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?
In the US, the types of structural framing systems and materials most commonly used for residences are wood and brick. These are the most used materials most likely because of their lightweight properties, availability, and affordability. They also make the home look and feel like a traditional residence. Beams and columns make up the framing systems of residential homes.
For office buildings, steel and concrete are the most common materials. This is due to their structural properties and ability to carry a large load. Steel is important because it can improve the seismic resilience and durability of a building. Concrete is often used because it is inexpensive, versatile, and widely available. These materials can be purchased in large quantities to use on large projects like commercial buildings and skyscrapers. Office buildings often use more complicated framing systems, such as sheer walls, rigid frames, and moment-resisting frames.
Why do different teams of designers and subcontractors link and share their models during the design process?
What are the advantages of linking models?
Are there any disadvantages to linking models?
It is very helpful for teams of designers and subcontractors to link and share their models during the design process because this allows the team members to view each others’ work and communicate about design changes they wish to make. Other advantages of linking models are that the different parties can work together on each others’ creations, which boosts efficiency. For example, a structural engineer and architect might use the linked models to decide where to put a braced frame, while still maintaining the desired aesthetic of the project. Finally, clashes between models can be detected by linking the models, which is important for preventing mistakes further down the design and building process.
Some disadvantages to linking models are that it might be confusing to have many different components in one model. For example, if changes are not clearly labeled, it might be unclear who made the change. Linking models might also require more computing power, which might cause editing the model to be more time consuming and tedious.
At what point in the project development process should design coordination start?
Is it ever too early?
The design coordination process should start after a conceptual idea for the project has been laid out, the architect has started designing the model, and the structural engineer (or other key project team members) has been brought on. It might be too early to begin the design coordination process if not all key project designers have been hired. For example, if there is only one designer so far (i.e. an architect), it may defeat the purpose of having design coordination, since they do not have another designer to coordinate their model with yet.