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 residencies, wood is the most commonly used material in the US. This is because it can support the lower loads of houses, and wood is cheap and accessible. For office buildings, steel is the most commonly used material. With the increased loads of the larger buildings comes an increase demand for support, which steel is a good choice for.
Why do different teams of designers and subcontractors link and share their models during the design process?
What are the advantages of linking models?
Linking models is beneficial because multiple disciplines can easily collaborate on a project containing different components and model types. It is also very useful that the structural version of the model will update as the architectural model is updated, so all parties can stay informed of new model updates.
Are there any disadvantages to linking models?
Linking models can make the project slightly more difficult to edit, as one must copy over all elements and one must keep track of which elements are structural component and which components are architectural.
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?
Before the convenience of Revit model linking, coordination was most likely done either in person or by notifying the relevant parties through phone/email. With each change, it is important that the party be notified, as the architecture greatly impacts the structural design. Revit's link feature greatly increases the efficiency of these revisions and saves a lot of time.
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?
At what point in the project development process should design coordination start?
Is it ever too early?