THE REVISED PHILIPPINE MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CODE: FOCUS ON IMPROVING

THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT, LIFE, SAFETY AND HEALTH

The Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers is the Philippines’ only integrated

technical society in the field of mechanical engineering. Its members, scattered throughout the

world are individuals who share ideas, support research, identify needs, and write the Philippine

industry’s standards for testing and practice. The result is that engineers are better able to keep

indoor environments safe and productive while protecting and preserving the outdoors and the

environment for generations to come.

There are noticeable differences between this Revised Code and the previous versions:

The earlier version/s were written more as a reference manual instead of a code, they

describe theories and practices in operation rather than follow the mandate in accordance with

the National Building Code of the Philippines and, they have not been updated to conform with

current practices in accordance with international standards and norms.

This new code follows stipulated international practices and the uniform mechanical

code, and focuses on the paramount concern in the world today, the environment, life, safety

and health.

The PSME is tasked to safeguard the people by all means in compliance with the

National Building Code of the Philippines, specifically Section 102 Declaration of Policy and

Chapter 13, Section 1302 Mechanical Regulation.

One of the ways that PSME supports its members and the industry’s need for

information is through PSME Research enabling members to benefit from the combined effort of

committee members who have the experience in determining the important information that is

incorporated in this Code.

The 2011 Philippine Mechanical Engineering Code

The 2011 Philippine Mechanical Engineering Code covers basic principles and data

used in the mechanical engineering field. The PSME Technical Committee that prepared these

chapters, strive not only to provide new information, but also to clarify past and existing

information, delete obsolete materials, and reorganize the chapters and their contents to make

the Code more understandable and easier to use.

Unlike a Handbook, this Code is intended not only for mechanical engineers but also to

the general public as well. A code is full of terms, information and guidelines. A handbook helps

to explain things and principles on how an object, a process, and a system functions.

The intent of this Code is to cover mechanical engineering practice for multiple

residential, commercial and industrial edifices, typically where the greater population reside and

work. There is a limit where we cannot cover plant manufacturing processes such as cement

plants, oil refineries, power plants and the like simply because these are business concerns with

proprietary rights to their technology. Further, the people interaction is not with the public but

limited only to experienced personnel and experts with interests to such a facility. For an

engineer to learn the principles on how these plants work and operate, he only has to refer to a

Handbook. Despite this situation, we have endeavored to cover in this Code the minimum

mandatory requirement on how to properly install mechanical equipment to protect the public.

Likewise, the language in this Code is written to be understood by everyone and not only

mechanical engineers, in support of the mandate bestowed upon us by the National Building

Code of the Philippines.

A typical user of this Code, be he a building official, a government engineer, a trade

practitioner who may be a project owner, a consultant, or an engineering supplier, reading,

interpreting or conceptualizing designs, preparing or writing reports, specifications and other

documents related to a project, a contractor who undertakes the scheduling, building and

commissioning of a small or large project, even a foreign entity who joins bids, read the terms of

references and carry out the tasks involved in the project he will be doing refer to such a Code

as mandated by the government for the interest of the general public’s welfare on the

preservation of the environment, the protection of life, the safeguarding of one’s safety and to

shelter each individual’s health within and without the workplace.

The reader will view the chapters as new but, as soon as he comprehends the contents,

knowledge gained will germinate into creative ideas, and applications will come in as second

nature but achieving the wisdom that he is preserving his surroundings and the population that

might be affected with his decisions.

This edition radically departs from the previous editions in that the Technical Committee

adopted the Uniform Mechanical Code which has been in use all over the world by both

developed and developing countries, to suit our local climatic conditions and practical usage.

Chapter Orders

Chapter 1 Administration

Chapter 2 Definitions

Chapter 3 General

Requirements

Chapter 4 Ventilation Air Supply

Chapter 5 Exhaust Systems

Chapter 6 Duct Systems

Chapter 7 Combustion Air

Chapter 8 Chimneys and Vents

Chapter 9 Smoke Control

Systems

Chapter 10 Hydronics

Chapter 11 Steam and Hot Water

Boilers

Chapter 12 Refrigeration

Chapter 13 Installation of

Equipment

Chapter 14 Water Supply

Chapter 15 Drainage Piping

Chapter 16 Vent Piping

Chapter 17 Storm Drainage

Piping

Chapter 18 Fuel Gas Piping

Chapter 19 Medical Gasand

Vacuum

Piping

Chapter 20 Fire Protection

System

Chapter 21 Indirect Waste, Traps

and

Interceptors

Chapter 22 Flammable and

Combustible

Liquid Piping

Systems and

Storage

Chapter 23 Pressure Vessels

Chapter 24 Building

Transportation

Chapter 25 Energy Conservation

Chapter 26 Standard Practice for

the Control of

Flammable and

Combustible Liquids

and Gases in

Manholes, Sewer and

Underground

Chapter 27 Renewable Energy

Source

Chapter 28 Non-Renewable

Energy

Source

Chapter 29 Standards