BIM tool aids BS 5422 compliant pipe insulation designs

The Paroc Plug-In has been developed to help architects, specifiers and consultants save time when designing systems to protect mechanical piping, allowing them to configure the correct thickness of stonewool insulation for compliance with BS 5422. 

The PAROC Plug-In is a direct response to feedback the company received regarding the laborious nature of insulation specification within the BIM framework.

John Watt, National Specification Manager HVAC Systems, at Paroc explains: "Previously, each pipe had to be identified and analysed individually by taking its diameter, type of material, temperature of the transported medium and a number of other important criteria into account. This process took significant time and effort and, in many ways, went against the principle of BIM, which is to use digital technology to create more efficient and integrated ways of working during all stages of the construction lifecycle. In response, we set about designing a free to download tool to address these issues and maximise the potential of BIM for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) applications."

Using the PAROC Plug-In couldn’t be easier. The tool, which includes the readymade BIM product libraries, can be downloaded from Archispace via the Paroc website: http://www.paroc.co.uk. Once downloaded it can be installed directly into the Autodesk Revit BIM software application and immediately used to configure the correct pipe insulation for a project. There is also a video available to view on the website which demonstrates the BIM tool in action. 

It identifies all the piping and ducting in a room and asks the user to specify the reasons why it needs to be insulated. Once this information has been analysed, the software then provides details about the correct thickness required and the recommended PAROC product to be used. The system overlay does not confine itself to merely adding solutions from the readymade product libraries to 2D and 3D sheets.

This intuitive and interactive PAROC Plug-In can help customers meet the scope of BS 5422, which is the industry standard for specifying the requirements for thermal insulating materials within a stipulated temperature range in a variety of applications. 

"The PAROC Plug-In has been enthusiastically received by its early adopters, who report that the time taken on this part of the specification process has been drastically reduced," adds John Watt. "Although it has established itself as the future of building construction and operation, one of the most exciting aspects of BIM is that its full potential has not yet been realised. The PAROC Plug-In will play a huge role in moving away from inefficient processes and from now on all it takes is just one click to automatically add correct insulation solutions and dimensions, in compliance with BS 5422. Designing HVAC and process industry installations has never been so  easy."