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Why Hire an Engineer

In building design, the MEP engineering team designs the HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems.  It may seem obvious that a client would need an engineer for a complicated project like a hospital or skyscraper, but why should you hire an engineer for a small or straight forward project like a new store or office?  The short answer is that in most cities engineered plans are required by the city to get a building permit but there are many other benefits such as coordination and equipment sizing.

When starting a building project, it is important to know what the city will require to see before they grant a building permit.  The design team (usually starting with an architect) will often coordinate these requirements with the city for the client.  Typically, a city will need a few copies of the plans stamped by a professional engineer that will be reviewed for code compliance.  When review is complete, they will grant the building permit.  Because this process can take time, it is important to hire the design team well in advance of the day you want to break ground.  Engineered documents provide a design that is code compliant which can reduce construction delays due to non-compliant installations.

Beyond the city review requirements, the engineer is able to coordinate all of the building systems to make sure that they will work together.  For example, an HVAC system may have specific power requirements.  The mechanical engineer coordinates this with the electrical engineer to make sure that the voltage is correct and that the right amount of power is available.  The plumbing engineer will work with the civil engineer to make sure that the water line is large enough to allow the toilets to flush (which is very important!).  When designing projects, engineers also watch for collisions between equipment such as piping and duct work to make sure that they will all fit in a wall or ceiling so that there are no surprises during construction which could delay a project.

We have written before about right sizing equipment and this is another big benefit of hiring an engineer.  Engineers use calculations and models to know what equipment is needed.  These methods factor in all the equipment, people, how and when the space is used and how the building is built to make sure that plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, HVAC equipment and power distribution equipment will all work correctly.  This also makes sure that the equipment is big enough to handle the task but not so big that the client has wasted their money.  Equipment also runs more efficiently when properly sized which can save money on operating costs.

Engineering a project does use up a part of the project budget, but we believe that a well engineered set of construction documents will save money and time on any project by reducing delays and avoiding having to purchase additional equipment or retrofits once the building is in operation.  If you have an upcoming building project, we would be honored to work with you to complete the engineering design to make sure your project is well coordinated, code compliant and does what you want it to do. Please contact us if you would like to work with an engineering firm that is client-centered and strives to provide services that are on time, on budget and exceed expectations. We would love to work with you on your next project!

 

News

GVBC Golf Tournament 2017 Results

In case you missed it, the Green Valley Bible Camp Golf Tournament was held this last weekend at the Creeks Golf Course in Cave Springs, AR.  Forward Engineers was proud to be a repeat sponsor this year and to support the good work that GVBC does in our community.  The tournament is on track to raise more than $5,000 dollars this year for scholarships that allow campers to attend that wouldn’t otherwise be able to.

We were excited this year to support a four man team from the Flagstone Church of Christ Youth Group to play on our behalf.  We didn’t win, but I know they had fun!  Congratulations to Jordan Manchester, Tim Acord, Mike Saegert and Hunter Buwick on winning the tournament (again) this year.  Here’s a shot of our team:

Forward Engineer's team at 2017 Green Valley Bible Camp Golf Tournament.

 

Thank you to GVBC for allowing us to be a part of this year’s tournament.  See more photos and learn more about the event at the GVBC Tournament Facebook page.

 

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HVAC Load Calculations

I have written before on how construction documents are drawn using computer software, but I haven’t written much about how an engineer knows how big of an air conditioner to install in a building.  Using historical weather data and the building characteristics, the engineer simulates the building operating throughout the year to find the peak or max load and sizes the equipment based on that moment in (simulated) time.

Trane Trace 700, EnergyGauge, EnergyPro and EnergyPlus are all software packages that can simulate a building and estimate loads as well as energy usage.  Of course, the quality of the information coming out of the software relies heavily on the quality of the information going into the software.  The engineer must accurately input all the exterior walls and the roof by telling the program the size, the direction it is facing and the conductivity (how well heat passes through it) of each surface.  Lights, which give off heat, must be included in each space.  Any ventilation and exhaust airflow are also factored into the model.

The trickiest piece of the puzzle, however, are usually the people inside the building.  Since people give off quite a bit of heat this can be a significant part of the HVAC design.  A building may have a maximum occupancy, but it’s rarely completely full so the engineer uses a schedule to modify the number of people in a space to better estimate the actual load.  Careful consideration must be given here, because building uses and schedules can sometimes change much faster and easier than HVAC equipment.

Once the model is complete, a year long simulation identifies the hottest and coldest times of the year and tells the engineer what size of unit is required to cool and heat the building under those circumstances.  The engineer can then work with HVAC equipment suppliers to find a unit that fits the buildings needs.  Since the building will rarely encounter the peak loads, variable speed equipment has been designed which can effectively reduce the capacity of a unit so that it is “right-sized” more often then once or twice a year.  Once the unit is selected, design can continue with the layout of ductwork and selection of diffusers.  There are a many more considerations such as sound level for the remaining steps but that is a post for another day.

Forward Engineers routinely uses building modeling software in our designs and for our energy consulting services.  If you are seeking to work with an engineering firm that is client-centered and strives to provide services that are on time, on budget and exceed expectations, please contact us. We would love to work with you on your next project!