What do you understand by the additional dimensions which are added on BIM models?

Do you want to understand the growth and progress which has been made by BuildingInformation Modeling in the last one and a half decade?  The journey of BIM has been full of innovations and revolutions since the time it got introduced to Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry as over the years experts have been successful in finding and adding new dimensions to them.  In the beginning when architects, engineers and contractors realized that BIM can be utilized by them for efficient execution of construction projects, they actually did not know that it can be so much helpful for them. Though they had an idea that BIM is going to prove important for them but they did not know that it will completely revolutionize the methodologies which had been used so far for carrying out construction.

BIM has a huge impact on the way design and construction professionals used to create architectural, structural and MEP design in preconstruction phase. Earlier huge efforts were required from the side of architects, engineers and drafters during design documentation as they had to develop handmade 2D technical drawings for representing different parts of architectural, structural and MEP design.  In the absence of sophisticated digital tools, tools such as paper and pencil along with instruments such as compass and protractor used to be optimized for developing technical drawings by drafters earlier.

The uses of Building Information Modeling by architects, engineers and technicians for representing building design through a model-based design approach is effectively embraced by the industry since it has many important advantages for all those involved in building process.

Drawings which used to be developed earlier could only speak about the design of the building and were unable to represent other important information that is required by design and construction professionals.  BIM models containing 4D, 5D and 6D in them which are individually developed for architecture, structure and MEP can provide comprehensive information on design, construction, accurate materials and quantity takeoffs etc. This information is important for gaining better outcomes from the project. 

Benefits of Tekla Structure for structural engineers and steel detailers!

Tekla Structure is really a dream software product for structural engineers and detailers who have to come up with extraordinary solutions for problems associated to structural design. This software solution is not that old in Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry but it has already attracted a huge attention from both design and construction professionals and clients. It is basically utilized by structural design team for the generating accurate design for structural framework.  This software solution is also highly indispensable for structural detailers who hold the responsibility of creating high-end fabrication drawings and erection drawings.

The end users of fabrication drawings are fabricators or manufacturers who are directly responsible for fabricating structural components which are ultimately used by AEC professionals for developing structural framework. However, the end users of erection drawings are structural erectors who have to assemble different structural components for the ultimate erection of structural framework in the location.

With the assistance of Tekla Structure design and construction professionals can effectively develop the entire structural framework in digital form. That means instead of directly constructing the structure at the actual location Architecture, Engineering and Construction professionals prefer to develop its digital model in Tekla Structure so that they can effectively determine the hardships which can be faced by them during the final construction.

Identification of design errors become easy for structural engineers with the support of 3D model that is developed in Tekla Structure. Structural engineers can also generate an analytical model which is quite different from the physical model of the structure as it contains only that information which is important for structural analysis. That means information which is required for structural analysis is comprehensively accommodated in analytical models. All the load related complications are analyzed by structural engineers during structural analysis process.

So before structural engineers start the final construction they should be having detailed structural drawings and 3D model with them. So the structural design services which are executed with the assistance of Tekla structure remain highly crucial for structural engineers when it comes to constructing strong structures. 

What method is adopted by outsourcing companies for accomplishing 3D structural modeling projects?

The companies which outsource architectural and engineering solutions to clients use a very systematic approach for the execution of Building Information Modeling services. Today outsourcing companies are executing BIM modeling services in large numbers which are rightly the major source of revenue generation for them. In other words due to the extensive demand for BIM services in the market, AEC firms are generating a large part of their revenue from them. When it comes to the executions of 3D structural modeling services which are quite essential for the successful development of structure, general contractors have to approach a structural engineering company which consists of competent team of 3D modelers, experienced structural engineers who sometimes work as project manager and detailers etc. 

The fact remains that 3D structural modeling services are wholeheartedly executed by BIM modelers in the guidance of experienced structural engineers, hence clients must find such a outsourcing company which whose staff is highly experienced and trained. When a good service providing partner is identified by clients they can send a project enquiry about the execution of 3D structural modeling services. The project enquiries are generally accessed by operations team of the service providing company who then share it with the technical team after which the senior structural engineer verifies it. If the technical team feels that 3D structural modeling project can be easily executed by them the company gets back to the clients and asks them to send the specifications. All the required specifications which are needed for the development of 3D structural model are immediately provided to the company by clients. The clients clearly mention in the specifications what kinds of details are required to be modeled by them in the model. By using required instructions, specifications and structural plans etc, which are sent by clients BIM technicians develop 3D structural model in Revit Structure. The structural model developed by modelers is strictly reviewed by structural engineers before it is delivered to the clients. Any kinds of mistakes identified by structural engineer in the model are effectively sorted out before dispatching it to clients.

A detailed description of structural drawings

For the development of structural framework of the building the first thing which is required by design and construction professionals are structural drawings. For the effective development of structural framework of the building engineering solutions such as structural drafting services, structural steel detailing, rebar detailing, precast detailing and structural design services such as structural modeling and analysis are tremendously important. But structural drafting and detailing are the primary requirement when it comes to the development of highly strong structure.

Enormous different types of structural drawings are generated by design and construction professionals during preconstruction which include structural connection drawings, chimney drawings, structural shop/fabrication drawings and erection drawings etc. All these drawings are generated by trained drafters with the close cooperation of structural engineers who keep on supervising them throughout the structural drafting process. Other important and highly technical drawings which are also developed during structural drafting include roof, truss and joint drawings and foundation plan drawings etc.  The role of structural drafters and detailers cannot be ignored by architects, engineers, contractors and fabricators etc when it comes to the design and construction of structural framework. When it comes to the significance of structural detailers they are solely answerable for the detailed development of fabrication drawings, erection drawings detailed technical plans and reports etc.

All kinds of structural drawings either they are developed by drafters or detailers they must be reviewed, examined and approved by structural engineers before they are finally optimized by design and construction professionals for the actual development of structural framework.

Among all the above mentioned structural drawings fabrication drawings and erection drawings must be developed with extreme precision because they are optimized by design and construction professionals for highly serious purposes which include manufacturing of structural parts and their eventual installation. Quality of those drawings can never ever be compromised which are utilized by fabricators for manufacturing steel components since it can affect the entire project very negatively. Hence drawings created for the optimization of manufacturers and steel erectors must be reviewed with high attention by structural services engineers so that no complications are confronted by them. 

Acquire information on design, construction, scheduling and materials from 3D models

Acceptance of Building Information Modeling or BIM by global Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry have tremendously reduced the problems of architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers, contractors and building owners as the BIM models developed for the construction projects can provide huge information to them. Appropriate parameters and accurate dimensions are used by design and construction professionals for developing highly information rich 3D parametric models for architecture, structure and MEP in Revit. For developing architectural and structural models Revit Architecture and Revit Structure are respectively utilized by AEC professionals, whereas when it comes to the development of 3D parametric models for MEP systems they make use of Revit MEP.

All these Revit disciplines incorporate vigorous and constructive BIM modeling tools which allow architects and engineers to generate immensely accurate 3D parametric models which are utilized by them throughout the building process. When design and construction professionals do not want anything else apart from design information 3D architectural, structural and MEP models are the most promising source of design data to them. On the other hand when they would like to obtain information associated to construction, time, money, scheduling, materials, and quantity takeoffs etc they have to execute 4D, 5D and 6D BIM modeling services. When new dimensions such as time, cost and sustainability etc are added to 3D parametric model, design and construction professionals can acquire meticulous information on construction, scheduling, quantity takeoffs, time and cost of the project and bill of materials etc.

If the above mentioned information is received in an error-free manner by architects and engineers it becomes sufficient for them when it comes to predicting the outcomes. Since the project has only been developed in a virtual environment so far, the outcomes predicted by design and construction professionals can be effectively governed or controlled by them. The building design developed by them in the virtual world can be successfully altered for obtaining productive outcomes. Error-free construction schedules created by key building professionals are essential for maintaining efficiency when the building is finally developed in the actual location.

Structural design services ensures stability against loads

Structural design is the process of designing effective and innovative structures for any building. Structural design is an important structural engineering activity wherein a structure’s load handling capacities are effectively dealt or evaluated by using engineering mechanics. Structure is developed for resisting all kinds of loads that are thrust upon a building which may include load from its own components or external loads which can be imposed on it by natural forces such as earthquake and high speed winds etc. That means load resistance is an important characteristic of an effective structure and hence when it comes to its design development structural engineers have to apply strong engineering principles for tackling load related technicalities.

Structural design services is a process wherein various sub-processes are involved which are accountable for providing individual engineering solutions to a variety of structural engineering problems. First of all structural engineer develops a design, which is effectively represented in papers through structural drafting and detailing process, wherein detailed drawings are developed. Structural drafting and detailing is carried out by experienced drafters and detailers who have tremendous knowledge of drafting software. Detailed drawings developed during structural detailing are used for fabrication of steel components and for assembling the structure. Fabrication drawings are specially developed by detailers for the utilization of fabricators who manufacture structural elements (such as columns, beams, trusses and joists etc.) by viewing details from these drawings. In the absence of fabrication drawings which are also called as structural shop drawings, fabricators cannot manufacture structural components as no other document contains such huge details about individual structural components. These drawings are effectively checked by engineers before their information can be used by fabricators. After structural drafting and detailing, modeling process begins, wherein the structural design is developed in 3D, which provides enormous clarity about it. Design pitfalls are effectively identified by modelers and structural engineers by during structural modeling. After structural modeling process, clashes are also identified by structural design team by performing clash detection services. During clash detection structural elements are checked for collisions against the elements of other disciplines.

Apart from that structural analysis is also performed wherein design capacity in terms of its load resistance is effectively checked, after which strong structures are successfully developed.