The Firm
Kohrs Lonnemann Heil Engineers (KLH Engineers)
provides mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP)
design services for new and existing buildings. The
firm also offers communication and information technology
design, commissioning, lighting design, and
energy solution services. Founded in 1955, KLH has
a proven record of delivering accurate documents,
meeting aggressive schedules, and achieving sustainability
goals for its health care, civic, retail, education,
and commercial clients. Based in Kentucky and Ohio,
KLH Engineers employs around 90 highly trained
engineers and support staff dedicated to helping
clients meet their goals.
In keeping with the firm’s innovative culture, KLH
Engineers was an early adopter of building information
modeling (BIM), implementing Autodesk® Revit®
MEP software in 2006. Since then, the firm has used
Autodesk BIM solutions on more than 35 projects at
a total construction value of nearly $400 million. KLH
has become a strong advocate for BIM as a means to
help transform building design and delivery practices
and improve building performance. In recognition of
its industry leadership, the firm received the Autodesk
BIM Experience Award in 2010.
The Challenge
One of KLH’s first BIM projects was the $12.5 million
renovation of the Hebrew Union College Klau
Library in Cincinnati, Ohio. The library is home to
the second-largest Hebraic text collection outside
of Jerusalem with a vast collection of rare books,
some more than a thousand years old. The project
entailed the renovation of the existing five-story
library and the construction of a new addition with
stacks and a viewing area for the collection, as well
as conference and office spaces.
To return the books to a permanent location as
quickly as possible, the project had an aggressive
construction schedule. “The oldest books were
temporarily stored in a separate building that would
eventually be demolished,” explains Jeff Millard,
principal at KLH. “We had to carefully plan and
phase the project to ensure that this building, and
the rest of the campus, stayed online during construction.
Furthermore, our design had to provide
precise humidity and temperature control for the
library and meet the college’s requirement for
energy efficiency.”
BIM-Enabled MEP Design
Autodesk BIM solutions help KLH
Engineers design an energy-efficient
library environment.
KLH Engineers
Customer Success Story
Autodesk® Revit® MEP
Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design
Autodesk® Green Building Studio®
Early on, we recognized
that the BIM approach
could benefit our firm,
our clients, and our
industry. Our strategic
commitment to BIM and
Revit MEP helps give us a
more lasting competitive
advantage.
—Jeff Millard
Principal
KLH Engineers
Photograph of the renovated Klau Library at Hebrew Union College. Image courtesy of KLH Engineers. Photo by J.Miles Wolf.
The Solution
The extended project team, including the structural
engineer THP Limited and architect SHP Leading
Design (another Autodesk BIM Experience Award
winner), used software based on the Autodesk®
Revit® platform to share and coordinate their designs.
“Our BIM approach was critical for helping to minimize
RFIs and construction delays,” says Stephen
Federle, KLH electrical engineer. “Moreover, we used
the information in our collective design models to
estimate, order, and accelerate the submittal process—
helping to expedite the project schedule to get
the books back into circulation.”
Coordinate Designs
“All the new mechanical systems needed to fit within
the existing structure of the old library,” explains
Millard. “On a daily basis we integrated the design
models of the extended project team, helping us to
identify, track, update, and react to design changes.”
“For example, the new library included very tall
book stacks,” says Federle. “We had to coordinate
those stacks with the existing structure, and then
figure out how to fit the new duct work, lights, and
technology systems in the remaining few feet above
the stacks.” With assistance from an integrated
design model, KLH more quickly and accurately
routed its systems through those very tight spaces
and avoided clashes that might have led to costly
on-site schedule delays.
Integrate Energy Analysis
KLH used the intelligent information in the Revit
MEP model to conduct energy analyses and develop
a design that satisfied the preservation needs of the
books and delivered optimal building performance.
“We did not have to lose valuable time recreating
model data for analysis and instead focused on designing
more efficient building systems,” remarks Millard.
Building their expertise through experience, KLH
now uses Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design software for
daylighting analysis, collaborating with architects to
help influence early design decisions with a systems
approach to projects. In addition, KLH is implementing
Autodesk® Green Building Studio® web service
to help support its sustainable design and energy
analysis services.
The Result
The Klau Library reopened in 2009 and features
a geothermal system that will reduce energy and
operating costs by an estimated 40 percent. “Revit
MEP helped us visualize how the existing structure,
the new construction, and the building systems
all fit together—enabling us to make faster, more
informed decisions,” says Federle. “This was our
first Revit MEP project, and with the help of our
Autodesk Subscription and Autodesk’s technical
support, it was a resounding success. We now rely
on Autodesk BIM solutions for the majority of our
MEP projects.”
With help from BIM, time spent planning and coordinating
system pathways was cut in half.
Autodesk, Green Building Studio, Revit, and 3ds Max are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates
in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves
the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or
graphical errors that may appear in this document.
© 2010 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
“Early on, we recognized how the BIM approach
could benefit our firm, our clients, and our industry,”
adds Millard. “Our strategic commitment to
BIM and Revit MEP helped give us a more lasting
competitive advantage.”
For more information, visit www.autodesk.com/
mep and www.autodesk.com/bim.
Revit MEP helped us visualize how the existing structure, the
new construction, and the building systems all fit together—
enabling us to make faster, more informed decisions.
—Stephen Federle
Electrical Engineer
KLH Engineers
Rendering of the lighting design for the new stacks. Image
courtesy of KLH Engineers.
Rendering of duct work in the upper level of the library’s
new addition. Image courtesy of KLH Engineers.