Custom duct systems for an aircraft hangar – A case study with Siprec Srl

Italian engineering company Siprec Srl oversaw the executive design of a new hangar for manual painting of aircraft. The complex project required coordinated and integrated management of mechanical systems, architectural elements, operational processes, and environmental considerations.

The highly specialized industrial infrastructure located within a military airport area had to meet high quality standards, with particular attention to architectural quality, operational comfort and safety, as well as energy and environmental sustainability.

Design challenges of specialized industrial buildings

Specialized industrial buildings can present more complex challenges than those typically found in the civil construction sector. In this specific case, the duct networks required particular attention as they were a critical component of the industrial process itself and an integral part of the hangar’s productive functionality. The functionality of the system also needed to be verified using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.

The main design challenges included:

• Designing and sizing a duct system capable of ensuring airflow rates and velocities in compliance with strict regulations
  
• Integrating non-standard components—including air supply beams, floor grilles, and technical pits—into the BIM model and calculations
  
• Translating simulation results into actionable data consistent with the MEP model, despite the lack of native interoperability between BIM and CFD tools
  
• Integrating system design and verification directly within the BIM environment 
  
• Coordinating mechanical systems, architecture, and operational flows to ensure functionality, safety, and ease of maintenance
  
• Optimizing the hangar layout to minimize aircraft movement times and improve the overall efficiency of the painting process
  

Modelling and calculation of custom systems with MagiCAD

The core of the project focused on the design of a highly customized air distribution system, where many of the components were not available in standard BIM libraries. MagiCAD helped Siprec manage the design complexity by enabling advanced modelling and calculations directly within the Revit platform.

The MagiCAD Create tool allowed the team to insert custom object families (such as air-supplying beams, grilles, and technical pits) directly into the model, including the functional parameters necessary for calculations (flow rates, pressure drops, dimensions, acoustic parameters). MagiCAD software also enabled calculation of the complete duct network directly within Revit, ensuring consistency between modelling and technical verification.

“Although the elements of the air duct network were custom-made and adapted to the production process, thanks to MagiCAD’s flexibility we were able to incorporate them into the network and perform the calculations directly in Revit.”

– Luigi Zonetti, Managing Director Siprec srl

CFD simulations and integration into the MEP model

External computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted in the project to verify the effectiveness of the air distribution system and comply with regulatory limits. Although there is no direct integration between BIM and CFD software, the results were processed and translated into the model to adapt the design according to actual operating conditions.

“If we had not developed this level of detail and performed the calculations with extreme precision using MagiCAD and other tools, but instead relied on traditional methods (estimates, Excel files, etc.), we would have underestimated by about 200 Pa out of the 650 Pa required by each branch, resulting in significant consequences for the entire project.”

– Luigi Zonetti, Managing Director Siprec srl

Plugin applications for design and calculation of air handling units

To support the design and sizing of air handling units (AHUs), Siprec used the plugin applications available in MagiCAD Cloud, which have been developed in collaboration with HVAC industry manufacturers.

The plugins enabled the following:

• Access up-to-date digital catalogues from manufacturers, containing real AHUs and components complete with technical data
• Configure and customize AHUs directly within the BIM model, adapting them to the project’s requirements
• Insert intelligent objects equipped with all necessary functional parameters (flow rates, pressure drops, dimensions, acoustic characteristics, efficiency, etc.) and create families for the configured AHUs
• Perform technical and performance analyses directly in Revit and simulate AHU behavior under different operating conditions
• Integrate acoustic and functional verification into the BIM workflow without need for external software

Thanks to this integration, the team was able to accurately size the AHUs and evaluate their performance in real time within the model.

Project results: Precision, safety, and sustainability

• MEP system design developed entirely in BIM—not only modelled but also calculated, verified, and optimized within the digital model
• High level of MEP detail capable of meeting stringent requirements of the production process
• Integrated management of non-standard components, ensuring continuity between 3D modelling and calculations, even with custom objects
• Integration of results from external CFD simulations into the BIM model to support informed design decisions
• Precise control of flow rates, pressure losses, and functional parameters, ensuring traceability and consistency throughout all project phases
• Design focused on operational safety and comfort, with special attention to reducing chemical risks and enhancing the system’s energy sustainability

Siprec Srl: Integrated BIM design for industry and infrastructure

Siprec Srl is an integrated engineering company with over 40 employees and three operational offices in Italy. The company is active in the civil, industrial, and infrastructure sectors, specializing in multidisciplinary design within a BIM environment.

🔗 www.siprecingegneria.com