WEEK 12 - Integration of M&E

Coordination and integration of M&E
Services in Building
By: Dr. Emma M.A.Z
 M&E system constitute 25%-45% of
construction cost.
 The percentage of M&E costs to total building
costs will increase due to increasing occupancy
requirements.
 The need to house the M&E systems
consumes internal space
 M&E operation and maintenance contribute a
major portion of total building maintenance
cost.
Integration
Use of Facilities
Space management
Combining of various M&E systems into

one system
Use of Space
 A part of floor area (often referred to as
the building core) needs to be allocated
for lift shafts, toilets and accommodate
M&E plant.
Facilities management
 Various sys. are installed so that the use
of energy and the internal environmental
conditions are optimised.
 This is possible via the optimal combined
used of the sys.( building control sys.)
Help to reduce the energy and labour
costs.
 Positioning and space allocation for the
various M&E sys.
Coordination
Design Construction
Stage Stage
Bringing the various systems of the

building into proper relationship with one
another.
Design Stage
1. Coordinate design work between architects,
structural engineers, landscape architects,
interior architect, M&E engineers.
2. Integrate together the architectural design,
structural design, landscape design, interior
design and M&E design.
3. Coordinate any design changes
4. Value management analysis (3rd party design
evaluation)
Construction Stage
1. Provide for supervision and inspection of

installation of the works.
2. Coordinate the approval activities
3. Schedule the installation of M&E work among the
contractors
4. Coordinate and communicate any design changes.
Testing and Commissioning
1. Schedule the tests for each of the M&E
2. Specify testing and commission
procedures and methods to ensure that
all the necessary test are done in order to
get the operating permit from the
relevant authorities.
3. Ensure that the installer provide a
maintenance manual for the system
4. Specify a guarantee period for the system
Providing Space for M&E System
Plant or major Ducting system or

Terminal Units
equipment service runs
M&E Plant or major
equipment
These are the biggest, heaviest (point load-wise) and usually
noisiest parts of the system. Its space requirement depend on the
how the M&E system is configured.
Usually there is only one central M&E plant for each type of
service but it may be broken up into smaller M&E plant.
The subdivision of M&E plant can be done by
Single zone Interstitial wall

M&E Building zoning
Multi vertical
zone M&E system Area Zoning
Floor zoning Individual room
Interstitial
floor zoning
Sainsbury Centre in England incorporates many of its building
services in the interstitial spaces of the roof and wall trusses.
The 6 storey Centre George Pompidou puts the major services on
the outside of the building
Service runs
Placement of vertical trunks Place of horizontal trunks or
can be within horizontal branching for
telecommunications and
1. One central core
electricity can be arrange
2. Several service cores according to
3. Central hidden or exposed 1. Grid layout
riser shafts to walls
2. Branch layout
3. Perimeter layout
Air conditioning ducts use either a tree-like layout or branch

layout. Water reticulation pipe lines use branch layouts.
Floor grid layout of electrical and telephone lines in a multi
storey building
Floor perimeter layout for electrical and telephone lines in a multi
storey building
Floor branch layout of electrical and telephone lines in a multi
storey building
Telecommunication lines housed in suspended ceiling space
The accommodation of service runs can be
provided by
Allocating or creating the space.
1. M&E riser shaft (service core) or M&E tunnel walkway
(for ground floor) or M&E trench (for ground floor)
2. Using hidden space created in suspended ceilings or
raised floors or moldings or skirting
Using the building elements.
1. Buried in the material of the elements
2. Installed in the cavities located in the material of the
elements
3. Installed in the space created due the particular design of
the element, e.g the framed cavity wall.
Exposed
1. Service runs are installed in the building on the wall or
ceiling (floor soffit), or strung between walls or hanging
from the floor soffit. The pipes are usually painted to
create an aesthetic effect
2. Major service runs installed on the outside of the building
to create an aesthetic effect eg. Lloyds Building, London
Terminal Units
This can be devices or outlets or points to
which external devices can be connected.
Terminal units are located at
1. The ends of service run branches

2. The intersections of the service runs
3. Points along the service runs
The terminal units are usually accommodated
in the building in
Hidden state
Installed in wall, suspended ceiling, floor soffit or floor slab
Expose state
The terminal units are suspended from the floor soffit or hung
from the wall or sitting on the floor.
A steel I beam with holes cut out to accommodate service runs
through it
A steel floor that uses stub beams will automatically create holes in
the floor element for service runs to pass through
A steel floor that uses I beam with tapered ends will automatically
create space below it to accommodate service runs
Cross sectiona elevation of a cast insitu r.c. T-beam floor showing
services housed in the space createrd by the suspended ceiling.
Precast concrete hollow deck floor with ducts embedded in the
cast reinforced concrete topping and interstitial spaces of the
precast components.
Prop floor aka false floors provide space beneath to house the
services runs. Menara Telekom in Kuala Lumpur uses prop floors
extensively throughout the building
Cross sectional plan of built out rise. Space must be provided for
vertical service runs in a building.
On the ground floor, lined trenches may be used to house service
runs. This picture shows a crawl way with an access door.
Whether riser or services trenches, it is often desirable for workers
to be able to walk into the enclosure for better accessibility. This
picture shows a cross sectional plan of a walk in riser.
Special Requirement of service runs
Different types of service runs must be segregate or shielded from each
SHILDING other to prevent electromagnetic field interference or biological
The services piped should be colour coded to aid installation of the

COLOUR service and for ease of maintenance. Certain colours are standard for
CODING certain types of service run. For example, yellow core is used for gas
pipes, orange for electrical supply service runs, black for sewerage etc.
The ducts in which service runs are located provide ways for
FIRE & SMOKE fire and smoke to spread within a building. Therefore fire precautions
CONTAINMENT have to be designed into the services. Among them are the used of fire-
resistant material for the ducts, the use of fire resistant material for the
duct at the point of Penetration of the wall or floor, the installing of fire
shutters or fire-resistant barriers in the dust etc.
Certain service runs can vibrate and produce noise if not designed or
VIBRATION, NOISE installed properly. It may induce the loosening of adjacent service runs
AND MOVEMENT and fittings. Damping devices are required to minimize the vibration and
noise. In earthquake regions, buildings may be fitted with earthquake
damping devices. To prevent earthquake related M&E damage in such
buildings, service runs (especially those associated with emergencies)
should be designed and installed to accomodated movement during and
earthquake tremor
SOME EXTRA INFO…
Called the Solae, the 173
meters tower that
dominates the skyline of
the Inazawa City was built
by the Japanese Mitsubishi
Electric Company in order
to test high speed
elevators that will be used
in the future tall buildings
all around the world
THANK YOU

WEEK 12 - Integration of M&E

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Coordination and integration of M&E

Combining of various M&E systems into

Bringing the various systems of the

1. Provide for supervision and inspection of

Plant or major Ducting system or

Single zone Interstitial wall

Floor zoning Individual room

Air conditioning ducts use either a tree-like layout or branch

1. The ends of service run branches

The services piped should be colour coded to aid installation of the

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