24 SMART | v3.4 2017 ENERGY | SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY dynamics of masonry.com Puzzles are fascinating. Individual pieces seem insignificant and bear little resemblance to the total picture. But you can appreciate how truly significant each piece is if you’ve ever finshed a puzzle only to find one piece has been lost. If you were to watch a puzzle come together, at first the picture remains a mystery, but there comes a point – a turing point, really – where the whole picture can be understood even though many pieces have yet to be placed. In the same way, BIM for Masonry (BIM‐M) has been working to piece together a modeling solution for masonry. Many key pieces are now in place and the turning point has passed. The final picture is in view, even though several pieces are yet to be placed. It’s an exciting time for masonry, in which real solutions are emerging. A complete BIM solution for masonry is just on the horizon. The Strength of MUD: Redefining How Masonry Is Modeled The Masonry Unit Database (MUD) Version 1 released some months ago, represents an essential ingredient to a BIM solution for masonry. The significance of MUD is hard to overstate. It’s like those critical edge pieces that come together first and give the whole puzzle structure. Masonry materials have spent several thousand years innovating and diversifying, which is a strength, but it also can be overwhelming for the designer to navigate. With so many specialty solutions in the market, it can be difficult to know what is available. Need a unit that can be reinforced, has sound absorbing qualities with thermal mass and has a particular architectural finish? It may exist, but what is the value of having the perfect tool for every task if you can’t find it when you need it? BIM‐M has drawn upon industry experts to explore several viable solutions. It has arrived at a relational database structure that organizes the immense diversity of masonry products, making them accessible. MUD allows designers and contractors to browse for masonry products, based on properties that satisfy design requirements. It also standardizes and organizes masonry so it can be consumed by designers and software developers in an organized digital format. It prepares masonry products for design and construction modeling by serving the right data to each stakeholder. It’s the difference between starting a jigsaw puzzle that has been randomly dumped out on a table versus one that has been turned right side up, sorted by color and shape, and with the edge pieces in a neat little pile. MUD allows designers and contractors to browse for masonry products, based on properties that satisfy design requirements Tom Cuneio Advanced Modeling with Revit Plugin Masonry i Q INTELLIGENT DESIGN encouraging INTELLIGENT CONSTRUCTION BIM-M TECHNOLOGY Image at right was taken the day final panels were installed. By harnessing technology now available to masonry, complex designs can be executed without surprises, in real time. Masonry model married to the scan with precise location and scale. Scan was clashed against the model and several locations were identified where concrete needed to be modified for proper installation. This process allows exact measurements to be made between existing field conditions and modeled elements yet to be installed. Due to the design’s twisting nature, molds for panels were machined directly from the 3D model rather than from traditional fabrication drawings. Masonry is participating in the most advanced modeling processes in the industry today. Image at left is a laser scan used to capture existing concrete substrate to verify proper clearance for anchoring and installing precast panels. Images courtesy of CAD Blox LLC
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24 SMART | v3.4 2017 ENERGY | SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY dynamicsofmasonry.com
Puzzles are fascinating. Individualpieces seem insignificant and bear littleresemblance to the total picture. Butyou can appreciate how truly significanteach piece is if you’ve ever finshed apuzzle only to find one piece has beenlost. If you were to watch a puzzle cometogether, at first the picture remains amystery, but there comes a point – aturing point, really – where the wholepicture can be understood even thoughmany pieces have yet to be placed.
In the same way, BIM for Masonry (BIM‐M)has been working to piece together amodeling solution for masonry. Many keypieces are now in place and the turning pointhas passed. The final picture is in view, eventhough several pieces are yet to be placed.It’s an exciting time for masonry, in which realsolutions are emerging. A complete BIMsolution for masonry is just on the horizon.
The Strength of MUD:
Redefining How Masonry
Is ModeledThe Masonry Unit Database (MUD) Version 1released some months ago, represents anessential ingredient to a BIM solution formasonry. The significance of MUD is hard tooverstate. It’s like those critical edge piecesthat come together first and give the wholepuzzle structure. Masonry materials have
spent several thousand years innovating anddiversifying, which is a strength, but it also canbe overwhelming for the designer to navigate.With so many specialty solutions in themarket, it can be difficult to know what isavailable. Need a unit that can be reinforced,has sound absorbing qualities with thermalmass and has a particular architectural finish?It may exist, but what is the value of havingthe perfect tool for every task if you can’t findit when you need it? BIM‐M has drawn uponindustry experts to explore several viablesolutions. It has arrived at a relationaldatabase structure that organizes theimmense diversity of masonry products,making them accessible.
MUD allows designers and contractors tobrowse for masonry products, based onproperties that satisfy design requirements. It also standardizes and organizes masonry so it can be consumed by designers and softwaredevelopers in an organized digital format. It prepares masonry products for design andconstruction modeling by serving the right datato each stakeholder. It’s the difference betweenstarting a jigsaw puzzle that has been randomlydumped out on a table versus one that has beenturned right side up, sorted by color and shape,and with the edge pieces in a neat little pile.
MUD allows designers and contractors to browse for masonryproducts, based on properties that
satisfy design requirements
Tom Cuneio
Advanced Modelingwith Revit PluginMasonryiQINTELLIGENT DESIGN encouragingINTELLIGENT CONSTRUCTION
BIM-M TECHNOLOGY
Image at right was taken the day final panelswere installed. By harnessing technology nowavailable to masonry, complex designs can beexecuted without surprises, in real time.Masonry model married to the scan with precise location and
scale. Scan was clashed against the model and several locationswere identified where concrete needed to be modified for properinstallation. This process allows exact measurements to be madebetween existing field conditions and modeled elements yet tobe installed. Due to the design’s twisting nature, molds for panelswere machined directly from the 3D model rather than fromtraditional fabrication drawings.
Masonry is participating in themost advanced modelingprocesses in the industry today.Image at left is a laser scan usedto capture existing concretesubstrate to verify properclearance for anchoring andinstalling precast panels.
Images courtesy of CAD Blox LLC
Custom bond patternsrepresenting a widerange of masonryshapes can now bestudied in designmodels. Cornerbonding is accuratelyrepresented andmodels can beanalyzed to assess aproper fit for masonry.BIM is delivering toolsthat are yielding afaster, smarter, morefun experience for allwho design withmasonry products.
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As Clear as MUDIf you have been following MUD’sdevelopment and have been asking yourselfwhat to do with it, you are not alone. Tounderstand how MUD might be used, it willhelp to discuss how models are currentlyused in the larger BIM community.
Currently, models used for BIM are divided intotwo distinct camps. On one hand, you have BIMperformed by the design team; on the other,you have BIM performed by the contractors.These two worlds are often isolated from oneanother and only exchange a minimal amountof information directly. In a perfect world, thesetwo camps and their models will be united. Weare working toward that unified goal.
The primary reason for having two separatemodels has to do with ownership and liabilityfor the information in BIM. It’s rare for adesign model to serve as the contractdocument. If a design model is to serve as thedocument of record, then many traditionalliabilities of the contractor shift back to thedesign team, weakening the healthy systemof checks and balances. Since design modelsdon’t typically become construction models,they are free to evolve in a design‐specificspace. Similarly, construction models aregenerally constructed after the designprocess is complete, so they have alsoevolved in their own construction‐specificspace. Since both models have separate
authors with very distinct purposes, they havedeveloped over the years on separatesoftware platforms. For MUD to be effective,it needs to serve relevant data to both BIMcommunities and it is prepared to do just that.
Engineers will look to MUD for unit propertieslike strength, weight, R‐values and unitgeometry. MUD also has specific data, likeweb‐ and face‐shell thickness, which can beused to evaluate thermal bridging. MUD is inthe process of gathering manufacturer‐specificdata, like digital product images that architectswill use to render masonry elevations andgenerate specifications. There is also space inMUD for proprietary products like ICMU,custom brick shapes, cast stone and others.MUD is a rich environment for designers tomine for all the masonry data they need.
BIM for construction will also find MUD to be agreat resource. For starters, 3D unit geometryfor masonry can be directly exported from thedatabase in several file types. These units canform the basis of LOD 400 digital mock upswhen coordinating critical regions of a structure.MUD contains bond beams, open end units andbrick of all shapes and sizes. A host of differentcore configurations are available, allowinginternal coordination issues, like confirmingspace for in‐wall utilities, to be verified in themodel. The data in MUD is growning and itshould attract applications that will leverage itsdata to make masonry much more BIM friendly.
Working OvertimeThose who supply materials for constructionhave been working for some time to servetheir products into BIM workflows. Someproducts lend themselves well to BIMadoption. Simple components like steel beamsare easy to model and populate with data and,as such, have been available to BIM for years.Steel shapes are relatively limited and havebeen standardized. Concrete is essentially dataonly since the geometry is produced entirely in
the design model. Other components are morecomplex, like an HVAC compressor or a doorassembly. Some work by the manufacturer isrequired to develop the geometry and data,but once that is done, they are easily broughtinto BIM. They generally occur in low quantitiesand can be dropped into the model.
Masonry products don’t enjoy theseadvantages. They don’t have standardizedgeometry like steel. They have complexmodular elements, so they are not simple likeconcrete and they typically occur in largequantities ‐‐ often very large quantities.Suppliers are tasked with developing geometry
Units can form the basis of LOD 400 digital mock ups when
coordinating critical regions of a structure
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translate directly to masonry wall propertiesor wall geometry. They are related, but onlyindirectly. Experienced designers who knowwhat to do with unit data benefit from MUDas a resource, but the path to generate wallgeometry and wall properties directly fromMUD involves additional steps. What we needis a solution that can generate the desiredwall data from the unit data in MUD.
Better Design ToolsMUD is being adopted into masonry softwareand improving intelligence, speed andefficiency of modeling. Masonry iQ by 3DiQ Incjust on the market is MUD compatible(3DiQinc.com). Now designers andcontractors can create custom bond patternsfrom MUD unit geometry and generate thosepatterns quickly. Not only that, but MasonryiQ patterns perform a 3D analysis of the wallsand adapt those patterns intelligently aroundpenetrations and corners, providing accuratelayout with field cuts. Wall sections are drawncorrect to bond patterns with bond beamlocations noted. Custom shapes andmanufacturer’s specific units are being addedto MUD, which will further enhance this tool.
Integration of MUD with Masonry iQ providesfunctionality previously unavailable. Ability tostudy modularity during design is a huge leapforward. Wall geometry that is not modular
requires field cuts during installation to makeup the difference in bonding. These cutsaffect wall aesthetics, generate materialwaste, slow production, produce airbornesilica and can be the root of workmanshipissues ‐‐ even wall performance issues whensmall plugs are introduced. Field cuts are partof almost all masonry installations since thetools to study layout didn’t exist before. Thistype of analysis can now be performed onany design, including complicated cavitywalls where interior and exterior patternsare analyzed independently.
Exciting Time for MasonryMUD is opening doors to more advanced andcreative masonry solutions in both design andconstruction models. Tools like Masonry iQrepresent first generation intelligent designsupport for masonry. Design models aremonitoring their own geometry and auditingcompatibility with custom patterns, providingcritical feedback early in the design process.Coupled with better data from MUD, complex
and data, and modelers tasked withassembling the data into models. Beyond that,many properties important to designers arenot even unit properties, so MUD isn’t thewhole story. Unit properties must often beused in context with rebar schedules, mortarproperties, bond configurations and groutlocations to develop the wall propertiesnecessary for design.
Despite the challenges of bringing masonryinto BIM, its likely that BIM will be the bestthing that could have happened to thisindustry. Challenges are real, but they arebeing overcome. Masonry is incredibly diverse;MUD is making it accessible. Wall propertiesand energy performance for masonry havemany variables; masonry models combinethose variables intelligently. Bond patterns andlayout may be challenging; smart modelingtools are performing analysis on the fly.Challenges are often the driver for innovationand this is true with BIM for masonry.
Connecting MUD data to design models is anindirect path. Since design models must bemore flexible, they can’t carry the load ofdetails that masonry demands. Design modelsgenerally represent walls as a simplifiedsystem – an average of sorts – that is easy toconstruct and edit. MUD contains unitproperties and unit geometry which do not
Design models monitor their owngeometry and auditing
compatibility with custompatterns, providing early feedback
Complex masonry models are finding avery productive place in today’scoordination models. Accurate unit‐basedmodels deliver exact cell locationsallowing for rebar and other in‐wallelements to be fully coordinated. Bondbeam locations can be clashed againstmechanical penetrations. Complexinteractions with steel, imbeds, beampockets and other structural elementscan be studied. These models producevery precise orders and are earningnew‐found respect for masonry onthe job site and in the office.
BIM-M TECHNOLOGY
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masonry wall properties for thermal andstructural analysis will be more accessible.Until now, the industry has handed designersa limited set of patterns and stock wallpaperimages of typical elevations. Now, the fullrange of patterns can be explored andrendered with a growing database ofproducer images. The challenges of workingwith a material that is so diverse are beingovercome with the power of BIM.
On the construction side, automated modelgeneration is in advanced stages. AccurateLevel of Development (LOD) 350 masonrymodels are having significant impact on themarket and will soon be the new norm. Thesemodels can be populated with units fromMUD and are ideal for coordination withHVAC, mechanical, steel and other trades.Masonry job sites supported by theseadvanced models have much smootherinstallations and lower costs. Field cutting isreduced, eliminated or understood wellenough and early enough to be done off site.Bond beam and grout locations are knownand penetrations can be planned accordingly.
Orders are extremely accurate, which bringsdown the overall cost of materials.
Masonry models for construction are activetoday in the most advanced BIM workflowslike laser scanning. This has proven particularlyeffective when adjusting layout in veneers tofit an existing structure. Complex cast shapesare being fabricated directly from models.Coordinating masonry models can beexperienced in virtual reality, allowing BIM tobe explored in breathtaking ways. These arenot wishes, these are practical applicationsthat are providing real value on projects today.
There are a lot of so many excitingdevelopments are underway in BIM‐M. Withprogress being made on both ends of thespectrum, intelligent design models arebehaving more like construction models andautomated construction models arebecoming more flexible and easy togenerate. The day is coming when lines willblur and a single model will serve bothpurposes. That day will be another leapforward in construction efficiency. Although
Tom Cuneio, hasbeen developingmodeling solutionsfor masonry formore than 10 years. His company, CAD BLOX LLC hasprovided models,orders, layout
drawings and other BIM related services formore than 600 commercial jobs. He isactively developing software andmethods to help the masonry industrycapitalize on the benefits of BIMtechnology. He is an honors graduate ofthe Mechanical and Aerospace programfrom the University of Missouri.719.232.5570 | [email protected]
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Masonry Computer Estimating That Does It All ... in 3D!
masonry has lagged behind in BIM adoptiondue to its complexity, the solutions that arebeing developed to overcome masonry’schallenges could lead the way toward thenext big step forward in BIM solutions.
