American Edge Engineers

Insights

Practical guidance for project teams

Short, useful articles on MEP design, franchise rollouts, energy modeling, shop drawings and BIM coordination — written by our engineers.

9 articles, newest first

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LatestMEP Design

MEP Design

When You Need an HVAC Load Calculation (and Why Rules of Thumb Fail)

The permit, replacement and renovation situations that call for a room-by-room heating and cooling load calculation, what it accounts for, and what to prepare.

  • HVAC
  • Load calculations
  • Equipment sizing
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Franchise MEP

When a Franchise Brand Updates Its Prototype: What Happens to the MEP Design

A new menu item or equipment package looks small on the brand's drawings. Here is how it changes the MEP design at every site, new or already open, and what to check first.

  • Franchise MEP
  • Prototype adaptation
  • Equipment schedules
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Franchise MEP

Landlord MEP Criteria: What a Franchisee Should Confirm Before Signing the Lease

The lease decides what a tenant can connect to, cut through or install on the roof. These are the MEP questions to put to the landlord in writing before the lease is final.

  • Franchise MEP
  • Lease review
  • Tenant fit-out
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Franchise MEP

Fitness Center MEP Requirements: Ventilation, Showers, Power and Permits

A gym releases far more heat and moisture than an office and uses hot water in peaks. The MEP systems a fitness center needs, and what to confirm before design starts.

  • Fitness
  • Ventilation
  • Domestic hot water
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Franchise MEP

QSR MEP Design Checklist for New Restaurant Locations

What to confirm before MEP design starts on a quick-service restaurant: equipment schedule, kitchen exhaust and make-up air, fire suppression, gas, grease, power and permit items.

  • Franchise MEP
  • Restaurants
  • Kitchen exhaust
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MEP Design

Dental Clinic MEP Design Requirements: Systems, Rooms and Code Points

The MEP systems a dental clinic fit-out needs: vacuum, compressed air, nitrous oxide, sterilization ventilation, plumbing, power and the items to confirm before design starts.

  • MEP design
  • Healthcare
  • Medical gas
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Franchise MEP

Franchise MEP Design: What to Prepare Before Each New Location

The documents, site data and prototype decisions that keep franchise MEP design fast and permits on schedule — for brands, franchisees and architects.

  • Franchise MEP
  • Prototype adaptation
  • Permit drawings
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Energy Modeling

COMcheck vs. ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G: Which Compliance Path Fits Your Project?

When prescriptive COMcheck compliance is enough, when a whole-building Appendix G energy model is worth it, and how each affects design flexibility and LEED.

  • Energy modeling
  • ASHRAE 90.1
  • COMcheck
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Shop Drawings

What a Useful Clash Detection Report Looks Like

Raw Navisworks exports create noise. Here is how to structure a clash detection report that actually speeds up MEP coordination and shop drawing production.

  • BIM coordination
  • Clash detection
  • Navisworks
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