In Chicago, every new building construction or renovation project must have a design concept drawn up by the building owner, based on which the designer or architect can produce a set of construction plans. The plans contain all the necessary information that the Chicago inspection authority approves, after which construction or remodeling begins. Since every commercial, residential or industrial building in Chicago has multiple electrical systems, these plans also need to have an electrical design plan that ensures the project follows all Chicago building codes.
The new building electrical design process
Each new building electrical design process goes through several important stages of development. The designer begins the design process by first understanding the scope of the project. After that, the designer designs and defines each component (general office areas, special machines, power distribution equipment) according to industry standards. After that, the specific parts are arranged together to form the final electrical design presentation.
Understanding the Project Scope of New Building Electrical Design
Any new building electrical project has its own unique requirements that depend on the scope of the project. The client's needs and the type of building structure determine the scope of the project. While renovation of old buildings only requires electrical design to merge the new wiring into the existing wiring system, in the case of a proposed new building the scope is much larger. In this case, an entirely new electrical design is required.
Parts of a new building electrical project
Depending on the type of project, an electrical design for a new building may include:
- General electrical requirements (e.g. general purpose repositories)
- Electrical distribution systems
- Lighting systems
- Specialized electrical provisions
General electrical requirements
Each new building electrical design must define general electrical requirements. General electrical requirements are items such as 120V outlets located throughout the building. Although these receptacles are not intended to serve specific loads, they are intended for general use, such as wall receptacles, desks, and electrical equipment that do not have any special electrical requirements.
Specialized Electrical Requirement
Some new construction projects may have special types of electrical equipment that require special electrical circuits that serve only those types of equipment. This equipment can be:
- Vending machines
- Photocopiers
- Network Servers
- Microwave ovens
Due to load requirements set by manufacturers, these types of equipment may require individual wiring or dedicated grounding methods.
Lighting systems
The complexity of lighting systems means that they require the longest development time during the development of a new building electrical project.
All luminaires and their controls are included in these systems. According to Chicago codes, these lighting systems require very detailed requirements and need documentation to demonstrate that they follow energy-saving technologies.
Electrical distribution system
The electrical distribution system provides distribution of electrical wiring throughout the building. The EDS includes the main distribution board that receives power from the utility and associated segments such as panels that distribute all necessary branch circuits throughout the facility. Electrical distribution system design also includes measuring the amperage load and short circuit values of the building. These measurements calculate the total electricity demand of the facility based on the individual parts of the EDS.
Creating the Electrical Project Plan
The plans must contain the design references of each device with the appropriate electrical symbol. Electrical symbols make it easier for people working on the project to recognize parts, making cost estimation and construction easier. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) provides standardized building plans to be used in construction plans.
Construction plans for a new building may have the electrical design plans included as a separate document. To facilitate identification of electrical plans, electrical project plan pages are labeled and numbered accordingly. They are labeled E1, E2, E3 and so on. It is important to note that electrical sheets or E sheets are different from architectural E sheets, which represent a size of paper. The electrical design plan is usually presented in a specific order:
- Outdoor electrical site plan
- Internal electrical power plan
- Interior lighting plan
- Documentation (such as electrical calculations, panel tables, single-line diagrams, and lighting system power requirements)
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Conclusion
- A designer must understand the scope of any new construction project before beginning to design a new electrical plan for the building.
- Any new building electrical design plan includes general and specialized electrical requirements, EDS, and lighting systems.
- Each new building electrical design plan must meet industry standards and comply with all Chicago building codes.
