Mechanical And Electrical Systems for Construction Managers: HVAC, Plumbing, Fire Protection, and Power Distribution from Design to Commissioning

You're expected to manage the HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection scope on your project. Nobody ever taught you how it actually works. New Edition — revised and expanded. MEP is the most complex, expensive, and conflict-prone part of almost any commercial project, and it's where budgets break and schedules slip behind walls no one can see into. Nearly everything written about it is written for engineers, not the people managing the work. So you nod along in coordination meetings, sign off on submittals you can't fully evaluate, and hope the clash gets caught before it's built in. Sometimes it isn't, and the rework, delay, and blame all land on you. This book explains MEP in the language of the construction manager, not the design engineer. It starts from zero and builds through reading MEP drawings and specifications, understanding how HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and electrical systems actually work, and managing the coordination, scheduling, cost estimating, commissioning, and safety work that turns that understanding into a building that functions correctly. The idea behind every chapter is simple: your job is to coordinate these systems and catch problems early, not to design them, and this book gives you exactly the depth you need to do that well. Inside, you'll learn how to: Read MEP drawings, equipment schedules, and specifications with confidence Understand HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and electrical systems in practical, CM-relevant terms Manage submittals, long-lead procurement, trade sequencing, and inspections Coordinate the trades before installation and resolve clashes before they wreck a schedule Price and schedule MEP scope accurately, using real worked calculations Know when a decision is genuinely yours to make, and when it needs the engineer Every technical chapter includes fully worked calculations and practice problems with complete answers, and the management chapters walk through real project decisions and case studies. A full glossary, symbols reference, code citations, and worked-example index round out the book as a field-ready resource. Whether you're a construction manager, project manager, superintendent, estimator, or student entering the field, this book gives you the grounding to manage MEP scope with confidence and stop deferring to whoever sounds most sure. This is a practical guide for construction managers, not a design manual or a substitute for a licensed engineer. Stop getting blindsided by the scope you're responsible for. Get your copy today.