Reinforcement Drawings and bending schedules have traditionally been prepared in semi-automated 2D applications such as CADS RC or manually in 2D CAD applications and while this has served the industry for over 25 years the traditional drafting techniques are becoming obsolete and disconnected from the emerging BIM processes and client requirements. The deliverables are most likely to be 2D drawings and schedules but increasingly also a 3D information model which has benefits to all the project teams including the consulting engineers, contractors, fabricators and steel fixers. The 3D model is particularly useful to all team members in highly congested, complex areas where clashes and pre fabrication issues are often only discovered whilst on site which leads to increased cost and project delivery creep. As with any construction project, communication and understanding is always improved when a 3D model with the relevant information is shared with all relevant parties.
Some of you may already be aware of the new features of Revit Structure 2016 for 3D Reinforcement modelling and detailing. Many of these improvements were in relation to the production of an RC schedule and a new tool to allow the use of shapes within a reinforcement path. However, although these improvements are most welcome there are still a few limitations, deficiencies and annoyances when it comes to efficient modelling, detailing and scheduling of reinforcement within vanilla Autodesk Revit.
Autodesk Revit 2016 gives the primary reinforcement modelling functionality and allows the efficient handling of thousands of 3D rebar’s in a model via specialist elements. The SOFiSTiK Reinforcement Detailing tool takes these core modelling tools and adds an additional level of sophistication to the modelling, detailing and scheduling of concrete projects. The main SOFiSTiK ribbon is show below.
SOFiSTiK Reinforcement detailing’s main advantage is that it drastically speeds up the detailing of rebar by overlaying Revit 2D detail components over the various views and hiding the Revit rebar. The big plus with this technique is that all the supplied families are completely customisable allowing for RC drawings that exactly match your traditional 2D CAD output. For example, if you want to show a UBAR in plan with a dot or perhaps a cross or tick and tag bars in elevation or section then this is just a simple case of editing the supplied family to suit your requirements.
The efficiency of the process is demonstrated below with a slab with some openings and angular faces. The rebar was added with the Area Reinforcement and path reinforcement commands and then the layers are automatically recognised by the SOFiSTiK layer tool. The split Rebar command has then been used to divide the bar into standard stock lengths.
The view is then added to a drawing sheet, rebar numbers automatically assigned and the bar is then hidden, tagged and detailed. It is also worth noting that varying ranges and skewed bars can be detailed with a new Rebar Container objects.
In the next view I have created some reinforcement for a column detail and added some couplers to the model. A separate schedule can then be generated showing the configuration and location of the couplers.
I have also found that when the Autodesk Extension Reinforcement Macros are used then SOFiSTiK Reinforcement Detailing will recognise the correct shape code, the original shape codes are not to standard and hence cannot be used with standalone Revit.
Here is an example of the slab opening macro.
Some of the main new features for the 2016 release are:
- Rebar Groups – Used for grouping of bars such as varying ranges and skewed bars
- Bent Fabric
- UK Content Pack
- Rebar Chair Spacer – Shape Code 98
- Rebar Mechanical Couplers
In summery I would recommend that you download a trial of this software and perhaps take a look at some of the tutorial videos that SOFiSTiK have created.
We also have a Revit Structure course designed for existing users that will lead delegates towards the creation of reinforcement within Revit Structure.
LawrenceH
Autodesk Revit Structure 