BIM-Based Timber Formwork Design and Modeling
Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 28, Issue 1
Abstract
Building information modeling (BIM) is one of the most promising new technological developments that can be used to facilitate design and construction automation. Prior BIM research has primarily focused on permanent building components; temporary structures such as scaffolding and concrete formwork have received little attention. The design and planning of concrete formwork systems, however, would substantially benefit from the capabilities of BIM. Formwork design is repetitive and can be very time-consuming due to the need to analyze multiple parameters of individual permanent components, the latest formwork design guidelines, methods, and procedures, and the available materials. In this study, a BIM-based tool is developed and proposed to assist designers and builders in planning, designing, and generating concrete formwork design models for planning purposes. By integrating the design procedures recommended by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), the streamlining tool automates the design and modeling process for timber concrete formwork through an application programming interface (API) in Revit. The workability of the proposed tool was demonstrated through a case study. The study also employed the survey method to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed tool and its potential for improving worker safety and health from the perspectives of formwork professionals. Using the tool, form designers and planners will be able to determine the most applicable formwork design based on the permanent facility structure along with the availability of construction materials, site conditions present, and worker safety and health considerations. The study also provides contractors with a new tool for planning concrete operations and expands the scope of BIM design.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request including API codes, survey questionnaire, and responses.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 28 • Issue 1 • February 2023
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 17, 2022
Accepted: Aug 27, 2022
Published online: Oct 31, 2022
Published in print: Feb 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Mar 31, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Architectural engineering
- Building design
- Building information modeling
- Building management
- Building materials
- Business management
- Case studies
- Concrete
- Concrete construction
- Concrete structures
- Construction (by type)
- Construction engineering
- Design (by type)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Formwork (concrete construction)
- Materials engineering
- Methodology (by type)
- Occupational safety
- Practice and Profession
- Public administration
- Public health and safety
- Research methods (by type)
- Safety
- Structural engineering
- Structures (by type)
- Wood and wood products
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