Computer Aided Configuration of Pipe Systems in Buildings

The combined configuration of the various pipe systems in hospitals, laboratories and plants can be very complicated. They are designed by different professionals and presented on separate drawings, generally by single lines. Location of Pipe systems has to satisfy constraints on clear distances between different kinds of pipes, negative spaces for installation and maintenance, and, in some cases, minimum and maximum slopes. The single lines presentations may pose unexpected interference problems during construction, impairing the quality, cost and schedule of the project. To cope with the difficulty, allowing more flexible space is usually considered, but this approach neglects the economic factor, and interference problems may still occur. This paper presents a methodology for a three‐dimensional (3‐D) configuration of pipe systems which satisfies given constraints and which avoids interference problems during construction. The data on the building and the initial single‐line piping layout can be fed into the process either directly from the blueprints or by using AutoCAD™. The process presented in this paper then calculates the existence of any interference problems, using analytic geometry and computer graphics. If any interferences are found, a computer simulation process incrementally modifies the initial layout until all of the constraints are satisfied. The modified data are then transferred to AutoCAD™ which configures a 3‐D presentation of the pipe system. An example application, using the proposed methodology, is presented in this paper. In addition to time and cost savings during construction, the work presented in this paper has the potential of: reducing storey heights, reducing underground excavations, ensuring reasonable space for maintenance personnel, better scheduling of piping activities, and the economic benefit of considering the possibilities of the penetration of pipes through structural beams closed to the nautral lines.