Session 2

Documentation Techniques for Concrete

Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey, BD Mackey Consulting

Class Description
This session will share techniques for documenting reinforcing that use
lesser known techniques. It will demonstrate the use of intelligent detail
items to represent plan reinforcing without having to model the
reinforcing, while still having intelligence embedded into the components
such that tagging can be used. This session will also show how a schedule
can be used to verify rebar quantities, locations etc. Finally, this session
will also cover how to detail reinforcing in sections and details while
incorporating simple code compliance and intelligence into the detail
families so that they too can be tagged and scheduled. Documenting
rebar can often become very unclear and cluttered, so this session will
also show techniques to help mitigate such issues.

About the Speaker:

Brian began using Autodesk products with AutoCAD Release 12. He has
worked in many areas of the industry as a wood-worker, a CAD Manager
and a Technical Specialist for an Autodesk reseller. In 2011 Brian started a
BIM consulting firm, BD Mackey Consulting. Brian's past roles in industry
have aided his ability to help his clients effectively use Autodesk software
and now working with his clients keeps Brian immersed in every aspect of
the industry. Through working with companies from all over the country,
from different disciplines, Brian has gained valuable experience and
knowledge about industry best practices in implementing Revit. Working
closely with many diverse companies enables Brian to stay close to the
industry, which helps him provide his clients with the specific services they
require. Brian is a well-known and popular instructor; he also co-hosts a
light-hearted monthly Revit internet Q&A webcast that has a growing fan
base
Documentation Techniques for Concrete
Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey,BD Mackey Consulting

Introduction
Few structural firms have taken on the task of modeling reinforcing,
namely rebar, in full 3D. Text and detail lines seem to have become a
common way of documenting plan reinforcing, details and sections alike.
Unless a firm is creating reinforcing shop drawings, a 2D approach is likely
a good direction. However, instead of using lines and text, detail items
and tags can be more successful, more efficient, and more consistent. By
creating detail items that can be used in plans and/or sections, standards
and commonalities can be built into office practices. With the recently
added capability to schedule detail items, a firm can also run a check to
see what is documented on any given project, not only to verify design,
also to check consistency and code compliance as well. One thing to be
mindful of in a 2D approach is the fact the all of these items only appear
in the view in which they are created. This can be a benefit, or a
downfall, depending on the desired look. In Figure 1 all of the notation,
along with the line representation of detail items are shown.

Figure 1: Image courtesy of Ethos Engineering

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Documentation Techniques for Concrete
Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey,BD Mackey Consulting

Detail Items
As stated before, detail items aren’t just for details anymore; they can also
be used effectively as plan notations. Since plan notations most often
need to be view-specific, detail items are a convenient way to facilitate
that, while still maintaining some level of intelligence. With careful
planning, common taggable values can be added to the components,
thus eliminating the need to use text to describe what the detail item is
representing. Conversely, the text can be built directly into the family,
thus eliminating the need for the additional step of tagging, with the
added benefit of having everything move as a single instance. Since
these values will have to be shared parameters in order to be tagged, this
also extends their possibilities to be scheduled as well, thus helping with
the capability to check consistency within the project.

Plan Reinforcing
The majority of components used for plan reinforcing documentation are
line based detail components. This makes it is easier to pick two points for
the extents while drawing, and not have to go back into the properties to
change a length parameter.

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Documentation Techniques for Concrete
Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey,BD Mackey Consulting

Plan Bars
Below is an example of plan reinforcing family that will display hooks at
either end, as well as has the capability to move and manipulate the
built-in text display. With the exception of the length value, all other
values for this particular family are text parameters. This way, if a value is
left blank, the built-in tag doesn’t display the prefix or suffix for that given
string.

Figure 2: Family created for KL&A

This example is similar to the one above, however it is used to display

staggered bars. Again the values are all text-based (this example was
created for a Canadian engineer, hence the milometer units). These
families also have different plan representation depending on if they are
a top or bottom bars. Once that is set, the tag text will change
accordingly.

Figure 3: Family created for Ethos Engineering

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Documentation Techniques for Concrete
Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey,BD Mackey Consulting

This family was created where there will be a step in the slab, representing
the “Z” (or “Zed” since this is a Canadian firm) bar. There is also an option
to show the step vertical or at a 45° angle; the text also adjusts
automatically depending on that angle.

Figure 4: Family created for Ethos Engineering

This reinforcing family is used above columns to show the reinforcing from
the column into the slab. Since this family is placed over a column and
extends in multiple directions, a line based family was NOT used.

Figure 5: Family created for KL&A

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Documentation Techniques for Concrete
Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey,BD Mackey Consulting

Plan Extents
Another common tool to aid in plan documentation is to show the extents
of the plan reinforcing. This too can be a line based detail item family.
This family also has an instance-based parameter, along with a shape
handle to adjust the symbol to align with the rebar representation.

Figure 6: Generic Reinforcing Extents

This family was created to only show the basic plan extents. A generic
annotation family was nested in for the arrows, as well as for the dot, this
way they scale accordingly. An instance-based parameter to move the
dot symbol was also added, such that it could easily be aligned or
dragged to the reinforcing component.

Figure 7: Family created for KL&A

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Documentation Techniques for Concrete
Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey,BD Mackey Consulting

This plan extent family goes a little bit further than the one above because
not only does it show the extents, it allows for a corner bar, as well as
different symbols at each of the ends, depending on the condition it is
representing. It also has the capability to show the arrows inside or
outside the extents.

Figure 8: Family created for Ethos Engineering

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Documentation Techniques for Concrete
Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey,BD Mackey Consulting

Generic Annotations
As shown above, having the annotation automatically display while the
family is being placed is not only a huge time saver due to not having to
tag the element, but it also saves time during manipulating or moving the
family. This was accomplished by creating a generic annotation family
that was then nested into the detail item family. This process includes a
few nuances to keep in mind.
Generic Annotation Labels
First, the label in the generic annotation
family must be the correct type of
parameter. For example, if a length
parameter is to be referenced, then the
generic annotation must be a length
parameter.

Second, when a generic annotation is nested into a family, and the units
are set to pick up the project units, it will only pick up on Project Units from
Family, not the Project Units from the project. Therefore, if a certain
rounding or unit type is required, define this value in the label, and don’t
rely on the units from the project.

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Documentation Techniques for Concrete
Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey,BD Mackey Consulting

Another benefit of embedding a label is that if the label is empty, then the
prefix and suffix doesn’t display. Certain acronyms, abbreviations, and
other values can be pre-set into the prefix and/or suffix value, thus saving
manual input and adding some consistency to the project.

Generic Annotation Symbols

The arrows, dots, and other graphic symbols used in the details are also
nested generic annotation symbols. These symbols will scale
automatically due to the fact they are generic annotation symbols.

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Documentation Techniques for Concrete
Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey,BD Mackey Consulting

Detail Items
Detail items can always be used to create details, but detail items can be
made with more intelligence, which makes the detail items even more
useful. Embedding additional information not only helps in the labelling
process, but it can aid in changing the geometry of family at the same
time. The simplest version of this is to have spacing as part of the family.

Intelligence/information in a detail family can come via graphics and/or

calculations. For example, parameters can be added to alert the user via
a color change, the
appearance of a note, etc.
The figure here shows a
detail item of rebar placed
in section that will provide
indication if the bars
become too closely
spaced, thus notifying the
user that the configuration
doesn’t meet certain code
criteria. Another example

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Documentation Techniques for Concrete
Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey,BD Mackey Consulting

is if a family is based on a manufacturer’s data, and one of the inputted

values doesn’t meet their specifications or sizes, then the user could be
alerted. This sort of approach also provides for an opportunity for synergy
in the detail item since the same data used to verify code can also be
tagged in the project, as long as shared parameters are used.

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Documentation Techniques for Concrete
Reinforcement in Revit Structure
Brian Mackey,BD Mackey Consulting

Conclusion
This session shared a method of documenting reinforcing by using only
detail items, by not using lines and filled regions, therefore allowing the use
of tags instead of text, and bringing a level of intelligence to the 2D side
of Revit that is often limited to the 3D side. The session also discussed how
to embed intelligence into your component such that many things can
be calculated, scheduled, and labelled.

Acknowledgements
A special thank you to KL&A Inc. and Ethos Engineering for allowing me to
present content that was specifically created for their firms by BD Mackey
Consulting.

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