Practice Exercise: Structural Framing

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Grids are created based on architectural drawings.

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A wood-frame system is used for this design. Structural Columns are 18x18 Timber. The beams & beam Systems use 12x24 Timber; for the restrooms' locations, I could not fit timber beams at the floor plans because of the 25’ length restriction, so I used W12x26 as beams and W8x10 as beam system there instead. The stairs and atrium openings are accounted for.

A typical floor plan: the south end of the beam at axis B will be connected to the structural wall.

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After uploading the models to the BIM 360 documents and creating a new coordination view using the Model Coordination tool, the merged model is created, as shown in the pictures below.

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Clashes Detection: most clashes are from structural beams penetrating the architectural walls.

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Summary:

Overall, a timber structural system is used for this building. Some steel beams are used for the locations of the restrooms, where longer beams are required to prevent the columns from blocking the entrance and creating inconveniences for people to move around. I did not accidentally cover any elevators, stairs, and atrium floor openings. I avoided placing columns in the middle of the hallways or rooms. I believe I meet the designer’s design intent to ensure that the users can enjoy the beautiful outside view and feel comfortable in the building, and that the elements in the structural system are not blocking main circulation flows.