The latest releases of Design Master HVAC, Electrical, and Plumbing added hangers to all three programs. Hangers are available for ducts in HVAC, pipes in Plumbing, and conduits and cable trays in Electrical. These hangers can be exported with the 3D model for coordination in Navisworks or Revit.

Including hangers is optional—we never want to burden the design process with unnecessary details. For most projects, the location of the hangers is best determined in the field by the contractor, not during the design by the engineer.

For serious 3D collision detection, however, including hangers is important. When space is tight, you want to be certain that there is space for all of the hangers you need for your ductwork.

In some projects, the knowledge of the location of hangers is being taken even further. In addition for checking for collisions, the locations of the hangers are being used to place the hanger connections in the structure of the building as it is being constructed. The connections to the concrete beams are placed before they are poured, rather than being drilled later. Done right, the extra time during the design phase locating the hanger connections can save significant time when installing the ductwork, pipes, conduits, and cable trays. This coordination requires a great deal of coordination and confidence in not just the 3D MEP model, but also the 3D structural and architectural models. Hopefully, there is a corresponding increase in the engineer’s fee for the project when this level of coordination is requested.