Who does the work?

[UcfSE]

Just that: in your office do engineers or designers/techs/drafters do the primary input for the model? Just curious to how other offices handle this. We are in our first BIM project in our office.

 

[asixth]

3D modeling that all links into a central file is a great concept.

The engineer should do the preliminary work in the model so elements can be co-ordinated with the architect and a general layout can be established. Also, the simpler the model is, the easier it is to import into a FE package for analysis. Saying that, I have heard of Revit performing a FE analysis for a floor system, just the start of an elusive software package that "does it all".

Once the structural design gets moving, the engineers should take a step back from the modeling and leave it to the drafters, they will easily be more efficient when it comes to detailing the model. One day, these programs will become so useable that engineering will incorportate design and drafting but we are not quite there yet.

You will notice that the cental file will become very large, very quickly, and, if you are like myself and do not have the most powerful computer in your office, the model will crash regularly or take an age to load everytime you move to a new viewport.

 

[SperlingPE]

The office I work in is exploring this issue. My take on it is this. The engineer gets involved after receiving the model from architect. This assumes that columns/grids have been located with engineer input. After doing design, engineer steps back and lets detail work be done by technician. If good experienced technician or structural designer can do subsequent re-designs due to loading revisions or framing revisions all the better. Review of any re-designs required by engineer.

 

[sshields]

In my office, the engineer will do all the modeling relating to the analysis of the design. At any point though, once the design is ready to be drafted, it is passed down the line to CAD. If we're doing something BIM related, then the 3D-models usally start before the design phase (because they mechanical and electrical is usally ready before structural).

My office just recently implemented Revit Structure 2009 and so I took the training in that a few months ago and did a small grillage frame in it. I modeled the frame in RAM Advanse and then exported it to REVIT, from there I could tweak the design while the CAD was done by Revit at the same time.

I guess it depends on the size of the job, deadlines, clients..ect.

 

[sshields]

Follow up to my last post --- One of our bigger clients, likes us to use Microstation for our 3D model, and projectwise as our central file location. This is sort of a BIM project but not really. We have a working, current, model that we use to check for interferences but anyone thats actually done it this way knows that the objects in the 3D microstation model aren't "intelligent", like they would be in Revit.

This job is unique because my company is one of several subs on it, so everyone is back and forth into the model and constantly changing and updating the designs, then the model...back 'n' forth. In this case where there isn't a linear sequence from concept, to design, to drafting, the engineers end up crossing over and doing more CAD sometimes. There are days when I'll have RAM on one screen, Microstation on the other, with AutoCAD & Projectwise minimized...

It just seems sometimes that it's easier to do the actual drafting work yourself (and quicker), than explain it to someone else.

Though this might be a trait of younger engineers that grew up and went through college learning AutoCAD & Microstation ect. ect.

 

[haynewp]

I am a senior engineer and I will be doing a lot of the initial modeling.

 

[TTUengr51]

I can see a shift toward the engineer being more involved on the modeling end of Revit/BIM. In my office, we have used Revit Structure for over a year now, with the technicians being the primary modelers. While they are efficient with the software, I can see a lot of benefit of the engineer doing the initial layout...especially on more complicated structures.

This becomes more true with the interaction between Revit Structure and my structural analysis software (RAM Structural System and Advanse). Currently I am exploring the link between the two packages, and plan to get more involved with setting up the initial Revit model by exporting my structural analysis model into Revit.

 

[asixth]

Engineers, CAD techs are on the way out.