Structure (3 of 3)

STRUCTURE

1.       For the structure portion of this assignment refer to S501 to ensure you’re importing/creating the correct size structural elements.

2.       I prefer to load/create all the structural pieces before placing the elements. If you prefer you can one at a time. Load the beams by going to Structure>Beam>Load Family
                 

3.       In the Component Library that opens after clicking Load Family, navigate to structural >structural framing>wood and load the components that best match the drawings.

4.       After you load the structural element, a window will load so you can select what size you want. Since Revit is the industry leader in design drawings it has the available sizes loaded already, this means you don’t have to guess on sizing or draw a profile you have to extrude. In this window, select the size you need.

5.       After the structural beams are loaded, we are going to use a very clever tool to have the structural system populated for us. In the Structure tab select Beam System

The Beam System tool that loads will resemble the sketch tools you used to draw your slab. Use the line or rectangle tool to draw one bay of your structure. Be careful and be aware of where the structural boundaries are when drawing. For example, the floor beams and roof beams do not have the same offset.

6.       After you click the green arrow to accept the system check the orientation of your beams. If they in the wrong orientation go back to the Edit Boundary and choose Beam Direction. While in this tool, click on the boundary line you want to be parallel to the beam system (you'll notice two parallel magenta lines appear centered on the boundary line) and click the green check mark.

wrong orientation

correct orientation

7.        If you need to change the boundary after its drawn, simple select Edit Boundary in the ribbon and you'll be brought back to the familiar draw boundary tool.

8.       After you accept the Beam System in defaults to a 6’-0” Fixed Distance. This can be viewed in the Properties menu.

We will leave the Layout Rule at Fixed Distance but need to adjust the Fixed Spacing according to what the notation on 2/S201 calls for. After you have made the change, select apply and the beam system should be completed.

9.       With this first structural system completed, simply select the Beam System (hover you mouse on the boundary until the dashed blue lines appear) and copy it to the other bays. Then edit each boundary to adjust where it lines up. Note that each bay is a little different.

10.   With the floor beams completed, use these same steps to make a beam system for the roof beams. Remember the roof and floor beams are different so check to ensure that you’re using the correct types in the right location.

11.   When making the roof beam system, the boundary line location isn’t too important yet. Draw the boundary of the first bay, change the Fixed Distance, make sure you’re using the correct member, then go to an elevation view.

12.   Now go to Annotate>Spot Slope and place this annotation on the new beam system. It should say [No Slope].

13.   Our drawings give us the slope we need so use the rotate tool (in this elevation view) to rotate the beam system – not the individual beam – to achieve that slope.

14.   With your slope correct, we will now adjust the boundary to maintain the 2’-0” offset that the drawings call for. It will probably be easiest to do this in a 3D view. By now you will have used the boundary tool a number of times, so use the same tools to draw the offset from the walls.

15.   If your system looks correct (ignore the walls for now), draw the boundaries for other bays to complete the roof structure. You might try to copy the boundaries if you want to save some time.

16.   With your beams completed, go to a 3D view and change constraints on your walls to connect up the structure. A slight gap between the two is ok for now, if you have this it can be fixed when the roof and exterior walls get modeled.