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 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 up or down to the other.
You can see the pool at the central courtyard, and you can see the balconies sticking out. Certain 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 being appropriately analyzed and that the building can deal with it.
From the back of the building, here's the other entrance into the building. We have, I'll go over to 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 usually done in AutoCAD or in 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 really nice things that since the structural engineers are 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.
