Fire rated walls in Revit MEP

[MZemedhun]

In the architectural model the fire rated walls have hatch patteren but in the MEP model they display without the pattern.

How can I display fire rated walls in Revit MEP? 

[dbutts7]

We actually use a coarse pattern override on the original wall type - attached is an image of an example. You may have to develop the patterns but should also be able to find a few online. Let me know if this helps.

[MZemedhun]

Sorry, I should have mentioned that the walls are in a linked architectural model. The fire rated walls display correctly in the architectural mode, the problem is in the MEP mode.

Thanks



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[dbutts7]

OK try this - under VG, go to Revit Links - select the architectural background file, and change it to custom. Do the same thing for the Model components.

Pick the walls, and assign them to Coarse for the default detail level. This will set the default for the linked file for that model.

You can also try this in the view as well directly under VG, but sometimes it behaves better if you edit it at the linked file level.

Let me know if this works - tks- db

[dbutts7]

One other tip - Revit automatically overrides the default display of architectural objects when the Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing disciplines are set current. Set your view discipline to Coordination and see what happens, then I can tell you what you'll have to do next...not as fun...

[CoreyDaun]

How exactly is the Architect controlling the display of the fire-rated walls? Without more info, I'll assume that they are using Wall Types and not just detail lines, or some other method.

What I have done in the past is to create a new Floor Plan View (duplicate the existing) that will be dedicated to the fire-rated walls, and set its Discipline to Coordination. I created View Filters for each fire-rating for the Walls Category (yes, your View Filters can affect elements within a linked model) and configure the display settings for those View Filters. I hid all Categories except for Walls, and then I changed their line colors to white under V/G.

Now, on the Sheet View, I placed the "fire-rating" Viewport on top of the proper View (it will want to line up). You can create a new Viewport Type that does not display a View Title**. Next, I found that Sheet View in the Project Browser, expanded the list of attached Views, and dragged the proper Plan View back onto the Sheet View in order to set it to display on top of the "Fire-Rating" Viewport (since there is no direct control of Display Order yet).

**Alternatively, you can select that Viewport and activate Hide Element (default "EH"). This hides the Viewport Tag and makes the Viewport unseletable until it is unhidden again, which prevents someone from accidentally Activating that Viewport instead of the normal Plan.

[dbutts7]

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OK

OK, see responses below...

@Anonymous wrote:

How exactly is the Architect controlling the display of the fire-rated walls? Without more info, I'll assume that they are using Wall Types and not just detail lines, or some other method.

To do this correctly, It has to be done using Wall Types, since detail lines don’t transmit through a linked file, which is what the image in the previous response indicated.

What I have done in the past is to create a new Floor Plan View (duplicate the existing) that will be dedicated to the fire-rated walls, and set its Discipline to Coordination. I created View Filters for each fire-rating for the Walls Category (yes, your View Filters can affect elements within a linked model) and configure the display settings for those View Filters. I hid all Categories except for Walls, and then I changed their line colors to white under V/G.

Now, on the Sheet View, I placed the "fire-rating" Viewport on top of the proper View (it will want to line up). You can create a new Viewport Type that does not display a View Title**. Next, I found that Sheet View in the Project Browser, expanded the list of attached Views, and dragged the proper Plan View back onto the Sheet View in order to set it to display on top of the "Fire-Rating" Viewport (since there is no direct control of Display Order yet).

OK, so while this works, it’s more of a CAD solution to a BIM problem. Using a coordination view is just one way to display walls in an MEP model in their natural state, but doing this behind MEP files is not typical. The only reason to use a temporary coordination view for this purpose is to test how the architect modeled their walls, and make sure they did it correctly. It’s rare that in the engineering set, you’d want to show architectural elements in their document state (we occasinalluy do this on water/waste water projects, but the practice is becoming less common since that was a "CAD" solution).

In most cases, the MEP designer wants the architectural items to be screened, and in low detail. You don’t indicate the materials used in construction of a wall on an MEP plan, since you want the contractor to use the architectural documents for that purpose. And in your case, you unecessarily adding views to a project, which will increase project size and affect performance.

The right way to this takes two solutions. First, the architect has to setup the wall type as shown in the previous response. All other wall types, that are not fire rated, should not have patterns assigned or visible at the coarse detail level. Any other method simply doesn’t work efficiently, requiring multiple steps and extra views (as you described). All of our wall types are defined by fire rating first, and then by construction.

The second for the MEP drawing is through the view template. For MEP views, edit the default model categories. In the VG dialog, override the wall detail level to be Coarse. Next, check the Fill pattern graphics for projection/surface and make sure the fill patterns are visible. As long as the architect has set their file up correctly, then all wall types will display correctly in your MEP file. The other solution of editing the linked file is a project specific method, in the event you have other walls from other linked files (such as an interior layout model and core/shell being a separate set of models.

And you don’t necessarily need view filters to do this unless you want to toggle fire ratings on or off. I would have one filter when the fills are turn on, and one with them off.

One other note – we typically don’t show fire ratings on our MEP plans, unless a municipality requires it via code. This gets into the debate of showing items once, and having the information in one view, as needed. If we ever need to know where rated walls are, we use a coordination view with everything turned on, and walls set to coarse as shown above. We only use this view as a working view that isn't used in the document set and delete them once the project is submitted; we use this the same way to coordinate ceiling objects from multiple disciplines.

Hope this explains what you need to be doing more clearly - let me know how it works for you.

**Alternatively, you can select that Viewport and activate Hide Element (default "EH"). This hides the Viewport Tag and makes the Viewport unseletable until it is unhidden again, which prevents someone from accidentally Activating that Viewport instead of the normal Plan.

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[MZemedhun · Accepted solution]

I got it to work.

David,
The display settings on my model were as you suggested; the Revit link and the architectural file modeling components VG were set to custom
, and the default detail level for wall was set to coarse. When I change the detail level for wall to fine the fire rated walls showed up on my views.


Thank you all for your help.



________________________________
The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be privileged, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. It is the property of GHT Limited. Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify me immediately by return e-mail or by e-mail to ght@ghtltd.com, and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments. Thank you.

[dbutts7]

Great! Sounds like the architect had assigned them to appear at that detail level, so as long as it works, you're golden.

thanks - db