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Strusoft - BIM in structural design
1. BIM
IN STRUCTURAL DESIGN
10 IV 2014 • I Konferencja Projektowanie Przyszłości
STRUCTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE IN EUROPE • WWW.STRUSOFT.COM
Dennis Kristensen
Vice President StruSoft
2. STRUCTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE IN EUROPE • WWW.STRUSOFT.COM
AgendaSlide 2/31
StruStory
FEM-Design
Integration
with Revit
StruSoft history and our software
Brief introduction to StruSoft FEM-Design
Revit to FEM-Design connection
3. STRUCTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE IN EUROPE • WWW.STRUSOFT.COM
StruSoft is a worldwide known software producer
MORE THAN
10 000
USERS
MORE THAN
1000
CUSTOMERS
South
Africa
MORE THAN
20
COUNTRIES
India Norway
Denmark
SwedenUnited
Arab
Emirats
UK
Baltic
States
Finland
Slide 3/31
4. STRUCTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE IN EUROPE • WWW.STRUSOFT.COM
StruSoft worldwideSlide 4/31
SKANSKA SOFTWARE
1986 1997 2002 2008-2011 2012-2013 Future
StruSoft AB - Head-office
Malmö - Sweden
StruSoft Kft / Development
Budapest - Hungary
StruSoft DK / Sales & Support
Kgs. Lyngby - Denmark
StruEngineers Ltd. /
Services Pune – India
StruSoft UK / Sales
London – United Kingdom
StruSoft FZE / Sales & Support
Dubai – United Arab Emirates
StruSoft Australia / Sales
Bellevue Heights, Australia
5. STRUCTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE IN EUROPE • WWW.STRUSOFT.COM
We deliver software for the entire building industrySlide 5/31
6. STRUCTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE IN EUROPE • WWW.STRUSOFT.COM
FEM-Design: Features
USER-FRIENDLY
WORKING INTERFACE
PREFABRICATED
BUIDLING STABILITY
DOCUMENTATION
MODULE
Slide 6/31
FAST AND SIMPLE
INPUT OF DATA
ACCURATE AND
EFFECTIVE
EASY EVALUATION
OF RESULTS
PERSONAL AND HIGH
QUALITY SUPPORT
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FEM-Design: FeaturesSlide 7/31
DWG DRAWINGS
AS REFERENCES
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FEM-Design: FeaturesSlide 8/31
AUTOMATIC GENERATION OF
WIND AND SNOW LOAD
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FEM-Design: FeaturesSlide 9/31
AUTOMATIC MESH GENERATION
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FEM-Design: FeaturesSlide 10/31
STEEL BEAMS TRANSFORMED
TO SHELL ELEMENTS
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FEM-Design: FeaturesSlide 11/31
CRACKED CONCRETE
SECTION ANALYSIS
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FEM-Design: FeaturesSlide 12/31
EASY EVALUATION OF
PREFABRICATED ELEMENTS
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FEM-Design: FeaturesSlide 13/31
FOUNDATION
ANALYSIS
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FEM-Design: FeaturesSlide 15/31
AUTO-DESIGN
STEEL ELEMENTS
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FEM-Design: FeaturesSlide 16/31
AUTO-DESIGN
CONCRETE ELEMENTS
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FEM-Design: FeaturesSlide 17/31
AUTO-DESIGN
TIMBER ELEMENTS
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FEM-Design: Interoperability
STRUXML
FILE
Slide 18/31
REVIT
FEM-DESIGN
TEKLA STRUCTURES
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Revit to FEM-Design connection: idea
STRUXML
FILE
Slide 19/31
element types
materials
sections
boundary conditions
grids and levels
loads, load cases, LC
end conditions
FEM-DESIGNREVIT
20. STRUCTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE IN EUROPE • WWW.STRUSOFT.COM
Revit to FEM-Design connection: StruXML Add-In
Export a model from Revit Structure to create a new model in FEM-Design
UPDATE REVIT MODEL
UPDATE FEM-DESIGN MODEL
A free Revit Add-In that allows data exchange between Autodesk Revit and FEM-Design
Slide 20/31
EXPORT
IMPORT
Export a model from Revit Structure to update a model in FEM-Design
Import a FEM-Design model to create a new model in Revit Structure – release May 2014
Import a FEM-Design model to update a model in Revit Structure – release June/July 2014
Import reinforcement data from FEM-Design to Revit – release November 2014
21. HOW IT IS EXPORTED?
STRUCTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE IN EUROPE • WWW.STRUSOFT.COM
StruXML Add-In: 1) Concept of exportSlide 21/31
SCOPE:
all
only selected
Structural columns
Structural framing
Structural floors
Structural walls
Structural foundations
Boundary conditions
Grids and levels
Loads
EXPORT:
grids
levels
loads
FOUNDATIONS:
as elements
as supports
Material / section
Release conditions
Eccentricity
USER’S CHOICE:
STRUCTURAL MODEL ANALYTICAL MODEL FEM-DESIGN MODEL
PROPERTIES:
ELEMENT CATEGORIES
WHAT CAN BE EXPORTED?
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StruXML Add-In: 2) Mapping - materialsSlide 22/31
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StruXML Add-In: 2) Mapping - sectionsSlide 23/31
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BIM Workflow: Different approachesSlide 25/31
MODEL 1:
Small design team working on a small-
scale project.
Often the same person is using both Revit
and FEM-Design.
Model is well adjusted (often while being
created).
Usually no issues with data exchanged.
MODEL 2:
Big companies working on a large-scale
project.
Different design teams are using the same
model.
Analytical model is often adjusted as a last
step.
More issues arising when trying to correct a
large model.
Interested in exporting basic loads.
INTERESTS
Interested in update mechanisms.
Interested in importing FD model to Revit.
Interested in using data from stuxml file
for internal purpose.
INTERESTS
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BIM Workflow: real exampleSlide 26/31
1. Complex Revit model 2. Structural model 3. Analytical model
4. Fix the analytical model
5. Export the model
7. Perform analysis in
FEM-Design
8. Update
FEM-Design
model
6. Correct the model
and repeat the export
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BIM Workflow: Recognized issuesSlide 27/31
ARCHITECTURAL MODEL
ANALYTICAL MODEL
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BIM Workflow: Recognized issuesSlide 28/31
PHYSICAL MODEL
ANALYTICAL MODEL
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BIM Workflow: Recognized issuesSlide 29/31
PHYSICAL MODEL
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BIM for Structural Design: Recognized issuesSlide 30/31
BAD
REVIT
MODELING
LACK OF
INFORMATION
IN THE MODEL
LACK OR
INCONSISTENT
ANALYTICAL
MODEL
31. IN CASE OF QUESTIONS YOU
ARE WELCOME TO
CONTACT US
STRUCTURAL DESIGN SOFTWARE IN EUROPE • WWW.STRUSOFT.COM
Thank you for your attention.
Dennis Kristensen
Vice-President StruSoft
dennis.kristensen@strusoft.com
FEM-DESIGN
Iwona Budny
Development Revit Add-In
Iwona.budny@strusoft.com
REVIT CONNECTION
Editor's Notes
FEM-Design is an advanced modeling software for finite element analysis and design of load-bearing concrete, steel and timber structures according to Eurocode. - FEM-design isextremely user friendly and easy to use - Perfect for prefabricated building stability - Efficient documentationmodule.If you want to find more about FEM-Design, please visit us at our stand
FEM-Design is allowed to exchange data with one of the two most popular software for 3D modelling: Autodesk Revit and Tekla Structures. Data exchanged is done by direct links that are developed by StruSoft.The connection we want to talk about today is interoperability between Autodesk Revit and our software FEM-Design Next slide
The connection we want to talk about today is interoperability between Autodesk Revit and our software FEM-Design. This is our most developed link used by many customers mostly in Scandinavia and UK. The link we provide to our customers allows them to incorporate the structural part of the project into the BIM technology, which is a requirement for all the goverment finansed projects. Information from revit are transfered to a struxml file that is read by FEM-Design, and the oposite – FEM-Design model can be saved as a struxml file and then read by Revit. StruXML can handle ol sort of element types, materials and sections, as well as boundary conditions, grids and levels, loads and end conditions. This format is under constant development and in a near future will be also able to handle the results.
To provide the link between the two programs StruSoft developed a StruXML Revit Add-In that allows data exchange between Autodesk RevitStructure and StruSoft FEM-Design.The Add-In is free for all our customers and is constantly developed to meet their requirements.Currently the following workflows are supported by the Add-In:- Export a model from Revit Structure to create a new model in FEM-Design - Export a model from Revit Structure to update the (previously exported) model in FEM-Design Currently we are working on a development of:- Import a FEM-Design model to create a new model in Revit Structure– release May 2014- Import a FEM-Design model to update the model in Revit Structure– release June/July 2014Another on-going project is an export of the reinforcement data for every element from FD to Revit, where all kinds of shop drawings and quantity estimations will be automaticaly created.
Our mission was to make the export of elements from Revit to FEM-Design simple and straight forward.The export if done by transfering the exact position and configuration of Revit analytical model. All kinds of structural elements can be exported along with the properties of material / section / release conditions and eccentricity in case of some elements.User can decide: - if the whole analytical model, or only selected analytical elements should be exported. - if to export grids, levels and loads or not - and if the foundation elements should be exported as real elements or supports.
The strong side of the add-in according to our users is the fact that export of elements is done only in accordance with the user choice. We do not try to guess which material or section the elements in Revit have and match them to FD elements.Our solution is a mapping dialog, separate for materials and sections.On the current slide we can see a material mapping dialog.On the left side of the dialog we show a list of materials that have been used in revit modelAnd on the right side we load a FEM-Design material libraryUser is asked to make a mapping and assign the Revit materials to the corresponding materials in FEM-Design.
On the current slide we can see a sections mapping dialog.On the left side of the dialog we show a list of sections that have been used in revit modelAnd on the right side we load a FEM-Design section libraryUser is asked to make a mapping and assign the Revit sections to the corresponding sections in FEM-Design. Additionally, user can: - import his own library from FEM-Design - Import and export the mapping
One of our newest features is an Export report. It is generated after every export and shows very clearly how many elements of a given type has been succesfully exported. On the slide we can see an example of an export report – 39 elements of different types have been succesfully exported. In case there were some errors in the model, the report will give you a clear image of how many elements of which family and type have not been exported along with the clear reason of the failure. In the example on the slide we can see that 9 elements were nit exported: - 3 walls due to lack of analytical model - and 6 wall foundations due to lack of structural material. Now user have a chance to go back to the model and fix those elements.This feature helps a lot in case of large models. It provides a very clear image of the transfered model.
Based on the conversations with our clients and observations of their issues with the models, as well as their requests regarding the future development we can recognize two different approaches on how they use Revit to FD connection.MODEL 1The first approach is found among companies working on a small scale projects when often it is the same person using both the Revit and FEM-Design. This kind of workflow makes the person usually more aware of how the connection works and the revit analytical model is adjusted already while it is created. This makes the transfer much easier afterward. Also among this group we found the most interest to be able to export loads from revit MODEL 2Another approach is found among the big companies working on a larg scale project.Those usually have a few different teams working at the same model. This makes usually the transfer more problematic, as the analytical model is adjusted as a last step – what in case of large models, is not the easiest solutionAmong this group, the bigest interest is found in the update mechanisms and ability to export of a model that was originally created in FEM-Design to Revit. We also have a company that is using our struxml file to transfer data to their internal program.We are trying to develop the connection in a way that we cover needs of both groups
Here we will show one of the typical workflows that has been used in a real project made by Niras Denmark. 1) It is a large scale project of almost 230 new apartment being build in Aarhus, DK. 2) The design team is considering only a part of the structure at a time and a structural model of this part is isolated. 3) In the next step they checked the analytical model that already came with the structural part 4) It turned out the model needed to be fixed5) They exported the model and the export report showed that 2095 elements were correctly exported, but 50 elements failed due to lack of structural material assigned to them6) So the model had to be corrected and the export repeated7) Finally they got their model into FEM-design and started preliminary analysis. 8) While analyzing the model, thay used the Update function, to update the model with the changes that have been made in Revit. The changes were mainly some extra openings in the walls. Update function allowed them to update the model without loosing the information (loads, load combiantion) that they already set up in FEM-Design
Export of elements from Revit to FEM-Design itself is very easy and straight forwardThe difficoult part is to prepare a good analytical model that will benefit when exported to FD. Often analytical model does not exist in the Revit model like on this example on the slide
some users are used to thinking of physical elements (with the thickness / sections displayed) and forget that the analytical model has to be adjusted independentlyeven if analytical model exist in the project, often is inconsistent and can’t be used in FEM-DesignOften the reason for that is bad modeling technique small geometrical innacuracies in modeling can cause inconsistent analytical model - those kind of errors are difficoult to spot
Bim is aboout having information in the model. Our connection does not require many information – just the materialBut even that is often forgotten
Sumarizing: Export of elements from Revit to FEM-Design itself is very easy and straight forwardThe difficoult part is to prepare a good analytical model that will benefit when exported to FD. The recognized issues when it comes to tranfering data for the purpose of structural analysis are: --- Lack of understanding the idea of analytical and physical model in Revit --- Bad modeling techniques:--- Lack of information in the model:
