Customer Q&A: Garden railings come to life with Autodesk Advance Steel

Steve Donohoe is a freelance steelwork and cladding designer based in North East Scotland.  His company specialises in design & detailing of structural steelwork, architectural steelwork and cladding for the commercial, agricultural, domestic and Oil & Gas industries.

Steve recently used Advance Steel to model new railings for a renovation project, and took some time out of his busy schedule to speak with us.

Q. How did you ensure that the exact site dimensions were taken into consideration for your renovation project?

Site surveys are often tricky, especially for old structures that are not often square / level / plumb.  For this survey, I used a Total Station in reflectorless EDM mode, and with this I was able shoot the exact position of all relevant existing posts, openings and walls.  This survey data was then exported in DXF format as a series on reference points.  Using these points, I was able to build a 3D model of the existing structure in Advance Steel.

Q. Why did you use Advance Steel to build the 3D model of the new railings?

As a freelance designer, I need software that can adapt to any type of project and I have found Advance Steel an extremely versatile tool.  The projects I work on range from agricultural buildings to stairs, ramps, lifting beams, walkways and even steelwork for offshore oil and gas.  The Advance Steel macros are very powerful and can assist in modeling all types of projects quickly and accurately.  A good example would be the stair & railing macros. With these you can easily model almost any type of stair & railing, and you can even save these to your library for use in future projects which can be a great timesaver.

For these railings I chose not use the macro, instead I modeled the posts to suit my survey and then drew an AutoCAD line between these.  I then used the AutoCAD ‘divide’ command on this line to split it into equal segments and this gave me a reference point to insert each baluster and railtop.  I really like the way Advance Steel does not tie you into a specific way of working and you can mix and match AutoCAD commands to suit how you want to do the job.

Q: Were you able to easily insert 3D BIM objects from product libraries?

For the urns and railtops the supplier was not able to provide 3D DWG files, but I was easily able to model these using traditional AutoCAD tools.  These were then inserted into Advance Steel as a ‘special part’.  Advance Steel treats these like any other object and will pull them through to all fabrication drawings and include them in BOM’s.  I have found this a very useful tool especially for architectural metalwork projects, when a similar workflow can be used to add glass clamps, brackets, special balusters and the like.

Q. Would you recommend a model-based delivery project to help meet expectations for delivering fabrication drawings and other assets?

Most fabricators are familiar with intelligent 3D models as they have been using these for many years for buildings, although many have not yet adapted the same approach for architectural metalwork such as stairs & handrails.  These items are often made by a skilled fabricator, who has the experience to work out exactly where everything should be and how it should join together, coupled with a full trial assembly in the workshop.

Feedback from my customers has been very good so far and some have even have been able to cut out the trial assembly altogether for stairs & handrails.  Others have commented that having a full set of fabrication drawings allows them to put their less experienced fabricators onto the job and still be sure that it will fit correctly.

Nice work, Steve!

If you’d like to share your structural design, detailing, or fabrication project on BIM and Beam, please contact us and tell us about your project or tweet a photo directly to our account @AdvanceSteel or use the hashtag #AdvanceSteel.

For more from our customers on using Advance Steel check out these customer stories below:

• Coastal Library Rides the BIM Wave
• ‘Unbelievable Speed’: Fabricator Slashes Time with Autodesk Advance Steel Detailing Software

Learn more here about the features in Advance Steel’s latest release.

 

from my Autodesk source Bim & Beam: BIM and Beam at http://blogs.autodesk.com/bim-and-beam/2017/03/27/customer-qa-garden-railings-come-to-life-with-autodesk-advance-steel/
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SPLITTING TENSILE STRENGTH TEST OF CONCRETE (IS-516)

Determine Splitting Tensile Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens Objective: This method covers the determination of the splitting tensile strength of cylindrical concrete specimens Reference: IS: 516 – 1959, IS: 1199-1959, SP: 23-1982, IS: 10086-1982 Theory: Age at Test – Tests shall be made at recognized ages of the test specimens, the most usual being 7 […]

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HOW BEAM COLUMN JOINTS RESISTS EARTHQUAKES?

Why Beam-Column Joints are Special In RC buildings, portions of columns that are common to beams at their intersections are called beam-column joints (Figure 1). Since their constituent materials have limited strengths, the joints have limited force carrying capacity. When forces larger than these are applied during earthquakes, joints are severely damaged. Repairing damaged joints […]

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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLASTERING & POINTING

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Autodesk Previews Enhancements for Advance Steel and Steel Connections for Revit at NASCC 2017

Autodesk Revit and Advance Steel better connect structural design and fabrication

Since acquiring Advance Steel in 2013, Autodesk continues to work towards better support for BIM-centric workflows for structural steel design and detailing. For instance, we have been working to strengthen the interoperability between Autodesk Revit design software and Autodesk Advance Steel software. In advance of tomorrow’s opening day of the NASCC conference, we’re happy to announce that the forthcoming Advance Steel 2018 release next month will now offer seamless consumption of LOD 350* Revit models.

This exciting news means that engineers can deliver more accurate designs and bills of materials to the detailer and fabricator. And for the detailer, it means they can more quickly respond to design changes while delivering the files needed to drive steel fabrication. This interoperability will help steel detailers and fabricators take full advantage of the steel design model—a notable benefit for the industry.

What’s more, the Autodesk’s Steel Connections for Revit 2018 release will include several major updates including over 130 parametric steel connections! These connections may be transferred to the Revit model to help improve design coordination between engineers and fabricators. The update will also have custom made framing Revit families for custom sections—a major feature that current users have been asking for—and the ability to transfer code check for customized parameters.

Figure 1: Steel Connections for Revit 2018 now includes over 130 parametric steel connections that may be transferred to the Revit model to help improve design coordination between engineers and fabricators. Image courtesy of Autodesk.

This improved BIM-centric functionality will help structural engineers, steel detailers, and fabricators work more collaboratively within a common BIM-based environment. Customers across the globe are already reaping the benefits supported by this functionality. Recently, TSI Structures, a fabricator in the UK, used Advance Steel along with the engineer’s Revit model to help reduce their project schedule by 20%. Learn more.

“Autodesk has been at the forefront of driving BIM into the design and construction industries. We believe detailing and fabrication is a crucial component in bridging information from designers to the construction site,” said Nicolas Mangon, vice president for AEC business strategy at Autodesk. “With this new product release, we’re delighted to further drive change and efficiency into the AEC industry by extending the benefits of integrated BIM to detailers and fabricators; thereby connecting the building lifecycle from design to construction with a seamless flow of information.”

Improved ease of use to help streamline the user experience

​This year’s release includes several enhancements designed to improve usability. For instance, Advance Steel 2018 has been fully integrated into the AutoCAD platform so users will now have one simple installation and one licensing mechanism for their software. In addition, settings from one version of Advance Steel to the next can now be easily transferred with one simple interface to help users spend less time moving to a new version.

Figure 2: Settings from one version of Advance Steel can now be easily transferred with one simple interface to help users spend less time moving to a new version. Image courtesy of Autodesk.

Better control over detailing output

Advance Steel 2018 also includes updates that allow users to better control documentation and customized model information. These new features include:

• Model views combined with cameras help to simplify the process of creating general arrangement drawings.
• Customized model information in DWG™ to communicate more effectively your designs to other stakeholders.
• Blow-up Details – Callouts to help users save time on drawing creation.

Figure 3: Blow-up Details – Callouts to help users save time on drawing creation.

Figure 4: Blow-up Details – Callouts to help users save time on drawing creation

Autodesk now makes it easy to invest in its BIM to Fabrication offerings

To make things easier for steel construction professionals as they embrace new processes and technologies for BIM to fabrication workflows, Autodesk has packaged the powerful software tools needed to support steel projects in the Autodesk industry collection for architecture, engineering and construction such as Autodesk Revit and Autodesk Navisworks Manage software. When paired with Advance Steel, project teams now have access to a powerful set of BIM-based tools that support the entire steel project lifecycle from design to detailing to fabrication.

In addition, Autodesk has made subscribing to the industry collection and Advance Steel more affordable and flexible.

Availability

Autodesk Advance Steel 2018 is expected to be available starting on April 1, 2017. For pricing and availability information click here. Autodesk Steel Connections for Revit 2018 is expected to be available starting April 14, 2017.

See how Autodesk products support connecting design and fabrication.

Learn more about the industry collection for architecture, engineering and construction, and what it means for structural professionals in this blog post or watch this video.

*The Level of Development (LOD) Specification is a reference that enables practitioners in the AEC Industry to specify and articulate with a high level of clarity the content and reliability of Building Information Models (BIMs) at various stages in the design and construction process. For LOD350 the Model Element is graphically represented within the Model as a specific system, object, or assembly in terms of quantity, size, shape, orientation, and interfaces with other building systems. Non-graphic information may also be attached to the Model Element.

from my Autodesk source Bim & Beam: BIM and Beam at http://blogs.autodesk.com/bim-and-beam/2017/03/21/advance-steel-and-steel-connections-for-revit-at-nascc-2017/
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8 COMMON TYPES OF PLASTICS USED IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

THE COMMON TYPES OF PLASTIC Different types of plastics that are used in construction industry are described below. 1. Polyethylene Plastic (PE) Polyethylene plastic is made from the polymerized vinyl monomers. Monomer is a kind of simple compound, which can be polymerized to become macromolecular compound. Three ways are used to polymerize the monomer: high-pressure […]

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from my Autodesk source Bim & Beam: BIM and Beam at http://blogs.autodesk.com/bim-and-beam/2017/03/17/this-is-just-a-test/
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Tips and Tricks for using Autodesk Advance Steel from AU2016 (Part III)

This is my last post summarizing some of the Advance Steel tips & tricks that I described in my class during the Autodesk University MEP & Structural Fabricators Forum 2016. I hope these posts have helped you better understand the efficient practices for workflows between Advance Steel and other Autodesk software. If you’re just stumbling upon this series, check out part I and part II here:

• Tips and Tricks for using Autodesk Advance Steel from AU2016 (Part I)
• Tips and Tricks for using Autodesk Advance Steel from AU2016 (Part II)

1. Synchronize steel members & connections between Revit and Advance Steel

Since the 2017 release, users can insert fully parametric steel connections on structural sections in the Revit environment with the Steel Connections in Revit extension (which can be downloaded & installed from your Autodesk Account).

But did you know that you can also synchronize not just the steel members but also steel connections between Revit and Advance Steel by using the Advance Steel 2017 Extension for Revit which can be downloaded & installed from the Autodesk App Store?

 

2. Linking Advance Steel with Robot Structural Analysis software

With the Robot – Advance link which can be downloaded & installed from the Autodesk App Store, users can start creating the structural model in Advance Steel and send it to Robot Structural Analysis Professional for optimization of the structural members.

Engineers can validate and optimize any kind of structures with advanced BIM-integrated analysis and design tools to understand the behavior of the structure type and verify code compliance.

When the structural model changes, team members can easily synchronize the modifications at any time with a full control on the modifications thanks to the synchronization dialog box.

Once the model has been optimized in Robot Structural Analysis software, it can be completed in Advance Steel by inserting components such as steel connections & miscellaneous steel, and high-quality shop drawings can be generated automatically from the 3D model.

The link between Robot and Advance Steel software helps make the workflow smoother by coordinating the design models with detailed models. The bidirectional interoperability between the two products helps reduce the time needed to create and update the 3D model and helps to avoid potential errors resulting from manual coordination.

3. Create a 4D simulation of your Advance Steel model in Navisworks

You can export an Advance Steel model to Navisworks by using the “Export to Navisworks” icon available in the “Export & Import” ribbon.

The file includes object properties that identify the section sizes, etc…

Once scheduling tasks and rules are assigned to objects in your design, Navisworks will allow you to perform a 4D simulation of your project, complete with a Gantt chart, which provides a visual representation of your schedule.

 

4. Access your Advance Steel model from any device with A360 Viewer

You can use A360 Viewer to instantly view and share 2D or 3D design files – even large and complex models – right in your browser. You can then view them on any device, whether you are in the office or in the field.

The best part about the A360 Viewer is you don’t have to download or install any software, or create a login and password to use it. Simply visit https://360.autodesk.com/viewer in your web browser (Chrome, Firefox or another browser that supports WebGL 3D graphics) and upload your Advance Steel DWG file for free!

When you upload the DWG file of a native Advance Steel model, here is the result:

You can get information from the 3D model by using the Properties tool:

A360 Viewer offers some reviewing tools such as markup, comment on point, comment on object and snapshot.

You can get a link, copy and paste this link into an email message and share it with anyone you like.

5. Collaborate with BIM 360 Team

BIM 360 Team is much more than a file viewer. It is a cloud-based collaboration platform for communication, file sharing and design reviews for design teams and their project stakeholders.

You can upload the native DWG file(s) of your Advance Steel model and/or drawings to BIM 360 Team, and have access to object properties such as section size, length, weight.

BIM 360 Team also enables markup, comment and interact with over 100 2D and 3D file types.

One of my favorite tools is the sectioning tool where you can drag the desired manipulators until the model is sectioned the way you want it.

from my Autodesk source Bim & Beam: BIM and Beam at http://blogs.autodesk.com/bim-and-beam/2017/03/14/tips-and-tricks-for-using-autodesk-advance-steel-from-au2016-part-iii/
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SCAFFOLDS & LADDERS – SAFETY AT CONSTRUCTION

SCAFFOLDS AND LADDERS 1. General provisions Where work cannot safely be done on or from the ground or from part of a building or other permanent structure, a safe and suitable scaffold should be provided and maintained or other equally safe and suitable provision should be made. Scaffolds should be provided with safe means of […]

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HOW TO CHECK SUITABILITY OF WATER FOR CONCRETE MIXING?

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Dynamo and Advance Steel Tutorial

Learn how to realize the power of Dynamo for your steel frames in this Dynamo Advance Steel tutorial

Last year we released the new Dynamo Extension for Advance Steel that allows you to drive the geometry and behavior of Advance Steel elements from Dynamo. In this Dynamo Advance Steel tutorial I show users how to make a basic portal frame structure within Dynamo and have Advance Steel model the structure from the script. When the script changes, then the model changes. A bonus is that, when you add a connection to any of the joints, they will adapt if you resize the structure from the nodes inside Dynamo. Learn more by watching the tutorial:

If you haven’t yet downloaded the new Dynamo Extension for Advance Steel, read this post to learn how.

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from my Autodesk source Bim & Beam: BIM and Beam at http://blogs.autodesk.com/bim-and-beam/2017/03/06/dynamo-advance-steel-tutorial/
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