Can this be done with stacked walls?

[pashley]

My company is just starting to get serious with Revit. We create many building variations from a few statndard prototypes. One of the changes that are often made is to create a wainscot area of a different material on the exterior wall and/or extend a parapet area that could also be of a different material. I've not worked with stacked walls but what I'm wondering is if that type of element would permit changing out any one of the of the three sections of a stacked wall just as one regular wall type can be switched to another? I guess the question really depends on whether stacked walls are created from already made regular wall types. For this application would stacked walls do the trick?

[Alfredo Medina]

It depends on the type of construction. If the exterior wall is really going to have one type of material in the first 3 feet of its height (for example), and some other material above that height, use a stacked wall. If the wainscot is something like a precast concrete molding applied to the face of the CMU or brick, then use the Wall > Wall Sweep tool from an elevation. First you need to create a section profile of the wainscott, to apply it to the sweep.

About the other question, whether stacked walls are created from regular wall types: The components are regular wall types, but the stacked wall itself is started from its own subtype. In the project browser, go to Families > Walls > Stacked walls > select the style that is provided as an example > Duplicate > give it a name, and modify it.

[jeffh]

If the walls are the same thickness all the way up this can be done with a standard wall. If the wall varries in thickenss then you will need to use stacked walls. Stacked walls can be swapped out like anyother wall in Revit but you can really easily swap out sections of the stacked wall. You can but you need to modify the structure of the wall rather than just quickly changing the type.

[nancy.mcclure]

I would suggest reviewing your wall types with these thoughts in mind:

- Is the wall one structural assembly, with changes of veneer/trim? Use wall sweeps /split regions. (review your need to schedule sweeps to decide if they should be built into the family or hosted on the surface)

- Is the wall different structural assemblies, each at a fixed height from a base level? Use stacked walls for each proposed assembly (wall A over B over C, which could be changed for wall A over C over D, etc)

- is the wall different structural assemblies, with one or more sections that will need to adjust for level changes, etc? Use standard walls, built level to level above each other.

HTH

[pashley]

Generally we have two major wall structures, one of brick on block and one with brick over studs. Only the latter one would have the possiblilty of a wainscot material different that the brick or a wainscot of brick with siding on the studs above.

Since the part of the wall that extends above the roof canges on the interior side, I was wondering if that should be a separate part of a stacked wall.

We've also debated how to handle the interior furred wall on the inside of the block wall that goes only to the underside of the structure - whether it should be part of the entire wall assembly or a separate wall system all its own.

Well, I've obviously got a lot of thinking to do, involving not only creating something that's easy to use in the modeling environment but also will report and work with takeoffs in the manner we'd like. I'll have to map out the various combinations we foresee and do a lot of experimentation.

[eric.piotrowicz]

Something to think about for the interior furring over CMU is that you can unlock the individual tops and bottoms for each layer. You could keep the furring as part of the exterior wall and then pull the height down to stop 6" above the ceiling level.

[pashley]

Something to think about for the interior furring over CMU is that you can unlock the individual tops and bottoms for each layer. You could keep the furring as part of the exterior wall and then pull the height down to stop 6" above the ceiling level.

I did think about that possibility (the furring usually goes all the way to the underside fo the structure), but thought that perhaps that would add modeling labor if the height of the structure changed since it couldn't be controled by relating it to an elevation. Still something to consider, though, so thanks for reminding me.