True Cavity Walls for Services

[jpolding]

Is it possible to create a true cavity wall in order to accomodate services like piping and wires? As it stands these services would be created in Revit MEP and then linked into the Arch model. Then, interference checking would be used to check for interferences in walls, floors, structure etc. Many collisions would be found as the 'Air Layer' is not truly an empty space. I know that one could draw double walls but that presents all sorts of 'opening' issues.

[twiceroadsfool]

We do them as two seperate walls for a host of reasons, but thats every firms decision. Most firms ive been in like to define the Cavity wall but leave the overal dimension as "see-plan," which presents some Revitish issues surrounding each different size cavity wall being a wall type. Also, any plans showing coarse LOD loose the cavlity. In the end, after trying it both ways, we ended up going to two individual walls. But im sure its Chevrolet Versus Ford, in that regard.

As for interference checking, are you talking about in a third party app or inside Revit? I dont know what Filtering capabilities you have in Revit, as i dont use the Revit Interference Checker... But in Navisworks you can Filter the material "Air Space" out of the selection set for the Clash detection, making it a moot point.

[dhurtubise]

Keep it as a single wall but you can define precise rules if you use NavisWork for Interference so it doesnt become an issue.

[jpolding]

Thanks for the replies.

The Navisworks theory was a great idea that I also thought might work, but it doesn't. I found that Navisworks does not recognize materials inside wall components, only the outer faces. So that makes the 'filter by material' useless for the cavity. Unless it has something to do with a switch along the way?