TrueCADDComplex architectural projects with demanding geometry and custom solutions require BIM and Revit reinforced processes and tools. Fast-paced projects with lower time allocation cannot rely on traditional 2D drawings for quality and speed.
A visual 3D structural model, a complete set of drawings, precise scheduling, material and cost estimation enable quick decision-making. Using BIM technology, driven by Revit, promotes modern precast concrete detailing through a single source of truth for the entire project lifecycle.
Precast concrete is a practical and efficient technique to drive concrete construction with the required aesthetics at low costs. With any form or size, these products can be fabricated at an offsite location. This process improves project schedules, mitigates site disruption, diminishes safety issues and improves productivity.
Based on a report by Reports and Data, the precast concrete market size will reach $168.17 billion by 2026.
Challenges faced with legacy methods of detailing
Large-scale projects face various types of challenge for architectural designing and detailing, structural analysis, production, site organization, logistics, etc. Substandard structural engineering can impact the durability and safety of buildings, including structural compatibility during the building lifecycle.
Structural optimization and sustainability are highly impeded with the following challenges:
1. Lack of visualization in the pre-construction stage to create accurate 2D documentation leads to rework, project delays, and cost overruns.
2. Inaccurate estimation of concrete volume, metal quantities per structure, and other elements.
3. Large work volumes and tight deadlines including higher numbers of project teams, design changes, and labor division.
4. Incorrect dimensions of precast elements based on higher human intervention through CAD-based drawings.
5. Inability to identify clashes early in the pre-construction stage leads to onsite ambiguities and project delays.
6. Unaccountability of bearing capacity for concrete precast detailing leads to poor planning and schedule delays .
7. Non-synchronized project documentation such as precast mounting plans or scaffolding plans provoke inefficient onsite coordination and control.
To overcome these challenges, structural engineers and precast engineers must latch onto precast concrete detailing or avail precast detailing services, supported with BIM and Revit.
Mentioned below are best practices to 3D model a concrete frame for accurate spatial coordination and calculations.
Top Benefits of Detailing Precast Concrete Structures in Revit
1. Better visualization with 3D Revit models about precast concrete components connections
A 3D structural model coordinated with architectural and MEP disciplines provides accurate and detailed visualization of precast components. With enhanced visualization, stakeholders can view minutest of details and create production data for reinforcement cutting and bending machinery. A clash-free 3D Revit model at high LOD supports the creation of bar bending schedules, rebar detailing, and data extraction with detailed concrete designs.
A precast manufacturing company in India needed Revit BIM modeling and Rebar modeling services for an office building project. The team at TrueCADD created a coordinated and clash-free 3D model at LOD 450 with Rebar and bar bending schedules within a short time duration.
Architecture and MEP models were integrated into the structural model to create a single coordinated Revit model. The coordinated Revit structure model with complete sheet setup and precise documentation helped the client save project costs and time.
2. Drawing of components and integrating them into new design variations reduces rework
Precast modeling and detailing reinforced with automation and Revit families promote higher design iterations. BIM allows drawing of various components such as precast panels, columns beams and integrating them into new design variations with minimal iterations. Precast components visualized in the preconstruction stage drives accurate precast component manufacturing to reduce rework, save time, and lower material waste.
3. Produce inter-disciplinary clash-detection reports so that all services are aligned
Coordinated and clash-free 3D modeling encourages structural coordination as well as extraction of technical specification. BIM provides interdisciplinary coordination between architectural, structural and MEP disciplines at the pre-construction stage. This ensures early identification and resolution of clashes. Precise connection details, shop drawings with BBS, and rebar modeling through clash-free 3D models ensure all services are aligned for fabrication and installation.
4. Ensure every stakeholder is on the same page through a single source of truth
A single source of truth based on a 3D BIM precast model encourages improved detailing. Multiple trades such as architectural, structural, and MEP can access data from a coordinated and interference-free 3D Revit model. An information-packed 3D model with full sheet setup and complete documentation based on collaboration promotes cost-effective deliverables and outcomes.
5. Build a cloud-based paperless workflow that can be accessed by anyone
A cloud-based paperless process through platforms like 360 promotes safe storage and access to precast 3D models and documentation. Digital precast deliverables stored on a single repository ensures centralized data usage. Remote access to precast data for fabricators and onsite personnel drives quick and improved decision-making for seamless construction.
Conclusion
3D BIM modeling using Revit to detail precast concrete structures drives quick and improved quality in comparison to conventional 2D detailing. Switching from 2D to 3D for a quick and efficient precast detailing experience is on the rise.
Precast detailing firms or structural engineers tend to have a competitive advantage while adopting Revit-based techniques to detail precast structures. The application of Revit streamlines the information flow for quick decision-making to produce, transport, store, and assemble precast elements.
About Author:
Harika Singh is an academician and published writer. Her passion for engineering and technology reflects in the in-depth coverage she provides on technology trends. 20 years of work association with institutes of repute across India and the US positions her to provide valuable insights to business stakeholders on achieving scalability and operational efficiencies through digitalization.
Integrating Dynamo with Revit enables customization and streamlining of existing BIM workflows and processes, saving hours of labor with repetitive tasks.
Construction companies work on tight deadlines and defined budgets. Often, a lot of time and effort is spent on time-consuming and tiresome repetitive tasks which may also be prone to manual errors. BIM automation tools like Revit Dynamo automate repetitive tasks, manage data, and generate complex geometry to reduce manual tasks, and gain precise deliverables in a short turnaround time.
Dynamo is a Revit API and visual scripting tool that gives users the possibility to automate a chain of commands in Revit that might otherwise be extremely time-consuming. With Dynamo’s open-source visual programming language, users can type lines of code for creating algorithms with nodes.
In this blog, we discuss the challenges faced by stakeholders without automation and how Revit Dynamo can overcome these challenges and save time.
Activities such as viewing set-ups, sheet set-ups, adding parameters from data files, etc. are extremely time-consuming. Here are some challenges faced by companies without automation:
• Time-consuming manual repetitive tasks take up a lot of time and effort
• Manual work may be error-prone while transferring data manually from Excel or other databases
• Delayed design decisions due to lack of visualization or better project clarity
• Inconsistent results to solve computation problems with intuitions and creativity
Adopting Dynamo with Revit for daily workflow can help you complete tasks in just a matter of a few minutes. With the benefit of visual programming in Dynamo, one can connect nodes and use simple logic to ease time-consuming Revit tasks. Dynamo can enhance design efficiencies by using an intuitive interface and an easily available number of pre-made scripting libraries.
Dynamo can also be connected with various Revit elements to define custom algorithms with consistent relationships and sequences. The algorithms can be used with minimal programming code for many applications like data processing, geometry generation, etc.
Here are some of the areas where Dynamo integrated Revit workflow reduces productivity time:
Many repetitive and time-consuming tasks in Autodesk Revit are made easy through the Dynamo user interface. Dynamo can also create error-free sheets directly from the views in the model or Excel file, reducing workflow time from hours to seconds. Some of such tasks could be batch insert families, adding a revision to multiple sheets, changing text case, etc.
Hitech CADD Services created 100,000 residential BIM models for European Social Housing Corporation. They used Dynamo to retrieve data from the BIM model to their online portal.
The use of automation enabled the client to maintain 100% accuracy, 50% time-saving, and 18% cost-saving in the workflow. READ THE COMPLETE CASE STUDY >>
Revit has limitations in data-specific tasks like merging data from various file formats as well as being able to calculate specific values.
Dynamo has made this process easy by enabling a dual-link between Excel and the Revit model. By creating a script to export data to Excel one can make modifications as required in the Excel. Another Dynamo script then transfers that modified data back to the Revit model. This data may be used by users to generate a project-specific dashboard as required.
Dynamo clearly defines generative design rules. It delivers the possibilities of many options by encoding rules in a computing framework.
By encoding a standardized design into a Dynamo visual script, one can generate various options easily as per specific criteria in no time. Automating such mundane tasks through Dynamo can give designers more time to focus on designing the critical parts of a building.
Dynamo enables processes or workflows to be encoded by using actual computational workflow instead of relying on the intuitions and creativity of designers. Using Dynamo-based computing, each process transforms into a series of step-wise instructions for easier revisions and evaluation.
The problems are easier to solve with a step-by-step process and considering inputs and outputs in the process.
Integrating Dynamo with BIM reduces production time, speeds up repetitive project tasks, and improves coordination and collaboration. Dynamo also validates designs by automating analyses and creating efficient designs in lesser time as compared to other software.
Revit Dynamo is increasingly being adopted by architectural and engineering firms to accelerate their workflows and processes and save cost and time.
Harika Singh is an academician and published writer. Her passion for engineering and technology reflects in the in-depth coverage she provides on technology trends. 20 years of work association with institutes of repute across India and the US positions her to provide valuable insights to business stakeholders on achieving scalability and operational efficiencies through digitalization.
One of the leading construction companies in Muscat needed a clash-free/ coordinated MEP model for an international airport project within a short time frame. They hired Hitech BIM Services and the BIM team delivered BIM clash detection for the airport resulting in saving of time during the final construction and a smooth and seamless MEP component installation- all within the required time frame.
Check out our projects and to outsource your BIM requirements contact us at info@hitechbimservices.com
The evolution of 4D modeling has offered a sigh of relief to construction stakeholders. The implementation, however, is not the one without challenges. You may just be a handful of right implementation steps away, but it can amount to a huge magnitude of cost.
How to best implement 4D BIM for construction schedule?
A strategic approach to 4D BIM implementation truly allows optimized construction scheduling.
Here is a quick insight into the most crucial tips that will allow you to implement such a strategically successful workflow:
- Schedule a kickoff meeting to rightly assign roles and responsibilities, set coordinated workflows, and completely collect the entire 3D model baseline information.
- Evaluate the 3D models against accuracy parameters and drive a continuous improvement process, taking the models through the improvement loop.
- Enrich the 3D models with accurate construction schedules by creating interconnectivity amongst important project components.
- Leverage lean tools to optimize workspace usage by the equipment so that spatiotemporal conflicts do not occur and on-site safety practices are followed.
- Adopt a dynamic scheduling approach that allows you to ensure the highest success with respect to achieving the desired objectives.
Importance of 4D BIM scheduling
- By adding “time” as the fourth dimension, 4D BIM enhances simulation that reduces inconsistencies for stakeholders.
- It tremendously optimizes construction sequences and streamlines the schedules.
- Stakeholders are assured of completing tasks within deadlines, which significantly shortens the project duration.
- Optimized resources create an opportunity for savings.
- Issues are prevented from escalating down the project lifecycle.
Conclusion
Being a path-breaker in construction design and modeling, 4D BIM has been offering a renewed character to the building construction approach. However, a well-guided approach to 4D BIM’s implementation only allows realizing its true potential and optimizing cost and time through its application.
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