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?
For US residences, typically wood framing is used. It is lightweight and durable and since wood is abundant in the US, it continues to be a primary choice for residential homes.
For office buildings, especially very large ones, steel is the primary choice for framing because it can handle much high weight loads. Steel also lasts longer than wood as framing material, thereby making it a better choice for large scale building projects.
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, different teams can get on the same page of a project. They can see in real time any updates, or conflicts for that matter, made to a project by a different team. This reduces the need for having as many meetings between different teams.
Are there any disadvantages to linking models?
On the downside, teams can over-edit a model before it is another team’s opportunity to make their viewpoint known. Construction is a timeline, but different teams come in at different times. Some teams may make edits out of order.
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?
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?
Different teams can have in-person meetings prior to construction to agree on a general plan to avoid clashes. Some teams could be given priority over others during certain periods so that there is an agreed-upon hierarchy to making changes. Then, every team knows their place in the pecking order prior to the start of construction.
At what point in the project development process should design coordination start?
Is it ever too early?