1. Tenant Design Guidelines Part 3: MEPT Systems Design Criteria
Updated: 06.10.2026

Tenant Design Guidelines part 3: MEPT Systems Design Criteria

  1. Mechanical Systems Design Criteria
    1. Objective: The objective of the Mechanical Systems design criteria is to provide the Tenant with specific instructions for meeting the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) basic criteria for construction. The MAC will require and maintain the same standards for all Tenants. Incomplete drawings, inferior design or poor construction are unacceptable and will not be permitted.
    2. Licensed Professional Engineer: A professional engineer licensed in the state of Minnesota shall prepare all calculations, drawings and specifications in accordance with the MAC Mechanical Systems Design Criteria, all applicable codes and recognized engineering practices.
    3. Project Review: The MAC will review drawings for general compliance with the Mechanical Design criteria.  It is the Tenant’s responsibility to ensure that the Tenants system will perform satisfactorily and is in compliance with all applicable codes and regulations.
    4. Submission Requirement: The Tenant shall submit complete plans and specifications to the MAC for Mechanical work consisting of the following:
      1. HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection floor plans
      2. Plumbing riser diagram indicating pipe sizes and connection points
      3. Heating and cooling load calculations
      4. Supply air, chilled water, hot water requirements
      5. As-built drawings upon project completion
    5. General Codes: Comply with the current Minnesota State Building Code, governing local and state codes and ordinances, MAC Design and Construction Standards, and the Sustainable Design and Construction Requirements. The most restrictive will prevail.
    6. Mechanical Room Access: All work performed by the Tenant’s mechanical contractor within MAC mechanical rooms shall be performed under the supervision of the MAC facilities personnel or their designated representatives.
    7. Temporary Mechanical: The Tenant shall be responsible for all labor, materials, equipment and related services necessary to furnish, install and connect temporary heat or ventilation.
    8. General Requirements
      1. The Tenant shall furnish and install all mechanical work required for and within the Tenant premises.
      2. Mechanical system modifications requiring shutdown of other portions of the mechanical systems shall be coordinated with the MAC Energy Management Center (EMC) and done between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Tenant shall notify the Landlord (Concessions Lease Manager and Airport Development Project Manager) a minimum of three weeks prior to the shutdown requirement and coordinate with MAC and its consultants for issuance of Shutdown Notifications. See Technical Criteria Section for Common Work Results for HVAC (23 05 00) for more specific information, including standard language on the Method of Procedure (MOP) process.
      3. Obtain permission from the MAC prior to core drilling through floors or roof structure.
      4. Cutting and patching to be performed by Tenant as required shall restore finishes to their original condition.
      5. Floor and wall penetrations must be sealed and dampered, as required per the building code or MAC Standards, to maintain separation requirements.
      6. Welding or any other hot work requires a hot work permit from MAC and must comply with the MAC Fire Department regulations.
      7. As-built drawings are to be maintained by the Tenant mechanical contractor and submitted to the MAC.  Record exact pipe, duct, and equipment routing and location, and sizes of equipment.
      8. All penetrations in mechanical rooms are required to have curbing that is fully waterproofed. Waterproofing is to be compatible to existing waterproofing. Contact the MAC for further information for any penetrations through mechanical room floors.
      9. No piping allowed above electrical rooms, telecommunication rooms or electrical equipment.
      10. Identification and Labeling is required for all equipment, pipes and ducts within the Tenant space. See MAC Design and Construction Standards, Technical Criteria section for Common Work Results for HVAC (23 05 00) for more specific information. Precede required label characters with the Tenant name and Room Number.
  2. Plumbing Systems Design Criteria
    1. All plumbing plans must be submitted to the MAC Permits Department and will be distributed for review and approval prior to construction.
    2. Demolish abandoned conduit, piping, and hangars, remove associated piping back to its source, and patch all resulting wall and floor penetrations to match adjacent construction.
    3. Remove all existing floor drains not required for the new design, including associated drain piping back to the vertical riser, and patch or infill the resulting floor penetrations to match adjacent construction.
    4. No piping shall be provided over electrical or communications rooms.
    5. Only clevis and trapeze hangers are allowed.
    6. All floor piping penetrations shall be provided with a link seal. Test each link seal with a standing water test for 24 hours. Coordinate inspection with MAC Plumbing.
    7. Label all piping to MAC standards, every six feet, with space name, location, and pipe type (ex.: “E-2283, ANGEL FOOD SANITARY WASTE”). See MAC Design and Construction Standards, Technical Criteria section for Common Work Results for Plumbing (22 05 00) for additional requirements.
    8. All tenants shall submit a plumbing fixture schedule with fixture connection sizes and fixture flow rates, in gallons-per-minute (gpm). See Sustainable Design and Construction Requirements for maximum allowed fixture flow rates.
    9. Provide a mop sink detail including drainage, cleanout, and link seal for all mop sinks.
    10. No fiberglass floor sinks are allowed.
    11. Floor drains with slopes must be provided as per Minnesota Mechanical Code, with the knowledge that slab thickness on the concourses may require additional structural supports to provide for sloped basin.
    12. Domestic Water Piping
      1. Minimum piping size is ¾”
      2. Provide shutoff valves on piping connection to MAC domestic water. Provide a shutoff valve in locations accessible from public spaces such as corridors, at a minimum.
      3. Landlord provides cold water only to the lease line. Tenant is required to provide water heater to meet Health Code requirements.
      4. Provide a drip pan for water heaters installed more than 6 inches above the floor. Piping must drain to a location approved by MAC Plumbing and be within a reasonable distance.
      5. No plastic pipe is allowed.
    13. Natural Gas Piping:
      1. Pipe sizes above 2” must be welded. Piping in walls must be welded or brazed.
      2. Provide gas valve in an accessible location within the Tenant space.
      3. Gas meters are not permitted inside the building.
      4. Provide labels on piping every 5’.
    14. Sanitary and Vent Piping
      1. No existing piping to be reused.
      2. For new building construction, provide sanitary piping to terminate in the manhole structure independently from the building sewer.
      3. For existing spaces, provide sanitary piping to run independently inside the building to tie in at the vertical stack before exiting the building.
      4. Sanitary piping (except that from bar sinks or soda dispensers, see below) shall be epoxy-coated cast iron or CPVC to connection point of MAC utilities. Sanitary vent piping must be epoxy-coated cast iron back to the main connection.
        1. Approved manufacturer for epoxy-coated cast iron: Charlotte, or other equal American-manufactured product.
        2. Approved manufacturer for CPVC: Spears Manufacturing.
      5. All piping from bar sinks and soda dispensers shall be constructed of stainless steel, CPVC, or epoxy-coated cast iron. Drains, traps, and piping back to mains are included.
      6. Provide a grease trap on all three compartment sinks and pre-rinse sinks to dishwashers.
      7. Grease traps shall be above the floor.
      8. All dishwashers, glasswashers, and food prep sinks must be directly connected.
      9. Provide telltale drains on all dishwashers, glasswashers and food prep sinks.
      10. Plastic piping is allowed only within the tenant space, located above the floor and below the ceiling, and shall not be installed within wall cavities. Schedule 40 PVC is acceptable for exposed sink drains and indirect waste piping.
      11. Provide insulation on all p-traps.
      12. Provide full size cleanouts.
      13. Provide all floor drains with an approved waterproof membrane.
      14. Provide cleanouts through the floor in the ceiling space on the level below.
      15. Vent pipe and sanitary pipe routes shall be fully coordinated with the Owner.
    15. Beverage lines
      1. Meet current Hennepin County Health Department codes, including requirement for all syrup and draught beer/glycol supply lines to be within aluminum beverage conduit with long sweep elbows.
      2. Provide a sink upstream of the beverage station.
      3. Beer tap drain lines must be installed to flow directly into a floor drain and cannot drain into an under-bar drain table.
  3. Fire Protection Systems Design Criteria
    1. See the MAC Design and Construction Standards Fire Protection Section Technical Criteria for all tenant sprinkler systems.
    2. Prior to installation, sprinkler shop drawings shall be submitted to the MAC Consulting Engineer and MAC Fire Marshal for review and approval.
    3. System tie-in and testing shall be coordinated with MAC Fire Marshal and MAC Plumbing Department. System shall not be deemed “acceptable” until approved by the above parties.
    4. Any work requiring shutdown, tie-in, or draining of existing fire protection piping shall follow the MAC Service Disruption process as outlined in the MAC Design and Construction Standards, Common Work Results for Fire Protection (21 05 00). A formal system disruption is required for all deactivations, and the Tenant’s Engineer shall submit a MAC Service Disruption Notice and Method of Procedure (MOP) to the MAC Plumbing Department, MAC Fire Marshal, and MAC Airport Development Department in accordance with the required notification timelines. No work may proceed without written approval from MAC.
    5. Each new or renovated tenant space shall be a separate sprinkler zone. Tenant is responsible for revising existing sprinkler systems as required to protect tenant space from a single zone. Zone naming shall be as directed by MAC Fire Marshal and MAC Plumbing Department.
    6. Provide signage at control valve assembly as required by the MAC Design and Construction Standards.
    7. Sprinkler system in tenant space must be active prior to occupancy.
    8. Provide dry chemical hood suppression system in Type I grease hoods. System shall activate by fusible link and manual pull station. Suppression system to be monitored by Fire Alarm system. All appliances shall shut off when system is activated. Hood exhaust shall remain running upon activation.
    9. Provide automatic sprinkler protection in Type II hoods where hood creates an obstruction to adjacent ceiling sprinklers.
  4. HVAC Systems Design Criteria
    1. Verify with MAC Facilities the type of HVAC system required for Tenant’s location (variable air volume, hot/chilled water system, constant volume dual duct, or Tenant-provided).
    2. Air quantities may be limited. Submit design requirements to MAC Facilities for review and approval.
    3. Ductboard is not allowed.
    4. Ductwork shall be insulated. All insulation shall be external. No internal duct insulation is allowed. See MAC Design and Construction Standards Technical Criteria Section for HVAC Air Insulation (23 07 00) for requirements.
    5. Piping shall be insulated and provided with identification and directional markers as noted above.
    6. All new duct routes for exhaust and make-up air units shall be reviewed by the MAC’s Airport Development Project Manager, Energy Management Center (EMC), and Consulting Mechanical Engineers for approval prior to the first CPIT review.
    7. All plans and specifications shall be reviewed by the MAC’s Energy Management Center (EMC) and Consulting Mechanical Engineers for approval prior to construction.
    8. Any tenants who are providing exhaust hoods for equipment are required to provide makeup air.
      1. The MAC standard is 100% makeup air provided by a dedicated unit.
      2. The unit is to be installed and maintained by the tenant.
      3. 90% of the air is to be provided at or near the hood in the kitchen area. 10% of the air is to be provided into the ceiling plenum or tenant seating area.
      4. All makeup air units are to provide both heating and cooling for the air. The air is to be tempered to 50 deg F in the winter and 70 deg F in the summer.
      5. Makeup air is to be interlocked with exhaust fans and any cooking equipment.
    9. Comply with OSHA and State Mechanical Code requirements for safety regarding all roof-mounted equipment. This includes adding railings for fall protection as required by OSHA and MAC.
    10. Any roof penetrations, modifications, or repairs associated with HVAC installation shall be performed in a manner that preserves the warranty of the Landlord’s roofing system.
    11. DX condensers for makeup air units or coolers should be either on the roof or be provided with supply air and exhaust to the outside to remove the heat from the space. Rooftop locations shall be coordinated with EMC, Facilities, and Airport Development prior to first CPIT. Any interior mounted units must receive prior approval by MAC EMC.
    12. All new VAV boxes need to be tied into the MAC’s controls system. All numbering of VAV boxes is to be provided by MAC EMC. Consult the MAC EMC or their consulting mechanical engineer for this information.
    13. Provide one VAV box per thermostat, and position the thermostat in a location to properly serve the space (not by heat producing equipment).
    14. Upgrade existing VAV box controllers where necessary or obsolete.
    15. Grease hoods shall be equipped with an interlock connection to all cooking equipment beneath them, whether gas or electric. The interlock must be designed so that cooking appliances cannot operate unless the exhaust hood is functioning, and if the hood has dedicated make-up air, the building make-up air system shall shut down when the hood is in operation.
    16. ​​​​​​​Hoods are to be equipped with timers to ensure they are turned off outside of operating hours.
    17. Type I kitchen exhaust ductwork shall use minimum 18-gauge Type 304 stainless steel.
    18. Dishwasher exhaust ductwork shall use Type 304 stainless steel or aluminum alloy 3003-H14.
    19. Dishwasher ductwork and access panels shall be properly pitched.
    20. Provide roof-mounted upblast grease exhaust fans with grease pans. Verify location when near overhanging roofs.
    21. Provide valves on hydronic piping at the mains to each tenant space.
    22. All fire dampers shall be in an accessible location, provided with glass access panels and provide their status on the MAC control system.
    23. Provide MAC Facilities with commissioning reports for the space.
    24. Update the MAC IMACS (building automation system) master control screens to match the new layouts of the spaces. This is on the MAC’s controls system. Consult the MAC EMC or their consulting engineer for this information.
    25. Provide MAC with copies of the contracts for scheduled maintenance for duct cleaning, equipment maintenance, grease trap maintenance, etc.
    26. Demolish all existing unused equipment, piping, ductwork, hangers, wiring and pneumatic tubing within the tenant space.
    27. Provide accessible labeled locations for all VAV boxes.
    28. Allow for proper airflow around all existing fin tube radiation if a partition is placed in front of it.
    29. Provide the proper ventilation to ceiling mounted transformers.
    30. Ductmate sandwich grease access doors are not allowed.
    31. Roof mounted ductwork is only allowed by approval from MAC EMC.
  5. ​​​​​​​Electrical Systems Design Criteria
    1. Objective: The objective of the Electrical Systems design criteria is to provide the Tenant with specific instructions for meeting the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) basic criteria for construction materials, means and methods. The MAC will require and maintain the same standards for all Tenants. Incomplete drawings, inferior design or poor construction are unacceptable and will not be permitted.
    2. Licensed Professional Engineer: A professional engineer licensed in the state of Minnesota shall prepare all calculations, drawings and specifications in accordance with the MAC Electrical Systems Design Criteria, all applicable codes and recognized engineering practices.
    3. Project Review: The MAC will review drawings for general compliance with the Electrical Design criteria.  It is the Tenant’s responsibility to ensure that the Tenant’s system will perform satisfactorily and is in compliance with all applicable codes and regulations.
    4. Submission Requirement: The Tenant shall submit complete plans and specifications to the MAC for electrical work consisting of the following:
        1. Electrical floor plans
        2. Electrical riser diagram indicating sizes and types of feeders, fuses, disconnect switches, main breakers, transformers, etc.
        3. Panelboard schedules indicating all breaker sizes and loads
        4. Electrical load summary including connected and demand load calculations
        5. Light fixture schedule
        6. Lighting Power Density (LPD) calculation for the entire Tenant space (watts per square foot)
        7. Provide as-built drawings upon completion
    5. General Codes: Comply with the current issues of the National Electrical Code, governing local and state codes and ordinances, and MAC Design and Construction Standards.
      1. All materials shall be listed or labeled by an independent testing laboratory (UL, CSA, ETL, etc.) where standards or listings exist.
    6. Electrical Room Access: All work performed by the Tenants electrical contractor within MAC electrical rooms shall be performed under the supervision of the MAC electrical shop or their designated representative.
    7. Service
        1. Voltage to each tenant space varies by location:
          1. 120/208V, three phase, 4 wire with ground
          2. 277/480V, three phase, 4 wire with ground
        2. The Tenant shall balance all phases of the Tenant’s electrical system upon completion of construction to within ten percent.
        3. Each Tenant space shall have a main disconnecting means.
    8. Temporary Electric: The Tenant shall be responsible for all labor, materials, equipment and related services necessary to furnish, install and connect temporary lighting and power.
    9. Ensure all temporary construction wall installations do not obstruct or adversely affect any MAC systems. Systems include, but are not limited to, CCTV camera coverage, access control devices, Wi-Fi infrastructure, DCMS displays, DAS equipment, and concourse or gate hold lighting.
    10. General Requirements
      1. The Tenant shall furnish and install all electrical work required for and within the Tenant premises.
      2. All necessary permits, inspections and insurance shall be obtained and paid for by the Tenants electrical contractor. MAC Electrical Permit is required.
      3. Electrical system modifications requiring shutdown of other portions of the electrical system shall be done between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. or as coordinated with MAC. Tenant shall notify the Landlord 21 days prior to the shutdown requirement and coordinate with MAC and its consultants for issuance of Shutdown Notifications. Refer to the Technical Criteria section for Common Work for Electrical (26 05 00) for more specific information, including standard language on the Method of Procedure (MOP) process.
      4. MAC may require the installation of electrical submeters in the future. Tenants are not required to install submeters as part of initial build-out; however, Tenants should design electrical systems to accommodate future metering if directed by MAC.
      5. Obtain permission from the MAC prior to core drilling through floors or roof structure.
      6. Cutting and patching to be performed (as required) by Tenant to return original finishes to their original condition at the end of the lease agreement.
      7. Welding or any other hot work requires a hot work permit from MAC and must comply with the MAC Fire Department regulations.
      8. No work shall be performed on energized equipment.
      9. As-built drawings are to be maintained by the Tenant electrical contractor and submitted to the MAC Electrical Department. Record exact conduit routing and location, devices, lights and sizes of equipment.
    11. Identification and Labeling is required for all equipment, conduit and boxes serving the Tenant space. See the Technical Criteria section for Common Work for Electrical (26 05 00) for specific requirements.
      Precede required label characters with the Concourse/Building Designation and Room Number for equipment.
    12. Raceways and Fittings: In accordance with MAC Design and Construction Standards, all power wiring and systems shall be installed in conduit without exception. Raceways to be rigid electrical metallic tubing.
        1. 6-foot maximum MC cable is permitted for light fixture drops from a junction box only, no device-to-device connection allowed. Any MC cable used shall have a full-sized insulated equipment ground.
        2. Flexible metallic conduit is an acceptable raceway within casework. Provide liquid tight when subject to moisture.
        3. Provide link seals at all conduit floor penetrations. Link seals shall be tested within a 24-hour standing water test, coordinated with MAC.
    13. Conductors
        1. All power conductors to be copper, 600V class, type THWN-2, XHHW-2 or THHN-2.
        2. Aluminum conductors are prohibited.
    14. Outlet Boxes: Galvanized steel, 4” square, 25 cubic inch with device plaster/tile ring.
    15. Wiring Devices
        1. Receptacles: 20A specification grade, Hubbell 5352 or equal.
        2. Switches: 20A specification grade, quiet type, Hubbell 1221 or equal.
        3. GFI Receptacles: 20A, installed where required.
        4. All cord and plug connected kitchen equipment is required to have GFCI protection. If the device being connected is not readily accessible GFCI breakers will be required.
        5. Any convenience receptacle installed 66” or less for public use shall be tamper resistant type.
    16. Motors and Motor Starters
        1. ¾ HP and above shall be three phase type.
        2. Manual motor starters with overload protection for fractional horsepower motors.  Three phase starters with overloads in each phase for integral hp motors.
        3. Combination starters to be motor circuit protectors or rejection fuse type.
    17. Disconnect Switches: NEMA heavy duty, fused or non-fused, horsepower rated.
    18. Panelboards and Circuit Breakers
        1. Panelboards to be dead front, 3 phase, 4 wire, constructed with code gauge steel, door in door construction.
        2. Circuit breakers: bolted line and load terminals, quick make/break. Multipole breakers to have common trips.
        3. Space for 20% space capacity of 1 pole breakers.
    19. Grounding: All raceways and outlets, all non-current carrying metal parts, all non-electrical equipment, switching enclosures and electrical protective devices to be solidly grounded in accordance with the National Electrical Code.
    20. Transformers
        1. Dry type, 480V Delta-120/208V wye with 220 degree C insulation, 150 degree C maximum temperature rise two winding with voltage adjusting taps.
        2. Transformer windings shall be copper material.
        3. Final connections to transformers shall be made with flexible metallic conduit or liquid tight flexible metallic conduit where cleanability is required, such as a food service tenant where transformer is located in kitchen space.
          1. Minimum length is 12”, maximum length is 60”.
        4. Installations of transformers 300kVA and larger shall be reviewed by a licensed Structural Engineer to review structural capacity for transformer weight.
        5. Transformers shall be set on vibration isolation pads.
        6. Transformers located in kitchens need to be proposed to and approved by Hennepin County Environmental Health.
    21. Lighting Fixtures
        1. Reference Technical Criteria for LED Lighting (26 51 19) for LED lighting requirements.
        2. LED Fixtures:
          1. Shall have a Color Rendering Index (CRI) of 80 or higher.
          2. Lamp Temperature: 3000k or 3500k, or as approved by the Landlord.
          3. Power Supplies:
            • Minimum efficiency of 85%
            • UL Class I or Class II output
            • Power Factor (PF) of ≥ 0.90
            • Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of ≤ 20%
            • Comply with FCC 47 CFR part 15 non-consumer RFI/EMI standards
            • Comply with Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
        3. Minimum illumination levels shall be met at all food preparation/serving areas, over sinks and ice bins, self-service areas, storage, walk-in coolers, etc. as per Health Department requirements.
    22. Exit and Emergency Lights
        1. Provide per code.
        2. Exit and Emergency lights must be reviewed and approved by MAC Building Official and MAC Fire Marshal.
        3. Exit signs shall be LED type:
          1. Red letters on white face at Terminal 1-
          2. Green letters on aluminum face at Terminal 2
  6. ​​​​​​​Telephone/Communication Service
    1. All low-voltage cabling shall be installed in metallic conduit or managed in cable trays; exposed, unsupported, or free-air low-voltage cable runs are not permitted.
    2. The Tenant Electrical Contractor to provide a one-inch (1”) conduit from the facility telephone terminal board to a point within the premises for the Tenant’s telephone service.
    3. The Tenant is responsible for all conduit, wiring and devices within the Tenant space. All low-voltage wiring shall be installed in metallic conduit or managed within cable trays.
    4. The Tenant is responsible for completing fiber or data cable needs from Tenant space to MAC telecommunications room.
    5. The Tenant must use MAC-approved low-voltage vendors when in a MAC telecommunications room for connections and work.
    6. The Tenant shall be required to furnish and install telephone cabling in conduit from the Tenant premises to the telephone backboard.
    7. The Tenant shall be required to coordinate the connection at the terminal backboard with the Owner’s representative and Service Provider. Exact contact information to be coordinated with MAC IT.
    8. No roof-mounted antennas are allowed. If Tenant requires connection to DIRECTV, MAC has a shared antenna system. Coordinate with MAC IT to set up connection and contracts.
  7. Fire Alarm System
    1. The MAC requires fire alarm system connections compatible with the Owner’s existing Honeywell system. Verify existing system details with the Owner. The following are general requirements to be reviewed with, and approved by, the Owner during the design phase.
      1. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​See the MAC Design and Construction Standards Technical Criteria Section for Fire Alarm Systems (28 30 00) for tenant fire alarm system requirements.
      2. Submit Engineer’s design drawings for fire alarm system to the MAC Consulting Engineer and MAC Fire Marshal for review and approval.
      3. A fire alarm system connection available at or near the Tenant’s premises.
      4. Installed fire alarm detection devices connected to the Owner’s system are required to be compatible with the Owner’s fire alarm system and shall be the make and model number specified by the Owner’s representative.
      5. All conduit, wiring and devices in the Tenant space is the responsibility of the Tenant.
      6. Connection is required to flow and tamper switches within the Tenant space.
      7. Tenant’s HVAC system duct detectors (over 2000 cfm) to shut down the system motors and alarm the fire alarm system.
      8. Smoke detectors are required. They shall be addressable.
      9. Coordinate device installation work with the MAC’s representative and coordinate all testing and final adjustments.
      10. See the MAC Design and Construction Standards Technical Criterial Section for Fire Alarm Systems (28 30 00) for wiring requirements.
  8. Lightning Protection Systems
    1. In areas where an existing lightning protection system is installed, any new roof mounted equipment installed by the Tenant shall have protective equipment installed to meet UL96A requirements.  Bond to the existing lightning protection system.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​