Using artificial intelligence-based MEP for control objects
Facilities managers recognize that the type of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) equipment specified in a project, and where it is ultimately installed, has a big impact on the ease with which FM teams can do their job. Equipment installed in poorly chosen locations will be difficult to access, which may require more maintenance time.
However, few FMs realize that the MEP design tools used to define and lay out these systems can significantly reduce the time it takes to maintain them.
While design works are increasingly being digitized, not all of these advances come down to the design and installation of these systems by subcontractors. However, some MEP engineering firms use artificial intelligence (AI) computational design tools to model all potential MEP system layouts and determine the best solution for specific project needs.
A new generation of AI-powered MEP design tools can quickly process a near-infinite number of design options to help designers confidently select the option that best meets all requirements. This could mean, for example, the most affordable option for meeting energy efficiency specifications and reducing the carbon footprint of a project during construction and operation. AI-driven design tools can also ensure that MEP systems take up as little space as possible, which is a particularly important factor in space-constrained projects.
Consider Cost-Effective Alternatives to MEP
As one of the largest systems in any building, MEP systems account for a significant proportion of the total project costs. In some cases, these systems can account for one-third to one-half of the total project cost. Any potential effort to reduce the initial and operating costs of these systems could have a significant impact on the building's overall costs and allow funds to be allocated to higher cost FM facilities.
This is an area where AI-powered MEP design tools offer a significant advantage over traditional engineering processes. Using more traditional methods, MEP engineers could apply their knowledge, skills, and experience to develop a single design solution to the best of their ability. On the other hand, AI-driven design tools can quickly work through all potential layouts to determine the single best and most affordable solution for specific design challenges.
Repair work begins with a thorough documentation of existing systems. The engineer will determine if parts of the existing systems are in good condition, as well as the expected remaining useful life of the existing components and other critical parts. This information is entered into the design software as an existing item that can be reused as part of a repair at no additional cost. However, since AI-powered design software is capable of utilizing almost limitless design possibilities, it is possible to determine whether it will ultimately be less costly to achieve design goals by removing a particular section of piping or duct and starting with an overall better design.
In other words, AI-driven design tools help eliminate uncertainty by evaluating all potential alternatives with and without reuse of existing materials. This cost optimization capability is unique to design tools and is of great benefit to site managers who are looking for ways to reduce both installation and operating costs.
Improving the long-term performance of the MEP system
Choosing higher performance systems may be the best way to reduce long-term operating costs. However, this is difficult as MEP system requirements have become more demanding in recent years. Today, building systems must balance an organization's sustainability goals and climate change commitments, helping to reduce operating costs without taking up more space than necessary. As these requirements accumulate and become more complex, MEP engineers may find themselves having to compromise on system quality, long-term operating costs, or other factors.
By adding AI technologies to MEP design processes, engineers can be confident that the established layout is the best option to meet the interrelated design requirements. This may include the most cost-effective option to meet the energy efficiency needs and reduce the project's carbon footprint during operation, all at the most reasonable cost.
A factor that is often overlooked in traditional engineering processes is that operational efficiency can be achieved simply by reducing the amount of wiring, ductwork, and piping in a building. When the MEP materials used are shorter and more clearly spaced, systems lose less energy, require less air conditioning to compensate for heat, and result in less voltage drop or pressure drop, depending on the system. This directly leads to energy savings. Improvements in the optimization of MEP distribution systems can result in a 10% to 30% reduction in energy losses associated with these distribution systems.
Simplify maintenance with simple and accessible layouts
More efficient operation can also reduce operating costs by reducing the time spent on maintenance. As engineer Henry Petroski once wrote, successful design comes down to understanding how things break or fail. Success is more about reducing the time and money spent on fixing those failures. This is another area where AI-driven design can help.
Shorter and straighter runs, fewer fittings, valves and parts to fail can directly contribute to lower future maintenance costs. AI can greatly simplify MEP layout, which in turn will reduce the amount of wiring, piping, and ductwork that enters a building. As a result, designers can reduce the amount of work required to maintain these wiring, piping, and ductwork over time.
In addition, AI-powered MEP design tools can offer diagrams that make it easier to access equipment for future maintenance. All too often, FM managers find themselves having to bypass pipes and wires to maintain their critical systems. Given the many complexities and demands of today's buildings, few FMs have the time to waste time on grueling, unnecessarily complex maintenance tasks.
Since the system can take into account site constraints, including the placement of access requirements on real equipment, it can build these access requirements into the design ahead of time. By entering all access points and the amount of space required to perform the service, the software can exclude patterns in which another system could occupy the required service area.
Troubleshooting support in the future
Larger facilities - including universities, medical centers and corporate campuses - are making building information modeling (BIM) delivery a standard request as these design drawings can support future maintenance efforts. A wealth of valuable information about equipment models and component sizes is built into these models, which can make it easier to replace parts and plan preventive maintenance.
Engineers can add value to design information for the FM team by using MEP's guided design tools to embed even more actionable design information that will benefit operations throughout the life of the facility. For example, the software may include detailed information about costs, pressure losses, and locations of expected voltage drops during installation. FMs can use this information to quickly diagnose problems and check systems for degraded performance over time.
When FM teams have easy access to pre-prepared information, they can more easily fix problems as they arise. The engineer only needs to dive into the design information to compare the current readings with what was expected at the time of design.
For example, an engineer testing the flow rate in a particular piping system can determine, based on a review of the relevant design data, whether a control valve may need to be replaced. Easy access to this data helps narrow the path to repair and speed up the service process.
Choose a partner who shares your priorities
Time is money. Design choices that can reduce the time spent maintaining increasingly complex systems can result in cost savings that can be reinvested in building improvements. Although not all FMs are invited to the design stage, it is important to understand that the design of the MEP system directly affects the work being done. As a result, FMs may want to consider playing a more proactive role here, especially when selecting engineering partners who define the systems they will serve.