Revit 2018 Adds New Features for MEP and Structural Engineers



Given that one of BIM’s chief benefits is its ability to enhance collaboration between project stakeholders, it’s of key importance that software platforms cater to the many varied needs of the multiple disciplines involved in the architecture, engineering and construction sector.

Revit 2018 adds 100 connections between steel members, including those from custom, user-defined families. (Image courtesy of Autodesk.)

With this end in mind, Autodesk has added a slew of new features to its latest version of Revit as part of efforts to improve the multidisciplinary nature of its flagship building information modeling (BIM) platform.

Autodesk has revealed that Revit 2018 contains several new capabilities that cater to architects, MEP engineers, and structural engineers specifically, alongside a range of other features designed to enhance the platform’s functionality and ease.

Structural engineers can access new tools and upgraded features for dealing with steel connections and elements, with a view to cutting down on errors and shoring up the accuracy of estimates and detailing.

Revit 2018 adds over a 100 new connections for steel modeling via the Steel Connections for Revit add-in and permits users to place them between beams, bracings, and columns by means of custom, user-defined families.

This means engineers will be able to include many different steel connections and details in their BIM models of steel frames and render these models fabrication-ready by automating steel detailing using Autodesk Advance Steel.

 

Revit 2018 allows the insertion of rebar in more complex concrete shapes. (Image courtesy of Autodesk.)

Revit 2018 allows the insertion of rebar in more complex concrete shapes.

Another new feature for structural engineers is the ability to place rebar in concrete elements that possess unusual shapes or complex geometry.

This should improve the ability of engineers to insert rebar effectively into any innovative or challenging concrete projects, such as buildings with unique architectural designs or piers and decks with curvilinear profiles.

When it comes to MEP, Revit 2018 employs routing capabilities to improve the efficiency of fabrication modeling and provides for more detailed modeling of sloping pipes.

Improvements to building mechanical design feature target building efficiency and provide users with outdoor air settings for different building types and user-definable spaces in order to assess early-stage energy requirements.

With respect to hydronic system capabilities, Revit 2018’s closed-loop hydronic piping analysis makes use of a new engine for enhanced model editing and performance by means of computing in background processes.

Electrical design is also made easier with new editing functions for circuits in order to reflect voltage drops and analytical design data more accurately.

Other new or improved features of Revit 2018 include the Dynamo graphical programming interface, which will enable users without software expertise to create video with scripts by means of a visual language, improved coordination and compatibility via added support for SAT and Rhino file imports and the ability to use Navisworks files as underlays in Revit for model linking.