Importance of Revit Conceptual Mass Modelling process in a BIM project

Importance of Revit Conceptual Mass Modelling process in a BIM project

The prime purpose of using Autodesk Revit for Building Information Modeling is to fix building design and coordination issues efficiently during the project life cycle. Revit is appreciably used for performing all types of BIM MODELING SERVICES. Earlier, Revit adopters mainly focused on capturing the proposed building designs rather than taking advantages of the other functionalities of Revit tools. Over the years Revit has released its several updates and each time it has added new tools which assist Revit users in producing more efficient building design as well as performing all other pre-construction activities like scheduling & phasing or 4D Revit Modeling Services, cost estimation or 5D BIM Modeling Services, etc.

Amongst all the useful tools of Revit, Conceptual Massing is one of the very useful tools. This tool is used for creating mass in early design phase. All the versions of Revit include this massing tool.

Purpose of conceptual mass modeling in BIM Modeling Services

·         Conceptual Mass Modeling Services is an important part of Revit Modeling Services. This 3D mass modeling is generally performed by architects. The one of the purpose of mass modeling is to create 3D models of odd shape building. By using this 3D modeling process, users create base of any odd shaped building.

·         In Revit Modeling Services, Conceptual 3D mass modeling process is also performed to conceptualize the conceptual geometry of a building i.e. architects can understand overall building massing indicative of area, height, volume, location, weight and orientation.

·         3D mass modeling process of Revit Modeling Services also assists architects in getting early visualization by performing massing site analysis and conceptualizing the environmental impact i.e. solar design of the building.

·         Once the building conceptual mass is developed, architects can developed it further by adding more detailed information within the mass like floors, walls, roofs etc..

·         Conceptual mass of a building contains different types of parameters like level, floor area, floor perimeter and architects can generate early quantities take-offs from the mass.

·         In BIM Modelling Services, conceptual mass of a building can be exported to a gbxml or other format for performing early energy analysis. Green Building Studio, Ecotect and Project Vasari software’s are used for executing early energy analysis process.

·         Conceptual mass model can be rendered effectively and the rendered mass model can be used for conceptual design presentation.

·         Architects can extract 2D drawings like 2D floor plan drawings, elevations, sections, etc. from the 3D mass model.

·         Using 3D conceptual mass modelling technique in Revit Modelling Services, users can create content as well as various types of assemblies

You can create different types of conceptual mass models by utilizing 3D Revit Modelling Services. Use Revit Architecture for developing architectural conceptual mass model, use Revit Structure for structural mass model.

What is AutoCAD MEP?

What is AutoCAD MEP? How is AutoCAD MEP used?

What is AutoCAD MEP?

AutoCAD MEP is a design and construction documentation software created by Autodesk for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) professionals; including engineers, designers, and drafters. AutoCAD MEP is built on the AutoCAD software platform and therefore offers a familiar AutoCAD environment. The discipline-specific tools and features that are included in AutoCAD MEP are optimized to enhance workflow and accelerate the creation of MEP designs.

What are the benefits of using AutoCAD MEP?

Individuals who are currently using AutoCAD or plan on learning AutoCAD will inherit many benefits of using AutoCAD MEP. AutoCAD MEP offers a familiar design environment as well as access to all of the familiar AutoCAD commands; and with true DWG (drawing) file support, AutoCAD MEP allows AutoCAD users to leverage their existing 2D drawings to build accurate 3D models. By taking advantage of AutoCAD MEP's design, automation, documentation, and drawing management features, users are able to both enhance design accuracy and improve drafting productivity. AutoCAD MEP offers many other tools and features that can enhance productivity such as Universal Connector, 1-Click Fitting Replace, Content Builder, Industry Foundation Class (IFC), Transparency Integration, and much more.

How is AutoCAD MEP used?

AutoCAD MEP is used by professionals across many industries to improve the quality and efficiency of engineering and design projects. For example, an environmental engineering and science firm may user AutoCAD MEP to develop drawings directly from designs—allowing them create more coordinated designs and also to automate the production of accurate contract documents. In the case of a MEP engineering design solutions firm, AutoCAD MEP may be used to create complete, correct, and coordinated drawings of their high-performance, technically complex building designs. Ultimately, AutoCAD MEP is used to seamlessly create accurate and coordinated documents by utilizing its discipline-specific MEP design and documentation tools. This, in turn, results in high quality and faster project delivery times and far less coordination issues within teams of engineering professionals.

IMPORTANCE OF LEVELLING IN SURVEYING...

IMPORTANCE OF LEVELLING IN SURVEYING

Levelling (or Levelling) is a branch of surveying, the object of which is: 
i) to find the elevations of given points with respect to a given or assumed datum, and ii) to establish points at a given or assumed datum.
 The first operation is required to enable the works to be designed while the second operation is required in the setting out of all kinds of engineering works. Levelling deals with measurements in a vertical plane.

Level surface: A level surface is defined as a curved surface which at each point is perpendicular to the direction of gravity at the point. The surface of a still water is a truly level surface. Any surface parallel to the mean spheroidal surface of the earth is, therefore, a level surface.

Level line: A level line is a line lying in a level surface. It is, therefore, normal to the plumb line at all points.

Horizontal plane: Horizontal plane through a point is a plane tangential to the level surface at that point. It is, therefore, perpendicular to the plumb line through the point.

Horizontal line: It is a straight line tangential to the level line at a point. It is also perpendicular to the plumb line.

Vertical line: It is a line normal to the level line at a point. It is commonly considered to be the line defined by a plumb line.

Datum: Datum is any surface to which elevation are referred. The mean sea level affords a convenient datum world over, and elevations are commonly given as so much above or below sea level. It is often more convenient, however, to assume some other datum, specially, if only the relative elevation of points is required.

Elevation: The elevation of a point on or near the surface of the earth is its vertical distance above or below an arbitrarily assumed level surface or datum. The difference in elevation between two points is the vertical distance between the two level surface in which the two points lie.

Vertical angle: Vertical angle is an angle between two intersecting lines in a vertical plane. Generally, one of these lines is horizontal.

Mean sea level: It is the average height of the sea for all stages of the tides. At any particular place it is derived by averaging the hourly tide heights over a long period of 19 years.

Bench Mark: It is a relatively permanent point of reference whose elevation with respect to some assumed datum is known. It is used either as a starting point for levelling or as a point upon which to close as a check.

Methods of levelling

Three principle methods are used for determining differences in elevation, namely, barometric levelling, trigonometric levelling and spirit levelling.

Barometric levelling

Barometric levelling makes use of the phenomenon that difference in elevation between two points is proportional to the difference in atmospheric pressures at these points. A barometer, therefore, may be used and the readings observed at different points would yield a measure of the relative elevation of those points.

At a given point, the atmospheric pressure doesn’t remain constant in the course of the day, even in the course of an hour. The method is, therefore, relatively inaccurate and is little used in surveying work except on reconnaissance or exploratory survey.

Trigonometric Levelling (Indirect Levelling)

Trigonometric or Indirect levelling is the process of levelling in which the elevations of points are computed from the vertical angles and horizontal distances measured in the field, just as the length of any side in any triangle can be computed from proper trigonometric relations. In a modified form called stadia levelling, commonly used in mapping, both the difference in elevation and the horizontal distance between the points are directly computed from the measured vertical angles and staff readings.

Spirit Levelling (Direct Levelling)

It is that branch of levelling in which the vertical distances with respect to a horizontal line (perpendicular to the direction of gravity) may be used to determine the relative difference in elevation between two adjacent points. A horizontal plane of sight tangent to level surface at any point is readily established by means of a spirit level or a level vial. In spirit levelling, a spirit level and a sighting device (telescope) are combined and vertical distances are measured by observing on graduated rods placed on the points. The method is also known as direct levelling. It is the most precise method of determining elevations and the one most commonly used by engineers.

Levelling Instruments

The instruments commonly used in direct levelling are:

1.     A level

2.     A levelling staff

Source: http://www.civileblog.com/levelling/

Electromagnetic acoustic transducer

                     Electromagnetic acoustic transducer

Electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) is a transducer for non-contact acoustic wave generation and reception in conducting materials. Its effect is based on electromagnetic mechanisms, which do not need direct coupling with the surface of the material. Due to this couplant-free feature, EMATs are particularly useful in harsh, i.e., hot, cold, clean, or dry environments. EMATs are suitable to generate all kinds of waves in metallic and/or magnetostrictive materials. Depending on the design and orientation of coils and magnets, Shear Horizontal (SH) bulk wave mode (norm-beam or angle-beam), Surface Wave, plate waves such as SH and Lamb waves, and all sorts of other bulk and guided-wave modes can be excited. After decades of research and development, EMAT has found its applications in many industries such as primary metal manufacturing and processing, automotive, railroad, pipeline, boiler and pressure vessel industries,  in which they are typically used for nondestructive testing(NDT) of metallic structures.

Contents

• 1Basic components
• 2Transduction mechanism
• 2.1Lorentz force
• 2.2Magnetostriction
• 3Comparison with piezoelectric transducers
• 3.1Advantages
• 3.2Challenges and disadvantages
• 4Applications

Basic components

There are two basic components in an EMAT transducer. One is a magnet and the other is an electric coil. The magnet can be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, which produces a static or a quasi-static magnetic field. In EMAT terminology, this field is called bias magnetic field. The electric coil is driven with an alternating current (AC) electric signal at ultrasonic frequency, typically in the range from 20 kHz to 10 MHz. Based on the application needs, the signal can be a continuous wave, a spike pulse, or a tone-burst signal. The electric coil with AC current also generates an AC magnetic field. When the test material is close to the EMAT, ultrasonic waves are generated in the test material through the interaction of the two magnetic fields.

Transduction mechanism

There are two mechanisms to generate waves through magnetic field interaction. One is Lorentz force when the material is conductive. The other is magnetostriction when the material is ferromagnetic.

Lorentz force

The AC current in the electric coil generates eddy current on the surface of the material. According to the theory of electromagnetic induction, the distribution of the eddy current is only at a very thin layer of the material, called skin depth. This depth reduces with the increase of AC frequency, the material conductivity, and permeability. Typically for 1 MHz AC excitation, the skin depth is only a fraction of a millimeter for primary metals like steel, copper and aluminum. The eddy current in the magnetic field experiences Lorentz force. In a microscopic view, the Lorentz force is applied on the electrons in the eddy current. In a macroscopic view, the Lorentz force is applied on the surface region of the material due to the interaction between electrons and atoms. The distribution of Lorentz force is primarily controlled by the design of magnet and design of the electric coil, and is affected by the properties of the test material, the relative position between the transducer and the test part, and the excitation signal for the transducer. The spatial distribution of the Lorentz force determines the precise nature of the elastic disturbances and how they propagate from the source. A majority of successful EMAT applications are based on the Lorentz force mechanism.

Magnetostriction

A ferromagnetic material will have a dimensional change when an external magnetic field is applied. This effect is called magnetostriction. The flux field of a magnet expands or collapses depending on the arrangement of ferromagnetic material having inducing voltage in a coil and the amount of change is affected by the magnitude and direction of the field. The AC current in the electric coil induces an AC magnetic field and thus produces magnetostriction at ultrasonic frequency in the material. The disturbances caused by magnetostriction then propagate in the material as an ultrasound wave.

In polycrystalline material, the magnetostriction response is very complicated. It is affected by the direction of the bias field, the direction of the field from the AC electric coil, the strength of the bias field, and the amplitude of the AC current. In some cases, one or two peak response may be observed with the increase of bias field. In some cases, the response can be improved significantly with the change of relative direction between the bias magnetic field and the AC magnetic field. Quantitatively, the magnetostriction may be described in a similar mathematical format as piezoelectric constants. Empirically, a lot of experience is needed to fully understand the magnetostriction phenomenon.

Magnetostriction effect has been used to generate both SH-type and Lamb type waves in steel products. Recently, due to the stronger magnetostriction effect in nickel than steel, magnetostriction sensors using nickel patches are also developed for nondestructive testing of steel products.

Comparison with piezoelectric transducers

As an ultrasonic testing (UT) method, EMAT has all the advantages of UT compared to other NDT methods. Just like piezoelectric UT probes, EMAT probes can be used in pulse-echo, pitch-catch, and through-transmission configurations. EMAT probes can also be assembled into phased array probes, delivering focusing and beam steering capabilities.

Advantages

Compared to piezoelectric transducers, EMAT probes have the following advantages:

1. No couplant is needed. Based on the transduction mechanism of EMAT, couplant is not required. This makes EMAT ideal for inspections at temperatures below the freezing point and above the evaporation point of liquid couplants. It also makes it convenient for situations where couplant handling would be impractical.
2. EMAT is a non-contact method. Although proximity is preferred, a physical contact between the transducer and the specimen under test is not required.
3. Dry Inspection. Since no couplant is needed, the EMAT inspection can be performed in a dry environment.
4. Less sensitive to surface condition. With contact-based piezoelectric transducers, the test surface has to be machined smoothly to ensure coupling. Using EMAT, the requirements to surface smoothness are less stringent; the only requirement is to remove loose scale and the like.
5. Easier for sensor deployment. Using piezoelectric transducer, the wave propagation angle in the test part is affected by Snell’s law. As a result, a small variation in sensor deployment may cause a significant change in the refracted angle.
6. Easier to generate SH-type waves. Using piezoelectric transducers, SH wave is difficult to couple to the test part. EMAT provide a convenient means of generating SH bulk wave and SH guided waves.

Challenges and disadvantages

The disadvantages of EMAT compared to piezoelectric UT can be summarised as follows:

1. Low transduction efficiency. EMAT transducers typically produce raw signal of lower power than piezoelectric transducers. As a result, more sophisticated signal processing techniques are needed to isolate signal from noise.
2. Limited to metallic or magnetic products. NDT of plastic and ceramic material is not suitable or at least not convenient using EMAT.
3. Size constraints. Although there are EMAT transducers as small as a penny, commonly used transducers are large in size. Low-profile EMAT problems are still under research and development. Due to the size constraints, EMAT phased array is also difficult to be made from very small elements.
4. Caution must be taken when handling magnets around steel products.

Applications

EMAT has been used in a broad range of applications and has the potential to be used in many others. A brief and incomplete list is as follows.

1. Thickness measurement for various applications
2. Flaw detection in steel products
3. Plate lamination defect inspection
4. Bonded structure lamination detection
5. Laser weld inspection for automotive components
6. Various weld inspection for coil join, tubes and pipes.
7. Pipeline in-service inspection.
8. Railroad and wheel inspection
9. Austenitic weld inspection for power industry
10. Material characterization

In addition to the above-mentioned applications, which fall under the category of nondestructive testing, EMATs have been used in research for ultrasonic communication, where they generate and receive an acoustic signal in a metallic structure.  Ultrasonic communication is particularly useful in areas, where radiofrequency can not be used. This includes underwater and underground environments as well as sealed environments, e.g., communication with a sensor inside a pressure tank.

Revit architecture Load Families

          Revit architecture Load Families

  When you load families into a project, the Revit family library is accessed by default.

The library is located here: %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Autodesk\RVT 2018\Libraries

If your office is using a different library of content in another location, your system may access that library by default. Contact your CAD Manager for more information.

To load families

1.      Click Insert tabLoad from Library panel (Load Family).

2.      In the Load Family dialog, double-click the category of the family that you want to load.

3.      Preview any of the families (RFA) in the category:

·         To preview a single family, select it from the list.

At the top right of the dialog, under Preview, a thumbnail image of the family displays.

·         To display a thumbnail image in the list for all families in the category, at the top right corner of the dialog, click ViewsThumbnails.

4.      Select the family that you want to load, and click Open.

The family type is now available to place in the project. It displays in the appropriate category under Families in the Project Browser.

ഒരു കൺസ്ട്രക്ഷൻ പ്രൊജക്റ്റ് എങ്ങിനെ വിജയകരമായി പൂർത്തിയാക്കാം

HOW TO WIN A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

  

Acquisition of projects in the construction sector is generally done through the process of bidding. It requires a shrewd mind and years of experience to hone your bidding skills and prepare precise estimates to win a project. Your bid should be prepared in a way so as to win you the project as well as to get you a reasonable profit out of it. Expertise along with the right proportion of software and digital tools can facilitate the process and help you win the most coveted projects.

With the cut-throat competition out in the field, one has to be extra careful when they prepare their bids (the final price). The precision and accuracy of your estimate (contractor’s internal costs) play an important role in deciding the future of the bid. Committing even the smallest error can mean the difference between submitting a winning bid and missing out on a highly desired and lucrative project.

Here is a list of 10 important tips to help you bid smartly:

1) Approach the Quality Construction Projects

Opting for the right projects to get associated with is extremely important. Don’t try to jump over every other project open for bids. Be aware of what you can deliver, your prowess and what is profitable enough to keep your firm running smoothly.

Construction projects usually demand a lot of investment of time and resources. Better than getting stuck in a project and regretting it later is to take a sufficient amount of time to consider each and every aspect of the project. Spend a sufficient amount of time reading the scope and requirement of the project and do the math if it is profitable enough to work.

2) Take a Site Tour and Talk to the Authorities

Reading the site conditions properly can help clarify a lot of nuances and complications that otherwise may catch you off-guard and disturb the number-balance midway. Noting down the obstructions, accessible and inaccessible routes, availability of equipment, additional investments  cetera could further help you crunch the numbers and help you decide the worth of the project.

Meet the authorities and seek clarification relevant to the plans and site conditions. This is extremely important to hold as you might get to know about some obscure details regarding the project which you might not be able to obtain just through reading the specifications. You have to have as much detail as you can in order to create an estimate as precise as possible.

3) Analyze your Bid-hit Ratio

Keep track of your bids. A survey by contractor coach George Hedley states, “fewer than six percent of construction and design-build companies know and track their ratio”. Your bid-hit ratio is simply the number of projects you must bid to win one job. There is nothing called a “right” ratio, but you would want it to be as low as possible (a 1:1 ratio would mean you win every bid you submit). If you bid lavishly on a lot of projects, on highly competitive jobs, or on mostly government work, you will tend to have higher ratios. Those that focus on selected projects and are critical about their choices generally have lower ratios. 

4) Review Profitability

Once you have ascertained all the job costs (material, labour, bonding, supplies and equipment) accurately, put your profit margin on the table and see if you are getting the desired profits. If your profit margins aren’t what you expected, it could be either because of your imprecise estimate, or the productivity issues on the job site which is causing job costs to be higher. Regardless of whatever the reason is, you should work to resolve the issues to get your profit margins where they need to be.

5) Hold a Bid/No-bid Review

This is an intuitive process where you consider all the factors like profitability, capability, historical analysis, long-term strategy and risk assessment to come to a decision whether a project merits your investment or not. Bid/no-bid review follows a subjective approach and helps you arrive at a conclusion through a data-driven approach. Some other factors that should be considered while holding a bid/no-bid review are: the current market situation, competition, business strategy, financial condition of the firm to perform, project location, scope etc.

There are three basic bid/no-bid tools used to reach a conclusion: Bid/no-bid decision checklist, Bid/no-bid decision matrix, and Bid/no-bid decision tree. One can reach their decision by assorting the factors in any of the above mentioned forms using just one of them or all if necessary.

6) Perform Accurate Take-offs and Estimates

After the careful examination of the plans and blueprints, prepare a take-off list of materials that you would require to complete the project. This list essentially consists of physical materials like concrete, aggregate, sand, timber, glass, electrical fixtures, plumbing accessories et cetera. Take-offs can be recorded either through the digital means or through the traditional paper blueprints. This will contribute to making a much more preciser estimate.
The estimate should reflect that you really understand the job and the numbers should not run awry. At last, be certain that your bid is devoid of grammatical and typographical errors.

7) Underline your Qualifications and Skillset

If you are an experienced contractor, then you would surely hold a list of successful projects and achievements. Do let the project owners know about your accomplishments and how you have tackled critical situations at different sites. In case you are an amateur contractor but you are confident enough about the successful execution of work, brandish your skill set, your staff and equipment you possess. Be clear with your ideas and explain to them how you can make the job successful and are ready to face any challenge that may come. Bidding, apart from making precise estimates, is also a bit about persuasion. Convince the project owners that you are the one with all the skills and repertoire to execute the work.

8) Up your Game with Digital tools

The precision of your estimate, transparency in language and your connections are of utmost importance. There are multiple digital tools that bring all these elements together on a single platform and help you with the quick management of work. Apart from the storage of data, these tools tender zero errors and offer instantaneous updates relevant to the project. Software like Bidclerk, isqft, bidplanroom, Buildertrend, Procore, smartbid help you with the management of the database of construction costs, streamline the preconstruction phase and bid process effectively.

9) Understand the Market Fluctuations

Fluctuations in the costs and availability of materials are inevitable. Therefore, construction contracts usually come with a provision for fluctuations that may allow for the changes in the cost of labour, transport, taxation, materials and administrative costs. You should pre-consider each and every material’s access, cost and availability during the construction phase, and prepare your estimate accordingly. Delays in the delivery of material and eventually the project would increase the project costs and may have serious political or business consequences. Effects of inflation in large-scale projects may have a significant impact whereas, in the small-scale projects, the contractor is assumed to have considered it in the estimate.

10) Communicate

Actively participate in conversations with your Project owners, subcontractors, material suppliers and legal advisors. Ratify all the data with the relevant people and make sure that you have a complete understanding of the contract. The most dangerous thing one could do to jeopardize their chances of winning a project is assuming information. Seek clarification wherever you have doubts.

How Lumion helps architects, designers and more

How Lumion helps architects, designers and more

1. Fast 3D rendering

Everything in Lumion is designed to save you time. This means you can set up a visualization in just a few minutes and make fast alterations as you go. Quickly build context around your project with fully featured terrains, forested and urban settings, interior and exterior furnishings and thousands of objects in Lumion’s large content library.

End results are rendered using GPU rendering technology, creating images in seconds and movies  in a fraction of the time required by other solutions

2. Massive visualizations

Backed by our proprietary 3D rendering technology, Lumion can handle large models or large areas without dampening your editing experience. Effortlessly, you can edit large areas and literally add tens of thousands of trees, plants or buildings.

We get a lot of feedback from users that Lumion currently is the only software in the world which allows you to seamlessly edit and render such large areas. We’ve even had examples of whole towns visualized in Lumion 

3. Do new things with visualization

Traditionally, visualization comes with many restrictions. Rendering takes a long time and software is almost always complex. Lumion completely turns this on its head by providing tools anybody can use.

No training in graphics is required. Editing and rendering are almost instantaneous, opening new doors for your business to use the possibilities that immersive visualization offers. For example, you can customize a video on the spot, set up a real-time link between Sketch Up or Revit and Lumion, and immediately furnish your work with a photorealistic or artistic feel.

4. Large object and foliage library

Fast 3D rendering is just one of the things needed for getting effective results. To create wonderful visualizations showing off your project, you also need beautiful skies, water, grass, materials, plants, people, trees and many other objects.

Lumion includes a huge content library with tools, materials and artistic effects. Everything is perfectly integrated so you can immediately add trees, people and other content, and in an instant, you’ll be breathing life, lighting and atmosphere into your visualizations.

5. You can do it yourself!

Lumion enables anyone to create movies and images without any prior training. It’s a functional tool designed to help architects and designers like yourself make beautiful 3D renderings. You won’t need to outsource visualizations, and Lumion will save you time and money. All you need is a 3D model and Lumion will take care of the rest.