Coordination and production planning for mechanical, electrical and plumbing construction

Technical systems in buildings are typically designed independently by specialty engineers and contractors. Before construction begins, the dimensions and configurations of systems must be evaluated to ensure they will fit into spaces provided between structural and architectural building systems. This process is known as Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Coordination. While the obvious benefit of coordination is that field conflicts are reduced during construction, this process is often not managed effectively. As a result, mistakes are made that result in field conflicts, or the coordination process drags on too long and delays the project with adverse effects on production. This paper discusses coordination as a critical part- of the construction process, the benefits of coordinating work before it is permitted to proceed, and effective techniques for performing coordination on building projects. Case studies of mechanically intensive building projects are provided to demonstrate the costs and benefits of coordination, the methods of effective coordination management, and the impact of avoidable interference problems on production and project costs. Key elements of a successful coordination process are identified based on case study results.