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May 7, 2024

By : consist2 / 0 Comments

MEP Design for the Healthcare Sector
The healthcare sector is without a doubt, one of the sectors crucial to the functioning of modern society and, by extension, the world. However, it currently faces the huge problem of inefficient planning and insufficient resources at the healthcare facilities. In order to resolve this issue on a global scale, it is important for all companies in the healthcare sector to adapt to the latest technologies in MEP design.

MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) refers to an aspect of engineering which involves building designs and construction of large buildings and facilities. It focuses on the installation and maintenance of efficient engineering systems on a large scale. A good MEP design can make all the difference when it comes to the effectiveness of a building with regards to its purpose. Conversely, there are a number of risks associated with bad design.

In a healthcare facility, MEP designs are of paramount importance. Life support systems run on a specific uninterrupted supply of electricity, while each department has its own extremely specific requirements, whether it be the Operation Theatre, the Gynaecological Department, or the Paediatrics Department. Thus we can say without a doubt that the electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems are the backbone of healthcare operations. Similarly, bad or incompetent designs can affect the outcome of treatment. For instance, the lower internal air quality will have adverse effects on the health of its patients. In extreme cases, appropriate, accurate and innovative design may even be the difference between life and death. Whereas, inadequate MEP design will, over time, affect the way people perceive the facility. This will, by extension, affect the reputation of the facility provider in the long run.

Today, the rapidly growing healthcare sector is in desperate need of effective MEP design that will modify the existing healthcare buildings to be more accommodating and competent. This will, in turn, boost the efficiency of the healthcare sector as a whole, if adopted on a global scale.

The difference between different types of healthcare facilities can be quite difficult to understand. Since healthcare building services play a major role to establish healthcare, it is imperative to engineer environments that cater to the needs of today’s healthcare sector. A well-rounded healthcare system requires a competent MEP engineering which efficiently provides systems like ventilation, air conditioning, water and drainage, lighting, power heating, and infection control.

Here, we will delve deeper into the MEP designs required for optimum operation in healthcare facilities.

Importance of MEP Design in Healthcare

“It’s time that investors take a pause before putting in more funds to build more hospitals. They need to focus on niche health services.”

Raza Siddiqui, CEO, Arabian Healthcare Group and Executive Director, RAK Hospital

In order to promote the spirit of healing and well-being in the healthcare sector, it is imperative that the same attitude is reflected in the environment and the engineering of the healthcare facility.

MEP design needs to be such that it brings out the optimum performance of healthcare facilities and provide a comfortable experience to the patients. Below are a few reasons why MEP designs in healthcare are of utmost importance.

1. Infection Control

The entire healthcare system design exists to provide cures to infections, diseases, and contagious viruses. It is therefore crucial while designing to consider the threat of infections and take measures to minimize the same. Working with risk managers helps a healthcare facility determine the probability of infections and minimizing the risk. 

It is necessary to minimize the risk of infections by optimizing air changes in operating rooms, safely increasing temperatures in operation theatres, and co-locating units with facilities requiring isolation like operation theatres, ICUs and hospital wards. This will also ensure cost efficiency and will also save energy.

 2. Resilience

Constant functioning of the essential system is a must in all healthcare facilities. If any system fails to operate or undergoes a glitch, it can have an adverse effect on the wellbeing of the patients. 

Thus, a resilient MEP design reduces the risk of ineffective systems and ensures an efficient system that provides an uninterrupted power supply and provides immediate backup in cases of power cuts. 

 3. Performance

Close inspection of every stage, from design to commissioning is prudent. Hence, making the required changes in the model help in optimizing the performance of the healthcare facility. Inputs from staff in addition to patients are also valuable in making changes in the MEP designs. 

 4. Live environment

The design of the healthcare facility has to be pre-decided in order to avoid inconsistency in the high performing environment of the building. A simple and effective design should be adopted as an uncomplicated approach helps maintain efficiency better over a longer period of time. 

 5. Investment returns

An effective MEP design, which is created simultaneously with the conceptualization of the facility is helpful in reducing the budget of the healthcare facility. Smart MEP designs implemented at the root level for large scale projects help the developers save a considerable amount and offer better investment returns.

Given the importance of these parameters in MEP design, there are specific design standards and codes that are used while creating the plan. Here is a look at these.

Design Standards and Codes

“While an increase in the number of facilities represents growth, consolidation of business and increasing market share also construes growth. The industry is witnessing a spurt in mergers and acquisitions.”

Krishna Dhanak, Executive Director, Alpen Capital

MEP designs can account for a total of 30% to 40% of the sum construction costs for a healthcare facility. It is, therefore, necessary that the design is foolproof and efficient. We’ve established Design Standards and Codes for the purpose of overseeing the smooth technical functioning of a building. 

Though the design standards and design codes sound similar, they differ significantly. Design standards focus on how the protection required by the code is to be achieved; while codes specify when and where the protection is required.

To make buildings and other huge healthcare facilities sustainable, there are two standards that need to be followed for a certification.

1. Health Technical Memorandum 

The Health Technical Memorandum 2025 extensively defines the operation and maintenance of ventilation in healthcare facilities, including all legal and mandatory requirements and system design. It is divided into four disciplines – management policy, design considerations, validation and verification, and operation management. Hence, it gives comprehensive advice for use during inception, upgrading, refurbishment, extension, and maintenance of the building.

2. ASHRAE Standards

The ASHRAE Standards are what all contractors and builders swear by when it comes to assessing each phase of project delivery. ASHRAE has about 87 standards that address indoor air quality, energy conservation of the building, thermal comfort, ventilation, and reducing refrigerant emissions.

The guidelines dictate all aspects of the project, from pre-design, in occupancy, and to operation, regarding all elements, assemblies, and systems for healthcare facilities.

 3. LEED Standards

LEED has become a household name as prominent buildings hold the certification of for adhering to the standards. In the healthcare sector, buildings continue to follow the LEED standards at an increasing rate as it helps healthcare facilities meet efficiency goals. Globally over 3,050 healthcare facilities are a part of LEED which amounts to nearly 600 million square feet of healthcare space.

 4. WELL Standards

The WELL standards, much like LEED, focuses on saving energy and minimizing the environmental impact of healthcare facilities. In addition to that, the WELL standards also focus on the health and wellness of the staff and patients inside the buildings. It focuses on seven areas of a building and rates the building accordingly. Areas of focus include air, water, mid, comfort, light, fitness, nourishment, and mind. 

For the MEP design to be fully effective, there is a need to review the design according to key considerations. Let us take a look at the key design considerations below. 

Key Considerations for MEP Design :

“There is a strong need for primary care that enables patients to be channeled into pathways of care that are right for them and costs in the system to be better managed. We believe secondary care institutions are probably covering demand at this point in time.
Quantity is not the issue – providers need to focus on quality, performance and the measurement of performance.”

Helmut M. Schuehsler, Chairman and CEO, TVM Capital Healthcare

The MEP Designs focus on the integrated design process for which the key considerations bring out increased efficiency in layouts. 

1. Design Team Coordination

It ensures there’s harmony between the members of the MEP design team, as well as the client and the team. The more the team members are in sync with each other, the smoother and more reliable the design is. Continuing with the same team throughout the course of the project is also important.

2. Importance of Hospital Experience

Every member of the MEP design team needs to have a considerable amount of technical experience working with the healthcare sector. Knowledge of codes and standards help in more efficient output and also enable the team to be in coordination.

3. Design

Designs have to be foolproof and fully completed to efficiently discuss the project budget and layout, thus avoiding risks.

4. Quality

Achieving a balance between important healthcare facilities and the MEP design is necessary to maintain building efficiency. The project has to be specific, precise and detailed to avoid errors.

5. MEP Space Planning

The MEP designer and architect are to work closely with the MEP consultant engineer in order to plan space distribution, which will affect the building design.

6. Patient Safety

MEP services play a critical role in providing safety to the staff and patients. Designing an efficient distribution of electricity and water helps provide the required safety to staff and patients.

7. Medical Equipment

The design must include detailed plans of all medical equipment and the power to be supplied in order to keep it running smoothly.

8. Technological Advancement

It is necessary to adopt cost-efficient plans wherever needed. We must use technological advancements in the healthcare sector, where patients can control the live environment on their own. 

One of the most evolving healthcare sectors, the UAE offers a range of patient-specific technology. Let us take a look at the status of the healthcare sector in the UAE.

The Role of MEP Consultants in Providing Effective MEP Design for Healthcare

The healthcare sector is amongst the largest consumers of energy and there is a rise in demand for green and efficient options for building healthcare facilities. These trends indicate a change in the workings of MEP systems and their performance.

The right MEP system for a healthcare facility is one that saves energy and proves beneficial to the environment while improving the experience for staff and patients. 

MEP consultants play an important role here by assessing the infrastructure of the building. Accordingly, they come up with a plan that optimizes energy efficiency for the facility. As an MEP consultant in Dubai, Consistent Engineering Consultants has worked on several such projects, both new and retrofit. We have successfully completed hospital projects in the UAE, India, Seychelles, Qatar with a number of reputed brands.

One of the projects we worked on was for a Hospital on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, where we provided complete Air conditioning and Ventilation, Drainage, Water supply, Lighting, Power, Telecommunication, Fire Fighting, Fire Alarm, Voice evacuation, Public address system, Emergency lighting, CCTV system, Access control system, SMATV system & BMS services.

Hospital on Sheikh Zayed Road

The primary contribution of CEC towards making the hospital eco-friendly as well as comfortable was:

  • Installation of air conditioning systems in operation theatres with cleanliness class 10,000
  • Coordinating with the medical specialists to assess the perfect location and positioning of medical gas systems in corridors and rooms
  • Installation of a central clock and access control system, making it one of the most technologically-advanced hospitals in the region
  • Establishing a carbon emission footprint
The practical process involved in designing the solutions to reduce carbon needs to be an integrated process. This involves careful calculation and assessment of carbon emissions, recognizing which parts of the building are ‘embodied carbon hotspots’ and then figuring out the solutions to minimize said carbon. Architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers, and quantity surveyors all need to be involved in the process.

Construction Solutions

These are the solutions that we can implement during the construction phase of the building. They deal more with the selection of materials and processes that reduce carbon emissions.

“Cement, the vital component of concrete, is the chief factor for carbon emissions in terms of materials,” says Mr. Mahir Desai, Structural Engineer associated with Consistent. “Replacing a major part of the cement-content is, therefore, the way towards lowering carbon.”

Some of the Construction Solutions for reducing carbon are:
  • Low carbon concrete mixes
The preeminence and weight of concrete make it the biggest source of embodied carbon, despite the fact that the emission per ton is not relatively very high. The obvious answer is that we design lower-carbon concrete mixes by replacing the cement quantity using fly ash, slag, calcined clays, or even lower- strength concrete where feasible. Despite varying access to such materials in different countries and regions, with increasing options, there’s always a better one that can reduce the carbon footprint.
  • Reusing materials
Salvaged materials- brick, metals, broken concrete, wood- usually have a much lower embodied carbon footprint than newly manufactured materials, since the carbon to manufacture them has already been expended. We can use the salvaged materials to replace up to 50% of the aggregates, which form a major part of the concrete. This results in a further reduction of embodied carbon.

In addition to such measures, reclaimed wood is also a good option. With reclaimed wood, the energy consumed in cutting the tree down, transporting, and processing it is saved. Also, the extra tree that we never cut down still continues to sequester carbon.
  • Lower carbon alternatives
A wood structure instead of steel and concrete, or wood siding instead of vinyl can reduce embodied carbon. It’s impossible to avoid carbon-intensive products entirely, such as metals, plastics, and aluminium. However, Environmental Product Declarations can be reviewed and utilized to look for lower-carbon alternatives.

Operational Solutions

Operational solutions to reduce carbon emissions are the solutions that we implement at the operational stage of constructing a building. The majority of operational carbon emissions come from heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting of the building. Hence, reducing this consumption of energy is a major factor in reducing the carbon footprint. For this, there are several solutions that we can implement, such as:

1. Energy-efficient light and water fixtures
2. Proximity and occupancy sensors
3. Intelligent control of HVAC and power systems
4. Usage of onsite/offsite renewable energy solutions
5. Use of recycled water

Role of Consultants in Reducing Carbon Emissions

Consultants play an important role in the reduction of carbon emissions, by providing a number of specialized services, such as:

1. Conceptual Analysis and Evaluation of various options to reduce carbon emissions    Detailed Engineering
2. Regular and Proper Monitoring during execution to achieve design parameters
3. Energy Modeling Services

“Consultants play a key role in both the design and construction stages of the building,” says Mr. Sagar Kulkarni, MD of Consistent Engineering Consultants. “Taking an integrated approach towards building design, we can make great progress towards an emission-free future.”

Endnotes

The industry must unite to develop an effective strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.”

-Sir Rod Eddington, entrepreneur, Chairperson of Infrastructure Australia  
Reducing Carbon Emissions in construction, significantly enough to achieve global goals, is a responsibility we shouldn’t take lightly. We must generate more and more awareness regarding carbon reduction, to facilitate progress at all stakeholder levels, from the developer to the end-user. On the occasion of the World Green Building Week, we must reaffirm our commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

As Mr. Sagar Kulkarni says, “In an era besieged with the crises of military conflicts, trade wars, and economic impacts, it is important not to lose sight of achieving sustainable development goals. Our most important aim must be to create a sustainable future. Occasions like the Green Building Week are a great way to remind ourselves of that.”

So, how are you celebrating World Green Building Week? What are your ideas on reducing carbon emissions in construction? Let us know in the comments below.
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