It has long been rumored that two heads are better than one. But what about five heads? If you are a mechanical HVAC system designer, you know how much work goes into the job. You probably wish you had a few extra assistants and some extra time to work on a design-build project that is both complicated and on a tight timeline.

If you had five heads instead of one, would that help? Better yet, if you could combine five powerful software programs into one, would that help, too? You can - and the product has a name, too. It’s called Design-Build 6.0 and is available through Carmel Software, a business that develops software for HVAC load calculations, duct sizing, refrigeration, pipe sizing, controls estimating, psychometrics, and life-cycle cost analysis.

Design-Build 6.0 refers to a suite of software programs that perform HVAC design-build analyses including commercial and residential load calculations, duct sizing, cost estimating, and proposal generation. The following software programs from Carmel are part of the Design-Build 6.0 software and accomplish the above tasks:

• Loadsoft 6.0 (performs commercial HVAC load calculations);

• Residential 5.0 (performs residential HVAC load calculations);

• Duct Size 6.0 (performs HVAC duct design);

• Estimate 6.0 (performs HVAC new construction cost estimating and proposal generation);

• Design-Build 6.0 Status Module (this keeps track of the status of a design-build project).

“This newest version of Design-Build 6.0 has many exciting new features over previous versions including a much improved user-interface and pricing for 50,000-plus HVAC parts,” said Stephen Roth, president of Carmel Software.

“The fact that organizations such as ASHRAE, Intel, Lockheed Martin, and the United States Department of Energy have all licensed our software is a statement in itself to the quality of our software.”

Design-Build 6.0 software includes the following data used by the various programs:

• Construction types for 200-plus walls, roofs, floors, and windows. (Loadsoft 6.0 and Residential 5.0);

• 200-plus ASHRAE fittings with pictures and pressure loss values (Duct Size 6.0);

• Typical duct material, liner, and insulation types (Duct Size 6.0);

• 50,000-plus HVAC parts database from major manufacturers (Estimate 6.0).

Roth noted that Design-Build 6.0 can work well in a typical HVAC job by taking job blueprints and performing HVAC cooling and heating load calculations; laying out the duct work and sizing it based upon the load calculations and air volumes for each room and system; performing a take-off of the duct work layout and getting a list of all parts, materials, and equipment to be used; creating a cost estimate based upon the mechanical take-off; and creating a typed proposal based upon the estimate.

For more information, visit www.carmelsoft.com.

Publication date: 01/14/2008