Does Revit have a parameter to distinguish levels that are Underground vs above Ground?

[fawzimasri7137]

Hi,

I want to get a list of all pipe and family Instances that are "underground" .   I currently look for the lowest level, and call anything below it underground.  It works, but it is not fool-proof. 

For example, in the case where a building is on a slope, the lowest level is not the only marker of underground.  Other levels could have portions of which are considered underground.

One would have to have a floor model and and even then i am not sure what parameter one would look for to get the location of underground space.

So how is this dealt with , or is it even considered at all?

Thanks

[Kevin.Lawson.PE]

The user can set it through various UIs.  You can read those settings in the EnergyDataSettings:

//https://www.revitapidocs.com/2020/95fb9ccf-29f0-ca97-895b-bd72c717a6f0.htm
EnergyDataSettings energyData = EnergyDataSettings.GetFromDocument(doc);
ElementId groundPlaneId = energyData.GroundPlane;

If the user hasn't set it, you can try to infer it from the BuiltInCategory.OST_BuildingPad or the BuiltInCategory.OST_TopographySurface

[fawzimasri7137]

Thanks a lot for the links... i found another parameter that looks promising GroundPlane.

But , wow,  energyDataSetting Class!! that is the last area i would have thought to look in.  Not to mention that i don't think we get models with the energy data in it. ( i am on the plumbing side) 

I will chase the other two parameters :BuiltInCategory.OST_BuildingPad and BuiltInCategory.OST_TopographySurface.

So you don't think none of these parameters are assigned values, and that i have to go through the UI to assign them?

[Kevin.Lawson.PE]

Yes, the user sets it here:

[fawzimasri7137]

i see.

I have not seen this before, and i am amazed that all of this is under energy settings... i would have thought that all the traditional disciplines (MEP) would be as  interested in that if not more.

Is that typically done by in the Architectural model or who ensures that the correct info is there? 

Another thing, how do they deal with a level that is part Underground, and part Above ground?

[Kevin.Lawson.PE]

The architect typically would not set this.  The mechanical engineer would to run HVAC load calculations/energy models.   So it's a very good chance that no one is ensuring the correct info is there.   That's why it may be best to verify with any slabs or topography in the model or linked models. 

Levels don't slope, so there's no way to deal with sloping grade.  

What are you working on, ie why do you need to know grade? There may be other ways to go about it. 

[fawzimasri7137]

For take off purposes, I would treat pipe/families under ground differently than above ground, i.e. material type and labor.

Even if levels don’t slope, one has to label somehow that some segment of a level is actually on a slab.  Unless their is a structural reason that prohibits my naive understanding of this.

I need to do more homework on this and see if there is another way of doing it.

of course I can always use UI to label things, but I am trying to avoid doing that.  For now, I am setting my lowest level as my above ground marker.

mine thought/question, who would provide topography info for this, civil or structural?

If you think of anything else, please let me know..

thanks

[Kevin.Lawson.PE · Accepted solution]

Most likely civil, or architectural will remodel the civil work for renderings.