Do MEP teams use 'Sheet' files?

[PinkPantser]

This question is coming from an architect accustomed to setting up a 'documentation' file for all annotation, schedules and sheets and linking the 3d geometry models into it. This works really well for large architectural models.

Do MEP Revit projects also work this way?

[MatthewStuver]

We have been doing Revit MEP projects since 2007 and have never heard or had a separate documentation model for MEP systems. I have seen architectural firms doing this, but not MEP. We do have separate central models for each trade and will have documentation/sheets within that. The issue comes down to annotation. When I am coordinating systems and have to shift items just before a submission, I would have to then do a check through the documentation file to ensure that annotations are visible and not overlapping. Adding additional work.

I would be interested to see if other MEP firms do this because I have never heard of one to get their take on it.

[mattw]

We work with a single model only. All annotation is done within that model.

We recently had a project where the architect has their 3D model and their DOCUMENTATION model. When we initially set up our MEP model views, we will use the linked view option to set the background accordingly so it matches whatever the architect is using. This unfortunately didn't work so well with two models because in the documentation model the architect had set up some plan regions and had room names in multiple models. That, in addition to other various.... "oddities" let's just say, made setting up this project difficult to say the least.

Matt

[daniel.morrison]

We don't (and wouldn't) use separate documentation files for MEP.

We have had problems with Architects doing this as well.

[PinkPantser]

Thanks for the input.

Using the documentation files is a pain for the architects working in them as well, but the BIM managers assure us it's the way to go on large linked projects where so much effort is spent on keeping file sizes low.

This project we're starting on is a campus of buildings that may or may not have a central plant. It's difficult to plan the BIM setup without knowing the systems.

[DaveDH]

I worked on a couple large residential unit renovation projects last year, one project had 7 building types, the other 8 building types. We ended up setting up an MEP model for each building type, then an overall sheet/documentation file for each project. We did all the modelling, annotations, and sheet views in the individual MEP models, then linked the individual MEP models into our overall sheet file, then using linked views we managed our entire package from that overall file. It worked brilliantly, it was HUGE to be able to manage all the views and sheets (almost 200) in one file. Especially because, almost without fail, something would happen to the sheet number convention, or sheet count convention, or the sheet and view titles, etc. This could all be managed in the overall file's sheets and views list/schedules - schedules which could be exported to Excel as needed. Also, it was nice for printing, instead of having to open all 7-8 files to print, we could print the entire package from the overall sheet file.

One thing to consider, I suppose, is how independent the individual buildings are from the others in the project. For example, the projects I just mentioned all had the same details, schedules, diagrams, etc. So the package consisted of a typical legend sheet, then plan views for each of the building types, then a collection of typical details, schedules, and diagrams which applied to all the building types.

Another project (a youth detention campus) we worked on had several buildings in it but they were being built (or renovated) in a series of phases, so standalone packages were developed and submitted for each building on the campus. We never found it necessary to set up an overall project file (though the architect did, for site coordination, etc.)