Instructions

Which types of structural framing systems and materials are most commonly used in the US for residences? For office buildings?

What factors determine why these are the most used materials?

Why do different teams of designers and subcontractors link and share their models during the design process? 

What are the advantages of linking models?

• By linking models, designers and subcontractors can be working off a single source of truth where inconsistencies can be spotted quickly and intent can be visually absorbed completely without losing precision.
• Linked models also can save history as they are updated, allowing automatic recordkeeping.

Are there any disadvantages to linking models?

• Linking models requires all parties to remember to update to the same place, as well as somebody to comb through and check everything still passes. This can be forgotten and tedious.
• If someone messes up their linked model, it may show up as an error for everyone else and make coordination between other parties difficult.

How do you think design coordination was done before we started using digital models? 

What advantages does doing this coordination digitally have over previous methods?

• Before digital models, I’m guessing teams took the same gridlines and elevation views, drew their own work, then overlaid sheet by sheet to look for inconsistencies. It would be done in pencil so erasing and editing could be done easily.
• Digital coordination can be done asynchronously, remotely, and with automations to check for clashes and audit materials.

What strategies can design teams use to find and avoid clashes prior to the start of construction? 

What can be done besides sharing the models digitally?

At what point in the project development process should design coordination start? 

Is it ever too early?

• Form the big picture conceptual design stage and onwards. Each step makes more assumptions, so the more clashes and needs that can be understood upfront, the better informed everyone is.