Symetri
Quite often I hear building services engineers question, “why should we consider using Revit MEP.” “We don’t deliver BIM, none of our project partners use Revit, what would be the benefit to us?”
There are many benefits to be gained from using Revit MEP and not all them are directly related to BIM. Your project partner doesn’t need to be using Revit either.
I have outlined a selection of features that someone using 2D AutoCAD could benefit from by switching to Revit MEP to deliver a building services project. Many of these will translate into straight forward productivity gains, but don’t forget that Revit is also a BIM authoring tool and can help you deliver when it does become a requirement.
You will become productive very quickly with a reduced learning curve due to the intuitive, easy to navigate user interface contained within Revit.
It’s quick and easy to utilise single line drawings created in Revit by converting them to detailed designs, rather than having to start again from scratch.
Revit comes with a library of generic equipment, but users can also access manufacturer specific content from a variety of sources making it quick and easy to build schemes.
By using and building upon the standards built into Revit, less time is spent checking your deliverables.
Revit has a database of every item used in the project which can be “called out” at any time to produce automated schedules. This saves a significant amount of time compared to manual processes.
Revit has tools that are easy to use and can help avoid costly and time-consuming re-works on site.
When working with a project partner who is also using Revit, the design model will be linked directly into your project. This allows you to view the model from any aspect without the need for extensive requests for information, therefore saving time and money.
Revit is an intelligent modeller that uses elements which understand what they are and how they interact with other elements in the project. For Example, at any given point in a duct run, the velocity, size and pressure drop can be checked. This level of design validation can prove invaluable and would simply not be available in the same way using 2D design methods.
Design information is displayed in tags that can be added to your project automatically. These can also act as a visual check for design adherence, helping enforce standards and avoid costly rework.
If a change is made to any aspect of the design, this will be seen across all other views of the model, whether it’s on a drawing sheet or a schedule. This is impossible to achieve using conventional 2D AutoCAD and has significant time-savings.
If the required deliverable is not a Revit model and it needs to be in an AutoCAD dwg format, then it’s easy to facilitate in Revit. It can include mapping elements to your own layering standards which helps streamline and standardise your workflow.
Revit MEP can collaborate with familiar design products such as Dialux and Relux. You are also able to carry out electrical design and verification using Pro Design from within Revit.
Revit allows you to visualise, and therefore resolve problem areas of the design, with easy to manage 3D views before discovering costly undetected mistakes during construction.
Revit allows teams to work on the same project concurrently, giving all team members sight of project progress from a single model. This level of collaboration is simply not possible using 2D AutoCAD and provides benefits across the entire team.
You can easily change your design level model to a fabrication level model using industry standards straight from Autodesk Fabrication CADmep, reducing the potential for errors.
Revit MEP creates fabrication level models using the same industry standards from Autodesk Fabrication CADmep.
As you can see there are some great advantages to be gained by using Revit MEP.
If I have still not convinced you of the value of Revit MEP, consider this…
From my experience of delivering Revit MEP training courses, one thing I have never heard at the end of a course is a delegate saying they would rather carry on drawing in 2D.
