flexible pipe (like PEX) piping ideas?

[Jim Merritt]

Does anyone have ideas on how one might put flexible pipe in Revit? We use a lot of flexible pipe for hot/cold supply to fixtures and also for in-floor radiant heat.

My current thinking is to call it plastic pipe (or maybe other) with thread type fittings and make custom elbows with a large radius for the bends in heat loops in the floors.

We are going to run into the same problem with flexible gas piping, which Revit MEP doesn't seem to have options for. A tool like the flex duct for piping would be great. Thanks for any help/opinions.

--Jim

[ran.154477]

I like your idea to make it similar to flex duct. PEX is a MUST-HAVE.

[brendan.upton]

Correct me if i'm wrong but there is a flex pipe tool in the pipe design bar (see pic), doesn't that give you the result you're after?

I have not extensively used it but it appears to work similar to the flex duct tool.

[robert.manna]

Has anyone modeled/designed a PEX system in Rvt MEP yet? I'm thinking that the flexible pipe tool was really intended for short connections, and not long PEX homeruns. Also, how about a manifold family? Is it even possible to design a proper manifold distribution point in the Rvt family editor?

[hgajardo]

I'm having the same problem. Do you think there's a way to duplicate the copper flex pipe and make it plastic, that places a big radius on the corners automatically? I'm doing PEX circuits for radiant floor, and it's driving me crazy!

Best regards,
Hernan.

[moliva]

I'm working on a helipad and my first thought was to model the circuits as families using sweeps to get any routing I'd want and then provide connectors to pipe up from there. I'll be trying to finalize a layout and design outside of Revit and be able to take that and model from it. I can't see why that wouldn't work although it makes making changes tough since you'd have to go in an edit a family each time.

Any ideas on getting the pipe or elements within the slab to show? I tried turning "floors" to transparent but not having any luck. I was thinking some view range settings may help...any thoughts?

[jseck]

I'm working on a helipad and my first thought was to model the circuits as families using sweeps to get any routing I'd want and then provide connectors to pipe up from there. I'll be trying to finalize a layout and design outside of Revit and be able to take that and model from it. I can't see why that wouldn't work although it makes making changes tough since you'd have to go in an edit a family each time.

Any ideas on getting the pipe or elements within the slab to show? I tried turning "floors" to transparent but not having any luck. I was thinking some view range settings may help...any thoughts?

I assume you've checked your View Range/View Depth setting?

[moliva]

actually I hadn't set it to a mechanical equipment category yet...easy fix.

[jason.martin]

Someone's probably going to shoot me for this, but have you tried using conduit without fittings? Since they allow adjustable radius elbows you might be able to get the "look" you are going for with the radius edges and all without resorting to custom families.

You should be able to add a project param and filter on it if you have "real" conduit being used that you don't want to show.

Of course this won't let you actually "connect" to the piping network, but it should be able to "look" correct.

jason

[matt__w]

And if it doesn't connect, what's the point? You might as well draw it with detail lines.

[moliva]

Someone's probably going to shoot me for this

mattw coming out firing!! I didn't think of using conduit but it would at least provide a modeled element for coordination...so far it hasn't been too tedious playing the custom families, we'll see as I get further along.

[robert.manna]

I didn't think of using conduit but it would at least provide a modeled element for coordination...

I would agree, detail lines are just as much work as modeling conduit, so you might as well model conduit as a custom system, get your graphic appearance and get model elements for coordination purposes.

[ashraf_brown]

Great info & ideas guys. Possible solution to the pex pipe idea, using conduit fitting. I used the "conduit without fitting" elbow family, modified it by replacing the conduit connections with pipe connectors. This way you can create a default PEX pipe family in your template