Mechanical Engineer VS Civil Engineer 1

[fayazdin]

Hello folks,
I am a mechanical engineer (ME). I have designed serveal plumbing systems for buildings. We (MEs) always design plumbing system inside the building and terminate our design 5-feet from the building, where a civil engineer (CE) picks up and runs with the utility (water, sewer)lines.

I want to know if this magic figure "5-feet" from the building is an unwritten rule to differenciate between ME and CE responsibilities or is there an engineering LAW that defines the responsibilites of MEs and CEs?

 

[bimr]

I think it is an unwritten rule that defines the limits of excavation for the building.

 

[cvg]

site engineering is done by engineers experienced in that and generally happy to allow the mech engineers do the plumbing inside of the building. If you have the experience to do the site engineering (survey, grading, drainage etc) then by all means continue your water and sewerline plans all the way to the street.

 

[stanier]

There is no written "rule" that governs who does what.

In many countries a piping engineer will do both. Other counties do not recognise the discipline of piping engineering.

Just remember that a professional engineer should not undertake work outside their competency without it being checked by a competent engineer.

Mechanical engineers design weapons and civil engineers build targets.

 

[PEDARRIN2]

It is my understanding, at least in the U.S., the 5 foot rule comes from the plumbing codes.

 

[Hoagie]

It's a convention, not code.

 

[PEDARRIN2]

I sit corrected.

I wrote before I looked.

The code - IPC in my neck of the woods- states it is 30" where the division lies between the building drain and the building sewer.

Five feet is a convention.

 

[hydrae]

if the pipe is buried Civil
if the pipe not buried Mechaical

or
if it moves and was not supposed to Civil
if does not move and was supposed to Mechanical

Hydrae

 

[bimr]

I am not so sure that the 5' is a firm convention.

The idea is that you take the pipe far enough away from the structure so that when the next guy comes to dig out and connect the pipe, he will be able to easily dig up the pipe without hitting the structure.

 

[TBCEng07]

Civils make Targets Mechanicals make weapons

 

[Artisi]

Back in the dim dark ages I did a stint in the boat building section of the Government organisation there I was an apprentice fitter / machinist, the union rules there quite specific, no conventions just strict rules which had to be adhered to on the pain of death if you crossed the line.
When building a number of large timber pilot boats for the harbour authority we (the fitter) had to run some pipework from the diesel engines- fuel lines, water lines etc, when ever we came to a timber bulk head we had to stop and wait for the shipwrights to drill the holes through the b/heads -for the engine floor plates which were aluminium there was a long battle deciding WHO was the screw the floorplates to the timber bearers - at the end of the day it was given to the fitters under the supervision of the shipwrights who ha to first drill the holes for the fasteners.
Earlier there had been a long protraced discussion regarding the mounting and aligning of the diesel engines onto the wood engine bearers - this was decided in favour of the fitters due to the fact that the shipwrights were not allowed to use dial indicators to check the alignments.

Oh what happy days working in a union shop - never a dull moment.