How do you set up a model for several demo operations?

[brent1781]

What's good practice for setting up a revit model that will have a lot of demo and remodeling done to it? What kind of demo? I don't know yet, but most likely lots, and stuff I will need to undo and redo.

One question that myself and the other 'revit guy' have argued about is - In a two story wood frame building, how do you set up the wall/floor junction in the most flexible way... There are other questions but that was a point of contention because we began noticing different approaches. We are laughably amatuer.

What if I made every floor self contained - so each one could be individually chopped to pieces w/out affecting anything else? I find unpredictable inter-phase influences to be terrifying and would like to avoid them at all cost, rather than fix them later. How do I avoid them?

I'm curious about what other people are doing to set their models up to be as flexible as possible for demo, or multiple schemes, or just so they don't get trapped in a corner and have to rebuild stuff so the model can come apart easier - like cutting a deck into 6 parts so some parts can be demo'd.

I didn't realize I was venting until now. Sorry...

-bh

[PeterJ]

I do a lot of refurb work. I normally model the floor as one, if it is one and then when I find that it needs to be cut I duplicate the floor in the same location and redit the two pieces to suit the retained and demoilshed areas. This seems to work very well. It saves me worrying too much at the outset about where demolitions may be required and only takes a minute each time I have to split a floor in this fashion.

If you are talking about retaining a floor but cutting a hole in it, instead of removing say 50% of the floor and rebuilding, then I think the 'form opening' tool is phase sensitive so this would give you new openings in an existing floor and enable you to schedule area of demolitions etc.. That said I have not had occaision to play with this tool.

Generally, aside from floors look carefully at how to use phase filters and graphic over-rides. See whether you need an existing, an enabling and a new construction phase, this set up can allow you to show temporary works along with your dems, but can also make it harder to present an as built and demolished plan.

Pete