Discover the intricate process of creating 3D models of buildings featuring distinct roles for multiple disciplines. Uncover the crucial role a structural engineer plays in analyzing wind loads and ensuring the structural integrity of the building.
Key Insights
- The architect, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection each create their own 3D work, typically using Revit, to ensure effective information sharing across different disciplines.
- Structural engineers are responsible for the building's structural system, including analyzing wind loads and ensuring the building can withstand these loads. This includes the use of software like RISA 3D for evaluating structural loads of the building.
- The use of 3D modeling in Revit allows the entire construction team to visually understand the building before the construction process begins, enabling a more collaborative and informed construction process.
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This drawing shows the 3D model that was created by the structural engineer. Typically, the architect, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineers create their own work in 3D, typically using Revit. Information is shared between the different disciplines.
Different disciplines are responsible for certain things, and so the structural engineer is responsible for the structural system. We have the front view of the building here. We have the back view of the building here.
This is part A. This is part B. You can see that this is the entrance that we use to get into the parking structure. These first levels are all post-tensioned. You can see the ramp that's taking the vehicles from one level to another.
You can see the pool at the central courtyard, and you can see the balconies sticking out. Some of these architectural treatments are the responsibility of the structural engineer. If you look right here and look right over here, you can see the bracing that's required by the structural engineer to ensure the appropriate wind loads are properly analyzed and that the building can withstand them.
From the back of the building, here's the other entrance into the building. We have, I'll go over here to part A, we have the three levels of parking, and then we have the hotel rooms above it. So again, the structural engineer is responsible for their structural model.
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Work is typically done in AutoCAD or Revit, and then programs like RISA 3D are used to analyze the structural loads of the building, and that would include analyzing for things like lateral, seismic, and wind load. One of the benefits of structural engineers doing their work in Revit in 3D is that the entire construction team can sit down together and visually understand the building before construction. It's a terrific technology, and I really hope that you and your colleagues are taking advantage of this in your offices and in your firms.
