Engineering with a Fabrication database in revit Vdc Tdindustries - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Engineering with a Fabrication database in revit

Craig chappell

Vdc technology specialist

Tdindustries

Main objectives

• Class Description
• This class will focus on efforts to utilize a Fabrication Database in Revit for
• Engineering. With an effort to vertically align Engineering, Estimating, VDC and

Manufacturing on a common platform, it was important to utilize the same common database. It was necessary to determine the hurdles involved in adapting Engineering workflows to use Fabrication parts and how we were able to resolve them. This class is not meant to be a definitive explanation of the right methods, but a look at how it has been accomplished. Therefore, time will be allotted for open discussion.

• Course Objectives
• Learn how to use Fabrication Parts during design.
• Explore best practices to add value for Engineering, Estimating and VDC.

VDC Technology Specialist at TDIndustries, Inc. - 2016

TDIndustries delivers a comprehensive approach to mechanical service, maintenance, operations and construction. Originally founded in 1946, TD provides innovative facilities services that optimize the performance of world- class mechanical systems in multiple industries.

Adjunct Faculty at Collin College

Computer Aided Drafting and Design – 2018 to current

Adjunct Faculty at Kansas State University

Architectural Construction Science Department - 2013 to 2016

14 years of experience in AEC industry

Mechanical design, Project Management, Teaching & Research & Development 5 years as a 3rd Assistant Engineer on US Flagged Cargo Ships. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy - Class of 2001 Over 900 Days at sea.

What about me?

What about me?

• Engineers
• Consulting Firm
• Contractors
• Contractors
• Pre-Construction
• Construction
• Architects

What about me?

What about you?

• Revit Experience
• CADmep Experience
• Revit+Fabrication?

• Test Design Build workflows working jointly

with Engineering, VDC, Estimating and Manufacturing

• Gain Knowledge of Fabrication in Revit
• Work with a common Fabrication Database.

What is the why?

• Can we develop an efficient workflow for a

Design Build project using one Revit model that can facilitate Engineering design workflows as well as VDC Coordination and Shop Fabrication scope?

The ask

• Design Build vs. Plan & Spec
• When to convert (if at all)
• Revit Families vs. Fabrication ITMs
• Permit Set & Coordination Scopes
• Design Workflows
• Visibility Graphics
• Annotations
• Deadlines and Responsibilities

What are some of the potential impacts?

• Families – Modeled content that is native to

Revit

• ITMs – Modeled content that is native to
• Fabrication. May also be referred to as

Fabrication Parts.

• VDC Coordinator – Trade specialist focused on

producing clash free shop drawings for

• construction. May also be referred to as a

Detailer.

definitions

• The nature of this project being a Design

Build gave us the ability to work together across departments from Engineering, VDC as well as Estimating.

• Engineering was able to leverage the

expertise of our Partners in Estimating and VDC to provide feedback on construction layout and cost.

Design build

• The final goal is to provide coordinated

fabrication items in Revit to our shop.

• Through that process we needed to develop

Engineering drawings for permit.

• This meant that we were going to need to

either start initially in parts or convert at some point.

When to convert?

• Starting in parts was not ideal because our

Engineering Partners did not have strong experience with Fabrication ITMs overall.

• ITMs do not carry flow information that is

used in our design workflows with Families.

• This made it undesirable to create

fabrication initially.

When to convert?

• There is not a lot of known information in the

project at the Schematic Design phase.

• Many systems and specifications are still

being discussed.

• Not much is modeled to this point, so a

conversion would not be ideal.

When to convert?

• A lot of work goes into creating final Permit

set drawings with regards to annotations and documentation.

• Converting after the Permit set would cause

all that annotation work to be lost.

When to convert?

• It was determined to model with Revit Families through

the DD phase and then begin to convert over to Fabrication ITMs any Sheetmetal, Piping or Plumbing

• After the DD set was issued, VDC Coordinators began

supporting the Engineering teams and provided guidance on conversion and some coordination.

• It was not necessary to fully coordinate the systems

yet, which was a little out of character for our VDC Partners.

When to convert?

• VDC support after DD Set issue.
• As Design layouts began to be more

formalized, the routing was also being coordinated with other trades as best as possible.

• Not necessarily fully coordinated.
• “Pencils Down!”

Permit set vs coordination progress

• Most Engineering Partners were comfortable

working in Revit, but new to Fabrication.

• The VDC Partners were comfortable utilizing

a Fabrication database, but new to the canvas of Revit.

• The team worked jointly to mentor each
• ther.

Peer to peer mentoring

• The Engineering team was divided into four

groups to represent Sheetmetal, Mechanical Piping, Plumbing and Model Management.

• This aligned with our VDC Partners.

responsibilities

• A company wide database is managed by a

team and its use was introduced into the Revit model.

• This common platform is working towards

developing modeled content that can be used by Engineering, Estimating, Coordination and ultimately Manufacturing.

Common master database

• System color

standards between Engineering and VDC.

• Engineering adopted

VDC color settings.

Cad standards

• Model Categories
• Revit System Colors
• Service Filters
• Visual Style

Visibility graphics

• Line Weights – View Discipline Setting

Visibility graphics

• View Discipline

Settings – Plumbing vs Coordination

Visibility graphics

• Rise / Drop

Symbology

Visibility graphics

• Loss of Flow in Revit

Families when Converting.

Modeling standards

• Mechanical Settings for

Angles of Duct and Pipe.

Modeling standards

• Some ITMs that work fine in CADmep caused problems

in Revit and had to be addressed.

• The direction that a Revit Family of Duct or

Pipe is modeled determines the orientation for an ITM when converted.

• Slope does not affect this issue.
• The Family can be flipped, but the converted

ITM will revert back to the original

• rientation.

Modeling standards

• Families and ITMs are different model

categories and Tags will remain when the associated Family is converted.

• The Labels for the Tags had to be

recreated, since the Tag cannot simply change category assignment.

Annotations

• Engineering and VDC have

different standards for Font and text size. We worked together to find common ground in visual standards that support both groups.

Cad standards

• Verify that Fabrication ITMs

are modeled correctly for use to the shop.

Conversion tips

• Example, Sheetmetal reducer needs to have

values represented in the ITM. It is possible to model an ITM and not have the properties represent that for CAM.

• Button Mapping developed
• Direction of Flow
• Bad Angles
• Concentric vs Eccentric
• Inline fittings

Conversion tips - hurdles

• Converting major components
• Route and Fill
• Multi-point Routing

Conversion tips – what to convert

• Ultimate Goals
• Impacts on Engineering Design
• Changes in Modeling Standards
• Solutions to using ITMs in Revit

Key take-aways

Questions? comments!

Thank you for attending our class!

Please fill out the survey for this session in the app. Go to “My Schedule” Select this session Scroll down to “Session Survey”

Craig Chappell VDC Technology Specialist craig.chappell@tdindustries.com @MoDyBIM