Above-ceiling coordination
Coordinate MEP systems, lighting, and structural elements in the ceiling plenum. Helonic cross-references reflected ceiling plans, mechanical plans, electrical plans, and fire protection drawings to catch conflicts in the most congested zone of any building.
Why ceiling coordination matters
The plenum is where every discipline converges in the tightest space.
From RCP to plenum report
Helonic layers every system in the plenum and finds spatial conflicts.
Map the plenum
The AI reads structural plans for beam depths, architectural RCPs for ceiling heights, and section details to establish the available plenum depth in each zone.
Layer MEP systems
Ductwork, sprinkler mains and branches, cable trays, conduit runs, and plumbing waste lines are extracted from their respective sheets and mapped into the plenum space.
Detect conflicts
The system checks for spatial conflicts between all systems: ducts blocking sprinkler heads, lights conflicting with diffusers, cable trays crossing duct runs at the same elevation.
Prioritize issues
Conflicts are ranked by severity, with sprinkler coverage issues and code violations flagged as critical, and aesthetic coordination issues like diffuser-to-light spacing flagged as advisory.
What we coordinate
Every system that competes for plenum space, checked against each other.
Duct vs sprinkler clearance
Verifies that supply and return ductwork maintains required clearances from sprinkler heads and mains, preventing coverage obstructions that fire marshals will reject.
Lighting vs diffuser conflicts
Cross-references the RCP lighting layout against supply diffuser and return grille locations to flag overlaps that would require field relocation of fixtures.
Cable tray routing analysis
Checks that electrical cable tray routing does not conflict with ductwork, plumbing, or structural elements, and maintains required separation from high-voltage conduit.
Ceiling grid coordination
Verifies that all ceiling-mounted elements (diffusers, lights, speakers, sprinkler heads) align with the ceiling grid and do not create conflicts at grid intersections.
Access panel placement
Identifies equipment that requires maintenance access (VAV boxes, fire dampers, valves) and verifies that access panels are provided and do not conflict with other elements.
Plenum depth verification
Checks that the cumulative depth of all systems in the plenum does not exceed the available space between the structure above and the ceiling grid below.
Why this matters
The ceiling plenum is where every discipline converges in the tightest space. HVAC ducts, sprinkler piping, electrical conduit, cable trays, plumbing waste lines, and structural members all compete for the same 18 to 36 inches of vertical space. When conflicts are not caught in documents, they are discovered by the first trade to install, and every subsequent trade has to work around whatever got built first.
Above-ceiling rework is particularly disruptive because it affects the ceiling grid below. Moving a duct means moving the diffuser in the ceiling tile, which affects the lighting layout, which requires electrical rework. Helonic catches these cascading conflicts from the drawings before the first hanger is installed.
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