ABSTRACT
The coordination of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) building systems requires the work of several design professionals and specialty contractors to design and route connecting elements for building systems to avoid physical interferences, allow full system functionality, and comply with several types of criteria. The coordination process involves sequentially overlaying and comparing drawings frommultiple systems, during which representatives from each MEP trade work together to detect, and eliminate spatial and functional interferences between MEP systems. This multi-discipline effort is time-consuming, expensive and knowledge critical to the project life cycle. The result of the coordination effort is a product that meets the design intent, is constructible, and can be maintained by operations personnel; however, this product relies on the coordination team establishing trust and sharing information. This research asks how the MEP coordination process can be improved using concepts of information evolution and sensitivity combined with trust theory.
