BUENA VISTA, Fla. - To Jim Fields of Superior Mechanical Contracting, Greensboro, N.C., value engineering is a lot like going to a good restaurant. First you have your steak and salad, but then along comes the dessert cart with all your favorites: banana pudding, chocolate cake, strawberry shortcake, and pecan pie. You know you can't have them all. You have to choose.
In the same way, he explained to attendees of "Value Engineering: Who Benefits and Who Doesn't" at the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) Winter Meeting, sometimes HVAC projects specify the use of equipment that looks really cool and could have benefits, but if it's all incorporated, the project would soar over budget. The best options must be identified and those that are not necessary must be carefully removed from the design.