Do you remember the late night infomercial from the 90's featuring a Jack LaLanne-like character selling us on the health benefits of drinking extracted juices? He was the self-proclaimed "Juiceman" and he sold a line of powerful juicers. Interested in finding out more about the "Juiceman," I decided to Google him. His real name is Jay Kordich and he is considered "a father in the field of vegetable juicing, fruit juicing, and nutritional health." (Wikipedia)
Jay came to mind for this blog post, not due to the nutritional benefits of his juice extractor, but because of his brand name, "The Juiceman." The name reminds me of someone I work with every day - someone who truly impacts the physical health and emotional well-being of architects (sans extracted juice).
The Juiceman I'm referring to typically goes by a name more familiar to architects; we call him or her the electrical engineer. What better alias is there for the electrical engineer who supplies power (aka juice) to nearly every piece of equipment and device within a building?
The label notwithstanding, electrical engineering is an enormous responsibility placed in the hands of one or several individuals depending on the size of the project. Almost every consultant on a project interacts with the electrical engineer--these relationships are key to a well-executed project. Want proof? Just read the table of contents in the specifications and count how many mechanical sections there are - most are tied directly back to electrical. And that's just one of many divisions.
Given the sheer volume of interactions that occur between the electrical engineer and other consultants, not to mention architects, one shouldn't be surprised that a disproportionate number of coordination problems on a jobsite are directly related to electrical engineering; thus causing change orders, often considered the 3rd rail of construction. However, this should not be construed as a criticism of the electrical engineer, per se. Instead, this should be viewed as a communication issue between the architect and all of his/her consultants, with a special emphasis on the electrical engineer.
From past experience as a project architect, the lion's share of my time was spent coordinating with the structural engineer and mechanical consultant. Why? Because they have the largest impact on the architecture. But by doing this, I was minimizing the importance of the electrical engineer, and to a lesser extent, her twin cousins, plumbing and fire protection engineering. I've since changed my ways, since the spatial and framing requirements for conduit racks and plumbing lines can consume as much space as ductwork. Be forewarned: if you neglect the Juiceman during the design phase, don't be shocked when electrical issues cause static on the jobsite.
How can we as architects avoid these problems?
CREATE A SPARK between the electrical engineer and the mechanical/plumbing engineer
Sit down with the electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and plumbing/fire protection engineer to review each piece of equipment in the project. Focus not just on circuiting requirements for the equipment, but also the location of the electrical feed into each piece of equipment. This may appear to be an overreach, but understanding the location of electrical feeds is critical on the jobsite.
REWIRE THE CIRCUITS between the electrical engineer and the lighting consultant
Meet with the electrical engineer and the lighting consultant. Make sure the engineer is aware of the circuiting requirements and location for the electrical feed into each light fixture, with special emphasis on emergency lighting. The lighting consultant should describe the amount of space each fixture requires, including the air space for ventilation, as well as the location and distance of remote ballasts.
AMP UP the relationship between the electrical engineer and the structural engineer
Create a connection between the electrical engineer and structural engineer. Review the structural requirements for all electrical equipment; also, make sure the structural engineer understands the location and structural requirements of large conduit racks and multiple floor slab penetrations. If conduit is designed to run in the slab, review areas where conduit is heavily concentrated, especially at electrical closets.
HAVE A POWER LUNCH with the electrical engineer
While lunch is optional, sit down with the electrical engineer to review the spatial requirements for each panel board and cabinet in the project. Make sure there is enough room for the cabinets and panels in each room or closet, and ask the engineer to verify the building code for clearance requirements in front of the equipment. Next, review the mechanical and machine rooms not directly related to electrical, as they always have switchgear or panel boards associated with them. Check to make sure there is enough room in these spaces for the electrical equipment.
DON'T GET SHORT-CIRCUITED by unexpected problems
During the bid process, especially on public projects, equipment, mostly mechanical, may be provided by the contractor as an 'or equal' manufacturer to what was designed on the drawings. Be prepared to review the electrical requirements for this 'or equal' equipment, with special emphasis on the location of the electrical feed. Different manufacturers might vary the location for the electrical feeds, which could impact the amount of conduit required to feed the equipment. (Unrelated to electrical, but no less important, check the load points for the 'or equal' equipment against your dunnage or roof framing to see if it impacts the structural contract.)
Puns aside, the electrical engineer--The Juiceman--is a key component to the construction process, and the more we communicate with him or her during the design and construction document phases, the less likely we are to encounter problems during construction. By following my suggestions above, I assure you, the results will be nothing short of (get ready for it...) electrifying!
Mark on Hunters Point South Intermediate & High School Construction Site
Jay came to mind for this blog post, not due to the nutritional benefits of his juice extractor, but because of his brand name, "The Juiceman." The name reminds me of someone I work with every day - someone who truly impacts the physical health and emotional well-being of architects (sans extracted juice).
The Juiceman I'm referring to typically goes by a name more familiar to architects; we call him or her the electrical engineer. What better alias is there for the electrical engineer who supplies power (aka juice) to nearly every piece of equipment and device within a building?
The label notwithstanding, electrical engineering is an enormous responsibility placed in the hands of one or several individuals depending on the size of the project. Almost every consultant on a project interacts with the electrical engineer--these relationships are key to a well-executed project. Want proof? Just read the table of contents in the specifications and count how many mechanical sections there are - most are tied directly back to electrical. And that's just one of many divisions.
Given the sheer volume of interactions that occur between the electrical engineer and other consultants, not to mention architects, one shouldn't be surprised that a disproportionate number of coordination problems on a jobsite are directly related to electrical engineering; thus causing change orders, often considered the 3rd rail of construction. However, this should not be construed as a criticism of the electrical engineer, per se. Instead, this should be viewed as a communication issue between the architect and all of his/her consultants, with a special emphasis on the electrical engineer.
From past experience as a project architect, the lion's share of my time was spent coordinating with the structural engineer and mechanical consultant. Why? Because they have the largest impact on the architecture. But by doing this, I was minimizing the importance of the electrical engineer, and to a lesser extent, her twin cousins, plumbing and fire protection engineering. I've since changed my ways, since the spatial and framing requirements for conduit racks and plumbing lines can consume as much space as ductwork. Be forewarned: if you neglect the Juiceman during the design phase, don't be shocked when electrical issues cause static on the jobsite.
How can we as architects avoid these problems?
CREATE A SPARK between the electrical engineer and the mechanical/plumbing engineer
Sit down with the electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and plumbing/fire protection engineer to review each piece of equipment in the project. Focus not just on circuiting requirements for the equipment, but also the location of the electrical feed into each piece of equipment. This may appear to be an overreach, but understanding the location of electrical feeds is critical on the jobsite.
REWIRE THE CIRCUITS between the electrical engineer and the lighting consultant
Meet with the electrical engineer and the lighting consultant. Make sure the engineer is aware of the circuiting requirements and location for the electrical feed into each light fixture, with special emphasis on emergency lighting. The lighting consultant should describe the amount of space each fixture requires, including the air space for ventilation, as well as the location and distance of remote ballasts.
AMP UP the relationship between the electrical engineer and the structural engineer
Create a connection between the electrical engineer and structural engineer. Review the structural requirements for all electrical equipment; also, make sure the structural engineer understands the location and structural requirements of large conduit racks and multiple floor slab penetrations. If conduit is designed to run in the slab, review areas where conduit is heavily concentrated, especially at electrical closets.
HAVE A POWER LUNCH with the electrical engineer
While lunch is optional, sit down with the electrical engineer to review the spatial requirements for each panel board and cabinet in the project. Make sure there is enough room for the cabinets and panels in each room or closet, and ask the engineer to verify the building code for clearance requirements in front of the equipment. Next, review the mechanical and machine rooms not directly related to electrical, as they always have switchgear or panel boards associated with them. Check to make sure there is enough room in these spaces for the electrical equipment.
DON'T GET SHORT-CIRCUITED by unexpected problems
During the bid process, especially on public projects, equipment, mostly mechanical, may be provided by the contractor as an 'or equal' manufacturer to what was designed on the drawings. Be prepared to review the electrical requirements for this 'or equal' equipment, with special emphasis on the location of the electrical feed. Different manufacturers might vary the location for the electrical feeds, which could impact the amount of conduit required to feed the equipment. (Unrelated to electrical, but no less important, check the load points for the 'or equal' equipment against your dunnage or roof framing to see if it impacts the structural contract.)
Puns aside, the electrical engineer--The Juiceman--is a key component to the construction process, and the more we communicate with him or her during the design and construction document phases, the less likely we are to encounter problems during construction. By following my suggestions above, I assure you, the results will be nothing short of (get ready for it...) electrifying!
Mark on Hunters Point South Intermediate & High School Construction Site
