Introduction

All engineering projects entail mechanical and electrical services. Mechanical systems include

infrastructural elements such as plant, machinery, components and tools, heating and ventilation.

Electrical systems on the other hand include distribution and power supply systems,

telecommunications, computing and control systems. In essence, there is huge overlap between

these two systems, and in most cases systems include both electrical and mechanical components,

and this is why the term mechanical and electrical is usually used to reference these systems.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate, in detail, the various mechanical and electrical systems that constitutes

a civil engineering project.

Mechanical and electrical systems form an important component of a buildings services and serve

various functions. These two systems are design by specialists, contractors and consultants since

they have to meet various criteria.

Mechanical

These systems relate to air conditioning and ventilation systems, but are also closely linked to

transportation systems, for example lifts and escalators, infrastructural elements, machinery and

plant. There are building heating systems such as the central heating system shown below;
Many building have cooling systems that help to regulate the temperature, and these may include

central air conditioners as well as heat pumps such as the one shown below.

Electrical

Electrical systems are those that supply and distribute power to a building or those that facilitate

control, security, lighting and information and communication. Consequently many buildings have

power supply and distributions systems, control systems, access and security, alarm and detection as

well as exterior and interior lighting systems as shown by the pictures below.
There is a huge link between these two aspects of building services. Neither would work without the

other and this is why in a building project, the input of mechanical engineers and electrical engineers

is required. In a civil engineering project, these two, alongside the civil engineer and the architect

form part of the consulting team to ensure that services in a building work efficiently.