MEP INNOVATION LAB
Independent research for the trades, commissioned by and produced with industry associations — separate from Steel Toe's consulting work by design.
Associations commission research from a research body, not from a vendor who also sells them consulting. That's the reason MEP Innovation Lab exists as its own name: so the research can be judged on its own terms.
The work itself stays close to the field
rather than the spec sheet
Field testing
Testing tools and technology against real construction workflows, not vendor claims or marketing.
commissioned studies
Commissioned research projects with association research arms — one to two published a year.
survey + Benchmark reporting
Industry survey and benchmark reporting, often built from live polling at the sessions where the questions first come up.
PUBLISHED RESEARCH
ELECTRI International
Advancing Electrical Service and Maintenance Practices in Alignment with NFPA 70B and NFPA 70E
A research project examining how electrical contractors align service and maintenance practices with current NFPA 70B and 70E standards.
MCAA
Successful VDC Management Flowchart
A process map for applying virtual design and construction consistently across the project lifecycle, from pre-construction through closeout.
MCAA / NECA / SMACNA, sponsored by Bluebeam
2026 MEP Innovation Report
What contractors told us at the MEP Innovation Conference — a benchmark look at where technology adoption stands across the specialty trades right now.
MCAA — Construction Technology Research Series
2021 3D Scanning Technology Research Report
A look at how 3D scanning and reality capture are being adopted across mechanical contracting, and where the technology is delivering value on real jobs.
LET’S TALK
Whether you're an association looking for aresearch partner, a contractor trying tofix something that's been broken for years,or a software team that needs someonewho understands construction.Start with a conversation, not a form.