In this example we will draw and model 7 story building using all features of Building Design Suite. Materials to be used are 4000 psi concrete and ASTM A615 Gr60 steel for reinforcement. Floor elevations and other properties such as thickness of slab are given in the drawings.
Load Classes
Load classifications are added from load classes section as shown below. Add 2 load classes.
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Go to Load Classes → Add
Choose first load class as SDL and name it
Choose second load class as L and name it
Self Weight class is being created automatically at the start of project.
Loads
Load properties based on loading schedule are added from Loads section as shown below. Add 4 loadings. SDL is 20 psf LL is 40 psf for residential areas, SDL is 35 psf LL is 60 psf for terrace, LL is 100 psf for public escape areas but will be loaded as sum of 40 psf LL + 60 psf LL.
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Go to Loads section → Click “add”
Select load class and type
Enter value of load
Name loads
Load Combinations
Design forces are determined by load combinations. We will use 1.4D +1.4 SDL and 1.2D+1.2SDL+1.6LL combinations. Add load combinations as shown below.
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Go to Load Combinations → Add
Enter load factors to load classes
Name load combinations
Drawing Files
Upload reference drawings as shown below.
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Go to Drawing Files → Upload Drawing
Select reference “.dwg” files and click OK
All necessary datas have been defined to start modelling. We will start drawing.
Stories
Create stories to draw as shown below. We have 7 stories + 1 roof +1 upper roof so we will create 9 stories to be modelled.
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Go to Stories → Add
Enter number of Stories
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Enter elevation of each story
Assign drawing files to the stories
Select default materials for slab, column and slab rebar
We will start modelling from top to bottom.
Modelling Of Upper Roof
Go to Roof → Overlay
Select Xref drawing as Roof Linked Drawing
Click OK
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Reference drawing must be as shown below.
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Zoom in and start drawing. Since upper roof drawing is the top floor plan there in no column or shear wall above. We will draw slab and beam objects.
Drawing Slab
Click + next to Roof item on tree view
Go to Slab → Slab Edge Button
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Start to draw slab
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You can view slab edge drawing by right clicking on spreadsheet and selecting in AutoCAD as shown below.
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Enter the properties of slab such as thickness or clear cover.
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You can edit material from clicking relevant cell above if you imported more concrete material.
Since there is no association between slabs you should draw them all by using slab edge command. So just hit space to repeat last command which is slab edge and draw. Enter slab edge properties as shown above.
Click update button to update changes on 3D view and cloud
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If you do not see thickness of slab on 3D view;
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Go to Project Settings
Detailed Render → Select true
Update the project
Beam object causes error so could not be modelled. Shearwall opening is modelled instead.
If reference drawings are floor plans which means it shows columns/shear walls above, you must overlay the drawing of one lower floor to draw columns and shear wall which are carrying the slab.
To draw shearwalls and columns below;
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Go to Roof → Overlay
Select Xref drawing of 8th Floor linked drawing
Unselect Roof linked drawing
Click OK
Now you see the shear walls and columns below.
Drawing Shearwalls
Go to Roof → Shear Walls
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Click Shear Wall to start drawing
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You can select shearwall drawing by right clicking on spreadsheet and selecting in AutoCAD.
You must draw analytical wall to shear wall for finite element analysis calculations and for exporting floor models to SAFE correctly.
Spreadsheet Data → Analytical Walls
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Click Analytical wall to draw.
You must draw a straight line from mid point of one edge to mid point of other edge of shear wall. If shearwall is not straight you must draw analytical walls for each directions of shear parts.
Corner intersection of two analytical walls linked to one shear wall must be as shown below.
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Edit analytical wall properties such as thickness from spreadsheet as shown below.
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If an analytical wall intersects another from middle, create break point on intersection point as shown below.
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Go to interrupted analytical wall on spreadsheet
Click No Break Pts
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Draw line starting from start point of analytical wall to intersection point
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Continue drawing to end point of analytical wall
Hit ESC
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You can edit thickness or refline offset of analytical wall parts interrupted by break points with different values by entering “,” between values as shown above.
We will create an opening on shearwall as shown below.
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Go to analytical wall which opening will be drawn
Click elevation view
Click Wall Opening → select rectangle shape
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You must consider point locations on plan and elevation view.
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Draw a rectangular opening with dimensions above.
Click Show Story to go back to plan view.
We will draw the shear wall shown below different from above because this shear wall has closed shape.
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Spreadsheet → Shear Walls
Click Shear Wall
Draw outer polygon of shear wall
Click Plan View Cutout
Draw inner polygon of shearwall
Hit ESC after drawing
Shear walls 3D view must be as below after updated.
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Drawing Column
There is only one column above on plan.
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Since the column is rectangle but rotated you must draw it with arbitrary column command as shown below.
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Go to Roof → columns
Click arbitrary column to start drawing
Upper roof modelling is completed. 3D of upper roof is shown below.
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Modelling Of Roof
Go to 8th Floor →click Overlay
Select Xref drawing as 8th Floor Linked Drawing
Click OK
Now you see 8th Floor plan.
Drawing Slab
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Go to Slabs
Click slab edge
Draw 2 slab edges
Slab thickness is 8” at 8th floor but we will draw slab pieces to assign different thickness to slab areas in slab edge as shown below.
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Click Slab piece
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Draw slab piece are in slab edge
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You can select slab pieces by right clicking and selecting in AutoCAD as shown above.
Edit slab edge and slab piece properties such as thickness and clear cover.
Do not forget to click update button to see changes on 3D view.
Drawing Openings
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Go to Openings → Select opening shape as above
Draw opening
You must draw rotated rectangular openings by using arbitrary opening command as shown below.
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You can use rectangular opening command only if opening dimensions are in x-y direction as shown below.
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