AEC Magazine November / December 2013 by X3DMEDIA

Structural special edition Design, analysis and fabrication plus structural BIM for SMEs

New Energy Institute (Wuhan, China). IMAGE COURTESY OF Grontmij Nederland BV (NL) and Nemetschek SCIA

Building Information Modelling (BIM) for Architecture, Engineering and Construction

Faro laser scanning Autodesk evolution Harnessing big data Bentley and the cloud

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Building Information Modelling (BIM) for Architecture, Engineering and Construction

editorial

Managing Editor Greg Corke greg@x3dmedia.com

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Financial Controller Samantha Todescato-Rutland sam@chalfen.com AEC Magazine is available FREE to qualifying individuals. To ensure you receive your regular copy please register online at www.aecmag.com about AEC Magazine is published bi-monthly by X3DMedia Ltd Rooms 108 -109, 4th Floor 65 London Wall London, EC2M 5TU T. +44 (0)20 3355 7310 F. +44 (0)20 3355 7319 www.x3dmedia.com © 2013 X3DMedia Ltd All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without prior permission from the publisher is prohibited. All trademarks acknowledged. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the author and not of X3DMedia. X3DMedia cannot accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements within the magazine.

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Structural BIM for SMEs 9

Bentley embraces the cloud 22

CSC’s BIM expert, Kevin Lea, discusses why many SMEs have been slower to adopt BIM than large structural consulting firms, and explores how it can immediately benefit an SME.

Bentley is taking a measured approach to cloud services, allowing users to set their own pace when embracing data mobility, simulation and flexible licensing.

Analyse through Revit Structure 10 Greg Corke considers the importance of links between Revit Structure and thirdparty structural analysis software.

Scia Engineer Design Forms 16 Nemetschek Scia’s new tool is intended to make engineering design more transparent. Greg Corke met with CEO Jean-Pierre Rammant to find out more.

Tekla UK BIM awards 20 BDS VirCon scooped the first prize for its work on Gehry Partners’ iconic Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation, which will house the new Paris Museum of Contemporary Art.

Autodesk Evolution 26 On a visit to Autodesk’s headquarters in downtown San Francisco, we quizzed the company’s AEC development team on near and long-term development plans and got some candid answers.

Big data 32 How can firms take the first steps towards applying big data methodologies in their AECO practices?

Sefaira for SketchUp 34 Cloud-based energy efficiency developer Sefaira has launched a new, real-time analysis plug-in for SketchUp. AEC got a sneak peak before the launch. Also this month: 4 and 6 News; 31 Faro and the CyArk 500 challenge November / December 2013

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News

Road design for architects inside Revit ransoft Solutions, best known for its AutoCAD- and MicroStation-based road and site design tools, has released an Autodesk Revit version of AutoTurn, its vehicle path checking tool for architects. The software is intended to help architects answer questions such as: can larger vehicles manoeuvre on site and will design vehicles be able to access the site safely?

Structural movement as CSC & Graitec tech acquired utodesk and Trimble are spreading their wings in the structural sector with both firms embarking on major acquisitions this Autumn. Autodesk is to buy Graitec’s fabrication and detailing tools (Advance Steel and Concrete) while Trimble has acquired CSC, the Leeds-based developer of structural analysis and design software. Both acquisitions reinforce the intentions of the two companies to compete in the wider AEC sector from design all the way through to fabrication and construction. While Autodesk is historically strong in design it does not have the same pedigree in fabrication. The purchase of Graitec’s software will certainly give it more clout in this sector. While both Advance Steel and Concrete run inside AutoCAD (or standalone), long term we predict Autodesk may look to embed the respected

fabrication technology inside Revit to better support an integrated BIM workflow. Trimble, on the other hand, is already strong in fabrication through Tekla Structures. The acquisition of CSC — whose software includes Fastrak and Orion for steel and RC design and solve for finite element analysis — brings a whole new dimension to its portfolio, supporting the process further upstream. Meanwhile, Advance steel now includes direct links with UK steel stockholder ParkerSteel using a new Pack & Go plug-in. This allows customers to package up their Advance Steel project (by part or whole) and send enquiries directly to the ParkerSteel production management system, where it is automatically processed and quoted on, speeding up estimating and helping reduce potential errors. ■ autodesk.com ■ graitec.co.uk ■ buildings.trimble.com ■ cscworld.com

■ transoftsolutions.com

BIM training sta Development, in conjunction with BIM experts from the BIM Academy and Northumbria University, are running a series of two-day interactive BIM training courses in 2014. The workshops are designed for planners, schedulers, project controllers, project managers and other professionals wishing to use BIM for the planning and control of their projects. Course delegates will get hands-on experience of using Navisworks, Revit and Asta Powerproject.

■ astadev.com/bim-training-workshop

Graphisoft links 2D with 3D on iPad raphisoft’s next generation BIMx app for the iPad / iPhone includes the ‘BIMx Docs’ function set, which is designed to put 2D project documents in the context of 3D models. The technology, which uses hyperlinks to navigate 2D and 3D worlds, is called ‘Hyper-model’. According to Graphisoft, it makes navigation more intuitive,

smoother and faster than most other constructionrelated mobile apps. It is not to be confused with the Bentley technology of the same name. “BIMx Docs has the potential to fundamentally change the way people explore BIM projects on their touch screen devices, whether they’re away from their office and / or don’t have BIM training,” said

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Graphisoft’s Akos Pfemeter. Meanwhile, Graphisoft ArchiCAD is now certified for both IFC Coordination View 2.0 Import and export. The main purpose of the Coordination View is to help coordinate ‘BIM’ design information between the disciplines of architecture, structural engineering, and building services (mechanical). ■ graphisoft.com/bimx

Pre-BIM tool chema is a new cloudbased design solution from Archetris that is claimed to help designers move seamlessly between programming, stacking, blocking, and planning. The SaaS software aims to replace current schematic design methods which often utilise paper-based bubble plans or complex Excel formula.

■ archetris.com

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Building Success

With Information Modeling for Multidisciplinary Building Teams Success from BIM that drives project and building performance – not just coordinated drawings. Success realized in buildings such as the Stone Towers in Cairo by Zaha Hadid. Success achieved through the analysis, simulation, and collaborative workflows uniquely possible using Bentley’s AECOsim software and ProjectWise’s collaboration system of servers and services.

www.Bentley.com/AECMagazine © 2012 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo and ProjectWise are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

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News

ROUND UP Maps in AutoCAD The Promap AutoCAD 2014 plug-in enables users to access detailed OS maps directly from Promap’s online service. The free plug-in can be found on Promap Labs, a portal that allows architects, surveyors and others to test new digital mapping product concepts before they are launched. ■ labs.promap.co.uk

Live collaboration Tekla BIMsight 1.8, the latest release of the free BIM coordination tool, has a big focus on communication. Notes can now be shared in real time through a cloud- or network-hosted Project folder and will automatically appear in BIMsight. ■ teklabimsight.com

BIM cloud services Excitech is to deliver Autodesk’s BIM 360 Glue and BIM 360 Field cloud services to its clients. BIM 360 Glue provides collaboration, coordination and management for BIM projects while BIM 360 Field offers data management for construction, commissioning and handover. ■ excitech.co.uk/BIM-360-Glue

3D mouse cut free The SpaceMouse Wireless combines 3Dconnexion’s 6-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) sensor with 2.4 GHz wireless technology to deliver a cordless 3D mouse with a one month battery life. Supported applications include Rhino, Revit, SketchUp, ArchiCAD, AutoCAD and Vectorworks. ■ 3dconnexion.co.uk

Renders from Paris Paris-based Abvent has two new software releases: Artlantis 5, the latest version of the standalone 3D rendering tool for architects, and iVisit 3D for Autodesk 360, which converts Revit panoramas rendered with Autodesk 360 Rendering into ‘full 3D presentations’. ■ abvent.com

V-Ray for SketchUp V-Ray 2.0 for SketchUp is a multithreaded ray traced rendering engine fully integrated with Trimble’s push / pull 3D modelling tool. The software features V-Ray RT CPU and GPU, and interactive progressive renderer. ■ chaosgroup.com

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Sketchpack: cloud-based collaboration rtVPS, best known for its Shaderlight interactive rendering plug-in for SketchUp, has launched a cloud-based collaboration platform that enables AEC professionals to share ideas and 3D data. Developed for architects, designers, engineers, contractors and clients, Sketchpack combines aspects of social networking with file storage and the ability to upload and share interactive 3D models. ArtVPS has teamed up with Sketchfab, a web service with more than 50,000 users

that publishes, shares and embeds interactive 3D models online without the need for a plug-in or the host 3D application. This partnership enables Sketchpack users to share 3D information alongside project data and ideas, with a view to improving collaboration, speeding up processes and increasing efficiency within project teams. ■

sketchpack.com

Free training for CAD apprentices he TDS Academy is providing UK employers with a free training service for CAD apprentices. The service is specifically designed for the steelwork industry and focuses on teaching all of the fundamentals of steelwork and architectural metalwork detailing. Support for the scheme is from the ECITB, BCSA and Tekla Structures. Training is delivered by vocational experts, there’s a free recruitment service to find local candidates and a 20 week intensive training

period in year 1 to help ensure apprentices will be productive and ‘work ready’ on their first day. Training includes H&S, customer service, AutoCAD, Tekla, GAs, contractual awareness, fabrication drawings, and RFIs. The only commitment for employers is to pay the wages of apprentices for the three year duration of the qualification (currently £2.65 per hour min). Tekla has also released Tekla Structures Learning edition, a free student license of the BIM software. Meanwhile, design and

engineering consultancy, Waldeck, has set up an academy in Lincoln to train young people in Building Information Modelling (BIM). Waldeck has developed a training programme to equip school leavers and graduates with the skills needed for a career in digital engineering. Students will initially be trained in CAD and those demonstrating a good understanding will then progress to BIM and be given the opportunity to test out their skills on live projects. ■ tdsacademy.co.uk ■ waldeckconsulting.com

HP updates top-end Designjet eMFP he Designjet T2500 eMultifunction Printer (eMFP) replaces the T2300 eMFP as HP’s flagship large format printer. Complete with an integrated scanner the new ergonomic design has a 30 percent smaller footprint than its predecessor.

The T2500 features a level top surface to use as a viewing table, ‘flat’ top output stacking tray, and standard catchbasket below. It prints 120 A1 or 60 A0 prints per hour, with an optimised resolution of up to 2,400 x 1,200 dpi Its two-roll, front-loading media input, and new

300ml ink cartridges help minimise maintenance and a colour touch screen lets users manage print and scan jobs, queues, and view true print previews. ePrint & Share functionality also enables user to remotely print and share files. Prices start at £7,500. ■ hp.com/designjet

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ArchiCAD 17 provides a one-of-a-kind BIM-based documentation workflow. It simplifies the modeling and documentation of buildings even when the model contains a high level of detail. ArchiCAD’s end-to-end BIM workflow allows the model to stay live until the very end of the project. For further information on ArchiCAD 17 contact Graphisoft at www.graphisoft.com or call 01895 876222

Copyright © Graphisoft UK Ltd. All rights reserved world-wide. All other company and product names may be tradenames or trademarks of their respective owners. Image: Multifunctional dwelling complex on Mosfilmovskaya street, Moscow, Russia. Sergey Skuratov Architects www.skuratov-arch.ru Photo © Ilya Ivanov

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Comment

Structural BIM: a start point for SMEs CSC’s BIM expert, Kevin Lea, discusses why many SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) have been slower to adopt BIM than large structural consulting firms, and explores how they can immediately benefit from Structural BIM

am often confronted with the view that Building Information Modelling (BIM) is for large projects and is not applicable to the smaller projects typically undertaken by small-to-medium structural consulting firms. This is a misconception, there are huge benefits for an SME employing BIM even on small projects; the key to unlocking these benefits is to understand what BIM can do for your business, and I strongly believe that ‘Structural BIM’ is the best place for an SME to start.

Jargon busting For structural engineers BIM essentially falls into two camps, External BIM and Internal or Structural BIM (also referred to occasionally as Big BIM and Little BIM). External BIM focuses on external communication with the client, architect and contractor. This has typically been adopted by larger consulting firms which have had an external driver — a client or contractor stipulating the use of BIM for collaboration. Smaller projects tend not to have BIM directives; hence there is a smaller driving force for BIM adoption by SMEs. Structural BIM is where the structural engineer and the technician streamline the design process by sharing project data internally within the structural design office, synchronising the code-compliant design model produced by the engineer with the technician’s BIM model for project documentation. It is a less well-known concept but if executed well, an SME can immediately see huge productivity gains.

Better productivity Despite requiring the same geometry, the design and BIM models are often created separately, doubling the workload and increasing the risk of errors. By using Structural BIM, the structural design office only needs to build one model, as the geometry in Autodesk Revit or Tekla Structures, for example, can be synchronised with www.AECmag.com

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Getting started design software, such as CSC’s Fastrak and For SMEs with finite Orion. Project amendresource, the transiments can be made in tion from a traditionKevin Lea, BIM business one place, maximisal approach to executdevelopment manager at CSC, specialises in both ing the use of the BIM ing Structural BIM structural design and BIM data, which in turn, may at first be dauntsoftware. He has assisted increases productiviing but it need not be. many of CSC’s corporate clity by avoiding repetiIt is best to start by ents such as Arup, Atkins, tion and reduces the identifying who will Buro Happold, Aecom, Ramboll, WSP, White Young Green to implement the latest strucrisk of errors. drive the strategy and tural BIM technology. As an example, implementation; conMcElroy Consulting sider what informaEngineers & Project tion needs to be proManagers, an Irish SME employing 22 duced and how it will be used. For instance, staff, recently completed its first Structural will BIM tools be used simply for drawing BIM project where it synchronised its creation within the design office, or will it Fastrak design model with Autodesk Revit be shared externally, even downstream to a on a small project with relatively simple fabricator? This will help determine the geometry. level of data required, which BIM platforms McElroy found that the Structural BIM are required and what workflows to use. processes revolutionised how it approached It is also important that a business condesigns as it was able to maintain a single siders how it wants to work with its clients set of BIM data throughout the project. so that clear expectations are set in relaWill Norton, structural engineer at tion to the sharing of BIM data and who is McElroy, said: “Historically we would responsible for what. have re-modelled the structure twice for An SME should review the BIM capaeach design change, once in Fastrak and bilities of its current structural design again in Autodesk Revit, but with seam- software; many packages already have less synchronisation between the two soft- integration capabilities with industryware packages we were able to maintain a standard BIM products like Autodesk single model, sharing all the latest data.” Revit and Tekla Structures. Like McElroy, I recommend using It is also worth exploring the training Structural BIM on a small project in the first and consultancy services provided by softinstance — an SME can get to grips with ware houses, as external support can help understanding and implementing BIM inspire confidence in understanding and without the pressure of delivering a big implementing new BIM workflows. project to an external project team. Not only will it increase productivity internally with- Business benefit in the organisation, it gives the design team Every day I see SMEs punching well above time to learn the workflows that are essen- their weight by adopting Structural BIM tial for effective BIM synchronisation, while for their own benefit. The streamlined probuilding confidence for tackling larger and cesses afforded by Structural BIM enable more complex projects. Following this, it SME businesses across the globe to tender will be an easy transition to share BIM data for work faster and more efficiently, as externally with the rest of the project team, well as compete for larger projects. as the workflows are already in place. ■ cscworld.com

About the author

November / December 2013

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Feature

Analysing through Revit Structure Greg Corke considers the importance of links between Revit Structure and analysis.

hen Revit Structure first came out in the mid-2000s it was pitched as a design and documentation tool. But, even at this early stage of its development, Autodesk recognised the importance of linking to structural analysis software. Autodesk supports linking through the open Revit API, which enables third-party structural analysis software developers to create workflows both to and from Revit. The process relies on Revit’s analytical model, which is automatically created alongside the physical model. Once the analytical model has been brought across the analysis application can be used to perform all types of structural analysis including non linear, dynamic and seismic. Most analysis applications also perform code checks and any changes to member sizes can then be fed back in to Revit Structure so the whole design stays in sync. It can be a highly iterative process so the workflow is incredibly important. Autodesk makes the Revit software development kit (SDK) freely available so the onus is on the third party developer to produce the link, which is enabled in Revit with a plug-

in. Some developers invest more on this than others so the quality of the links can vary. Compatibility with the latest version of Revit Structure can also be an issue as it can take six months or more for third party developers to get their products in sync. Members of the Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) fare much better here as they get early access to new releases.

All about the data While all analysis applications handle things pretty well from a geometrical perspective, there can be quite a lot of variation when it comes to engineering data. According to Gary Wyatt, Autodesk’s senior industry manager, structural engineering, this can manifest itself in a couple of ways. The first is the amount of data that is sent from one product to the other. “A lot of [analysis] products now allow you to generate things like loads in Revit, allow you to generate things like end releases or different types of support conditions, send those into Revit and then round trip them back again,” says Mr Wyatt. “And in that round tripping back, preserving all of the data that you created in the first place.”

The second is the fidelity of the information that you can send back and forth. This includes some of the things that Revit is not really interested in, as Mr Wyatt explains. “In an analysis product there are things like member numbers and node numbers. There are things like criteria related to how the design codes will treat a member. What design parameters does it put on it in terms of the code of practice that it’s using? How are the members restrained? “Really those are code-based things that Revit doesn’t care anything about. But a lot of the better integrations actually transport those things to and fro. So if you take something from an analysis product, you do some code design, you send that into Revit, those things are in Revit such that if you go back to your analysis product again you don’t have to recreate them. They still exist.”

The workflow To manage the flow of data between the two applications some developers use a file-based approach, whereby the user presses a button in Revit and it creates a file that can be opened in the analysis product. The same process applies when data

Autodesk 360 Structural analysis Autodesk is looking to the cloud to help engineers get feedback on early designs through the use of structural analysis. Autodesk 360 Structural analysis is a cloud-based service powered by the engine from Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional. It allows engineers to stay entirely within the Revit environment, sending static analysis jobs to the cloud and viewing the results in

Revit Structure. As Autodesk 360 Structural analysis is essentially a solver, the workflow relies on the analytical model produced in Revit being 100% correct. It is common for structural engineers to tweak Revit’s analytical model once inside their preferred analysis application. However, new tools in Revit Structure give users more control over its creation and manipulation.

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Autodesk does not expect people to do a final design with this tool, so links with third party products are still very important, but it does give the engineer the ability to make rational decisions based on analysis, without leaving the Revit model. Think of it more as a conceptual design-based solution to help give engineers early feedback. ■ structuralanalysis. 360.autodesk.com

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Round trip analysis has been a major focus of Revit Structure since the very beginning

comes back again. However, according to Mr Wyatt, this approach can be a little ‘anti BIM’ as when you start doing file transfers you can have issues with version control. To help streamline this workflow some products also offer a dynamic integration where the analysis product can be launched from Revit and the model built automatically without having to open a file. Once the analysis is done, the data needs to be brought back into Revit. “Typically it will update the model and, depending on what type of integration you have and what product, it’ll do things like track changes for you,” says Mr Wyatt. “It’ll say, do you realise you changed ‘this’ and you can see what you changed in the last iteration from one model to the next.” Revit Structure also has a ‘visualisation framework’, which allows users to view analysis results inside Revit itself. This could be things like moments, forces or displacement diagrams and can help engineers quantify sizes of structural components. Taking this idea a step further Autodesk introduced a code-checking framework in Revit Structure 2014, which allows third party developers (and Autodesk) to devel-

‘‘

op code checks based on the analysis results that go back into Revit. The idea is the Revit model can be automatically populated with extra data surrounding things like the position of rebar or steel and connection sizes. It is still very early days for this but some third party developers already have links in development. According to Mr Wyatt, the code-checking framework has been implemented in a very similar way to the analysis links. “We’re keeping this open kind of API approach and creating these SDKs to allow simulation not just to be something that stops and nothing happens with it anymore, but to send that data back in a meaningful way which can then drive the further design and construction process,” he says. “We’re trying to regard analysis as something that helps our customers deliver on an end-to-end process from design to construction. Analysis is a key point of that, but it’s not a point that’s isolated on its own. It’s part of that process,” he adds.

Conclusion With its roots in documentation Revit Structure may have originally found favour

with CAD technicians, but interest from engineers is starting to grow. This is not only down to the links with analysis software improving but workflows between architects, engineers, contractors and owners becoming more important for Revit and BIM in general. Linking Revit Structure to analysis can help engineers think about the specifics of the design much earlier on, enabling them to try out different options long before things get too expensive to fix. With this often iterative process, keeping the analytical model consistent in Revit is more important than ever and engineers need to think about workflow as much as they do about the capabilities of their chosen analysis software. ■

autodesk.com/revit

Over the page We ask seven structural analysis software developers to give the low down on how their various tools integrate with Autodesk Revit Structure

Revit Structure’s ‘visualisation framework’ allows users to view analysis results inside Revit itself

Engineers need to think about the workflow between Revit and their chosen analysis tool as much as they do about the capabilities of the software

’’

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Feature

Autodesk responds on Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Pro

Bentley responds on RAM Structural System

Robot Structural Analysis Professional is used by design professionals in multiple industries including buildings, plant, civil engineering structures.

The RAM Structural System is special purpose software for the structural analysis and design of building structures using steel, concrete, steel joists, and castellated and cellular beams.

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It is capable of analysing multiple materials including steel, concrete and timber and also supports in excess of 50 design codes from across the world. Robot is capable of many analysis types including non linear, dynamic and seismic.

The software automates the process of calculating tributary loads; live load reduction; gravity member selection; frame analysis; drift control; frame member and joint code checking; special seismic provisions member and joint checking and foundation design.

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Question 2 How does your software link to Revit? e.g. Does it use a plug-in? Does it use file exchange or does it have a dynamic integration where you press a button in Revit and the model appears in your software?

Thanks to API-based interoperability the link transfers not only the data but also meta-data that captures the logic and intentions between those two products. Being able to maintain this logic allows for multiple design iterations between Revit and Robot, whilst maintaining the integrity of the model, in line with the BIM paradigm.

RAM Structural System and Revit are both compatible with Integrated Structural Modelling (ISM). A model can be exchanged in either direction utilising a repository of the structural information.

Question 3 What data do you support in your bi-directional link to Revit? e.g. grids, levels, members, slabs, loads (point, line, area and wind), load combinations, support conditions, end releases.

There is a lot of data linked between both Robot and Revit. At a basic level that includes settings like levels and grids. Practically all types of structural elements and their attributes are transferred, such as release conditions, offsets, rigid links, loads and load combinations.

Question 1 How would you describe your software? What materials / structural types does it support? What are its strengths / weaknesses?

Changes to the repository or to any of the linked models can be synchronised at any time. During synchronisation, the user can approve or reject changes dynamically. The commands for creating and updating the model data are embedded in Revit and in the various programs that are ISM-enabled.

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ISM supports grids, levels, members, slabs, point loads, line loads, area loads, support conditions, end releases and more. When using ISM to exchange data with RAM Structural System, loads are not included, however. For details see our compatibility matrix.

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The ISM repository contains much more information than is used in Revit. This allows interoperability with other analysis, detailing and BIM programs without losing important information on the model members and entities. This data is maintained even when it is shared with applications that don’t utilise all of the data.

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In addition, the results of analysis from Robot, such as reactions, internal forces and displacements are also transferred back to Revit so that engineers and designers can visualize results and potentially use the code checking framework in Revit to drive detailing and code compliance.

Question 4 Does your bi-directional link support information that Revit isn’t necessarily interested in — to help maintain the richness of the analysis model on round trips. e.g. member numbers, node numbers, how members are restrained, code-based design information.

Yes, there are some reference data that are stored on both sides (Revit and Robot) in order to preserve exclusive information kept in both programs to support truly bi-directional nature of the link – this includes node and member numbers, member names that the user has defined, groups and also code check parameters.

One of the essential features of the Revit ISM plugin is to filter out the data that is not pertinent to ISM and leave it unchanged in Revit. That way a member size can be updated without deleting custom annotation, for example.

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Question 5 How do you track and handle changes made to models in Revit and your software? e.g. notification of adds, removes, and edits. How changes are accepted / rejected.

Up front the user may decide which portions of models can be transferred or get updated. A detailed report is presented as well as graphical selection to better handle and authorise changes.

ISM provides a utility called the Structural Synchronizer to aid in the control of changes. Objects and elements that are added, deleted, or modified are colour coded, and various filters are provided so that the user can easily approve or reject individual changes or categories of changes.

Question 6 Looking to the future are you planning to make use of Revit’s new code checking framework? E.g. to populate Revit with rebar, steels sizes and connection sizes.

In line with Autodesk’s philosophy to have an open partner arrangement, we have opened the code checking framework in Revit to allow 3rd parties to deliver local country specific Code checking capabilities for Revit, thereby driving BIM to detailing workflows.

Yes, Importing rebar into Revit is part of our future plans.

Question 7 Do you provide links to other structural BIM applications? E.g. Tekla Structures, Bentley AECOsim.

Autodesk has a very open partner policy and makes the API for analysis integration open to any 3rd party analysis vendor that wishes to develop a link. We have built very strong partner relations with many analysis vendors that add great value to our mutual customers. Autodesk also supports many interoperability initiatives and we have been long-term developers and drivers around IFC.

Yes, all of the above and more. In addition to the link with Revit, ISM provides interoperability with Tekla and with the Bentley suite of structural products including AECOsim Building Designer, STAAD, ProStructures, etc.

Yes Re

Question 8 Where can you download your Revit link from?

“Structural Analysis and Code Checking Toolkit for Revit” apps from Autodesk Exchange App website apps.exchange.autodesk.com

The ISM Revit Plugin is available from the Bentley SELECTserver or tinyurl.com/ISMRevit. For a Revit 2014 version of the plugin contact Seth.Guthrie@bentley.com

T SELEC versio

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www.AECmag.com

20/11/13 10:54:22

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Bentley responds on STAAD.Pro STAAD.Pro is an extremely flexible, general-purpose structural analysis and design application. It is used throughout the world on projects of almost any scale and features an open data format. The software incorporates standard databases of hot and cold rolled steel, timber and aluminium shapes, and has tools to create other material types. Basic steel concrete materials are included but other isotropic or orthotropic materials can be defined.

STAAD.Pro and Revit are both compatible with Integrated Structural Modelling (ISM). A model can be exchanged in either direction using a repository of the structural information. Changes to the repository or to any of the linked models can be synchronised at any time. During synchronisation, the user can approve or reject changes dynamically. The commands for creating and updating the model data are embedded in Revit and in the various programs that are ISM-enabled. Subtle differences in the modelling arrangements of the analytical model of STAAD.Pro and the alignments in physical models can be accommodated in this system.

ISM supports grids, levels, members, slabs, point loads, line loads, area loads, support conditions, end releases, and more. However, when using ISM to exchange data with STAAD.Pro, loads, grids, and level are not included. For details see our compatibility matrix.

CSC responds on Fastrak and Orion

MIDAS IT responds on midas Gen

Using Fastrak and Orion, structural engineers can model, load, analyse and design steel and concrete buildings efficiently. Engineers can construct a single model of the entire structure, which encompasses code-compliant gravity and lateral design in strict accordance with BS, EC & US design codes.

midas Gen is structural analysis and design BIM software for Buildings and General Structures. It handles multi-materials within a structural model, including reinforced concrete, steel, timber, masonry, aluminium, cables, etc. It has no limitations in the types of structures.

As they create intelligent design objects, such as beams and slabs with defined physical position, the software automatically generates a sophisticated underlying analytical model; all within the engineer’s control. Model data from Fastrak and Orion can be used to produce a wide range of drawings and documents, and can be synchronised within the BIM environment.

In addition to the capabilities of conventional structural software, midas Gen provides the facilities to simulate construction stages in a time domain, sequential post-tensioning, soil-structure interaction, inelastic materials and nonlinear dynamic analysis, which may include dampers and base isolators. Structural steel size optimisation is also provided. Comprehensive design is included for reinforced concrete and steel members.

Fastrak and Orion are BIM solutions in their own right, enabling engineers to achieve code-compliant designs. Fastrak and Orion models comprise physical objects and therefore communicate both physical and wire frame data to and from Revit, eliminating the issues that occur when attempting to communicate pure wire frame models from structural analysis software.

midas Gen seamlessly imports a Revit Structure analytical model through clicking the ‘Export to midas Gen’ button within Revit Structure whose file is subsequently opened in midas Gen.

CSC’s Integrator, a free plugin using a unique file format, enables full or part models from Fastrak and Orion to be fully synchronised with Revit. Integrator provides a practical solution for controlling the integration process, allowing the inclusion or exclusion of different member groups and geometry settings. It also reports the status of synchronised members as new, modified or deleted, using colour coding, enabling true roundtripping and management control. As both Fastrak and Orion comprise physical design data, the integration process with Revit is different to the workflow for wire frame models. Integrator allows the integration of full or part models, grids, levels, beams, columns, slabs and walls together with essential information such as end releases, beam reaction, web openings and shear studs. Integrator also provides mapping of family types, an area often overlooked in the integration process.

Complete geometry is exchanged in a bidirectional link between Revit Structure and midas Gen including all slab and wall openings in addition to sections and material properties. Support conditions, end releases, storey levels, point/line/area loadings are exchanged including load combinations. The user may additionally define non-standard loadings and boundary conditions in midas Gen for structural analysis.

As Revit is not a code-compliant design model, design data such as wind loading, eccentricities, effective lengths and imposed load reductions are not stored in Revit but fully retained within Fastrak/Orion.

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The ISM repository contains much more information than is used in Revit. This allows interoperability with other analysis, detailing, and BIM programs without losing important information about the model members and entities. This data is maintained even when it is shared with applications that don’t utilise all of it.

When synchronising models between Revit and Fastrak/Orion, all object data is retained; this is vital as any data associated with code-compliant design, which Revit doesn’t handle, remains intact within Fastrak/Orion.

If the changes pertain only to the member sizes in a model in the process of bidirectional operations, all the loads and boundary conditions and analysis/design controls in midas Gen can be reused for subsequent analysis from the second round trip by maintaining such data within midas Gen.

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One of the essential functions of the Revit ISM plug-in is to filter out the data that is not pertinent to ISM and leave it unchanged in Revit. This enables a member size to be updated without deleting custom annotation, for example.

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Integrator uses unique IDs to track changes and ensure the model is not compromised in any way. New, modified or deleted members can easily be identified and reported by colour coding in either Revit or in Fastrak/Orion.

Any changes in geometry, sections and material properties are alerted for the user to accept or reject the changes. Simple tracking of the changes can be done inside Revit Structure. The changes tracked can be selectively chosen for acceptance and rejection.

ns.

Yes, importing rebar into Revit is part of Bentley’s future plans.

As an Autodesk Industry Partner, and one of only two structural software vendors working with Autodesk at this level, we are jointly developing ways in which we can improve the Structural BIM workflow. A significant proportion of project data can already be integrated with Revit using Integrator, however, CSC will continue to search for ways to improve the process.

Midas retains its own code checking framework, which is linked to a Midas sub-module for generating drawings. The Midas detailing tool ‘DShop’ produces design drawings and rebar layouts in the AutoCAD DWG format.

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Yes, all of the above and more. In addition to the link with Revit, ISM provides interoperability with Tekla and with Bentley structural products.

Fastrak and Orion models synchronise with Autodesk Revit, Tekla Structures and SDS2Connect, however, data can be extracted in a variety of other industry standard formats and CSC is continually reviewing this in line with market requirements.

midas Gen is also capable of bidirectional associativity with Tekla Structures.

www.cscworld.com/Integrator

The Revit Link is provided to anyone who requests through the Midas e-support line. A guideline for using the link is available on the website en.midasuser.com under the Training > Technical Papers section.

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The ISM Revit Plugin is available from the Bentley SELECTserver or tinyurl.com/ISMRevit. For a Revit 2014 version of the plugin contact Seth.Guthrie@bentley.com

www.AECmag.com

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Feature

Model courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP

Question 1 How would you describe your software? What materials / structural types does it support? What are its strengths / weaknesses?

Oasys responds on Oasys GSA

S-FRAME responds on S-FRAME Analysis

GSA is a general-purpose finite element analysis program that supports all structural types, whether in steel, concrete, timber, or other engineering materials.

S-FRAME Analysis is the powerful 3D structural analysis solver that comprises the core program in S-FRAME Structural Office, a complete analysis, design and detailing solution.

It is both powerful and flexible, especially for nonlinear, vibration, and soil-structure interaction analyses, which necessitates use by a knowledgeable engineer.

Characterised by best-in-class FEM and FEA, rich integration with steel and concrete design tools, powerful BIM and CAD links, and the ability to support any material type, S-FRAME is widely adopted in a variety of industries, both commercial and industrial. S-FRAME is used for both basic analysis (2D, linear static) and the most advanced (moving loads, timehistory, yielding materials, vibration, RSA).

Oasys GSA includes a free plug-in to Revit, allowing the user to import and export GSA models, including round-tripping.

S-FRAME dynamically integrates with Revit via an automatically installed link, accessible from the Revit Add-On menu. The Revit link wizard guides the user and provides control over which data to transfer. The Revit model opens immediately in S-FRAME or the user can save to file.

Question 3 What data do you support in your bi-directional link to Revit? e.g. grids, levels, members, slabs, loads (point, line, area and wind), load combinations, support conditions, end releases.

The GSA plug-in supports grids, levels, members, and slabs.

The S-FRAME bi-directional Revit Link supports columns, beams, walls, foundations, springs, truss systems, sections, members, materials, load cases and combinations, point loads, member loads, area loads and more. S-FRAME folders are automatically created, ensuring an organised model in both packages. For large floor systems or intricate shear wall arrangements, Revit objects can be automatically meshed into finite elements, allowing seamless transition of even the most complex models.

GSA information like section description, section name, element/member ID is stored in Revit shared parameter. GSA entity (grid, levels ,members and sections) hold information of related Revit entity unique ID.

The BIM link manages separate S-FRAME and Revit models, updating each as required. This means that all model data is preserved in both programs during subsequent round-tripping operations.

Question 5 How do you track and handle changes made to models in Revit and your software? e.g. notification of adds, removes, and edits. How changes are accepted / rejected.

The plug-in maps the Revit and GSA elements and so can recognize changes. These changes are shown to the user for approval before updating.

In the link process, users can specify which changes to import. A change log and mapping file are automatically generated, detailing all transferred objects and highlighting any changes.

Question 6 Looking to the future are you planning to make use of Revit’s new code checking framework? E.g. to populate Revit with rebar, steels sizes and connection sizes.

N/A

S-FRAME’s development team is already investigating the interoperability potential between Revit and our programs that already support rebar detailing such as S-CONCRETE and S-FOUNDATION.

Question 7 Do you provide links to other structural BIM applications? E.g. Tekla Structures, Bentley AECOsim.

GSA includes a number of neutral file formats to allow linking to other programs.

Links to 3rd party tools are a vital part of S-FRAME’s flexibility and global success. S-FRAME includes a similar link to Tekla Structures as well as DXF, MS-Excel and MS-Access links.

Question 8 Where can you download your Revit link from?

The Revit link is included with the GSA download, which is available at oasys-software.com/products/ engineering/gsa-suite.html

The Revit link is built into S-FRAME R11 and automatically installed at no additional cost.

Round trip analysis: some other options CADS (cads.co.uk), the civil and structural engineering design & detailing software specialist, has developed a plug-in that links Revit’s analytical model to Scia Engineer (nemetschek-scia.com), the

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multi-material analysis and design tool. The dynamic integration or file exhange link supports levels, members, slabs, loads, (point, line, area and wind) and load combinations, support conditions and

end releases. For more info see page 16 and aecmag.com. Meanwhile, other options include CADS Floors Designer (cads.co.uk), Dlubal RFEM/RSTAB (dlubal.com), SOFiSTiK

(sofistik.com), SPACE GASS (spacegass.com), RISA-3D (risatech.com), PROKON Structural Analysis and Design (prokon.com), and ETABS / SAP2000 (csiamerica.com)

www.AECmag.com

20/11/13 10:54:25

Harness the power of Structural BIM McElroy uses Structural BIM to increase productivity and improve project collaboration. Will Norton, of McElroy Consulting Engineers & Project Managers, explains how Structural Building Information Modelling (BIM) has revolutionised the way McElroy undertakes design projects.

Embarking upon BIM Like many Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs), McElroy recognised that BIM could offer a host of benefits but had yet to investigate it fully due to resource constraints. Acknowledging that BIM was fast becoming the norm and with a desire to capitalise on its proven benefits, Norton spearheaded McElroy’s first ever BIM project using CSC’s steel building design software, Fastrak, and Autodesk® Revit®. McElroy started by implementing Structural BIM or ‘Internal BIM’ - sharing project data internally within the structural design office, synchronising the code-compliant design model produced in Fastrak with the technician’s Autodesk® Revit® model.

McElroy’s first project McElroy’s first Structural BIM project was an extension to an existing building with relatively simple geometry. This project was specifically chosen so the team could fully learn the workflows that are essential for effective BIM synchronisation; building confidence before implementing BIM workflows on larger and more complex projects. The Teva project required a 1,300m2 extension to be added to an operational building consisting of a 17m high steel braced frame weighing 175 tonnes. McElroy started by importing

the general arrangement model from Autodesk® Revit® into Fastrak using Integrator, a free plugin from CSC. Integrator enables either full or part models to be synchronised multiple times between CSC’s Fastrak software and Autodesk® Revit®. As the design progressed, inevitable changes to both the set out and design philosophy meant McElroy had to assess the viability of various design options.

“Using Integrator we had complete control when synchronising models.” Changes were made in Autodesk® Revit® and then synchronised to Fastrak, allowing the structural engineer to investigate the effects on the structure. The changes were then synchronised back to Autodesk® Revit® – a true round-tripping.

A successful project “The position of various elements within a building envelope can frequently change at scheme design stage and this project was no exception,” explained Norton. “Without Structural BIM integration, we would have had to re-model the structure twice for each design change, once in Fastrak and again in Autodesk® Revit®.

3D proposal render designed in Autodesk® Revit®

The future McElroy has now adopted Structural BIM for all medium and large sized projects. Due to the time saved modelling, projects have become more profitable and engineers have been able to produce cost models more accurately due to the more efficient working methods afforded by Structural BIM workflows.

“The implementation of Structural BIM has streamlined our design approach and improved communication.” Norton concluded, “The future is clearly Structural BIM, it has made McElroy more competitive, increased productivity and enabled us to deliver a better service. Those who adopt BIM place themselves at a distinct advantage in the market.”

“With seamless synchronisation between the two software packages we were able to maintain a single model, sharing all the latest data.”

See Fastrak for yourself Visit us online at cscworld.com/Fastrak The Teva project: Fastrak model

0844 686 9300 www.cscworld.com

(Local Call)

#cscworldglobal

AEC advertorial.indd 1

10/29/2013 1:10:37 PM

Feature

Scia Engineer Design Forms Nemetschek Scia’s new tool is intended to make engineering design more transparent. Greg Corke met with CEO Jean-Pierre Rammant to find out more.

According to CEO, Jean-Pierre The software is capable of performing cia Engineer from Nemetschek Scia is somewhat unique in the static, dynamic, stability, non-linear and Rammant, this workflow, which often world of structural engineering other special types of analysis. The results involves manual input or import/export, software. It combines modelling, from these studies can then be used direct- can be inefficient and prone to errors. “In a analysis, code design and detailing in a ly for design and checks according to the BIM workflow, it is asking for trouble because you have revisions and you have single environment. This is in contrast to relevant technical building standards. Despite the ability to feed these results changes and you cannot really manage traditional structural analysis applicathat,” he told AEC Magazine. tions, which focus purely on analyNemetschek Scia’s research sis, or structural BIM tools, like showed one of the main reasons Autodesk Revit, which link to firms prefer Excel is because of the third-party analysis software. We have to take care of the control it gives them and the fact With Scia Engineer two models information that is linked to the that the process is so transparent. are developed in tandem — a “Even if we, as a software supstructural model, which includes model which, for engineers, is plier, deliver those design routhe physical representation of the code design, it’s checking, it’s tines, embedded in the software, structure, and an analytical designing the actual details they [engineers] don’t use them — model, which contains all the for the simple reason they are information required for calculablack boxes, they don’t trust tions and design. According to them,” says Mr Rammant. Nemetschek Scia this allows the “For a straight building an experienced engineer to ‘master’ the analysis model, directly into British, Euro and other while using IFCs or direct links to design codes, recent research by the engineer will know how much reinforceBIM authoring tools to keep in tune with Belgian company has shown that many ment there should be — she or he doesn’t architects and detailers. Nemetschek leading engineering and multi-disciplin- even have to do any calculations — but if Scia refers to this integrated approach as ary firms still rely on spreadsheets and it gets curved and more complex, she or he starts to ask himself questions.” Excel macros to do these types of checks. True Analysis.

‘‘

’’

Scia Engineer 2013: interoperability Scia Engineer is big on interoperability. It was the first structural BIM tool to be awarded IFC 2x3 “Version 2.0” certification meaning it can collaborate with a wide range of IFC-enabled BIM tools, including Archicad and Vectorworks. It has roundtrip engineering with Nemetschek Allplan for both geometry and reinforcement and direct links with Revit Structure, Tekla Structures and ETABS.

The Nemetschek Scia Revit link is based on the physical model, but more recently UK reseller CADS has used the Revit API to develop a plug in that links Revit’s analytical model to Scia Engineer. The CADS Revit Scia Engineer link (pictured) enables the bi-directional exchange of members, loads and supports. According to the developer, it supports levels, members, slabs, loads,

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(point, line, area and wind) and load combinations, support conditions and end releases. Data within the analytical model, such as unique member names and releases, node numbers etc, are also exchanged. According to CADS, this enables the analysis model to be kept as data rich as possible during the roundtrip process. See page 10 for more on round trip analysis with Revit Structure.

www.AECmag.com

20/11/13 10:56:34

Breeding confidence

and Mr Rammant explains that part of the invested time and money developing Excel Nemetschek Scia is looking to change this work has been already been done, as it has Macros so it allows Excel worksheets to be perception by making the design process been hard coded inside Scia Engineer. imported and converted into a basic design more transparent inside Scia Engineer “Now it’s a case of redoing it in an open form. The company is also working on a community server where users can share 2013, which was released in September. A form,” he says. For the development of more complex their forms with others. new scripting tool called Scia Design Forms Mr Rammant believes the beauty of Scia enables users to write their own routines to Design Forms Nemetschek Scia is working perform external design checks and deliver with universities and third party consul- Design Forms is the ease with which engiclear technical and graphical reports. tants. In the UK, Scia Engineer reseller, neers can use them. “S/he just needs to type Calculation sheets can be run standalone CADS (cads.co.uk), is working on compos- her/his formula and link ‘this, this and this’ with her/his model data and it’s or, for maximum benefit to the finished,” he says. “S/he can call engineering workflow, linked to out his own design check and it the Scia Engineer 2013 model. will be automatically incorpo“We make them [Scia Design rated, or s/he can stop and say ‘I Forms] such that all of the forwant to do it my way’ and s/he mula is visible so you can follow can check it step-by-step.” it step by step; everything is explained,” says Mr Rammant. The engineering workflow “It’s kind of a MathCAD, but it’s made by ourselves and dedicatNemetschek Scia has always ed to engineering. You see all acknowledged the importance of the formula, the integrations, information exchange in BIM the references, everything is workflows. It was the first structhere and of course you can tural BIM tool to be awarded make a report.” IFC 2x3 V2 Certification and Scia Design Forms can be linked to Scia Engineer, creating what Nemetschek Scia Scia Design Forms is intend- describes as a powerful Open Design Environment has strong direct links to Revit, ed to be flexible and can be used Tekla Structures and other for the design of steel, concrete, connec- ites. Others currently in production BIM applications. tions, foundations, composites and many include timber connections, steel connecScia Design Forms is all about streamothers. According to Mr Rammant, it can tions, and advanced statics analysis, all of lining the flow of information between include anything that is detailed where which will be made available in design and analysis, as Mr Rammant conthere are analytical, relatively simple, algo- Nemetschek Scia’s web shop. cludes. “BIM, well it’s modelling, but this Of course, a key driver of Scia Design is the last part of BIM — the ‘I’ is often forrithms, common in most design routines. The software consists of three parts: a Forms is its open approach. Users can cre- gotten. We have to take care of the infor‘User’ application for calculating the for- ate their own design forms or adapt exist- mation that is linked to the model. And mulas and generating reports; a ‘Builder’ ing ones. According to Mr Rammant, while that information for engineers is code application for creating new forms and Design Forms will likely be created by design, it’s checking, it’s designing the adapting others; and the Design Forms more advanced users, programming skills actual details. are not needed. It is sufficient to type for(Calculation sheets) themselves. “[By using Design Forms] design iteraA number of standard Design Forms are mulas and text and the program evaluates tion is quicker and more transparent, so included with the software such as for stat- which data is input and which is output. we’re closing the gap to, let’s say, a more Nemetschek Scia acknowledges that fluent and much better workflow.” ic, loading, concrete, steel, timber, masonry and geotechnics. More will come in 2014 many engineering firms have already ■ sciadesignforms.com ■ nemetschek-scia.com

2013 Nemetschek Structural User Contest: Buildings category winner SICA — Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations (Marseille, France) The MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations), the vision of architect Rudy Ricciotti, is located on the J4 jetty in Marseille. The jury was fascinated by the innovative use of advanced ultra high performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) for nearly all the main construction elements including a 130m footbridge, which links the structure with the Saint Jean fort. Scia Engineer was used for the 3D static and dynamic analysis of the MuCEM, plus the design of the treelike columns, which took into account the real non-linear stressstrain behaviour of UHPFRC.

www.AECmag.com

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Feature

2013 Nemetschek Structural User Contest: Prize for Fabrication and Execution AECOM — Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013 (London, UK)

The 2013 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion was designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. AECOM carried out the structural design from concept in January 2013 to completion June 2013. The complex nature of the structure meant that a three dimensional analysis model was essential as the structure relies on all 27,000 members for global stability.

From the outset of the project the design concept was conveyed using 3D models, as the structure has very little meaning when expressed as two dimensional sections. The architectural scheme was modelled up using Rhino and bespoke scripts were used to transfer the geometry to Scia Engineer. Fundamental to the success was the

ability to make this a complete round trip process, allowing rapid design development with the architect and iteration of the design to a final solution, which embodied the architect’s dream as well as functioning structurally. The 3D model was also shared with the fabricator allowing integration with its computer aided manufactur-

ing processes, as well as better visualisation of the structure and optimisation of the size of the fabrication modules for delivery to site and erection within the short construction period on site. Structural design drawings were produced in Autodesk Revit. The geometry was transferred to Revit using the Revit-Scia Engineer link.

2013 Nemetschek Structural User Contest: Special “Open BIM” Jury Prize winner Grontmij Nederland BV (NL) — New Energy Institute (Wuhan, China) The main building in China’s Wuhan New Energy Institute is inspired by nature: the calas lily flower, which symbolises purity, hope and greatness. The organic shape of the building threw up some challenges though. Originally modelled by the designer and architect in SketchUp, the Scia Engineer model was then based on the SketchUp model and sent to Revit to create the

final architectural model. This however resulted in some hiccups. Grontmij, a leading engineering consultancy, discovered that the hiccups were linked to the advanced way complex shapes can be modelled in Scia Engineer. To solve this, the company turned the process around by first building the model in Revit, based on the SketchUp model, and then sending it to Scia Engineer.

November / December 2013

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20/11/13 10:56:38

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26/11/13 11:46:31

Tekla UK BIM awards

The $143 million museum is expected to open its doors in 2014

BDS VirCon scooped the first prize for its work on Gehry Partners’ iconic Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation, which will house the new Paris Museum of Contemporary Art. This iconic building features a structural cover of glass sails, supported on stainless steel frames on top of a structural steel and timber glulam main frame. The 12 sails form a cloud over the museum, with numerous curves and angles, each reflecting its surrounding of parkland trees and the Paris skyline. BDS VirCon was contracted by Eiffage Construction Metallique to detail out the stainless steel frames, along with the glazing fixing plates, main frame and locating base frames. Because of the complexity of the geometry the only drawings produced were those for the fabrication of the parts and assemblies. All other information was provided between each party directly from the 3D modelling process. Gehry Partners delivered 3D requirements via Digital Project to Eiffage for the structural design. Digital Project data exchange files were then issued to BDS and imported into Tekla for BIM collaboration and detailing. The nature and intent of the project meant 3D interfacing between the different software tools was the only way to get the job done. Even the intricate fabrication drawings had to be supplemented with electronic files and 3D data exchange files, on top of the CNC files for part fabrication via automated machines. BDS also supplied 3D DWG files to speed up and aid setting out and quality control of all node points. The multiple curved glassing surfaces of each sail meant the stainless steel mullion supports had to follow these curves, and also transoms spacer beams with varying end plate rotations. Eiffage was able to automate the fabrication of these members, with aid of Tekla and BDS, using the geometry information created from the model to supply the required information to the CNC machinery. BDS VirCon’s knowledge of how to get the most out of Tekla made for a successful project, along with a client and project team willing to work with the company providing the right information to all parties involved at the right time. ■

tekla.com

November / December 2013

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20/11/13 10:57:52

Feature

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November / December 2013

20/11/13 10:58:01

Feature

Bentley Systems embraces the cloud

Bentley is taking a measured approach to cloud services, allowing its users to set their own pace as they embrace data mobility, simulation and flexible licensing by Martyn Day & Greg Corke

s a consequence of an industrywide move to Building Information Modelling (BIM), it is without doubt that collaboration has become harder. File formats have given way to relational spatial databases; lines, circles and arcs have become parametric models of real-word components; drawings are increasingly seen as a byproduct, or legal requirement, not an end goal. To this backdrop, one of Bentley CEO, Greg Bentley’s favourite topics is that of collaboration, what he terms ‘Information Mobility’. At Bentley’s recent Year in Infrastructure event in London Mr Bentley reinforced the problems faced by the federated infrastructure industry. Project information must not be locked inside corporate databases, accessible to only the privileged few, but made available in a controlled fashion to all project participants. BIM presents new challenges as well as new opportunities to revisit the whole ‘connectedness’ of project information and its flow. Bentley’s ecosystem of tools, servers, mobile applications and i-models (containers for the open exchange of infrastructure information), is aiming to ease this flow of data between industry standard applications. Bentley recently sponsored a SmartMarket report on Information Mobility, along with Bluebeam, BIMForum and the Building Smart Alliance. The free 48-page document makes for interesting reading, highlighting that only 20% of companies track project information to or from other firms and 41% track internal flows (tinyurl.com/IM-smart-report). Improved collaboration helps every aspect of the design and build process, from scheduling to versioning, with new mobile devices and applications enabling onsite information to be fed back into the system. Everyone knows that reducing errors, decreases costs and providing

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Bentley Systems today Bentley Systems has come a long way from being known as the developer of MicroStation 2D drafting software. It now has annual revenues of over $500 million and remains a privately held firm, with over 3,000 employees in 45 countries and is a major player in all the AEC, plant and infrastructure markets. With MicroStation still the founding platform technology, the company has developed a plethora of industry-specific solutions and applications to create, manage, and distribute complex design data. The company specialises in supporting major projects through its ecosystem of desktop, mobile and server-based design and analysis tools together with its management / collaboration platform, ProjectWise, which lies at the heart of many major multi-billion pound projects, such as the UK’s Crossrail. Every year it compiles a list of the top 500 Infrastructure owners, in terms of billions and trillions worth of assets owned. The kinds of firms and government bodies listed are an indication of the typical Bentley customer. As the company’s products have developed it’s clear to see that Bentley is not just engaged in adding ‘features’ to products but is just as focused on attempting to solve the many process issues that face us in creating complex models and sharing this rich 3D design information from client to construction worker, from concept through lifecycle to demolition.

access to accurate information can be achieved just by using existing tools. When asked what formats firms use to exchange project information, as probably expected, PDF and CAD files, paper drawings and handwritten notes took the lion’s share of responses (72-92% for each). However in two years’ time, the majority of firms predict that ‘central’ cloud storage

will host their data, with the majority (89%) expecting a major reduction in the use of paper and handwritten notes. The combined benefits of ‘digitalisation’ of project information, the centralisation of management and the expanded reach of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets, means that projects can be better connected end-to-end. Mr Bentley highlighted how increasing mobile bandwidth such as 4G (LTE) certainly helps in cities but other technologies such as satellite data is also being employed to enable WiFi onsite. By utilising these cloud-enabling services, design and construction teams can be connected, getting the latest design information to those in the field and the latest reality on site back to base. Mobile apps like Bentley’s Field Supervisor for the iPad and iPhone are helping shape this vision. To highlight the importance of collaboration to the entire BIM world, Mr Bentley has taken to calling BIM, B/IM, where IM stands both for Information Modelling and Information Mobility. We are unsure how many other CAD vendors will take up the convention but can see how Bentley’s strength in management and distribution technology would make it want to give it equal billing in the move to the industry adopting new complex processes.

Bentley leverages the cloud With the focus on connectivity and the benefit of cloud within the design ecosystem, last year Bentley announced ‘Bentley Connect’, a cloud-based storage and sharing service, which provided each user with full audit trails, versioning and data file transfer. Now Bentley has fleshed out some soon to be available cloud-based services, some of which could radically impact the way core applications are located and accessed. Bentley has been experimenting with Microsoft’s Azure cloud service for a numwww.AECmag.com

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Images courtesy of BENTLEY SYSTEMS

ber of years now and it seems that next screen pixels. Products such as information, including DGN, DWG, raster, year the company will have enough confi- ProjectWise may be delivered with tech- PDF, Microsoft Office, and IPS files into dence in the technology to provide rental nologies from Numescent, which use some intelligent i-models, PDFs, and raster files. The i-model composition server is all of portfolio licenses as well as hosted very clever ‘cloudpaging’ technology to stream the actual application code to desk- about automation. Files can be generated ProjectWise services. Select Open Access is a quarterly- tops on-demand, without having to install according to rules or project standards — published to a schedule or by triggers, based subscription based service that the entire application. This move by Bentley is very much in such as when a model is approved, edited, provides access to any Bentley information modelling application at any time, by keeping with the way that the industry is or viewed. The technology can use any user. These subscriptions come with moving and follows news that Autodesk ProjectWise or AssetWise as the informathe Bentley LEARNservices training to will offer its applications via rental, as well tion source and, because it’s server-based, as through ‘the browser’. Bentley, however, is scalable across an enterprise to reach all speed up proficiency. No pricing was available at the event but has respected that many of its larger cus- parts of a company. With Bentley’s commitment to pushing it is expected to be ‘competitive’ to other tomers prefer to manage data on their side rental products from companies such as of the firewall. By opening the access to its data out to mobile devices this looks to be Autodesk. This is good news for custom- tools without the ‘joining fee’ of buying a an exceedingly important technology. The ers that have perpetual licenses and need perpetual license, Bentley could finally be challenge of course is ensuring users have ‘overflow’ access when times get busy. the latest revision and this is where It also opens up access to Bentley the new i-model validation services products for those that don’t want the come into play. expenditure of purchasing perpetual When in a managed environment licenses and paying an annual like ProjectWise, users know the conBentley Select fee. tent is up to date because it’s a live Bentley has an established system. However, when interacting Enterprise License Subscription with content out in the field, or that’s (ELS), which is an all ‘you can eat’ been checked out or emailed, it’s hard proposition for large firms. With the to tell. new Select Open Access, individuals i-model validation services allows and smaller firms can also gain access users to check that the information to the whole breadth of Bentley tools they have is up to date. The service at the right time for an incremental isn’t restricted to i-models per se; it time-licensed price. can also be used to check printed Bentley MANAGEservices prodrawings. Simply scan the QR code vides cloud deployable access to using any smart phone QR reader and ProjectWise and AssetWise. This this links to a website that states if the enables rapid deployment, and operadrawing is the latest revision. If not it tion of Bentley’s collaboration and can also redirect the user to the most asset tracking platforms. The service current version. This looks to be a is not only available as a pure cloud great tool, not least because of its simdeliverable but provides hybrid/ plicity. cloud and desktop usage for those Analysis and ‘optioneering’ that prefer to operate an internal private solution. Through Bentley’s At the event we had time to catch up MANAGEservices, firms can lower with Santanu Das, senior vice presitheir internal IT infrastructure spend dent, design & simulation to hear how by opting for a SaaS (Software as a Bentley plans to use the cloud to not Year in Infrastructure event, held at Hilton London Metropole Service) model or mid-size firms can Bentley’s only cut analysis times, but encourage this year, is always a hotbed for new technology now deploy ProjectWise or the use of simulation to get early stage AssetWise without some of the investment able to address the needs of SMEs (small feedback on different design options. overhead. The company recently released to medium enterprises) and compete After years of aggressive acquisition, templates for projects of up to 25 users and against the likes of Revit, ArchiCAD and Bentley owns many of the key structural for design collaboration and work-share Vectorworks for small team BIM collabo- analysis tools including the popular ration in the volume market. for up to 1,000 users. STAAD and RAM product suites. The comThe technology behind all these capabilpany has now rewritten all of its analysis ities is particularly interesting, with i-model management engines so they can be used in the cloud, Bentley being very aware that it has many One of the cornerstones to Greg Bentley’s making use of clusters to crunch big datacustomers that don’t want their data trans- vision for ‘Information Mobility’ are sets in double-quick time. This is enabled acting to a third-party server hosted Bentley i-models. These act as a container through Bentley Simulation Services. remotely. Bentley is adopting a hybrid for exchanging all types of infrastructure But cloud-based simulation isn’t just approach where services can be deployed information and can be used in a variety about cutting solve times; it’s about using on internal corporate clouds, as well as on of applications, desktop and mobile. scalable resources to test out multiple public networks. This year Bentley introduced the design variants at the same time, then Products such as AECOsim will be i-model composition server, which it choosing the best one. available for quarterly rental and deliv- describes as the publishing hub for Bentley refers to this as optioneering, ered across the cloud to customers’ desk- Information Mobility. The technology can enabled through the new Bentley Connect tops using Citrix technology to deliver the be used to combine a variety of types of Scenario Services. The technology isn’t 23

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Feature AECOsim also has ‘dramatically just restricted to structural analysis or use vice will also be able to be used from within non-Bentley applications including enhanced’ capabilities in terms of how it by specialists though — far from it. Bentley plans to boil down the capabili- SketchUp, Rhino and Revit. Indeed, with supports IFC and COBie data through the ties of the various engines it owns in civils, Bentley’s close ties to Trimble, access to use of Bentley’s iModel technology. structural, and energy simulation and the service will be available in the ship- “Fundamentally there is nothing that supmake them available to designers so they ping version of SketchUp without the need ports either of these formats better than can get early feedback on the performance for a plug in. Pricing hasn’t been set yet AECOsim Building Designer does,” said of their designs. Third party software but is likely to be very affordable, either on Huw Roberts, Bentley’s VP, core marketing. Bentley also introduced new rendering developers can also plug-in their engines a pay per use basis of just a few dollars per run or a set fee per month. capabilities for its MicroStation-based so there’s a huge scope for this technology. products. A new Effects Manager enables Designers will be able to get baseline users to get real-time visual feedback on feedback on different design options tak- AECOsim Building Designer ing into account anything from heat gain With the growing importance of ‘BIM- lighting and other rendering adjustments and occupancy to right to light and struc- ready’ manufacturer content AECOsim before committing to a time consuming tural systems. Constraints can be set for Building Designer’s new ability to inter- production render. The technology uses sliders, and a preview pane to allow users cut and fill, material availability in the pret Revit’s RFA format is big news. to change the settings dynamically supply chain, even the cost of lettaand see the impact in real time. ble floor space. Images can be adjusted for brightThis may sound like an absolute ness or users can swap out new nightmare to manage, not least Select Open Access will allow materials and it only renders the because of all the different studies smaller firms to gain access to new material without having to rethat need to be set up, but Mr Das calculate the whole scene. says Bentley is committed to keepthe whole breadth of Bentley ing things simple. The technology tools at the right time for an Construction can use Generative Components to automatically come up with a numLast year Bentley bought incremental time-licensed price ber of different options. SpecWave, a developer of software Once all the different engines for the creation of structured text have done their analysis everycontent, including engineering thing is aggregated and users can comRFA content is becoming widely avail- specifications, codes and standards. Now pare designs against each other. Results able from building equipment manufac- the technology has been integrated into are presented in pareto charts and users turers so this gives Bentley customers Bentley’s software and connected with can give weight to different criteria in access to a whole new world of parametric ProjectWise. terms of their importance to the project. SpecWave Composer allows users to components. Bentley Connect Scenario Services Bentley software has long been able to author, compose and consume specificasounds like a very exciting technology, bring in Revit models as geometry with tions as structured documents instead of which should steer projects to more opti- information but the parametrics were less dumb text. So, instead of having a Word mal outcomes by enabling informed deci- predictable. Now RFA content can be doc or reams of printed output, each spec sions early on. It’s not an entirely new con- brought into AECOsim Building Designer can be managed as an individual object. cept – Autodesk talked about using the and interpreted as intelligent parametric The big benefit is that if the design cloud for optioneering as long as four objects, retaining rules, constraints, con- changes, the spec can be updated automatyears ago — but Bentley’s novel take is that nection points, and other data. Users can ically reducing the risk of using wrong or Scenario Services can be deployed across change materials, configurations and use outdated information. Specifications can multiple disciplines. Importantly, the ser- these objects intelligently. also be filtered. e.g. by discipline, phase of

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The future: Augmented reality Bentley rarely shies away from showing future technology and research director, Stéphane Côté gave a glimpse of what Bentley is up to in the field of augmented reality - putting data in the context of the physical world. There are countless applications. For maintenance - seeing through buildings or under roads, to query physical assets such as structure, services or underground pipes. For construction using

virtual sticky notes to flag up differences between a 3D model and the on-site reality. Builders could also display drawings in context, superimpose animations to help understand how components should be assembled on site. According to Côté, the big challenge is accuracy, tracking the exact position and orientation of your mobile device as you move on site and making sure it matches

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the 3D CAD model. GPS and in-built motion sensors can only do so much, but Bentley has found a workaround in the form of panoramic images. Rather than taking a live feed from the backfacing camera on a tablet, Cote is exploring the use of geo-referenced panoramic images that match the virtual CAD model exactly. It’s not augmented reality in the traditional sense, but the results look impressive.

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Structural Bentley has a new release of Structural Synchronizer v8i (SELECTseries 5), which creates a shared repository of common structural model data so it can be synchronised between a range of applications, including STAAD, RAM, SACS, AECOsim Building Designer, Revit, Tekla Structures and others. The big news for the new release is that it now fully integrates IFC, as well as allowing users to manage sub–structures, so models can be broken down for different teams to work on. Structural Synchronizer was originally developed to help bring together the smorgasbord of structural applications Bentley has acquired and developed over the years. And while it’s well regarded in industry, Raoul Karp, VP structural and BrIM, Bentley Systems, acknowledges that there are still times where direct, closer integration is wanted between Bentley’s products Mr Karp shared details of a forthcoming standalone structural modelling technology currently in development called ‘shared modelling components’. He explained how the technology will find its way into Bentley’s vertical products that require structural modelling – products like OpenPlant and Pro/Steel. With a set of shared component set of modelling tools a structure created in OpenPlant will immediately be able to be opened in Pro/Steel without transformation, he said. We should hear more about this interesting technology next year. In other structural news the SELECTseries 6 releases of ProConcrete and ProSteel V8i will now run standalone

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Images courtesy of BENTLEY SYSTEMS

work, or work package. SpecWave Composer works with another new Bentley technology - ProjectWise Construction Work Packaging Server, which is due for release next year. The software is designed to manage the lifecycle of construction work packages, improving the flow of information between engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover. A key part of its capabilities is providing clear visibility on progress. For this it features a dashboard where users can see, for example, which packages have been issued, how the different contractors are performing, what’s completed and what’s on schedule. It also links to ConstructSim, which is enabled by Bentley Navigator, for dynamic project review and analysis. Here, thematic representation helps users visualise all manner of status information such as what’s on site, what’s ready to install, what’s delayed, who’s carrying out which tasks, and which supplier is delivering to site.

The i-model composition server can automate the creation of i-models, PDFs, and raster files for use on all types of devices

on the Power Platform and do not need AutoCAD or MicroStation. ProConcrete has a new capability called Template driven Solids, where users can create 3D linear objects from 2D templates. According to Mr Roberts, this can give a more accurate quantity take off for concrete as the volume excludes rebar. There are also new parametric modelling tools for foundations and spiral columns and B-spline structural shapes — complex concrete structural shapes to match the geometries of today’s building, says Mr Roberts. ProSteel also has some new intelligent parametric modelling tools for stairs, handrails and anchors. According to Mr Roberts detail goes right down to plate connections, stiffners and the threading of holes, so the model can go straight into fabrication.

Civils There was a big focus on rail and transit at the event, a key takeaway being that there were huge benefits from combining pointcloud and CAD data. Also, by using mobile applications to access ProjectWise, companies could save a large amount of money in reduced site visits. Bentley’s acquisition of UK point cloud software developer Pointools was an investment in the core MicroStation technology, which the company sees as being a key future format in infrastructure projects. With HS2 being mentioned throughout the event, an excellent rail example was shown, which combined a CAD model of an animated train travelling down a section of rail. This was combined with a point cloud captured model of the trees, bridges and environment. As the train sped along the track the system clash detected the CAD geometry against the point cloud foliage and bridge to check for problem areas.

Conclusion Bentley Systems is a very technically proficient company that doesn’t rush into the ‘new’ thing until its portfolio of products

can benefit. Its commitment to using MicroStation as a platform and building extensive vertical capabilities upon it provides a great sense of commonality between its solutions. However, with the software development market moving to the cloud as the platform of choice, this could have meant a huge amount of re-architecting of all its solutions, which many of its competitors have had to do. Bentley is a devoted single platform Microsoft-based company so it’s perhaps no surprise that it has opted to use the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. With this addition to its desktop-based Windows applications, the new capabilities of license rental and cloud delivery will mean Bentley solutions will finally be available on the Mac, or any other operating system. If Bentley gets the rental price right and continues to grow the number of its applications that can be accessed in this way, especially with ProjectWise, there is a potential for the company to finally appeal to those outside of its ‘corporate’, ‘big project’ traditional client-base. Small architectural practices could also bid and take part in DGN-based workflows without the overhead of buying perpetual licenses with SELECT. Within the next year the CAD market will have radically changed the options open to customers to pay for and access design tools. The old model of highly priced perpetual licenses is set to fade, with individual term-rental or subscription pricing becoming the preferred payment options by vendors. With more capability being available immediately on-line the market is certainly turning on its head. While this could be seen as users being even more in the vendors’ pockets, the advantage of being able to drop seats or quickly swap design technology providers should keep the software developers as keen as ever to provide value for money. ■

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Feature

Autodesk Evolution On a visit to Autodesk’s headquarters in downtown San Francisco, we quizzed the company’s AEC development team on near and long-term development plans and got some candid answers. by Martyn Day

t a recent investor day in San Francisco Autodesk announced it was ending the ability for customers to upgrade their software without being on Subscription. This was described by Andrew Anagnost, Autodesk senior vice-president, industry strategy & marketing, as being an expected move having “conditioned” customers to the fact that Autodesk Subscription was the most cost-effective way of owning Autodesk software, together with getting access to additional services. Undoubtedly this will come as a shock to many who, despite the financial incentives of Subscription, have decided to upgrade only when they actually wanted to. Autodesk’s introduction of time-limited Rental offerings has in some way replaced the need to go through the old upgrade process — the latest version is always available for download and at a lower cost than updating an old release. From the figures I have seen, perpetually owned software on Subscription (full cost of software plus yearly cost) versus yearly rental takes about three years of ownership to benefit buying a full license over renting. This option also alters the accounting for engineering tools, capital expenditure versus operational expenditure and may 26

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Upgrades and business model Autodesk’s business model has been a constant transition. When AutoCAD was all the company offered, it could be two or three years before a new release came out This moved to yearly releases with Subscription being the cheapest way to stay up to date, with corresponding escalating financial costs to update for those that stayed behind. In this model the ‘sweeper’ was introduced; which forced those who preferred a longer cycle to upgrade or face buying a whole new copy if they wanted to protect their investment. In the past four years Autodesk has been steadily moving away from its reliance from this three year upgrade cycle revenue to annual Subscription. To push Subscriptions more, Autodesk produced ‘Suites’, offering even more software for a relatively small yearly fee. The final act is the complete removal of ‘Upgrade’ as an option. I suspect this decision will be met with lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth by customers who feel ‘herded’ by Autodesk’s business model but now with ‘rental’ there are other aspects to Autodesk’s offerings which help mitigate this decision.

depend on how and when you want to write off your software against future tax liabilities. Admittedly it does make long term decisions of ‘buy to own’ or ‘rent’ a bit of a complex equation and who knows what the future holds? Autodesk is keen to point out that unlike Adobe, previous and future full license acquisitions of Autodesk software are still perpetually owned — albeit nonupgradable if not on subscription. For Autodesk there is also distinct danger in this move, in that should many customers move to rent their software, they will have much greater freedom to move elsewhere, with less of a conscious historical and ongoing investment to maintain. The latest release is always there for rent when required and there is no big ‘joining fee’ of buying the software. It will also help keep Autodesk’s development teams focused to deliver useable new functionality and services, which from release to release can be a little hit and miss and only deliver small portions. Autodesk will be more vocal on these changes in the coming months, and I am sure the devil will be in the detail. For now, with the news that upgrades will be no more as of 2014, every firm should be weighing up the tactical benefit of using Autodesk Rental licenses. www.AECmag.com

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Autodesk is embracing the cloud: here an InfraWorks model of San Francisco’s Presidio Parkway roadway is accessed via the cloud and reviewed on an iPad

AutoCAD 360 Not to be confused with Autodesk 360, AutoCAD 360 is the cloud version of everyone’s favourite AutoCAD. Do not worry AutoCAD is still going to be available on your desktop and for a very long time will be the version that has everything in it. AutoCAD 360 is an in-process development, which will offer AutoCAD functionality through a web browser using HTML5. For now the functionality is perhaps just a tad better than AutoSketch once was but the team will eventually add in all the functionality that makes sense. So you can have AutoCAD locally on your desktop, or access it through a browser on any machine. As AutoCAD 360 is cloud based and your data can be stored in the cloud, you can even rock up at one of your clients, log in through the web and launch AutoCAD 360 with all your drawings. AutoCAD 360 replaces the short lived AutoCAD WS which was Flash based. It will be interesting to see how many other Autodesk apps become available as webalternatives. I suspect that most will follow suit.

Autodesk 360

offices in Switzerland and the whole pro- thanks to years of development. Autodesk has also developed an API for Autodesk has been the key industry pontif- cess was very resource intensive. Soon all icator on the benefits of the cloud. The com- you will need to do is to log into Autodesk Autodesk 360 so its developer partners can pany’s mantra for the last three years has 360, where every user has an account and provide additional functionality, should been that the cloud will bring ‘Infinite’ com- every subscription comes with manage- they want to use the processing power of puting to the masses. Instead of requiring ment tools, to allow CAD managers to allo- the cloud, or even sit within Autodesk’s expensive desktops, cloud-based applica- cate CAD resources and capabilities own servers, which I presume would also tions can perform hard calculations through a single portal. Account holders be bought through the 360 platform. This is very similar to Autodesk’s origiinvolved in rendering, building analysis could opt to rent more software or buy more cloud credits to run renders and nal business model, which had AutoCAD and simulation in the blink of an eye. as the platform with third However the reality is that, party developers writing with the exception of renderadditional functionality ing, online analysis is not through its API. However, being used by many. Infinite With the news that upgrades will be no Autodesk 360 is so much computing is a vision that is more as of 2014, every firm should be more for both Autodesk and some way off. its customers. Autodesk’s 360 platform is weighing up the tactical benefit of For Autodesk it is the ultithe source of all this hype. using Autodesk Rental licenses mate customer relationship Autodesk 360 is a lot more management (CRM) system than just a collaboration portal and direct product fulfillor a place to get renderings ment. For customers it is a done. It is Autodesk’s own operating system, its very own global net- analysis calculations using Autodesk’s one-stop shop for Autodesk products, third-party products, cloud processing work with which to interface with its cus- powerful computers. Autodesk 360 is a place where all the services, rental, CAD management admintomers and as it slowly develops will be the backbone of all the company’s products and drawings and models can be stored, dis- istration and document distribution. One wonders where this would leave tributed, accessed and viewed via desktop services for desktop, mobile and cloud. In the past Autodesk software was or mobile. Most Autodesk applications dealers. The company is making all the exclusively available from dealers through will eventually be available on whatever right noises to assure dealers that the distributors. It arrived on disks then mem- system you want: tablet, desktop, through channel is still an intrinsic part of its ‘go to’ ory sticks. Access codes could take an age a browser, on a Mac. I am told Autodesk market; but I feel the role of the dealer is to arrive at your dealer from Autodesk’s already has Revit ‘running on’ an iPad set to change more dramatically over the

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Feature card community to update Revit’s pipeline to gain the benefit of today’s fantastic GPUs. This could significantly help interaction and manipulation of large models. While Autodesk is committed to both the desktop and the cloud, the latter is the target destination for next generation platforms. One only has to look at Autodesk Fusion to see the cloud solution the company’s manufacturing division came up with. AEC is also on the same track but at the moment less visibly. Senior vice-president, platform solutions and emerging business, Amar Hanspal told me about the until now unknown ‘Project Skyscraper’, which is looking to use the cloud, or perhaps local servers, to offload some AEC development of the heavy lifting and segreAutodesk 360 is a lot more than just a gate the Revit database from So, where is Autodesk going collaboration portal or a place to get the front-end. with its AEC development? This would mean that the This year’s Revit update probrenderings done. It is Autodesk’s own applications would be light ably saw the least exciting operating system and model data can be release of new functionality. streamed to clients, sending With the focus on Suites, only what is needed, based on Autodesk seemed to forget what the user is doing. This that within these bundles When it came to multi-core processors makes a lot of sense as what mainly kills there was always one key product by which users defined the majority of their the team had looked at the problem, but Revit’s performance is the omnipresent by splitting up the code to run across nature of all the data, all of the time. day to day job. As Autodesk moves to offering BIM to With its first release in 2000, as code multiple cores, they found reassembling goes, Revit is actually getting quite long in it all on the other side gave little, if any, the complete building lifecycle, that amount of detail is only expected to increase. the tooth and is due to be re-written or benefit to the performance. So, for those wondering if Revit was in For now Revit can make use of multiple updated to a next generation product. The software clearly struggles with large mod- cores when rendering but it seems unlikely maintenance mode while the next generaels, does not have a contemporary graph- that the desktop version will be multi-core tion cloud version was in development can ics engine (unlike Bentley AECOsim), and any time soon. The solution Mr Hauck said rest easy that the team is still actively fails to make use of modern architectures the team is looking at is to defer and loca- working on enhancing the desktop versuch as multi core processors — some- lise Revit updates when it refreshes the sion. What seems likely is that the product will evolve to enable a cloud or server model to relieve the processor. thing which Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD does. Graphics was certainly something that hosted dataset, which intelligently proI have been led to believe that Revit was being rewritten but Autodesk was, com- the company was actively looking into and vides the right geometry and information pany-wide, investing heavily in getting its admitted to working with the graphics to teams of designers. next three years than it has at any other stage in the last twenty, with more services and less box revenue. Add the end of upgrades to the universal access that Autodesk 360 offers and the Autodesk offering is rapidly becoming like joining a club. In the past you subscribed to the next release of AutoCAD; soon it will only be about a range of services, of which CAD software is just one of many things you will be able to get for your yearly fee. Autodesk 360 is an extremely significant development and will impact every line of how Autodesk does business and how designers and engineers do business with Autodesk.

software cloud-ready. Some of that infinite computing would go down well in the Revit community, complex BIM models need grunt. Anthony Hauck, product line manager for Revit/Building Design, explained some of the planned changes with Revit. Mr Hauck agreed that performance was an issue and with each release the team was always looking to make some performance increase to give users more headroom. Unfortunately, with each increase, it either does not take long for users to eat that up by adding more detail, or users were already pushing beyond the boundries.

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Autodesk Pier 9 With Autodesk growing and now preferring to be based at One Market in San Francisco, the company has been expanding to take over more floors of the main building together with investing in other spaces and facilities. Pier 9, one of the historical piers jutting out into San Francisco bay, is just a ten minute walk from One Market. Here, Autodesk has created what can only be described as the ‘ultimate man cave’ for its employ-

ees. With cost estimates between $5 million and $7 million, Autodesk has created a modern space filled with the latest digital fabrication tools: 3D printers, bio/nano lab, laser and water cutters, CNC machines, a woodworking and metalworking shop, an electronics workshop, a commercial test kitchen, and an industrial sewing centre as well as smaller specialty project areas. This is very much along the lines of Techshop or the emerg-

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ing hackspaces — providing a place for employees to learn new skills and test out the company’s software. Pier 9 is also the office

space for Autodesk’s ‘Instructables’ website team, who edit and create thousands of ‘How to’ posts, from cooking recipes to robots and rockets.

Walking around the workshops it is clear to see that Autodesk has invested heavily in some very big machines, which cover typical CNC devices that their customers may also use, as well as the high-end five and six axis machines. It is a giant lab for Autodesk employees and they are already using it to refine their applications and help hardware manufacturers. A case in point was the giant metal-cutting water jet, which will only run off

AutoCAD DXF files but it did not like Autodesk’s DXF output! At this facility, Autodesk also has temporary ‘artists in residence’, who get access to all this fantastic hardware to work on agreed projects and push the design and manufacturing technologies, however weird they may be, such as a drum kit linked to servers and driven by an Arduino device, or a fire-breathing ‘Zoltan’ mechanical fortune teller.

www.AECmag.com

26/11/13 12:12:12

(Right) Autodesk’s manufacturing division has a cloud-based design tool in Fusion 360. Its AEC division is also on the same track with technologies like Project Skyscraper, but at the moment less visibly (Below right) It seems likely that Revit will evolve to enable a cloud or server hosted dataset, which intelligently provides the right geometry and information to teams of designers

Civil and infrastructure For the last two years Autodesk has largely ignored promotion of AutoCAD Civil3D concentrating instead on Autodesk Infrastructure Modeller, which then tuned into InfraWorks and is now called InfraWorks 360 Pro. As if the name changes are not confusing enough, Rich Humphrey, senior director for Autodesk InfraWorks 360, reassured that Civil3D is still the go to product for detailed design, documentation for Civil infrastructure projects but Autodesk admits that the product is now pretty mature. The excitement in the company is now based around InfraWorks 360 Pro because it wants to drive BIM for Infrastructure and a new platform that pulls together disparate datasets required to meet the needs of lifecycle assets. When documentation is required, Civil3D still needs to generate the detailed drawings but over time the data model will probably merge. Mr Humphrey explained that InfraWorks 360 is a new codebase that came from the company’s experiences in creating LandXplorer, Map, MapGuide and Civil3D. Customers were asking for a database driven unified data model for infrastructure models in one platform, as opposed to point solutions. The innovation is not just at the backend. The front end is almost game-like, making it easy to use. Simply sketching a line will generate a rules-based 3D model of a highway. The company thinks it is a game changer. For now Autodesk has 30-40 big companies that are using the software and the product has yet to be properly positioned.

Conclusion Before now the ‘Infinite computing’ mantra seemed pretty meaningless. But having seen just how much development www.AECmag.com

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Autodesk is doing, fundamentally changing the way the products and the company will interface with customers and the new options that this opens up to the way customers can work, I see that it is not only meaningless but totally underestimates the change that is coming to the way we all use software and computing. The computing industry is changing and Windows — in fact all operating systems — are being replaced with cloud platforms, which can deliver what you need, where you want it, with a powerful back end. While all this work is going on there will be serious challenges in streaming this functionality to firms with low bandwidth connections, or many users. This is why product mixes of the future will be whatever makes sense — desktop, mobile or HTML5. Autodesk is clearly looking to offer a wide breadth of applications to suit all needs, so, there’s no need to worry. It is not going to take away your beloved desktop

application anytime soon; in fact the number of tools and possibilities will just increase. With the Autodesk 360 backbone and Subscription and Rental priced to please customers, Autodesk’s change in business model starts to make more sense. The value proposition changes from how much AutoCAD ‘improvement’ do I get for my yearly fee to what services and level of access to tools do I get from Autodesk for the cost? ■

autodesk.com

Coming up... In the next edition of AEC we will look at Autodesk’s vision for ‘Big Data’, Reality capture and Building Analysis — areas where it is making major advances with products such as Recap Pro and Project Memento.

November / December 2013

26/11/13 12:12:13

Comment The CyArk 500 Challenge aims to digitally capture 500 global heritage structures in 3D, with the help of partners Autodesk, Faro, Leica and others. by Martyn Day and Stephen Holmes

CyArk 500 S

purred on by the Taliban’s destruction of the 1,600 year old Bamiyan Buddahs in Afghanistan, husband and wife team Ben and Barbara Kacyra set up CyArk to record archeologically important sites. Using cutting edge technology, CyArk’s plan is to digitally preserve 500 cultural heritage sites within the next five years. The locations are to be 3D scanned using laser and photometric technology, allowing them to be virtually recreated to millimetre accuracy as a 3D model. CyArk partnered with the leading brands in scanning hardware and software: Autodesk, Faro, Riegl, Topcon, Leica and Trimble, along with 3D Laser Mapping and a new company called dotproduct. Backup and data specialist IronMountain provides the huge amount of storage required to vault the laser scanned data (estimated at 10 Terabytes). The company’s servers are stored inside a mountain. By storing data records future degradation of the sites can be accurately repaired, and through using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software, potential damages from elements such as soil erosion can be pre-empted. The sites chosen for the CyArk 500 are submitted by the public. CyArk has 28 sites online from the data collected. It also produces educational materials, virtual tourism, and digital renderings. Using photometric 3D scanning apps and digital photographs from smartphones, the public can help record data and create 3D models. Autodesk’s software can recognise and position key points on a 3D structure, the tool can then create a 3D model, according www.AECmag.com

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to vice-president and group chief technology officer Brian Matthews. As a result, Mr Matthews has been using as many photographs of the Bamiyan Buddahs as available to piece together a digital model, bringing the inspiration for this mammoth project back from destruction.

Faro Focus3D 330

as Faro reducing the price and increasing the capability of scanning equipment. One of the other interesting ‘low cost’ scanners on show at the CyArk 500 launch came from start-up dotproduct, which has developed the DPI-7, a sub $5,000 handheld scanner/tablet combination that can be used to capture objects 60cm to five metres away. The system uses a similar sensor to Microsoft’s Kinect, an Android tablet and a handle. It is similar to using a video camera. By slowly waving the scanner, the display paints images with shades of green showing how well it has been defined. The deeper the green the more 3D data it has. In reality the hardware is actually pretty much all off the shelf components. The clever stuff is the Phi.3D software that is stitching the information together in real time. Its creators think that it will be used to generate models for interior design, 3D construction documentation for oil and gas facilities, documenting crime scenes, imaging movies sets, gaming and entertainment applications. The product is deemed pretty hot, as Intel just announced that it had invested a considerable amount into the company. As new low-cost scanning technologies come up dotproduct will apply its Phi.3D software to those hardware solutions and plans to bring down the cost of digital 3D capture.

Last month at the launch event for CyArk 500, sponsor Faro took the opportunity to unveil its latest 3D laser scanner, a longrange version of the Focus3D, the X 330. Faro revolutionised the scanning market with the Focus3D scanner in 2012. It was small, low-cost and ultra portable (weighing 5kg and would fit as carry-on luggage at airports) as well as having a touch screen for ease of use. The new Focus3D X 330 has almost three times greater range than the previous model being able to scan objects up to 330 metres away, as well as operate in direct sunlight. Accuracy for the device is +/- 2mm with a total range from 0.6m to 330m. The device has an integrated GPS receiver for positioning and the laser scanner is able to automate the correlation of individual scans in post-processing making it ideal for surveying. The quality of output has been enhanced with a reduction in noise and the Focus3D X 330 utilises a Class 1 “eye safe” laser. Like its shorterrange siblings it is the same small size, Conclusion touch-screen operation, SD-card memory CyArk is a noble non-profit that applies and an average battery life of 4.5 hours. technology to try and save the topology and geometry from endangered heritage sites. Dotproduct Regular laser scanning will helps to assess There is a scanning revolution underway, degradation and weathering of sites and in with Autodesk entering the market with its the worst case at least provide some 3D docRecap Pro product and hardware firms such umentation of sites that have been lost. November / December 2013

26/11/13 12:07:08

Comment

Big data How can firms take the first steps towards applying big data methodologies in their AECO practices? by Daniel Davis and David Fano, CASE

f CO2 was the byproduct of the industrial revolution then data is surely the byproduct of the digital revolution. Data flows from nearly everything we do. We produce data when we send emails, take photographs, and check in with Foursquare. We produce data when we use our credit card, the internet and our GPS. And our buildings are producing data about their internal climate, about lighting use, and about room occupation and equipment utilisation. It is almost impossible to comprehend how much data we are producing. IBM estimates that we collectively produce 2.5 quintillion bytes of data in a single day (IBM 2012). To put that in perspective, the hard-drive in your computer probably accommodates one terabyte of data, which means we fill an equivalent of 2.3 million of those hard drives with new data every single day. Perhaps more astonishing than the amount of data is the rate at which our data

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production is increasing. For all the data that exists in the world — all the data contained within all the books, and emails, and YouTube videos, and wherever else — 90% of this data was generated in the last two years (IBM 2012). Our data production has been steadily eclipsing itself and with the rate of data production increasing exponentially, in the not too distant future it will be eclipsed again. This might not sound like architecture. Big data — the name given to all of the data being collected and analysed — has traditionally been associated with marketing agencies, silicon valley startups, and intelligence organisations. But architecture is fundamentally about data. At the foundation of every BIM model lies data. Architects and engineers work to orchestrate data — creating it, modifying it, using it in simulations. Contracts take data and turn it into physical spaces, while building operators are increasingly managing

buildings using data from architects and from building sensors. Data underlies much of the modern AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Owneroperated) industry and we are only destined to produce more of it. Data alone does not make big data. In fact, ‘big data’ is somewhat of a misnomer since ‘big data’ does not have to be big. Big data is really about turning data into knowledge and wisdom; it is about metrics and analysis, insights and decisions. None of this requires a large data set, rather it requires an inquisitive approach and lots of statistical analysis. Given the amounts of data being produced by the AECO industry, there is a huge opportunity here, but it is one that not many firms are yet pursuing. At CASE we have been working with a number of our clients help them take the first steps towards applying big data methodologies in their various AECO practices. www.AECmag.com

26/11/13 11:08:20

Above: Figure 2 - analysis on the utilisation of BIM models within an organisation Left: Figure 1 - dashboard prototype allows clients to quickly compare design options in terms of environmental performance, leasable area, and program breakdown

One of the most common engagements is to develop analytic dashboards that summarise the salient and interesting features in large datasets. Figure 1 shows a dashboard prototype we are developing for clients that lets them quickly compare design options in terms of environmental performance, leasable area, and program breakdown. This data is all present within the model, but through analysis and visualisation this data becomes the knowledge needed to support design decisions. With this knowledge designers can parametrically manipulate the buildings with immediate feedback about how their changes will impact the development’s performance. For other clients we have developed dashboards that reveal space usage in masterplans, that break down post-occupancy usage, that analyse energy requirements, and that apply predictive interaction analysis to office environments. Beyond analytics for single projects, we have also been investigating the potential of applying big data to collections of projects. Figure 2 shows analysis we have been performing on the utilisation of BIM models within an organisation. This data is often buried in server logs that record how often models are opened, who opens the models, and the model’s size. These raw usage statistics are surfaced and analysed, transforming the data into knowledge of how the organisation is operating. For another client we have been been data-mining its BIM models, helping to identify common patterns across designs that can be reused on future projects. We have also been looking at firm-wide performance and turning data about project sizes, location, programme type, and revenue into business development insights. The data generated by the AECO industry is only getting bigger. Data is flowing from an ever increasing number of sensors embedded in buildings. There will also be far more data available from things like WiFi triangulation (to track the movement of people through buildings) and satellite imagery (to track the development of cities). Unlike the CO2 that has spewed from the industrial revolution, the data flowing from the digital revolution is a renewable resource — one whose abundance is increasing exponentially. While few AECO firms have begun utilising big data, those who mange to harness it are set to uncover a rich source of knowledge buried within the byproduct of their digital conversion. ■

case-inc.com

www.AECmag.com

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26/11/13 11:08:22

Review

Sefaira for SketchUp Cloud-based energy efficiency developer Sefaira has launched a new, real-time analysis plug-in for SketchUp. AEC got a sneak peek before the official launch. by martyn Day

The SketchUp plug-in efaira’s cloud-based Sefaira for performance analyWith the new Sefaira SketchUp sis service performs SketchUp plug-in, live enerPrice: Part of the annual iterative analysis on gy analysis feedback is $5,000 for an unlimited models created in or importbrought into a palette withSefaira service ed through SketchUp. in the SketchUp interface. sefaira.com/ Aimed at the early concept As the model is edited, sefaira-for-sketchup design phase, it provides an and elements are attributed astounding amount of guidas Sefaira objects (walls, ance to refine the performance of pro- floors, glazing etc.), the energy analysis posed models. updates, giving the architect a great Using the cloud as its medium, Sefaira insight into the energy flows in and out of has a lot of processing power available to the building through a graphic design deliver quick results on these complex that clearly highlights bad energy design calculations. The solution excels at practices. analysing parallel strategies, allowing The ‘energy flows’ graph details end the creation of ‘bundles’ for variances in uses of energy such as heating, cooling, the design to guide the architect on per- lighting and appliances. Heat gains and formance and cost. Results are provided losses from the building are shown in documents that can be used when graphically, enabling the designer to applying for LEED, BREEAM and Part L make the right decisions and attain buildcompliance. ing performance targets typical for the As with most building analysis tools, designated usage. prior knowledge of physics and the techniSefaira for SketchUp provides live feedcal aspects of performance strategies are back as the model is edited. Increase the required to get the most out of design vari- glazing and see the solar gain grow and ables. These include materials, structure, the corresponding increase in cooling orientation, U-values, brise soleil, photo- energy usage on the display. This really voltaics, solar shading and natural ventila- informs at the concept design stage and tion. This limits the appeal of Sefaira to does not require jumping out to another specialists within design teams and puts package to get that feedback. analysis at the back-end of modelling. The version we saw was limited in its

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ability to analyse models over 200 surface planes. We were told that after launch this would be increased but there will be a reasonable limit to keep the analysis as near instant as possible. While it is only a fraction of the full product’s capabilities the company has managed to simplify the output into a display that anyone can understand. This is a considerable achievement, which should greatly broaden the appeal of analysis to designers.

Conclusion Initially Sefaira offered per seat annual licensing but this has now changed to an annual $5,000 subscription that allows for unlimited seats with as many analysis passes as you want. This change has seen its use explode within its clients, which include the likes of Foster + Partners. The new Sefaira for SketchUp application is now included in the subscription. This limits the appeal of this application to firms that can afford and want the complete Sefaira service. I suspect many small firms would appreciate having access to just the SketchUp capability to check their early designs. Hopefully, in the future, the company will offer this kind of functionality for a lower price, without the full analysis back-end. www.AECmag.com

26/11/13 12:14:25

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AEC Magazine November / December 2013

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