AUGIWorld Magazine November/December 2007

Who’s Using Revit MEP? BIM, as most of us know, refers to Building Information Modeling. For the past several years though, this has been known only as a luxury for architects, a high-tech road that only they traveled. Engineers, on the other hand, have been happy with their 2D outputs for the last 20 years. It’s not our fault, really, for that train of thought. Modeling (to us) simply meant pretty little 3D pictures of what the architects envision the building to look like. Perhaps it’s the “M” portion of BIM that confused us, and it’s the “M” portion that can have different meanings between the design forces. Perhaps to engineers, it should be called: Building Information “Management,” having the ability to manipulate the digital and computable information on the fly. We already do this via Excel and other database programs. It could also mean Building Information “Maintenance,” maintaining the MEP design using state-of-the-art coordination features. Few would argue that BIM could also mean Building Information “Migraine.” It’s no secret that the industry is faced with a change that may completely defy everything that has ever been done in the past. Some believe that “M” could eventually mean Building Information “Masterpiece,” the phase where everything starts to really click between Architecture, Structural, and MEP. The process allows the coordination effort to be fine-tuned and errors in design to be caught earlier and more effectively. The BIM process can extend past the CD phase to enhanced communication with the contractor, 4D and 5D capabilities, owner operations and maintenance, and energy analysis. Of course, we can’t leave out the fact we can track those little changes that the architects seem to make at the last minute! Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2008 is that exciting bit of BIM software that has the industry buzzing. Powerful and complex, it demands patience, fortitude, and dedication. Revit MEP isn’t perfect yet, having been on the market fewer than two years, and it requires some upfront setup and time to produce presentable CDs. Despite all of that, though, MEP has a lot of potential. It is first to be used as an engineering analysis tool and second as a documentation tool. Its true shining feature is coordination and interference checking, which above all things, is the most important part. Does ductwork interfere with structural elements? Is every- thing circuited? Have we picked up all the mechanical equipment? Does the design comply with energy codes for HVAC and lighting? Do I have piping running over electrical panels? The following profiles look at several of the groundbreaking MEP consulting and A/E firms that are starting to walk down that BIM road with Revit MEP 2008. I talked with company employees about the types of projects they are piloting, their efforts at implementation, reviews of the product, and their future intentions with MEP 2008. Some of these firms are committed to shaping the future of Revit MEP as it continues to evolve and mature over the new few years. Harley Ellis Devereaux – Southfield, Michigan Harley Ellis Devereaux is a large A/ MEP/S firm employing more than 500 people across five offices in the United States. Harley Ellis Devereaux is committed to using Revit for all new projects ranging from Healthcare, Industrial, Automotive, Commercial, to Science and Research buildings. Architectural and structural engineering disciplines are utilizing Revit Building/ w w w. A U G I . c o m 30 http://www.AUGI.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AUGIWorld Magazine November/December 2007

AUGIWorld Magazine November/December 2007 Table of Contents The CAD Manager Education & Training Finance Training Google Earth: Now Showing in AutoCAD Civil 3D Get Your Input Here A Good First Impression, Part 2 Share and Share Alike Who's Using Revit MEP? Ready… Get Set… Properties! On the Back Page: The Brazilian Model

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