Concrete Slab and Beam visibility limitations

[Tom_Bionda]

Hi All and everyone,

Intro:

Modeling suspended slab and beams (in grid formation).

Structural background: In construction industry we all get a picture of volumetric presentation when someone tell us "imagine beam or imagine slab" (would you agree?), it has its depth and width + length, but then me (and all other Engs in the world :)) as a structural Engineer when design of slab and beam comes into place there is something called Statical height - it is height between center of reinforcement (please correct me if I am wrong/expression).

How does this have anything to do with Revit:

Well, sometimes some economical or pure design reasons makes me think about beam as just volumetric shape, and "statical shape". Now before Revit, with "T" square ruler and Ink pen I would achieve one or another.

1. So, in say "normal" situation we have Slab and then beam as one monolith element, being poured at once (put yourself in builder's boots), and when you look section, you will see exactly what I am showing in attachment.

In this situation beam as statical element is "hidden" (top of the beam) inside slab, slab is integrated with beam or vice versa, slab top reinforcement is "tangled" with top beam reinforcement. 

2. Pretty much the same situation, except now pure geometry is separated by making difference between statical geometry of slab and beam. 

Put it this way (looking from builders' perspective): is it the same to build formwork around slab or beam, for slab we have one plane/side to place formwork, then beam has one horizontal and two verticals?

These reasons could not be reasons but, hey we all have some reasons, don't we?

Problem:

When I model slab and beam I follow this process:

I model first slab over area of interest, then i use tool structure beam to place beam. Beam is place in the way that top of the beam is on top of the slab, or top of the beam is matching with top of the slab.

Then I use tool "Join geometry", and then "switch join order" so that beam cuts slab instead slab cutting beam.

Now, in floor plan view I would like  for beams still to be shown as hidden lines, but I can't achieve that, so here I am asking for help from you guys, can you help me to achieve that?

It looks like in Revit this can't be achieved unless I push beams slightly under slab level, then beam will appear as hidden lines.

Please have a look into attachment for better understanding of problem, if still not clear please let me know, I'll put more effort to explain more in details. Try to do as exercise what I am trying to describe here and you will see what I am talking about.

I am finding this as Revit "limitations", I did found way (very popular "workaround") to deliver product in wanted way, but I am interested in Autodesk community whether anyone encountered this situation. Is there a way to improve this from programming side. 

Thank you  

[JL.FCG]

Great explanation.

In this situation, I would put my plans under the 'Structural' Discipline, as this will show the hidden lines required below slab.

[ctm_mka]

For printing purposes, we leave the default join order, slab over beam, so we get the "proper" display of hidden lines. If/when we need tthe true beam depth (your statical height) we have a dynamo routine that switches join order for the whole project, then we export the data we need, and undo the dynamo routine.

[Tom_Bionda]

Hi JL_FCG

Thanks for candid reply 😉

Please have a look screen shot in attachment, I did apply structural discipline, it is part of our standard template.

Also, you can see that I am getting footings and columns (attached to beams) as hidden lines further down below. This issue is of more different Revit "nature-coding".

Cheers

[Tom_Bionda]

Hi ctm_mka,

Thank you for your prompt response.

Sounds like do something to get it on the paper to look properly and then undo (if I understood correctly?).

Ok, maybe if you would like to share dynamo notes or dynamo node sequence? (Even if it is not ultimate solution, I would like to give it a go). 

Cheers

[ctm_mka · Accepted solution]

Tom, that's basically it. Dynamo attached for you to start with, there a few python nodes you will need edit. This version also exports csv files of certain schedules, but you can delete that (last two nodes i think).