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Challenges & Solutions

of MEP Riser
Coordination
Wayne Kite
Head of Strategic Solutions at XS CAD 42 articles Following
LIMITED

January 23, 2020

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Risers carry the very life blood of a comfortable space.

Much like an arterial system, risers perform various
necessary functions for the health of a building. They are
conduits or carriers of fluids, fuel or air. Coordinating risers
is critically important within the workflow of MEP
coordination and clash detection, and this can be
challenging. Challenges generally occur with hydraulic
services design during renovation of older buildings.

Well, first off, what is a riser?

A riser is a void that contains a duct, pipe or conduit or a

combination of all services that rises through a building to
carry or transport gases, fluids or electrical signals in the
form of piping. In general, a dry riser is an empty, or dry,
pipe used to carry water for firefighting systems, and a riser
cable can deliver electricity or communications between
several floors. Looking at risers in more detail, they can be:
- Vertical Riser Ducts

Mechanical pipes and electric cables are hidden away in

vertical riser ducts, strategically placed to minimise pipe
lengths and cable runs, thus cutting costs. Since vertical
risers cut through floors and can be vulnerable for the
spread of fire, they must adhere to strict guidelines.

- Vertical Riser Cables and Pipes

Servicing becomes easier when risers are exposed. Cables

connect to sockets and light fittings to riser conduits
mounted on walls and columns. Cables and pipes through
floors are covered with fire-protected collars, to prevent the
spread of fire.

- Wet and Dry Risers

Vertical pipes, that are both wet and dry risers, run the full
height of a building and are built near stairs to provide a
direct water feed to each floor in case of fire. Dry risers
have ground coupling pipes outside the building that can
be connected to an external water source in case of
emergency.

For a tall building, the riser equipment/elements will

change size as they move down or up the building, so a
drawing is created for every floor, even when the rest of the
floor is the same.

It is crucial that the MEP systems coordination workflow,

especially with regard to hydraulic design of liquid or water
piping systems, is efficient. Technological advances and
innovations have fuelled this efficiency. Use of BIM
(Building Information Modelling) has introduced significant
changes in the MEP coordination process and the delivery
of MEP coordination drawings. It has made equipment
tracking and task monitoring easier. Covering almost every
construction aspect, the BIM process involves project
managers, subcontractors, designers, architects and other
construction professionals participating in controlling
individual processes and project phases, with a smooth
exchange of information during the larger MEP
coordination process.
Increasingly in the AEC (architecture, engineering,
construction) sector, 3D models are designed for 2D
construction documentation and 3D trade coordination.
Trade professionals, such as HVAC mechanical engineering
consultants and others, collaborate with architects to
design MEP services. A consultant or MEP contractor
ensures that the MEP design is efficient, clash-free and
installation-ready.

At this point, challenges may arise, especially during the

renovation of an existing structure. The circumstances that
may contribute to riser installation challenges include:

Riser replacement in existing buildings – opening up

walls creates a mess, dust and debris on the premises
and destroys expensive decorative finishes. In older
buildings, asbestos and paint can be destroyed.

Existing plumbing risers may be corroded and difficult

to handle, as rust makes steel pipes brittle.

Replacing hot and cold risers behind kitchens and

bathrooms means tiles, cabinets and walls must be
removed.

Risers must be replaced entirely or not at all, since new

risers attached to old risers can break.

Accessing risers takes time and money.

Signs that risers need replacement are hard to miss. Upper

floors will experience low water pressure. Debris will appear
in the water – bits of corroded pipe in sinks, showers and
bathtubs. Time is an indicator. Galvanised steel pipes last
for about 50 years, accumulating scale and rust inside, while
brass lasts for nearly 70 years. Coloured water is a definite
indication of rust and scale accumulation. Also, excessively
hot showers are a result of clogged plumbing risers that
reduce the flow. Replacing existing risers during renovation
introduces several coordination challenges.

For example, during a building renovation, one of the

chase walls was opened, and a large conduit was
installed inside a duct chase against an exhaust duct
riser, causing a clash in the planned duct connection. A
coordinated model showed ductwork and risers in the
 limited space and how they could be manoeuvred to
avoid the clash.

In another building, the floor-to-floor height was 20

feet. A chilled water piping routed 10 feet above the
floor and close to the AHUs (air handling units) and
supply and return ducts, next to the shafts, made for
difficult coordination. Ductwork from 2 AHUs had to
pass above the chilled water piping and between
hanger rods. Coordinated design drawings showed a
more efficient duct placement.

Easing MEP Coordination

Using BIM technology, a once-prolonged process, fraught

with delays, insufficient data and miscommunication, is now
efficient. A building’s MEP systems are seamlessly
integrated and coordinated with architectural and structural
systems, creating clash-free models.

The placement of elements of MEP design, such as risers,

can be intelligently designed and laid out. Tools, such as
Navisworks, enable clash-free designs, with multi-
disciplinary integration in one work environment. Flawless
MEP coordination drawings are produced.

With BIM-enabled MEP coordination, most of the

challenges concerning the design, layout and clashes of
risers in MEP systems are eliminated and smooth
coordination results. Those firms that find it difficult to
provide hydraulics and plumbing design services and MEP
coordination services may consider outsourcing, which is
efficient, accurate and cost-effective, for the delivery of
precise MEP coordinated drawings as part of the hydraulics
and plumbing design services and MEP coordination
services. Managers can retain full control of the project,
resulting in faster delivery.

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Wayne Kite
Head of Strategic Solutions at XS CAD LIMITED 42 articles Following
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