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?
Teams link and share their models so that when one is edited, the other sees that change as well. This prevents clashes and ensures the project plan is actually able to be implemented. The subcontractors can let the designers know what needs to be changed for it to come to life. Disadvantages are the same as for any teamwork project—disagreements about placements of certain elements or frustration at communication.
How do you think design coordination was done before we started using digital models?
Before digital models I imagine design coordination was done by passing around the same sketch and making painstaking copies of them. This was probably really slow and inefficient. Doing it digitally allows multiple people to be working on them at the same time with more precision.
What strategies can design teams use to find and avoid clashes prior to the start of construction?
Design teams can make sure to explicitly assign work directions so that there is little to no overlap in areas that they’re working on before collaboration occurs. A strategy to find clashes is to consistently cross-reference designs throughout the design process so a lot of progress is not made with an error.