Prostor-L uses Revit for BIM modeling of buildings and constructions

The project and architectural company "Prostor-L" in partnership with the PSS St. Petersburg engineering and consulting company implements technology of information modeling of buildings and constructions (BIM). Development of a non-standard technique of application of an information model at design of apartment houses became the main feature of the project. This technique allowed to increase efficiency of use of the software package Revit without updating of hardware infrastructure.

The St. Petersburg company "Prostor-L" specializes in general design of residential, public and industrial buildings and constructions, provides the general profile consultations on construction and architectural projects.

We began to look narrowly at BIM already long ago – in 2008. Then we purchased the first licenses of Revit – it is possible to tell, on test. We invited for training of specialists SPBGASU, however at that time we did not receive essential results: our computers had no sufficient performance, and the solution Revit was rather crude. Few years ago the situation radically changed: we updated the PC, Revit park reached other level therefore the management of our company and made the decision to try once again. Mikhail Sergeyev, deputy CEO of Prostor-L LLC

Strategic objective of the project was creation of the uniform BIM environment for work of all staff of the company: engineers, architects, designers. Minimization of disputable situations between engineers was one of the purposes which was set within the project: first of all, those who are engaged in design of ventilating communications with the others. Ventilation assumes use of pipes of big section therefore their placement is always priority. At the same time it is necessary to arrange it with other types of communications which also submit to certain requirements. To receive correct configuration of communications, it is necessary to do it in a 3D model.

With respect thereto was decided to begin the project of transition to Revit. Licenses were purchased, employees were trained by specialists of PSS. Besides, PSS company performed BIM-consulting including the organization of work of group of designers in BIM: creation of families, setup of a template and registration of a kvartirografiya and also regulations and instructions for modeling are developed.

With omoshchyyu BIM is conducted project development of the apartment 12-storey apartment house in New Sergiyevo. For this project specialists of "Prostor-L" with assistance of PSS developed the special technique allowing to increase significantly efficiency of use of Revit without upgrade of the park of computers.

If we work on such multisection construction as in our project, the volume of all architectural data is simply enormous. It is impossible to save all these data in one file: any, even the most powerful, the computer will not cope with it. Therefore we came to a conclusion that it is necessary to select several levels of development. The first of them is apartments. The same standard apartment can appear on different floors in different sections, and such standard apartments there can be in the house a set. Revit allows to make corrections in one file, and they automatically will appear in other linked objects – in a space image, all types and cuts, sheets, specifications. It already significantly facilitates work of architects, but we decided to look at this process even more widely. Natalya Plotnikova, chief architect of the project of Prostor-L LLC

As a result specialists of "Prostor-L" managed to construct work in Revit so that at making changes in the standard apartment – and it can occur either on the instructions of the customer, or upon the demand of firefighters, or according to sanitary and hygienic requirements, etc. – in other sections where this standard apartment is also used, everything will change automatically. Here the principle of blocks which is used in AutoCAD is applied.

That this scheme worked, data on all apartments are loaded "in touch" in one file which represents one floor of one section. Thus, the floor of one section consists of communication of apartments, staircases, lift premises and other non-standard elements "are also "connected". In case of need it can be also a sheaf from floors – for example, the cellar and the first floor. The certain floor can be standard in different sections too. From such standard elements we arrange so-called "assembly" in vertical direction or in horizontal direction – for example, we create assembly of the first floor of all 22 sections of the house. Such assembly is stored in the separate file. All this significantly facilitates and accelerates work of architects and minimizes quantity of errors and alterations.

Prostor-L company - one of those who approaches a question of implementation of BIM not formally and it is weighed and is thoughtful, as much as possible making use of the experience accumulated for long operating time and at the same time leaving a backlog on perspective. The technique developed by "Prostor-L" is interesting by the efficiency and an opportunity to save on the hardware that is always relevant. Interest in BIM grows now, including thanks to activity of the regulator, but advantage will be got in the future by those companies which will be able to use all pluses of this technology, having relied on the existing competences and experience Russinian Elena, leading specialist of department of a CAD of PSS company