HelonicHelonic

AI drawing review for mechanical contractors

Detect ductwork routing conflicts, verify equipment clearances, and coordinate with other trades automatically, straight from your 2D PDF drawing set.

What slows down mechanical contractors

The coordination headaches that show up over and over on ductwork-heavy projects.

Ductwork Routing Conflicts

Supply and return ductwork frequently clashes with structural beams, piping mains, and electrical conduit runs in tight ceiling plenums.

Equipment Clearance Issues

AHUs, VAV boxes, and rooftop units need service access that drawings often fail to verify against adjacent structures.

Multi-Trade Coordination

Diffusers, grilles, and registers must align with reflected ceiling plans while avoiding sprinkler heads and light fixtures.

How Helonic helps

Purpose-built drawing review for the mechanical scope, from ductwork to controls.

1

Duct Routing Conflict Detection

Automatically identify where ductwork intersects structural members, piping, or electrical systems. Helonic flags conflicts before they become costly field rework.

2

Equipment Clearance Verification

Verify that AHUs, chillers, boilers, and VAV boxes have the manufacturer-required service and maintenance clearances shown on drawings.

3

Diffuser vs Structure Coordination

Cross-reference supply and return diffuser locations against reflected ceiling plans, structural grids, and lighting layouts to catch placement conflicts.

4

Insulation Space Checking

Confirm that ductwork insulation thickness is accounted for in ceiling plenum space calculations and does not cause new clearance violations.

5

Control Sequence Verification

Review sequences of operation against mechanical drawings to ensure control points, damper locations, and sensor placements are consistent with design intent.

Common issues we catch

The mechanical conflicts and code gaps Helonic surfaces on every drawing set.

Routing & Clearances

  • Ductwork routing through structural beams and columns
  • Insufficient equipment access and service clearances
  • Return air pathway obstructions and dead zones
  • VAV box sizing mismatches with design airflow

Coordination & Controls

  • Diffuser placement conflicts with sprinklers and lights
  • Insulation thickness exceeding available plenum space
  • Missing or mislocated control dampers and sensors
  • Exhaust fan duct routing conflicts at roof penetrations

ROI for mechanical contractors

What mechanical teams typically see after running drawings through Helonic.

SAVINGS
$40K–$250K
average per project from early clash detection
CONFLICTS CAUGHT
45+
mechanical issues per drawing set
FASTER REVIEW
70%
vs. manual ductwork coordination

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Helonic verify before mechanical fabrication?
It checks HVAC routing, equipment clearances, and structural coordination, flagging ductwork routed through beams, inadequate service access, and conflicts with other trades in shared ceiling space, each tied to the sheet, before you fabricate.
Does it check equipment service and code clearances?
Yes. It flags where mechanical equipment lacks required service and code clearances under the IMC, before the layout is committed.
Can it catch clashes with structure and other trades?
Yes. It flags ductwork and equipment conflicts with structure, plumbing, electrical, and fire protection in shared space, the clashes that otherwise appear during rough-in.
Do I need a coordinated 3D model?
No. It works on the 2D mechanical and coordinated PDFs you already receive.
MG

Manas Gandhi

Co-founder & CTO, Helonic

Manas is the co-founder and CTO of Helonic, where he leads engineering and AI research for construction drawing analysis. He works directly with structural, MEP, civil, and fire protection engineers to translate the way they review drawings into AI systems that flag the issues that actually matter in the field. Before Helonic, he built machine learning pipelines for technical document understanding and has spent the last several years interviewing licensed design engineers and discipline leads to ground product decisions in real practice rather than industry assumptions.

Areas of focus
  • AI for technical document understanding
  • Cross-discipline coordination workflows
  • Code compliance automation (IBC, NEC, NFPA, IPC, IMC, ASCE)
  • Structural and MEP drawing review systems

How this page was researched: Coordination checks reference IMC clearance requirements, equipment service access, and the mechanical-structural interfaces verified before fabrication. Examples are drawn from Helonic's review of mechanical sets against structural framing and other trades.

Last reviewed by Manas Gandhi · May 2026

LinkedIn

Keep exploring

Related guides and adjacent solutions.

MEP Coordination Best PracticesTop Ductwork Clash Patterns

Stop finding conflicts in the field

See how Helonic catches ductwork routing conflicts and equipment clearance issues before your crews are on site.