Anybody using structural plans and structural members?

[christo4robin]

I'm just dabbling with using the structural members and the structural view template to create framing plans (residential). It seems there are some issues to overcome (bearing wall sitting on beam, wall hides beam, etc.)

So, before I put energy into this, I'd like to hear somebody's success story about using the structural members and structural view template to create usable framing plans.

Cheers!

[nrenfro]

we do mostly residential work and I have struggled with this very issue for sometime on what direction to take framing. To date I have been having people draft the information with detail lines. I have not found a better way to show the floor system, beams and headers in the same view as all exist on different levels. I am hoping for a killer structural package in release 7, unless someone has some good work arounds up their sleeve.
This may be of help http://www.zoogdesign.com/forums/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1309&highlight=

[Martin P]

I wont go into great detail explaining all the pitfalls, but personally I have found there are many. Structural stuff in revit is very frustrating to use, you can see how good it could be, but at the moment it is a bit hard to use with any confidence.

note - havent tried 6.1 yet... looks like there is a lot of structural stuff in there.

[David Sammons]

Since I do not do any residential type work with wood framing, I cannot give an opinion about the structural aspects of Revit for residential wood framing plans.

However, I do use Revit to prepare models and construction documents for the structural system of commercial type buildings using concrete, masonry and structural steel framing (very little wood framing) and I have found Revit to be VERY powerful. The foundation and framing plans I prepare in Revit from the model are much better than what I have prepared using AutoCAD. I would think that you could prepare wood-framing plans just as well although wood framing generally results in many more components (joists, studs, rafters, headers, etc.) than other materials and this may add some complexity.

So far the only real difficulty I have had is creating partial plans with match lines from buildings with large footprints. I have used call outs and the duplicate with detailing options with less than satisfactory results but this is only a minor inconveniece at this point and I look forward to future releases that may address this issue.

Dave S.

[Tom Weir]

Yo,
I am currently working on two wood structures, and it's going pretty well. I constructed a shear wall type with stud, sheathing and a curb on the bottom. As far as the framing goes I do not fill in every member of the framing. We don't show it that way on the plan, so I am only taking the model only as far as I need for the construction documents. That leaves the model a little under done but I am not sure that matters.
Go for it!

Thanks and have a great day.

Tom Weir
Los Angeles