MEP BIM – Revit brings a revolution within MEP BIM Services
Revit has become synonymous to BIM as it is the software that brought BIM into existence. It has evolved to be the most successful and widely used software for virtual construction modeling since it’s entry in the market. This software has been instrumental in maximizing construction productivity, correcting onsite concerns and handling other timeline issues. It helps in developing a 3D model in totality, extract all building related information such as quantities, shop drawings, 2D constructability views etc. It has effectively enabled organizations to minimize the possible on-site concerns and helped to lower the overall project cost.
Today we will talk about how Revit is useful in the field of MEP BIM Services. As we all know MEP is a parametric software and is known for the adaptable properties that it has. It covers all the main services within the MEP disciplines including HVAC, Electrical, and Plumbing. We work on ducting, piping, and equipment development while developing a BIM Model.
What is ductwork? Ductwork is one of the most important services within the 3d Model. We are going to talk more on this topic and understand how it developed as a 3d component.
Primarily duct is very important and one of the core parts of an MEP discipline. It is important for heating, ventilation and air conditioning for basically maintaining air flow with consistent cooling and comfort indoor. There are various types of duct shapes that one needs to keep in consideration. They can be rectangular, circular and elliptical in nature. They need to be modeled and placed at multiple levels or elevations. Hence keeping the placement in mind, one needs to design the duct accordingly. Revit MEP software offers multiple options to design and develop duct models that are used in the final virtual Construction Model. Choosing the type of duct depends on the kind of building, the amount of space you have between Architectural ceilings or walls, beams and so on. It should be customized enough to accommodate the space left between two discipline, frames, routing that has been drawn and windows.
There may be a need to design outlets to leave space for other model disciplines. Ducts need to be precise and concise, in perfect alignment with the air flow, exhaust or outers. They need to be modeled and drawn with different sizes to accommodate the air pressure. Duct if are larger than required or if are smaller than required can pose a severe threat to the design accuracy of a particular structure.
As we discussed in the previous segment of this article, Revit MEP also provides project assistance by working on multiple other scopes of work like quantity take offs, 4D and 5D BIM, clash reports etc. Along with these elements, it also offers a seamless and accurate detail work for ducting, piping etc. MEP BIM Services is not limited to virtual construction modeling only but a lot of other services like MEP fabrication, shop drawing creation or MEP detailing is an extension to the list of services.
Though Revit is flawless and seamless, there are certain limitations within the software Revit. Intricate detailing or fabrication is not possible in Revit, hence other software needs to be used if there is a need to fabricate ducts or other MEP details. To overcome these challenges, Revit releases a new version every year. This year an updated version of Revit has hit the market with excellent features enabling fabrication of ducts along with detailed drawing extraction.
Revit MEP indeed is a very prominent and irreplaceable tool within the MEP BIM Services domain. Though there are minor challenges and some interoperability issues, it continues to rule the construction industry due to its efficiency, features and other user-friendly applications. With revised features, constant up gradation and ability to reduce cost, Revit will continue to provide complete and high precision building data.
Bhagwati Pathak