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?
The most commonly used materials for structural framing which I have seen in the US are concrete, steel and wood. The main factors I think that determine what is used is cost, project location, the availability of the material, the function of the building and the desired appearance. For example, the framing materials wanted in a house in the woods would be different to high rise flats in New York City which would more likely be concrete or steel.
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?
I believe that the whole process would've been done in person with print out’s or drawings of the desired design possibly layered over each other and everyone had to be in the same place. The advantages of doing this digitally is that people can work on the design anywhere at the same time enhancing and easing collaboration. It is also a much faster and more efficient way to coordinate designs especially if changes are required. It’s much easier to compare designs too to make the best choice.
At what point in the project development process should design coordination start?
Is it ever too early?
I think the design coordination process should start as early as possible. Incorporating every stakeholder right at the start of the project where the objectives and constraints of the design are laid out would ensure that the aims of the project are met and kept in mind throughout the design. Coordination should also occur consistently throughout the whole project development to make the design as detailed and accurate as possible.