Unbonded Braces? (BRBF's)

[ekneer]

Just wanted to see if any ambitious REVIT Structure users have modeled a family for unbonded braces from any of the three manufacturers (Nippon, Corebrace, Star)?

I'm modeling a BRBF building right now, and wanted to see if I was the first? (I hope not)

Here's some links to the manufacturer's websites for those who would like more info:

http://www.corebrace.com/

http://www.starseismic.net/products.html

[ekneer]

OK....so I've tried modeling a family for the unbonded braces. However, I'm debugging the geometry constraints right now, as I'm having difficulties defining family types without it going haywire.

If someone else already has a family, or would like to use the files I've attached as a base to begin one, let me know.

Until I hear otherwise though, I'll struggle onward. Learn by screwing up, right?

P.S. This is my first time creating a family, so I apologize for whatever inefficiencies or mistakes may be in the models.

EDIT: So in my continuing work, I've noticed that I screwed up and put this under the Structural Column Family, instead of the Structural Framing Family. But within the family editor, it won't allow me to change the family. How can I transfer this model to the Structural Framing Family?

[ekneer]

...bump...

Anyone? Bueller?

[Paul Andersen]

Erik, you can change a families category from structural column to structural framing (settings -> family category and parameters ...) however this will not allow your current family to function as though it were created from a beam/brace template. It would be best to either recreate this family from scratch in the proper template or I would recommend you start by copying the appropriate delivered structural framing family (hss-hollow structural section) family and type catalog. Add your mortar and core plate geometry and you should be good to go.

You're current family is constructed quite well for your first . . . great job. A couple of recommendations. Starting with the delivered family will save you the hassle of recreating the tube geometry and has the added benefit of the angle parameter and such being all set up. I would recommend using a sweep with a sketched profile that is locked to inner wall profile of the tube for the mortar and constrain the ends of the sweep path to the reference line that defines the ends of the tube. I would also use a sweep for the core plate. I prefer to use reference planes with dimensioned parameters to define the geometry and then lock the profile sketch of the sweep to the reference lines. This allows you access to the parameter driven geometry for other sweeps and extrusions if necessary. I would also create 2 sweeps for your mortar. 1 filleted with visibility set to fine and 1 squared off with visibility set to medium so the corners clean up at all detail levels. While you will probably not be placing enough of these in your model to be a factor there can be a performance hit with the small filleted geometry in Revit. One final note would be to copy the type catalog (txt file with the same name as the rfa file) and rename it with the same name as your new family and keep these files together. This will give you access to all of the tube dimensions and you can add your own parameters to this file as well for the core plate geometry. Just follow the syntax of the first line in the text file. There is good explanation of this in the help (index -> keyword search -> type catalogs).

Apologies for the delayed response . . . been pretty busy of late. Hope this helps and Good Luck.

[ekneer]

No apologies necessary Paul. Thank you very much for the thorough and informative post. I appreciate the tips, and will try to implement them in v.2 of my family.

I'd still be interested to hear if anyone else has tried to create a BRBF family. In the meantime however, I'll continue to plug away at mine, and will post it for everyone once I've worked all the bugs out.

Thanks again,