Structural Precast for Revit – Configuration Settings

A few weeks ago I published an overview video for Autodesk Structural Precast Extension for Revit and now I think it is the right time to get up to speed on the latest Precast tools in Revit.

With this post I would like to start a dedicated series on this new app to help you get started with the tools and to share with you some useful tips and tricks.

Autodesk Structural Precast Extension for Revit 2018 was released along with Revit 2018.1 release.

The extension must be download from the Autodesk App Store and then installed on the top of Revit 2018.1

…or you can also access the installer from within the Autodesk Desktop App:

At this moment, the extension is available in English, French and German languages.

Once installed, several Revit families and templates are placed in a dedicated location… C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Structural Precast for Revit 2018\Families\en.

The installed files include:

• Annotations
• Custom slabs (sample slab families)
• Mounting parts (lifters and other connection parts)
• Profiles
• Revit (rebar shapes)
• Symbols
• Title blocks

Here is what the Precast tab looks like once the extension is installed.

You must be wondering what the On/Off button does, an answer is pretty straight forward as it enables or disables the extension. You can use this tool to turn the extension off to replenish hardware resources and improve Revit performance if there is such need.

When you attempt to run the first command, you are presented with the following warning:

This is basically saying some content needs to be loaded for this extension to work properly.

That’s why it is a good practice to start working on a new project running the Configuration tool first.

Before you start using Structural Precast Extension for Revit you should configure these settings for walls, slabs and built in parts. The settings include position numbering, part information, segmentation rules, reinforcement definition, and project drawing defaults for walls and slabs, as well as settings for annotation and dimensioning in parts.

Once you open this dialog and click OK all necessary Revit families and templates will be loaded to the current project automatically and the warning message will not be bothering you anymore.

The Configuration dialog is organized in a tree view, each node contains options for precast concrete assemblies.

For example the wall node configures settings for solid structural walls. These settings include wall part information about lifters, bracings and connectors:

…segmentation rules:

…reinforcement definition:

…and project shop drawing defaults:

The similar groups of setting you can find for slabs (solid slabs and hollowcore slabs):

The Built in parts node configures settings for annotation and dimensioning in parts and the CAM Export node configures additional data specific to each CAM file type.

All these Precast settings are project related but you can maintain consistent configuration settings across similar projects by exporting them to an XML file which can later be imported into other projects. This gives you the ability to create different configurations for different manufacturers or sites.

To export/import your current configuration file just right click in the tree view and select Export/Import from the context menu.

In my next post of this series I will touch upon the topic of segmentation of walls.

For more posts on structural precast in Revit, check out these past articles on BIM and Beam:

• Autodesk Structural Precast Extension for Revit Software Overview
• Announcing Autodesk Structural Precast Extension for Revit 2018, a notable step toward the future of automatically making structural things
• Precast Column with Corbels in Revit

@tomekf

The post Structural Precast for Revit – Configuration Settings appeared first on BIM and Beam.

from my Autodesk source Bim & Beam: BIM and Beam at http://blogs.autodesk.com/bim-and-beam/2017/09/18/structural-precast-for-revit-configuration-settings/
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Registration now open for the MEP and Structural Fabricators Forum 2017

We’ve got your back at the MEP and Structural Fabricators Forum 2017

Are you a contractor, engineer, detailer, estimator, or fabricator? Then the fourth-annual MEP and Structural Fabricators Forum is a do-not-miss event, specifically tailored to your professional and educational interests.

In one day you’ll learn current and emerging trends in Building Information Modeling (BIM), network with your industry peers, and gain expert insight from leaders in the field. We’re constantly expanding and enhancing the Fabricator’s Forum to appeal to past and future attendees, and we’ve built another full program this year.

So, what can you expect with your pass to the Fab Forum?

1. Network with 600 of your industry peers, in one place at one time. Don’t be surprised if a single conversation leads to a new business relationship.
2. Learn the latest trends in BIM workflows by knowledgeable technical experts who really understand your business. Check out these classes from last year’s Forum.
3. Plan your day to fit your interests. Choose from intermediate or advanced MEP Fabrication or Structural Fabrication tracks. Participate in lecture-style business industry talks, or take a deep dive in technical instructional demos.
4. Take hands-on labs to increase your skillset in Autodesk Revit, Advance Steel, Fabrication CAMduct, Fabrication CADmep, and Fabrication ESTmep.
5. Get an exclusive look into what Autodesk has planned for the future of our design and fabrication solutions to help you detail better, fabricate better, and build better.
6. Drink, eat, and network with our growing list of sponsors to include DeWalt, Victaulic, and Graybar.

Join us on Monday, November 13^th for the day, or add the Forum to your registration to Autodesk University to ensure that you’re getting the most value out of your trip to Las Vegas. And don’t forget to join the conversation and tag #AU2017 and #FabForum in your social posts.

We’ll see you in Vegas!

The post Registration now open for the MEP and Structural Fabricators Forum 2017 appeared first on BIM and Beam.

from my Autodesk source Bim & Beam: BIM and Beam at http://blogs.autodesk.com/bim-and-beam/2017/09/15/mep-structural-fabricators-forum-2017/
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Robot Structural Analysis in Autodesk AEC Collection

Structural engineers are using BIM to improve their design workflows and enhance collaboration with other stakeholders on projects. However, when it comes to performing analysis and design, structural engineers often face the following challenges:

• Little time to explore the best design option due to the use of fragmented analysis and design methods
• Insufficient coordination between engineers conducting analysis and designers/drafters modifying design models in Revit
• Lack of integration between analysis and design models can contribute to inconsistencies in construction documentation

We also heard from our structural engineering customers that BIM-based visualization, structural analysis and fabrication capabilities have become “must haves” for their BIM workflows and for them to stay competitive.

To help address these challenges, we have added Robot Structural Analysis software to the AEC Collection. Now you can access a powerful set of tools for design, analysis, detailing and fabrication in one easy subscription.

The integration between Revit software and Robot Structural Analysis Professional facilitates the coordination of design information and construction documentation. The integration supports multiple workflows stemming from choices regarding initial modeling software and the use of multiple analytical models to split the workload. Additionally, Revit offers many tools and modeling practices to prepare a model for a smoother interoperability with Robot Structural Analysis Professional and other widely used structural analysis software applications.

The result of this interoperability is a more streamlined and productive design process, the opportunity to perform more analysis to help find the best structural design option, and a better understanding of design intent yielding less errors and omissions.

Watch the following video to learn more about this workflow:

Key Business Benefits of Robot Structural Analysis Professional in AEC Collection

Robot Structural Analysis Professional software provides structural engineers with advanced structural analysis capabilities, including for large and complex structures. Analyze models with powerful finite element auto-meshing, nonlinear algorithms, and a comprehensive library of country-specific design codes. Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional is fast and flexible, enabling faster and easier structural analysis. Complementing BIM workflows, Robot Structural Analysis Professional can help customers:

• Explore more design options that are analytically modeled and checked and linked to design models
• Improve collaboration across BIM-enabled design teams by analyzing and incorporating changes more seamlessly to all members of the structural team
• Design a range of structure types more efficiently with country-specific design codes and support for multiple languages and units

Using a combination of Revit and Robot Structural Analysis software, the Buro Happold team has been able to take existing design models created in architectural modeling software and develop, analyze, and optimize the structural frame of the stadium. Learn more about this story.

Image courtesy of Buro Happold

 

We have thousands of customers worldwide using Robot Structural Analysis today. Here are a few examples of their projects:

Concrete Structure Design: Balt Building Engineering (Belgium) Project: Belgian Football Federation Mission: Use of Robot Structural Analysis for the design of a concrete structure
Steel bridge with custom sections Design: IB Kwant Ingenieursbureau (The Netherlands) Project: Lateraal kanaal, Almelo (Netherlands) Mission: Finite element analysis of mixed wood & steel bridge, including pile foundation design.
Royal Theatre Ireland Design: GGP Consult (United Kingdom) Project: Royal Theatre, Ireland Mission: Finite element analysis of complex public building in mixed steel and concrete structure.
Scissor Structures Design: V.U.B. University, Brussels (Belgium) PhD of Lara Alegria Mira Project:  PhD Research: “Nonlinear Analysis of Deployable Structures Comprised of Optimized Universal Scissor Components” Mission: Develop an optimized geometry using Rhino, Grasshopper and Robot Structural Analysis for advanced non-linear analysis.
Wood – Steel bridge Design: IB Kwant Ingenieursbureau (The Netherlands) Project: Steel bridge, Landgraaf (Netherlands) Mission: Finite element analysis of mixed wood & steel bridge, including pile foundation design

Also you can see what customers are doing looking at other great examples of their work by visiting the Robot forum to explore a fantastic gallery of customers’ projects.

We continue to make updates to the Robot Structural Analysis software and have recently published a hotfix for our customers.  To learn more please go here 2018.0.1 Hot Fix.

The post Robot Structural Analysis in Autodesk AEC Collection appeared first on BIM and Beam.

from my Autodesk source Bim & Beam: BIM and Beam at http://blogs.autodesk.com/bim-and-beam/2017/09/12/robot-structural-analysis-in-autodesk-aec-collection/
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Advance Steel, Robot Structural Analysis, and Revit Live come to Autodesk’s AEC Collection at no additional cost

Now you can access a powerful set of tools for design, analysis, detailing and fabrication in one easy subscription.

We have some exciting news for structural professionals that subscribe to the Architecture, Engineering and Construction Collection. Starting today, we’ve made some significant additions to the AEC Collection software portfolio that support the next generation of BIM—and Revit-based—workflows for building and infrastructure projects from design through preconstruction.

A Year in Perspective

Last year Autodesk moved to address your challenges by launching the Architecture, Engineering and Construction Collection as a better way for you to access the software you need for your structural projects. Our intent was to give you a powerful set of integrated BIM tools so you could be effective in your projects now, and to easily equip you with the tools needed to be proactive about what the future of designing and building has in store. With a collection including Revit, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Navisworks Manage, and 3ds Max, we provided a core set of essential tools needed to make any building or infrastructure project, large or small.

Motivation Behind Today’s Big News

However, we’ve seen a change in expectations from our customers in recent months—especially our structural customers. You’ve told us that it’s expensive to try new software in order to adapt to a changing structural landscape. Specifically, you’ve told us loud and clear that BIM-based visualization, structural analysis and fabrication capabilities have moved from “nice to have” to “must have” to implement the BIM workflows you need to stay competitive.

We Heard You!

Starting today, we’re expanding the Architecture, Engineering and Construction Collection with additional tools that extend its current capabilities to support structural design through preconstruction. With these additions, and with no price change, it will be easier for you to access and implement the powerful BIM workflows you need—when you need them—by subscribing to the AEC Collection.

What’s New

Here are some highlights of what we’re adding to the AEC Collection and what these changes need for structural professionals.

• In the new Collection, you’ll find Revit Live. Revit Live allows you to visualize your Revit steel and concrete models by turning them into immersive visual experiences. You can even take your designs into a virtual reality environment—in just two clicks of your mouse.
• You can now access computational design software in a greater way.  Dynamo Studio standalone programming environment can help solve challenges faster by exploring more design options and automating routine workflows of your structural designs.
• Also included is world-class structural analysis and design Robot Structural Analysis Professional and Structural Bridge Design which work with Revit to extend your capabilities to perform structural analysis for both buildings and bridges.  These two solutions, along with Structural Analysis for Revit, can all integrate structural analysis and design with BIM to help increase productivity for structural engineers.
• Finally, the AEC Collection now extends capabilities from structural design to fabrication. Interoperable with Revit and Navisworks, we’ve added Advance Steel to the Collection so you can conceive, model and fabricate better structural steel systems on an integrated platform. With Revit already being used to do rebar and precast detailing, structural engineers and detailers now have access to a complete set of tools for BIM-based structural design to detailing for concrete and steel.

If you want to get a feel for what structural engineers can do with the new version of the collection, check out this video that describes the workflows you now have access to.

What’s next?

For more information on what’s available in the AEC Collection, go here: https://www.autodesk.com/collections/architecture-engineering-construction/overview

Did you know that it’s also Revit’s birthday? You might enjoy reading Sylvia’s post on today’s announcement and what it means for Revit users too: http://blogs.autodesk.com/revit/2017/09/07/revits-birthday-and-aec-collection-news

And finally, if you’re a subscriber already, simply log into your My Account page to access the new software described here, and start trying out the new structural workflows that the Collection supports.

The post Advance Steel, Robot Structural Analysis, and Revit Live come to Autodesk’s AEC Collection at no additional cost appeared first on BIM and Beam.

from my Autodesk source Bim & Beam: BIM and Beam at http://blogs.autodesk.com/bim-and-beam/2017/09/07/aec-collection-update/
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PROPERTIES OF AGGREGATES FOR CONCRETE

Properties of Aggregates Approximately 75% of the volume of concrete is occupied by aggregates, so quality of aggregates plays an important role in determining properties of concrete.  Aggregates are chemically inert, solid bodies held together by the cement. Aggregates come in various shapes, sizes, and materials ranging from fine particles of sand to large, coarse […]

The post PROPERTIES OF AGGREGATES FOR CONCRETE appeared first on CivilBlog.Org.

from CivilBlog.Org http://civilblog.org/2017/09/03/properties-aggregates-concrete-2/
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