. U trap in the soffit) to the shaft can be lowered with the slope in tact. By doing so, the false ceiling height should be kept in mind.

B. Rerouting

Since the drainage is taking the wastes from the above floors to the plumbing shaft and from there to the drainage treatment system in the ground or below, the option should be checked to alternate route away from other MEP services. This can be done during the first stage of the design itself in consultation with other MEP service designers.

But touching a drainage line as mentioned above should be done only in case there is no other option

Water Supply

Water supply line being a forced system, it can be rerouted and bend/offset to the designers wish. The only thing to check is that the loss is not high (but usually, can be ignored).

Fire Fighting

Same like water supply, fire fighting is also forced water system and can be manouvered in a way so as not to have big loss in flow.

One important thing here to remember is that the branches are taken from top of the main line so the space above the main run needs to kept in mind. This is to generally avoid sedimentation and blockage in future. But the option of taking the branches from sides are also possible in critical areas (no option for height above the main run).

Condensate Drain

As mentioned in HVAC section, the condensation from an FCU needs to be connected to the drain line. Since these are small pipes and the slope required will be more, its always adviced to inform your counter HVAC designer about the placement of FCU. An FCU touching the soffit will be the best method as long as there is direct access to the for future maintenance FCUs (usually in small ceiling voids).

Rain Water/Storm Water

Since the main co-ordination for this is in the roof and underground (unless there is a change in shaft location), horizontal co-ordination can be avoided in other floors. Only shaft co-ordination within plumbing (as plumbing usually has a separate shaft) needs to be taken care.

So these are the exercises that can be worked on Plumbing system wrt MEP co-ordination.

Next Topic: Changes acceptable for Electrical System in MEP co-ordination.