Design Process of Electrical Works

Space Program Report:

A space program report concerning electrical space
requirements is to be prepared at an early enough time (to be
agreed upon with project coordinator) and to include
dimensional data and may be sketches for the following
information:
1- Location, dimensions and room arrangement for outdoor
and indoor transformers stations, Generator rooms,
outdoor fuel tanks and IN/OUT access ways for related
equipment.
2- Location and dimensions of electrical rooms/closets
throughout project building(s) required for systems
distribution equipment including vertical space and shafts
required for cable risers, bus risers … etc. and maintenance
accessibility for such equipment.
The above space program reports need to be discussed and
confirmed with architect and accordingly documented and filed
as a reference to be referred to during next design phases.
Drawings Presentation:
Architect to be informed with:
1- Suitable scale of base plans for every design phase.
2- Key plan to include main X-Y axis for easier orientation of
part plans.
3- Thicker lines to be used for electrical drawings to
extinguish its details out from Architectural background
lines.

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Electrical Design Drawings:
1- External & Internal Cable Routes Layout Plans:
This type of drawings needs to include the following
information:
a) Types of Cables.
b) Sizes & Nos of cables.
c) End connection points for each cable.
d) Methods of installations/size of tray.
e) Details of installation. “May be on other sheet”
f) Indication of transformer stations location and/or
generator rooms.
g) Main Electricity connection point of Ministry supply and
scope of each involved contract.
h) Coordination with:
i. Roads/pavements details.
ii. Building(s) Lines.
iii. External/Internal plumbing and firefighting
raceways.
iv. External/Internal HVAC raceways, including ducts.
v. Architectural/Structural details including beams,
columns, concrete walls, false ceilings…etc.
vi. Elec. Raceways to run horizontally along corridors
& vertically through related closets.

2- Electrical Legend, Abbreviations and General Notes:

This sheet is to include the following information and stay
applicable for all projects:
a) Electrical symbols as recommended by NEC Code.
b) All kind of abbreviation presented on elec. Drawings
whether it is to identify elec. Or other items/equipment
related to other trades and indicated on elec. Drawings,
including designation keys.
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 c) General Notes which are common for employed elec.
systems and recommendations to be considered during
construction.

3- Grounding Layout Plan & Details:

This is an important sheet for the following types and
information:
a) Layout of grounding copper grid presented on general
ground level plan for the whole project or building by
building plans.
b) Interconnections of grounding grid “thermal welded
connections”.
c) Grounding rods (Electrodes) locations on the grid and
the ones provided with test earth pit, in coordination
with architect.
d) Locations & may be routes of grounding bus and/or ring
earth loops at sub-stations, Generator rooms, electrical
and mechanical machine rooms.
e) Sample grounding diagram.
f) Details of grounding system components and earth pits
(may be on separate details sheet).

4- Lighting Layout Plans:

This type of plans shall include:
a) Architectural room numbers and legend of room titles.
b) Information about room finish from architect.
“Partitioning, flooring & wall finish”
c) Information about false ceiling arrangement, type, and
dimensions.

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 d) Selection of luminaires in coordination with architect &
HVAC engineer.
e) Calculations of lighting parameters (lux level, glare
factors, rendering factors…) and resultant number of
luminaires in each room/area (as per IES code)
f) Arrangement of decided number and type of luminaires
on related reflected ceiling plans in coordination with
project coordinator (other types and numbers of ceiling
mounted elements such as HVAC air diffusers, sprinkler
heads, fire detectors, loudspeakers …. etc. should be
ready for such coordination process)
g) When final reflected ceiling plans are produced, related
lighting base plans shall be made including light points
at lifts shafts & stairs.
h) Location of related panelboards.
i) Circuiting and switching control shall be carried out on
plans mentioned in point (g) above considering related
local & international standards.
j) Circuiting is recommended to be presented in lines
connecting number of luminaires related to each circuit
and dotted lines for which luminaires controlled by
which switch /push buttons.
k) Each luminaire to be identified with its type.
l) Indication of luminaires supplied from generators
and/or UPS/Battery systems.
m)Indication of battery-operated luminaires for escape
lighting system if necessary.
n) Indication of signage system and/or exit signs in
coordination with architect.
o) Notes about mounting details for special conditions, if
any.
p) After all, the re-lamping process should be always
possible and simple.
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 q) Under water lighting details (may be on other detail
sheet).

5- External Lighting Plan(s):

This type of drawing(s) shall indicate:
a) Roads lighting system (including types of different mast
or pole mounted lanterns, related cable routes and
circuiting details in coordination with roads engineer.
b) Landscape lighting system (including types of garden
fittings, cabling & circuiting) in coordination with
landscape engineer.
c) Façade lighting system (including types of flood lights,
circuiting & Mounting details) in coordination with
Architect.
d) Fountain(s) lighting system (including types of
underwater low voltage luminaire, circuiting &
mounting details) in coordination with Architect and
may be mech. Engineer.
e) Outdoor sports lighting system (including types of
lighting poles/masts, flood lights, circuiting and
mounting details).
f) Locations of related feeder pillars and details of
switching control systems.

6- Power Systems layout plans:

This type of drawings shall indicate:
a) Location of general use type of receptacles in
coordination with architect and considering interior
design details including wall and /or floor mounted
types.

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 b) Locations of special types of power receptacles
(weather proof, earth leakage protected, explosion
proof or industrial types) in coordination with
Equipment/mechanical Engineers and considering
location plans and power requirements of electrified
equipment (such as hand tools, lab instruments,
workshop machinery, water heaters, water coolers, VAV
boxes, fan coil units, AUHs, duct heaters, computer
equipment ..etc.)
c) Circuiting and switching details for power outlets
mentioned above using lines connecting outlets of the
same circuit together considering applicable local &
international codes.
d) Location of related panelboards.
e) Locations of load centers (main and/or submain
panelboards, transformers, …. etc.).
f) Horizontal and vertical cable routes and bus risers if any.
g) If variable movable wall partitioning layout is an
architectural design feature, wall power outlets should
be avoided and a floor outlets or service columns may
be adopted, and a uniform outlet to outlet spacing
criteria might be the right choice.
h) Provide receptacle outlets along elevator pit / hoistway
/ machine room and at stair landing levels for the
purpose of maintenance and cleaning respectively.

7- Substation(s) details & Generator rooms:

This type of drawing(s) is purposely made to indicate the
following information:
a) An enlarged layout plan(s) for different rooms of
substation building (may be at scale 1:25 or 1:50) such
as H.T. switchgear room, transformers room, Low

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 Tension switchgear room, generator room and may be
rooms for control, batteries, firefighting
equipment…etc. including dimensional details of cable
trenches, cable ducts, transformer bases, access doors
for both equipment and persons….etc.
b) Partial details and/or sections along and across the
rooms to elaborate fine details that can’t be indicated
by plans (such as cable pits/trenches, trench covers,
door heights, duct arrangements, cable trays if any….
etc.)
c) Noted about scope of coordination and interface with
other trades such as fire protection systems and local
authorities of Electricity supply.
d) Locations and arrangements of H.T. & L.T. Switchgears,
ring main units, power transformers, standby
generators, and cable interrelations.
e) Details of fuel, cooling, and exhaust systems of standby
generator(s).
f) Coordination with structural engineer, architect &
mechanical engineer (regarding equipment static and
dynamic weights, vibration problems, structural
openings, equipment access routes, room dimensions,
location of firefighting equipment and type of system(s),
ventilation system requirement…. etc.)
g) Coordination with local authority for electrical supply
considering the scope of their involvement (supply
connection details, supply, and erection of some
equipment and/or responsibilities of system(s) repair….
etc.)

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8- Large Scale closet plans:
These drawings shall include the following information:
a) Enlarged plans of electrical rooms / closets with (L X W
X H) dimensions, access doors for equipment / persons,
sufficient space for maintenance of each equipment
located in such rooms, arrangement of electrical
equipment and its mounting details.
b) Cables and/or bus risers’ locations and dimensions and
required openings provided with fire sealants.
c) Sectional details to indicate vertical occupancy of room
contents in relation with room heights.
d) Coordination with structural Engineer & mechanical fire
protection Engineer.

9- Single Line Diagrams:

This type of drawing shall start from main connection points,
related H.T. diagram and overall distribution network for the
whole project.
Next to that is partial detailed diagrams to indicate contents of
different L.T. switchboards and connected loads up to smallest
lightning/power panelboards, spur fused, unfused switches,
motorized loads, standby & UPS system…. etc.
The above mentioned diagrams shall including all kind of design
ratings of transformers, circuit breakers, isolators, ATS/COS ,
Busways, power cables, bus risers, bus couplers, interlockings,
control, instrumentation, signaling, protection, voltage
frequency levels, short circuit levels ….etc.
All kind of related calculations should be exercised. (such as
loads calculations, normal and emergency, connected and
demand, summer and winter, short circuit calculations, voltage
drop, voltage dip, derating factors …. etc.)

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An additional load distribution schedules shall be made for each
main/submain/MCC-panel, transformers & Generators.
The scope of different contracts involved with execution of
power distribution network should be clearly indicated on these
diagrams (such as MCC & Mechanical panels executed by
related HVAC & Mech contractors, limit of work executed by
local authorities and may be elevators contractor…..etc.)

10- Lightning Protection system plan(s):

These plans shall indicate:
a) Roof mounted air termination network.
b) Down conductors’ locations.
c) Earth Electrodes.
d) Interconnection with other systems (such as building
structure, metal works, roof mounted machines…. etc.).
e) Safety clearance from other systems. All as
recommended by applicable codes.
f) An Evaluation study shall be made to decide if system is
required or not.
g) Details of system components and different types of
connections and fixation details are to be indicated.
(may be on other details sheet)

11- Miscellaneous details sheets:

This type of drawings shall indicate:
a) All types of employed luminaires, including necessary
notes for construction and related architectural details.
b) Details related to Electrical systems where it was not
possible to be indicated on related drawings (such as

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 cable trays, cable duct banks, cable trunkings, floor
trunking system, cable trenches, Man & hand holes,
Earthing components, lightning system details, street
lightning details, controls …..etc.
c) Each detail shall be identified with its number, related
drawing, and system.

12- Schedules of lighting & power panelboard

This is to be presented on A3 or A4 sheet size and to follow NEC
code requirements.

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