how to draw of duct & piping design in floor plan?
please explain to me it with description of duct and pipe design and which software is best for it?
Accepted answer
There is more than one way you will find building service plans drawn ( ducting and piping). Back in the 1980's to mid 1990's when I was working commissioning and balancing building services it was a transition period, the plans were either hand drawn on tracing sheets or the new CAD approach,usually autocad though sometimes microstation. The project architects/ civil engineers would provide floor plans of each floor to the electrical and mechanical engineers who would use these as a starting point for their parts of the contract. If the work was being drawn manually, the pipe and ducting would be drawn on separate tracing sheets that could be overlayed on top of the floor plans. If CAD was used the pipes ducting and other services would get their own layer. As it made things simple and quick the plans for these projects were only ever drawn in 2D. Most of these designers of the building services kept details of how ducting was to be constructed to the minimum they could get away with.
Noted on drawings would be duct sizes, material specs and any standards that applied, and the exact details for pricing and construction were required to be determined by the sub-contractor that was quoting for the manufacture and installation of the ductwork. Piping for the mechanical services was usually part of the scope of this work. Domestic plumbing ( water and waste ) was often a separate scope of work. The drawings were only a guide to the work required. To sub contract to build and install this ducting and piping services, get it right and make a profit required lots of accurate site measurement, a good knowledgeable and skilled workforce, nothing much could be made straight off provided drawings.
I have not worked in this sector since about 1997. The 2D autocad approach being the standard way of doing things at this time. Since this time there has been growth in the 3D BIM appoach as it applies to designing and modeling a complete building and its mechanical services. Others who work in the mechanical services design and installation will be able to fill you in on if this has has an impact on the way this work is done today. It is quite likely though, that this simple 2D approach, and leaving most of the actual detail to the installer, is still common practice.
