Column Placement

[Anonymous]

A client has given me an area of a structure and he needs me to find the layout that needs the least number of columns while meeting the criteria they gave me of column spacing. Does anybody know an easy way to make revit do this?

Thanks,

[Sahay_R]

The only thing that I can think of is superimposing a grid per mandated spacing on the building plan. Keep what you want, dump what you don't. Place columns accordingly.

The other thing to do would be a line based generic model with formula driven parametric arrays.

[chrisplyler]

What are the layout/spacing criteria?

[Anonymous]

The client needs all columns to be 4' away from the boundary and 8' away from each other column.

Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

Essentially this is what I am trying to do. This is what I have came up with so far on just a generic shape. Create a detail group of the size of the column and then create a circle centered on that column with the diameter of the maximum span. Am I correct that if I do this, and I get them to overlap that is technically the minimum amount of columns that can be structurally supported in the area?

Or if you know of a way to automate this process I am still open for suggestions.

[ToanDN]

But is this really the best way to layout the columns?  I would still start with a grid system parallel to the dominant axis and go from there.  It's more practical both in design (interior layout) and construction.  [My two cents]

[chrisplyler]

Is this just a math exercise? Or is this actually a project intended for construction?

If it's intended for construction, then no, I would not recommend your resulting layout.

Find out more about that requirement for 4' inside the exterior walls. What is the wall type? Can columns be IN the wall? Is the 4' requirement just for some aesthetic ideal? Or is it for rack layout, or equipment isles, or what?

If your columns, and thus your beams and joists, aren't in some kind of regular, geometrically predictable grid, then your cost will go up more than you think.

[martinTstewart_Adsk · Accepted solution]

Hi dmaxwellE7VF9

Looks like you’re new to the Forum. Welcome. Lots of awesome Revit users herein.

Seems you have two posts on the same topic, with the other post here.

Looks like you’ve got a lot of good responses.  I agree with the post above,... if this is a construction project, seems like more of a design/engineering question than a software or drafting question.  Square or rectangular structural bays are usually much more cost effective. So it may be a matter of using the maximum spacing perimeters and just quickly layout some various options/scenerios for your customer with different approaches to the building shape in question – bays ignoring the angle of walls and remaining orthogonal to an x/y; bays/grids aligned primarily to the West wall; bays/grids aligned primarily to the East wall.

Even done manually, this would be a quick exercise for preliminary design and column counts.

The easiest Revit steps are probably to

1. get the exterior walls into a plan view. 
2. Make some duplicates of the plan view.
3. Using reference planes, pick lines, and offset different grids – doing a few scenarios similar to the above ideas.
4. Then just do a quick manual count of the intersections (columns)

Looks like between the two posts, you’ve received some good Revit how-to suggestions, but again...seems this is more a design/engineering question than a drafting question.

So does this and the other replies answer your question?   Please let us know.  And again, welcome to the Forum.

If my reply answered your question, please click the "Accept as Solution" button below.